Join Us for the 2025 NC Produce Safety Professionals Conference!

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The North Carolina Fresh Produce Safety Task Force invites produce growers, food safety coordinators, extension agents, food safety consultants, and professionals involved with produce farms to join us at the 2025 NC Produce Safety Professionals Conference. 

This event offers an excellent opportunity to remain informed about industry trends, food safety practices, and receive updates from regulatory partners, auditing companies, and Extension programs in North Carolina.

Event Details

Date and Time Location Registration/Cost

December 11, 2025

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

NC Farm Bureau Building

Address: 5301 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27612

The cost is $25.00 per participant includes lunch and coffee breaks.

Register and pay via eventbrite.

Deadline to register
December 5, 2025

No refunds will be issued 7 days before the event.

Tentative Agenda

9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

I. What is happening in the world of fresh produce safety?

9:10 a.m  Fresh Produce Safety Insights

9:30 a.m. Updates from food safety auditing companies for 2026

9:50 a.m. Challenges with the implementation of food safety programs faced by NC growers. Grower Panel.

10:10 a.m. Break

II. Gaining insight into food safety issues

10:30 a.m. Occurrence of PFAS in fresh produce production.

10:45 a.m. What growers and packers need to know about product recalls caused by a lesser known parasite: Cyclospora cayetanensis.

11:00 a.m. Tools used to identify food borne pathogens during outbreak investigations: The basics of Whole genome sequencing.

11:15 a.m. Learning from past outbreaks. An overview of findings from previous longitudinal studies carried out by the FDA. These studies have played a significant role in identifying on-farm sources of contamination and in developing food safety practices in the United States.

12:00 p.m. Catered Lunch (included with registration)

III. Resources for growers and produce industry

12:45 p.m. Overview of tool to determine annual regulatory and GAP third-party audit requirements for agricultural water used on produce farms throughout the growing season, at harvest and during post-harvest operations.

1:00 p.m. Assessing water quality in produce farms. Participants will divide into groups to analyze various scenarios that have affected produce farms and will present their findings.

1:40 p.m. Break

1:50 p.m. Resources for microgreen, mushrooms and edible flower growers.

2:00 p.m. Case study: Produce farms achieving notable efficiencies and savings through food safety practices.

2:30 p.m. Final thoughts and comments.

2:40 p.m. Adjourn

For additional information contact:

Elena Rogers, Area Specialized Agent, Food Safety- Fresh Produce at elena_rogers@ncsu.edu or (828)352-2519

Dr. Chip Simmons – Area Specialized Agent- Food Safety/Fresh Produce odsimmon@ncsu.edu or via phone at (919)414-5632

This event is organized by the North Carolina Fresh Produce Safety Task Force.

NC Fresh Produce Safety Task Force logo

Our partners include:

NC State University
NC A&T University
NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
NC Farm Bureau
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
L&M Companies
Global GAP

Written By

Elena Rogers, N.C. Cooperative ExtensionElena RogersArea Specialized Agent, Agriculture - Fresh Produce Food Safety (Western NC) Call Elena Email Elena Serves 49 Counties and EBCIBased out of Horticultural Science
Updated on Oct 21, 2025
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