FPFC Apprentice class wraps up virtual sessions

The Fresh Produce & Floral Council’s 2020 Apprentice Class attended their final virtual session on Tuesday, December 4, 2020, which focused on Food Safety and Crisis Communication with Cheryl Enlow of Renaissance Food Group and Scott Farrell of Golin International.  

The group started off the day with a presentation by Cheryl Enlow, Vice President of Quality Assurance & Food Safety at Renaissance Food Group. Cheryl started by getting to know the class and asking each Apprentice what they enjoyed most about being in the produce industry. Cheryl stated how pleased she was with the Apprentices.

“It was great to hear that the FPFC Apprentices love being in produce for some of the same reasons as me – never a boring day, healthy products, and full of passionate and diverse people. They were so engaged and had such great questions that they made it seem like Food Safety wasn’t such a dry topic. My goal is that they will each take their unique perspectives to their company’s Food Safety Team!”

Cheryl’s presentation included startling information about foodborne illnesses and shared that.

“Produce is often the source or at least blamed for most foodborne illnesses.”

Cheryl spoke about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and how it was the first reform in over 70 years, bringing the industry to a prevention stance rather than a reaction stance; FSMA works to create partnerships with other government agencies and private entities to ensure protocols are met. She also noted the importance of “walking the walk” and holding yourself and employees accountable for Food Safety. 

The class then moved on to a second presentation and activity from Scott Farrell, Global President of Corporate Communications at Golin. Scott started the class off with the six R’s that he uses when responding to a crisis – rapid response, responsibility, regret, restitution, reform and restore. After explaining the reasoning behind the 6 R’s, the class was able to complete an interactive activity regarding a food safety crisis.

Scott emphasized how important it is to broaden your vision when dealing with a crisis and continue looking ahead to see the bigger picture at hand. Scott stated: “I look forward to my time with the Apprentices. I’m always faced with an engaging and insightful group of future leaders for the industry and this year’s group was true to form. This is a wonderful program and I commend the FPFC and its members for providing their support.”

The FPFC is grateful to our partners and members that made this presentation possible, including the program sponsor Dennis Gertmenian. This session concluded programming for the 2020 Apprentice Class. Their virtual graduation ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26th, 2021; details to follow.