Food Safety Training for Iowa Farmers
Starting in late fall of 2017, Iowa State University will be offering Produce Safety Alliance workshops designed to comply with the produce safety training requirements of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
Who are the trainings designed for?
- Growers, handlers, and processors of fruits and vegetables
- Anyone interested in produce safety
Why should you attend?
- FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule requires that:
“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.” See 21 CFR 112.22(c).
- Iowa State University’s Produce Safety Alliance trainings incorporate an FDA-approved curriculum that will satisfy the requirements of FSMA.
- Whether your farm is covered by or exempt from the requirements of FSMA, certain produce buyers may require you to have completed FSMA-compliant food safety training as a condition of purchasing produce from your farm.
- The trainings will provide helpful information for any fruit and vegetable grower interested in implemented Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) on their farm.
What will the trainings cover?
The course material will be presented by ISU staff and other qualified experts. The training will last approximately 7 hours and will include 7 training modules:
- Introduction to produce safety
- Worker health, hygiene, and training
- Soil amendments and land use
- Wildlife and domesticated animals
- Agricultural water
- Post-harvest handling and sanitation
- Developing a farm food safety plan
What is the cost to attend?
ISU is offering the trainings at a cost of $20 per person, including training manual, AFDO certificate, and lunch.
IFU has a limited number of stipends available to help defray the costs of attending – please contact us to see if you may be eligible for financial assistance.
For more information, contact:
- Ronald Tigner, Local Food Safety Project Coordinator, Iowa Farmers Union, PO Box 1883, Ames, Iowa 50010-1883, (515) 357-0503, rtigner@iowafarmersunion.org
- Dr. Angela Shaw, Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011, (515) 294-0868, angelaml@iastate.edu
- To schedule a training or to register for a training, send an email to IowaFSMA@iastate.edu or call (515) 294-6773