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Good Agricultural & Handling Practices Workshop
Food Safety Starts on the Farm
In an effort to assist growers with the development and
evaluation of food safety practices on their farms, the Arkansas Agriculture
Department and the University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service
Division of Agriculture partnering to offer a workshop on food safety which
addresses good agricultural production and handling practices.
The one-day workshop featured presentations from United
States Department of Agriculture’s Fruit and Vegetable Section, Arkansas
Agriculture Department, a produce grower, an industry (third party auditor, and
experts working in produce retail/wholesale distribution businesses. Workshop
presenters discussed the importance of evaluating food safety measures and the
value for growers to assess their food safety business practices.
Around the U.S., state departments of agriculture, with USDA's assistance,
are developing an audit-based program aimed at helping the U.S. produce industry
verify voluntary adherence to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's
Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and
Vegetables. Under the program, Federal-State Inspection
Service (FSIS) personnel review a participating company's facility and agronomic
practices, along with its documented procedures, to help determine if "Good
Agricultural Practices" and/or "Good Handling Practices" are maintained. If you
are interested in learning more about the—Good Agricultural Practices and Good
Handling Practices—Audit Verification Program, visit the Agricultural Marketing
Service’s Fresh Products Branch website
at http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/fpbgapghp.htm or you can contact the Field
Operations Section: Fresh Products Branch, FVP, AMS, USDA by phoning (202)
720-2482 or (800) 811-2373.
Agenda and Presentations
- Good Agricultural &
Handling Practices Workshop Agenda
- "The
Future of Food Safety" - Andy Goldring, Sales Manager, Del Monte Fresh
Produce N.A., Inc.
- "Wal-Mart
Certification Audit Program" - Jaime Lastra, Director of Global Supplier
Auditing Corporate Quality, Food Safety and Security Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- "Food
Safety Auditing Process" - Juan Muniz, Director of Auditing, Primus Labs
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"Arkansas Food Safety Audit Program" - Tim Ellison, Director, Plant
Board Marketing Division - Arkansas Agriculture Department
- "USDA
Federal-State GAP and GHP Audit Verification Program" - David Markwardt,
Federal Program Manager, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA - Kansas City,
Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Service
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