Progress 09/15/06 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Good Agricultural Practice Online Produce Safety Course (GAPsOPSC) project completed all outlined objectives and goals in 2010. This included the design and development of the GAPsOPSC including grading rubrics, translation of the entire course content into Spanish, and offering the course in both English and Spanish as well as short term and long term evaluation of the course by participants. An additional one year extension was requested in 2010 to continue to offer the course with project funds so that the cost to participants, including fresh fruit and vegetable farmers, for registration would remain as low as possible. As a final summary of the outputs, thirty five sessions of the GAPsOPSC were offered. Thirty one of these courses were delivered in English and four courses were delivered in Spanish. The first course was offered April 9, 2008 and the final course ended September 13, 2011. There were 768 enrolled participants over the duration of the project. In total, 630 participants finished the course by completing all quizzes and homework assignments. Participants spent an average of 523 minutes in the course, not including time offline where they may have written or researched homework assignments. The overall completion rate for the course was 82 percent. The course will continue to be offered by the National Good Agricultural Practices Program at Cornell University through its partner eCornell. Registration costs will increase to cover expenses and cost for periodic updating of the course. PARTICIPANTS: The success of the Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course (GAPsOPSC) depended on several factors. First, the course had to be properly developed with relevant content. Patricia McGlynn conducted the initial Delphi study with food safety content area experts. These results and initial course content were reviewed by the Advisory Group with its very diverse experience and expertise related to produce safety. The Advisory group was active for the duration of the project, providing guidance on course content and structure. The Advisory Group was co-chaired by project directors, Elizabeth A. Bihn and Robert B. Gravani, and included: James Gorny, Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center, University of California, Davis; Robert Hadad, Cornell Cooperative Extension; Eric Hansen, Ed Hansen Farms, Inc.; Jeff Kubecka, Kubecka Farms; Melissa Mundo, Food Safety Coordinator, A. Duda & Sons, Inc. and GAPsOPSC Instructor; Travis Park, Department of Education, Cornell University; Pilar Parra, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University; Gale Prince, Kroger Co. (Retired); Anu Rangarajan, Small Farms Program, Cornell University; Leanne L. Skelton, Fresh Products Branch , Fruit & Vegetable Programs, USDA; Michelle A. Smith, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CFSAN; Maria Vidauri, California Strawberry Commission; Randy W. Worobo, Department of Food Science and Technology, Cornell University; The project collaborators at eCornell, including Joe Ellis, Heidi Conover, Brian Dashew, Jennifer Miller, and Chris Proulx, designed the GAPsOPSC from the content and delphi study results generated by the project directors. eCornell collaborators developed the participants' interface with the course and continue to support all technical aspects of the course delivery. During course delivery, a key reason the GAPsOPSC has been successful is due to the dedication and competence of the professional instructors. Dr. Melissa Mundo and Dr. Don Stoeckel instruct the English courses while Dr. Laura Acuna-Maldonado instructs both English and Spanish courses. In addition to these primary instructors, Dr. Rich Bonanno has instructed the courses offered in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. In addition to the named individuals, all course participants who responded to surveys that allowed for the evaluation and improvement of the course played a critical role in this project. The success of the project is shared with all those who dedicated their time and energy to the development and delivery of the GAPsOPSC. TARGET AUDIENCES: Fresh fruit and vegetable growers were and remain the primary target audience for the Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course (GAPsOPSC). The course is particularly important for growers who are not near other food safety training opportunities. This allows them to learn about the food safety risks that may exist on their farms, conduct a risk assessment, and implement practices to reduce risks. The course may also assist growers in meeting buyer demands for verified food safety programs since part of the course requires them to submit part of a farm food safety plan that is required for a third party audit to verify food safety practices. Additional participants in the GAPsOPSC include extension educators, Department of Agriculture personnel from individual states, United States Department of Agriculture personnel, Food and Drug Administration personnel,and agricultural industry representatives. Several secondary agricultural educators have also enrolled in the course and the course remains open to anyone with an interest in fresh produce safety. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The most significant modification to this project was extending the original time frame so that additional courses could be offered and subsidized through grant funds.
