Posts from the "Center for Produce Safety" category
Center for Produce Safety Research Findings Now Online
New resources translating current research from the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) into practical applications for individual food safety programs are now online and openly available to all industry members. These tools distill the 16 CPS-funded research programs discussed at the 2013 Center for Produce Safety Produce Research Symposium held June 25-26 and the 2013 Fresh Connections: Food Safety Highlights event that followed June 27, both at the Wegmans Conference Center in Rochester, N.Y.
“Translating science-based research on produce safety into real-world application for industry members’ own food safety programs is what the CPS, its annual symposium and these online tools are all about,” said Dr. Bob Whitaker, Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Chief Science & Technology Officer. “By making this information widely available in everyday language, we are able to more effectively leverage data to improve food safety programs and close gaps in industry’s food safety efforts.”
Online tools available at PMA.com include:
2013 CPS Symposium: 10 Lessons Learned – an insider’s guide on the symposium’s key findings authored by Dr. Whitaker and PMA Vice President of Food Safety & Technology Dr. Jim Gorny.
2013 Fresh Connections: Food Safety Highlights presentations – eight recorded PowerPoint presentations led by Drs. Whitaker and Gorny. In addition to outlining the basics behind current CPS data, these presentations also look at some of the research’s implications relative to the Food Safety Modernization Act and current pending proposed rules.
Many of the key lessons noted in the guide and presentations will also be the subject of a series of podcasts PMA will be adding to its resource library over the next few months. The podcasts will feature Drs. Whitaker and Gorny along with PMA Director Food Safety & Technology Johnna Hepner and will be available through www.pma.com. The full technical reports for the 16 research programs presented during the 2013 CPS Produce Research Symposium can be found on the CPS website at www.cps@ucdavis.edu
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10 Lessons Learned at the 2013 CPS Symposium
The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) held its fourth annual research symposium in Rochester, NY at the Wegmans Conference Center on June 25-26, 2013. The symposium featured sixteen CPS-funded research programs and discussions on what the research means. While the full technical reports for these research programs can be found on the CPS website, PMA’s Dr. Bob Whitaker, chief science and technology officer, and Dr. Jim Gorny, vice president food safety and technology, translated the research to identify ten key lessons learned from the symposium.
2013 CPS Symposium: 10 Lessons Learned
2013 CPS Research Symposium resources now available
A number of resources from the 4th annual Center for Produce Safety Research Symposium have now been made available via the CPS website:
Symposium presentations including one by Bill Marler – “The Evolving Legal and Financial Realities of Produce Food Safety: What it means for you”- CPS website. See the full list of Resources
Final reports, CPS funded research – CPS website; Awards list . Reports are noted on right hand side of the page.
CPS 2013 Research Posters – CPS website; Poster Sessions
Stay tuned for the key learnings from the event.
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Message from the CPS Research Symposium: Safe food is a commitment from all businesses.
When it comes to food safety, solutions are usually common-sense best practices and without absolute commitment from top management, no company in the fresh produce supply chain can achieve adequate food safety measures.
That was the key message of the fourth annual CPS Research Symposium, recently held in Rochester, NY. Approximately 3o0 attendees took part in 2 days of presentations and panel discussions with experts from government, fresh produce companies and academia offered on-the-spot interpretation of the food safety research.
“The search for answers to food safety questions is not just the right thing to do, it is the best risk management tool we have,” said Bryan Silbermann, president and chief executive officer for the Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Del.
Seattle attorney, Bill Marler commented in his keynote address to the delegates of the conference “When you’re doing the right thing for your business, it’s right for your customers. When it’s right for your customers it’s good for your business.”
The Symposium covered a huge range of topics, the first day dedicated to Listeria. Also covered was research on compost and agricultural practices, water quality for irrigation and post harvest practices, pathogen transference in pre-harvest, harvest and packing procedures and much more!
The research presented at the Symposium will be made available on the CPS website very soon.
To read more about what happened, watch short interviews from the Symposium and find out a bit more about some of the research, please click on the articles below.
The Grower: CPS research runs the gamut from compost to UV light, includes video.
The Grower: Rapid tests under development improve pathogen testing
The Packer: Food safety requires commitment throughout supply chain