Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Low moisture foods represent a broad section of the food industry including bakery products, some produce, dairy powders, snack foods, confections, and nut products. Additionally, many other manufactured foods rely on low moisture foods as ingredients, increasing their relative impact on the industry. Notably, the production system for low moisture foods often differs substantially from high water activity foods. For example, thermal process validation and dry sanitation are unique challenges in low moisture food systems. This poses a barrier to implementation of food safety regulations and transmission of food safety education among this specialized group. This is especially true for small and mid-sized businesses in this sector who often lack the resources and in-house technical expertise to adapt conventional training materials to their particular needs. This includes training on the Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) Rule of FSMA. Existing curricula including PCQI training does not adequately address their needs. Recent and historical high-profile outbreaks and recalls linked to low moisture foods have highlighted the importance of supporting the development of robust food safety systems relevant to these industries.To address this need, we propose the development of a supporting curriculum that centers the concerns of low moisture food businesses (Obj 1). We will develop virtual training tools to increase engagement and expand remote and long-term access to these resources (Obj 2). We will implement these materials through virtual and in-person training opportunities in regionally and commodity specific venues (Obj 3). Finally, we will conduct in-depth evaluation of these materials from both a technical content and pedagogical perspective to assess learning outcomes and engagement of the target community (Obj 4).
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Low moisture foods represent a broad section of the food industry including bakery products, some produce packhouses, dairy powders, snack foods, confections, and nut products. Additionally, many other manufactured foods rely on low moisture foods as ingredients, increasing their relative impact on the industry. The methods for ensuring the safety in these foods have been an area of increased focus due to (1) recent, prominent outbreaks and recalls in this sector and (2) the growing body of research highlighting the unique food safety challenges in these systems.Food safety systems for low moisture food processors often differ substantially from high water activity foods. For example, thermal process validation and dry sanitation are unique challenges in low moisture food production. This poses a barrier to implementation of food safety regulations and transmission of food safety education among this specialized group. This is especially true for small and mid-sized businesses who often lack the resources and technical expertise to adapt conventional training materials to their particular needs, including training on the Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) Rule of FSMA. Existing curricula including PCQI training does not adequately address the needs of this specialized community.Our project will fill this gap through the following objectives:Develop educational modules supporting small and mid-size processors of low moisture foods.Build virtual learning tools to increase interaction and accessibility.Offer both virtual and in-person workshop opportunities in partnership with collaborating organizations and professional groups.Evaluate content validity, learning outcomes, and engagement and motivation in the target audience.
Project Methods
The curriculum will be developed in modules with built-in flexibility so that future users can adapt the content to their needs (Table 1). Training materials will include: (1) a slide deck for each module, (2) handouts to facilitate break-out exercises, (3) templates for the necessary documentation to support various food safety programs, and (4) a workbook which includes (1-3) as well as sample documents from fictional companies to be used as models. These resources will be based on the PCHF, FSPCA materials, FDA draft guidance, and primary research on food safety hazards and controls. The material will primarily be developed by our team and submitted to the peer review process for add-on content through the Food Safety Clearinghouse.We will collaborate with three different partner groups: (1) peer academic institutions, (2) small processors and the trade/professional organizations and retailers who work with them, and (3) large processors with industry insight into low moisture food. Letters of support provided from our colleagues at peer academic institutions (1) represent SMEs invited to be guest workshop speakers, channels for workshop promotion in different regions in the US, and collaborations with partners who serve historically marginalized populations for in-person and virtual programming. Letters of support from small processors and the trade/professional organizations and retailers who work with them (2 - iSpice, Innovation Center for US Dairy, Wegmans) represent a small subsample of contacts through whom we will promote these training opportunities. This includes small and mid-sized producers who are already on existing extension listservs held by the PI team and SMEs as well as those who have not previously worked with extension but can be contacted through trade organizations, buyers (ie, retailers), as well as shared-use kitchens, farm market managers, and food safety consultants. Letters of support from large manufacturers of low moisture foods (3 - Ferraro, John B. Sanfilippo & Son) represent industry experts who can provide feedback on the application of food safety principles to this product category.Recruitment:Courses will be advertised two months in advance of the scheduled workshop through contact lists maintained by academic, industry, and community partners. Although we welcome participation from businesses located anywhere in the US, our recruitment will be most heavily targeted to the those in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest as our primary contacts for participant recruitment are located in those states. Recruitment will be primarily via extension listservs at academic institutions and retailers promoting the courses to their suppliers. Our extension listservs include cooperative extension programs with connections to community kitchens and farm market managers. We will also advertise through relevant trade organizations including American Dairy Science Association, American Bakers Association, American Spice Trade Association, and National Confectioners Association.Workshop structure:Virtual webinars will be held once a week for 90 minutes from 11:30 am to 1 pm EST. Webinars will be free of charge. Because courses will be advertised through multiple channels in several different states, we anticipate at least 300 registrants and 100 participants. All registrants will be provided a recording of the SME presentation, but the Q&A and breakout activities will not be recorded. To facilitate breakout activities, up to four sessions of the workshop will be scheduled to limit group size to 30 participants. Once sessions are scheduled and as capacity allows, we will also open enrollment to local extension colleagues who may be interested in participation for themselves or their teams.Two in-person workshops will be held during year 3 of the project. These one-day events will be held at Cornell University and at the University of Arkansas and enrollment will be capped at 30 per training. Participants will be charged a nominal $25 enrollment fee to increase attendance after registration and to offset small incidental costs. Instructors will include PI Snyder, Co-I Wiedmann, Key Personnel Bukowski, and SME Acuff. Virtual activities will be adapted for in-person use. For example, the virtual mock audit will be replaced by in-person mock audits of pilot or commercial facilities located on campus. Groups will be formed for the game exercise and computers provided to the teams.