Established as a forum in 2008 to unite the US dairy community, the Innovation Center represents 60% of the US milk supply and “helps the industry improve practices and reduce risks in dairy foods.”
It has facilitated workshops since 2010 designed to strengthen manufacturing practices, support safe supplier programs and protect consumers from foodborne issues in dairy.
The Dairy Plant Food Safety workshop will teach “best practices and practical approaches for pathogen control through lectures and hands-on group exercises that include environmental monitoring, sanitary designs and developing Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures.”
It will have four meetings in 2019, in Seattle (April 3-4), Baraboo, Wisconsin (May 21-22), Minneapolis (October 15-16), and Wilbraham, Massachusetts (October 22-23). It helps support the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) for each dairy company, covering wet and dry product operations.
The Supplier Food Safety Management program focuses on the the food safety performance of supply networks, identifying and controlling potential hazards. It will take place in Wisconsin April 9-10.
“The workshop will help companies identify, quantify and mitigate risks from ingredients, packaging, equipment and services. In addition, it provides a science-based template to develop a supply-chain program and preventive controls aligned with FSMA,” the Innovation Center said.
The Artisan/Farmstead Cheesemaker Food Safety workshop is an online course developed by the Innovation Center and North Carolina State University. Food safety, food safety hazards, preventive controls, regulatory considerations and product/environmental monitoring are all key elements of the course for artisans and farmstead cheese producers.
The Innovation Center is also providing a Listeria Control Guidance Document, written by dairy food safety experts.
Registration for the workshops range from $149-$495.