The Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Food Safety is announcing a Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training to be held on January 28, 2020 at the Clermont County OSU Extension Office, 1000 Locust St, Owensville, OH 45160. The training will be one day, 9AM-5PM with an hour for lunch(not provided). There is no cost for in state residents, $85 for out of state. Regulation excluded and exempt growers are also welcome to register for the training.
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.
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.
Registrations to be submitted by January 17, 2020 (ASAP) to:
Email: Jordyn.Brown@agri.ohio.gov
Fax: (614) 644-0720
Phone: (614) 728-6250
Mail: Ohio Department of Agriculture
Division of Food Safety – ATTN: Jordyn Brown
8995 E Main St
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (614)600-4272 or mfout@agri.ohio.gov.
Regards,
Matt Fout
Produce Safety Manager, Division of Food Safety
Ohio Department of Agriculture