Food Safety Goes to School

As the program developed, the three groups involved realized they could do more than just provide better trained laboratory staff or even auditors for the food industry. Food companies represented on the advisory council were advancing their quality goals well beyond the requirements necessary for compliance and recognized the importance of a solid understanding of food safety fundamentals and their implications.

Beyond the local food manufacturers, branded food companies were aggressively searching out and recruiting veteran industry professionals with the scientific food safety knowledge and experience necessary to develop comprehensive programs capable of meeting these new objectives. They too knew of the challenges inherent in identifying qualified personnel for their respective industries and offered their perspective.

Across the food industry, manufacturers, retailers, and even regulatory bodies are hampered by a shortage of qualified personnel. Indeed, in the absence of a true food safety degree program at any level, anywhere in the world, even an adequate definition of “qualified” is elusive.

All stakeholders in the food supply chain are faced with an increasing shortage of capable, career-minded personnel to implement the advanced food safety programs in manufacturing and have little time to develop the talent organically. “They needed personnel now, and the learning curve simply takes too long when the need is immediate,” said Steven R. Wallace, PhD, president of Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Under Dr. Wallace’s leadership, the college has created seven new bachelor’s degree programs in direct response to local industry needs, programs as diverse as critical care nursing, early childhood education, and supervision and management. Most recently, the college collaborated with the Jacksonville Aviation Authority to create an aircraft coating facility and program to support aircraft manufacturing and maintenance. “It was clear that Florida State College could take a leading role in fulfilling this need,” said Dr. Wallace.

The Right Partner

Eurofins quickly recognized that they had partnered with the right group to make this ambitious program a reality. “Florida State College has extensive experience providing comprehensive training programs for industry, and through the IFS and its advisory council, we are able to access many of the most experienced industry veterans,” said Michael Russell, PhD, CEO of the Eurofins U.S. Food Division. “All Eurofins’ laboratories strive to provide advanced technical capabilities, quality-driven testing services, and the best customer service available. We identified a need to increase the availability and depth of our technicians’ training, and the Florida State College program fits that need.”

“The Eurofins team being assembled at the Analytical Testing Center will bring a wide range of knowledge to this program, and students, supporters, and industry will all gain from it,” said Marc Scantlin, Eurofins vice president of human resources and organizational development and project lead. “This program has the right elements to give all industry sectors well-educated, qualified individuals and take food safety to the next level. We are just beginning.”

With this combined experience, the focus is now on developing the next step: creating a comprehensive program that could provide food safety education beyond the laboratory and the traditional core sciences of microbiology and chemistry. This would be a new food safety education model that would attract bright new talent by offering career-focused individuals an opportunity to learn both the science and business of producing safe food.

Now, scrutinizing the food industry closely, the group is identifying the developmental gaps and the drivers for the project’s next phase: The roles and qualifications of entry level food safety professionals need more definition, and increasing students’ interest in food safety education is key. As the lab at Florida State College was getting walls and windows, the project was split into phases. The goal of phase one, to provide vital analytical testing, was supplemented with the goals of phase two, to provide a well-rounded academic program and solid career path to future food safety professionals, along with creative guidance to the industry.

Shouman Datta, PhD, explains the results of bacterial streaking on Petri plates to secondary teachers and students.

Scarcity of Curriculums

“There are an abundance of workshops, seminars, and courses geared towards HACCP [hazard analysis and critical control points] and food safety principles already available. However, there is a noticeable scarcity of comprehensive food safety curriculums. In fact, an actual degreed food safety program does not even exist today,” Wester noted.