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Hello Produce Safety Alliance Listserve Members:
In this issue, check out our upcoming Train-the-Trainer courses, updated PSA resources and trainer directory, job postings, and lots of announcements from FDA & USDA.
Wishing you a safe and happy summer!
The PSA Team
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Upcoming Train-the-Trainer Courses
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Santiago, Chile: 8/13/2018 - 8/14/2018
Lima, Peru: 8/16/2018 - 8/17/2018
Irvine, CA, USA: 8/28/2018 - 8/29/2018
- Location: 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
- Contact Information: Donna Pahl, Phone: 909-552-4355
- Cost: $450 public/ $350 Western Grower member; Course #: CA-180828-TR
- Registration Information
- Registration Deadline: August 20th, or until course is filled. Remaining seats are currently limited - sign up now!
- Training Language: English
Baton Rouge, LA, USA: 9/5/2018 - 9/6/2018
- Location: 212 Efferson Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
- Contact Information: Kristin Woods, Phone: 251-753-1164
- Cost: $175; Course #: LA-180905-TR
- Registration Information
- Training Language: English
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Search Upcoming PSA Grower Trainings with Ease!
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Looking for a course in a particular location or language?
The PSA website now includes a search function which allows users to quickly sort through upcoming
Grower Trainings.
Use the "Filter by text" field to filter by typing in text such as "Spanish" or "FL". As an additional tip, add a comma after typing a state abbreviation to display only courses in that state (Example:
FL, ).
As you type the upcoming course list will filter to match your text entry.
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 Although only EPA Method 1603 (i.e., modified mTEC) is directly named in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR), in September 2017, FDA released a fact sheet called Equivalent Testing Methodologies for Agricultural Water. The original list of methods included several quantitative options that can be used for any agricultural water. In July 2018, updates were released and now include presence-absence methods that can be used to test agricultural water used during harvest and postharvest. To reflect these changes, PSA has updated two educational resources which cover the agricultural water testing requirements. The new versions are available to download from the website or use the links below. Resources updated on August 1, 2018:
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Updates to PSA Trainer Directory
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The PSA hosts a
directory
 of PSA Trainers and Lead Trainers who have elected to share their contact information publicly. It has come to our attention that it has been difficult for individuals to locate trainers who are competent in languages other than English to deliver a PSA Grower Training and have more than novice or intermediate abilities in that particular language.
In order to keep the PSA Trainer Directory as an accurate tool for locating PSA Trainers and Lead Trainers for particular audiences who speak other languages, we are narrowing down the 'languages spoken' entries to those who are comfortable teaching one or more PSA Grower Training modules in their listed languages.
If you are a PSA Trainer or Lead Trainer, you should have received an e-mail from 'psatrainers@cornell.edu' asking to update your languages to reflect only those which you are comfortable using to teach a PSA Grower Training.
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Spanish Curriculum - Version 1.1 Now Available!
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La versión 1.1 del manual para productores en español está disponible.
Para comprar copias visita:
Version 1.1 of the Spanish producer handbook is available.
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FDA & USDA Announce Key Step to Advance Collaborative Efforts to Streamline Produce Safety Requirements for Farmers
As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ongoing effort to make the oversight of food safety stronger and more efficient, the FDA and the USDA announced the alignment of the USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices Audit Program (USDA H-GAP) with the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act's (FSMA's) Produce Safety Rule.
Aquaponics Good Agricultural Practices Pilot
AMS Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division provides oversight for commodity specific audits performed under an ongoing pilot program to serve the requirements of the aquaponics industry. These voluntary, independent audits of produce suppliers are performed throughout the production and supply chain. The pilot program will run through December 31, 2018. SCI will review the USDA aquaponics certification pilot and associated audit guidance prior to 2019.
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FDA Expands Its Support for States to Advance Implementation of Produce Safety Activities
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced new cooperative agreements with Hawaii, Kentucky and Mississippi, as well as renewed agreements with 43 other states, in support of efforts to implement the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, which establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption.
FDA Releases New Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin (BSAAO) Factsheet
For additional information about FDA's Risk Assessment of Foodborne Illness Associated With Pathogens From Produce Grown in Fields Amended With Untreated Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin, click here.
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