Seafood safety training from NYSG helps ensure the health and safety of seafood consumers in New York State, nationwide, and globally

Contact:

Michael Ciaramella, NYSG Seafood Safety & Technology Specialist, P: 631-632-8730, E: mc2544@cornell.edu

Stony Brook, NY, March 2, 2020 - Seafood is a traditional and important part of New Yorker’s diets. The seafood industry is an important part of the state’s economy, contributing several billion dollars annually. Each seafood business is required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to have a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based food safety plan developed and monitored by a trained individual. 

New York Sea Grant (NYSG) helped develop and manages an Internet training course in collaboration with the National Seafood HACCP Alliance (SHA) to help seafood businesses meet federal and state training requirements. NYSG provides daily administration of the course and its content with assistance from the SHA. Additionally, NYSG conducts at least two in-person trainings annually to certify attendees in Seafood HACCP through the Association of Food and Drug Officials. 

In 2019, 1,322 individuals from 48 U.S. states and 11 foreign countries completed the online Seafood HACCP Internet course. Individuals were from firms of all sizes that manufacture, process, handle, store or distribute seafood products in addition to federal and state regulatory agencies, academic institutions and consulting firms. Additionally, 61 individuals were certified through one of NYSG’s in-person seafood HACCP training courses.

More than 15,500 individuals have completed the Seafood HACCP Internet training course since its launch in 2002, enabling the seafood industry to modify and improve seafood safety control plans throughout the U.S. and 35 foreign countries.

HACCP 2019 Training Impact by the Numbers

• 1,208 individuals (~91%) responded to a feedback survey on how they will use the training & knowledge gained:

• 786 students (59%) will conduct routine food safety monitoring/verification activities required by their company HACCP food safety plan

• 442 students (33%) will modify/improve/update existing HACCP plan; of these, approximately 74% will correct deficiencies found during inspection/audit 

• 749 students (57%) will share knowledge/train others; ~34% (444) will train company employees to help with HACCP implementation; 23% (305) will train others

• 235 (18%) students will help develop HACCP plans for handling new seafood products; new process: 197 (15%); or a new business they/others will start: 215 (16%) 

• 231 (17%) students will conduct inspections/regulatory reviews for FDA/state/local food safety authority

• 143 (11%) students will provide consulting/services to help companies meet regulatory food safety requirements


The Sea Grant Focus Area for this project is Sustainable Fisheries, Aquaculture & Seafood Businesses. 


Project Partners: 
 
• National Seafood HACCP Alliance
• Sea Grant Seafood Technology Specialists nationwide
• National Association of Food & Drug Officials
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration 
• Cornell Cooperative Extension


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.

Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly. Our program also produces an occasional e-newsletter,"NOAA Sea Grant's Social Media Review," via its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog.