The Missouri Small Business Development Center at Northwest Missouri State University, the Missouri Small Business Development Center for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, and University Missouri Extension are partnering to host a Food Safety for Food Processors and Small Businesses webinar on Nov. 17, 2020, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There is no fee to participate, but registration is required by November 16, 2020.
“As interest in small-scale food processing increases, so does interest in assuring that food safety regulations accommodate rather than hinder small processors,” said County Engagement Specialist and Agriculture Business Counselor, Denice Ferguson.
When registering, participants can choose to either view the webinar online, or they may select to attend in-person at one of three locations where the webinar will be broadcast. In-person locations include the MU Extension office in Buchanan County, 4125 Mitchell in Saint Joseph, Hundley-Whaley Research Center, 1109 S Birch St. in Albany, and the Nodaway County Administration Center, 403 N Market, in Maryville. Due to COVID-19 precautionary measures, the St. Joseph location is open to the first 8 in-person attendees, and masks are required, online attendees are unlimited.
Food Safety for Food Processors and Small Businesses is targeted toward assisting anyone that packages and sells food directly to consumers, such as baked goods, raw or cooked meats, and much more. Speakers for this informational event will be from Missouri Enterprise, a professional consulting organization in the state that assists manufacturers with improving their operations. Topics presented during the program will include:
- Overview of food safety regulations
- The differences between USDA and FDA pertaining to inspections and audits, compliance criteria, legal authority of USDA and FDA
- Basic concepts of hazard analysis
- Basic concepts of good manufacturing processes
“Missouri SBDC for Ag, Food and Forestry are here to help agri-entrepreneurs to develop and expand their businesses, working together to connect new ideas for their success,” said Ferguson.
