Start Your 2026 Planning Off Right With AFDO’s Handy Checklist
Starting fresh with a new year can be intimidating. This AFDO-curated checklist of things to do in January can help.
- Attend the FREE January Inspector Bootcamp Series.
- Round out your professional development plan with AFDO annual training opportunities for you and your staff.
- Make this the year you add an AFDO credential (or two) to your email signature.
- Review AFDO resources — from A to Z — covering food, drug, cosmetics, and medical product safety.
- Mark your calendar for the AFDO Annual Educational Conference June 5-9, 2026. (And reach out about sponsorship opportunities!)
- Plan to attend your AFDO regional affiliate meeting.
- Join an AFDO committee.
- Check out the food safety resources in 50-plus languages.
- Try out an on-demand training offering.
- Start your HACCP Plan Review application.
- Consider bringing an AFDO training to your location in 2025.
AFDO Has a Job Opening
AFDO is hiring an Assistant Program Manager to manage projects and support the National Integrated Food Safety System Cooperative Agreement and facilitate and instruct food safety training programs. Responsibilities include managing projects, conducting research, maintaining regulatory directories, developing resources, and facilitating both in-person and virtual courses on topics such as basic inspector skills, retail food safety, and environmental sampling. Candidates must hold a science-related bachelor’s degree, demonstrate strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills, and be proficient with Microsoft Office. The role requires independence, adaptability, and the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment. This remote position requires residence within 50 miles of a regional airport and experience in retail or manufactured food inspections. Travel to meetings and conferences is required. The position is full-time with full benefits (401K, healthcare, paid vacation days), and a salary range is available upon request.
For more info, click here. If interested, please send your resume to afdo@afdo.org. Apply by January 15, 2026.
February Training Opportunities Are Right Around the Corner
These two virtual classes from AFDO are both next month. Read more and register by clicking the associated links.
Root Cause Analysis for Retail Food Safety
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. For more information and to apply, click here.
Dates: February 2-5, 2026
Cost: $400 for AFDO members; $600 for non-members
Basic Inspections and Investigation Course for New Manufactured Food and Retail Regulators
New food regulators who have responsibilities for performing routine and non-routine inspections, and also complaint investigations, have a fundamental learning opportunity in this virtual 5-hour, five-session course. It also covers training for conducting investigations and collecting product samples for analysis by a laboratory (when applicable). For more information and to apply, click here.
Dates: February 9-13, 2026
Cost: $400 for AFDO members; $500 for non-members
Register and Mark Your Calendar Now!
Don’t Miss the 2026 Editions of Inspector Boot Camps
The AFDO one-of-a-kind “Inspector Boot Camp” is back for 2026. Registration is now open for new and experienced regulatory inspectors who are ready to take advantage of these free virtual sessions in January.
💻 Watch the 2026 Boot Camp Announcement Trailer here!
Trainings are for both retail and manufactured food inspectors. Sessions cover power and technical skills with a primary goal: Participants gain additional tools and knowledge to be better prepared in the field. Explore topics such as report writing, conflict de-escalation, preventive controls, food safety plans, food safety culture, and root cause.
Basic Inspector Boot Camp
This training is geared to retail and manufactured food inspectors with two years or less experience. Wednesday class dates are January 14, January 21, and January 28. (Click on class date for topics, speakers, and other details.)
All participants are invited to attend the January 14 session; the following days, there is an option to select retail food and/or manufactured food tracks for technical training. This training is approved for CEUs through AFDO, NEHA, and for California REHS needs. Participants receive a certificate of completion for each date of training and are encouraged to attend at least two to take full advantage of the complete topics.
Advanced Inspector Boot Camp
AFDO also offers three virtual Advanced Boot Camp training days in January. Those who attended Boot Camp in 2025 may be interested in the new material on the last day. Anyone with more than two years of experience is encouraged to register individually for Thursday sessions on January 15, January 22, and January 29 (new material*). (Click on date for topics, speakers, and other details.)
Advanced Inspector Boot Camp is designed for both retail and manufactured food-focused inspectors. All attendees will earn CEU credits.
If you have questions about the training or would like more information, please visit the links provided or email Autumn Schuck, AFDO Assistant Program Director.
