Packaging chevre at Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery
October/November 2016 — In October, NC Growing Together offered a day-long training for cheesemakers and dairy producers focusing on the basics of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and food safety planning. More than 25 producers attended the workshop at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, which was led by Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel, C.E.O. of Dirigo Food Safety.
“I had taken an online HACCP course previously but the task seemed so overwhelming that I had done nothing with the information. This course gave practical advice on safe food handling in a way that made it seem doable,” said participant David DiLoreto of Fading D. Farm in Salisbury, NC. “We now have the tools to codify the practices that will ensure that everyone knows and follows the same safe procedures. We have already started SOPs in all of our areas of milk and cheese handling.”
Resources shared at the workshop include:
- Resources for Small Cheese and Dairy Businesses
- NC Farmstead Creamery Survey Report (2015)
- Authenticity and Success in Marketing “Local”: Review and Recommendations
- HACCP General Documentation template
- Dirigo Food Safety: 12 Steps of HACCP
- Financial and Business Resources for Food Entrepreneurs and Farms in North Carolina
- For Artisan Cheesemakers: What to Ask When Working with Distributors & Retailers
You can also find these resources on the Resources for Dairy, Cheese, and Egg Producers page of the NCGT website.
This article originally appeared in the October/November 2016 NC Growing Together Newsletter.