UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A recent listeria outbreak traced to a meat processing plant in Virginia has killed nine people and prompted product recalls, highlighting the importance of food safety standards for processors. To help businesses stay compliant and prevent such outbreaks, Penn State Extension provides resources on commercial food processing best practices, regulations and related topics.

A new online course, “Keeping Apples Safe in the Packinghouse,” is aimed at apple packinghouse operators looking to provide food safety training to employees. This digital curriculum covers essential practices and procedures to ensure product safety.

The course includes 21 videos recorded in commercial packing facilities, addressing topics such as microbial, chemical and physical hazards that can cause foodborne illness or injury, potential contamination routes, sanitation and personal hygiene best practices, and guidelines for recordkeeping.

A teaching guide with discussion questions helps reinforce topics introduced in the videos. Videos and discussion questions are available in both English and Spanish.

Apple packinghouse operators can stream and use these videos alongside their company’s training materials and facilitate discussion using the provided questions. An internet connection is required to stream videos.

Employees will learn how to:

— Understand the importance of food safety and the potential negative impacts of a food safety incident.

— Identify how microorganisms can spread throughout the packinghouse and implement strategies to minimize cross-contamination.

— Demonstrate good personal hygiene practices.

— Apply basic sanitation concepts to meet the goals of the company’s sanitation program.

— Implement best practices for documentation and recordkeeping.

The registration fee is $300. More information is available on the Penn State Extension website.