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Food Safety for Direct to Consumer Sales

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Karen Blakeslee

K-State Research and Extension strives to help small food businesses to make and sell safe food. One important tool to accomplish this is our publication Food Safety for Direct to Consumer Sales: Regulations and Best Practices. This publication is developed in partnership with the Kansas Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Lodging program. It is updated annually and is also available in Spanish.

Those who sell Direct to Consumers include farmers markets, local fairs, and online sales. There are food safety regulations to follow and the bottom line is to make the safest food possible.

This publication also provides information about licensing, selling meat, eggs, dairy products and more!

The Allergen Sesame Now Required on Food Labels

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Karen Blakeslee

Food Allergen Sesame — Example of “Contains” statement on food package
Photo: fda.gov

As of January 1, 2023, food products that contain sesame must have sesame listed as an allergen. The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act passed in 2021 declared that sesame be designated as the ninth major food allergen. This is the first addition to the initial eight food allergens defined in 2004.

The allergen declaration will be stated within the ingredient statement or as a separate “Contains” statement below the ingredient statement on food packages.

There may still be food products in grocery stores that don’t list sesame as an allergen if they were already made and shipped to stores before 2023. So those who are allergic to sesame will need to check the ingredient statement regularly. Also, foods that are not packaged, such as bakery goods displayed on trays, may or may not have allergen information. Always ask the vendor to find out any food allergen information.

Learn more at www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/allergic-sesame-food-labels-now-must-list-sesame-allergen.

Morel Mushroom Identification Training

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Karen Blakeslee

K-State Research & Extension will provide morel mushroom identification training in an upcoming online training. This training will help people earn the necessary approval to sell wild morel mushrooms. There are two opportunities below.

The classes are intended to help ensure that wild harvested mushrooms sold as morels in the state of Kansas are safe to consume. Current regulations under the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Lodging program require that mushrooms picked in the wild for sale must be individually inspected for safety by an approved mushroom identifier. Upon completion of this class, participants will be recognized as approved morel identifiers in order to meet this regulation.

March 15, 2023 registration

March 16, 2023 registration

Reminder About Frostings and Fillings

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Karen Blakeslee

Fair judging — For more on judging foods at fairs, see www.rrc.k-state.edu/judging/index.html.
Photo: KSRE

There are many recipes for frostings and fillings. But when choosing a recipe to use for a fair exhibit, keep food safety in mind as not all are safe to store at room temperature.

Choose a recipe and get out your calculator! You can determine the safety of a frosting or filling at home. Convert the household measurements into weight for each ingredient. There are many resources to help calculate the weight. See our Food Safety of Frostings and Fillings publication for details. There are examples of calculations to guide you thorough this activity.

For fair exhibits, proof must be given that the frosting or filling recipe contains at least 65% sugar to be deemed safe!

Direct-to-Consumer Virtual Workshops

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Karen Blakeslee

Sign up now for the annual Farmers Market and Direct-to-Consumer workshops to be held virtually from February 6-10, 2023.

These workshops are hosted by the From the Land of Kansas program at the Kansas Department of Agriculture and features many speakers from K-State Research and Extension, KDA Meat & Poultry division, Kansas Department of Revenue and much more.

Selling products in this type of market are an important source of local foods and value-added agricultural products. Educate yourself on the regulations in Kansas for success.

NDSU Field to Fork Webinars

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Karen Blakeslee

North Dakota State University Extension again will host the Field to Fork Wednesday Weekly Webinar series starting in February.

Experts from across the region will provide information about growing, preserving and preparing specialty-crop fruits and vegetables safely in this eighth annual webinar series, which has reached thousands of people.

The Field to Fork Wednesday Weekly Webinars will begin Feb. 15. The webinars will be held online from 2 to 3 p.m. Central time Wednesdays through April 26. They also will be archived for later viewing; however, participating in the live webinar allows participants to interact with the presenter.

The webinars are free of charge but preregistration is required. The webinars will be held on Zoom. The Field to Fork website (www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/field-fork) has a link to register for the webinars. Participants will be sent sign-in reminders with the link for viewing if they are unable to attend.

Partnership for Food Safety Education Webinar

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Karen Blakeslee

More than 34 million people experience food insecurity in the United States.

Households may want to make their food dollars stretch and minimize food waste. Food pantries need to be prepared to accept and provide safe food for their communities.

Register for the webinar “Food Safety in the Face of Economic Challenges” on February 16, 2023 at Noon CST. This webinar will highlight how you can help consumers and local food pantries stay informed to prevent foodborne illnesses.

Guest speakers will include Ayma Rouhani of U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Dr. Nicole Arnold of Ohio State University, and Cynthia Aspengren of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

Avoid Food Safety Penalties!

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Karen Blakeslee

The final big game of the football season is almost here! If you are planning to host a party to cheer on your favorite team, here’s some food safety reminders to plan a safe event.

Pregame—First and foremost, wash your hands before preparing any food. Have a food thermometer handy to ensure cooked food or leftovers reach safe internal temperatures.

Don’t play dirty! – Prevent cross contamination by keeping raw meats and poultry away from the veggie tray or other ready-to-eat foods. Have several utensils ready to keep foods separate also.

Half time is here! – How long has your hot or cold food been sitting at room temperature? Use the 2-hour rule and reheat hot foods or chill cold foods for safety. Keep foods out of the temperature danger zone (40-140°F), you just want touchdowns in the end zone!

Postgame—Pack leftovers in small shallow containers for quick chilling. You will be a winner!

food safety

Food Safety in Blessing Boxes

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Karen Blakeslee

Many communities have Blessing Boxes, Parking Lot Pantries, or similar efforts to offer easy access to foods and other items for people in need, which helps improve food security. Such boxes also are convenient places for people to donate food and other items. However, because these pantries are normally outside and subject to extreme temperatures in various seasons of the year, not all foods are safe to donate. It is critical that foods available through “Blessing Boxes” are as safe and nutritious as possible to truly be a blessing to those using the boxes.

Source: Food Safety in Blessing Boxes, NCFSEN

Fruit Basket Gifts

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Karen Blakeslee

A holiday tradition is to give gifts of fruits and nuts (along with other products). Usually these are placed in an attractive basket, wrapped with cellophane covering, and brought (or shipped) to your house. It is important that the fruit contained inside is kept in cool conditions to maintain its quality for as long as possible. Thus, it is wise to disassemble the fruit basket as soon as you receive it and place the fruit in refrigerated storage. If all the products in the basket are tree fruits (such as apples, pears, oranges or grapefruit), you can place the entire basket in a cool place- around 40 degrees F for best results. If the basket contains any bananas or other tropical fruits (with the exception of citrus), remove those fruits and store them separately. About 3-4 weeks is about as long as you can expect to store these fruits without some shriveling and loss of crispness.

Source: www.ksuhortnewsletter.org/newsletters/care-of-gift-fruit-baskets4637187

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