News Release Distributed 01/19/12

The LSU AgCenter will be presenting two short courses on food processing sanitation control and safety.

The one-day Sanitation Control Program course will be held Jan. 31, and the three-day Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point short course will be held Feb. 1-3. Both classes will meet in 212 Efferson Hall in the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.

The Sanitation Control Program is a stand-alone course that provides the basics for a better implementation of HACCP, said Lucina Lampila, associate professor and seafood specialist in the LSU AgCenter Department of Food Science.

A HACCP plan must be in place for all seafood processors in the United States and is mandatory for those companies exporting products to this country, Lampila said.

The short courses are taught by faculty who are approved by the Association of Food and Drug Officials and come from the AgCenter Department of Food Science at LSU and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The curriculum is standardized and approved by the FDA.

Satisfactory completion of the course ensures that the participant is acquainted with:

– Sanitation principles and the critical points in the seafood processing.

– The need for control programs that will detect deviations from safe operating procedures.

– The processing irregularities that must be dealt with using investigative and evaluative procedures that are adequate to prevent unsafe foods from entering the distribution channels.

Registration fees include the cost of textbooks, refreshments and certification. For information, contact Lampila by email or telephone at  225-578-5190 or 225-578-5207.

Accommodations can be made at the Lod Cook hotel located on the LSU campus or at other hotels located in the greater Baton Rouge area (http://www.visitbatonrouge.com/).