Outreach & Workshops
Outreach:
The Department of Food Science offers educational outreach to local elementary and high schools, and student organizations like 4-H, FFA, Girls Scouts of America and more. In addition to group visits, the department also participates in various events and camps around Arkansas, like STEM, Camp Connect and more. If you're interested in a visit or facility tour for your group or class, please contact Rosa Buescher at rosab@uark.edu.
Workshops:
D-FEND: Diet, food, exercise and nutrition during social distancing
D-FEND is a collaboration between the Center for Human Nutrition within the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Exercise is Medicine program at the University of Arkansas. Faculty members Jamie Baum and Erin Howie lead this program geared toward creating a community focused on weekly cooking, food safety,and exercise demos and/or fast facts, and providing an open forum for Arkansans to ask questions.
Preventive Controls for Human Food Workshop (PCQI Training)
Completing this course is one way to meet the FDA requirements for a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), who is required to oversight the identification and mitigation of hazards in the implementation of a food safety plan, review of records, and reanalysis of food safety plans.
Better Process Control School
The Better Process Control School workshop is offered annually on the last week of October at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville campus. In compliance with USDA and FDA regulations, food manufacturers of low-acid or acidified foods must operate at all times under the supervision of a person who has attended Better Process Control School.
Two types of certifications are offered: Acidified Food Certification, and Acidified and Low-Acid Food Certification. All course participants must complete the Acidified Food Certification portion of the course. Those wishing to also obtain Low-Acid Certification must complete an additional day of training.
Acidified Food Certification (2 days)
- Day 1: Introduction to FDA regulations, microbiology, container handling, food plant sanitation and record keeping
- Day 2: Glass closure evaluation, metal can and flexible packaging container evaluation, theory of thermal processing, instrumentation and acidified foods
Acidified and Low-Acid Food Certification (2 days)
- Day 1 and 2 above
- Day 3: Detailed discussion of the various thermal processing systems
See more information and a detailed agenda for the school.
Services:
Arkansas Food Innovation Center (AFIC):
AFIC offers a variety of services, facilities and equipment to aid in the commercial production of shelf-stable products in jars and flexible pouches. In addition to services offered through AFIC, service centers within the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Department of Food Science also provide a wide range of analytical capabilities.