FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR)
Remote Certification Training
Hey fruit and vegetable growers, are you FSMA certified?
If your farm grows produce for human consumption, FDA requires at least one staff member be trained in an FDA approved food safety training. (All staff handling produce should be trained on-farm in food safety procedures annually.)
What’s FSMA?
FSMA, the Food Safety Modernization Act, was passed to provide science-based guidance to producers, processors, manufacturers, and others involved in bringing consumable farm products to market on practices intended to reduce foodborne illnesses.
You can read an overview of FSMA here or dive into the full act here.
Registration is now closed. Please join the waitlist to be notified if space becomes available.
Who Should Attend
Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’
What to Expect at the PSA Grower Training Remote Course
The trainers will spend approximately seven hours over two days of instruction covering content contained in these seven modules:
- 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
- How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan
In addition to learning about produce safety best practices, key parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements are outlined within each module. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.
About Remote Delivery
This training will be delivered entirely online through a web-based platform such as Zoom. A group of certified PSA trainers will be delivering the content live and will be able to respond to your questions in real time. To receive certification, you must be able to stay online with video on during the entire training. All participants will need:
- a functioning computer or mobile device with video and audio capabilities
- strong internet connectivity
- ability to log in, utilize video, audio, and engagement functions like chat boxes and polls
Thursday, November 4, 9:15am – 2:15pm & Friday, November 5, 10:00am – 2:30pm
Registration is now closed. Please join the waitlist to be notified if space becomes available.
Benefits of Attending the Course
The course will provide a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management information, FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and details on how to develop a farm food safety plan. Individuals who participate in this course are expected to gain a basic understanding of:
- Microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be found on the farm
- How to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce risks, and how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm
- Parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one
- Requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them.
After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course. To receive an AFDO certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork to their trainer at the end of the course.
We are grateful to Illinois Farm Bureau and University of Illinois Extension for their support in providing this training.
This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number2018-70027-28586. Funding for this project was provided by the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Special thanks to The Land Connection’s sponsors!
Soil Builder
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