In the wake of food safety scares involving Mexican strawberries, Odwalla apple juice and Washington apples, the University of California Cooperative Extension will hold a seminar for farmers, packers, processors and others in the food industry to ensure "Safe Food for the Central Valley - From Farm to Table."

The seminar will be from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Fresno County Farm Bureau office, 1274 W. Hedges, near Roeding Park in Fresno.

Specialists from throughout California will discuss microbial food safety, food safety legislation, pesticides, technology, new products, best practices and other topics. The keynote address features a presentation by a professional who can speak on food safety from experience. Frances Pabrua of the California Strawberry Commission will review recent food safety crises that have affected the strawberry industry and describe the Commission's "Working Model in Quality Assurance." Other presenters are:

• Louie Brown, director of national affairs for the California Farm Bureau Federation,
• Christine Bruhn, Ph.D., director of the Center for Consumer Research at UC Davis,
• Dennis Ferris, Ph.D., a food science and food systems management professor at California State University, Fresno
• Trevor Suslow, Ph.D., postharvest extension specialist, department of vegetable crops, UC Davis,
• Michael Thomas, DVM, an animal science professor and veterinarian at CSUF,
• Carl Winter, Ph.D., director of the Food Safe Program at UC Davis.

Registration before Sept. 22 is $30 ($15 for full-time students with ID). Late and on-site registration is $45 with no student discount available.

To register, send a check payable to "UC Regents" to: Stephanie Sharp, UCCE Fresno County, 1720 S. Maple Ave., Fresno, CA 93702-4516.

For information, contact Richard Molinar at (209) 456-7555 or e-mail rhmolinar@ucdavis.edu.

Jeannette Warnert
Public Information Representative
Ag and Natural Resources
UC Center
550 E. Shaw Avenue
Fresno, CA 93710