Recipient Organization
UNITED FRESH PRODUCE ASSOCIATION
1901 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW STE 1100
WASHINGTON,DC 200063412
Performing Department
Food Safety & Technology
Non Technical Summary
Listeria monocytogenesis a deadly foodborne pathogen that targets pregnant women, their fetuses, the elderly and immunocompromised. Repeated foodborne outbreaks and recalls associated with L. monocytogenesand fresh produce has led to a need for expanded and targeted training and education to those who are involved in the growing, harvesting, packing, handling, holding, processing, and packaging of produce, regardless of the regulatory requirements to implement an environmental monitoring program (EMP).Environmental monitoring for Listeria spp. has long been regarded as a foundational component of the food safety plans for manufactured foods where ready-to-eat (RTE) food products may be at risk of contamination.The concept of environmental monitoring is still relatively new to the fresh produce industry. This is not reflective of a lack of food safety commitment, but likely due to the fact that fresh produce was not widely recognized as a source of listeriosis until advanced pathogen detection methods revealed these associations.Recent produce-related listeriosis outbreaks and recalls have increased industry awareness of the vulnerability that they face, resulting in a subsequent thirst for knowledge and resources to mitigate risk. Research clearly indicates that Listeria, including L. monocytogenes, can readily be found in produce packing and fresh-cut operations. Though many resources already exist to help guide the food industry in developing EMPs, they are often written from the perspective of processed food products and are not easily relatable to the broad variety of produce operation types. Additionally, many produce packing and processing operations struggle as their legacy operations were not designed with sanitation and hygienic design in mind. At the same time, trends and technology for fresh-cut produce (e.g., spiralized vegetables, fresh juices, etc.) create avenues for produce consumption in new ways and produced with new equipment.The produce industry in the U.S. includes many bilingual and Spanish-speaking employees, and a significant amount of fresh produce is additionally imported from Central and South American countries where Spanish is the first language. However, training is often developed and delivered in English, creating language and cultural barriers to the successful application of the information that is taught. Few comprehensive Spanish-language resources exist in the areas Listeria management in the produce industry.The proposed Collaborative Education and Training project will develop a Listeria produce safety training and education cohort program in Spanish, targeting small and medium size farms, produce packing and processing facilities, and other parts of the produce supply chain in the Southern United States. Because of the role that states are playing in providing education and enforcement this program will also be available to bilingual state produce regulatory program representatives. Organizing the trainings by cohort will provide an expanded learning environment which will promote critical thinking, engaged problem solving, and peer-to-peer coaching. Participants will be supported through ongoing mentorship throughout the two-month program, with the opportunity to advance and serve as trainers/mentors.Through the collaborative efforts of the International Fresh Produce Association, Food Safety Consulting & Training Solutions, LLC (Food Safety CTS), and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), this proposed Listeria food safety training and education program will impact produce operations who may have language and/or financial barriers that prevent them from taking advantage of specialized trainings.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The proposed Collaborative Education and Training project will develop a Listeria produce safety training and education cohort program in Spanish, targeting small and medium size farms, produce packing and processing facilities, and other parts of the produce supply chain in the Southern United States, with the overarching goal of decreasing listeriosis illnesses related to fresh produce. Because of the role that states are playing in providing education and enforcement of 21 CFR 112 Produce Safety Rule (PSR), this program will also be available to bilingual state produce regulatory program representatives. Organizing the trainings by cohort will provide an expanded learning environment which will promote critical thinking, engaged problem solving, and peer-to-peer coaching. Participants will be supported through ongoing mentorship throughout the two-month program, with the opportunity to advance and serve as trainers/mentors.Through the collaborative efforts of the InternationalFresh Produce Association, Food Safety Consulting & Training Solutions, LLC (Food Safety CTS), and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), this proposed Listeria food safety training and education program will impact produce operations who may have language and/or financial barriers that prevent them from taking advantage of specialized trainings.This project will address the key challengesand strategies for preventing L. monocytogenes contamination on farms (particularly packinghouses) and in produce processing and handling facilities, focusing on the southern region, based on our previous work and existing organizational relationships in this region and the unique demographic it represents. To accomplish this goal, we will develop a training program that includes both asynchronous modules and virtual, interactive experiential learning sessions facilitated by mentors, culminating in a formal program certificate. Supplemental Train the Trainer (TTT) materials will also be developed and taught virtually to further increase the L. monocytogenes and environmental monitoring training capacity within the participants' regions. Overall, the cohort training program will support national alignment in fresh produce Listeria management-based curriculum while leveraging regional partnerships to tailor discussions and activities to meet specialized needs of produce operations. The four objectives are:Raise awareness and understanding of L. monocytogenes risks and management specific to the fresh produce industry through the development of Spanish-language asynchronous interactive educational materials blended with live (online) instructionSupport long-term improvement in L. monocytogenes management by tailoring discussions and activities to meet the specialized needs of program participantsDevelop a sustainable model and increased training capacity for Listeria education within the produce industry by developing Spanish-language Train the Trainer (TTT) opportunitiesMeasure positive change in L. monocytogenes management programs through post-evaluations following learning experience
Project Methods
