Purpose: This project was carried out to determine if the course is successful at increasing knowledge and skills and improving attitudes of regulators. Online surveys were used to evaluate the effectiveness of a demonstration and participation based course on validation and verification of retail HACCP plans.
Methods: Surveys were sent out to 262 participants from courses offered in North Carolina between 2014 and 2016. Respondents were asked to self-identify attitude, skills, abilities, and comfort level with the material before and after completion of the course. Specific questions were asked regarding course material to measure retention of course knowledge.
Results: Of 44 respondents, 58% indicated their knowledge increased greatly after the course and 46% indicated their comfort level increased greatly. After completing this course, 47% reported identifying a previously unidentified specialized process occurring in an establishment. Eighty-one percent ranked themselves as knowledgeable or very knowledgeable and able to implement the knowledge. There was a 32% increase in participants who strongly agree they could recognize acidification and fermentation and a 39% increase for reduced oxygen packaging.
Significance: Results suggested that this course model is an effective method for presenting new material to local and state regulators. The course provided participants with knowledge that was implemented by regulators to improve food safety of specialized processes. This course can be used nationwide to increase knowledge and skills regarding validation and verification of HACCP plans.