Having the right plan in place is crucial to safely harvest, process and distribute meat products. People who work in the meat industry can receive training on how to create such a plan at a July 17-18 workshop provided by University of Nevada, Reno Extension.  

Specifically, the workshop will address how to create a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, a management system recommended by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

This workshop will be held at the Extension office in Reno, 4955 Energy Way, and is part of Herds & Harvest, an Extension program that combines a series of workshops on different topics, and provides educational business management and mentoring skill-building to support Nevada agricultural producers. The cost of the workshop is $60, with lunch provided both days.

Jamie Lee, program officer with the Extension’s Mobile Harvest Unit Project, said the workshop is ideal for specific meat industry careers.“The workshop is best suited for the beginning farmer or rancher, farm-to-fork producers or anyone who is currently working in a meat processing plant,” she said. “Currently, the availability of Nevada meat processing services and its workforce are extremely limited. Our goal is to provide valuable information and assistance to support producer and workforce education.”

The July 17 agenda, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., includes these topics:

• What is the HACCP plan, and why do you need one?
• Differences in custom, USDA and state inspections
• An introduction to food safety
• Understanding the science: what are the three hazards to analyze?
• Principles of implementation, validation and verification

The July 18 program, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., goes into greater detail on developing HACCP plans, and participants will create and review their own mock HACCP plan, discussing real-life applications and the best ways to evaluate the plan for effectiveness.

Workshop presenters include Lee and other industry and Extension experts:

• Lindsay Chichester, associate professor and Extension educator, Douglas County
• Staci Emm, professor and Extension educator, Mineral County
• Austin Yohey, technician, Extension Mobile Harvest Unit Project
• Adria Holter, Ph.D., raw meat quality assurance manager and consultant
• Adam Knapp, owner, Knapp’s Country Butcher, Olivehurst, California
• Shayda Sanjideh, project manager, State Meat and Poultry Inspection Program, Nevada Department of Agriculture

Sanjideh said that HACCP uses science-based controls to manage food safety at specific points in the food production process.

“These points are where hazards can be prevented, controlled, eliminated or reduced,” Sanjideh continued. “It’s a great food safety tool that’s focused on prevention.”

The HACCP workshop is supported by the USDA’s Western Region Meat and Poultry Processing Program, part of its Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Register at the workshop’s registration site by June 30. For more, contact Lee at 775-426-8299.

Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should contact Paul Lessick, civil rights and compliance coordinator at 702-257-5577 at least five days prior to the scheduled event with their needs or for more information.