Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences of the project were food and nutrition extension educators and agents, regional public health regulatory agents, farmers market associations, fishermen associations, and other groups of producers and processors. These target audiences were the primary project trainees. After the project food safety education and trainings (Train-The-Trainer), they served as secondary trainers to provide general food safety information to the final hard-to-reach target audiences including very small farmers, processors, and other sectors related with food safety. The project director was able to visit these western Pacific islands to get some basic information related to the food safety trainings in this project. The project director met cooperative extension directors and food or health related extension agents as well as some farmers and processors in the region. Changes/Problems:In the year 2020, a change in the site Principal Investigator (PI) for the Northern Mariana Islands occurred, transitioning from Patricia Coleman to Virendra Verma. This change was implemented as the new site PI, being a plant pathologist, possessed enhanced expertise pertinent to the project. Subsequently, in 2022, a modification in the site PI for Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau transpired due to the unfortunate passing of the former site PI, necessitating a replacement for the position. Mr. Engly Ioanis assumed the role of site PI for Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau. The progression of the project was significantly impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the Project Director found it necessary to request a No-cost extension on two occasions in both 2021 and 2022. Despite these challenges, the project ultimately reached completion. In the project's final year, a change in the Project Director occurred due to alterations in the employment status of the original Project Director. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Based on the food safety knowledge level survey for the professionals, the 8 training subjects were selected and developed as described above. In addition to the project training, another critical information was provided during our project training and it was how to develop and produce regional specific value-added products and this issue aroused lots of interests of our participants. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project trainees played critical roles in food safety education in their communities. They went out and provide very basic food safety information through local food safety trainings or workshops for the farmers, processors, food handlers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In this project, first, we assessed food safety knowledge levels of our food safety education and training (Train-The-Trainer training, TTT Training) participants by on-line surveys (Approach 1). Based on the food safety knowledge level survey for the professionals, the following training subjects were selected and developed: (1) FSMA overview, (2) Food safety for safe and wholesome food, (3) Introduction of PCHF: Food safety plan, (4) Introduction to produce safety (5) Farm worker health and hygiene, (6) Post harvest handling and sanitation, (7) Good Manufacturing Practices, and (8) Developing your food production idea (Approach 2). The TTT Training was provided to the regional food safety professionals in the Northern Marianas Islands and Guam (Training 1), Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau (Training 2), and American Samoa (Training 3) (Approach 3). - Northern Marianas Islands and Guam (Mar. 28 - 31, 2022): There were the total of 13 TTT trainees (Northern Marianas College: 2, Guam DPHSS: 2, U of Guam: 8, Guam Community College: 1). The average score of Pre-Food Safety Knowledge Survey for Professionals was 67.4% and the score of Post-Food Safety Knowledge Survey was 89.7% showing a great food safety knowledge gain. - Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau (Dec. 13 -16, 2022): There were 13 participants (MI: 2, FSM-Yap: 2, FSM-Kosrae: 1, FSM-Chuuk: 1, FSM-Pohnpei: 4, FSM State Dept. Health: 1, Palau: 2) attended the project TTT training in Guam. The average score of Pre-Food Safety Knowledge Survey for Professionals was 63.1% and the score of Post-Food Safety Knowledge Survey was 92.3% showing a significant knowledge gain. - American Samoa (Feb. 28 - Mar. 3, 2023): There were 13 participants (Dept. Public Health: 5, Dept. Education-School Lunch Program: 4, Dept. Agriculture: 6, American Samoa Community College: 6) attended the project TTT training in Guam. The average score of Pre-Food Safety Knowledge Survey for Professionals was 69.2% and the score of Post-Food Safety Knowledge Survey was 89.3% showing a great improvement. The TTT trainees provided general food safety education training (Safe Food Handling and Worker Health and Hygiene) to final target audiences and the training were also evaluated on each site (Approach 4). - Northern Marianas Islands (Dec. 19, 2022) - 19 participants (local farmers, processors, government agents) were attended the general food safety training presented by the project TTT