United Fresh Announces 2013 Dates For Produce Inspection Training Program

WASHINGTON, DC – The United Fresh Foundation, through the Center for Food Safety & Quality, will conduct three installments of its popular Produce Inspection Training Program in 2013. These hands-on training sessions, executed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS), are designed to help produce industry members better understand the breadth of the produce inspection process.

“This course prepares produce handlers to better understand the complexities of product quality inspection,” said Victoria Backer, United Fresh senior vice president, member services, foundation. “We continue to see many new and returning companies take advantage of the hands-on, practical format offered in this unique program.”

"The quality and safety of America's food are among the highest priorities for USDA," said Charles Parrott, deputy administrator for the AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program. "Over the past 12 years, training courses like this one have helped more than 850 produce handlers become familiar with the standards and requirements that are vital to good handling and manufacturing practices. We will continue to work with the industry to make this training available."

Three Produce Inspection Training Programs will be offered in 2013 at the USDA Fresh Products Branch National Inspectors’ Training and Development Center in Fredericksburg, VA: January 14-18, June 3-7, and September 16-20.

The program is offered in two specialized courses:Fundamentals of Produce Inspection and Commodity Labs. Upon completion of the Full Course, attendees receive a certificate of completion from United Fresh and USDA.

The first of the two courses,Fundamentals of Produce Inspection, is a prerequisite of the Commodity Labs course and focuses on topics such as inspection essentials, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), sampling procedures, and general market principles. The three-day Commodity Labs course takes place in the lab and applies the principals learned in the fundamentals course to real product inspections. EachCommodity Labs course will include the five most commonly requested commodities: grapes, lettuces, potatoes, strawberries and tomatoes, and will be customized with additional commodities based on the attendees’ most common preferences (up to 12 in total).The following course options are available in the coming year:

Class size is limited to 32 and attendees are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. The registration fee for United Fresh members interested in the introductory course is $895, while the advanced course is $1,225. If both courses are taken together, members may register at the discounted rate of $1,925. If three or more colleagues from the same member company register for both courses at the same time, each will receive a $100 discount on the registration rate. For non-members, the prices are $1,095, $1,425 and $2,325, respectively. Seminar registration fees include training seminars and all course materials.

Attendees may register for the training seminars on the United Fresh Foundation website at www.unitedfreshfoundation.org or by contacting Shannon Young, education manager, at 202-303-3405 or syoung@unitedfresh.org.

Founded in 1998, the United Fresh Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to meeting the public’s needs for an abundant supply of healthy, safe and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. The Foundation is dedicated to increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables to children as a critical step in combating childhood obesity and launching a lifetime of healthy choices. To assist industry members in meeting these goals, the Foundation offers educational programs, leadership development, public outreach, and industry training through four different Centers — Center for Leadership Excellence, Center for Nutrition and Health, Center for Food Safety and Quality, and Center for Global Produce Sustainability. For more information, visit www.unitedfresh.org or call 202-303-3400

Source: United Fresh Foundation