Practical Food Microbiology

December 5-6, 2013
8:30am - 5:00pm (Check in time on Day 1: 8:00am)

Understanding the what, how, when & why of food pathogens
If you develop, process, distribute or sell food for a living, there is a bare minimum you need to know about food micro:
• Which pathogens are most likely to cause trouble;
• When/why do they threaten product/customer safety; and,
• How to best manage/control the risks posed by these organisms.

If you have never taken a food micro class, we will teach you the most critical points for food safety applications. Even if you have, you will learn when and how to use powerful – but often abused and misunderstood -- tests, tools and models that were not on the market just five years ago. Learn to make better choices by understanding the limits and applicability of data produced as well as the danger of starting with ill-considered assumptions! 

Course Topics Include:

• Microbial Ecology: Food safety depends on understanding what conditions encourage microbial growth and what inhibits it.

• Pathogens – Gram-negative: The FDA/USDA are hustling to better understand Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella.

• Pathogens – Gram-positive: Listeria monocytogenes has plagued many food manufacturers. We focus on ecology and control.

• Spoilage: Yeast and mold are major culprits in food spoilage. Learn how to detect and identify them in food processing facilities.

• Current Food Safety Issues: Get the latest on the worst outbreaks to hit the news and consumers’ GI tracts.

• Testing: A good test done wrong can be more dangerous than no testing at all. Know the uses and abuses of microbial testing.

• Predictive Models & Quantitative Risk Assessment: Tools of quantification are continually expanding in power and applicability.

Who should attend Practical Food Microbiology?
Meet our faculty
See how your colleagues rated this course
Read what your colleagues said about this course
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NOTE: If paying with a PURCHASE ORDER, please register by mail or fax.

All of the courses offered by the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education are approved by the New Jersey State Approving Agency for Veterans Training for tuition reimbursement through the GI Bill. For more information about the GI Bill, click here.

- Food processing managers and technicians
- Public health professionals
- Food service professionals with technical backgrounds
- Practicing microbiologists

Don Schaffner, PhD - Faculty, Dept of Food Science, Rutgers University
Karl Matthews, PhD - Faculty, Dept of Food Science, Rutgers University

Participant feedback about our instructors from Course Evaluations (2005-2011):

Don Schaffner
"Superb command of material, excellent presenter."
"Excellent explanations."
"Good material, useful information."
"Spoke thoroughly and used more layman terms to increase understanding."
"Excellent HACCP lecture, it was detailed and understandable. Used great examples throughout the lecture."

Karl Matthews
"Excellent content."
"Great use of case studies."
"Very well presented, very knowledgeable."
"Very good speaker."

Instructor Ratings from 2005 to 2011

Student Ratings from 2005 to 2011

Would you Recommend this Program to a Colleague?

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"I supply products to Asian markets all along the East Coast so food safety is very important to my business. I heard about this class from FDA inspectors who have taken courses at Rutgers. When the best people train at Rutgers, I know it is the place to learn about food safety."

-- Raymond Wong, President, Trader Ray LLC, 2012 Attendee

"The course was very thorough and beneficial. I kept sending messages to my boss during class because I couldn’t wait to get back to share what I learned!

"I will definitely apply the information back at work. For example, when the FDA audits our plant, I now can refer to guidelines provided by Rutgers to support our limits. I will also use what I learned to train our plant staff. I recommend this class to anybody working in the food industry!"

-- Amy D'Amico-Sena, REHS/Quality Assurance Regulatory Affairs Manager, J&J Snacks Foods Corporation, 2012 Attendee

"The Food Microbiology class was very insightful. Our company typically launches approximately 40-60 new products in the US every year. The resources and guidance provided in this class were extensive and should be useful in helping with the continued success and safety of our products. I expect to be sending more staff members to next year’s class!"

-- Angela Ehlich, Senior Manager- Quality Assurance, The Hain Celestial Group, 2012 Attendee

"Thank you for the excellent 2-day Food Micro course. It was well-planned, well-delivered and very informative."
-- Crispin Philpott, Executive Vice-President, FoodChek Systems, Inc., 2011 attendee

"Excellent review of pathogens and considerations regarding sampling techniques. I plan to review all recipe directions -- choice of sampling plan has stoked interest in product use hazards assessment."
-- G. Toner, Manager Quality Engineering, Rakitt Benckiser, 2011 attendee

"Very useful data and professors were open to questions. I can use the material on diseases caused by microorganisms for future employee training."
-- I. Manjarres, Quality Assurance Technician, Fratelli Beretta USA, 2011 attendee

ATTENTION HEALTH OFFICERS AND REGISTERED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS:
Rutgers University, NJAES, Office of Continuing Professional Education has been approved by the New Jersey Department of Health as a provider of NJ Public Health Continuing Education Contact Hours (CEs). Participants who complete this education program will be awarded 11.75 NJ Public Health Continuing Education Contact Hours (CEs).

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