January 14, 2015

The Executive Committee will meet on Monday, February 2, 2105.

The Editorial Subcommittee indicated the curriculum would be ready for the April Pilot and the Steering Committee voted not to distribute the draft manuals during the Pilot sessions. Logistics for the April, May and June pilots continue to be researched and developed.

The Continuation Subcommittee discussed encouragement of relationships via a technical network with universities and extension specialists. An extension webinar is slated for late February.

The Animal Foods Subcommittee continues to make forward progress, brainstorming delivery of technical information.

February 11, 2015

The Executive Committee met on Monday, February 2, 2105 and reported that 1) the Alliance would entertain requests for letters of support for the NCC grant. Each request would require Steering Committee review and approval, 2) FSPCA Update Webinar dates are being determined and will be posted once decided upon, and, 3) Hogan Lovells was granted permission to review the curriculum that will be presented at the upcoming Pilot sessions and will provide feedback.

The Editorial Subcommittee has released all chapters and appendices for formatting and Animal Foods use. The curriculum is ready for the pilot sessions beginning in April 2015.

The Continuation Subcommittee has updated the timeline and a copy will be posted on the FSPCA website. The subcommittee meets February 13th and will discuss updating the Alliance Business Plan and plans for a National Extension webinar.

The Animal Foods Subcommittees meet monthly. Human Foods chapters have been provided and individuals were assigned to each chapter for review. Goal is to have the initial chapter reviews completed by the beginning of March. The Subcommittee plans to maintain consistency between the Human and Animal Food curriculums, to the degree that is practical and relevant.

Three pilot sessions are planned. April 7th - 9th in Rockville, MD, May 5th – 7th in Vancouver, Washington and June 16th - 18th in Chicago, IL. The April session is at capacity. Detailed information on the May and June session to come.

March 11, 2015

The Editorial Subcommittee reported that materials, including the Instructor’s Guide, Participant Manual, Exercise Workbook and Model Food Plan Examples are in the final stages of formatting and will be ready for the upcoming April pilot. The goal is to share assessments of the April and May Pilot sessions at the May face-to-face Steering Committee meeting.

The Executive Committee requested the Steering Committee review and provide feedback on the FSPCA Procedures and Protocols for Appointing and Replacing Steering Committee member document. Finalization of the document is expected in the coming months.

The Continuation Subcommittee is focusing efforts on the upcoming webinars and pilot session. The subcommittee will distribute the Alliance Business Plan draft for Steering Committee member review by the end of March. The Instructor application and review process continues to be developed.

Outreach and Technical Assistance reported on upcoming outreach efforts including:

• March 12, 2105 FSPCA update webinar
• FSPCA presentation at the FDA Public Meeting on April 23-24, 2015
• Deans and Directors Extension Webinar planned for April 30, 2015
• Extension Specialists and Agents Webinar planned for May 20, 2015
• Future FSPCA update webinars on June 24, September 3, and December 17

The group continues to look for speaking opportunities at major conferences and reiterates that the FSPCA website is a good source for up-to-date Alliance news.

Animal Food Subcommittee activities are gaining momentum. Subject matter experts are updating human foods chapter as appropriate for Animal Foods as well as working on guidance for Hazards and Preventive Controls. The Subcommittee meets routinely and a face-to-face is planned in August at the AAFCO meeting in Denver, CO.

The Produce Safety Alliance gave a brief update on their activities including a post Grower and train-the-trainer pilot update. Efforts are now focused on the trainer certification process. Hosting the first train-the-trainer in June is their goal.

In other business, Diane Milazzo (CVM) was nominated, and was accepted by formal vote, as a Steering Committee member replacing Kim Young.

April 15, 2015

The ;Executive Committee will meet April 21, 2015. An update will be provided at the May F2F meeting on May 13-14, 2015.

The Editorial Subcommittee provided a recap of the April Pilot Session. Feedback was captured and a few edits will be made for the May Pilot Session.

The Continuation Subcommittee provided course delivery, course management and instructor development process flow charts as well as a demonstration of the LMS smart phone app at the April Pilot. Development efforts continue the Alliance Business Plan and Train-the-Trainer sessions. The FSPCA Lead Instructor form should be live on the FSPCA website within a few weeks.

Outreach and Technical Assistance reported on upcoming outreach efforts including:

• FDA Public Meeting on FSMA Implementation – April 23rd-24th
• Webinars for University Deans and Directors (April 30th) and the Extension Specialist Community (May 20th)
• IAFP FSPCA Presentation - July 27th from 5:15 -6:00 pm

The group developed an FSPCA One Page Flyer for distribution at upcoming meetings. Further focus on updating the FSPCA website with resources and Q&A is ongoing.

Animal Food Subcommittee reported that curriculum development continues. Plans are being made for a F2F meeting this summer to pilot the Animal Food Curriculum

The Sprout Safety Alliance gave a brief update on their activities including a survey being sent to 190 sprouters in 26 states regarding training formats and delivery methods. Curriculum and slide continue to be developed and the reengagement of the Educational and Outreach Working Group was noted.

