The Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team will be presenting three free webinars in March from 12:00 pm to 1:00pm. These will cover issues related to audits and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) – Produce Safety Rule. On March 12 we will have an “Introduction to FSMA and Audits” discussing the difference between them, if a grower needs to comply with either and what is involved. March 19 “Backflow Prevention in the Field and Packinghouse”, types of different devices, how to maintain them and where to place them. March 26 “On-Farm Record Keeping” for FSMA and audits including the type of records required, what needs to be on the records and now long to maintain them. To sign up for these free webinars go to RutgersOnFarmFoodSafety.Eventbrite.com.
Food Safety for Blueberry Growers Virtual Program March 16, 2021
To register for the program, go to rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com. The closing date to register is Tuesday, March 2nd
10:00-10:30 Microbial Life and Biofilms
10:30-11:00 FSMA PSR Inspection Update
11:05-11:50 Building a One-Way Street: Backflow Prevention
11:50-12:15 Cleaning and Disinfection- What have we learned from Covid-19?
Harmonized Audit Training
With a new Harmonized Audit taking affect May 1 this is your last chance to hear about the changes. The training from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm will cover each question in the Audit and discuss the changes. Closing date for the March 2nd training is Friday, February 26th. Go the RutgersOnFarmFoodSafety.Eventbrite.com to register. After the closing date each participant will receive login information.
New Harmonized and Harmonized Audit Standards
There is a new Harmonized and Harmonized Plus Audits dated February 8, 2021. They are available at https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/auditing/gap-ghp/harmonized. You can download the ‘Produce GAPs Harmonized Food Safety Standard”, the “Produce GAPs Harmonized Food Safety Standard USDA Checklist.”, “Produce GAPs Harmonized Plus Food Safety Standard” and The Produce GAPs Harmonized Plus Food Safety Standard USDA Checklist”. USDA has also posted a summary of changes to compare the present standard with the new version. The new standards will go into effect May 1, 2021.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Harmonized Food Safety Audit Training
We are offering a final, for this spring, online Harmonized Audit Training Course on March 2, 2021 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. If you will need to obtain a USDA Harmonized Audit this year or want a refresher this is the course for you.
This three-hour virtual class will cover each question on the USDA Harmonized Audit allowing participants to hear how questions are interpreted by auditors. New Jersey Department of Agriculture Auditors will also discuss how someone signs up for an audit and review common issues that auditors found during 2020. Participants will have the opportunity have their questions answered to help make their audit run more smoothly.
The deadline to register for the class is Friday February 26. The registration form is on the Eventbrite page at rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) – Produce Safety Alliance Training Course
The Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under the standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration’. This is the only training recognized by the FDA at this time!
The course is being offered virtually over two days on March 9 and 10 from 10:45 am to 3:30 pm. All participants must preregister by February 23 at rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com. Once registered a training manual will be sent to each person and the registrant must have the manual to show at the training.
Fruit and vegetables growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management of natural resources and food safety should also attend this training.
The course is divided into seven modules that cover:
- 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 and are included in the grower manual provided.
