Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) Practice-based Research to Improve Food Safety

Assessment Reporting System (NEARS). You must be able to collaborate with epidemiology and laboratory staff in your health departments or in other agencies that conduct foodborne outbreak investigations. Environmental health programs are typically responsible for retail food safety in their jurisdictions; foodborne outbreaks commonly occur in retail food establishments such as restaurants, delis, and caterers. Thus, the focus of these research and investigation efforts is retail food safety. We will award recipients for the first 12 months. We expect to award four more separate 12-month budget periods after that. Those separate budget period awards depend on whether funds are available and whether the recipient’s progress is satisfactory. Key activities include: 1) Practice-based research with a focus on retail food establishments; 2) Foodborne outbreak investigation; and 3) Collaboration with other EHS-Net recipients. Topics of interest include: a) Food safety management systems; b) Foodborne illness risk factors and practices that contribute to outbreaks, such as sick workers, inadequate temperature control of food, and cleaning and sanitizing; c) Interventions to reduce foodborne illness risk factors; d) Norovirus prevention and investigation; e) Cottage food and food freedom regulations; and f) Restaurant inspection and outbreak investigation practices.