Sep 16, 2024

Penn State offers new online food safety training course geared towards apple packinghouses

Penn State Extension has launched a new online course focused on food safety for apple packinghouses. The course, titled “Keeping Apples Safe in the Packinghouse,” is designed to help businesses remain compliant with food safety regulations.

Course details

The course provides apple packinghouse operators with key food safety training for their employees through a series of 21 videos. Recorded in commercial packing facilities, the videos cover essential topics such as microbial, chemical, and physical hazards, contamination routes, sanitation practices, and personal hygiene. The training also includes best practices for keeping records.

Teaching guide

In addition to the videos, a teaching guide is available with discussion questions, both in English and Spanish, to facilitate employee training sessions. The videos can be streamed and used alongside company training materials, with the provided questions helping to reinforce important food safety concepts.

Employees participating in the course will learn to recognize the importance of food safety, minimize cross-contamination, maintain proper hygiene, meet sanitation goals and adhere to documentation protocols.

There is a registration fee for the course. For more information, visit the Penn State Extension website or call 1-877-345-0691.