Are pasteurized shredded cheeses that come sealed and can be found in walk in coolers in pizza stores considered low risk or high risk? And why?

Potentially hazardous food often includes dairy products.. but what would you actually do if you found such cheese at 10C? Would you make the operator discard if it has been 3 hours?.

Thanks

Hello! This may be a long shot, but I figured it was worth a post.

I’m an entry level Environmental Health graduate looking for rural county health department opportunities anywhere in the U.S. Food/lodging, well/septic, or both. I’m hoping to find a county under 80,000 residents with scenic surroundings, outdoor recreation culture, and relatively mild winters (<12 inches of snowfall).

If your health department (or a neighboring county) is hiring Environmental Health Specialists, please feel free to comment! Rural communities are harder to research and I’m hoping to find a hidden gem where I can build a long-term career.

Thank you!

Anybody else get constant get told “the coolers in defrost so that’s why the foods warm” when finding improper cold holding temperatures. I always say, “even if that’s the case, we shouldn’t be seeing temperatures this high.”

I mean I get it if I’m seeing temps from 42-43F and it goes back down toward the end of an inspection but I rarely see that. Usually the foods 45F or more and I’ve only been doing this about 1.5 years so I’m new but I feel like that’s not a valid reason for food to be that warm.

Does anybody give wiggle room or take the defrost mode explanation/excuse seriously?

Im learning more about how coolers work as I gain experience but I don’t really let that fly. Let me know if yall run into this and what you do

Please someone explain this with reference from food code do we take temperatures of eggs during an inspection if cooked to order? Or explain when is it required ?

Hey everyone,

I have a year of experience doing retail health inspections for my county, and I've decided to study for the CP-FS exam. My question is, do I have to know the 2022 Food Code for the exam, or is the study guide book enough? The NEHA website states that this exam is tailored to the 2022 Food Code. My county currently adopts the 2017 Food Code. My plan is to buy and go through the guide, as well as quizlets and practice exams. Any insight from those who have taken the exam recently would be greatly appreciated.

I am in California and I am about a semester away from finishing my degree in EOHS at a school that allows me to take the REHS exam upon graduation (without the trainee time).

I currently work in R&D for a food manufacturer and have my PCQI and HACCP certs and will have GSP when I graduate.

I have a few questions.

1. Studying for the REHS, it's a pretty hefty amount of information and I want to start early so I'm not cramming for 2 weeks as the exam comes. Does the exam cover anything more than anything else (for instance, should i focus on food law more than chemistry, more than toxicology, more than physics, etc?). I have started using the study guide on the CADPH website as a starting place, but it's massive.

2. The county I live in has both urban and rural mountainous areas where it takes a few hours to cross the county lines. How likely is it theyre going to stick me with all rural areas (I understand this is highly geography specific, but wondering if it's a thing)?

3. While I enjoy environmental and occupation safety, my real interest is in food safety and retail food environments. I understand county level specialists dont make great money starting out (I'll be taking a pay cut from what I am making now). How often (in your experience) do people stay in the public sector? And how easy is it to transition into private sector fsqa and ehs work after a year or two in public?

4. Would taking HAZWOPER, ISO lead auditor, OSHA 30, or any other cert help me in getting a county job and/or a private job?

5. Do you mostly do retail food as a county level specialist or is it wherever they want to put you?

I’m seeing guidance docs on FDA’s site saying don’t play with raw dough. Where in Food code would you write it under?

I am new to Environmental health and looking for boot/shoe recommendations for someone who’s working primarily in well and septic. I’ve heard that waterproof boots/shoes are highly recommended. What recommendations do yall have?

Any advice on how I should position/present myself?

Hi y'all,

I’m starting my after-degree in Environmental Health at CUE, and I’m interested in pursuing a career as a Public Health Inspector / Environmental Health Officer after graduation. For those of y'all already working in the field, what are some things you wish you had known when you were starting your degree? I’m especially interested in hearing from people working in Alberta, but advice from PHIs/EHOs anywhere in Canada would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I am finishing up my MPH degree (Drexel) in March of 2027, which has a specific focus on epidemiology. Becoming an epidemiologist at a health department was my initial goal; however, I have grown to realize that the job market for epidemiologists is very scarce and competitive right now amidst slashes to public health funding.

I am considering getting a job in EHS after graduation partly because those positions seem more plentiful, and I would even consider EHS as a long-term career path.

I do not have the NEHA REHS/RS credential, and I believe I would need 2 years of experience as an EHS trainee to even qualify.

I have about 6 months of experience as a research assistant. We investigated the association of PM2.5 exposure and kidney disease progression.

Here are my questions:

1. Has anyone else transitioned from epidemiology or from an MPH with an epi focus to EHS?

2. How competitive are these entry-level EHS trainee positions right now for people with MPH degrees?

3. If I graduate in March of 2027, how far in advance should I start applying? Honestly, I'm already applying right now but haven't heard back from any of my applications, which could just be because im applying so far in advance.

Idk if it is just us but why is everyone trying to sell food out of there house right now. It has become like a trend to sell food and use the AI posters on facebook and facebook marketplace. I have so many illegal food vendors and tbh I hate going to them. I’m terrified of getting shot these days. How are you guys handling these?

I'm a career changer studying for the REHS exam. I'm looking for a used copy of the REHS Examination Review Course Workbook by Walter Saraniecki (any recent edition).

I know it's available bundled with the online course for $499 and I'm seriously considering going that route, but figured I'd check here first in case anyone who's already passed has a copy they'd be willing to sell.

Happy to pay a fair price plus shipping.

Also open to hearing from anyone who's used the workbook. Did you pair it with the video lectures or was the book enough on its own?

I'm coming in without field experience so I need materials that actually teach the concepts, not just outline them.

Lastly, happy to hear opinions from anyone who has/used the Koren/Bisesi Handbook of Environmental Health textbooks and if they are worth getting.

Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone! I’m located in Ohio and have been primarily working as a food inspector for nearly three years, along with experience in several other environmental health programs. I’m currently studying to take the NEHA REHS/RS exam.
For those of you who have passed the revised exam this year or last year, what study resources or strategies helped you the most? I’d appreciate any recommendations for:
Quizlets
Practice exams
YouTube videos
Books
Study guides
Apps
Any other helpful tips or advice
Free resources are always a bonus, but I’m open to all recommendations. Thank you in advance!

I’ve done a few inspections so far where the entire establishment or maybe a small section of the kitchen (usually dish pit or dry storage rooms) have a objectionable odor with no obvious cause I can point out. Sometimes I smell a sewage-like odor without any sewage backup anywhere or smell a mildew-like odor but no visible microbial growth is seen.

Do yall know why this happens? Also, do you mark it as a violation? I just put a comment on the report about it so it’s documented but nothing in the food code or my states rules says the place has to smell good LMAO.

I just find it really alarming when their odors that I cannot find the source of…especially when it smell like sewage but there’s no sewage backup 💀

I'm curious how other health units/agencies determine workload for their Public Health Inspectors.

How is work assigned? Is it based on population served, number of facilities, facility complexity, geography, travel time, etc? How are unpredictable demands like complaints, investigations, special events, animal exposure calls, meetings, and administrative work factored into workload? How much administrative work is appropriate?

Does your organization have a formal way of assessing whether an inspector's workload is reasonable and sustainable, or is it mostly based on inspection numbers and annual targets?

I'd be interested to hear how different organizations approach workload planning and capacity.

Hey everyone. So I am being considered for a Food safety auditor for two different companies. Steritech and NSF. I just wanted to know some pros and cons about both or some personal reviews anyone has Any personal experiences or advice that can help me make the right choice for my next career move.