Impacts
Several mechanisms were used to evaluate the impact of the Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course (GAPsOPSC). During the course development and the first five courses that were offered, participants were provided with a survey at the end of each course to provide feedback. These evaluations were used to make modifications to the course to ensure participants were provided with the best course possible in terms of content and design. The project Advisory Group, composed of fruit and vegetable farmers, industry representatives, and scientific content area experts, reviewed all course content and edits to check that they aligned with the project objectives and were relevant to produce safety. In September 2009, all edits and updates were in place allowing for the course to be fully implemented. The post-survey evaluation continued to be offered and results are included in previous CRIS reports. In July 2010, a long-term impact survey was sent to individuals who had taken the GAPsOPSC at least three months prior to the start of the long-term impact survey. The results of the long-term impact survey were summarized in the 2010 CRIS report. Also in September 2009, a pre-test / post-test mechanism was embedded into both the English and Spanish GAPsOPSC. The initial pre-test/post-test mechanism was evaluated in April 2010 and required updating as the data suggested it was not rigorous enough to challenge the participants. This initial English pre-test/post-test was taken by 138 participants over eight sessions of the GAPsOPSC with an average pre-test score of 62 percent and a post-test score of 77 percent with an overall improvement of 15 percent. This initial Spanish pre-test/post-test was taken by 11 participants over one session with an average pre-test score of 53 percent and a post-test score of 73 percent with an overall improvement of 20 percent. The updated pre-test/post-test (version 2) was included in the courses beginning in May 2010. Version 2 of the pre-test/post-test was evaluated in October 2010 after four English sessions of the GAPsOPSC had been completed with 77 students participating in the test. The average English pre-test score was 41 percent and the average post-test score was 61 percent with an overall improvement of 20 percent. After two Spanish courses with 22 participants taking the test, the average pre-test score was 47 percent and the average post-test score was 67 percent with an overall improvement of 20 percent. Both pre-test/post-test mechanisms show student's overall knowledge related to produce safety has increased after taking the course. The Spanish and English test scores are comparable, so regardless of the language students are learning the content. In addition, this data highlights the quality of the Spanish translation which is significant given the course content. All methods used to evaluate the GAPsOPSC indicate that the course content is valuable to participants in both the short-term and long-term in both qualitative and quantitative measures. Participants gain measurable knowledge related to produce safety and Good Agricultural Practices as a result of exposure to the course.
Publications
- Bihn, E.A. and R.B Gravani. 2009. Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course. Project Directors Meeting for the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative, United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, Grapevine, Texas, July 11, 2009.
- Bihn, EA. 2009. Upcoming GAPs Online Produce Safety Courses. New York Berry News, Vol. 8, No.7.
- Bihn, EA. 2008. Implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs): The National GAPs Program at Cornell University and eCornell. New York Berry News, http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/tfabp/, Vol 07, No 4.
- Bihn, EA, and Gravani, RB. 2008. Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course. In: International Association for Food Protection 95th Annual Meeting Abstract Book; 2008 August 3-6; Columbus, OH, USA. P. 124, P3-67.
