Public Health Works to Ensure Food Safety
Training Targets Food, Milk and Beverage Industries
FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 21, 2008) –The Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Preparedness and Food Safety Branches and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have teamed up to help protect the state’s food supply, holding a rigorous international food defense certification training for more than 100 of Kentucky’s food industry stakeholders.
Food, milk and beverage industry personnel gathered lastweek in Louisville for the AIB International Food Defense Coordinator Course, an intensive training in the most current food security and defense practices. The course, a three-day event held at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, was specifically designed to examine the issues and challenges of protecting the food supply from intentional contamination.
“Given recent issues with national foodborne illness outbreaks, the need to ensure the safety of our food supply is even more pronounced,” said Guy Delius, acting director of the division of public health protection and safety in DPH. “The goal of public health’s food safety and milk safety programs is to make sure our fellow Kentuckians are shielded from dangerous bacteria, toxins and other dangers that lead to foodborne illness. We also want to provide our food industry stakeholders with the latest information and training on protecting our food supply from deliberate contamination during all stages of production, storage and shipping.”
The Food Defense Coordinator Course targeted these food production industry employees: maintenance managers, security professionals and engineers, quality assurance/quality control managers, safety managers, human resource managers, corporate personnel, corporate legal counsel insurance managers, plant managers, and security regulators. Kentucky food and beverage manufacturers with statewide, national and international food distribution networks attended the course.
Participants who successfully complete the course via an online testing system will become Certified Food Defense Coordinators. This title means businesses will have met governmental and customer recommendations to have a staff member trained in all provisions of a food defense plan.
“Successful completion of this course shows a high commitment to the quality and safety of a company’s food supply,” said Delius. “It’s one more thing we’re doing to help ensure the health, safety and welfare of Kentuckians.” |
