GOLDSBORO, N.C. (October 20, 2009) — N.C. MarketReady Fresh Produce Safety is a new N.C. Cooperative Extension program developed to educate fruit and vegetable growers about measures to minimize food safety risks. The training focuses on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and what it takes to obtain GAPs certification.
Members of the N.C. Extension Food Safety Team will conduct the Tier 1 training workshop at CEFS’ Cherry Farm facility on November 18 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The meeting will begin at the Service Building, 201 Stevens Mill Road, Goldsboro. Follow the signs to the building.
Tier 1 will address GAPs that are directly related to field production and harvest. The training will include an introduction to common food-borne pathogens and diseases as well as recognizing points of potential contamination, proper use of biosolids as a nutrient source, effective handwashing procedures, packing facility cleanliness and verifying water quality for field application and postharvest handling. A visit to the Small Farm Unit produce handling area will be part of the educational program.
Anyone involved in handling fresh produce, from farmers and field hands to packing house employees and truckers will benefit from the training by learning to identify and prevent contact between sources of contamination and fresh produce.
GAPs certification requires establishing a food safety plan and passing a third-party audit that assesses the strength of the food safety plan and ensures that it is properly implemented. Currently, GAPs certification is voluntary for North Carolina farmers, though outbreaks of food-borne illness in other parts of the country have resulted in increased pressure for all farmers to become certified.
For more information contact Steve Moore at (919) 218-4642.
Learn more at www.ncmarketready.org.