Agriculture News

January 29, 2019

Training sessions help produce growers reduce food-safety risk while complying with federal guidelines

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Safe Produce Indiana is currently offering Produce Safety Alliance Grower Trainings across Indiana, including one in conjunction with the Indiana Horticulture Congress on Feb. 14.

This training will meet the requirement for produce growers who are covered under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Growers will learn how to safely and effectively manage produce food-safety risks on their farms.

Safe Produce Indiana is a partnership of Purdue Extension, the Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and serves Indiana's fruit and vegetable growers and consumers by promoting FDA's Produce Safety Rule. 

"The Produce Safety Rule sets standards to help ensure fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption are safely grown, harvested and packed. It takes a more proactive approach to preventing food safety issues, as opposed to simply reacting to problems," said Rhonda Taylor, Purdue Extension food science outreach specialist.

"Our Produce Safety Alliance training courses not only provide valuable information to producers, but also satisfy the food safety training requirement established by the federal government for those growers who are covered by the Produce Safety Rule."

Training programs cover an introduction to produce safety; worker health, hygiene and training; soil amendments; wildlife, domesticated animals and land use; agricultural production water and postharvest water; postharvest handling and sanitation; and how to develop a food-safety plan. In addition to these topics, key portions of the FMSA Produce Safety Rule are outlined in each module.

All sessions run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. The $100 fee includes a Grower Training manual, lunch and a certificate of completion from the Association of Food and Drug Officials. To register for any of the upcoming programs, go to https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/safeproduce/Pages/training.aspx.

Upcoming session dates, locations and registration deadlines are as follows:

* Jan. 31. Purdue Extension-Boone County, 1300 E. 100 South, Lebanon. Registration deadline is Jan. 26.

* Feb. 7. Purdue Extension, Elkhart County, 4-H Fairgrounds, 17746 County Road 34, Goshen. Registration deadline is Feb. 2.

* Feb. 14. Indiana Horticultural Congress, Marriott East, 7202 E. 21st St., Indianapolis. Registration deadline is Feb. 9.

* Feb. 19. Pinney-Purdue Agricultural Center, 11402 S. County Line Road, Wanatah. Registration deadline is Feb. 14.

* March 16. Purdue Extension-LaGrange County, 114 W. Michigan St., Suite 10, LaGrange. Registration deadline is March 16.

* March 21. Purdue Extension-Posey County, Country Mark Pavilion, 6855 Lower New Harmony Road, Mount Vernon. Registration deadline is March 16.

* March 29. Purdue Extension-Allen County, 4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne. Registration deadline is March 24.

* April 3. Purdue Extension-Wayne County, 861 Salisbury Road, North Richmond. Registration deadline is March 27. 

Media contact: Maureen Manier, Purdue Agricultural Communication, mmanier@purdue.edu 

Source: Rhonda Taylor, 765-494-6702, taylorrm@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: (765) 494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu  

Agriculture News Page


Ag News

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2015-22 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Copyright Complaints | Maintained by Office of Strategic Communications

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact News Service at purduenews@purdue.edu.