|
Progress 09/15/09 to 09/14/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Good Agricultural Practice Online Produce Safety Course (GAPsOPSC) project completed all outlined objectives and goals. Objective one included the design, implementation, evaluation, and translation into Spanish of the GAPsOPSC. The initial English course was launched on April 9, 2008. After offering five pilot courses and gathering evaluation data, the course was edited and updated and became available online on September 2, 2009. A Spanish version of the course was developed and launched on April 21, 2010. This year three Spanish and thirteen English courses were conducted with 343 participants. The overall completion rate of participants this year was eighty two percent with 281 participants completing all requirements of the course. Participants spent an average of 9.76 hours (586 minutes) within the course. This time does not include time off line conducting research or word processing for projects. Two of the English courses conducted were in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. As suggested by the projects advisory group, we set up this collaboration in hopes that future collaborations would provide long term sustainability prospects for the course. Long term challenges for sustainability include funding to subsidize the registration costs for participants as well as attracting participants to the course if the implementation of farm food safety practices remains voluntary. The second objective was to scientifically assess the GAPsOPSC impact on participants in both the short term as well as several months after completing the course. Course evaluations have been included in every course, even pilot courses. A pre-test and post-test were embedded within the course beginning in September 2, 2009 and after reviewing the initial results, the questions were updated in June 2010 in an attempt to better determine impact since the beginning question set was not challenging enough. Both the English and Spanish courses received the question modifications. In addition, this year participants were contacted at least 3 months after they had taken the course and asked to complete an additional survey to evaluate impact. The Survey Research Institute at Cornell was contracted to conduct the survey. Participants in the survey were contacted via e-mail. Invitation e-mails were sent out on July 6, 2010. Reminder e-mails were sent to all non-respondents on July 12, July 16, July 19 and July 26, 2010. Data collection ended on August 2nd, 2010. In total, 225 people completed the survey out of a possible 344 with valid email addresses yielding a response rate of 65.41%. Additionally, 5 people started the survey, answered at least one question, but did not complete it. These partially completed cases are also included as part of the final data set. PARTICIPANTS: One of the key reasons the Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course has been successful is because of the qualified and professional instructors. With the course demand, there are now three primary instructors that rotate to instruct the course; Dr. Melissa Mundo, Dr. Don Stoeckel, and Dr. Laura Acuna-Maldonado. Drs. Mundo and Stoeckel instruct the English version and Dr. Laura Acuna-Maldonado instructs the Spanish version. In addition to these primary instructors, Dr. Rich Bonanno has instructed the courses offered in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. Drs. Mundo, Stoeckel, and Bonnano all attended an in-person training on January 4, 2010. Dr. Acuna-Maldonado attended a webinar training with Dr. Mundo and Ms. Elizabeth Bihn, project PI. TARGET AUDIENCES: Fresh fruit and vegetable growers remain the primary target audience. Additional participants in the GAPsOPSC include extension educators, Department of Agriculture personnel from individual states, United States Department of Agriculture personnel, Food and Drug Administration personnel, and agricultural industry representatives as well as other individuals interested in produce safety such as those interested in organizing community gardens or those tasked with purchasing local foods for organizations such as hospitals and day care facilities. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A no-cost extension was requested to continue offering additional courses with remaining grant funds. Grant funds are used to subsidize the costs of offering the course so that participants only have to cover fifty dollars of the cost. This is critical to the success since participants may be unable to cover the total cost. All grant objectives outlined in the proposal have been completed, so the no-cost extension allows for the course to be offered more times to more growers increasing the overall positive impact of the course.
Impacts
