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This event is for registration for the 2026 Mid-Biennium Virtual Workshop “Bridging the Biennial Meetings: Engaging in the Process"

The workshop is free for current CFP members.

The cost is $100 for those that are not current CFP members, which includes a free CFP membership valid until April 18, 2027.

The workshop will be held on three consecutive Thursdays from noon to 2 PM Eastern. The dates for the virtual workshop are:

• June 4, 2026
• June 11, 2026
• June 18, 2026

Registration is open through June 1, 2026.

MID-BIENNIUM WORKSHOP AGENDA

Great issues don't begin at the Biennial Meeting. The work for a successful biennial meeting begins in months and years before. This educational workshop will be held with the goal of providing participants with committee updates and outcomes. CFP volunteers are working diligently on committee charges and building momentum toward a strong 2027 Biennial Meeting. The workshop will feature presentations from people involved in multiple aspects of the CFP process, including the outcomes of CFP’s 2025 biennial meeting and a glance into what is ahead in 2027.

Thursday, June 4, 2026 

This day will focus on telling the story of a successful issue submission.  We will hear from CFP members who have taken an issue from the field, researched it, submitted it, revised it, and then successfully got it accepted. This session is designed to help CFP members begin to prepare for the 2027 Biennial Meeting.  We will also have a panel discussion from previous council members.  All three councils will be represented, and we will hear about challenges, rewards, expectations, and other aspects of council participation. Speakers for this session will include:

12:00 – 1:00 – Issue Submission Story

Susan Shelton, Washington State Department of Health

Nick Koreen, Minneapolis Food Pools and Lodging

1:00 – 2:00 – Council Member Panel

David Monk, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Adam Inman, Kansas City Department of Agriculture

Wendy Bell, Mecklenburg County Environmental Health

Thursday, June 11, 2026

This session will provide a broad perspective on cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting, novel technologies being used in food preparation, and the cleaning/sanitizing solutions for these complex vending units or automated food service equipment. This session will begin with an academic perspective, where we will hear about the current research.  We will hear stories from retail food operators related to this topic and receive perspectives from industry members who are using automated food service equipment and complex vending units. We will hear about the current Complex Vending Unit Guidance document created by a CFP Committee, and its importance in implementation from both the industry and regulatory perspective.

12:00 – 12:30 PM “Understanding Noroviruses and Their Inactivation”

Dr. Matthew Moore, Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

12:30 – 1:00 PM TBD

1:00 – 1:20 PM   Chip Manuel, Manager, Regulatory Food Safety, Chipotle Mexican Grill

1:20 – 2:00 PM Using the CFP Guidance Document for Complex Vending Units

Chris Rupert, Compass Group

Christopher Sparks, Bureau Chief, Houston Health Department

Thursday June 18, 2026

This session will cover the complex issue of the TCS Foods definition.  We will hear some perspective on how the definition was developed, the history of this issue within CFP, and the current work being done on the definition.  We will discuss risk modeling use to determine TCS status and hear from a retail food establishment about their experience with the TCS definition. We will then dedicate time for input from attendees on the TCS food definitions, practical problems from the field, and potential solutions.

12:00 – 12:50 PM Introduction, Background, and Overview of TCS Project

Laurie Farmer, Office of Retail Food Protection Director, Food and Drug Administration

Glenda Lewis, Acting Senior Advisor for Retail Food Policy, Office of Retail Food Protection, FDA

12:50 – 1:10 PM “Using Predictive Modeling to Inform TCS Decision Making”

Dr. Don Schaffner, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University

1:10 – 1:20 PM Stakeholder Engagement

1:20 – 1:35 PM Industry Perspective on TCS Food Definition

Ellen Ciarimboli, Hy-Vee Inc.

1:35 – 2:00 PM Stakeholder Engagement and Conclusion

NEHA CEUs will be provided for attendees.

Information to join the workshop will be sent to registrants after June 1st.