April 5, 2022
Happy Spring! The Produce Safety Alliance has spent this winter working on outreach for the Proposed Agricultural Water Rule (Subpart E), hiring, and onboarding our newest PSA team member. Read below for several important updates, announcements, and policies.
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Welcome to our Newest PSA Team Member! |
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The PSA is very excited to welcome Mariana Villarreal Silva! Mariana joined the PSA team in February 2022 as a Spanish-Language Extension Associate. Mariana has collaborated in diverse food and public health-related work groups. She served as a project microbiologist for the National Food Laboratory, as a laboratory biosafety analyst and an importation technical analyst for the Mexican Federal Department of Agriculture, and as a research and teaching assistant for the Center for Food Safety at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Her academic background includes a Ph.D. and Master of Science degree in Food Science and Technology from TAMU and a D.V.M. degree in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry from UNAM, Mexico. Her interdisciplinary background and bilingual capabilities allow her to serve as a liaison within the fruit and vegetable production
community, translating not only between languages, but from
technical and scientific information into practical solutions.
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Proposed Subpart E (Agricultural Water) Updates |
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It has been a very busy winter for outreach on the proposed Agricultural Water Rule! Back in December 2021, FDA released the proposed revisions to Subpart E – Agricultural Water. PSA hosted subject matter experts for six Subpart E Office Hours (four in English, two in Spanish) to give educators the opportunity to discuss the proposed requirements and the impact they may have on growers. Recently, PSA hosted four remote focus groups to allow produce growers around the country to discuss and comment on the proposed requirements.
As a reminder, the comment period for Subpart E Agricultural Water, closes April 5, 2022 (TODAY!). Please submit any comments or concerns you may have as it helps inform the process. |
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Now Hiring - Southwest Regional Extension Associate |
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Find us a new PSA Team Member! We are currently accepting applications for a PSA Southwest Regional Extension Associate. The Southwest Regional Extension Associate will be responsible for planning, organizing, instructing, and evaluating PSA training programs for produce growers, extension educators, and regulatory personnel in their region. This position will be located in the Southwest U.S. with exact location being flexible within the states and territories in the region. This is an exciting time and we are eager to find a great fit for the PSA Team. Please visit the position description for additional details.
We plan to review applications beginning the week of April 11, 2022 (NEXT WEEK!), so please apply if you are interested or share with colleagues and friends who might be interested! Thank you!
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PSA Policy Updates - Alternative Language Policy |
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A new PSA policy, ‘ Delivery of the PSA Grower Training Course in Alternative Languages’, has been finalized and is available for use when registering and delivering PSA courses. This policy provides PSA Trainers and Lead Trainers with greater flexibility in delivering PSA Grower Training Courses in other languages. This policy outlines several situations where one of the available approved translations of the PSA Manuals did not meet the needs of all course participants, and establishes requirements for registering courses under this policy.
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Save the Date - PSA Advanced Trainer Workshop |
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The PSA, in collaboration with the FSMA Southern Center for Training, Outreach, and Technical Assistance, will be hosting an advanced training workshop on June 14-16, 2022, for PSA Trainers and Lead Trainers. The workshop will be located at the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, and is intended to help participants enrich their training skills and further their understanding of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. The workshop will include a blend of lecture, hands-on activities, and breakout groups. Please see the Advanced Trainer Workshop web page on the PSA website for more details and to be notified of when the workshop registration is available. |
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Continued Learning Opportunity |
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CONTACT Produce Safety Webinar Series:
"Tales from the Trenches: Building and Implementing Effective Environmental Monitoring Programs"
As part of the CONTACT Produce Safety Webinar Series, this webinar will feature content to help build and implement effective environmental monitoring programs (EMPs) including reasons for EMPs, identification of hazards, likelihood of occurrence (risk), sampling, and corrective actions. Plus, the speakers have combed the literature to summarize “notes from the field” … what does the data show, and how can we use it; as well as, a case study featuring sanitation research performed directly to address industry needs. This webinar will take place on April 14 at 3:30pm Eastern.
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