State Manufactured Food Student Internship Program Application Window Open
Submissions are being accepted now from state manufactured food safety programs for a grant to host college-level student interns during summer 2027. This initiative is designed to cultivate the next generation of food safety professionals by offering hands-on experience in a food regulatory program.
The immersive experience not only builds valuable skills but also opens doors – past interns have gone on to secure full-time positions with their host agencies.
For full details, including agency/intern requirements, download the Funding Opportunity Announcement. The application deadline is December 11, 2026.
If you have any questions, visit the AFDO website grant page.
FoodSHIELD training starts Monday, November 2
Live training sessions start Monday, November 2. Each one is 30 minutes and covers what changed in the new portal and how to find things faster. Sessions run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2 p.m. ET, and each session repeats the following week. Recordings will be posted in the training catalog.
Week 1 Schedule:
- Mon, November 2: Welcome to the New Portal: What Changed & Why
- Wed, November 4: Navigation Mastery: Finding Anything in Under 30 Seconds
- Fri, November 6: Your Profile & Notification Center
To see the full schedule and register for the class you want, visit the training catalog.
Weekly Short Order of Inspiration Sparks Ideas to Grow Soft Skills
AFDO’s weekly Quick Bites update delivers fast fact learning opportunities focused on soft skills for food safety professionals. Each edition will feature one short, practical resource designed to spark ideas for change and action — whether applied individually or within an organization.
Curated by AFDO staff, Quick Bites include easy-to-digest videos, podcasts, etc., that support the essential skills food safety professionals need — critical thinking, active listening, time management, problem solving, decision making, emotional intelligence, conflict management, de-escalation, and more.
You can subscribe right here. Share your mobile phone number to receive Quick Bites via text.
RFFM Grant Program Offers Pathway for Retail Food Regulatory Programs
The 2027-2028 NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model (RFFM) Grant Program application cycle is approaching.
RFFM supports state, local, tribal and, territorial retail food regulatory programs as they advance conformance with FDA’s nine Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. The program reaches agencies of different sizes and resource levels that collectively regulate millions of retail food establishments nationwide.
Learn more about RFFM and the National Environmental Health Association here. Interested programs may reach out to retailgrants@neha.org or phone 833-575-2404.
Experts Focus on Methods for Detecting Microplastics in Food During AOAC Webinar
Last month, AOAC International hosted a webinar on microplastics in food called Microplastics Analysis in Food: Current Challenges & Opportunities for Standardization. Experts from government, research, and industry discussed the current state of analytical methodologies, key challenges to generating reliable and comparable data, and opportunities to standardize approaches to microplastics analysis in food.
Here are a few takeaways:
- There are no standard methods yet for food.
- Results vary widely between labs.
- False positives are a major risk.
- Size matters, and limits are rarely reported.
You can watch the entire webinar here.
AFDO.org Pro Tips
Risk-Based Inspections Maturity Model
In this regularly updated eNews section, AFDO staffers will share their pro tips on how to get the most from afdo.org. Retail Food Safety Director Deanna Copeland offers a pro tip on using the Risk-Based Inspections Maturity Model.
“Every retail program is somewhere on a risk-based inspection journey, and no two start from the same place. That’s why I love sharing the Risk-Based Inspections Maturity Model. It’s a flexible self-assessment tool that helps leaders see where their program is to map where it can go next, from inspection frequency or staff standardization to program metrics. It’s not a checklist – it’s a guide that works for programs of any size, and it keeps the focus right where it belongs: reducing foodborne illness risk factors.”
Pro Tip: Don’t try to tackle the entire model at once! Each element is evaluated on its own, so pick the one that will make the biggest impact in your program and make that your next step.
ICYMI: Worth Another Look
FDA Releases the CORE+EP 2025 Annual Report
Last week, FDA’s Office of Coordinated Outbreak Response, Evaluation, & Emergency Preparedness (CORE+EP) released its annual report summarizing the investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks and certain adverse events in FDA-regulated human foods for the 2025 calendar year.
In 2025, CORE teams evaluated 69 incidents, responded to 26, and issued advisories for 11. FDA said the numbers remain similar to those from previous years, with 72 incidents evaluated, 26 responses, and 10 advisories issued in 2024. In 2025, FDA said that CORE investigations resulted in numerous public health actions, including recalls, public health advisories, warning letters, and the addition of firms to import alerts.
