Recipient Organization
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
820 CHESTNUT ST
JEFFERSON CITY,MO 651023537
Performing Department
Cooperative Research
Non Technical Summary
One in six Americans are sickened by food borne illness and 3.000 die annually. The cost to the health care system is startling - $15.6 million annually. The Food Safety Management Act (FSMA) was initiated to address this issue by developing regulations and trainings that use a prevention approach, rather than the previous reaction approach. This project addresses the national priority of food safety compliance while providing opportunities to low resource, limited income small farmers, processors and existing and potential processors. The national trend for locally produced food is often unmet. This community project brings all the food safety players together to initiate discussions, discover unmet needs and share opportunities. The result will be more locally produced food, creation of jobs, local economic stimulation and food produced safely. We target small farmers, processors, existing and potential entrepreneurs, especially low and limited resource minorities. Most among this group that desire to process food do not have the capital for the required commercial equipment, lack the required training nor have the business aptitude to be successful. Anyone that processes food, including cutting, bagging, mixing, etc. must be knowledgeable about the regulations and practice the appropriate food safety steps. Offering the appropriate FSMA trainings with ongoing business support are both keys to success and included in this project. These same audiences do not have the resources to develop their desired product in approved facilities. We will convert an existing commercial kitchen into a Culinary Incubator (CI), equipped with the proper equipment, certified by food authorities and managed by a "qualified individual" that will serve as a shared use facility to develop food products safely. Nationally, CI's have increased 50% and profits within increased 82%. To be successful one must plan successfully; the lack of business planning is a common reason why small entrepreneurs do not make it. The needed business training, licensing assistance, consulting, planning and offices to conduct business will be provided by partnering with the Lincoln University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Thirty participants will take required equipment training, become certified in the required FSMA classes and work with the business center to take their produce from idea to sales. After being successful, within two years, participants are graduated allowing room for new comers. Required FSMA training will be taught by national experts. The LUCI participants, LU students, small farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and inspectors are first invited. Thereafter, the classes will be opened to the public. FSMA classes offered will include Food Safety Preventive Control, Good Management Practices and Sprouts training. Participants will become certified to meet FSMA regulations. Collaborators Dr. Shaw, Iowa State University and Dr. Deng, Illinois Institute for Food Safety and Health will instruct the FSMA classes. Additional food safety classes and workshops will be offered as needs are identified. Local food safety agencies and departments are invited to present their topics and contribute to new trainings that are developed. Likely topics such as canning, labeling, determining nutrition, record keeping, samples, etc.. will be offered. Program efforts are delivered using a variety of methods. Included are formal classes, workshops, demonstrations, booths and participation at special events and networking. Actively involving the community will be key to success. We strive to get all the food safety players communicating and working positively together. Assisting upfront serves much better than being reactive regarding inspections, etc. A strong component of the project is value-added products. Many produce farmers can increase their profits by processing second rate produce or produce they cannot sell (such as a bruised tomato) into a processed product (such as salsa) given access to facilities and required food safety knowledge and business support. Value-added products greatly reduce waste, can extend growing seasons and make a profit on otherwise unsellable product. Value-added classes will be offered to teach and demonstrate how to make value-added product and the feasibly of such. Lincoln University Agriculture and AgriBusiness students are encouraged to attend the value-added training. The food truck business is rapidly growing, but many are not successful. Targeting food trucks can teach these small low resource entrepreneurs how to buy in quantity, make food in batches and turn a profit using the LUCI for food preparation and gaining business knowledge through the SBDC. Partnerships will be forged by providing processors with producers contact information. Eight local Farmers Markets will be established to offer food safety demonstrations, information and interactions with specialists. Food safety for farmers markets will be offered as a class. Short interviews will access increases in food safety knowledge. A hand washing station will be provided to a local Farmers Market and will be evaluated for effectiveness in increasing awareness of food safety. Using a community based approach ensures all the players are involved. A community committee with representatives of the regulatory branches, consumers, educators, students, small farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and others will network regularly to update and advise program development. A needs assessment will be sent to the targeted audiences to develop and address real, not perceived needs. All these groups are included in the trainings, workshops, events and activities as offered. Students are our future farmers. Ten Lincoln University agriculture students will receive a stipend for attending the FSMA certification classes, will be taught value-added food production and at graduation will take food safety knowledge and practices to the agriculture industry upon