If you are a small-scale food producer, there is required documentation you will need to complete to be compliant with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The requirements include documentation of your size exemption as a “qualified facility” and various food safety programs. This workshop is intended for small (< $1 million in sales/year) food entrepreneurs and small food businesses, farm market managers, and directors of shared-use kitchens. This webinar is an opportunity for processors to develop their food safety plans and records with coaching from instructors. Participants are encouraged to bring questions about their existing documentation if they have it. Attendees should leave with completed or nearly completed food safety documentation for size exemptions, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and next steps for Preventive Control Plans or Scheduled Processes, as relevant.
The course is hosted by Drs. Jason Bolton and Robson Machado from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. They will be joined by Dr. Abby Snyder, Assistant Professor at Cornell University, who will discuss FSMA compliance, size-based exemptions, and size-sensitive food safety practices to launch and sustain businesses in the longterm, including highlights about dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The webinar will be 90 minutes and consist of the following:
- Overview of regulations relevant to small food businesses: cottage food, acidified foods, and size-based exemptions from the Preventive Controls Rule of FSMA
- A brief training on GMPs and discussion of GMP training requirements and documentation of training for food business employees
- Examples of required and optional document templates to support employee training, qualified exemption status, and critical factor monitoring
- A round-table discussion among the webinar hosts
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Theresa Tilton at 207.942.7396 or 1.800.287.1485 (in Maine) or theresa.tilton@maine.edu.
This course is made possible through a grant supported by the USDA.
A $20 donation is recommended to support University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development.
When you attend you will receive a copy of the presentation lecture in a video and pdf format.