The Preventive Controls Working Group is a subset of the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety that aims to advance understanding and practice of preventive controls for human food among the region’s small and very small food processors. This is achieved through improving awareness of, access to resources about, and evaluation of training regarding Title 21 CFR Part 117: Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food, informally known as the Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) Rule.
The Preventive Controls Working Group was created in 2018 to coordinate and facilitate activities of NECAFS members focused on providing PCHF-focused food safety training, education, extension, outreach, and technical assistance to small and very small food processors in the Northeast United States. The group seeks to leverage NECAFS’ strategic objectives to meet these ends thorugh the work of three sub-groups.
The Preventive Controls Working Group
Working Group Sub-Groups
Evaluation: The Evaluation sub-group seeks to assess PCHF trainings and educational tools to ensure effective, accurate, actionable courses are being provided to small and very small processors. This information also broadly helps understand the growth and trajectory of preventive controls knowledge.
Awareness: The Awareness sub-group is tasked with building a food safety network to connect small and very small food processors with food safety communicators and resources that can help them implement food safety systems.
Resources: The Resources sub-group curates and develops educational tools, resources, and opportunities for small and very small processors.
Preventive Controls Course Evaluations
This evaluation has been developed by partner subject matter experts within the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) to assess the regional impact of Preventive Controls for Human Foods (also called PCQI) training. Our goal is to identify additional technical support needs of those impacted by the FSMA Preventive Control for Human Food (PCHF) rule.
Please help us evaluate the FSPCA PCHF workshop
Please read the instructions for using the regional evaluation tool. They include options for using either a printed or online version.The online version can also be found here.
Preventive Controls for Human Food Website
This is a website of resources for small and very small food processors who wish to comply with the Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) rule. It offers a guided experience to connect processors with educational tools and resources.
Monthly Meeting Minutes
Here you will find the minutes from our monthly meetings.
- 2022
- January 12, 2023
- February 9, 2023
- March 9, 2023
- April 13, 2023
- May 11, 2023
- July 13, 2023
- August 10, 2023
- September 14, 2023
- October 12, 2023
- November 16, 2023
- January 11, 2024
- April 11, 2024
Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 9. Interested in attending a meeting? Contact Annie Fitzgerald at anne.fitzgerald@uvm.edu.
Working Group Members
The members of the Preventive Controls for Human Food Working Group are:
Beth Demmings, Ph.D., IFS@CU Program Coordinator, Cornell University
Annie Fitzgerald, Research Specialist, NECAFS
Andrea Gilbert-Eckman, Graduate Assistant, University of Maryland
Amanda Kinchla, Extension Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Luke LaBorde, Ph.D., Professor of Food Science, Penn State University
Nicole Richard, Research Associate/Food Safety Education Specialist, University of Rhode Island
Dave Seddon, MBA R.D. L.D., CEO/SQF Auditor, Peakcore, LLC | CEO, Maine Farm and Sea Cooperative, foodready.ai
If you are interested in becoming a member, contact Annie Fitzgerald at anne.fitzgerald@uvm.edu.