Small and very small plant owners can get some extra help understanding the federal government's rules and regulations regarding food safety by signing up for the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service workshop, scheduled in several major cities in June and July.

The two-hour-long, evening workshop will cover HACCP; sanitation performance standards; standard operating procedures related to sanitation; rules of practice; food defense strategies; E. coli O157:H7 workshops; notice 65-07 "Notice of Reassessment for E. coli O157:H7 Control and Completion of a Checklist for all Beef Operations"; notice 66-07 "Multiple Follow-Up Sampling after FSIS Positive E. coli O157:H7 Results"; and notice 68-07 Routine Sampling and Testing of Raw Ground Beef Components Other Than Trim and Imported Raw ground Beef Components for E. coli O157:H7."

The workshop will be held in Houston on June 10, at the Intercontinental Hotel beginning at 6:30 p.m. To register online or to get more information, go to: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/index.asp

The same workshop is scheduled for Philadelphia on June 25 and Raleigh, N.C. on July 15. 

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