|
|
Hello Produce Safety Alliance Members!
We are happy to announce the official launch of the PSA's Train-the-Trainer Courses! We've got lots of information to share in this e-mail, so we will cut to the chase and let you read on for more information about recently scheduled PSA Train-the-Trainer Courses happening in June, positions open to join our team, and updates from the FDA, as well as our sister Alliances.
|
|
|
| Produce Safety Alliance Train-the-Trainer Courses |
|
The Produce Safety Alliance has scheduled it's first two Train-the-Trainer Courses for June 2015. The PSA Train-the-Trainer Courses are for those interested in becoming PSA Certified Trainers or PSA Certified Lead Trainers and using the PSA standardized curriculum to train fresh produce growers to meet the regulatory requirements as proposed in the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.
To register for the PSA Train-the-Trainer Course, please visit the websites below.
June 2-3, 2015
Kalamazoo, MI
Sponsors: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michigan State University Extension, Great Lakes Conference on Food Protection
Registration: http://www.glfoodprotect.org/
* Beyond June 2015, we do not currently have additional Train-the-Trainer Courses scheduled at this time. We will update the PSA website and send out notification through the PSA listserv as they become available. We anticipate many other PSA Train-the-Trainer courses will be scheduled throughout the country beginning again in the fall and into the winter of 2016.
|
 |
| Join the Produce Safety Alliance Team! |
|
We are hiring five new individuals to join the Produce Safety Alliance Team!
Visit the following links to learn more about each position and to apply.
Application Deadline:
May 22, 2015
Application Deadline:
May 25, 2015
For additional questions please contact Dr. Betsy Bihn (eab38@cornell.edu) or Gretchen Wall (glw53@cornell.edu).
Work with an engaging, fun, and dedicated team at Cornell!
|
|
National Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Competitive Grants Program: Regional Center Grants to Enhance Food Safety Announced
In January 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) joined with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in a collaborative partnership to administer and manage the National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Program. Recognizing the importance of and need for food safety training for small farm owners and food processors, this grant program will provide funding so that these critical groups receive training, education and technical assistance consistent with standards being established under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This is one of several education and outreach efforts associated with the implementation of FSMA.
The joint NIFA-FDA program will award grants to establish one national coordination center and four regional centers. The national coordination center will coordinate the overall program, while the regional centers will reach out into local communities to work with FSMA audiences across the country. Regional centers will also coordinate with one another through the national coordination center.
FDA first issued a request for applications for the establishment of a National Coordination Center (NCC) for Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Program. This grant is expected to be awarded in the next few weeks.
Yesterday, NIFA announced the availability of $2.3 million for the establishment of two regional centers to support comprehensive food safety training and education, pursuant to FSMA. A separate funding announcement from the FDA will be released in the coming weeks to support an additional two regional centers.
View the full NIFA Announcement.
View the Request for Applications (RFA)
|
|
|
Updates from our Sister Alliances
|
|
Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA)
The FSPCA will be hosting a special webinar for University Extension and Outreach. D
uring this webinar, you will learn about the structure of the Alliance and its
charges so that opportunities for University Extension can be identified.
What: FSPCA Special Webinar for University Extension & Outreach
When: Wednesday,
May 20, 2015: 12:30 - 1:30 PM CDT
- The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most far-reaching food safety law enacted in the past 75 years. Under FSMA, two of the seven foundational regulations are expected to be published this summer: Preventive Controls for Human Food and Preventive Controls for Animal Food. Both will have a major impact on the food industry. The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA), a public-private partnership, was formed to assist mainly small business in preparing and complying with the upcoming regulations. We believe the University Extension community will play a critical role in providing instruction and technical assistance across the country and we would like your input to see how the Alliance can support the needs of the Extension community.
- Please join the FSPCA on Wednesday, May 20th, at 12:30 pm, Central Daylight Saving Time (CDT) for a presentation about the possible roles and benefits for University Extension in participating with the FSPCA.
- Registration is required. Register here.
-
If you have any issues registering, please contact the FSPCA Administrator, Dawn Johnson, at djohns39@iit.edu.
Sprout Safety Alliance (SSA)
The Sprout Safety Alliance (SSA) is hosting a FREE webinar that will feature an overview of FDA's current thinking on the operational strategy for implementation of FSMA rules with particular emphasis on the produce safety rule (Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption), and will also include a live Q&A session.
With the deadline for the final Produce Safety Rule approaching, now is the time to think about how industry and regulatory agencies will implement these comprehensive and flexible new requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn about FDA's current planning efforts. For more information on the FDA's FSMA activities, visit the FDA FSMA links. If you have any questions about this event, please contact the Sprout Safety Alliance at sproutalliance@iit.edu.
What: SSA Webinar - Implementing the Produce Rule
When: Friday, May 22, 2015: 1:00 - 2:00 PM CDT
Agenda:
1:00 PM
Introduction and SSA Overview
Kaiping Deng, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Coordinator, Sprout Safety Alliance
1:10 PM Implementing the Produce Rule
Fazila Shakir, MHS , Co-lead, Phase Two FSMA Produce Implementation Workgroup, Division of Produce Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
1:40 PM Live Q&A
|
|
| Our general listserve reaches over 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,
Gretchen & Betsy |
Gretchen L. Wall, M.S.
Produce Safety Alliance Coordinator
|
Elizabeth A. Bihn, Ph.D. Produce Safety Alliance Director |
Cornell University - Dept. of Food Science
186 Stocking Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607.255.6806
Email: glw53@cornell.edu
|
Hedrick Hall - NYSAES
630 W. North Street
Geneva, NY 14456
Phone: 315.787.2625
|
|
|
|
|
|
