Food safety training DVD focuses on needs of experienced, non-technical employees

To help meet stringent government regulations and ensure best practices in food safety, the Refrigerated Foods Association (RFA), an organization of manufacturers and suppliers of refrigerated foods, has produced the “RFA Food Safety Training for Experienced Employees” DVD program. It was released at the 30th annual RFA conference in San Francisco on March 3-6.

Filmed to show actual working conditions at the refrigerated food manufacturing plant of Reser’s Fine Foods Inc., this DVD focuses on the needs of experienced, non-technical food employees. It features the most updated information, including what food employees should know about third-party audits, food defense and allergens.

“This DVD goes beyond what to do and addresses why we do it,” said Martin Mitchell, RFA technical director. “Unlike our first training DVD, which came out in 2007 and focused on the entry-level person, the new DVD meets the needs of the mid-level employee.”

“Our industry is facing substantial changes in the regulatory structures in which we operate,” said Steve Loehndorf, technical director at Reser’s Fine Foods and RFA treasurer. “There are major reforms to the FD&C Act and the FDA is being granted much more authority. The best way to prepare for these changes and be successful is through training and making improvements in all operational practices. This DVD supports that initiative.”

Created and produced by the RFA technical committee, the RFA Food Safety Training DVD for Experienced Employees runs approximately 90 minutes and is divided into 11 modules, each with its own introduction, conclusion and set of multiple choice and true/false review questions. A training manual is included. It is designed to be customized to a company’s own policies and procedures. There are English and Spanish versions on the same DVD. The DVD is co-sponsored by RFA member companies Certified Laboratories Inc., IPL Inc. and Ecolab Inc.

“This new DVD is a valuable tool for refrigerated food manufacturers,” said RFA president Mark Brown. “It will provide experienced plant employees with the necessary food safety knowledge needed to operate their plants safely.”

Association members receive one free copy of the new RFA Food Safety Training DVD Program as a part of their membership. For more information on purchasing a copy of the new DVD through the authorized distributor Silliker Inc. or on RFA membership, contact the RFA office at http://www.refrigeratedfoods.org/dvd2.html or call 770-452-0660.

The Refrigerated Foods Association (www.refrigeratedfoods.org) is an organization of manufacturers and suppliers of refrigerated prepared foods dedicated to advance and safeguard the industry. RFA develops programs to enhance and promote food safety, strengthen the operating practices of member companies, and foster a networked community to share information. By pooling resources, the association develops valuable programs that individual companies might find prohibitively expensive. Members include manufacturers and suppliers of wet salads, refrigerated entrees and side dishes, dips, desserts, soups, and ethnic foods, as well as companies engaged in business operations related to the refrigerated foods industry.