Better Process Control School for Food Operations

Monday, April 27, 2020 - 12:00pm to Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 5:00pm

Details

We are postponing this event to a future, undetermined date.

The Food and Drug Administration's regulations in 21 CFR 108, 113, and 114 became effective May 15, 1979.  These regulations are designed to prevent public health problems in low-acid and acidified low-acid canned foods.  The three-day Better Process Control School provides the practical application of the principles set forth by these regulations.  These FDA regulations also apply to low-acid canned companion animal foods.

According to FDA's 21 CFR114 the definition of acidified foods mean "low-acid foods to which acid(s) or acid food(s) are added; these foods may include, but are not limited to, beans cucumbers, cabbage, artichokes, cauliflower, peppers, salsa, some sauces and fish, singly or in any combination.  They have a water activity (aw) greater than 0.85 and have a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below".  Exemptions would include acid foods, repacked acidified foods, fermented foods, carbonated beverages, jams, jellies, preserves and refrigerated foods.

Topics of the School Include:

  • FDA Regulations
  • Microbiology of Thermally Processed Foods
  • Principles of Acidified Foods
  • Principles of Thermal Processing
  • Principles of Food Plant Sanitation
  • Food Container Handling
  • Records and Recordkeeping
  • Equipment, Instrumentation, and Operation for Thermal Processing Systems
  • Still Steam Retorts
  • Hydrostatic Retorts
  • Continuous Rotary Retorts
  • Batch Agitating Retorts
  • Aseptic Processing and Packaging Sytems
  • Closures for Double Seamed Metal Plastic Containers
  • Closures for Glass Containers
  • Flexible and Semirigid Containers

Intended Audience: Supervisors of thermal food processing operations, acidified food processing operations, and food container closure operations. We are also targeting small food operations who wish to sell their goods at local farmers markets. 

This offering will be supported by our partner, the University of Nebraska Food Processing Center.  The University of Nebraska Food Processing Center Better Process Control School is approved by the FDA and follows the prescribed course of instruction for certification.  Each section is followed by an exam.  To successfully complete the school attendees pass each exam, standardized by the Food Processors Institute, with a score of 70% or higher.  Upon the successful completion of the school, participants become certified and their names are submitted to the FDA.  In addition, each attendee successfully completing the course receives a certificate from the University of Nebraska Food Processing Center.

If you are only processing “acidified food”, you have the option to only take the lectures pertinent to 21 CFR 108 and 114 during the first portion of the workshop (1.5 days). However,the price for this short version will be the same.  If you chose this short version, your certificate will allow you to process under "acidified foods" only.

Location:  Adams Pointe Conference Center, 1400 NE Coronado Dr, Blue Springs, Mo 64014

Cost:       $250 (includes course, books, meals during course and certificate)

Registration deadline is April 23, 2020.  Space is limited - early registration is encouraged.