YSPC holds annual food safety refresher training for local agriculture workers

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Yuma Safe Produce Council (YSPC) held its annual food safety refresher training for local agriculture workers.

YSPC said it was founded by food safety professionals to strengthen education in the community and help protect public health through safe, high-quality produce.

Local agriculture workers gathered for training on proper food handling, personal hygiene, preventing the spread of disease, and the recent Cyclospora outbreak.

Valentin Sierra of Amigo Farms said, "To prevent...that's what we're doing here. It's a preventative measure to prevent any type of possible outbreak and keep a refresher for all of our employees."

The training also featured guest speakers from the Yuma County Health Department and researchers from the University of Arizona.

Lupe Camarena of NatureFresh Farms said, "Cyclospora is a topic, and there's a lot of interest in what's going on in the industry. So we have the Yuma County Public Health Department here, and they specialize in that, to explain in detail what Cyclospora is, including some other pathogens, to educate our community."

The leafy vegetable growing season begins in mid-October and runs through May.

Amigo Farms Director of Food Safety Valentin Sierra says Cyclospora won't be a major concern during the growing season because it is typically more common in the summer months.

Instead, workers are more concerned about other pathogens like E. coli 157, salmonella, and listeria, which were also covered during the training.

To learn more about YSPC and the work they do, you can check out their website here.