trainee. The average knowledge was gained by 37.4% (49.5% to 86.9%). - Palau (Jun 20, 2023) and FSM-Pohnpei (June 22, 2023) - In Palau, 17 local farmers, small food processors, and local extension staff were participated, and their food safety knowledge was improved by 34.4% (53.8% to 88.2%). In Pohnpei, 14 local farmers, processors and government agents were attended the food safety training presented. The average knowledge was gained by 30.6% (53.1% to 83.7%). - American Samoa (Jul. 26 and 27, 2023) - In American Samoa, two general food safety trainings were provided by Department of Education-School Lunch Program (DOE-SLP) (Jul. 26) and Department of Public Health (DPH) (Jul. 27). The TTT trainees at DOE-SLP provided the training to 37 SLP operation staff and the average knowledge gain was 26.3% (63.5% to 89.8%). The trainees at DPH provided the food safety education to their intern students and staff (12 participant). Their knowledge was improved by 33.4% (54.5% to 87.9%). A regional food safety professional networking between the sites and western region has been established - local extension agents, public health agents, and other trainees and food safety experts in Idaho and Oregon (Approach 5). The project TTT training also provided opportunities for food safety experts (and project trainers) to understand the issues and problems related to food safety in the areas (Approach 5). One of the most important objectives of the project was to connect people in the western pacific islands with food safety experts and professionals in the western region and the states. With this efforts, the food safety experts also have a chance to understand what food safety issues and problems the people in the region have faced.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences of the project are food and nutrition extension educators and agents, regional public healthregulatory agents, farmers market associations, fishermen associations, and other groups of producers and processors. These target audiences are the primary project trainees. After the proposed project food safety education and trainings, theywill be secondary trainers to provide food safety informationto the final hard-to-reach target audiences including very smallfarmers, processors, and fishermen. The project director was able to visit these western Pacific islands to get some basic information related to the food safetytrainings in this project. The project director met cooperative extesnion directors and food or health related extension agentsas well as some farmers and processors in the region. Changes/Problems:The site Principle Investigator (PI) of Micronesia, Marshall Island and Palau was changed becuase the former site-PI passed away and needed to replace the position. Mr. Engly Ioanis is nowthe site PI of Micronessia, Marshall Islands, and Palau. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One of information provided by our project training was to provide how to develop and produce regional specific value added products and this issue aroused lots of interests of our participants. In the following discussion session, very helpful and beneficial information such as community shared kitchen was provided and future collaboration and technical assistance were discussed. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project trainees will playcritical roles in food safety education in their communities. They will go out and provide very basic food safety information through local food safety trainings or workshops for the farmers,processors, food handlers. and so on. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The planed training activities have been delayed due to the COVID pandemic, but the trainings for American Samoa, FSM, MI, and Palau will be continued to deliver. As soon as the trainings (Objective 3) are completed, the project trainees will provide food safety trainings to final target audiences in the areas during the no cost extension period and the training processes will be monitored and evluated by the project director.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Food safety knowledge levels for food safety professional and general audiences haven been assessed by on-line surveys (Objective 1). Based on the food safety knowledge level survey for the professionals, the following training subjects were selected and developed (Objective 2): 1)FSMA overview, 2)Food safety forsafe and wholesome food,3) PCHF food safety plan, 4) Introduction to produce safety, 5) worker health hygiene and training, 6) Post-harvest handling and sanitation, 7) PCHf GMP, 8)Developing your food product idea. The 1st food safety education and training session was provided to the regional food safety professionals in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands and Guam (Objective 3). A regional food safety professional networking between the sites and western region has been established - local extension agents, public health agents, and other trainees and food safety experts in Idaho and Oregon (Objective 5). The 1st session also provided opportunities for food safety experts (and project trainers) to understand the issues and problems related to food safety in the areas (Objective 5).
