Food Safety

Food-related diseases affect tens of millions of people and kill thousands each year. A foodborne illness is caused by eating or drinking a contaminated food or beverage. NEHA’s food safety programs are dedicated to educating food safety and environmental health professionals. NEHA helps to inform, educate, and improve preparedness, response, and prevention of foodborne diseases within both the regulatory and industry workforce. The food safety products and materials we offer can be used for someone just beginning their career in the food industry or a professional with many years of experience.

These programs include the following:

• Learning materials and opportunities for local and state food safety and environmental health professionals, school lunch programs, and professional instructors, managers, and employees in the food service industry
• Food safety related workshops, training opportunities, conferences, and events
• A Food Safety Instructor directory
• Credentials and Certificates for retail, manufacturing, and regulatory industries
• Food safety courses for Certified Professional Food Managers and Certified Professional Food Handlers
• Access to assessments and reports

NEHA Celebrates National Food Safety Education Month

September is National Food Safety Education Month! NEHA would like to take this opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of those in the food safety workforce. Help us recognize a food safety hero during our Food Safety Heroes campaign as we highlight their contributions throughout September. Get back to basics on one (or all!) of our foodborne pathogen webinars and learn what makes these bad bugs tick and how to prevent them from contaminating our food. And don't forget to check out all the food safety resources listed below that NEHA has to offer.

Learn More About Food Safety Education Month

Food Safety Credentials and Certifications

• Certified in Food Safety Supplier Audits (CFSSA)
• Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS)
• Certified in Comprehensive Food Safety (CCFS)
• Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS)
• Certified Foodborne Outbreak Investigator (CFOI)
• Certificate programs for HACCP, Food Managers, and Food Handlers

Food Safety Trainings 

• National Retail Food Program Courses
• Epi-Ready Team Training: Foodborne Illness Response Strategies 
• NEHA Food Safety Online Training Resources
• Industry – Foodborne Illness Investigation Training and Recall Response (I-FIIT)  
  • The I-FIIT Workshop is available online for 6 CE
• Foodborne Illness Outbreak Environmental Assessment (FBEA) Certificate Training 
• NEHA eLearning
• NEHA Education and Training

Just in Time Video Series 

The NEHA Just in Time Video Series offers a diverse collection of informative and digestible short videos to be used as a resource to support acceptable operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The training catalog offers guidelines and best practices for specific food safety topics and various environmental health situations that may present themselves during this unprecedented time. Each individual training within the series offers a clear and concise overview of a topic and provides guidance for acceptable, safe, alternative operations. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT JUST IN TIME

NEHA Food Safety Policy Statements

One of NEHA's responsibilities is to speak up on issues of concern to our members and one way of doing that involves adopting positions. By publishing these positions, we strive to keep you informed about where we stand as an association on issues critical to environmental health. If you and/or your colleagues have the opportunity to advance any of these positions, we encourage you to do so.

• NEHA Policy Statement on the Adoption and Implementation of the Current Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code
• NEHA Policy Statement on Food Safety for Cottage Foods and Home-Based Restaurants
• NEHA Policy Statement on Food Safety as Related to the Consumption of Cannabis-Infused Food Products
• View all NEHA Policy and Position Statements

Cannabis Resources

Stay up-to-date on the latest trends related to the emerging topic of cannabis and food safety.

View CannaBis Resources 

Environmental Health Saves Lives, Saves Money, and Protects Our Future 

Environmental health professionals ensure our food is safe by educating, inspecting, and investigating facilities throughout the food supply chain, including farms and manufacturers, restaurants, and grocery stores.

Professional Food Handler Certificate Program

A well-trained and knowledgeable food handler is the backbone of food safety in the retail food service setting. NEHA’s Professional Food Handler (PFH) Certificate Course provides these frontline workers access to essential knowledge and an understanding of core food safety practices that they need to carry out their work safely.

The NEHA Professional Food Handler Course is ideal for: 

• Preparing for employment in the food industry
• Employee orientation to food safety
• Meeting the requirements for employee training (food handler) by state and/or local jurisdictions
• ANSI accredited
• Based on the 2017 FDA Food Code
• Secure Certificate of Training issued

The Professional Food Handler Certificate can be obtained online or with an instructor.

CIFOR Resources 

The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR)  has the Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response and CIFOR Industry Guidelines  (for Owners, Operators, and Managers of Food Establishments) available for download. 

Learn more about CIFOR Resources

More Food Safety Resources

• NEHA's Assessment of Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response Report (PDF)

• NEHA's Environmental Health Regulatory Food Safety Program Capacity Assessment Summary (PDF)

• NEHA's Environmental Health Regulatory Food Safety Program Capacity Assessment Full Report (PDF)

• Food-Safe Schools Program

• Best Practices for Use of FoodSHIELD During Food and Feed Incidents (PDF)