United Fresh launches program to equip food safety professionals

United Fresh Produce Association has launched its newest leadership development offering, the Produce Safety Immersion Program, developed to build the technical capacity, critical thinking skills and leadership attributes of the next generation of produce safety professionals.

“The importance of produce safety, coupled with emerging science and technology and changes in the regulatory and legal environment, have created a real need for ongoing professional development,” said Cheryl Enlow, vice president of quality assurance and food safety, Renaissance Food Group, and chair of the United Fresh Food Safety & Technology Council. “Given the various paths my peers and I have taken to become produce safety professionals, I’m confident this program will help ensure a well-trained workforce is following in our footsteps.”

The year-long program is comprised of three face-to-face meetings/trainings, three webinars, and an ongoing mentorship program, and will focus on developing early-to-mid career professionals with less than five years’ experience in produce safety. The program is designed for those who are early in their produce safety careers, food safety professionals moving from other food sectors into produce, and members of the produce industry who have recently taken on a food safety role. The Produce Safety Immersion Program is limited to 20 individuals. Four highly-skilled produce safety professionals will serve as mentors to the program fellows and will accompany them at each meeting.

The fee of $8,995 per participant in the Produce Safety Immersion Program includes: tuition, ongoing mentorship, eight nights hotel accommodations and all program meals. It also includes registration to United Fresh’s three core programs in 2020:

• FreshStart Conference (Jan. 14-16, Tucson, Arizona)
• United Fresh Convention & Expo (June 16-19, San Diego, California)
• United Fresh Washington Conference (Sept. 21-23, Washington, D.C.)

Fellows accepted into the program will be selected by food safety professionals from the Food Safety & Technology Council and the United Fresh Board of Directors. Applications must be submitted by Nov. 1, 2019.

To learn more about the program and the qualifications required, visit www.unitedfresh.org. The first class of fellows will be announced in December, and will begin their year-long journey at the 2020 FreshStart Conference, Jan. 14-16 in Tucson.