Food Safety Webinar Series for Organic Processors
This spring, the CCOF Foundation wrapped up our nine-part food safety for organic processors webinar series. The series started off with a review of the different Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls Rule compliance categories, then walked through the requirements for each category. In response to community feedback, we also included webinars that dove into the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and reviewed cottage food laws in California and Washington state.
If you didn’t catch all of the live broadcasts, check out the webinar recordings on the series webpage or visit the CCOF YouTube Channel.
Many thanks to our project partners at University of California, Davis, Washington State University, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic Program for making this series a success.
Food Safety Resources for Organic Growers
The CCOF Foundation is excited to share some excellent food safety resources for organic growers.
- Produce Safety 101 for Organic Farms
This two-part webinar series hosted by the CCOF Foundation and Washington State University reviews the fundamentals of on-farm food safety for small and very small organic produce farms and discusses FSMA Produce Safety Rule compliance requirements for small farms. Visit the CCOF YouTube channel to watch Part I and Part II of the series. You can also check out the CCOF FSMA & Food Safety Resources webpage for additional FSMA resources for growers.
- NOP/FSMA/Third-Party Audit Food Safety Guide
The Community Alliance of Family Farmers (CAFF) put together this handy guide that provides a side-by-side comparison of the similarities and the differences between requirements of the National Organic Program (NOP), the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and third-party food safety audits. The guide is available on the CAFF website or in PDF format.
- Farmer-Focused Podcasts With a Food Safety Twist
Check out these two podcasts to hear how farmers are addressing food safety on their farms. CAFF recently released 15 new episodes of their Farmers Beet Podcast. Hear from farmers all over California about how they are integrating food safety practices into their production systems. Or for a Northwest spin on farming and food safety, check out the Tilth Alliance’s Farm Walks podcast that features farmers from Washington state, highlighting their marketing, production, and food safety practices.
- FSMA Inspection Blog Series
CAFF recently started a blog series that highlights grower experiences with FSMA Produce Safety Rule inspections in California. Read their inaugural post on the CAFF website.
Future Food Safety Education Programing
Keep an eye out for more food safety programming over the coming year. This fall, the CCOF Foundation plans to run an online Produce Safety Alliance training for organic growers. In addition, we are looking into offering Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) trainings for organic processors.
We’d love to hear your feedback on additional ideas for educational programming for organic producers. Send your ideas to ccoffoundation@ccof.org.