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Hello Produce Safety Alliance Members!
Summer seems to be moving at light speed for us here at Cornell and I am sure the same is true for many of you who are busy working out in the fields. So go ahead and take a well-deserved break for a few minutes and read up on all the latest from the Produce Safety Alliance.
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Produce Safety Alliance Special Session
at IAFP on August 4, 2014!
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We will be hosting a special session at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) conference in Indianapolis, IN on Monday, August 4th from 5:15-6:45 PM in room 109-110 at the Indiana Convention Center. This special session will provide an update on the PSA's progress with curriculum development, outreach, and future training opportunities for the PSA Train-the-Trainer and Grower Training Programs. FDA Produce Safety Staff Director, Dr. Samir Assar will discuss FDA's commitment to education and extension to aid in implementation of the final rule for produce safety included in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
This is a great opportunity to hear about the PSA's progress and future goals as well as ask questions about outreach and education for fresh produce safety. For more information about the session, please visit the IAFP program site at: https://iafp.confex.com/iafp/2014/webprogram/Session2231.html.
As a special incentive, be one of the first to take home your own PSA branded coffee mug at this session! We hope to see many of you there - safe travels!
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PSA-FDA Teleconference and Q & A Session:
Operational Strategy for Implementing FSMA
Audio Recording Available Online
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On July 7th, the Produce Safety Alliance hosted a public teleconference and Q & A session on FDA's operational strategy for implementing FSMA. We would like to thank Ms. Kathy Gombas, FSMA Change Management Lead at FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition for the informative presentation as well as the FDA staff members who were present to answer questions.
In early May, the FDA released their operational strategy for the next phase of FSMA which is implementation. As the FDA continues to refine their rulemaking and guidance documents, the operational strategy will provide the framework to fulfill the vision of FSMA by operationalizing the new public health protection standards across the entire food safety program, including produce safety standard, food and feed preventive controls, and FSMA's new import system.
If you were unable to attend the session, you can view the presentation slide set and listen to the audio recording available on the PSA website.
The full FSMA operational strategy document is available to read on the FDA website.
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News From Our Sister Alliances
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FSPCA Quarterly Webinar - Aug. 26, 2014 1-2:30 PM CDT
The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA), in collaboration with the Food and Drug Association (FDA), hosts its next quarterly webinar to update stakeholders on the progress of the Alliance on Tuesday, August 26th, 2014 from 1-2:30 PM CDT. Special guest, Roberta Wagner, Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs at FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), will provide an overview on FDA's FSMA Implementation Operational Strategy, "FSMA: Where We've Been, And Where We Are Going". Question and answer sessions will follow the presentations. For more information and to register visit the FSPCA Events webpage.
SSA Pilot Training Session - Aug. 12, 2014 in Richmond, CA
A new pilot training session has been scheduled for August 12, 2014 from 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM in Richmond, California. Representatives from the SSA will be presenting portions of the core curriculum to interested stakeholders in the sprout industry. The session will also include opportunities for discussion of issues surrounding safe sprout production between sprout growers, members of the Sprout Safety Alliance, The California Department of Public Health, and the Food & Drug Administration. Registration is free and stakeholders in sprout production are encouraged to attend. For more information and to register, visit the SSA website.
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New Media for GAPs Education and Training |
This month, we shift our focus to educational resources that address co-management, the balance between food safety and environmental sustainability goals on the farm. While co-management may be a new term to produce growers and the industry, there are many great resources to bring everyone up to speed on how to successfully integrate resource conservation goals into food safety programs on the farm.
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University of California - Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
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Our general listserve reaches close to 1,000 growers, industry members, regulatory agents, and educators in the United States and around the globe. Signing up for the listserve is the best way to stay in touch with the PSA. To sign up, please visit our website at http://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/ or use the link included at the bottom of this e-mail message.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, comments, or ideas.
Take care and enjoy the rest of the summer,
Gretchen & Betsy
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Gretchen L. Wall, M.S.
Produce Safety Alliance Coordinator
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Elizabeth A. Bihn, Ph.D.
Produce Safety Alliance Director
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Cornell University - Dept. of Food Science
186 Stocking Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607.255.6806
Email: [email protected]
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Hedrick Hall - NYSAES
630 W. North Street
Geneva, NY 14456
Phone: 315.787.2625
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