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Lessons learned when developing a bilingual food safety front-line worker training program

Horticulture & Turfgrass

Elena Rogers
Area Specialized Agent, Food Safety- Fresh Produce
North Carolina State University
Lenoir

Abstract

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires individuals who pack fresh fruits and vegetables or work in food manufacturing to receive food safety training relevant to their job responsibilities. Frontline employees play a critical role in ensuring safe food reaches consumers; however, training materials tailored specifically for this audience are limited. Effective training programs are important not only for meeting regulatory or third-party audit requirements but also for strengthening food safety culture within organizations. To address this need, Extension personnel at NC State University conducted a needs assessment with regulatory personnel and industry partners, along with a review of regulatory and third-party audit requirements. Based on these findings, a training program was developed to improve the food safety knowledge, behaviors, and skills of frontline workers. The program targets frontline employees while equipping supervisors with the resources needed to deliver training in both English and Spanish. The curriculum, originally developed in English and Spanish, consists of nine modules supplemented with short “huddle” trainings designed to reinforce key concepts over time. The program emphasizes the impact of employee behaviors on public health and consumer safety through practical scenarios and hands-on activities. To pilot the program, ten training sessions were delivered (seven in English and three in Spanish) to a total of 117 participants. Program effectiveness was evaluated using pre- and post-training assessments and interviews with supervisors. All participant groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements in test scores following the training intervention. Across groups, English-speaking participants scored higher than Spanish-speaking participants on both the pre- and post-tests (p ≤ 0.01). Interviews with managers indicated that increased food safety awareness contributed to employees taking greater ownership of their roles, demonstrating greater confidence in their actions, and becoming more engaged with food safety practices. Key findings emphasized the importance of providing sufficient background information when delivering food safety training in Spanish. Training programs should also consider workers’ education and literacy levels, cultural perspectives, motivations, and daily job responsibilities to build trust and create meaningful learning experiences.

Authors: Elena Rogers, Charisse Bautista, Lynette Johnston, Kate Nicholas, Natasha Sessoms, Michael Conroy
  1. Elena Rogers Area Specialized Agent, Food Safety- Fresh Produce, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, 28645
  2. Charisse Bautista Graduate Student, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, 27695
  3. Lynette Johnston Assistant Professor and Food Safety Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, 27695
  4. Kate Nicholas Extension Associate, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, 27695
  5. Natasha Sessoms E-learning developer , Natasha Sessoms LLC, North Carolina, 27695
  6. Michael Conroy Translator, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, 27695