Small group discussion navigating food service requirements

Small Group Discussion: Navigating Food Service Requirements Some highlights: Resources to help meet guidelines Cooperative perspective: Grownlocally.org, Johnice Cross is the contact. Other Sodexo, NSF, Davis Fresh, ALBA- buys product from producers and then distribute, they work with universities, they hold the liability insurance as opposed to individual producers. NSF Davis Fresh has a great system that helps farmers/processors/distributors prepare for the actual audit. Use those tools. Trends in industry: distribution, minimum processing facilities Private companies can have significant role in distribution Commercial kitchens can offer avenues in processing (example: commercial kitchen via SWGA Project/ SRBWI) Partner with dining services to staff these facilities. It’s often slower on college campuses at the height of harvest so some employees may not be working fulltime hours. These folks could staff the commercial kitchen providing needed funds to the employee and also well trained individuals to staff the kitchen. State level issues>Louisiana developed statewide food council-paying attention to food needs Farm to School programs>Washington recommends GAP certification (can provide some audits, training, such as a walk-through mock audit, GAP guide, monitoring a farm going through certification, simplifying GAP by integrating commonalities) Agree about uncertainties of specific roles of who regulates what Strategies for getting ahead of the game to find advocates (get directions/ ordinance in writing) Nutrition & obesity epidemic = need & importance of eating fruits and vegetables Notes by: Mercedes Taylor-Puckett Local Foods and Farmers Market Project Coordinator Kansas Rural Center Christy: NSF Davis Fresh 3rd party auditor, Global GAPs, provides practice audits Grownlocally.org/com, Johnice Cross is rep to ask about the process of having a small co-op work with Sodexo. ALBA: buys product from producers and then distribute, they work with universities, they hold the liability insurance as opposed to individual producers. Providing information and pictures from individual farms/dairies, etc is important to food service operators and is a great incentive to use your services. Consider that when contacting food services. Potentially local smaller distribution companies begin to jump into market. A bunch of issues on docking fees, Certified kitchen vs processing facility. San Diego Unified School District will begin processing in their kitchens for later use. Would this also work into university/college kitchens? Put staff to work in summers preserving product for year-long use in schools thus closing the circle of food production. Chefs can be interested in assisting food service workers in developing skills working with whole foods. Most institutions requiring third party audits have a list of approved third party audit companies they want someone to use. If a farmer/distributor/processor has already completed a third party audit, offer to share that with the distribution. It is not uncommon for that third party audit to be acceptable. Some institutions may request you use their third party auditor once the audit expires but ask the question and push the issue a little. It could save you thousands of dollars. Michigan, Iowa, Washington and Oregon seem to have very supportive extension agents that can help farmers prepare for third party audits. Community non-profits are great resources and allies for local farmers and can also have influence with institutions. When selling to institutions, let them know if you are GAP certified. Some institutions will waive third party audits if you are GAP certified. Institutions are paying attention to what is happening with Global GAP’s and are very interested to see this come to fruition. How are states handling the Food Safety Issues: Texas: Texas Department of Ag: providing some funding for GAPs certification with Texas A&M. Louisiana: 2 yr food policy study. Specialty crop is a small part of ag in the state. LA is unique. Healthy Retail Study (Tulane): LSA Washington: 2 yr old farm to state, difficult for Wash Dept of Ag to establish a policy. The State Dept of Ag recommends that farms interested in F2S seek GAPs certification. I think WA has authorization to do audits (WA $70/hr vs USDA rate of $1**/hr) F2S program got a SCBG for GAPs, did a mock inspection workshop attended by 100+ producers. (Potato growers invested in GAPs education. can share booklet) First small diversified farm going through process. Looking at how to align Certified Organic questions with GAPs certification questions Oregon: 1 full-time Oregon Department of Ag person and 1 full-time Department of Education work on farm to school. (WA $70/hr vs USDA rate of $1**/hr) Minnesota: Dept of Ag is a strong supporter of F2S and works on Dept of Health to relax. Mary Jo. Confusion/lack of clarity as to which dept/agency oversees has authority over food safety. Ask for it in writing to see the specific reference that lead to this interpretation.

Small group discussion navigating food service requirements

by Community Food Security Coalition on Nov 05, 2010

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Small group discussion navigating food service requirements — Document Transcript