Association of Food and Drug Officials

Association of Food and Drug Officials

Many perspectives, one voice, since 1896.

Root Cause Analysis for Retail Food Safety

Start April 13, 2026

End April 16, 2026

Location Virtual / Live

About

Root Cause Analysis is a critical part of the food safety problem solving process.  This analytical process breaks down the system into its components enabling an understanding of the effect of each component on others and/or the system.  Root cause analysis techniques assist regulatory and industry professionals in identifying possible causes, determining actual causes, and implementing solutions. 

This course develops the skills needed to define the problem, collect data, determine the “why” of the violation or outbreak, and identify solutions by applying the concepts of root cause analysis to reduce risk factor violation occurrence and enhance foodborne illness outbreak investigations.  

Course Objectives

  • Enhance problem solving effectiveness by providing a model for more deeply analyzing problem situations. (e.g., Food Borne Illness Outbreaks, recurring violations)  
  • Clarify the difference between analytical and creative thinking, and when each is most useful 
  • Promote the ability to provide problem-solving support in situations where one is not an expert in the process or technology involved  
  • Expand the range of tools available for analysis of problems

Who Should Attend

Experienced food safety professionals in regulatory or industry roles

Location

Virtual sessions

Course Length

Four 4.5 virtual sessions:

  • April 13, 2026 — 4.5 hrs virtual session (11:00 am – 3:30 pm EST)
  • April 14, 2026 — 4.5 hrs virtual session (11:00 am – 3:30 pm EST)
  • April 15, 2026 — 4.5 hrs virtual session (11:00 am – 3:30 pm EST)
  • April 16, 2026 — 4.5 hrs virtual session (11:00 am – 3:30 pm EST)

Seat Limit

20 spots available

Instructors

TBD

All attendees will earn CEU credits during this training!

Join the newsletter to stay informed about the latest food and medical products related news from AFDO

AFDO

The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) is a regulatory organization that connects food and medical-products safety stakeholders and impacts the regulatory environment by shaping sound, science-based rules, law, regulations, and sharing best practices that protect public health.