Development of a National Educational and Outreach Program for Food Safety and Food Defense

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: A. There is a need to develop graduate education for food safety and food defense B. There is a need to teach and train important food safety and food defense stakeholders (regulatory, industry, academia, healthcare). The goal of this project is to utilize a scientifically sound process to identify the desired skills, knowledge, behavior and attitudes upon which to develop, deliver, and evaluate a graduate level and a professional development curriculum for food safety and food defense. The curriculum will equip both university graduate students (via classroom education) and professionals (via distance education) to become an integral part of national efforts to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural or human caused disasters affecting the nation's food supply.

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PROGRESS: 2007/09 TO 2008/09 <BR>
OUTPUTS: During a professionally-facilitated, 3-day curriculum development workshop (DACUM process), the knowledge and skills required by a successful food defense professional were identified by key stakeholders in the food supply chain and technical experts in the fields of science, food defense, education, public health and homeland security. Project collaborators then categorized these knowledge and skills into areas of core competency and structured a survey instrument (n = 371) which was used to validate both the importance and frequency of use of the identified knowledge areas. <BR>
PARTICIPANTS: Kansas State University - Dr. Kelly Getty, Dr. Abbey Nutch, Dr. Curtis KAstner, Dr. Justin Kastner Indiana University - Dr. David McSwane Purdue University - Dr. Richard Linton, Dr. William Field, Dr. Dirk Maier <P>

IMPACT: 2007/09 TO 2008/09<BR>

Results of the curriculum validation survey were used to inform the process of prioritizing the knowledge areas and core competencies within a model food defense curriculum. Currently 28 knowledge modules (each 30-45 minutes) have been developed based on this survey. A Graduate Certificate or Area of Specialization is being developed that will cover the following topic areas: 1) Food and Agriculture Systems, 2) Food Safety and Food Defense, 3) Public Health, and, 4) Emergency Management, Risk Assessment, and Facility Security. The curriculum is being used to teach graduate level students and is core competency areas are being converted to online distance modules so that industry, public health, and other key food professional stakeholders can benefit. Development and implementation of a curriculum to teach food defense professionals will provide a foundation knowledge domain and foster better relationships among stakeholders that are charged with food protection and defense. This stakeholder-driven curriculum is the only of its kind for food safety and defense. <BR>
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PROGRESS: 2006/09/15 TO 2007/09/14<BR>
OUTPUTS: The method used to identify food safety and defense knowledge domains was a job task analysis conducted using a modified DACUM process. DACUM stand for Developing a Curriculum and is an occupational analysis performed by an expert panel from a particular occupation and facilitated by a trained DACUM facilitator. The DACUM process for occupational analysis involves representative individuals from an occupation who become the "Panel of Experts" who collectively and cooperatively describe the occupation in the language of the occupation. The panel of experts worked under the guidance of a trained facilitator from The National Registry of Food Safety Professionals to develop the DACUM Analysis Chart for Food Safety and Food Defense. The output from this group was to develop a list of general areas of competence called DUTIES and several TASKS for each duty. Brainstorming techniques were used to obtain the collective expertise and consensus of the committee. The panel also identified the general knowledge and skills required of the successful food safety/food defense worker and the tools, equipment and references used on the job. A committee of 13 members were selected representing various sectors and levels in the food defense and food security field. The project team recruited individuals to serve on the panel of experts to develop the knowledge domains. In seating the advisory panel, the project team sought to select individuals from all major sectors of the food defense and food security fields. These included individuals with expertise in food defense, regulatory agencies, large food distribution, retail supermarkets, manufacturing, food service, epidemiology, food safety, port security, terrorism and law enforcement. Additionally, the project team sought to seat a committee that reflected appropriate geographic and cultural diversity. The group defined a food defense professional as one who will "protect public health, preserve the economy, enhance national security, and protect the environment." They will provide leadership; evaluate food systems, facilities, property, products, people and procedures for vulnerabilities; develop and implement policies and preventative control measures for food security/defense; and develop and implement effective food emergency responses by using analytical, empirical, assessment, detection, communication, and observational techniques to address outcomes. <BR>
PARTICIPANTS: This panel of experts included in the DACUM process were: Dane Bernard; Keystone Foods, Cory M. Bryant; Institute of Food Technologists, William Foley; Indiana DHS, Jerry Gillespie; Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, Travis Goodman; Indiana State Department of Health, Ernest Julian; Rhode Island Department of Health, Shaun P. Kennedy; National Center for Food Protection and Defense, Michael L. Olinger; Indiana University School of Medicine, David K. Park; Food Defense LLC, Lance Reeve and Rod Wheller; AIB, Food Defense Resource Center, Donald J. Sharp, M.D.; CDC Food Safety Office, and Jeff Witte; New Mexico State University. <BR> TARGET AUDIENCES: The overall target for the food defense curriculum is food defense stakeholders inclulding: food industry, academia, scientists, government (federal/state/local), first responders, health care, etc.
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IMPACT: 2006/09/15 TO 2007/09/14<BR>

The information provided by the DACUM process provides strong foundation, from a needs assessment standpoint, to develop a graduate level course curriculum in food safety and food defense. Until now, information did not exist for curriculum development. This information is also being used to formulate curriculm for industry, government, and other stakeholders via a distance format. In the next year, we plan to develop a number of learning modules to satisfy the needs identified in the DACUM process.