A village fair, a family lunch, a Japanese restaurant, a parish party, a food stall at an alpine gathering, a meeting between fan groups, a farmhouse. How many ways can we unknowingly encounter a foodborne infection?

Starting from these seven realistic scenarios, an educational workshop was developed involving around sixty students from the degree programmes in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques, Health Assistance, and Environmental and Workplace Prevention Techniques at the University of Trieste — the latter two run in collaboration with the University of Udine. The activity took place at the University Campus in Gorizia and proposed an interdisciplinary approach to managing foodborne illnesses.

Often underestimated, foodborne infections are caused by the ingestion of food contaminated with viruses, bacteria, or parasites and can lead to severe symptoms. Possible causes include improper food storage, poor handling, environmental contamination, and also the rise of mass catering services and global food flows.

The training activity included a preparatory phase featuring three introductory videos—one for each professional field—followed by guided discussions led by course tutors, group formation, and case assignments. Each scenario was supported by educational materials and photographs, with new elements gradually introduced to simulate the evolving nature of a real-life investigation into suspected cases.

In the afternoon, practical exercises took place, including microscope use for slide analysis, culturing with agar plates, tools for detecting simulated contamination, sample preparation using real minced meat packaging, and simulated phone interviews for gathering epidemiological data. Each student had the opportunity to observe and understand the role of all three professional healthcare profiles, gaining insight into how their skills are interconnected.

The workshop highlighted the complementary roles of biomedical laboratory technicians—responsible for analyzing biological samples; health assistants—focused on prevention and public health promotion; and prevention technicians—tasked with inspections in places where food is produced, processed, or served.

Thanks to the diversity of activities and the integration of different competencies, the training day helped consolidate theoretical knowledge, enhance teamwork, and offer a hands-on experience of the shared responsibilities involved in protecting public health.