VM 834 Current Issues in Food Safety

An overview of food safety requirements for the produce sector with a focus on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS).

Students will develop an understanding of food safety requirements, challenges and key considerations in implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS) and other food safety programs, as they relate to produce from Farm to Fork. The curriculum will be a blend of applied and practical information that will enhance knowledge on critical aspects of produce food safety programs. This course is a condensed version of VM 835 – we do not recommend taking both this course and VM 835.

Topics will include:

• Introduction to produce food safety
• Produce legislation (FSMA), buyer expectations, and Pre-harvest practices
• Worker health and hygiene
• Irrigation and wash water and
• Post-harvest water use
• Pest management and wildlife management
• Case studies and lessons learned from Recalls and Outbreaks

Course Materials

All materials will be made available in the D2L course. Some readings will be selected from the National Good Agricultural Practices Program, scientific journal articles, and industry media sources. Additional readings will be assigned from sources such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Register, Regulations.gov, and the Global Food Safety Initiative of the Consumer Goods Forum.

1 Credits