Better Process Control School, 2-Day Program, Acidified only

Hosted by UMass Extension & Department of Food Science

Dates & Location: Held at the Worcester Food Hub | $650 per participant

Overview: 

This is a 2-day, FDA- and USDA-approved training that certifies supervisors in acidified food processing, as required by 21 CFR 108, 113, and 114 and 9 CFR 431. The course focuses on food safety principles, acidification, thermal processing, and container closure evaluation for shelf-stable acidified foods.

Who Should Attend:
Food processors, supervisors, and quality assurance professionals working with acidified canned foods.

Course Topics Include:

• Microbiology of thermally processed foods
• Sanitation practices
• Glass and plastic container closures
• Mild thermal processing
• Hands-on demonstrations

What’s Included:

• FDA-approved training manual
• Lunch and coffee breaks
• Exam fees
• Digital certificate (requires ≥80% on each exam)

Meets Regulatory Requirements:
This course satisfies FDA and USDA training requirements for acidified food processing supervisors.

Program Description

This 2-day, FDA- and USDA-approved training certifies supervisors in acidified food processing, as required by 21 CFR 108, 113, and 114 and 9 CFR 431. The course uses approved materials from the Consumer Brands Association Foundation and covers key topics including acidification, thermal processing, microbiological safety, and container closure evaluation.

This course addresses training requirements for facilities producing shelf-stable foods using mild thermal processes, such as acidified foods and water activity-controlled foods, and focuses only on content required for acidified canned foods (21 CFR 114).

UMass Amherst faculty deliver lectures and include hands-on demonstrations. Upon successful completion (≥80% on each exam), participants will receive a digital certificate.

Course Topics

This 2-day course covers only topics that satisfy training for Acidified Canned Foods (21 CFR 114).  

• Introduction to the course (Ch1)
• Microbiology of Thermally Processed Foods (Ch2)
• Sanitation for Retorts and Atmospheric Cookers (Ch3)
• Closures for Glass and Twist-Off Plastic Containers (Ch6)
• Introduction to Thermal Processing (Ch8)
• Mild Thermal Processes (Ch15)
• Hands-on demonstrations 

Course Cost

This in-person course is $650 and is held at the Worcester Food Hub.  The program costs include:

• Participant manual: Canned Foods: Principles of Thermal Process Control, Acidification and Container Closure Evaluation is the FDA-approved text for Better Process Control School instruction.
• Lunch
• Coffee breaks
• Exam fees
• Digital Training certificate – administered to students who score at least an 80% on each exam

Travel Information

Venue location: 

Union Station, 2 Washington Square, Worcester, MA 01604

Lodging Options

• Courtyard by Marriott Worcester, 72 Grove St, Worcester, MA 01605
• Hilton Garden Inn Worcester, 35 Major Taylor Blvd., Worcester, MA 01608 
• Hampton Inn & Suites Worcester, 65 Prescott St, Worcester, MA 01605

Parking

A 500-space garage is located at Union Station (225 Franklin St., Worcester, MA).  Rates are approximately $20/day. Details can be found here. Please pay at the lobby before exiting. Lost tickets cost $20.