Food Safety Programs

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)

Preventing and controlling the contamination of fresh farm produce is the key to producing wholesome, healthy products. This program helps growers to develop and implement farm food safety plans, and prepares them for GAP certification. As a result, growers can market their products with greater confidence.

GAP Food Safety Trainings

At GAP trainings, participants learn more about:

• bacteria and other harmful microorganisms commonly associated with fresh produce.
• the costs and impacts of outbreaks caused by foodborne pathogens.
• strategies for controlling potential microbial food safety hazards throughout all phases of production, harvest, and post-harvest handling.
• the USDA Third Party Audit process.

Participants also participate in a mock USDA GAP/Good Handling Practices (GHP) audit and receive a certificate of participation from University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Food Safety Factsheets

Pre and Post Natural Disasters

• Recovering from a Storm: Frozen Foods
• Recovering from a Storm: Refrigerated Foods
• Recovering from a Storm: Garden Flooding
• Keeping Food Safe After a Storm
• Be Ready for Storms, Hurricane Edition

For more factsheets about food safety in the home and workplace click here.

 

The GAP Food Safety Manual

Click here to purchase a hard copy of the manual online

The GAP Food Safety Manual, provided at the training, helps growers conform to good agricultural and good handling practices and prepare for a successful GAP/GHP audit. It includes step-by-step guidelines on how to develop individual farm plans, and a CD with record-keeping templates. Growers can customize these to verify USDA GAP/GHP on their farms. Click here to view the GAP Food Safety Manual.

The step-by-step guidelines for developing food safety plans can easily be tailored to each grower’s unique operations.

Topics match the sections of the GAP/GHP audit, and include:

• farm review.
• field harvest and field packing activities.
• house packing facility.
• storage and transportation.
• traceback.

Training Fee

$50.00 per person.

Duration of the Training

Six hours (typically one day from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM).

How to Become GAP–Certified

1. Participate in a GAP Food Safety Training.
2. Develop and implement your farm food safety plan.
3. Invite a certified Third Party Auditor to conduct a USDA Third Party Audit on your farm.
4. 
   

   For your audit, contact:
   Robert Rondeau
   Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR)
   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
   (617) 626-1804
   (617) 626-1850 (fax)

5. When you have passed the USDA GAP & GHP Third Party Audit, you will become GAP/GHP-certified.

For more information on GAP and help in setting up a Food Safety Plan on your farm, contact:

Richard Bonanno, Ph.D.
Extension Educator
(978) 361-5650

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GAP on You Tube

To view videos click here: http://www.youtube.com/UMEXTAgLand

Fact sheet- direct links to GAP videos using QR codes

Print off this page and access videos via your Smartphone or go online with your computer.

For more information on GAP training, contact:

Richard Bonanno, Ph.D.
Extension Educator
(978) 361-5650

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

USDA GAP Cost Share Program

The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the USDA Specialty Crop Block Share Program in 2011. Any producer, individual or business located in Massachusetts that schedules and successfully completes their initial USDA GAP/GHP audit can apply for cost-share reimbursement. Qualified applicants may be eligible to receive up to a maximum of $750.00 per calendar year. Contact Michael Botelho, at 617-626-1721 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Financial and development support for USDA GAP education program and materials has been provided by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources as part of an Agriculture Innovation Grant, as well as the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.