ENHANCING FOOD SAFETY CAPACITY OF WESTERN ELDERBERRY PRODUCERS: BEST PRACTICES FOR HARVEST AND PROCESSING

The goal of this project is to increase the understanding of food safety practices across thesupply chain for the U.S elderberry, with particular attention towards a niche audience of small-scale, regionally-based producers and processors in California.Specific objectives include:1. Increase knowledge and adoption of food safety practices related to on-farm drying of elderfruit and flowers;2. Increase knowledge and adoption of food safety practices related to freezing, storage andhandling of elder fruit and flowers;3. Increase knowledge and adoption of food safety practices related to value-added processing,including when to pursue Cottage Food, Processed Food Registration and third-party GAP certification;4. Increase knowledge and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements under FSMA,including PSA and/or PCQI trainings, for elderberry growers and processors.