On January 30, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will host an educational webinar about produce safety as part of the agency’s Produce Safety University Continuing Education Program. The live webinar will feature presentations and from and a question-and-answer session with produce safety scientists conducting real-world food safety research at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

The discussion will center on ongoing produce safety research, what challenges researchers are seeking to solve, and the impacts of USDA research. The webinar will also connect science to practice, and discuss how food safety challenges drive research questions, as well as how USDA research is translated into real-world food safety practices.

The event aims to help participants understand and connect the scientific background as the foundation to various federal food safety guidelines and regulations like Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code. The webinar will also enable participants to better communicate to their kitchen staff that food safety regulations and required practices in the kitchen are supported by rigorous real-world scientific research.

Participants can also expect to learn about the importance of scientific research and its use in solving complex food safety challenges, as well as the purpose of USDA ARS and its role in providing solutions and answers to current food safety challenges.

The webinar is taking place on January 30, 2024 from 3:00–4:00 P.M. ET. Registration is required no later than Friday, January 26.