The Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) recently hosted a webinar for registered dietitians and nutrition communicators, “Farming and Produce Safety in the COVID-19 Era.”  The webinar featured scientists and farmers discussing a wide-range of issues as our essential industry continues to provide healthy and safe fruits and vegetables to consumers across the country during this pandemic.

Webinar topics included continued emphasis on food safety practices on the farm, farm worker protection practices and standards, science-based information about the virus, supply chain disruptions and food bank donations, among others.

The webinar is now posted on the safefruitsandveggies.com website in two parts.  Part one features Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus, Distinguished Professor, North Carolina State University, discussing the nature of the virus as well as the science which supports the Federal Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control food safety statement: “There is currently no evidence to support transmission of COVID 19 associated with food or food packaging.”

Part two of the webinar is a discussion moderated by Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CLT, CPT, with Dr. Trevor Suslow, Vice President of Food Safety for the Produce Marketing Association and Kay and Chris Filice of Filice Farms, a three-generation fruit and vegetable farm located in San Benito County, California.  This discussion focused on the challenges faced by farmers and the broader produce industry during the pandemic, the adjustments and solutions adopted and how worker safety and food safety are prioritized every day.

Click here to watch Part One and Part Two of the AFF’s webinar.