Annual Conference: Food Safety

Produce Group’s Annual Conference: Food Safety

WHEN: Feb. 21, 2017, Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel

Registration Rates Increase Feb. 8

Assisting growers in their safety practice and helping them comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) implemented last year is a focus of the 2017 Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) Third Annual Conference, Feb. 21 at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel. Addressing conference goers from 10 to 11am, will be Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, executive director of the Center for Produce Safety (CPS).

The food safety landscape is constantly changing as new technology allows for the quick identification of pathogens in the food chain. Extensive collaboration with members of the produce industry, regulatory agencies and academia, allows CPS to prioritize research and make results available to support growers in their continuous improvement of food safety programs. – Fernandez-Fenaroli

CPS is a public /private partnership that funds food safety research on behalf of the fresh produce industry. Its unique approach to filling food safety knowledge gaps has become an industry resource throughout the United States and abroad.

CPS research results are posted on its website. The newest information is presented at its annual research symposium, which this year will be June 20-21, in Denver. CFVGA will be offering a limited number of scholarships for growers to attend the symposium.

In addition to the plenary session with Fernandez-Fenaroli, a conference break-out session will feature Dr. Ines Hanrahan, who will present a case study of the outbreak on caramel apples in late 2014. She will focus on action taken immediately following the outbreak to identify priorities for training and research and describe the improvements that the Northwest apple industry has taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

Growers interested in taking FSMA food safety training are invited to register for the full day certification training, the day before the conference, Feb. 20, also at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel.

CFVGA’s full-day conference is designed to inspire growers and others in the produce industry as well as to provide networking and education. More than 300 people, including produce buyers and exhibitors are expected to attend. For more information and to register for both the conference and the training, log on tohttp://cfvga.org . For more on CFVGA: http://coloradoproduce.org

The CFVGA is comprised of more than 200 members, including growers of all sizes and types of production throughout the state, as well as representatives of allied industries. The Colorado fruit and vegetable growing sector contributes nearly $300 million to Colorado at the farm gate and is multiplied as it goes through the distribution chain. Over 60,000 Colorado acres are in fruit and vegetable production.