Better Process Control School: Retort Certification Course
Meet FDA training requirements for low-acid-retorted food processors with this 100% online, self-paced training. This 9th Edition BPCS Course is the most up-to-date course available covering food safety information related to low-acid-retorted foods. Download the official certificate of completion.
Overview
This course is intended for individuals involved in food processing operations that utilize thermal processing of low-acid foods in retorts. The FDA requires that operators of thermal processing systems work under the direct supervision of a person who has completed a course provided by a recognized Better Process Control School (BPCS) provider. Registrar Corp is a recognized BPCS provider, and this course meets FDA requirements.
The BPCS Retort Training Course provides a comprehensive overview of the principles, regulations, and practices involved in ensuring the safety of low-acid foods in hermetically sealed containers.
- Principles of Thermal Processing: This includes an introduction to the basics of heat transfer, the different types of heat processing methods, and the factors that affect the efficacy of heat treatments.
- Microbiology of Thermally Processed Foods: This covers the different types of microorganisms that can contaminate foods, their growth characteristics, and their resistance to heat.
- Regulations and Industry Practices: This covers the regulatory requirements for processing low-acid and acidified foods, including the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system.
- Container Closure Evaluation: This covers the different types of containers used in thermal processing, the importance of container closure integrity, and the methods for evaluating container closure.
- Thermal Process Calculations: This covers the different types of heat processing calculations, such as D0, and Lethality, and the methods for calculating them.
- Recordkeeping: This covers the importance of maintaining accurate records during thermal processing, including batch records, processing records, and temperature monitoring records.
You will complete at least 7 of the 9 chapters. Each Chapter includes videos, followed by interactive exercises that allow you to work with the information, and practice using it using real-world scenarios. There are interactive exercises within the training which you must pass, with a score of 80%, to move on to the next. If you do not pass, you may try again.
Please note: It is recommended that students purchase the Book, Canned Foods: Principles of Thermal Process Control, Acidification and Container Closure Evaluation (9th Edition), separately ($125). It is available:
- in printed form from Consumer Brands
- in Kindle format from Amazon
Agenda
- Introduction to Better Process Control School
- Microbiology of Thermally Processed Foods
- Sanitation for Retorts and Atmospheric Cookers
- Closures for Double Seamed Metal and Plastic Containers, or, Closures for Glass and Twist-off Plastic Containers, or Flexible and Semirigid Containers
- Introduction to Thermal Processing
- Retort Equipment and Operation
- Batch Saturated Steam Retorts: Still and Agitating, or Continuous Rotary Retorts or Still and Agitating Retorts that process with Overpressure, or Hydrostatic Retorts
Instructor
Dr. Edna Negrón, President of Puerto Rico Food Safety and Quality Services. Ms. Negrón was the Founder and Coordinator of the Food Science and Technology MS Program for 22 years at the University of PR. She has over 25 years of national and international experience designing training in Food Safety and Quality Programs, has coordinated and taught BPCS courses since 1987, and has conducted training for the State Health Department, State Department of Agriculture Programs, GOYA-PR, Goya-TX, Coca-Cola-PR, SIGMA- Mexico, PepsiCo-PR, Panamerican Grain, Cidrines, Cervecera-PR, Campofresco, Carmela, among many others locally and in RD, Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Trinidad Tobago, and Spain. She is a Lead Instructor of FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food, Preventive Controls for Animal Food, and Foreign Supplier Verification Program, a HACCP Trainer for Meat and Poultry, Juice, and Seafood HACCP and SCP. She is an NSF Certified Internal auditor and ISO 9001 Certified Internal Auditor. She was a member of the National Advisory Committee of Meat and Poultry of FSIS-USDA. She was also the recipient of a 2003 Award Recognition for Levering Food Safety Efforts with the FDA.
Juan Manuel Cevallos-Cevallos, Regulatory Specialist, Food Canning Establishment Department at Registrar Corp, has a Ph.D. and an M.Sc. in Food Science and Human Nutrition, MAB in Agribusiness and B.Sc. in Food Engineering. He has been Director of the Biotechnology Research Center, ESPOL, Full Professor in charge of biotechnological research at the University. He has authored over 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals and worked on multiple industry projects in the area of microbiology and food.
Mayra G. Villacis, Food Canning Establishment Department Manager at Registrar Corp, Has an M.Sc. in Food and Resource Economics and a B.Sc. in Food Engineering. Ms. Villacis assists companies in the US and around the world to meet LACF compliance requirements. She develops presentations and workshops to train other Regulatory Specialists on LACF regulations and speaks at conferences in the U.S., Mexico, and South America.
Cynthia Weber, Director of Online Training, has over 25 years of national and international experience in Food Safety Management. She has designed resources, training, consulting, and documentation tools for food safety systems including PCQI, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, SQF, BRCGS, and ISO 9001 which have been used worldwide. Ms. Weber has also been a registered SQF Trainer and consultant, an approved trainer (ATP) for BRCGS, a Lead Auditor for GFSI Schemes, participated in the Approved Training Organization Program with FSSC 22000 and was an FSSC 22000 approved trainer. She is a Lead Instructor for FSPCA.
FAQ
Is there a final test?
There is no final test. There are interactive exercises throughout the training. You must score 80% on the exercises in order to move on. If you do not, you may retake that section until you score 80% or above.