The approach to measuring the long term impact of the Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course (GAPsOPSC) on participant behavior was to conduct a survey several months after completion of the course. This long term survey is in addition to the immediate post completion surveys that have been done since the launch of the online course. The long term impact survey contained fifteen questions containing both qualitative and quantitative questions. Ninety four percent of the individuals taking the survey completed the GAPsOPSC course. Thirty seven percent of those completing the survey were employed on a fruit and vegetable operation (farm or packinghouse), while twenty four percent were from government agencies and another twenty four percent indicated "other" as a category. Many of these individuals were directly involved in education or extension work at universities or secondary schools. Ninety three percent of respondents said their knowledge of produce food safety and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) was improved and eighty nine percent describe their ability to assess food safety risks during fresh produce production as improved. Sixty two percent report being involved in the implementation of food safety practices in a fruit or vegetable operation while an additional eleven percent report being involved in the implementation of food safety practices in other types of operations since taking the GAPsOPSC. When asked to share what types of practices they have been involved in implementing, the responses were very diverse but demonstrated participation in practices that were related to produce food safety. Here are a few examples shared by the survey respondents as to the types of programs they have implemented after taking the GAPsOPSC: Setting up GAPs safety program for our farm: documenting the cleaning of several areas including toilet facilities, grading equipment and cider equipment. Also, educating employees of proper sanitary practices; Writing SOPs and implementing GAPs; I have been involved in training producers and farmers market vendors on the importance of GAPs and how to implement GAPs;Developed food safety plan for the operation, to include policy and practices for implementing Good Agricultural Practices; Proper hand washing practices pre-harvest Harvest equipment sanitation well water sampling; Helping others to understand the importance of our food safety plan and then putting GAPS in practice (sanitizing tools, putting up netting, creating logs for cooler, sanitation, etc.); Irrigation water handling procedures; harvest container storage and cleaning Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); toxic materials storage SOPs. Eighty five percent of valid respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that participating in the course helped them to successfully implement these practices. This long term post course data indicated that taking the course had a positive impact on understanding and implementation of practices that reduce risks to fresh fruit and vegetables which is a very positive outcome and in line with the goals of developing this online training.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
Progress 09/15/08 to 09/14/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Good Agricultural Practice Online Produce Safety Course (GAPsOPSC) project made significant progress towards completing outlined objectives and goals. Objective one includes the design, implementation, evaluation, and translation into Spanish of the GAPsOPSC. The initial course was launched on April 9, 2008. On March 19 and 20, 2009 the GAPsOPSC Advisory Group met to review the course and evaluations from participants of the first five pilot courses. After five pilot courses, 130 participants had enrolled in the courses and 100 participants had completed all requirements resulting in a 77 percent completion rate. Based on the evaluations, it was determined that the course content was solid and that participants were both learning the intended information and enjoying the online learning experience. A full edit of the course with updates to all lessons including updating the web layout was planned as the final completion step to course development. While the course was being updated, three additional sections of the course were offered due to industry demand for GAPs training. The course edit and update was completed in June 2009 and the course became available online on September 2, 2009. A Spanish translator with experience in agriculture and food safety is being identified to translate the course lessons into Spanish. After translation, the Spanish GAPsOPSC will be tested and made available to interested participants. The second objective is to scientifically assess the GAPsOPSC impact on participants in both the short term as well as several months after completing the course. Course evaluations have been included in every course, even pilot courses. After the final course edits were completed in June 2009, a pre-test and post-test were also embedded within the course. Participants have also been asked to volunteer to participate in a four month follow up evaluation to assess the impact that the course has had on them over a longer period of time. Course participants provided information to allow a control group to be established based on their ability to influence the adoption of food safety practices such as Good Agricultural Practices within their respective operations. As of September 15, 2009, 214 participants have enrolled in the GAPsOPSC with 178 participants completing all requirements resulting in 84 percent completion rate. Participants spend an average of 6.3 hours (378 minutes) within the course. This time does not include time off line conducting research or word processing for projects. PARTICIPANTS: Advisory Group Participants at the March 2009 Meeting: Elizabeth A. Bihn, M.S., Department of Food Science, Cornell University; James Gorny, Ph.D., Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center, University of California, Davis; Robert