November 5, 2015

One-day Penn State workshop to address listeria control

A workshop on controlling listeria will be held Dec. 4 at the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, Pennsylvania. This workshop is designed for those who wash, package and store fresh produce (e.g., whole tree fruits, melons, leafy greens) or who further minimally process produce (e.g., sliced apples, fresh-cut salad, vegetables).

This one-day course will provide a basic understanding of listeria with particular focus on its importance in fresh and minimally processed produce. Sources of listeria and mechanisms for controlling it in food packing, storage, and fresh-cut processing operations will be discussed. Lectures will be presented that include principles of facilities and equipment sanitary design, wash water sanitization, cleaning and sanitizing food-contact and non-food contact surfaces, and the basics of developing a microbial sampling and testing program.

The information presented will be useful for individuals in plant operations, quality control, maintenance and sanitation roles. Individuals in the vegetable freezing industry will also find it useful for preventing post blanch contamination with listeria. Regulators and educators are also invited to attend.

Visit the station’s registration page to sign up.





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