About the Event

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
College of Southern Idaho — Health Sciences & Human Services Building

Join SCPHD, CSI Workforce, and other community partners for a free informative event about food safety. The Magic Valley Food Safety Consortium brings together food professionals, educators, regulators, and community members to strengthen food safety practices across the region. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish. Space is limited — register today to secure your spot.

This event is made for:

Food Professionals
Culinary Students
Home Food Producers
Local Consumers
Food Business Consultants & Support Staff
Potential Food Enterprise Owners
Register to Attend
Vendor / Exhibitor Registration Vendor application deadline: September 12, 2026

Topics Covered

Sessions at the Consortium will cover a range of practical and science-based food safety topics, including:

Common Risk Factors in Food Establishments
Active Managerial Control
The Microbiology Behind Food Safety Rules
Community Forum & Stakeholder Q&A
Basic Food Safety Spanish Track
Advanced Food Safety Spanish Track

Session Schedule

The Consortium runs two simultaneous content tracks — an English track and a Spanish track — from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Select a track below to view its sessions.

2:05 PM Most Common Risk Factors Found in Idaho Food Establishments and How You Can Prevent Them
Jarryd Samples, REHS — Idaho Department of Health and Welfare

Core Focus: A review of the top inspection violations across Idaho.

Key Takeaways

  • Real-world examples from Idaho inspection data
  • Practical standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid common write-ups
  • Strategies to turn repeat violations into long-term compliance
3:05 PM Interactive Panel & Forum: Active Managerial Control (AMC) & Community Collaboration
Expert Panel & Open Forum

Core Focus: Shifting from reactive inspection prep to proactive safety systems — and exploring how regulators, operators, supporting businesses, and consumers can collaborate to elevate food safety in the Magic Valley.

Part 1 — Expert Panel Discussion

Regulatory Perspective — Jarryd Samples, REHS/RS (IDHW) Directs focus toward daily self-inspections. Uses state inspection tools internally to catch temperature or labeling trends before official visits.
Microbiology & Education — Amy Rice Doetsch, Ph.D. (CSI) Emphasizes training staff on the "Why" behind the "How." Teaches bacterial growth dynamics so staff understand danger zones rather than just memorizing numbers.
Local Public Health & Systems — Mattye Brecht, REHS/RS (SCPHD) Highlights preventive equipment maintenance (calibration, refrigeration servicing, water heater verification) as a foundational control to avoid critical failures.

Part 2 — Open Community Forum & Stakeholder Q&A

Audience members — including food operators, home food producers, supporting industry vendors and organizations, and local consumers — share input, ask questions, and offer feedback on elevating food safety in the Magic Valley.

4:05 PM Why Good Food Safety Practices Matter: The Microbiology Behind the Rules
Amy Rice Doetsch, Ph.D. — College of Southern Idaho

Core Focus: Bridging the gap between scientific theory and kitchen practice.

Key Takeaways

  • How pathogens (Norovirus, Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria) multiply in food
  • The science behind time/temperature control danger zones
  • How cross-contamination happens at a microscopic level
2:05 PM Basic Food Safety
Savanha Rodriguez, REHS/RS — Southwest District Health

Core Focus: Essential operational practices for line cooks, prep staff, and front-line food handlers.

Topics Covered

  • Personal Hygiene & Handwashing — Proper technique, when to wash, designated hand sink usage, and bare-hand contact policies for ready-to-eat foods.
  • Time & Temperature Control — Required final cooking temperatures (poultry, ground meat, pork/fish), hot holding (135°F or higher), cold holding (41°F or lower), and proper thermometer calibration.
  • Cross-Contamination Prevention — Contamination from cooking/serving utensils and gloves, proper raw meat storage hierarchy in walk-in coolers.
  • Cleaning vs. Sanitizing — The critical difference between removing visible debris and destroying pathogens, maintaining proper chemical sanitizer concentrations, and using test strips correctly.
3:05 PM Advanced Food Safety
Savanha Rodriguez, REHS/RS — Southwest District Health

Core Focus: Supervisory skills, systems control, and specialized safety steps for kitchen managers and lead prep staff.

Topics Covered

  • Proper Cooling Processes — Mastering the 2-stage cooling method (135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then 70°F to 41°F within the next 4 hours) utilizing ice baths, shallow pans, and ice wands.
  • Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC) — Establishing written protocols for holding TCS foods without temperature control (4-hour and 6-hour rules), mandatory labeling, and strict disposal procedures.
  • Date Marking & Inventory Control — Enforcing the 7-day date marking rule for ready-to-eat TCS foods and setting up First In, First Out (FIFO) inventory rotation systems.
  • Employee Health & Illness Policies — Managing excluded/restricted workers, mandatory reporting requirements for the "Big 6" foodborne pathogens, and implementing compliant clean-up procedures.
4:05 PM Interactive Panel & Forum: Active Managerial Control (AMC) & Community Collaboration
Expert Panel & Open Forum

Core Focus: Shifting from reactive inspection prep to proactive safety systems — and exploring how regulators, operators, supporting businesses, and consumers can collaborate to elevate food safety in the Magic Valley.

Part 1 — Expert Panel Discussion

Regulatory Perspective — Jarryd Samples, REHS/RS (IDHW) Directs focus toward daily self-inspections. Uses state inspection tools internally to catch temperature or labeling trends before official visits.
Language & Visual Access — Savanha Rodriguez, REHS/RS (Southwest District Health) Leverages visual management tools, bilingual temperature logs, and photo-based job aids so compliance instructions are clear regardless of primary language.
Facilities & Compliance Design — Mattye Brecht, REHS/RS (SCPHD) Ensures physical kitchen setups (hand sinks, sanitizer stations, cooling tools) directly match written SOPs so workers don't cut corners.

Part 2 — Open Community Forum & Stakeholder Q&A

Audience members — including food operators, home food producers, supporting industry vendors and organizations, and local consumers — share input, ask questions, and offer feedback on elevating food safety in the Magic Valley.


Space Is Limited — Register Today

This is a free event open to the public. Seats fill quickly — secure your spot now.

Register to Attend
Vendor / Exhibitor Registration Vendor application deadline: September 12, 2026