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience: The primary target audiences of the project are food and nutrition extension educators and agents, regional public health regulatory agents, farmers market associations, fishermen associations, and other groups of producers and processors. These target audiences are the primary project trainees. After the proposed project food safety education and trainings, they will be secondary trainers to provide food safety information to the final hard-to-reach target audiences including very small farmers, processors, and fishermen. The project director was able to visit these western Pacific islands to get some basic information related to the food safety trainings in this project. The project director met cooperative extesnion directors and food or health related extension agents as well as some farmers and processors in the region. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In the next reporting period, we will provide introductory FSMA-related food safety education, such as Food Safety Plans and Standards for Produce Safety (not FSMA-certified training) and other food safety information to local food safety professionals and stakeholder groups in the Western Pacific region. This will not cover the extent of the Food Safety Preventive Control Alliance (FSPCA) or Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) curriculum, although curriculum and materials from those courses would be used.Then, we will provide FSMA-related food safety education and other food safety information to the final target audiences who are mostly farmers, processors, fishermen, etc. The training will be conducted by the trainees of the proposed project.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The goal of the proposed project is to train and educate cooperative extension educators/agents and regional public health regulatory agents with customized food safety curriculum and have them provide trainings and information on FSMA requirements and related food safety information to socially disadvantaged and isolated farmers, processors, and other stakeholders in the Western Pacific. In this reporting period, we planned a planning meeting in Guam to discuss food safety traininags and related issues in each site and develop food safety knowledge assessment surveys for the project trainees and final end target audiences. However, we, PD and co-PIs in each site, were not able to have this planing meeting due to the worsened COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, we had to discuss these agenda through monthly project meetings and developed a set of food safety knowledge assessment surveys. Based on these surveys, we assessed food safety knowledge level of the proejct trainees who are cooperative extension educators/agents and regional public related agents and develop customized food safety training curriculum for each site. Wedeveloped customized food safety training and education materials and other critical food safety practices based on the assessment results of food safety knowledge in the present project period. These training and education materials included USB flash drives, FSMA document forms, and educational booklets.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences of the project are food and nutrition extension educators and agents, regional public health regulatory agents, farmers market associations, fishermen associations, and other groups of producers and processors. These target audiences are the primary project trainees. After the proposed project food safety education and trainings, they will be secondary trainers to provide food safety information to the final hard-to-reach target audiences includingvery small farmers, processors, and fishermen. The project director was able to visit these western Pacific islands to get some basic information related to the food safety trainings in this project. The project director met cooperative extesnion directors and food or health related extension agents as well as some farmers and processorsin the region. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, there has not been any face-to-face meeting or communication in the region. Changes/Problems:The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected our food safety outreach project in this reporting period like all other projects. Since our project is mainly planning to provide on-site face-to-face food safety trainings in the western Pacific islands which involves long-distance international teavels, it was not possibleto conduct out project activities as planned. During the next reporting project period, we will make a good consideration on wheather we continue to provide on-site food safety trainings or virtual and recorded trainings and discuss about it with the NIFA National Program Leader. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period, we will develop customizedfood safety training and education materialsand other critical food safety practices based on the assessment results of food safety knowledge in the present project period. These training and education materials include USB flash drives, FSMA document forms, and educational booklets. We will provide introductory FSMA-related food safety education, such as Food Safety Plans and Standards for Produce Safety (not FSMA-certified training) and other food safety information to local food safety professionals and stakeholder groups in the Western Pacific region. This willnot cover the extent of the Food Safety Preventive Control Alliance (FSPCA) or Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) curriculum, although curriculum and materials from those courses would be used. Then, we will provide FSMA-related food safety education and other food safety information to the final target audiences who are mostly farmers, processors, fishermen, etc. The training will be conducted by the trainees of the proposed project. These trainings are not directly related to FSMA requirements but very important to the islanders and very small-scale farmers and food processors in the region.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The goal of the proposed project is to train and educate cooperative extension educators/agents and regional public health regulatory agents with customized food safety curriculum and have them provide trainings and information on FSMA requirements and related food safety information to socially disadvantaged and isolated farmers, processors, and other stakeholders in the Western Pacific. In this reporting period, we planned a planning meeting in Guam to discuss food safety traininags and related issues in each site and develop food safety knowledge assessment surveys for the project trainees and final end target audiences. However, we, PD and co-PIs in each site, were not able to have this plaaning meeting due to the worsened COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, we had to discuss these agenda through monthly project meetings and developed a set of food safety knowledge assessment surveys. Based on these surveys, we will assess food safety knowledge level of the proejct trainees who are cooperative extension educators/agents and regional public related agents and develop customized food safety training curriculum for each site.
Publications
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