May 21, 2001

Central American Training Program

The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition conducts training around the world on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) as part of its National Food Safety Program. In working toward the goal of reducing foodborne illness to the greatest extent possible, CFSAN has paired with the USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service Cochran Fellowship Program and the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) at the University of Maryland to develop and sponsor the "Central American Training Program on Good Agricultural Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices" being held May 21, 2001 through June 2, 2001.

This program will provide a comprehensive GAP/GMP training experience to leaders of agriculture, health, business and government in Central America and feature both classroom instruction and site visits to farms, packing houses, transportation facilities, and other related aspects in the farm to table continuum.

Representatives from Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic will be present for this intensive and comprehensive two-week program.

The first segment begins May 21^st at the University of Maryland Inn and Conference Center in College Park. Featured discussions include the importance of food safety and the development of a comprehensive food safety strategy, trade issues, partnerships and processes, the roles of industry, federal and state agencies, and the importance of hazard identification and traceback investigations. Broadening the students experience are planned visits to the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Facility in Riverdale, MD and the University of Maryland's Wye Research Center to see GAPs in action.

The second segment of the training begins on May 28^nd in Antigua, Guatemala. Participants will observe how good agricultural practices outlined in the first segment of the course are being applied. The trip will include a review of how the Guatemalan Model Plan of Excellence and the Guatemalan High Commission were developed, how they operate, and the respective roles of industry and government in the development of good agricultural practices.

In addition to the site visits, participants will also review case studies developed by FDA, USDA, JIFSAN, the Guatemalan Agricultural Ministry, and trade associations and academic resources from the participating countries in Central America.

Due to an increasing demand for fresh fruits and vegetables coupled with the modernization of transportation, refrigeration and technology, more than one-third of the produce consumed in the United States in 1997 was imported. Nearly the entire total originated in the Americas. As part of the National Food Safety Program, the U.S. has taken major steps to ensure the safety of domestically grown produce. Through teamwork with USDA's Cochran Fellowship Program and JIFSAN, FDA hopes to leverage its ability to do the same with imported produce.

For further information, contact the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 1-888-SAFEFOOD or www.cfsan.fda.gov.

Hypertext updated by bap/dms 2001-MAY-22