Southern Region Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training: Using Pre- and Post-Training Knowledge Assessments to Understand Training Effectiveness

The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) grower training was introduced in 2016 as the standardized curriculum to meet the training requirements of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR). The PSR states that at least one supervisor or respo...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of food protection Vol. 87; no. 5; p. 100266
Main Authors:	Schneider, Keith R., Schroeder, Mari, Gutierrez, Alan, Kharel, Karuna, Goodrich Schneider, Renée, Harder, Amy, Philyaw Perez, Amanda, Woods, Kristin, Dunn, Laurel L., Priyesh, Paul, Gunter, Christopher, Rogers, Elena, Simmons, Chip, Johnston, Lynette, Carter, Chad, Taylor, Thomas M., Castillo, Alejandro, Anciso, Juan, Masabni, Joseph, Strawn, Laura K., Vallotton, Amber, Stull, Katelynn, O'Bannon, Taylor, Danyluk, Michelle D.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States Elsevier Inc 01-05-2024 Elsevier
Subjects:	Agriculture Assessment Farmers Food Safety Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Knowledge Produce Safety Alliance Training Produce Safety Rule United States United States Food and Drug Administration United States Knowledge Assessment Produce Safety Alliance Training Produce Safety Rule
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) grower training was introduced in 2016 as the standardized curriculum to meet the training requirements of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR). The PSR states that at least one supervisor or responsible party from each farm must have successfully completed this food safety training or one equivalent to the standardized curriculum, as recognized by the FDA. This study evaluated the effectiveness of PSA trainings conducted between 2017 and 2019 in the Southern United States by the Southern Regional Center for Food Safety Training, Outreach, and Technical Assistance by analyzing pre- and posttest assessments. Effectiveness was based on a 25-question knowledge assessment administered to participants before (n = 2494) and after (n = 2460) each training. The knowledge assessment indicated the overall effectiveness of the training, with average scores increasing significantly from pretest (15.9/25, 63.4%) to posttest (20.3/25, 81.3%) (P < 0.001). The greatest knowledge gains were seen in the Postharvest Handling and Sanitation, How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan, and Agricultural Water modules. Notably, these modules had lower posttest scores compared to the other modules, indicating that the amount of knowledge gained did not necessarily correspond with a sufficient understanding of the material. To ensure that participants understand all aspects of the PSR and best practices to minimize food safety risks, additional or advanced trainings may be needed. Additionally, the current testing instrument (pre-/posttest) used for PSA grower training, while validated, may not be optimal, thus alternative methods to assess the training effectiveness are likely needed.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0362-028X 1944-9097
DOI:	10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100266