Texas Blueberry Grower Training

Our Texas Blueberry Growers received training on USDA’s Harmonized GAP Plus+ to incorporate increased food safety plans and practices in their operations. Presenters at this training were:

• Jill Dunlop – USDA’s GAP Program Lead, AMS Audit Services Branch
  Presentation Slides for Download
• Richard de los Santos – TDA’s Director Texas Office of Produce Safety
  Presentation Slides for Download
• Sergio Nieto-Montenegro, Ph.D. – CEO of Food Safety CTS
  Presentation Slides for Download

Growing Safe Produce (GSP) is a program financed by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agricultura (IICA) with the main objective of achieving a better understanding of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.

The program consists of a web platform where you will find free videos, apps and additional resources for growers and those interested in learning about the Rule or adding to the knowledge obtained during the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course. All resources are available in English and Spanish, for a wide international public, focused on those related to agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean.

When a regulator suggests your company might be associated with an outbreak, or you’re not sure why they are asking questions, it’s important that you gather as much information as possible. A subset of the IFPA Food Safety Council developed a list of questions that can help guide a discussion with regulators so that your company has a good grasp on the situation and can respond and react appropriately. The questions are meant to augment, not replace, a company’s regulatory inspection policy.