UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State's 2002 Sanitation Short Course, "Prerequisites for Food Safety," will be held Monday, Oct. 14 through Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Atherton Hotel in State College, Pa. Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences, the short course is aimed at food processing professionals who need practical guidance on sanitation and pest-control techniques.

The course also is designed for sanitation and quality control personnel looking to increase their understanding of food microbiology concepts while learning the latest in sanitation technology. Regulators, educators and others who work with food processors and wish to increase their understanding of the challenges to producing food safely also will benefit from attending.

The conference features hands-on laboratory sessions and a "Sanitation Industry Product Showcase" with equipment suppliers from the food industry. All conferees also will receive a copy of "Principles of Food Processing Sanitation," a 542-page textbook from the National Food Processors Association that contains detailed information about food plant sanitation, HACCP principles and advances in sanitary equipment.

Morning lecture sessions will include an overview of food microbiology, processing, cleaning, sanitation and plant/equipment design issues. Afternoon sessions at Penn State's Borland Laboratory offer registrants opportunities to tour production facilities and perform lab tests. Sessions include "Controlling and Monitoring Listeria in Ready-to-Eat Foods," "What to Expect When the Inspector Comes," and "Educational Strategies for Training Workers."

A post-conference "Sanitary Design and Construction" workshop will be offered Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. by Don Graham, president of Graham Sanitary Design Consulting Ltd. The workshop will present in-depth procedures that incorporate regulatory directives, along with advanced food industry techniques for design, construction and improvement of food-processing facilities.

To request registration materials and a detailed schedule, call 814-865-8301, send e-mail to shortcourse@psu.edu or visit the Conferences and Short Courses World Wide Web site at http://conferences.cas.psu.edu. For more information on conference content, contact Luke LaBorde by phone at 814-863-2298 or by e-mail at lfl5@psu.edu; or Catherine Cutter at 814-865-8862 or at cnc3@psu.edu or visit Penn State's Food Safety Web site at http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/sanitation.html.

A registration fee of $525 ($560 after 10/1) includes all workshops, sanitation manuals, breaks and lunches. Registration for the post-conference workshop is an additional $180. The registration deadline is Oct. 1. Walk-in registrations will be accepted only as space allows.

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EDITORS: For information on program content, contact Luke LaBorde by phone at 814-863-2298 or by e-mail at lfl5@psu.edu; or Catherine Cutter at 814-865-8862 or at cnc3@psu.edu.

Contact: Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-863-9877 fax #251