Updated Food Safety Training, Solution for Upcoming FSMA Challenges, Part 3
In parts one and two of this three-part series, we discussed the importance of integrating technology applications for design and delivery in food safety training in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Food safety education according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must include 24 learning outcomes from FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Foods rule, covering personal hygiene, building and equipment construction, ingredient and finished product storage, cleaning and sanitizing of processing equipment and utensils (a preventive control), and so on. We have developed an example of the educational plan using personal hygiene. Although effective development and delivery could help improve food safety training, without the proper development of evaluation criteria of the food safety training effectiveness, the programs might not provide the desired outcome. In order to meet training objectives, a food facility must enlist experts in both in the subject matter as well as training development, delivery and assessment in the design of a comprehensive and productive FSMA food safety training program.
Importance of Training Assessment and Evaluation
Assessing a food safety training plan provides an opportunity for continuous improvement as plant departments can identify areas in need of performance improvements that can best be satisfied by FSMA-focused training. There are various tools to assess training effectiveness, which allow for the collection of information and determination of whether student learning outcomes/goals were achieved. A minimum of three learning outcomes should be used to verify assessment results.
Once the assessment is complete, planning can begin for strategies to improve training, resulting in better productivity and improved employee performance. It will also help companies understand how to allocate educational spending for satisfying the various FSMA requirements. Food safety training assessments should include these five steps:
Step 1: Identify key stakeholders, solicit support, and prepare the project plan
Step 2: Describe desired behavioral needs, outcomes, and goals that will contribute to the FSMA requirement
Step 3: Obtain needs assessment data (e.g., review strategic plans, FSMA requirement, assess HR metrics, review job descriptions) and success measure and program milestones
Step 4: Screen the on-site results and report it in measurable data (Figure 1)
Step 5: Determine corrective actions for insufficient training and plan to improve the
issues in the training goals and objectives
The results of the assessment allow the training manager to set the new short-term training goals, objectives, and action plans to move the company forward in reaching the company’s long-term goals (Figure 2).
It is possible that the detected performance gap is not completely training related, but may include other areas such as communications, providing a supportive work environment, and mismatched job fit. In these cases, interventions other than training may also be needed to achieve new performance levels at all levels of the organization.
In this example, a multi-dimensional process for evaluating an overall personal hygiene training performance is described below. A multi-dimensional process is strongly recommended as the dynamics will be helpful for assessing the Food Safety training goal (Tables 1 and 2).
In Figure 2, the personal hygiene program assessment will be evaluated using a five-scale rating system from 1 (Poor), 2 (Fair), 3 (Average), 4 (Good), and 5 (Excellent) in a 3-year educational plan with the following four proposed categories:
1) Overall teaching performance effectiveness
2) Encouragement of more functional learning and motivational beliefs, in this example, personal hygiene
3) Encourage interaction, feedback, and dialogue about personal hygiene
4) On-site assessment of the teaching objective result, in this example, personal hygiene.
There are a number of available assessment techniques; some that work particularly well are listed below. Whichever technique is chosen, ensure that the food safety training is implemented with practical and relevant information: