Agricola El Nazario Strengthens Team Training on Food Safety Matters
During October, the Agricola El Nazario team participated in a week-long training program focused on food safety matters, as part of the efforts of the company to update and prepare its staff for the start of the next farming season.
The training sessions were lectured by the Internal Audit team from Veggies From Mexico: Biochemist Edgar Ramirez, Chemist Elvia Martinez, and Engineer Claudio Roman, who addressed subjects including food safety culture, food defense, the PrimusGFS v4.0 certification scheme update, crisis management, and risk identification.
The purpose of these training sessions was to update the knowledge of employees and provide them with tools they can apply in their daily activities to identify risks, prevent situations that may affect product safety, and respond appropriately to potential incidents.
NOM-003-STPS-2023 and NOM-017-STPS-2024
This training addressed the occupational health and safety standards most recently updated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare in Mexico (STPS). The first standard (NOM-003) compiles the most important safety requirements specifically applicable to the farming sector, and the second (NOM-017) one discusses the characteristics and how to select the personal protective equipment, so that it is appropriate and provides greater protection for workers.
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This talk was intended for supervisory staff, so that they get more tools to consider while performing their activities.
Food Safety Culture
One of the subjects addressed was the importance of the food safety culture within companies. During the training, participants learned that this concept goes beyond having procedures, as it also involves the attitudes, values, and behaviors of employees in their daily activities.
The training also highlighted the role of every team member in preventing risks, from maintaining proper hygiene and sanitation practices to identifying, reporting, and correcting situations that could pose a threat to food safety.
Food Defense
As part of the Food Defense subject, the team learned about the main aspects related to protecting the products from deliberate acts of contamination or tampering, as well as the importance of implementing preventive measures within company facilities.
The training included subjects such as identifying vulnerable areas, access control, facility security, warehouses, processing areas, receiving and shipping points, water sources, and staff security. Participants also reviewed the elements required to develop and maintain an effective food defense plan.
PrimusGFS v4.0 Update
As part of the training week, participants were introduced to the PrimusGFS v4.0 update, while reviewing the main changes introduced in this version. These include adjustments to the structure and organization of modules, new sections, and modifications designed to facilitate the understanding and implementation of requirements and their application.
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The training covered subjects related to the Food Safety Management System, food safety culture, crisis management, internal audits, traceability, food defense, field practices, hygiene, water use, harvesting, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and HACCP, among other aspects included in the new version of the scheme.
Crisis Management and Risk Identification
Finally, the team took part in a training session on Crisis Management and Risk Identification, focused on recognizing situations that may impact consumers, staff, products, or business continuity, as well as learning the basic steps required to respond effectively.
Participants reviewed potential risks in the field, harvesting, packaging, storage, and transportation processes, and also warning signs that should be reported promptly. The staff also learned the basic stages to respond to a crisis: detect and report, assess the risk, activate the responsible team, contain the issue, investigate and trace, communicate, and finally implement actions to prevent it from happening again.
With these training sessions, Agricola El Nazario continues with the update of its team in food safety-related topics, promoting the knowledge being acquired becomes a part of the daily activities and responsibilities of its staff.
Learn more about Agricola El Nazario at:
Agrícola El Nazario – Veggies From Mexico
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