What are the most troublesome microorganisms in low-acid canned foods (LACF)? What is Clostridium botulinum and why is it a concern in LACF? What factors affect the killing of bacteria in a thermal process?

Find the answers at IDFA’s Better Process Cheese School, September 15-16, 2015, in Chicago. The workshop will cover LACF regulations as they pertain to shelf-stable process cheese manufacturing. The training will utilize materials developed by Kathy Glass, Ph.D., senior scientist from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Kraft Foods.

Glass, who will be the lead instructor for this class, will cover microbiology and control of Clostridium botulinum, thermal processing and pasteurization, formulation control, process instrumentation, production and packaging controls, and recordkeeping. Attendees who satisfactorily complete this course and pass all exams at the end of each section will meet FDA's certification requirements for becoming a trained operator.

“This workshop is conducted by instructors accredited by FDA. It provides essential information and training for food safety professionals and regulatory officials involved in audits, inspections or LACF filing for process cheese products,” said John Allan, IDFA vice president, regulatory and international affairs.  “This course can also be quite relevant to ingredient suppliers to the process cheese industry. Overall, it’s truly a can’t-miss workshop if you’re serious about making sure your cheese plant meets the regulations for low-acid canned foods.”

The Better Process Cheese School will take place September 15-16 in conjunction with the International Dairy Show, which will be held September 15-18 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Workshop attendees will receive complimentary registration to the Dairy Show, which is the premier trade show for processing and packaging professionals in the global dairy industry, providing top-notch education, daily networking events and access to hundreds of innovative suppliers. For details on the International Dairy Show, visit www.dairyshow.com.

Register online to reserve your space for the Better Process Cheese School. For more information, contact Maria Velasco, IDFA’s meetings coordinator and registrar, at mvelasco@idfa.org or 202-220-3557.