The Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Food Safety is announcing a Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training on February 22, 2018 to be held at the OSU Extension Clermont County Office
1000 Locust St, Owensville, OH 45160. The training will be one day, 8:30AM-4:00PM (with an hour lunch, not provided). There is no cost for the training or training manual. Class size is limited to 30 and first priority will be given to growers that must comply with the Produce Safety Rules (§ 112 Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption). Regulation exempt growers are also welcome to apply for the training. Registration is limited to Ohio residents.
The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) which states ‘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 course will cover basic produce safety; worker health, hygiene, and training; soil amendments; wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use; agricultural water (both production and postharvest); postharvest handling and sanitation; and developing a farm food safety plan. As a participant you can 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; parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one; and requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions. More information on the training can be found in the following internet link: https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/training/grower-training-courses
To receive a completion certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork to their trainer at the end of the course.
To attend the training, fill out the application, and return it to the ODA, Division of Food Safety no later than February 2nd, 2018. Growers who have been approved to attend the training will receive a confirmation letter. If you don’t receive a confirmation letter, your name will be added to a waiting list. We will be scheduling multiple training’s in your area throughout the next year.
If you know of someone that is interested in attending a training class in their area and they did not receive a registration form they can call (614)728-6250 to register.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (614)600-4272.
Regards,
Matt Fout
Produce Safety Manager, Division of Food Safety
Ohio Department of Agriculture
