PMA partnership on food safety course kicks off FreshEd Academy

(Courtesy PMA)

The Produce Marketing Association has a new online produce safety course, the first offering in its FreshEd Academy educational platform.

Essentials of Produce Safety was developed in partnership with Intertek Alchemy, which has a series of online produce safety solutions, according to a news release.

“FreshEd Academy is our commitment to delivering thought leadership to the produce and floral industries, while providing member partners with innovative, yet affordable, educational solutions,” Gina Jones, vice president of insights and analytics for PMA.

“Essentials of Produce Safety is the first of a number of courses and broader initiatives we are launching that pick up where today’s traditional training programs end.”

The course offers a “a device responsive learning management system that enables learners to complete the course anywhere, on any device,” including a phone, according to the release.

The author of the course and one of its presenters is Bob Whitaker, former chief science and technology officer for the PMA.

“It is critically important for produce safety supervisors and managers to have an opportunity to receive education on why they are doing what they do, and to gain insights into how to do it even better,” Whitaker said in the release.

The other course instructors are Max Tepletski, PMA chief science officer, and Afreen Malik, director of technical services at International Food Safety.

The eight-hour course’s modules cover:

  • Starting with the basics
  • Foundational programs
  • Structural programs
  • Hazard assessment
  • Food Safety Modernization Act
  • Critical steps
  • Microbial testing

Registration for the course is online.

Related stories:

PMA, United Fresh discuss food boxes with USDA

PMA’s Cathy Burns reflects on next moves for industry

PMA delivers with digital foodservice conference

 

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