National Environmental Health Association

10/15/2026

Great leadership starts with people who are willing to get involved.

NEHA’s application period for the 2027–2028 Board of Directors is underway.

Serving on the Board is a chance to bring your ideas and experience to the table, represent your fellow environmental public health professionals and help shape the future of the profession.

Interested in serving? Applications close December 1. There’s still time to take the next step.

Apply before the deadline: https://www.neha.org/election-process

10/14/2026

Freeze-drying is growing in popularity, and understanding how food safety fits into the process is increasingly important.

As freeze-drying becomes more accessible to home cooks and small food businesses, NEHA’s Melissa Vaccaro, M.S., CP-FS, PCQI, and Ashley Miller, MPH, CP-FS, are highlighting an important distinction: Removing water can prevent microorganisms from growing, but it does not necessarily destroy pathogens already present in food.

In Life Science Daily News, they explore what food safety professionals and operators should know about validated safety controls, processing, and packaging when working with freeze-dried foods.

Check out the full article:

Freeze-dried food safety is widely misunderstood. Drying stops microbial growth but does not kill pathogens. Here is what to control.

10/12/2026

Protecting children’s health means preparing for a changing climate.
The second webinar in NEHA’s Protecting Children’s Health in a Changing Environment series will explore how climate-related hazards can affect children and what environmental health professionals can do to prepare.

Join Michelle Del Rio, MPH, PhD, Leyla McCurdy, MPhil, and Lindsay Tallon, PhD, MSPH, CPH, for practical strategies to bring a children’s health lens to climate adaptation, preparedness and response, with a focus on communities and populations facing greater environmental health risks.

November 10 | 1 p.m. ET

Register for Webinar 2:
https://neha.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KYpQLLNjTOub2Z4S-ccPlw #/

Explore the entire series here: https://www.neha.org/National-Webinar-Calendar

10/12/2026

Strong retail food safety programs are built on strong systems, a prepared workforce, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

The NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model (RFFM) Grant Program helps jurisdictions strengthen Retail Program Standards implementation by supporting the training, infrastructure and capacity needed to move their programs forward.

Whether your jurisdiction is just getting started or building on years of progress, there is a pathway to participate.

Learn more about the upcoming 2027-2028 application cycle: www.neha.org/retail-grants

10/09/2026

Severe weather and unexpected power outages can put more than your lights at risk - they can also affect the safety of the food in your refrigerator and freezer.

“One of the most important things for consumers to understand is that you cannot reliably determine whether food is safe by looking at it, smelling it, or tasting it,” says NEHA’s Melissa Vaccaro. “Food can contain disease-causing microorganisms without looking or smelling spoiled.”

Vaccaro shares practical guidance with NBC Selected on how consumers can prepare for an outage, evaluate food after power is restored, and make informed decisions about what’s safe to keep.

According to experts, keeping your fridge and freezer closed is the best way to keep food fresh for as long as possible.

10/07/2026

Last week, NEHA's Adrienne Gothard and Rebecca Labbo traveled to American Samoa for a Career Exploration Program (CEP) site visit, where they had the opportunity to connect with our valued partners at the American Samoa Department of Health's Environmental Health Services Division.

We are incredibly grateful to Aileen Solaita and the EHS team for their warm welcome and commitment to mentoring the next generation of environmental health public professionals. From shadowing inspections to discussing student mentorship, the visit provided meaningful opportunities to learn about the environmental health priorities facing the island and region.

Thank you as well to the leaders from the Samoa Community College, the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency, and the ASCC Land Grant Program for sharing your expertise and vision.

10/06/2026

Ready to make your mark on the future of environmental public health?

Applications for NEHA’s 2027–2028 Board of Directors are officially open!

Board service is an opportunity to bring your experience and perspective to a national stage, connect with fellow environmental health leaders and help guide NEHA’s work in the years ahead.

Someone will fill these positions and help shape NEHA’s next chapter. Could that someone be you?

Applications are open October 1–December 1.

Learn more and apply: https://www.neha.org/election-process

09/30/2026

Protecting private well water can’t wait, and two leading experts are ready to help you get ahead before the next crisis hits.

Dr. Matthew Weinburke and Steve Wilson are leading a two‑part webinar series designed to help rural communities strengthen private well water safety, boost preparedness, and protect household drinking water when it matters most.

Part 1 (October 6) Explore the most common private well contaminants, their health impacts, and the prevention strategies environmental health professionals can put in place right now.

Register for Part 1: https://neha.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pGgJZC9DQ3eBldTeXI-2uQ

Part 2 (October 27) Learn how to prepare for and respond to extreme weather and emergency events that can compromise private wells — including how to safely restore drinking water after an incident.

Register for Part 2: https://neha.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Gwf0GfhOQ0SM0A2qsa_2Wg

These sessions deliver clear, actionable guidance to help communities safeguard private drinking water before, during, and after emergencies.

Save your spot for both sessions today.

09/29/2026

Soap or produce wash? Neither.

NEHA’s Melissa Vaccaro, M.S., CP-FS, PCQI, recently connected with Deborah Murphy MS, RDN, LDN about the safest way to wash apples and other produce—and why clean, running water is often your best bet.

Vaccaro also shares tips for preventing cross-contamination and explains why soaking multiple pieces of produce together may do more harm than good.

Read her food safety tips in EatingWell :

Washing apples properly helps remove dirt, debris and bacteria. Learn how food safety experts recommend cleaning apples and other produce.

09/28/2026

There’s still time to register for NEHA’s upcoming webinar, Getting Started with the Retail Flexible Funding Model.

If your retail food regulatory jurisdiction is new to RFFM, recently enrolled or ready to make progress on the Retail Program Standards, join us to learn more about getting started and taking your next steps.

We hope to see you on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 1-2 p.m. ET.

https://neha.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AqwtUepFTKOXxKpN5Ptdlg #/registration