Center Updates

WRCEFS Updates

2022

WRCEFS Received USDA NIFA Partnership Award!

October 11, 2022: Each year, USDA NIFA presents Partnership Awards in three categories including (i) Mission Integration or Research, Education or Extension; (ii) Multistate Efforts; and (iii) Innovative Programs and Projects. The WRCEFS leadership team is excited announce that WRCEFS has been selected as the 2021 winner in Category II: Multistate Efforts.

WRCEFS has received this award for working collaboratively to provide continued food safety education, training, extension, outreach and technical assistance to the food industry in the Western Region. Many thanks to everyone for your contributions to our food safety community and for all that you do to improve food safety in our region!

 

2021

WRCEFS Receives Funding for 3 More Years!

September 30, 2021: The USDA NIFA just announced their FY 2021 Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) grantees. We are excited to announce that WRCEFS was awarded an FSOP grant and will continue to serve the Western region over the next three years!

 

The Peer Review Process for Add-on Content is Accepting Submissions

April 9, 2021: The peer review process for add-on content is open for submissions through the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse. An add-on is an additional content that is developed by any stakeholder group to supplement the standardized curriculum. To learn more about the process or submit content for review, please visit the Peer Review Process for Add-on Content on the Clearinghouse's website. 

 

Photo Credit: Stephanie Brown, 2021

WRCEFS Sub-regions

MOUNTAIN 

Coming soon!

 

NORTHWEST

Coming soon!

 

PACIFIC

Coming soon!

 

SOUTHWEST

Coming soon!

Regional Centers and Alliances

 
National Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) Roundtable Webinar from NECAFS

December 16, 2019: The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety recently uploaded their webinar on the national Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) roundtable. This webinar highlighted some of the current and recently completed Food Safety Outreach Programs (FSOPs) and gave webinar participants the opportunity to learn more about these projects, ask questions, and participate in the discussion. 

 

 

Previous Updates

Coming soon!

MOUNTAIN 

FSMA Implementation Webinar - Colorado State University

March 23, 2017: The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers association, in conjunction with Colorado State University and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, has uploaded their webinar, the “Implementation of FSMA in Colorado”. This 55-minute video briefly covers the 7 rules of FSMA, and delves deeper into the water provisions found under the Produce Safety Rule.

 

FSMA vs. USDA's National Organic Program

March 2, 2017: Colorado State University released, “The Intersection of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the National Organic Program (NOP)”, a document explaining the differences and similarities between the FDA’s FSMA and the USDA’s National Organic Program. The aim of this document is to help organic farmers through the transition to FSMA rules and regulations.

 

NORTHWEST

FSMA- Farms vs. Food Processors

January, 2016: Dr. Barbara Rasco, a professor in the joint WSU and U of I Food Science program, published an article explaining the differences between food processors and farms and the major changes FSMA introduces to both.

 

PACIFIC

FSMA Produce Rule and GAPs

December 11, 2016: The University of Hawaii uploaded a presentation that hits the major points of FSMA’s Produce Rule and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and how these will affect growers in Hawaii.

  • Presentation can be viewed here.

 

SOUTHWEST

Ag Water App

August 3, 2016: A collaborative effort between researchers at University of Arizona and the California-based Center for Produce Safety has resulted in the app, Ag Water. Ag Water makes it easier to determine if a water source is safe to use on crops. It accomplishes this by running the necessary calculations as outlined by FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule and by predicting the quality of a water source in real time using historical water quality data and weather information

On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) Webinar from NECAFS

July 31, 2017: The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety uploaded their webinar on an education tool they are helping to develop, referred to as On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR). OFRR is designed as a tool to help regulators and educators effectively prepare farmers for compliance with FSMA’s produce safety rule.

 

Southern Center's FSMA Training Workshop Modules 

July 20, 2017: The Southern Center for FSMA Training has released content from their FSMA training workshop, which includes information about FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule, Preventive Controls and Human Foods Rule, and Foreign Supplier Verification Program. In addition, information about the Produce Safety Network was included.

 

PSA Fact Sheet on Required Records

May, 2017: The Produce Safety Alliance published a fact sheet designed to help navigate the recordkeeping requirements of FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule, including several example recordkeeping documents. Visit PSA website for additional resources on FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule.

 

Sprout Safety Alliance (SSA)

March 6, 2017: The Sprout Safety Alliance has uploaded their webinar entitled, “Overview of Draft Guidance to Industry: Compliance with and Recommendations for Implementing FDA’s Produce Safety Rule for Sprout Operations”.

  • To view the webinar presentation slides, go here

 

March, 2017: The Sprout Safety Alliance has made the second edition of their training curriculum available on their website. This document is intended to help producers come into compliance with the sprout operations section of FSMA’s Produce Safety rule.

 
IFPTI National Competency-Based Learning System

August 1, 2016: The International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) is building a national competency-based learning system for food officials. This system seeks to offer all food officials high-quality food safety training with the hope of establishing a truly integrated food safety system.

  • For more information, view the article.