Trainings

professor and students in a food process learning lab

Food Science Extension offers a number of educational opportunities over the course of the year. Check the Events Calendar for upcoming dates.

Better Process Control School

The Better Process Control School (BPCS) certifies supervisors of thermal processing systems, acidification, and container closure evaluation programs for low-acid and acidified canned foods. Each processor of low-acid or acidified foods must operate with a certified supervisor on hand at all times during processing. This school satisfies the training requirements specified in both the FDA and USDA regulations.

Note: The University of Massachusetts does not currently have an in-classroom training scheduled. However, North Carolina State University offers an online-only course that fulfills the training requirements for the FDA Acidified Canned Food Training (21FCR114). This course can be taken at any time (within a 1 year timeframe for completion), and satisfies the training requirements specified. For more information about this online course go to the NCSU Acidified Food Manufacturing School Page. 

For additional face-to-face instruction for canning classes, check out the GMA Better Process Control Schools, which satisfies the training needs of CFR 113 and 114, which can be found below:

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)

This workshop will provide the tools for you to complete the requirements for HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) certification, understand HACCP principles, identify the resources needed to develop, implement and maintain a HACCP plan, understand and identify process step hazard assessment and understand and identify steps required to determine critical control points. This course will include interactive exercises to help illustrate HACCP planning with an emphasis on FDA regulated food products.

 

Preventive Controls Qualified Individual for Human Food (PCQI)

To ensure a safe manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding of food products for human consumption in the United States; activities such as: Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-based Preventive Controls for Human Food FDA regulation is implemented to a food safety plan. Certain activities must be completed to an individual that is “preventive controls qualified individual” (PCQI). This course that is developed by the FSPCA is the “standardized curriculum” recognized by the FDA at which on completion would prepare the trainee in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls.  

The University of Massachusetts Amherst holds the FSPCA PCQI Certification Training Course routinely so be sure to check out the News and Events for future courses.  

 

Other Training Opportunities 

Outside Umass Amherst’s Food Science Extension, you will be able to look to the following training opportunities: