RALEIGH, N.C.—The recently relaunched FoodCoVNET University for Businesses training program provides the necessary knowledge and information needed to manage COVID-19 within businesses as restrictions are relaxed. These courses provide a consistent approach based on state and national guidelines.

These training programs can help equip convenience retailers with valuable information like communicating with staff and customers as well as changes to operations by using the best available science and national standards. FoodCoVNET is a USDA-NIFA funding research and outreach collaboration led by NC State University that focuses on SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 in the food sector. NACS is a stakeholder collaborator.

Each training session is less than 30 minutes and delivered online in an engaging and interactive format. Here are the courses that make up the FoodCoVNET University for Businesses training program:  

• General Best Practices for COVID-19 Management
• Food Service Managers
• Food Service Front of House
• Food Service Back of House
• Cleaning and Disinfecting for COVID-19 Management

Participants will receive a certificate of completion for this training. For more information and to get started, visit FoodCoVNET.

Based on stakeholder feedback, FoodCoVNET has also hosted webinars applicable to the food sector that are now available online for viewing:

• International perspectives on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in food settings (June 2)
• International and trade perspectives on SARS-CoV-2 in food settings (May 19)
• Considerations for environmental sampling for SARS-CoV-2 in food environments (May 12)
• Air flow/ventilation and close contact in the food sector (March 4) 
• Vaccine uptake in the food sector and communicating around vaccine hesitancy (February 24)

Convenience retailers in the food safety space who want to learn more about FoodCoVNET and its work can contact Chris Blasinsky at NACS at cblasinsky@convenience.org for more information.