1
|
Schneider KR, Schroeder M, Gutierrez A, Kharel K, Goodrich Schneider R, Harder A, Philyaw Perez A, Woods K, Dunn LL, Priyesh P, Gunter C, Rogers E, Simmons C, Johnston L, Carter C, Taylor TM, Castillo A, Anciso J, Masabni J, Strawn LK, Vallotton A, Stull K, O'Bannon T, Danyluk MD. Southern Region Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training: Using Pre- and Post-Training Knowledge Assessments to Understand Training Effectiveness. J Food Prot 2024; 87:100266. [PMID: 38493874 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) grower training was introduced in 2016 as the standardized curriculum to meet the training requirements of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act's (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR). The PSR states that at least one supervisor or responsible party from each farm must have successfully completed this food safety training or one equivalent to the standardized curriculum, as recognized by the FDA. This study evaluated the effectiveness of PSA trainings conducted between 2017 and 2019 in the Southern United States by the Southern Regional Center for Food Safety Training, Outreach, and Technical Assistance by analyzing pre- and posttest assessments. Effectiveness was based on a 25-question knowledge assessment administered to participants before (n = 2494) and after (n = 2460) each training. The knowledge assessment indicated the overall effectiveness of the training, with average scores increasing significantly from pretest (15.9/25, 63.4%) to posttest (20.3/25, 81.3%) (P < 0.001). The greatest knowledge gains were seen in the Postharvest Handling and Sanitation, How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan, and Agricultural Water modules. Notably, these modules had lower posttest scores compared to the other modules, indicating that the amount of knowledge gained did not necessarily correspond with a sufficient understanding of the material. To ensure that participants understand all aspects of the PSR and best practices to minimize food safety risks, additional or advanced trainings may be needed. Additionally, the current testing instrument (pre-/posttest) used for PSA grower training, while validated, may not be optimal, thus alternative methods to assess the training effectiveness are likely needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keith R Schneider
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Mari Schroeder
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
| | - Alan Gutierrez
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Karuna Kharel
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Amy Harder
- Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Amanda Philyaw Perez
- Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA
| | - Kristin Woods
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University, Linden, AL 36748, USA
| | - Laurel L Dunn
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Paul Priyesh
- Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Christopher Gunter
- North Carolina Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Elena Rogers
- North Carolina Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Chip Simmons
- North Carolina Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Lynette Johnston
- North Carolina Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Chad Carter
- Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Thomas M Taylor
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Alejandro Castillo
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Juan Anciso
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Weslaco, TX 78596, USA
| | - Joseph Masabni
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Dallas, TX 75252, USA
| | - Laura K Strawn
- Department of Food Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Amber Vallotton
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Katelynn Stull
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Taylor O'Bannon
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Michelle D Danyluk
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
| |
Collapse
|