A series of Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Courses are being offered throughout California to fulfill part of the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule beginning at the end of October and running through the middle of December.
Requirements outlined in the Produce Safety Rule dictate that for each farm, “at least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.” The PSA Grower Training Course is the only course currently recognized by the FDA and will fulfill that requirement.
The course will provide an introduction to produce safety and cover topics such as worker health, hygiene, and training, along with postharvest handling and sanitation. Instruction will also address how to develop a farm food safety plan.
Along with food safety, attendees will also be presented with information on good agricultural practices and co-management of natural resources. Soil amendments, wildlife, and land use, along with agricultural water will all be addressed as part of the training courses.
The schedule for the upcoming training courses is as follows:
- October 25th at the Chez Shari Banquet Facility in Manteca
- November 1st at the Kern County Ag Pavilion in Bakersfield
- November 8th at The Lodge at Blue Lake in Upper Lake
- November 13th at the Piccadilly Inn in Fresno
- December 3rd at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove
- December 8th at The Plaza in Yuba City
- December 12th at the Yolo County Farm Bureau in Woodland
- December 14th at the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau in Stockton
Safe Food Alliance is handling registration, which will include course materials, refreshments, and lunch. At the end of the day, attendees who are present for the entire session will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials verifying completion of the course.