KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fruit and vegetable growers can learn about produce safety and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification at workshops in early 2018.

GAP certification training will be held Jan. 18 and Feb. 16 in Olathe, Kan., and Jan. 26 in St. Peters, Mo.

GAPs are a set of practices to ensure that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled and stored in a manner that minimizes risks of microbial food safety hazards, said Londa Nwadike, consumer food safety specialist with University of Missouri Extension and Kansas State University Research and Extension.

“The training is useful for produce growers who want to sell to brokers, distributors, grocery stores and other buyers that require growers to be GAP-certified,” she said.

The one-day workshop will help participants prepare for a USDA GAPs audit and develop an audit-ready food safety plan customized for their operations.

For more information about the workshops, visit ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/produce or call 816-482-5860.

The workshops are organized by Kansas State University Research and Extension and University of Missouri Extension, with support from the Kansas and Missouri departments of agriculture.