Approach to Objective 1 (Raise awareness and understanding ofL. monocytogenesrisks )The ADDIE development process will be used.Analysis: Development and finalization of course and learning objectives for the cohort learning experience and TTT program to ensure they are observable and measurable and also appropriate for a virtual learning environment.Design: Creation of a course design document (CDD) based on the project objectives. The CDD will take into account creating a learning experience full of personal reflection opportunities, networking, and real-life experiencesDevelopment: Course deliverables will be developed and translated into Spanish, including a Facilitator/mentor guide, participant guide, production manager guide, andsupporting materials forthe TTT program.Evaluation phase: We will use the first three levels of Kirkpatrick's Training Evaluation ModelThe proposed project willevolve raw, technical material on this topic into an interactive and engaging course. An AFDO educational design expert will adapt the existing technical content into an engaging learning experience and design the "train the trainer" materials. Food Safety CTS staff will translate these materials.Course content will be delivered through 8 asynchronous launch-now modules. The platform provides:Conversion of text-heavy content into an engaging learning experience.Assessment and quizzing options.Responsive design so learners can experience their learning on a device of their choosing.Interactivities based on the learning objectives.Over the course of the 2 months of asynchronous learning, 20 cohort participants will have 4, live virtual meetings as a cohort with threementorsto discuss outstanding questions and begin to apply the technical content to their situations.The course will be piloted toward the end of the first project year. Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) and the Southern Center are willing to identify and/or encourage participation in the program. Feedbackwill be used to modify the content, structure, or other aspects of the program. Select individuals from the pilot cohort will also serve as mentors for subsequent cohorts. We expect to train three cohorts of primary Spanish-speaking or bilingual produce industry professionals.Approach to Objective 2 (Support long-term improvement inL. monocytogenesmanagement)The target audience for this program is members of the produce industry in the southern region who may lack access to sufficient training and ongoing support to improve their Listeria management, as a result of time, financial, and/or language barriers. Training cohorts of up to 20 people will be assembled so that learners will benefit both from the comfort of working with individuals who are similar to them (in terms of commodity, type of operation, region, business size, etc.) as well as by learning from their peers facing similar challenges. Mentors fluent in Spanish will be identified amdbe assessed for specific qualifications related to both prior training experience as well as subject matter expertise in produce safety and Listeria management.We will leverage existing state and regional partnerships, utilizing their close regional relationships to market and communicate availability of the course, identify target members for these cohorts, and offer feedback prior to the course launch to assist in tailoring the live virtual sessions to meet the specialized needs of the cohort audience. Course information and registration will additionally be shared with the Produce Safety Alliance.The program's launch-now modules are specifically designed for flexibility and are not time-dependent. Participants' schedules will additionally be polled prior to scheduling the interactive live online sessions that are time dependent, to ensure the maximum amount of participation.Approach to Objective 3 (Develop a sustainable model and increased training capacity forListeriaeducation within the produce industry by developing Spanish-language Train the Trainer (TTT) opportunities)As described above, the project's educational design expert will use the ADDIE method to develop TTT materials opportunities, increasing the sustainability and impact of the program. Following each cohort iteration, cohort mentors will be responsible for identifying five high aptitude, highly motivated learners who, with further support, could lead their own cohorts, either as part of this funded program, or on their own, using the course materials.If these individuals are interested in becoming trainers, they will receive additional instruction during a supplemental virtual training session(s) and be provided with the Facilitator/Mentor guide. 1-2 TTT participants will then have the option of being paired with an experienced mentor and serve as an assistant mentor for a subsequent cohort in project year 2 or year 3. Based on their performance, they will be eligible to serve as mentors for the program beyond the project period, and will also be capable of coordinating training cohorts within their own region.IFPAwill maintain a list of 'trained' trainers and facilitate connections through an alumni or other email list, should trainers in the same region wish to collaborate on training cohorts to expand Listeria management and training capacity within their regions.At the conclusion of the grant period, course content suitable for dissemination will be uploaded to the NECAFS clearinghouse and/ or eXtension so that participants, particularly those who participated as TTT, can continue to implement the program.Approach to Objective 4 (Measure positive change inL. monocytogenesmanagement programs through post-evaluations following learning experience)Program Evaluation, Communication Plan & Reporting OutcomesBoth quantitative and qualitative input will be collected, analyzed, and provided. This will include the total number of cohorts, total number of participants who began the program, demographic information on participants based on type of operation, commodity(ies), role in the operation, and years in the produce industry. Demographic information will be aggregated and non-identifiable. The number of individuals who complete the two-month program will be reported, as well as the number of individuals who advance through the TTT process.Qualitative and quantitative feedback from the pilots will be collected and analyzed, and mentor feedback will also be solicited. Qualitative feedback on approaches that are successful for particular audiences, as well as the blended learning approach, will also be reported. Changes in knowledge and/or behavior of learners will be based on the Kirkpatrick Model:Level #1: ReactionWe will evaluate how the learners reacted to the training by asking questions that will establish the learner's thoughts. The questions will determine if the learners enjoyed their experience and if they found the content in the learning experience useful for their work. This feedback will be used to improve the mechanics of the program.Level #2: LearningA pre and post evaluation based on the course objectives will be taken by the learners. Results will be complied and compared against one another for improvement, andshared with the Southern Center and project groups. Improvements will be made to the program based on evaluation feedback.Level #3: Behavioral Change/TransferWe will determine if the learning is being applied by the learners. Each learner will complete a post-implementation follow-up 4-6 months after course completion with targeted quantitative and qualitative questions elucidating specific changes and improvements the learners have made to their food safety programs.