March 26, 2021
Happy Spring Produce Safety Alliance Listserv Members!
Our team has been buzzing with activity and has several exciting updates to share this month. We’re also happy to share information from our partners at USDA and Michigan State University.
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PSA Spanish Language Extension Associate
We are currently accepting applications for a Spanish Language Extension Associate. As a key member of the PSA team, the Spanish Language Extension Associate (SLEA) will be required to have dual English and Spanish proficiency, including the ability to read, write, speak, and edit in both English and Spanish languages. The SLEA will be responsible for overseeing the translation, editing, and proofreading of PSA projects to ensure quality, message accuracy and consistency, appropriate tone and voice, and cultural relevance. By participating in a panel of reviewers, the SLEA will lead the evaluation process for English and Spanish-speaking applicants who apply to become PSA Lead Trainers.
Due to extensive national and international collaboration established by the PSA, it is anticipated the EA will interact with a diverse population of individuals and stakeholder groups across the country and outside of the United States, with specific emphasis on engagement with the Produce International Partnership (PIP). The PIP is a partnership between the University of Maryland Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) and the PSA. The PIP will develop and coordinate the dissemination of training/outreach to the international farming community, but PSA interfaces closely to ensure educational materials and training deliveries are appropriate for the intended audience.
The SLEA will facilitate and provide leadership for conference calls relating to international outreach efforts and may be directly involved in training other individuals to use the curriculum, in-person and through online platforms in English and Spanish. In addition, the SLEA will provide continual feedback to PSA leadership through preparation of international impact reports, training evaluations, and outreach activities. Must be willing to travel regionally, nationally, and internationally a significant amount of time (~30%), including non-traditional and weekend work hours. This position will have the option to establish a work flexplace agreement depending on home location. Position will be supervised by the PSA Director, Dr. Elizabeth A. Bihn.
For more information and to apply, click here.
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PSA Train-the-Trainer Courses |
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March PSA Train-the-Trainer (TTT) Course
After three remote TTT pilots were conducted in English, the first “official” remote PSA Train-the-Trainer Course was offered on March 15-18, 2021. Seventeen new PSA Trainers from AR, ID, IN, KY, MA, MN, WI, Mexico, and Peru participated during the four-day course hosted in Zoom. Through the remote format TTT course, we are able to continue providing education to trainers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Courses this spring filled quickly, but additional PSA TTT courses will be scheduled later this year and announced through this listserv and on our Upcoming Train-the-Trainer Courses webpage.
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Spanish Remote PSA Train-the-Trainer Pilot Scheduled for April
A second Spanish remote PSA Train-the-Trainer Course pilot will be offered April 12-15, 2021. The course is limited to Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States and associated territories due to course material shipping restrictions. For additional information, visit the course registration webpage. Registration closes March 30th.
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PSA Trainer-of-Trainers Update Training
Fall and winter 2020-2021, the PSA team made some adjustments to the PSA Train-the-Trainer (TTT) course to be more engaging, especially when offered in a remote format. After concluding our remote TTT course pilots in English, our cadre of Trainers-of-Trainers (ToTs) were provided with information on the new course structure, policies, and breakout activities in a ToT Update Training on March 12, 2021 (the other half of the ToTs will be trained April 7, 2021). Attending these update trainings will enable ToTs external to the PSA team to offer remote TTT courses, so we expect to see more course offerings added to our Upcoming Train-the-Trainer Courses webpage soon. Here are the enthusiastic ToTs who joined us for our interactive training session on March 12th.
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New Educational Resources |
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Spanish PSA Grower Training Manual Interactive PDF
The Spanish PSA Grower Training manual version 1.2 has been converted into a single interactive PDF file. This file cannot be used in place of a printed manual during In-person or remote PSA Grower Training Courses, but is provided for use as a companion to the printed manual based, in part, on requests from course participants to have access to an interactive PDF resource. Details available on our Spanish website.
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FSMA Produce Safety Rule and PSA Grower Training Manual Now Available in Chinese!
In addition to English and Spanish, the PSA Grower Training Manual is also now available in Chinese. All PSA Trainers have access to these PPT slides (via the same link as our English and Spanish language PPTs) and can download the PDFs for commercial printing on our website.
In the near future, a Portuguese version of the PSA Training Manual will be available. Stay tuned for more information!
If you are aware of a specific language need or are interested in collaborating on a translation of the PSA’s curriculum materials, please contact Gretchen Wall.
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Upcoming Meetings and Webinars |
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Produce Safety Educators Call April 5, 2021, 2-3 pm ET
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Our next Produce Safety Educators Call will take place on Monday, April 5, 2021 at 2 PM ET. In this webinar, Meredith Melendez (Rutgers University) and Leah Cook (Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry) will provide an overview of findings from On-Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRR) nationwide and FSMA Produce Safety Rule inspections in the Northeast. A discussion will follow about how OFRR and inspection findings can be used by trainers to emphasize important topics during PSA Grower Training Courses.
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Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University Produce-specific Office Hour April 6, 2021, 12-1 pm ET
On April 6, 2021, the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University will host an Industry Office Hour specifically for the Produce Industry. There will be a brief presentation at the beginning to summarize current COVID information including virus updates, information relevant to businesses, and how to balance food safety programs with COVID prevention. The Produce Safety Alliance team will be jointed by external experts including:
- Dr. Kali Kneil, Professor of Microbial Food Safety, University of Delaware
- Dr. Richard Stup, Agriculture Workforce Specialist, Cornell University
- Dr. Ruth Petran, Founder and Principal, Ruth Petran Consulting, LLC
- Dr. Al Trmcic, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cornell University
Virtual Office Hours are free and open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork. Registration is required and more information is available on the IFS@CU's website.
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New Metrics for Harmonized GAPs and Harmonized Plus |
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The USDA Harmonized GAP audit checklist was updated to align with the Produce GAPs Harmonized Combined Standard. Updates include:
- New requirements related to sanitation, hazard analysis and packing materials
- Incorporating Tomato Audit Protocol metrics into the USDA Harmonized GAP standard
The USDA Harmonized GAP Plus+ audit checklist changes are required to maintain alignment with updates to USDA’s technical equivalence acknowledgment from the Global Food Safety Initiative’s (GFSI), which allows GAP Plus+ audits to meet U.S. and international food safety requirements. Key updates include:
- Requirements for a cleaning and sanitation program for food contact surfaces
- Environmental monitoring programs for microbiological hazards requiring a control identified in the hazard analysis of the packinghouse
- Actions related to the use and shelf life of materials
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MSU Survey on Produce Safety Standard Requirements by Buyers
Michigan State University researchers are conducting a study to assess buyer requirements for produce safety standards in the United States. This survey research is seeking responses from growers, buyers and service providers to the fresh produce industry. The focus of this research is to understand the current status of buyers' acceptance and growers' adoption of USDA GAP (Good Agricultural Practices), other Harmonized GAP and group produce audits. There is particular interest in identifying the factors limiting growers' adoption and the acceptance of food safety standards by stakeholders in the fresh produce industry. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this research will improve understanding of the cost implications of implementing produce standards, as well as the technical, institutional, capacity gaps, and market considerations affecting the adoption of standards by growers and their acceptance by fresh produce buyers. The survey is open until April 15, 2021 and can be accessed via the Michigan State University website.
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