Division of Environmental Health Food Safety and Sanitation Program

AFPTF Quarterly Meeting Minutes

• April 15, 2025
• 10 to 11:30 a.m. (Alaska)

Roll Call

Jeremy Ayers, Brehan Corveau, Carol Brady, Heather Branvold-Faber, Christine Hughes, Amy Foote, Gavin Northey, Nate Bruns, Dena Cologgi, Lorinda Lhotka, Bobbie McDonald, Susan Sery, Roberto Reyes, Melissa Chlupach, Emily Garrett

Meeting Notes

• Opening remarks and introductions, Lorinda Lhotka
• Food Safety and Sanitation program update, Lorinda Lhotka
  • Program manager attended Conference for Food Protection
  • Upcoming all-staff training about plan reviews
  • Getting ready for summer activities, lots of inspections, temporary events, seafood processing, plan reviews, etc.
• Changes in the upcoming grant cycle, Bobbie McDonald
  • Significant reduction in federal funding will impact the task force's support and capacity
• Feedback from the educational workshop, Emily Garrett

Member Updates

• Section of Epidemiology, Kathleen Easley
  • Have an open position for a nurse
  • Providing training about illness investigations, Washington Center of Excellence will lead the training for staff at the end of June
• University of Alaska Anchorage, Melissa Chlupach
  • End of the semester, very busy!
  • Working on videos for the Alaska Traditional Kitchen, completed two of three sessions so far
  • Group of graduate students graduating with Master's degrees this year
  • Had a lot of fun at the Alaska Food Policy Council conference in Kodiak
  • Upcoming Native American Nutrition Conference
• Environmental Health Laboratory, Dena Cologgi
  • Memo available online regarding possible disruption to services at the lab in the event of a Mount Spurr eruption
  • Lab is hiring
• Office of the State Veterinarian, Heather Bravold-Faber
  • Recently held produce safety training in-person in Palmer, upcoming virtual training
  • Attended produce training in Texas
  • No avian influenza outside of birds in Alaska
  • Dairy in Alaska plans to start producing strawberry milk
  • Increase in registrations to sell raw milk and raw milk products
• Education and Early Development, Gavin Northey
  • Hoping to receive funding to have a contractor develop a food safety plan template for schools
  • Continue to provide training about food safety at schools

Action Items and Closing Remarks

• Join us in July for our next quarterly meeting!

Next Meeting

• Quarterly Meeting
• July 22, 2025
• 10 to 11:30 a.m.
• Virtual

Be sure to sign up for the Alaska Food Protection Task Force email list.