A Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MHKO) is a type of food facility that is operated by the resident of a private home. Food can be stored, prepared, and served to customers at the MHKO, similar to a restaurant. Although a newer type of food facility, MHKOs have started to take shape in many jurisdictions across the country. This webinar will focus on the various laws nationwide that permit MHKOs, and similar cottage food operations, and discuss the challenges MHKOs pose for local retail food regulatory programs.

This webinar will take place on November 4, 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET.

Register for the zoom call at https://naccho.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yrP0rTCVQ_KwgCP6iko8bQ.

Speakers

Doug Farquhar, JD, directs Government Relations for the National Environmental Health Association, the largest and most influential environmental health professional association in the United States dedicated solely to professional environmental public health practice. Formerly, he was program director for environmental health at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), overseeing the project and providing policy outreach to the nation’s 7,383 state legislatures and their staffs.

During his time at NCSL, Doug established cooperative agreements from federal counterparts at the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He received a juris doctorate at the University of Denver School of Law, and his BA in Government from the University of Texas Austin. He is an adjunct professor at University College at the University of Denver and is an affiliate professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Justin Latham, CPFS, is currently the manager for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Consumer Health Services Division. His division’s duties include overseeing retail foods, manufactured foods, the state meat inspection program, dietary supplements, state-wide dairy program, transportation of potable water for human consumption, and aquatic facilities inspections.

Justin has a culinary background and over 27 years of experience working in all aspects of the food industry. He spent his first 21 years working directly with food preparation in fast food, the United States Marines, fine dining, and as a Regional Director for a large healthcare organization. Justin switched to the compliance end of the spectrum in 2017 when he joined the team at the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.