June 10, 2015

The Editorial Subcommittee has incorporated comments from the April and May Pilots, as appropriate, for the June Pilot which is being held at the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) on June 16-18, 2015. A focus group of the target audience (small companies) will be held in Minnesota in August to gauge if materials will work for them.

The Continuation Subcommittee is very busy with the implementation phases of many projects such as the completion of the Alliance Business Plan, Lead Instructor Applications and TTT course development, along with over 40 additional tasked items.

Outreach and Technical Assistance reported on the FSMA Embassy Roundtable meeting on June 23, 2015 in College Park will focus on the Alliances. The formation of an International Subcommittee was also reported.

Animal Foods Subcommittee has gone through first round of curriculum edits with the Editorial Subcommittee in preparation for the F2F meeting in July at IFSH. A subgroup has been formed for development of sample models.

The Sprout Safety Alliance conducted a survey regarding training formats and found the preferred formats were 1-day classroom and webinar based training. The Alliance has formed an educational and outreach subcommittee tasked with developing training protocol, identifying and recruiting trainers and determining the training formats and agendas.

July 15, 2015

The Executive Committee will revisit the policies and procedures for appointing and replacing FSPCA Steering Committee members along with rotation of those members.

The Editorial Subcommittee continues to incorporated feedback from all Pilots. A focus group session for small companies is planned for August in the Minnesota area.

The Continuation Subcommittee reported good direction for the TTT course was gathered at the Walkthrough held in July. FSPCA Lead Instructor Applicant review and how to better publicize the application were discussed. A subgroup will be formed to help determine a PC and TTT course roll out plan.

Outreach efforts include an Update Webinar held on June 24th, an FSPCA presentation at the FSMA Embassy Round Table on June 23rd and at IAFP on July 27th and a Contract Lab and Consultant webinar on July 16th. The focus of the Technical Assistance group remains on moving the web portal requirements document forward.

An International Subcommittee has been formed with a core group discussing membership and a charter for the subcommittee and working groups.

The Editorial Subcommittee of the Animal Foods met face-to-face at IFSH to review the curriculum. Future plans include hiring a curriculum editor, developing example animal food models and scheduling an October face-to-face meeting.

August 12, 2015

The Website Subcommittee met on August 8 and discussed the hiring of a SME Content Manager and restructuring of the FSPCA website. The Editorial Subcommittee reported a Focus Group with the target audience would be held in Minnesota on August 20-21. The Continuation Subcommittee shared its Course Rollout Plan, reported that Lead Instructors applicants are currently being reviewed and indicated that a conference call with trainers of trainers will be scheduled to determine availability and logistics. The Outreach Subcommittee discussion concentrated on the ongoing efforts to populate a Q&A section on the FSPCA website. The International Subcommittee reported that a Charter has been drafted and three work groups have been identified for specific tasks. Details to be reported at the next Steering Committee meeting. The Animal Foods Subcommittee continues its work on curriculum edits and recently met face-to-face to discuss the Animal Food Safety Plans that will be used in the curriculum. Sister Alliances, PSA and SSA, provided progress updates. 

September 9, 2015

The Website Subcommittee met on September 2 and discussed the general contents of the FSPCA website. The Editorial Subcommittee on the feedback from the Focus Group, proposed models changes and recommended a combination plan for the Train-the-Trainer course. The Continuation Subcommittee updated the schedule of Train-the-Trainer deliveries in October and November, and reported the result of Lead Instructors applicants review. Legal issues were also mentioned and notified.  The Outreach Subcommittee discussion concentrated on the ongoing efforts to populate a Q&A section on the FSPCA website. The International Subcommittee reported that the Charter is ready to be released. Group invitations are going to be sent to individuals related to three work groups. International version of one page flyers needs to be completed. The Animal Foods Subcommittee will have a face to face meeting in October.

October 14, 2015

The Website Subcommittee gave an update on ongoing work. A motion was made and passed to put place holders on the FSPCA website for other regulations. The Editorial Subcommittee they will be done with the manual within a week. The Continuation Subcommittee has started scheduling Train the Trainer courses. The name of the course was officially changed to FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human/Animal Food. The Outreach and Technical Assistance Subcommittee gave a summary of the Oct. 20 FDA meeting on the Preventative Controls. The International Subcommittee is meeting with their Core Outreach Group to discuss next steps. The Animal Foods Editorial Committee is working on updates to their curriculum. The Produce Safety Alliance has several new members and is scheduling a Soil Summit in 2016. The Sprout Safety Alliance is working on chapters for their course.

December 1-2, 2015

The Steering Committee met face-to-face in Washington, DC and reviewed the current committee structure and decided to change and combine some committees now that we are in an implantation phase. The timeline was reviewed and updated. Some Executive Committee members were cycled out and new members invited to join. The Animal Foods Committee shared their 2016 schedule. The FSVP Subcommittee is making progress on their curriculum. The Editorial Subcommittee is working on changes to V1.2 as well as updating the website. The International Subcommittee held a kick off call and has created three workgroups. The Website Subcommittee reported on updates to the TAN. The Continuation Subcommittee is nominating new ToTs (Trainer of Trainers) and approving Lead Instructor candidates.