Food Safety in Agriculture Training Course

Participants can identify major agricultural food hazards and explain their contamination routes.

• Biological hazards including Salmonella, Listeria, pathogenic E. coli and parasites
• Chemical hazards from pesticides, veterinary medicines, mycotoxins and contaminants
• Physical hazards arising from machinery, packaging, tools and field debris
• Allergen cross-contact risks in mixed farming and packing operations
• Contamination routes traced through soil, water, workers, animals and equipment
• Growth conditions affecting pathogen survival on crops and fresh produce

Participants can rank agricultural food safety risks and select proportionate controls.

• Hazard identification using commodity, process, environmental and historical information
• Risk matrices scoring severity, likelihood, detectability and exposed populations
• Inherent risk and residual risk distinguished after controls
• Risk registers connecting hazards, controls, owners, records and review dates
• Prioritisation criteria for immediate action, planned improvement and acceptance
• Evidence sources including complaints, recalls, inspections and laboratory results

Participants can establish prerequisite programmes that support safe primary production.

• Good Agricultural Practices structured around people, premises, inputs and operations
• Farm zoning separates production, chemical storage, livestock and waste areas
• Written standard operating procedures controlled through version and approval records
• Document retention periods aligned with product shelf life and contracts
• Management review examines incidents, trends, resources and improvement actions
• Seasonal worker induction covers hygiene rules, illness reporting and supervision

Participants can assess agricultural water sources and manage contamination risks.

• Water source inventory records wells, canals, municipal supplies and storage tanks
• Microbial water risk assessed by intended use and crop contact
• Sampling plans specify locations, frequency, methods and acceptance criteria
• Water treatment options include filtration, chlorination and ultraviolet disinfection
• Irrigation method selection reduces edible-portion contact before harvest
• Corrective actions address failed water tests and damaged distribution systems

Participants can control risks from manure, compost, wildlife and domestic animals.

• Raw manure handling separated from crop production and harvest activities
• Compost process controls monitor time, temperature, turning and curing
• Application intervals set according to amendment treatment and commodity risk
• Wildlife intrusion assessed through field scouting and contamination indicators
• Buffer zones protect crops from livestock, grazing and manure storage
• Animal activity records trigger inspection, disposal and sanitation decisions

Participants can manage pesticide use and residue risks through documented controls.

• Approved pesticide lists matched with crop, pest and market requirements
• Pre-harvest intervals calculated from product labels and application dates
• Spray records capture operator, field, dosage, weather and equipment
• Maximum residue limits interpreted against destination market specifications
• Chemical stores controlled through segregation, inventory, signage and restricted access
• Residue testing plans target high-risk crops, seasons and suppliers

Participants can implement worker hygiene controls appropriate to agricultural operations.

• Handwashing stations positioned near toilets, harvest areas and packing lines
• Handwashing procedures cover water, soap, drying and supervision requirements
• Illness reporting criteria address diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and infected wounds
• Protective clothing rules distinguish field, packing and chemical-handling tasks
• Toilet ratios, cleaning schedules and servicing records meet workforce needs
• Training effectiveness verified through observation, questioning and record review

Participants can prevent contamination during harvest, sorting, packing and dispatch.

• Pre-harvest inspections identify contamination, animal activity and unsafe conditions
• Harvest containers selected for cleanability, protection and product suitability
• Damaged, decayed and contaminated produce segregated using defined criteria
• Equipment cleaning schedules cover knives, bins, conveyors and grading tables
• Product flow prevents cross-contamination between incoming and finished produce
• Loading practices protect product from weather, pests and damaged vehicles

Participants can design cleaning and pest management programmes for farm facilities.

• Cleaning versus sanitising distinguished by soil removal and microbial reduction
• Sanitation standard operating procedures specify chemicals, concentrations and contact times
• Cleaning verification uses visual inspection, ATP testing and microbiological swabs
• Master sanitation schedules assign frequencies, responsibilities and verification records
• Integrated pest management combines exclusion, monitoring, trapping and corrective action
• Chemical compatibility and safety data sheets guide sanitation chemical use

Participants can maintain temperature controls from harvest through distribution.

