The goal of this project is to integrate research and extension knowledge from previous food safety programs to develop a national Internet based distance education training program on sanitation, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and Good Hygienic Practices (GHPs) for production employees in small, medium and large food processing, wholesale and warehouse firms. This distance education program will be available on-demand via the Internet at low cost (estimate $50 or less). Basic worker training is essential to ensure that employee practices consistently and effectively prevent rather than contribute to incidents of finished product contamination in the food handling and processing environment that could cause foodborne illness. According to a May 11, 2004 Progress Review of the Department of Health and Human Services' Food Safety focus area of the Healthy People 2010 initiative, small-scale producers account for only 10% of the food supply but 90% of the outbreaks of foodborne illness. This training program will particularly benefit small to medium size food processing, wholesale/distribution and warehouse firms who may frequently have to rely on unskilled workers and experience frequent employee turnover. This project is timely, as it will incorporate any changes associated with the Food and Drug Administration's GMP modernization process. Completion of this modernization process will likely create high interest and a "teachable moment" for many firms.

Food processing plant workers are instrumental in carrying out the day-to-day food handling and sanitation activities and tasks in the facility. These workers need training in basic GMPs, Good Hygienic Practices (GHPs), and sanitation procedures to ensure a solid understanding of what their daily priorities should be, which will provide a solid foundation for the firms overall food safety control system. A directed training program that provides this basic training outside of the context of HACCP or other quality or safety management systems that may be utilized in a specific operation is needed. This need was re-emphasized in the August 2004 Institute of Food Technologists' Scientific Status Summary on Bacteria Associated with Foodborne Diseases in which the final sentence in this document states, "the need for education of all food handlers, including consumers, is apparent". A low cost, interactive internet-based distance learning training program available on-demand for production workers in food processing and other food handling operations that provides basic training on GMPs, GHPs and sanitation is not currently available and is widely needed. On-demand access to low cost training will provide a useful tool for small food processing and handling firms as well as medium sized and larger firms to develop a more consistent approach to routine training and to solve or correct sanitation or hygiene problems as they arise.

Senior Extension Associate, Ken Gall, working with the national Seafood HACCP Alliance, assembled a project team and developed a project proposal that was submitted for funding consideration to the CSREES/USDA National Integrated Food Safety Initiative Research, Education and Extension Competitive Grants Program. The project proposal was selected in a competitive peer review process, and the full funding request was awarded to Cornell University in 2005. Specific project objectives include: conducting a survey assessment of the targeted audiences to determine how they can best utilize an on-demand Internet training course on sanitation and good manufacturing practices; developing an interactive internet-based training program for production employees in food processing, wholesale, distribution and warehouse facilities; developing a Spanish language version of the Internet based training program; developing short topic-specific training modules that these firms can use to conduct additional in-plant training that can be customized to incorporate plant-specific sanitation procedures and employee hygiene and food handling policies; conducting outreach activities across the U.S. to inform the target audiences about the new Internet training course, and evaluating the Internet course and its impact.

When FDA completes its modernization process for current Good Manufacturing Practices for food processing establishments, it is widely expected that a new emphasis will be placed on training. A recent advisory panel report suggested that mandatory worker training be required with documentation for all firms. This Internet training course will provide a low cost alternative for firms to train workers and keep documentation of this training. It is generally expected that trained workers will have a better understanding of their job and what is required to produce safe food products. Application of this knowledge will result in better practices, fewer mistakes and a safer food supply. Foodborne illness is recognized as a significant public health problem in the United States, and a 1999 estimate from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes 76 million illnesses to foodborne pathogens annually.

• Steve Kern
• Janelle Tauer
• Dr. Lori Pivarnik
• Doris Hicks
• Dr. Mike Jahncke
• Barry Nash
• Dr. Steve Otwell
• Victor Garrido
• Debra DeVlieger
• Dr. David Green