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The article explains the difference between a disinfectant and a sanitizer. Topics discussed include legal aspect of the actual difference between disinfectant and sanitizer, how an antimicrobial product can qualify as a nonfood contact surface disinfectant, and three types of disinfectants registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on the type of efficacy data submitted by the manufacturer.

The article provides an overview of the different types of inspections and where and when they are appropriate in the environmental health field. It discusses the basic inspection types including regulatory and multimedia compliance which uses objective and subjective criteria, auditing or on-site verification activity, forensic which relies on time-dependent observations, and evaluation which is performance-based, goal-oriented and data-driven.

The article discusses the art and science of environmental health inspection. Topics covered include the non-routine aspect of inspection that involves observation and verification, its purposes of identifying change in circumstances and of failure in practices, equipment, and human error, and its main goal of developing a predictive model to evaluate potential public health risks. Also noted are the closed-ended and open-ended requirements in the inspection process.

The article discusses the concept of using water activity to control foodborne illness in the retail food industry. Topics include definition of water activity, difference of water activity with moisture content and water content, and the emergence of the first truly portable water activity measuring device in the mid-1990s.

The article discusses practical strategies on field sampling by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) in 2023. Topics covered include the sampling types of selecting a representative part for finding parameters of the whole, and of selecting a small part for inspection, a sampling strategy that focuses on probability for easy calculation of errors, and systemic, stratified, and cluster sampling. Also noted are the factors to consider in selecting a sampling scheme.

In the article, the authors discuss the need for environmental health professionals to focus on ensuring their personal safety to avoid unintentional injuries and illnesses. Also cited are the resources on safety like the hazard datasheet published by the International Labour Organization's International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre, the common on-site injuries like slips and falls, and the recommended preventive measures.

The article discusses the importance of cross-training in various disciplines to environmental health professionals. It tackles the benefits of cross-training of these professionals to environmental health organizations, the role of cross-training in creating better managers, and requirements in providing cross-training to environmental health professionals.