Environmental Sampling: A Tool for Solving Outbreaks at the Retail Food Level

Foodborne illness investigations rely on environmental samples and getting them right — from where you sample to what you collect — is essential to defensible results.

The Environmental Sampling Workshop was created to build confidence and consistency in environmental sampling during retail outbreaks and environmental assessments. This course provides participants with a clear foundation in planning, sample collection, documentation, and shipping environmental samples in a real kitchen environment.

Through a blend of classroom instruction and immersive exercises, participants learn how effective sampling identifies root cause, informs control strategies, and strengthens public health decision-making. The workshop emphasizes legally defensible practices and hands-on experiences to mirror real foodborne illness investigations.

Participants Will Learn and Practice How To:

• Plan and organize an environmental sampling team
• Select sampling approach across food environments based on pathogen characteristics
• Apply aseptic technique with sterile sampling supplies
• Create a chain of custody and legally defensible documentation
• Prepare samples for shipment to the laboratory
• Interpret sampling outcomes and determine responses when results are positive

Find the agenda here.