Fruit and vegetable growers can meet training requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule at an online training or an in-person workshop in May.

The online workshop is offered as two half-day sessions, 1-5 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, and Tuesday, May 25. The in-person workshop is 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, May 26, at Morgan County Seeds in Barnett, Mo.

FSMA includes standards related to water quality, use of manure and compost, and worker health and hygiene, said Londa Nwadike, food safety specialist with University of Missouri Extension and Kansas State Research and Extension. The standards are intended to reduce the risk of contamination from E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and other disease-causing microbes.

“Because some produce is not cooked before eating, it’s essential that anyone handling fresh fruit and vegetables along the grower-to-consumer chain use the best practices possible to ensure safety,” Nwadike said.

Farms subject to the FSMA Produce Safety Rule must have at least one supervisor who has successfully completed specific training requirements.

Details and registration

Online training, 1-5 p.m. May 18 and May 25: bit.ly/3uuRkoy.

In-person training, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. May 26, in Barnett: bit.ly/3w0oRHB, or contact the MU Extension Center in Morgan County at 573-378-5358.

Participants will receive a training certificate and manual. For questions, contact Nwadike at 816-482-5860 or Patrick Byers at 417-859-2044.

The workshops are funded and supported by the Missouri Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program, which helps keep registration costs to only $20 per person.

Online, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fsma-produce-safety-grower-training-remote-delivery-tickets-151542081445

In-person training in Barnett, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fsma-produce-safety-grower-training-barnett-mo-tickets-151051927381.

For more than 100 years, University of Missouri Extension has extended university-based knowledge beyond the campus into all counties of the state. In doing so, extension has strengthened families, businesses and communities.

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