On October 1, the Safe Produce Indiana team welcomed Katheryn Parraga as its newest team member. Katheryn will serve as a Food Safety Research and Outreach Specialist in the Department of Food Science. She will be stationed at the Purdue Extension Food Safety Training Hub in Vincennes. Katheryn received her Ph.D. and master’s degree in[Read More…]
Amanda J Deering
Harvest season is easily one of the busiest and craziest times of the year. Crops are being harvested, packed, shipped, and sold against a backdrop of perishability, weather, and ever-changing markets. Harvest and postharvest handling are also critical times for food safety. Handling of the crop by workers, transporting of produce, and aggregating the crop[Read More…]
Intense heat and long days serve as a reminder that we are officially in the heart of Summer, where Indiana consumers rush to grocery stores and farmers markets to purchase fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables. As produce farms strive to meet this demand, it is important that growers consider food safety and follow good agricultural[Read More…]
Water is an essential component of crop production. However, water may also contain or transmit human pathogens. As a result, management of any food safety risks presented by water is critical. As part of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) (21 CFR 112), Subpart E deals with the management of both production and postharvest water on[Read More…]
The Safe Produce IN team is planning Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training courses for winter 2022. This training is for 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. This[Read More…]
Over the last week or so, many people have received an online offer to provide a Produce Safety Alliance Trainer – Cornell Cals Professionals List. If you receive this email, please be aware that this is not an offer for a grower list. The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) has a publicly available list of certified trainers and[Read More…]
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a temporary policy regarding eligibility for the qualified exemption under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. The policy is designed to provide flexibility to growers during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The policy and guidance may be found on FDA’s website at https://www.fda.gov/media/138316/download. Under[Read More…]
As we continue to move toward harvest for many of our produce crops, numbers of workers will continue to increase on produce farms. Management of worker health has been, and continues to be, critical to insuring that farms have adequate labor. The following are a few resources available to growers as they continue to monitor[Read More…]
Beginning this month, Purdue Extension will offer produce food safety trainings throughout Indiana. The trainings utilize the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) training curriculum and will be offered at multiple locations across the state. For produce farms that are covered under the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, at least one manager or responsible person[Read More…]