Course will educate food safety, operation and communication professionals about HACCP principles and how they apply to organic operations

Angela Jagiello, Organic Trade Association, Tel: (802) 275-3831; Email: AJagiello@ota.com
Greta Houlahan, NSF International, Tel: (734) 913-5723; Email: Houlahan@nsf.org

ANN ARBOR, Mich., and BATTLEBORO, Vt. (March 8, 2011)—Everyone is talking about food safety, particularly in light of last year’s landmark FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, improving the ability of industry and government to help prevent foodborne illness. Whether you are an organic farmer, manufacturer, handler or retailer, the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system is critical to your business.

This spring, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and NSF International’s Training and Education Division have joined forces to offer two HACCP for the Organic Professional courses. The first, offered this week in Anaheim, CA, as a prequel to Natural Products Expo West 2011, is already sold out. However, there’s still time to register for the second course, scheduled for April 4-5 in Washington D.C., just prior to OTA’s 2011 Policy Conference and Hill Visit Days.

The hands-on workshop is an essential resource for companies in the industry committed to maintaining both certified organic and food safety standards. It is pertinent to quality assurance professionals, certifiers and inspectors, and other professionals who seek a better understanding of food safety systems.

Participants will receive two full days of professional instruction, the NSF HACCP Manager Training Manual which includes the Codex Alimentarius, as well as a Certificate of Completion at the end of the course. The cost per person is $625.50 for OTA members and $695 for non-members. To register, contact Angela Jagiello at AJagiello@ota.com or call 802-275-3831. Additional information also is posted at http://www.ota.com/events/HACCP_for_organic_professional.html.

About OTA
The Organic Trade Association is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for organic trade in the United States, representing over 6,500 organic businesses across 49 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA's mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy.

About NSF International
NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods to minimize adverse health effects (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide and operates in more than 120 countries. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional NSF services include safety audits for the food and water industries, NSF Education and Training programs and organic certification provided by QAI (Quality Assurance International).

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.