B. Gravani, Ph.D., Department of Food Science, Cornell University; Eric Hansen, Ed Hansen Farms, Inc.; Jeff Kubecka, Kubecka Farms; Jennifer Miller, eCornell; Melissa Mundo, Ph.D., Food Safety Coordinator, A. Duda & Sons, Inc. and GAPsOPSC Instructor; Travis Park, Ph.D., Department of Education, Cornell University; Pilar Parra, Ph.D., Department of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University; Gale Prince, Kroger Co. (Retired); Anu Rangarajan, Ph.D., Small Farms Program, Cornell University; Leanne L. Skelton, Chief , Fresh Products Branch , Fruit & Vegetable Programs, USDA; Michelle A. Smith, Ph.D., U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CFSAN; Maria Vidauri, California Strawberry Commission; Randy W. Worobo, Ph.D., Department of Food Science and Technology, Cornell University TARGET AUDIENCES: Fresh fruit and vegetable growers remain the primary target audience. Additional participants in the GAPsOPSC include extension educators, Department of Agriculture personnel from individual states, United States Department of Agriculture personnel, Food and Drug Administration personnel, and agricultural industry representatives. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Measuring the impact of the GAPsOPSC has been done in stages. Initial impact analysis was done on evaluations submitted by participants in the first five pilot courses. These evaluations revealed that 100 percent of participants who completed the post course evaluations would recommend the course to others. Ninety two percent of evaluation respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the course content met their expectations of high quality. Seventy five percent agreed or strongly agreed that the material presented was applicable to their current jobs. A large concern of offering an online course is that participants will have difficulty using the technology. To evaluate this issue, participants were asked questions specifically about the online technology and their personal experiences. Eighty five percent of participants either agreed or strongly agreed that the online technology was easy to understand and navigate within the course. Seventy nine percent strongly agreed that the online technology worked on their computer with an additional 19 percent agreeing. When asked if the support offered by eCornell to help with any technical difficulties was sufficient to avoid severe frustration, 32 percent reported being neutral (3), 25 percent agreed (4), and 43 percent strongly agreed (5). On rating the overall online learning experience no student reported any rating less than good (3) and 93 percent provided an overall ranking of either a 4 or 5 with (5) being excellent. In the post-course evaluations, participants are asked to identify three things they learned that were of most value to them. Below is a selection of comments collected from participants. Participant 1: 1.The concept of how to interact with different learners 2. How to set up a SOP 3.This course was a very good refresher for me as well; Participant 2: 1.Value of food safety to all people not just consumers; Participant 3: 1.PATHOGENS 2.WASTE WATER; Participant 4: 1.Finding a Water Testing Lab close by to test my water 2.Employee training techniques 3.Better awareness of potential contaminates in our environment; Participant 5: 1.Water safety 2.presentation skills ; Participant 6: 1.A Food safety program is a lot more detailed than I thought 2.Documentation is the key 3.Food safety affects everyone, from the field to the supermarket ; Participant 7: 1.How to build a rough SOP 2.What to look for in water testing 3.The importance of good record keeping; Participant 8: 1. How to better write an SOP 2. How to consider other options. 3. Local sources for information and products; Participant 9: 1. Water quality 2. Soil amendments 3. Traceability; Participant 10: 1.Water quality concerns and issues 2. Teaching others. This very diverse set of responses reinforces that the course content is covering the topics identified in the Delphi study and that students are finding the course of value in understanding produce food safety issues. Short term evaluations of the course continue with four month post evaluations being planned for the next year.
Publications
- Bihn, E.A. and R.B Gravani. 2009. Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course. Project Directors Meeting for the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative, United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, Grapevine, Texas, July 11, 2009.
- Bihn, EA. 2009. Upcoming GAPs Online Produce Safety Courses. New York Berry News, Vol. 8, No. 7
|
