Produce safety workshop set March 16, 17

The Delaware Department of Agriculture will host a workshop from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday and Friday, March 16 and 17, at Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington. Wholesale fruit and vegetable growers, and others interested in learning about produce safety, good agricultural practices and the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule are urged to attend this training.

The Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement that at least one supervisor from the farm must complete food safety training at least equivalent to the standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA. The Department of Agriculture will cover the cost of attending for eligible Delaware growers. To register, contact Karen Adams at 302-856-7303, email adams@udel.edu or go to http://extension.udel.edu/blog/fsma-training-march2017/.

Lunch and breaks will be provided. The trainers will spend approximately seven hours of instruction time to cover content contained in these seven modules:

• Introduction to Produce Safety
• Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
• Soil Amendments
• Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use
• Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water, Part II: Postharvest Water)
• Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
• How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan.

In addition to learning about produce safety best practices, parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements are outlined within each module. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.

On day one, the course will provide a foundation of good agricultural practice, FSMA produce safety rule requirements and details on how to develop a farm food safety plan. Individuals who participate in this course are expected to gain a basic understanding of microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be found on the farm, how to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce risks, how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm, and parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one.

On day two, there will be updates on produce food safety research and findings and a produce food safety plan writing workshop.

After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials that verifies they have completed the training course. To receive a certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork.

"This FSMA workshop is designed for wholesale growers so that they can comply with the FDA requirement requiring training," said Gordon Johnson, fruit and vegetable extension specialist at the University of Delaware. For more information, contact Johnson at gcjohn@udel.edu or Holly Porter at Holly.Porter@state.de.us.