The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy (Innovation Center), Rosemont, Ill., said it will host a number of food safety workshops in 2019. The workshops will be taught by industry professionals for the benefit of the entire industry.

Established under the leadership of dairy farmers and led by dairy company CEOs and industry leaders representing 60% of the U.S. milk supply, the Innovation Center provides a pre-competitive forum for the industry to work together on shared social responsibility priorities and opportunities. Its Food Safety Committee helps the industry improve practices and reduce risks in dairy foods. Since 2010, more than 3,200 people have attended workshops focused on strengthening manufacturing practices, supporting safe supplier programs and protecting consumers from foodborne issues, the Innovation Center said.

The following workshops will be offered:

Dairy Plant Food Safety — participants will learn best practices and practical approaches for pathogen control through lectures and hands-on group exercises that include environmental monitoring, sanitary designs and developing Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures. It will provide a framework to build knowledge and programs in support of a company’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) preventive controls and food safety plan.

This workshop leverages the pathogen equation to develop programs and teach “how” to implement best practices that address the “what” of FSMA requirements. All workshops cover wet and dry product operations, the Innovation Center noted. The Minneapolis session will focus on dry powder operations.

The registration fee is $495.

Schedule:

• April 3-4, Seattle (Hosts: Darigold and Tillamook Cheese)
• May 21-22, Baraboo, Wis. (Hosts: Foremost Farms and Sargento Foods)
• Oct. 15-16, Minneapolis (Hosts: Land O’ Lakes and Glanbia)
• Oct. 22-23, Wilbraham, Mass. (Hosts: HP Hood, Dean Foods and Agri-Mark)

Supplier Food Safety Management — designed for companies and their suppliers that are seeking to ensure the food safety performance of their supply network. The workshop will help companies identify, quantify and mitigate risks from ingredients, packaging, equipment and services. In addition, it will provide a science-based template to develop a supply-chain program and preventive controls aligned with FSMA. Elements include identifying potential hazards, assessing if systems are in place to control identified hazards and assessing supplier performance/FDA compliance history, the Innovation Center noted.

To encourage “paired learning” with manufacturers and suppliers, half-price registrations ($195) are available with one full-price attendee ($395).

Schedule:

• April 9-10, Green Bay, Wis.

Visit www.usdairy.com/events for more information about any of these workshops.

Additional online training and resources are available from the Innovation Center, including:

Artisan/Farmstead Cheesemaker Food Safety — The Innovation Center and North Carolina State University created an online course focused on the importance of food safety, food safety hazards, preventive controls, regulatory considerations and product/environmental monitoring. While the training was designed for artisan cheesemakers, it also is valuable to farmstead producers, the Innovation Center said.

The registration fee is $149. There is no charge for American Cheese Society (ACS) members (contact ACS for more information).

Up to 20 two-day courses throughout the United States over the next three years — the courses are underwritten by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to offer training on food safety measures and help students complete a plan for their operations. The workshop includes follow-up support and mentoring. Dates and locations can be found at www.usdairy.com/artisan.

Listeria Control Guidance Document — a downloadable guide written by top dairy food safety experts is available at www.usdairy.com/foodsafety. This guide follows “the pathogen equation,” the Innovation Center said, which is the core of the dairy plant food safety workshop. The document is also available in Spanish.