The 2025 annual report highlights a few noteworthy outbreaks: a historical outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cucumbers, an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to prepared meals that challenged investigators, and an outbreak of infant botulism linked to a specific powdered infant formula brand.
Read the full report here.
FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Traceability Rule Enforcement for Smaller Retailers and Restaurants
The FDA is issuing draft guidance on the Food Traceability Rule for certain smaller retail food establishments (RFEs) and restaurants not covered by the rule’s full exemption. Under the draft policy, FDA said it does not intend to enforce the rule’s requirements for those whose average monetary value of food sold or provided over the previous three years is greater than $250,000 but not more than $1 million, adjusted for inflation from a 2020 baseline. FDA said the policy would have minimal public health impact and maintain the rule’s intended public health benefits, since it affects only a small percentage of total food sales while relieving numerous smaller operations.
FDA plans to offer additional flexibilities and, as part of a Congressionally directed series of engagements, will hold a public meeting on November 6, 2026, on lot-level food traceability efforts and implementation challenges. The free meeting requires registration. Those wishing to speak during the public comment period must register by October 26, and general registration closes November 5.
Read the full update here.
Large and Small Brands Survey Results Fresh Take Fridays Recording Available
AFDO’s free Fresh Take Fridays series is back this fall. The October 2 webinar, Is Food Safety One-Size-Fits-All? A Comparison of Small vs. Large Brands, is now available on YouTube. In the session, AFDO’s Deanna Copeland and Carrie Rigdon compare food safety policies, practices, and culture across retail operations of different sizes. Discover what these findings mean for operators and regulators working to strengthen food safety from corporate headquarters to the corner store. Watch the webinar here.
Register below for future sessions.
New World Screwworm: What Food Safety Professionals Need to Know
Friday, November 6
This Fresh Take Fridays webinar will provide an overview of the New World screwworm, including how the parasite affects animals, the current situation in North America, ongoing prevention and response efforts, and what regulators and food industry professionals need to know. Registerhere.
From ChatGPT and Claude to Desktop Agents: The Next Step in Putting AI to Work
Friday, November 20
This session, part of AFDO’s Fresh Take Fridays spinoff focused on artificial intelligence and tech, introduces the shift to AI tools such as Codex, which are working environments where AI can access files, execute code, analyze data, and more. Registerhere.
Beyond the Label: What Food Safety Professionals Need to Know About Kosher and Halal Foods
Friday, December 4
Learn what makes food kosher or halal, discuss key production and certification considerations, and explore strategies for building effective working relationships between food safety professionals and kosher and halal operations. Register here.
All one-hour sessions start at noon ET, so grab your lunch and listen in. You can also catch past Fresh Take Fridays webinars here.
Senators Call on Trump Administration to Issue Emergency Scheduling Order for 7-OH
Last week, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and U.S. Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) urged the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FDA to take immediate action to protect Americans from deadly kratom and related semi-synthetic substances.
The senators are requesting that the Trump administration:
- Immediately issue the emergency scheduling order for 7-hydroxy mitragynine (7-OH).
- Permanently place all substances found in kratom, including 7-OH, MGM-15, MGM-16 and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, meaning they have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
- Develop a permanent scheduling recommendation for the full kratom plant and its derivatives.
Read the full letter here.
AFDO Presents at Texas Environmental Health Association Annual Educational Conference
Last week’s Texas Environmental Health Association (TEHA) Annual Educational Conference, held October 6-9 in Fort Worth, Texas, brought together more than 300 environmental health professionals. AFDO Retail Food Safety Director Deanna Copeland shared information on the association’s offerings such as training, resources, and more.
FDA, ISSC, NCIMS, and AFDO Offer Training Sub Awards to Milk and Shellfish Programs
The application period for Training Sub Awards to State and Territorial Milk and Shellfish Programs opens September 28. The awards are part of a partnership between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments, the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, and the Association of Food and Drug Officials. The funds support state and territorial (Puerto Rico) agencies with regulatory authority to implement the National Grade “A” Milk Safety Program and/or the National Shellfish Sanitation Program. The application window closes November 6, 2026.
Applicants can learn more details here.
Regional Affiliate News
Save the Date: 2027 MCAFDO Annual Educational Conference, March 22-25, 2027
Planning is underway for the 2027 MCAFDO Annual Educational Conference, March 22-25, 2027. The conference will be at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. A draft agenda is forthcoming and will eventually be made available on the MCAFDO website. The affiliate is also welcoming awards nominations. Find more information here.
