Saturday, March 24, 2012 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Delaware Department of Agriculture
2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901
Dr. Sue Snider, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, will provide food safety training for potential on-farm food entrepreneurs who wish to produce non-potentially hazardous foods in their licensed on-farm kitchen. Participants must complete eight hours of training and pass a written test on the materials presented in order to receive a certificate and be eligible to have their on-farm kitchen inspected and to be licensed.
As a result of training in food safety, participants will be able to: Identify potentially hazardous and non-potentially hazardous foods, Appreciate foodborne pathogens and understand ways to control them, apply basic principles to reduce the risk of foodborne illness evaluate their plan for controlling potential microbial problems in their operation, and understand requirements of the regulations for farm produced non-potentially hazardous food items.
In January 2006, Delaware’s regulations governing “On-Farm Home Processing of Non-Potentially Hazardous Foods” were adopted. Farmers who wish to process non-potentially hazardous foods in their on-farm home kitchens for sale to the public at farmers’ markets, on-farm markets, or roadside stands must abide by these regulations. These regulations established standards of practice for on-farm home food processing operations that safeguard public health and provide consumers with food that is safe, unadulterated, and honestly presented.
The regulations provide definitions, define operator qualifications, and establish operation food safety and physical facility requirements. Non-potentially hazardous foods include: Baked breads, cakes, muffins, or cookies with a water activity of .85 or less; Candy (non-chocolate); Containerized fruit preparations consisting of jellies, jams, preserves, marmalades, and fruit butters with an equilibrated pH of 4.6 or less or a water activity of 0.85 or less; fruit pies with an equilibrated pH of 4.6 or less; herbs in vinegar with an equilibrated pH of 4.6 or less; honey and herb mixtures; dried fruit and vegetables; spices or herbs; maple syrup and sorghum; snack items such as popcorn, caramel corn, and peanut brittle; roasted nuts.
Under the regulations, potential on-farm food entrepreneurs will be required to have eight hours of food safety training and have their farm kitchens inspected.
Copies of these regulations and applications are available on the Delaware Department of Agriculture website: www.dda.delaware.gov
On-farm kitchens will be inspected by appointment.
Registration deadline for the training is March 19. Participants are asked to bring their own lunch. Beverages will be provided.
For more information, to register for the training, or to receive a copy of the regulations, please call or e-mail
Andrea Jackson at the Delaware Department of Agriculture: (302) 698-4545, Andrea.Jackson@state.de.us