Food Safety Training for Cantaloupe Producers and Packers to be Held July 15

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the University of Maryland will conduct a food safety training workshop focused on production and packing practices on Monday, July 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at MDA headquarters, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis. Registration check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The training fee is $20, which includes lunch and materials.

This one-time workshop will emphasize the proper growing, washing, packing, and storage practices of cantaloupes to minimize the risk of microbial contamination. The training will also include an overview on proper record-keeping, and a section for food safety plan-writing practices.

The 2011 Colorado cantaloupe outbreak has focused attention on the contamination of cantaloupes during packing, washing and cooling. Listeria monocytogenes was the bacteria identified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Colorado outbreak as causing the illnesses and deaths. Under existing federal regulations, FDA has the authority to conduct environmental assessments of fruit and vegetable packing and washing operations for microbial contamination of the product. The proposed regulation for produce under the Food Safety Modernization Act has additional requirements for the production, packing and washing of fruits and vegetables.

MDA and the University of Maryland are holding this workshop to assist producers in determining if their food safety practices are adequate to prevent microbial contamination and meet FDA requirements. Producers of other fruits and/or vegetables that wash and pack produce would also benefit from this training. In addition to Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in cantaloupe production, the workshop will include Good Handling Practices (GHPs) in the post-harvest packing, washing and cooling of cantaloupes. The training will also provide assistance in writing and implementing a GAP/GHP program for both wholesale growers and direct marketers.

Topics to be covered include: cantaloupe production and post-harvest practices to minimize microbial contamination, the federal Food Safety Modernization Act, basics of GAP and GHP, addressing water pre-harvest and post-harvest water quality issues, environmental testing for bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes , writing a food safety plan, and MDA/University of Maryland programs to assist producers in implementing GAP and GHP. A portion of the training will be spent helping producers write their own food safety plans. Producers are encouraged to bring their own personal laptops. Laptops will also be provided to those who cannot bring them.

For a copy of the registration form. For more information, call Sherry Weygant at 410-841-5769 or email: [email protected].

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