* January 29 course looks at the science of rehydration, food ingredients, and rodent control.
Save the Date – 2026 AEC Is in Columbus, Ohio, This June
Next year’s AFDO Annual Educational Conference will be June 5-9, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. Get ready for five days of educational sessions focused on four content tracks. Make new connections with peers and find out how they are managing common challenges.
New for this year: Pre-conference activities kick off Friday, June 5, with the opening evening session on Saturday, June 6.
Stay tuned to AFDO’s email and social media updates for registration information and more.
If you missed this year’s conference and want a taste of the terrific sessions from subject matter experts, a select number of the recordings are available on AFDO’s YouTube channel, including sessions from former FDA Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas and Johnson & Wales University’s Jason Evans.
Watch them here: 2025 AFDO AEC Playlist
Learn more about the conference and register here.
Minneapolis Warehouse Recalls Products due to Potential Salmonella Contamination
On December 26, 2025, Gold Star Distribution, Inc. recalled FDA-regulated drugs, devices, cosmetics, human foods, and pet foods due to the presence of rodent and avian contamination in its Minneapolis, Minnesota, warehouse.
The FDA determined that the facility was operating under insanitary conditions, including the presence of rodent excreta, rodent urine, and bird droppings in areas where medical devices, drugs, human food, pet food, and cosmetic products were held. These conditions created a significant risk that products held at the facility may have been contaminated with filth and harmful microorganisms.
Read more details and find a list of affected products here.
Attend MedCon 2026 This Spring
The AFDO/RAPS Healthcare Products Collaborative is bringing MedCon back April 22-24, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. On Tuesday, April 21, there will be a full-day workshop titled “Case Studies in Medical Device Post Market Activities,” which is available for an additional fee.
Register by March 11 to save with early registration discounts. Book your hotel by March 31 for the best rates in the event room block.
You can register here.
ICYMI: Worth Another Look
Results for 6 Additional TDS Regional Collections Added to Database
On December 19, the FDA shared its per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) results for six additional Total Diet Study (TDS) regional collections collected in 2024, adding to the eight TDS collections already posted on the Analytical Results of Testing Food for PFAS from Environmental Contamination webpage. The goal of this ongoing sampling is to better understand background contamination levels and U.S. consumers’ average exposure to PFAS from foods, prioritize foods for future monitoring, and also guide further FDA activities.
To learn more, read here.
FDA Releases Pesticide Residue Monitoring Report and Launches Data Dashboard
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made available its annual Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report for Fiscal Year 2023 in late December, summarizing findings from FDA testing of human and animal foods for 781 different pesticides and selected industrial compounds from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023.
Along with the publication of the FY 2023 report, the FDA is also launching the FDA Pesticide Report Data Dashboard, a new data visualization tool that enables users to interact with the tables and figures in the report and view the data underlying the summaries.
Q&A Regarding Mandatory Cosmetics Recalls Now Available
The FDA has announced the availability of a draft guidance document entitled “Questions and Answers Regarding Mandatory Cosmetics Recalls: Guidance for Industry.” This document provides clarity on FDA’s mandatory recall authority for cosmetics under section 611 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, as established by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA).
The draft guidance addresses critical aspects of mandatory cosmetics recalls, including:
- Criteria for determining when a mandatory recall may be necessary, which helps industry understand the circumstances that could trigger FDA action.
- The process FDA will follow when implementing a mandatory recall.
- Expectations for industry compliance with mandatory recall orders.
The draft guidance is available at FDA Guidance Documents.
Results for Six Additional TDS Regional Collections Added to Database
On December 19, the FDA shared its per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) results for six additional Total Diet Study (TDS) regional collections collected in 2024, adding to the eight TDS collections already posted on the Analytical Results of Testing Food for PFAS from Environmental Contamination webpage. The goal of this ongoing sampling is to better understand background contamination levels and U.S. consumers’ average exposure to PFAS from foods, prioritize foods for future monitoring, and guide further FDA activities.
For further details, read here.
Fresh Take Friday Recordings Available
Recordings of the 2025 fall series of Fresh Take Friday webinars are available on AFDO’s YouTube page. Head there to catch sessions on food safety culture, handwashing, food additive regulation, and more. Keep an eye on afdo.org/fresh-take-fridays/ for future webinars.
