Produce Safety Certificate Program

About the Program

The Produce Safety Certificate Program (PSCP) aims to ensure that produce safety managers, consultants, and others working with the fresh produce industry possess the necessary knowledge to effectively guide and implement produce safety programs on farms and in packinghouses. The program includes remote, self-paced online, and in-person courses.

Objectives include identifying how practices reduce microbial risks through:

Worker health and hygiene training;
Produce safety education;
Agricultural water management;
Sanitation during fresh produce handling; and
Farm food safety plan development.

Required PSCP Courses

There are 6 required courses that will need to be completed, and a 7th course required annually to maintain your active certificate.

1. Introduction to Food Microbiology

Online, self-paced
This is a basic introduction course to food microbiology.
Developed to give a basic foundation to understanding food microbiology and information about how microorganisms of public health concern multiply and persist in food production environments.

2. Good Manufacturing Practices

Online, self-paced
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) describe the methods, equipment, facilities, and controls for producing processed food. As the minimum sanitary and processing requirements for producing safe and wholesome food, they are an important part of regulatory control over the safety of the nation's food supply. The GMP regulation (Part 117 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations) was updated as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act.
GMPs also apply to all parts of a food operation including: receiving, storage, processing, handling, and shipping of the finished product.
Each processing facility is required to have a customized, written GMP program.
Fresh produce farms that are doing value-added processing should be aware of GMPs and regulatory requirements that govern food processing.

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3. FSMA Overview

Online, self-paced
An introduction to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and its origin.
A review of the collection of rules introduced in FSMA, including the seven foundational rules plus recent updates.

4. Produce Safety Integration into the Food Safety Continuum

Online, self-paced
Looking at the food safety continuum from GAPs to GMPs to HACCP and when growers may be expected to embrace different practices.
Understanding how to effectively reduce microbial risks based on the level of control on the farm, in the packinghouse, or when engaged in value-added processing.

5. Sanitation Workshop

In-person; 1 day course
Focused on postharvest water, sanitation, and traceability, this course will include:
- Identifying and using sanitizers
- Types of cleaning and sanitizing
- Information about FSMA 204 (Traceability Rule)
- Hands-on activities

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6. Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training

In-person, Remote, and Online options
The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training curriculum includes seven modules. For in-person courses, trainers will spend approximately seven hours of instruction time covering the curriculum content.
- Introduction to Produce Safety
- Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
- Soil Amendments
- Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use
- Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water)
- Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
- How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan
In addition to learning about produce safety best practices, key parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements are outlined within each module. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.

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7. Yearly Update

Webinar
There will be a yearly update webinar offered at the end of each year. This update is required of all certificate recipients to maintain an active certificate with the program. The update will provide key information that may have evolved over the course of the year, such as changes to regulatory requirements or research updates that impact implementation of practices.

Program in Pilot Phase

The Produce Safety Certificate Program is currently being piloted.
After the pilot, evaluation data will be used to make any changes identified as necessary to ensure it is an effective and valuable investment for participants.
Open enrollment expected in January 2026.

Questions?

Please contact Betsy Bihn at eab38 [at] cornell.edu.

This program is supported with funding administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM). Funding was made possible by a grant/cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.