A Food Safety Modernization Act Growing Training Class will be held in Ontario, OR, on Feb. 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clarion Inn in Ontario, OR.
The Produce Safety Rule requires that one representative from each covered farm receive training accredited by the FDA. Currently, Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) trainings are the only standardized national training program approved by FDA.
According to Stuart Reitz of the Oregon State University Malheur County Extension, “Attending this class will satisfy the training requirement for the Produce Safety Rule.”
Attendees can register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/produce-safety-alliance-grower-training-ontario-or-tickets41888810560.
Registration is $25, with the lower price made possible through a grant awarded to ODA, Reitz said. For more information, contact Sue Davis, ODA, sdavis@oda.state.or.us 503-807-5864 or Stuart Reitz at stuart.reitz@oregonstate.edu, or at 541-881-1417.
“These are national standards, so trainings can be done in Oregon, Idaho or anywhere else you wish to attend a class,” Reitz added. Training classes are held around the country, and, as with the Colorado session, are even offered bilingually.
Oregon FSMA information can be accessed at http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/agriculture/Pages/FSMA.aspx Idaho, and Idaho FSMA information is available at https://agri.idaho.gov/main/inspections/fsma-main/.
Produce Safety Alliance information, including comprehensive list of training classes, can be found at https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/food-safety-modernization-act, and FDA Information is at https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/default.htm
Topics covered at the Ontario session will include Introduction to Produce Safety; Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training; Soil Amendments; Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use; Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water); Postharvest Handling and Sanitation; and How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan.
