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AFDO News & Updates
Seafood HACCP Alliance Trainer Re-Qualification Course Now Available
Posted: Friday, October 21, 2011
The online Seafood HACCP Alliance Trainer Re-Qualification course is now available to existing AFDO-approved trainers who were unable to attend one of the trainer re-qualification sessions that took place in June and July. [More info]
The deadline for taking the Trainer Re-Qualification Course is March 1, 2012.
FDA Awards Cooperative Agreement to AFDO
Posted: Wednesday, October 5, 2011
AFDO is pleased to announce they have received an award from FDA under the Alliance for Advancing a National Integrated Food Safety System (Alliance) Cooperative Agreement Program.
The goal of the Alliance Cooperative Agreement is to facilitate long-term improvements to the national food safety system by strengthening interagency collaboration, improving State’s regulatory and surveillance protection programs for manufactured foods, and providing assistance to state legislatures.
Alliance participants will consist of state food safety program managers who supervise the inspection of food manufacturing and distribution facilities. Through this cooperative agreement, AFDO and FDA will collaborate to strengthen this community by providing resources to encourage the adoption of and conformance with the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS), an important component of a national integrated food safety system.
This award will allow AFDO to enhance their current activities such as maintaining the Directory of State and Local Officials, Registry of Subject Matter Experts, Topical Index of Regulatory Guidance, Program Manager Information Portal and conducting the State Food Safety Resource Survey. With the funding provided through this cooperative agreement, AFDO will work with FDA to establish a network of manufactured food program managers and host an annual program managers meeting to build operational and strategic partnerships. In addition, AFDO and FDA will develop and implement pilot projects to support MFRPS adoption as well as collaborate with other partners to identify, develop and deliver food safety and defense training programs.
“We are excited to award this cooperative agreement to further advance a national integrated food safety system which supports the provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act,” said Joe Reardon, FDA Senior Advisor for Federal-State Relations. “A national integrated food safety system will increase the capacity of federal, state, and local officials to mitigate the impact of foodborne illness, to advance public health and maintain a safe food supply for US consumers.”
To view official press release please [Click here].
Seafood HACCP Alliance Teaches Course in Qingdao, China
Posted: Wednesday, October 5, 2011
In August, AFDO Past-President Ron Klein traveled to Qingdao, China through Beijing, to represent AFDO at the first Seafood HACCP Alliance (SHA) Train the Trainer Course taught to Chinese regulatory officials. The course which delivered by Steve Otwell from University of Florida, Gainesville and Ken Gall from Cornell University, and was held less than one year after Steve, Ken, Ron and Joe Corby met with Chinese regulatory officials and Mr. Chong Hua Zhang, the University of Florida's representative in Beijing in Newark, New Jersey to sign a cooperative agreement which would bring the course to China.
Qingdao is a community of 4 million people located west of Beijing, on the coast of the Yellow Sea. It was home to the sailing events during the 2008 summer Olympics. Qingdao is well known for its Tsingdao brewery, which was founded by German settlers in 1903. The training was held at the Qingdao Customs Training Center, which is only a half mile from the beach.
The Chinese Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Agency (CIQA), which is has broad inspection authority in China for a number of areas including manufactured food sponsored the training. It was held in a large auditorium with a banner proclaiming the event hanging over the stage. It began with short remarks by a number of dignitaries including the President of CIQA and the leader of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China, the U.S. FDA's country Christopher Hickey and Ron.
The Seafood HACCP Course was taught first to ensure that the future trainers were familiar with the course material they were going to teach. The course was taught in English by the Steve and Ken and translated to Chinese by a CIQA interpreter. CIQA had prepared for the course by translating the training manual into Chinese along with the material in English. Most of the students were already very knowledgeable in seafood HACCP and were very serious and engaged students. A class banquet was held on the final night of the basic course, with kegs of fresh Tsingdao beer brought in for the occasion. Many toasts were given and pictures taken. It was clear the instructors and students had become quick friends.
Ron returned to Beijing after the basic course and had the opportunity to meet with a group interested in capacity building for specialized retail food operations such as catering. He described the work that AFDO and the International Food Protection Institute is doing. The group is very interested in developing a cooperative relationship with AFDO. Ron will report on the trip during the Fall Board Meeting and present some ideas to the Board for further cooperation.