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Food and Beverage Industry
The Georgia Food Industry is the largest industry sector in the state, in terms of total employment, average employee size per firm, and millions of dollars in output. Food manufacturing employs 63,000 people in more than 800 food and beverage companies in Georgia and is home to a third of America’s Top 100 Food Manufacturing Companies. To better serve this niche market, GaMEP employs food manufacturing experts to assist with industry needs.
- GaMEP offers a Food Safety Cohort, which is consists of six 1-day sessions, held over three months, and is designed to help food and beverage manufacturers create a Food Safety Plan that complies with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This cohort brings together individuals from different companies, who are responsible for food safety and governmental compliance, for in-depth training and guidance from food safety experts. Due to a grant, GaMEP is able to offer this program, valued at $12,000, to manufacturers at no cost. For more information on the program and the next session, click here.
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs and cGMPs) for Food and Beverage Manufacturing Short Course
- GMPs consist of personal hygiene rules, plant and environmental conditions, and sanitary equipment to ensure that food is being manufactured, stored, and distributed under sanitary conditions. This is a foundational prerequisite program for any HACCP and Food Safety Plan. This live, virtual 4-hour class covers GMPs needed for USDA facilities, FDA FSMA cGMPs, and those required for third-party audits and customers.
- Date: December 15, 2020
- Time: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Location: Live, Webcast
- Cost $250
- Click for more information and to register
- Food Allergen Short Course
- Cases of adults and children who suffer from food allergies is on the rise, and mislabeling of food allergens is one of the leading causes of recalls in America. This is a foundational prerequisite program for any HACCP and Food Safety Plan. This live, virtual 5-hour class covers the regulatory requirements for allergen labeling, how to develop and maintain an Allergen Control Plan, and effective employee training.
- Date: December 18, 2020
- Time: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Location: Live, Webcast
- Cost $250
- Click for more information and to register
- Preventive Controls Qualified Individual Certification Class
- Become your plant’s Preventative Control Qualified Individual (PCQI), FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act requirement for every FDA-registered food facility. Two-part class, with the first part being offered through an online course outside of GaMEP. Once you register for part 2, we’ll provide you with the link to register for part 1.
- Date: TBA
- Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Location: Live, Webcast
- Cost $395
- Click for more information
- Georgia Regulatory Breakfast
- Opportunity for food safety professionals to hear the newest regulatory updates directly from: GDA, USDA FSIS, FDA and others.
- Date: November 5th
- Time: 8:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Location: WebEx
- Cost: There is not a cost for this event.
- Click to Register
Food Industry-Specific Services
Food Safety Compliance
On average, recalls can cost a food company $10 million in direct costs, damage to the brand, and lost sales. How would this impact your business? Assess your facility to meet food safety regulations and stay-up-to-date on the most recent standards. Download the Food Safety Compliance Flyer.
Food Safety Management Systems
Implement, audit, and train your team on food safety management standards. By meeting food safety certification requirements you will prevent food safety recalls, increase customer satisfaction, and expand your marketability. Download the Food Safety Management Systems Flyer.
Strategy & Leadership Development Services
Managing for Daily Improvement
Get your team on board to fully support your organization’s direction. By directly involving them in developing key performance indicators, they will understand how to measure for good and bad days, communicate more effectively, increase their problem-solving skills, and support process improvement efforts. Download the Managing for Daily Improvement Flyer.
Technology Services
Automation Assessment
Whether you have some automation in your plant and want to incorporate more or you are looking at using automation for the first time, GaMEP, as an unbiased party to any technology in the marketplace, will conduct a gap assessment to provide you with automation knowledge and recommendations. Download the Automation Assessment Flyer.
Quality Services
Lean Six Sigma Training
Get White, Yellow, Green, or Black Belt training for your organization and develop Lean Six Sigma Champions to help improve the efficiency of your production process while simultaneously eliminating waste from the process. Download the Lean Six Sigma Training Flyer.
Lean & Process Improvement Services
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
Address equipment breakdowns, high maintenance repair costs, missed deliveries, and quality problems due to equipment issues in order to achieve the ultimate goal of zero losses. Download the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Flyer.
- Georgia Association of Food Protection (GAFP): https://www.gafoodprotection.org/
- South Eastern International Association of Food Technologists (SEIFT): https://www.southeasternift.org/
- Georgia Environmental Health Professionals (GEHA): https://geha-online.wildapricot.org/
- Georgia Grown: https://georgiagrown.com/
- Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Audits: https://mygfsi.com/
- UGA Food Product Innovation Center (Food PIC): https://foodpic.uga.edu/
- FSMA Site: https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-regulation-food-and-dietary-supplements/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma
- FSMA Rules & Guidance for the Industry: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-rules-guidance-industry
- FSMA Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/frequently-asked-questions-fsma
- FSMA Training – See Training Section Above
- Food and Drug Administration – FDA (FSMA) https://www.fda.gov/food
- All food production except Meat, Poultry, or Eggs
- Georgia Department of Agriculture – GDA http://agr.georgia.gov/
- Same as FDA
- Georgia Department of Public Health – GDPH https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/food-service
- Brewery, Food Truck, & Food Service
- United States Department of Agriculture – USDA FSIS https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/home
- Meat, Poultry, Eggs