GAPS Workshop Coming To Purdue Extension Elkhart
By JEFF BURBRINK
Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Elkhart County
If you grow fruit or vegetables for sale, chances are you have heard of GAPS, or the Good Agricultural Practices program. But if you have not, here is a heads up!
GAPS is a workshop designed to teach growers and processors how to reduce microbial contamination of produce from seeding until the moment you sell it. Four years ago, the Food Safety Modernization Act was passed to overhaul the nation’s food safety practices, which had not been updated substantially since 1938. It authorized the federal government’s Food and Drug Administration to update the law to account for modern day handling and processing techniques, which as you can imagine, have changed quite a bit since the 1930’s.
Two years ago, the FDA released a draft set of guidelines, and took public comment. Currently, they are reviewing that input and we are told to expect some sort of update in the near future.
Elkhart County has approximately 150 producers that have been through a basic GAPs training, based on what we know about the proposal, at this time. That program was general in its nature. Topics ranged from keeping microbes off many different kinds of fruit or vegetables, from the time of planting until the products were sold. It includes everything from packinghouses and shipping containers to sources of field contamination and cleanliness of employee’s hands.
Purdue Extension will be offering a GAPS program with a focus on cantaloupes. The program will be in Ag Hall on the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 24. This program will be free, because of funding by an AgSeed grant. We do ask that you register so we can have enough materials for you. Registration can be done online at tinyurl.com/RegisterGAPsAtoZ, or by calling the Purdue Extension – Elkhart County office at (574) 533-0554.
For those who need GAPS training, this is a great opportunity to be trained locally. For those who have already been trained, it is an opportunity to be updated, especially if you grow cantaloupe. We will issue a certificate of participation to all who complete the training.