March 31, 2009

Workshop explains food safety, regulations, marketing, packaging

"We want to improve an individual's chance for success in starting a food business and get them thinking about all the different aspects of a specialty food business before they start," said Maria Marshall, Purdue Extension small business development specialist and workshop coordinator.

"Today everything is intertwined. The business plan is affected by marketing, and part of marketing is the product price. Price is affected by product ingredients and packaging, which is affected by distribution, and distribution is affected by how the product is processed."

Everything is affected by regulations, Marshall said, and regulations tend to trip many people up at first. Indiana State Department of Health representatives will discuss Indiana's food regulations and be available for questions during the workshop.

An Introduction to Starting a Specialty Food Business in Indiana Workshop will begin with registration at 8 a.m. and wrap up at 4:30 p.m. Registration is due April 9 and costs $100 per person, which includes materials, lunch and refreshments. A registration brochure is available to download at https://www.agecon.purdue.edu/newventures/Pubs/
Brochures/Entrp0409Brochure.pdf. Contact Marsha Pritchard at 765-494-0889, mpritcha@purdue.edu, for registration questions.

Workshop topics include food safety, business planning, entrepreneurism, organic products, food regulations, marketing, product development, process development and packaging. Program speakers will be:

* Kevin Keener, Purdue professor of food science

* Steve Smith, Purdue food processing specialist

* Sharon Farrell, Indiana State Department of Health

* Linda Wood, Southeastern Indiana Small Business Development Center

* Ann Schmelzer, Indiana State Department of Agriculture

* Kalista Johnston, founder of Grace Island Specialty Foods

Marshall, who will be among the program speakers, explained that developing and selling specialty ingredients and foods is just one alternative for homemakers and farmers to add value to Indiana commodities.

The Indiana Farm Bureau is located at 225 S. East St. in Indianapolis. For questions and more information about the workshop, contact Marshall at 765-494-4268, mimarsha@purdue.edu, or Keener at 765-494-6648, kkeener@purdue.edu.

Purdue Extension and the Department of Agricultural Economics, Southeastern Indiana Small Business Development Center and the Indiana State Department of Health are sponsoring the workshop.

Writer: Julie Douglas, 765-496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu

Source: Maria Marshall, 765-494-4268, mimarsha@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-8415;
Steve Leer, sleer@purdue.edu
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