Progress 09/15/07 to 09/14/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Good Agricultural Practice Online Produce Safety Course (GAPsOPSC) content was finalized and the first pilot was launched April 9, 2008. The course contains five modules. Module titles and lessons within each module are briefly outlined below. Module One: Welcome to Implementing GAPs: A Key to Produce Safety; Module Two: Shared Responsibility in Food Safety, 2.1.0 Reasons for Engagement; Module Three: Good Agricultural Practices, 3.1 Worker Training, Hygiene, and Health, 3.2 Water Use, 3.3 Postharvest Water Use, 3.4 Soil Amendments, 3.5 Cleaning and Sanitation, 3.6 Traceback and Recall, 3.7 Crisis Management, 3.8 Other Important Practices; Module Four: Implementing Change, 4.1 Education and Training in Food Safety, 4.2 Building the Plan; Module Five: Course Conclusion, 5.1 Concluding Activities. A total of four pilot courses were conducted throughout the year. A course letter of intent was added as a requirement beginning with class 3 to better inform students of expectations and attempt to lower the number of individuals who enrolled in the course but subsequently did not participate or complete the course. This letter of intent greatly improved course completion rates and reduced the rate of student no-shows. Each class was limited to 25 participants. Now that the four pilot courses have been offered and evaluated, there will be a full curriculum review to make any necessary changes or improvements that have been identified through the evaluation process. When the revised curriculum is completed, it will be translated into Spanish so that the course will be offered in both English and Spanish. The GAPsOPSC attracted individuals from industry including growers, packers, and trade association personnel as well as federal auditors, government officials, cooperative extension educators, and academics. Using Kirkpatrick's model of four progressive levels of evaluating education as a guide, the overall course evaluation method was designed to assess student reaction, learning, and behavior changes, particularly focusing on the adoption of food safety practices. Initial evaluation included a pre-course survey to determine base knowledge as well as the motivation and goals of participating in the course. The post-course survey included several of the pre-course survey questions with the addition of questions that allow students to rate different aspects of the course. In addition to measuring student reaction and short term knowledge gain, participants were asked to provide their name and contact information to participate in an additional evaluation to be completed at least 4 months post course. This survey will attempt to evaluate the transfer of new knowledge into their job performance and elucidate the resulting effects on the fresh produce operations in which they work. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The GAPsOPSC was well received by participants. A total of 73 individuals completed the three week course passing all the course requirements including quizzes and submitting required class projects. Seventy three individuals completed the pre-course evaluation and forty five individuals completed the post-course evaluation. The four month post course evaluation is being developed for submission to students that have completed the course and that provided contact information. In several of the post-course survey questions, participants were asked to rank their responses from 1-5, where 1= Strongly Disagree, 3= Neutral and 5 = Strongly Agree. Here is a selection of questions regarding course content and the results. The course content presented met my expectation of high quality: 1 (2 percent), 3 (7percent), 4 (35.5 percent), 5 (55.5 percent). The course content offer the appropriate level of depth and detail: 1 (4 percent), 3 (2 percent), 4 (47 percent), 5 (36 percent). For overall course evaluation questions, participants were asked to rank responses from 1-5, where 1 = poor, 3 = good and 5 = excellent. The overall rating of the course content: 3 (4 percent), 4 (40 percent), 5 (56 percent). One hundred percent of respondents (45) would recommend this course to others. Participants were given the opportunity to comment directly about the course. Here are four selected comments that provide a broad view of the extent and content of comments about the program. All comments will be reviewed during the evaluation period to improve the course. Comment 1: The case studies were a good way to get students thinking about the food safety process for fresh produce especially the need for good record keeping and trace back one step in each direction. They also highlighted the need for everyone to be educated and engaged for a food safety program to be successful from "farm to fork". Resolution of issues brought out in case studies were not necessarily complicated, high tech, or highly expensive-there were quite often simple steps to take to re-mediate the problem(s) once they had been identified. Comment 2: Some topics were covered in a pretty general way. More specific details, like back-flow devices, hydro cooling temps, and conditions for storing produce, would strengthen the content. There are several things mentioned in the GAPs self-audit that would be good to include. Comment 3: I am now inspired to get our GAPs Program rolling! Comment 4: After learning how to use the online Course, thought the information was very useful. It helped me in not being overwhelmed in writing my food safety plan. The initial analysis of these evaluations provides confidence that the course content is meaningful to the participants and that they feel they are benefiting from participating in the GAPsOPSC. Additionally, the fact that all participants would recommend this course to others provides insight into the importance of this topic to the fresh produce industry and that they participants think other would benefit from this information.
Publications
- Bihn, EA. 2008. Implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs): The National GAPs Program at Cornell University and eCornell. New York Berry News, http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/extension/tfabp/newslett/nybn74b.pdf , Vol 07, No 4.
