Registrations continue to arrive for the limited seats available for the Fresh Produce Marketing Strategies short course scheduled for March 24-26, 2009. This course will be held in the Robert Mondavi Institute Sensory Theater, located on the UC Davis campus. The program has been developed for fresh produce industry managers and executives who are interested in improving their ability to develop and execute innovative fresh produce marketing strategies. Dr. Roberta Cook, Cooperative Extension Marketing Economist and course coordinator, has assembled a top notch list of presenters in the realm of produce marketing expertise. This course will be helpful for any produce executive grappling with buyer consolidation, channel blurring, and proliferating consumer desires and profiles. Assessing emerging marketplace complexities and adapting marketing tactics and strategies to current market realities will be the primary focal points of the course. Complete course information and on-line registration may be found at: http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Announce/marketing.shtml
The UC Davis Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center is pleased to announce a new addition to its portfolio of produce industry educational course offerings: Fresh-cut Fundamentals. The intensive one-day workshop scheduled for Thursday March 5, 2009 in Yuma, Arizona is now open for registration, including online registration at: http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Announce/Fundamentals.shtml
Produce Microbial Pathogen Testing: Program Components & Considerations.
Microbial testing has become increasingly used in the fresh produce industry as a means of assuring the safety of fresh produce. How effective produce microbial testing is at enhancing the safety of fresh produce depends on many factors and considerations. Understanding what these key factors and considerations are and how they can most effectively be managed to design and implement a microbial pathogen testing program that makes sense for your enterprise is what this webinar is all about.
Who should participate: produce growers, shippers, packers, fresh-cut processors, distributors, retailers and food service operators. This webinar is intended to provide valuable information to food safety, quality assurance, operations and business management produce executives to allow them to make informed business decisions regarding produce microbial pathogen testing.
When: November 20, 2008 10:00 am Pacific Time / 1:00 pm Eastern Time
Duration: Approximately 90 minutes with an opportunity for participant questions and answers after each topic.
What Microbial Pathogen Testing Can and Can’t Do
James R. Gorny, Ph.D. UC Davis
Key Factors & Considerations in Designing a Produce Pathogen Testing Program
More than 115 participants from 12 countries met the last two weeks of June at UC Davis for the 30th Annual Postharvest Technology Short Course. The event was one of the UC Davis campus’ first planned Centennial festivities and there was extra media focus associated with the event.
With a special outreach focus, on Saturday, June 21st the Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center celebrated the 30th offering of the annual UC Davis Postharvest Short Course with a very special one day symposium entitled “Charting New Directions In Postharvest Biology & Technology” that featured three pivotal sessions:
Session 1 - The Consumer Produce Experience
Session 2 - Assuring Produce Buyer Confidence
Session 3 - Charting New Directions to Meet Postharvest Challenges and Opportunities
The fresh and interactive sessions were highlighted by innovative and challenging remarks by the symposium speakers, including:
- James Truscott, Wild Rocket Foods, supply chain partner of Fresh & Easy (Tesco USA)
- Nick Tompkins, APIO Inc.
- Nick Kukulan, Paramount Export Co.
- Dennis Gipson, Ingersoll Rand Climate Control Technologies
- Bob Whitaker, Ph.D. Produce Marketing Association
- Bonnie Fernandez, Center for Produce Safety
- Deirde Holcroft, Ph.D. AgroFresh, Inc.
- Joan Rosen, Fresh Express / Chiquita
- Keri L. Morrelli, APIO Inc.
- Patrick Brecht, Ph.D, P.E.B. Commodities Inc.
- Postharvest Technology Center Faculty members.
Despite the warm temperatures, Saturday evening concluded with a large crowd in attendance to honor the accomplishments and retirement of Dr. Adel Kader, who founded the Postharvest Technology Short Course in 1979. Many of his students from the past 30 years returned to UC Davis from various parts of the globe to share in the celebration, and some common recurring themes of those who spoke referred to Dr. Kader's high ethical standards, generous spirit, and amazing organization.
Drs. Linda Harris, Marita Cantwell, and Devon Zagory were among the invited speakers at the “Food Safety for Organic Production and Handling of Fresh Produce Conference” that was held January 22-23 at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove. The conference was organized by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and focused on the challenges to organic farmers and food handlers since the E. coli outbreak in 2006. "We want to educate organic farmers about how they can impact food safety," said Peggy Miars, executive director of the Santa Cruz-based CCOF.
The 2006 E. coli outbreak brought the Central Coast’s spinach growers to a halt after the Food and Drug Administration issued a two-week-long advisory against consuming the leafy greens. Some experts suggest the industry still has not fully recovered. “That got everyone’s attention,” said Miars, who proposed creating a course that incorporated issues of food safety in organic farming. “Food safety is becoming a hot topic, not only in agriculture, but in all of the food industry.” For more information about this conference go to: www.ccof.org/foodsafetyconference.php
