Produce Inspection Training Program

IFPA/USDA Produce Inspection Training

International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) have partnered together to host the Produce Inspection Training Program to provide industry members with instruction on the fundamentals of produce inspection.

The Produce Inspection Training Program provides substantive, hands-on instruction from Specialty Crop experts to stakeholders throughout the produce supply chain. During this training, students develop advanced knowledge in quality standards, inspection and grading, and USDA produce inspection procedures and requirements. Each course includes an online fundamentals component and three days of hands-on produce inspection training sessions. A range of commodities will be selected for the hands-on portion to represent industries that participants represent or request.

This is a hybrid event. There are online "Fundamentals of Market Inspections" modules (roughly 10 hours of content) that open on October 21 and must be completed by November 18, 2024. Participants will receive the Blackboard link on October 21.

A Hands-On Produce Inspection Training will take place on December 3-5 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m in Fredericksburg, VA.

Capacity: 25 Participants

Who should attend: If you receive, handle, buy, ship or sell produce, this course has been handcrafted for you!

Pricing: $2,175 for members, $2,775 for non-members

Cancellation Policy: IFPA will issue a full refund of the registration fee minus a $75 processing fee for cancellation requests received on or before October 7. IFPA will not issue refunds after October 7. Company substitutions are acceptable. Participants who do not complete the online modules by November 18th will not be able to attend the hands-on portion and will not be given a refund.

Additional Information: Travel, meals, and lodging are each attendee's responsibility. There is a parking lot at the training facility at no cost. Lunch is not provided at the facility (aside from the first day of training), but there are a variety of restaurants within driving distance.

Personalized Facility Produce Inspection Training

IFPA's Personalized Facility Produce Inspection Training Program, in partnership with International Produce Training (IPT), is hands-on inspection instruction designed specifically for companies wishing to train the entire team on-site at their facility.

Instructors will travel to your facility and train your team to become more proficient and knowledgeable about quality control standards, inspection grading, USDA produce procedures and requirements, and much more.

Training Options and Pricing

This training can be personalized for your company's needs. These are the most common training options and price points:

2-Day Training: This option covers basic inspection training (classroom instruction), plus 5-8 commodities of your choosing. Price point is $15,000 (flat fee) for IFPA members and $20,000 for non-members.

3-Day Training: This option covers basic inspection training (classroom instruction), plus 9-14 commodities of your choosing. Price point is $17,000 (flat fee) for IFPA members and $22,000 for non-members.

Instructors

Tom Yawman, Founder & CEO, International Produce Training

After retiring from the USDA, Tom founded International Produce Training (IPT) in 2007. Simply by listening, he has established a working knowledge of effective training methods using formal training supplemented by “hands on” training. Inspecting commodities alongside the participants, teaching proper cutting methods when looking for internal defects, sampling techniques to ensure inspection results are accurate for the lot(s) being inspected, and identifying defects and their tolerances, has proved to be very rewarding. This experience has given him the confidence to train individuals on how to inspect produce based on industry-specific standards or specs and/or U.S. Grade Standards.

Paul Manol, Vice President / Lead Instructor, International Produce Training

Paul has over 45 years experience in the agricultural industry, both domestically and internationally, developing and applying inspection, grading, and marketing standards for fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, pulses, and legumes. Looking back at all of his experiences with the USDA, serving as a Trainer for fruit and vegetable inspection was his real area of passion. It afforded him an opportunity to develop produce inspection training materials utilized by USDA licensed inspectors as well as by the produce industry. Providing inspection and standards training for produce buyers, salespeople, and quality control/assurance inspectors also gave Paul first-hand knowledge of industry needs pertaining to quality assessment of fresh products.

Ask Questions or Discuss Personalized Training Options

Alison Saltzmann

Food Safety Support Coordinator

+1(202)303-3401 Email Alison Saltzmann