• Commodity temperature requirements identified from buyer specifications and product science
• Field heat removal methods include shade, forced air and hydrocooling
• Cold-room capacity assessed against harvest volumes, airflow and loading patterns
• Temperature monitoring devices calibrated, positioned and checked against reference thermometers
• Cold-chain records identify excursions, affected lots and disposition decisions
• Transport pre-cooling, loading discipline and delivery checks maintain product condition

Participants can apply Codex HACCP principles to a farm and packhouse process.

• HACCP team composition includes production, quality, maintenance and technical expertise
• Product descriptions define ingredients, handling, shelf life and intended users
• Process flow diagrams verified against actual field and packhouse operations
• Hazard analysis identifies significant hazards requiring specific control measures
• Critical control points determined using Codex decision-tree logic
• Critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions and verification documented systematically

Participants can distinguish critical controls from operational prerequisite controls and monitor both.

• Operational prerequisite programmes manage significant hazards outside critical control points
• Control measures linked to measurable limits, frequencies and accountable personnel
• Monitoring forms capture observations, measurements, signatures and lot identification
• Deviation procedures contain product, restore control and document disposition
• Escalation thresholds identify when management, customers or regulators require notification
• Verification schedules test whether monitoring and controls operate as intended

Participants can build a traceability system that supports rapid product withdrawal.

• One-step-back and one-step-forward traceability requirements applied to agricultural lots
• Lot coding links field, harvest date, crew, packhouse run and customer
• Input traceability captures seed, fertiliser, pesticide and packaging batch records
• Mass balance checks reconcile production volumes, packed quantities and dispatches
• Mock recall procedures test retrieval speed, completeness and decision authority
• Withdrawal communications identify customers, regulators, product details and required actions

Participants can assess and control food safety risks introduced by external providers.

• Supplier approval criteria assess risk, capability, certification and performance history
• Input specifications define safety requirements for seeds, chemicals and packaging
• Contract grower agreements assign records, controls, access and notification duties
• Service-provider controls cover transporters, sanitation teams and pest contractors
• Receiving inspections verify condition, documentation, identity and acceptance status
• Supplier performance scorecards track nonconformities, test results and corrective actions

Participants can specify testing programmes and interpret results for food safety decisions.

• Sampling plans define objectives, sample size, sites, timing and handling
• Microbiological testing targets indicators, pathogens and relevant product matrices
• Residue testing programmes use risk-based crop, supplier and market selection
• Laboratory selection considers method scope, accreditation and reporting turnaround
• Results interpreted against specifications, legal limits and action thresholds
• Trend charts identify recurring contamination, seasonal patterns and emerging risks

Participants can conduct an internal audit and report evidence-based findings.

• Audit scope links requirements, sites, processes, commodities and audit objectives
• Checklists convert standards and procedures into observable audit questions
• Interview techniques test worker knowledge without prompting desired answers
• Objective evidence includes records, observations, interviews and physical conditions
• Nonconformities graded by food safety significance, recurrence and control failure
• Audit reports assign findings, corrective actions, owners and due dates

Participants can investigate food safety failures and prevent their recurrence.

• Incident response plans define containment, investigation, communication and recovery actions
• Root cause analysis uses five whys, fishbone diagrams and evidence review
• Corrective actions address immediate correction, root cause and system weakness
• Preventive actions prioritised through risk reduction, cost and implementation feasibility
• Effectiveness checks confirm actions changed conditions, behaviour or process outcomes
• Management review dashboards track complaints, test failures, audits and recalls

Participants can compare food safety standard requirements and prepare for external assessment.

• Codex guidance, buyer protocols and certification standards compared systematically
• GlobalG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance requirements mapped against farm controls
• ISO 22000 management system elements linked with HACCP documentation
• Certification audit stages include application, readiness review, audit and closure
• Documented information controlled through approval, revision, access and retention
• Buyer technical specifications translated into operational control requirements

Participants can build, review and present a complete farm and packhouse food safety management plan.

• Process map covers inputs, production, harvest, packing, storage and dispatch
• Hazard analysis ranks biological, chemical, physical and allergen risks
• HACCP plan defines controls, limits, monitoring and corrective actions
• Prerequisite programme pack addresses water, hygiene, sanitation and pest management
• Traceability procedure links field records, lot codes, customers and withdrawals
• Internal audit findings and improvement plan presented for management review