As with any manufacturer of products designed to be consumed, cannabis edibles companies need certain measures in place to ensure they’re making a safe, high-quality product. Participating in cannabis safety training to ensure your entire operation knows how to make safe products will establish your company as a responsible supplier to the edibles market.
This blog from ImEPIK will identify key individuals throughout the cannabis edibles supply chain who will benefit from online training courses, as well as the value of training throughout the supply chain.
Level I: GMPs and The Pyramid of Edible Safety
This course educates employees on the importance of food safety in edibles production and introduces them to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), hazard analysis, and other concepts that are the building blocks of a successful food safety program.
Topics covered in the Level I course include:
- Good Cannabis Practices (GCPs) that are unique to the cannabis edibles industry;
- Why the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) model works for edibles safety;
- Edible safety culture;
- Hazards in the production environment and GMPs; and
- Controlling cross-contact and cross-contamination.
Employees who should enroll in this cannabis safety training include:
- Cultivation — trimmers and post harvesters;
- Manufacturing — edibles specialists, production technicians and packaging employees; and
- Retail — vice president/director of operations, general manager, and new employees.
Level II: The Edible Safety Plan
The second-level course takes a deeper dive into hazard analysis, preventive controls, and the edibles safety plan. The Edible Safety Plan helps companies create a culture of food safety, which is essential for quality edibles manufacturing.
The Level II modules include:
- Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in the Production Environment;
- Hazard Analysis and the Process Flow Diagram;
- Sanitation Preventive Controls and Allergen Preventive Controls;
- Supply Chain Preventive Controls and Recall Plan; and
- Scenario Work for the Edible Safety Plan.
Level II also comes with Level I. Because the Level II course delves deeper into edibles safety plans, it is designed for supervisors and managers of food safety and quality programs, including:
- Cultivation — director of cultivation and grow manager;
- Extraction — quality assurance and compliance managers, director of extractions and chemists; and
- Manufacturing — vice president, general manager and production supervisors.
Level III: PCQI Online FSMA Training
FSMA mandates that food facilities have at least one person in the role of Preventive Controls Qualified Individual, or PCQI. These individuals ensure edible manufacturers are prepared for inspections and audits through training on the FSMA’s Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) Rule.
The interactive, scenario-based PCQI course covers current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs, preventive controls, and the concepts needed to build and implement a food safety plan, including verification/validation procedures, recall plans, and record-keeping procedures.
Level III topics include:
- Personnel: Roles and Responsibilities for Food Safety;
- The Written Food Safety Plan;
- Supply Chain Controls;
- The Recall Plan and Record-Keeping with Related Rules; and
- Building the Food Safety Plan.
ImEPIK’s Cannabis Safety Training for Edibles Covers Critical Jobs
ImEPIK’s interactive learning platform allows employees to proceed through the cannabis safety training at their own pace. Upon completion, they will have gained the knowledge and skills needed to make high-quality edibles that are safe to eat.
Contact us today to start your food safety training journey. ImEPIK also offers team discount packages, allowing multiple members of your team to take advantage of our comprehensive training program.