Advanced Acidified Foods (AF) & Low-Acid Foods (LAF) Virtual Training

What Days and Times?

This is a 5-day seminar, with 4 hours each day for a total of 20 hours. At the end of each day, there will be a short review of the topics and a multiply choice quiz to consolidate the most important leaning objective for each topic.

What Will Be Covered?

This seminar will cover advanced topics of interest for manufacturers of acidified foods (AF) and low acid foods (LAF) in the USA, or those importing these type of foods to the USA.

Who Should Attend?

Food industry individuals involved in the manufacturing of AF or LAF, managers in charge of training employees, and designated employees filing AF and/or LAF with FDA. Industry personnel, students from academia and regulatory inspectors are welcome to participate.

What Will You learn?

• The regulations covering AF and LAF
• Critical factors for AF and LAF
• The organization of schedule processes for AF and LAF
• What is a validation of thermal processing equipment for AF or LAF
• Most commonly used pasteurizers, retorts and aseptic systems
• The organisms of interest during validation of pasteurizers, retorts and aseptic systems

About the Instructor

Omar Oyarzabal, Ph.D.

Senior Consultant for Food Services

Senior Consultant for Food Services, Omar Oyarzabal, Ph.D. works directly with EAS’ Senior Director for Food Consulting Services to assure client satisfaction and project management. He develops food safety protocols per FSMA and HACCP regulations and facilitate client training programs while collaborating with EAS consultants and clients to provide excellence in service. Prior to consulting, Dr. Oyarzabal was an Associate Professor with the University of Vermont Extension. He was also the HACCP Coordinator for the State of Vermont USDA and Editor in Chief, Microbial Risk Analysis for Elsevier.

Dr. Oyarzabal holds many food safety certificates through the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) including Processing Authority, Seafood HACCP Lead Instructor, Sanitation Control Procedures (fish, fish products), Foreign Supplier Verification Program Lead Instructor, Sprout Safety Alliance Lead Instructor. He is also a Acidified Products Lead Instructor through the Better Process Control School. He is widely published in peer reviewed journals including International Journal of Molecular Science and industry publications such as Food Safety News, Food Safety Tech and Food Online. Dr. Oyarzabal’s Ph.D. is in Microbiology/Poultry Science Ph.D. from Auburn University.

Kurt L. Wiese, Ph.D.

Principal Scientist and Processing Authority at NASA.

Kurt Wiese received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Food Science and an M.S. in Mathematics all from the University of Arkansas. Dr. Wiese worked at Heekin Can, Inc., the National Food Processors Association (now GMA), Nestle’s (Purina and Gerber’s), Frito Lay, and as a Senior Process Engineer/Process Authority for the National Food Laboratory/Covance Food Solutions/Eurofins Microbiology. In these companies, he served and serves as a process authority including process recommendations, validations, deviation analysis, training (BPCS and thermal processing workshops). Dr. Kurt also has extensive experience in teaching the Better Process Control School.