employment. Other state universities already offer these within the agriculture curriculum. The opportunity to graduate with these certifications will give the LU students a competitive edge and ensure food safety knowledge and practices will follow them into employment in the agriculture industry. A major partner is the North Central Regional FSMA Training Center. They will provide input at every step of the project. All reporting will go through the center. Their staff with expertise in evaluations and program development will be included for input and advice. The project will be promoted by attendance at relevant food safety conferences and workshops, always providing a presentation at each. Success stories will be reported to the media and social media. Two related NIFA projects are in the process of finalizing Culinary Incubator curricula and training guides. These guides will be adapted for the LUCI. This project also builds upon previous LU NIFA projects: the development of the commercial kitchen and a growers processing of products for the Farmers Market.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Goals: The goals of this project are: 1. To provide opportunities for farmers, processors and entrepeneurs to improve food safety awareness, practices and FSMA compliance while increasing profitability with a culinary incubator with support from the Small Business Development Center. 2. Agriculture students will graduate with FSMA knowledge and training certifications leading to improved food safety knowledge and practices in the agricultural industry upon employment. 3. The local community will have increased awareness of food safety, local supporting agencies and organizations and the FSMA rules. 4. Networking, training and activities for growers, proccessors, farmers, administrators,farmers markets, educators, consumers and regulators will lead to improving understanding and active communications of FSMA regulations and procedures. Objectives: 1. To develop and implement a Culinary Incubator, addressing food safety, business and regulatory support, that will include 30 members annually that will develop profitable food products. 2. To increase FSMA awareness and compliance of 100 community members, 10 LU students and 5 LU outreach workers annually by delivering food safety, food preparation and value-added classes, demonstrations and workshops. 3. To develop a successful, active community network that shares information and works together regarding FSMA and food entrepreneurship including regulators, agencies, FPPE, consumers and extension. 4. To develop and deliver 12 FSMA and value-added trainings annually by using highly skills trainers, developing or customized informational material, providing consultations and experiential learning opportunities. 5. To partner with 8 local farmers markets to promote product, food safety education, and Culinary Incubator opportunities.
Project Methods
This project uses a variety of methods including meetings, trainings, workshops, events, information on web sites and bulletins, evaluations and surveys, demonstrations and presentations to reach the audiences. Stakeholder involvement includes developing an active community committee, conducting needs assessments, ongoing evaluations, feedback and participation in networking meetings to gain input on programming. Follow-ups will be provided over time. Evaluations may include pre- and post- event evaluations, direct feedback and summative evaluations. Measurements will include #'s reached, demographics, changes in KASA, profitability, challenges, needs, modifications needed to available literature, food safety compliance capabilities, etc. and will vary dependent on audience and topic. The project PD will work with North Central FSMA Training Center to report methods to ensure the information, delivery and format is what they want. The PD will attend conferences, as announced, will develop new partnerships, clientele, keep abreast of new technologies and methods and promote the Culinary Incubator program. Conferences may include the Missouri Farmers Market Association, Food Safety Preventive Control Annual Conference, Food Safety Summit, Great Plains Grower, National Direct Agricultural Marketing Summit, Value-Added conferences and processing events. Networking will be established with regular communications and meetings. Updates will be posted to the LU Food Safety website, social media, news releases and at the SBDC. The FSMA trainings are the standardized classes, each will be evaluated. Classes intended may include HACCP, HACCP Juice, GAP, Better Process School, ServSafe, food safety topics, Sprouts, processing, value-added. Additional classes will be offered based on the needs assessment. The Commonwealth Kitchen Food Safety Training Curriculum will be evaluated when released and then customized to meet LUCI equipment and clientele needs. The final documents will serve as the standard required training modules and shared with the NCR FSMA training center. Additional food safety and value-added learning opportunities will be developed as indented on needs assessment tools. Local food safety related agencies and organizations, such as Departments of Agriculture and Health and human Services, extension, USDA, etc., will be actively sought to participate by providing and participating in training at the LUCI. Processing equipment needs, verified by a needs assessment, will be ordered and placed in service at the Lincoln University Culinary Incubator (LUCI). Clients provide their own consumables. Reference and support materials will be placed in serve at the SBDC. The CI will be managed by a "qualified individual" whom is Better Processing School and ServSafe Manager trained to federal compliance. The Small Business Development Center will provide low cost business training, consulting and long term advice. Two offices will be provided to the CI program members for office use. The CI program will be promoted at local community events, regularly, reaching out will be essential. Special events, such as holiday markets and cooking demonstrations/classes with a food safety component will be developed to promote community engagement and FSMA.