- Bihn, EA, and Gravani, RB. 2008. Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course. In: International Association for Food Protection 95th Annual Meeting Abstract Book; 2008 August 3-6; Columbus, OH, USA. P. 124, P3-67.
|
Progress 09/15/06 to 09/14/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course Project is well under way and substantial progress has been made on Objective 1: To design, implement, and evaluate an online produce safety course. A Delphi study was conducted with participants from horticulture, food science, microbiology, education, and veterinary science. To summarize, a Delphi study consists of a series of questionnaires sent to a pre-selected group of experts. These questionnaires are designed to elicit and develop individual responses to determine which GAPs topics are most critically important for inclusion in the course. The Delphi study provided a weighted list of pertinent topics that were included in the online course. These topics will provide course participants with relevant information on produce safety concepts and how to apply them in reducing food safety risk during the production and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables. The results of the Delphi study are highlighted in the
outcomes and impacts section. The Delphi generated list of priorities was used to create modules and topics for the online course during the winter and spring of 2007. Working with collaborators at eCornell, course content containing five modules and 67 detailed design guidelines were developed. In August 2008, the Advisory Committee made up of individuals representing a diverse cross-section of the produce industry met in New York to review each lesson, evaluate content, and identify areas that required modification. Comments and edits resulting from this meeting were incorporated into course content and submitted to the eCornell designers to build the online course complete with lessons, images, and necessary navigation tools. Upon completion of this first version, a test site was established so Advisory Committee members could log into the course and view course content including lessons, quizzes, class projects, and instructor/student interaction capabilities. The Advisory
Committee provided comments and edits and the course is currently being updated based on this information. There will be a final review of the course on January 4, 2008 at which point it will be sent to a pre-launch review at eCornell to verify all technology is functional and ready for a February 13, 2008 launch.
PARTICIPANTS: Advisory Committee Members: James Gorny (UC Davis), Gale Prince (retired Kroger Co.), Larry Beasley (A. Duda and Sons), Pilar Parra (Rural Sociology-Cornell), Travis Park (Education-Cornell), Jeff Kubecka (NY Vegetable Growers Assoc.), Eric Hansen (grower), Michelle Smith (FDA), Leanne Skelton (USDA Fresh Products Division), Robert Hadad (Cornell Cooperative Extension), Maria Vidauri (California Strawberry Commission), Randy Worobo (Food Science Microbiology-Cornell). As noted by the diverse companies, organizations, and disciplines, the Advisory Committee members provide a broad range of perspectives and expertise. eCornell project lead for online course: Brian Dashew
TARGET AUDIENCES: The broad target audience is everyone involved in the production and packing for fresh fruits and vegetables including growers, packers, extension educators, state and federal government personnel, industry organization members, and retail market personnel. In terms of impacting actions, the course will provide growers and packers with the knowledge and resources to develop and implement a produce safety plan for their farms and packinghouses with the goal of improving the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Extension educators, industry organization members, and government personnel often provide guidance and assistance to fresh fruit and vegetable producers so improving their base knowledge is also important to the implementation of food safety practices.
Impacts
The Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course Delphi Study produced a weighed list of topics that should be included in the course to insure its scientific relevance. Below is a list of all topics with their associated weight on a 1-5 scale with 5 being the most relevant and 1 being the least relevant. For the design of the course, all topics ranked 4.0 or above were prioritized for inclusion. Lower ranked topics were included when possible and where there existed a logical link to higher ranked topics. Irrigation water management(4.8), Development of a food safety plan (4.8), Worker hygiene and training (4.5), Equipment sanitation (4.5), Field sanitation (4.3), Manure and compost handling (4.3*), Post-harvest water use (4.2), How to conduct microbiological testing(4.1), Packing facility sanitation (4.0), Management requirements for food safety (4.0*), Understanding microorganisms of concern (3.9), Terminology in food safety (3.8), External Resources
(3.5), Domestic and wild animal management (3.6), Outbreaks impacts to the industry (3.4), Transportation(3.3), Awareness of the current and historical land use (3.1), Other food safety hazards (chemical, physical)(2.8). An * designates a standard deviation of greater than 1 and likely resulted because participants could not come to consensus. For instance, manure and compost handling had a large deviation because not all producers use manure. Many states have gone to chemical fertilization due to lack of a manure source or cost of manure, but in other states that have large animal operations manure is widely available and frequently used because of its benefits to the soil. The Delphi study was extremely valuable in assuring that relevant topics were included in the design of the course. In addition to the rankings, participants included specific topics within each area that should be addressed. For the sake of readability, only the topic areas and rankings are included in this
summary.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
|