Division of Agriculture to host sanitation, Listeria workshop
June 17, 2025
By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Workshop scheduled Aug. 12-14
- Training for all types of food processing facilities
- $250 registration fee; $50 for students, Division of Agriculture staff
- Register online
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LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will host a sanitation and Listeria prevention workshop at the Cooperative Extension Service Little Rock State Office on Aug. 12-14.
The workshop is designed for food safety, sanitation and operations managers overseeing food production facilities that are subject to inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or state health authorities.
Listeria is a bacteria that can thrive in food environments and cause major illness when ingested.
Bill Potter, extension food safety and poultry processing specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said the workshop is for anyone involved in optimizing sanitation best practices, including management, plant sanitation leaders and staff, engineers, food safety and quality assurance personnel.
“Attendees will get the latest updates from technical experts on sanitation best practices and Listeria prevention in food production,” Potter said. “The workshop will include hands-on exercises, networking and training completion certificates. This training will be valuable to any food plant producing ready-to-eat or non-ready-to-eat food items.”
The workshop will begin at 1 p.m. on Aug. 12 and conclude at 4:30 p.m. The second day of the workshop will begin at 9 a.m. and last until 4:30 p.m. The final day of the workshop, Aug. 14, will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at noon.
In addition to Division of Agriculture personnel, individuals from Fortrex, Vincit, ChemStation and HACCP Consulting Group will also provide training and instruction.
The standard cost to attend the workshop is $250. Students and Division of Agriculture staff can attend for $50. To register, visit https://uada.formstack.com/forms/sanitation_listeria_lr. The registration deadline is Aug. 8.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact Bill Potter at bpotter@uark.edu as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media Contact:
Ryan McGeeney
rmcgeeney@uada.edu
501-671-2120