This free course provides an overview of food safety concepts and regulations for food processors. The course is divided into nine modules (1) General Food Safety, (2) Food Manufacturing Practices, (3) Food Safety Regulatory Overview, (4) Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Human Food, (5) Hazard Analysis, (6) Validation and Verification, (7) Quality Assurance and Quality Control, (8) Microbiological Standards for Food, and (9) Environmental Monitoring. Each module has a series of YouTube videos that cover key concepts under each module topic area. This information can be beneficial for those new to the food industry or for supporting internal food safety training programs. A learning assessment and example training record are available for downloading for each module. These videos and associated records may be useful to supplementing internal food safety training programs for food businesses.
There are nine modules in the course. Below are YouTube links to each module's playlist.
- Module 1 - General Food Safety
- Physical Hazards (6:13)
- Chemical Hazards (20:57)
- Biological Hazards (15:11)
- Products and Associated Hazards (6:47)
- Foodborne Outbreak Case Studies (13:57)
- Module 1 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 1 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
- Module 2 - Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
- Personal Hygiene (5:26)
- Sanitary Facilities (6:49)
- Sanitary Operations (10:42)
- Equipment and Utensils (1:52)
- Processes and Controls (3:29)
- Employee Training Requirements (5:42)
- Module 2 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 2 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
- Module 3 - Regulatory Overview
- Overview of Food Safety Regulations (8:21)
- Dairy Processing Regulations (5:35)
- Overview of Cottage Food Laws (3:01)
- California Cottage Food Law (6:04)
- Wisconsin Cottage Food Law (6:39)
- Module 3 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 3 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
- Module 4 - Preventive Controls for Human Food
- Exemptions or Partial Exemptions to the Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (4:14)
- Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule Introduction (6:33)
- Qualified Facility Exemption under the Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (3:40)
- Determining Qualified Facility Exemptions (4:34)
- Documentation Requirements for Qualified Facility Exemptions (1:40)
- Modified Requirements for Qualified Facilities Under the Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (2:19)
- Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (14:21)
- Module 4 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 4 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
- Module 5 - Hazard Analysis
- Hazard Definition (7:51)
- Hazard Analysis and Gathering Data (6:54)
- Module 5 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 5 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
- Module 6 - Validation and Verification
- Validation and Verification (13:22)
- In-Depth Validation (26:14)
- Example of Validation (5:18)
- Module 6 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 6 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
- Module 7 - Quality Assurance and Quality Control
- Overview of Quality Assurance and Quality Control (19:02)
- Tools for Quality Assurance and Quality Control (23:33)
- Module 7 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 7 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
- Module 8 - Microbiological Standards for Food
- Microorganisms in Food (7:08)
- Target Microorganisms (7:27)
- Microbial Limits and Criteria (10:10)
- Microbial Sampling Plans (5:31)
- Module 8 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 8 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
- Module 9 - Environmental Monitoring
- Introduction to Pathogen Environmental Monitoring Programs (6:27)
- Preliminary Steps for Developing Pathogen Environmental Monitoring Programs (7:25)
- Establishing a Pathogen Environmental Monitoring Program (14:30)
- Module 9 Learning Assessment (will open as Word doc)
- Module 9 Training Record Template (will open as Word doc)
Course developers:
- University of California, Davis: Erin DiCaprio, eldicaprio@ucdavis.edu
- Purdue University: Yaohua Feng, yfengchi@purdue.edu
- University of Wisconsin La Crosse: Xinhui Li, xli@uwlax.edu
- Cal Poly Pomona: Xu Yang, xuyang@cpp.edu
This information is provided by the authors in good faith, but without warranty. It is intended as an educational resource and not as advice tailored to a specific operation or a substitute for actual federal regulations and guidance from FDA or other regulatory agencies. We will not be responsible or liable directly or indirectly for any consequences resulting from use of information provided in this document or resources suggested in this document.
The development of this material was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2020-70020-32263 “Hybrid training for quality assurance and food safety programs designed for small-scale food processors and distributors”. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.