N.C. State University’s Food Protection Workshop 'first of its kind' in area

KIMBERLY BELLAMY

Local industries in Edgecombe County came to the Food Protection Workshop on Thursday to develop a further understanding of how to ensure safety in food handling and preparation.

Some of the local participants that came to Edgecombe Community College were Ann's House of Nuts and Sara Lee, which had about 10 people come to the event.

The event was sponsored by N.C. State University Industrial Extension Service, ECC, Sara Lee, FDA, USDA and four other sponsors.

N.C. State's involvement in the effort to create awareness about food protection is possible through a grant.

"It's a grant through FDA to help spread awareness of food protection and food safety," said Kimberly Conley of the Industrial Extension Service at N.C. State.

N.C. State Director of Extension Services Margaret O'Brien said that N.C. one of nine that partnered on the grant.

O'Brien said that she was pleased with the turnout of people that wanted to be informed on these issues.

"We're delighted that we had over 125 folks register for this," O'Brien said.

"It's the first of its kind and we're able to offer it at no charge."

The participants got many tools to use to retain the information given in the sessions such as booklets, flash drives and the session information will be posted on a Web site.

"When they go back to their companies, they'll be able to go back and share it with their colleagues ... a continuum of learning is what we're after," O'Brien said.

"Any information that the people can take and give back to the plant is good. We're trying to find the best practices," said Mike Duggins, plant change manager at Sara Lee.

Extension Specialist Mike Joyce said that the food industry was one of the biggest industries in North Carolina so this information is vital to the area.

Joyce said that a food plan was developed that combined the unintentional causes and effects that promote food safety as well as the intentional circumstances that promote food defense.

We' re looking at "its impact on the industry from the farm to the table," Joyce said.

Duggins said the information they received at the workshop added to the efforts Sara Lee is taking to ensure food safety.

"We're implementing a safe quality food program. We're already following government regulations but steadily adding food safety systems to ensure the products are safe," Duggins said.

Session topics included Impact on the Meat Industry, Effective Food Emergency Response, Safe Quality Foods Program, ServeSafe and Small Farms, Homeland Security's Viewpoint, Carver + Shock Software, New GAPs and Agriculture Bio-terrorism, Impacts on Operations and Food Safety Management System.

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