This image problem so troubled the National Fisheries Institute that they requested that HACCP be adopted and made mandatory. "This step was market driven," explains Rippen, who is currently examining the HACCP monitoring and recordkeeping procedures in small seafood plants. "Buyers want assurance that seafood dealers are operating under the HACCP program."

Rippen and several of his Extension colleagues are working with food industries in Maryland and elsewhere to help them understand HACCP principles and develop HACCP plans.

According to Rippen, training for the seafood industry is a major goal of the National Seafood HACCP Alliance, which has developed a core curriculum and produced a training manual. Faculty at universities with Sea Grant colleges are hosting HACCP training programs for representatives of industry, the FDA and state agencies. For example, Rippen and colleagues at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science recently conducted a HACCP workshop for 247 soft-shell crab producers in Maryland and Virginia.

Individually or as a team, Schlimme, Dr. Scott Rankin, Extension dairy processing specialist, and Dr. Mark A. Kantor, Extension nutrition and food science specialist, have shared the HACCP message with several other industries, including dairy and meat producers, apple cider packers, and a fresh-cut produce supplier. The trio’s interdisciplinary approach to training works, according to Rankin, because "our audiences are dealing with the same pathogens, which can often be avoided or eliminated by similar procedures."

Nevertheless, each program is tailored to the specific needs of the company. For example, training for the employees of Cool Cuts, the fresh-cut produce supplier, emphasized continuous measuring of the level of chlorine in the chlorine-and-water solution vegetables are washed in. "Checking the monitoring instruments and recording levels is necessary for good quality control," says Kantor.

Although HACCP was originally designed for the food industry, its prevention principles can be adapted to food service operations as well, according to Kantor. "Recordkeeping is different and not as extensive, but restaurants, dining halls, and nursing homes all need a food safety plan covering the period of time from when food arrives at the establishment to the time it gets to the table," he says.

Another group that could benefit from HACCP principles is that of "occasional food handlers," such as church and fire hall volunteers who prepare meals for large groups of people.

Sandra Womack, Extension family and consumer sciences educator in Charles County, Helen Williams, Extension family and consumer sciences educator in Prince George’s County, and Constance Pergerson, Extension family and consumer sciences educator in Anne Arundel County, received a grant from USDA and UMES to address food safety issues affecting this audience. The grant provided for a series of ten 3-hour programs in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s counties.

The goal of the sessions, which were taught in collaboration with sanitarians in each county Health Department, was to teach participants about the importance of safe food handling, the principle causes of foodborne illness, and regulations relating to safe food handling. Speakers explained how to develop and plan a sanitary flow of food from purchase to transport, storage, and service. They also distributed a variety of food safety materials from USDA, FDA, Maryland Cooperative Extension, and other organizations.

The need for such a program is clear, according to Dr. Frankie Schwenk, assistant director of youth and family programs for Maryland Cooperative Extension. "Nationally, 35 percent of elementary school-age children eat no fruit, and 20 percent eat no vegetables on a given day," says Dr. Schwenk. "In addition, 90 percent of children consume more than the recommended level of fat."

Studies have demonstrated a link between children’s diet and classroom performance. So efforts to help students achieve their full academic potential must also involve efforts to teach them about the importance of good nutrition and ensure that the meals they eat at school and at home meet dietary guidelines.

The program has two components: technical assistance and training, which supports school food service personnel by giving them the tools and skills they need to implement USDA’s School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children, and a nutrition education program designed to motivate and empower children to make healthy food choices.

Schools participating in Team Nutrition represent the community focal point for individuals and organizations with a shared interest in working for healthier school meals and more nutrition for children and their families.

In 1997, Maryland received a $300,000 USDA Team Nutrition grant—the largest in the nation. The funds were divided equally between Extension and the Department of Education.

As the first major effort of the grant, the two organizations held a "Planting the Seeds of Team Nutrition" awareness training meeting in November. The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate the involvement of state and county agencies on issues related to Team Nutrition. Presenters provided information on school meals, Extension networking capabilities, and local Team Nutrition competitive mini-grants. Participants, including food and nutrition supervisors, school teachers, health educators, community supporters, Extension faculty, and Health Department employees, began to investigate partnerships for providing local Team Nutrition programs. Teams were established, each including food service staff, Extension educators, and representatives of at least one community organization.

In February 1998, 15 of these teams received training grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to help them assist schools in promoting healthy school meals and developing effective nutrition education classroom activities. The money will be used to fund such enterprises as the purchase of Team Nutrition classroom kits; the training of teachers and food service personnel; the development of educational publications and displays; the establishment of vegetable gardens; and field trips to farms, food stores, and food preparation laboratories at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Interested school systems will have a second opportunity to submit proposals in July 1998.

Baltimore County: Students at five elementary schools will gain a better understanding of the importance of daily breakfast and will learn the sources of foods they eat by participating in activities ranging from farm visits to field trips to food stores.

Calvert County: Second and third graders at two schools will grow tomatoes and leaf lettuce. School food service staff will help prepare harvested lettuce for a Salad Festival.

Caroline County: Third to fifth graders (and their parents) will learn to expand the variety in their diets; include more fruits, vegetables, and grains; and reduce dietary fat. Grant funds will be used to purchase Team Nutrition classroom kits and train teachers in their use.

Carroll County: The grant team will establish a county nutrition task force composed of food service representatives, health department personnel, and members of the PTA and other community groups. The team also plans to sponsor nutrition fairs and a school-sponsored family activity through which children will teach their parents about nutrition.

Cecil County: Middle school students will do a self-assessment of their nutrition and fitness status and will set one goal for improvement in each area, using journals to identify barriers and track progress. The grant team plans to establish an interactive obstacle course designed to teach students about the impact of nutrition and fitness on heart health.

Charles County: The second grade at Gale Bailey Elementary will hold a Taste-a-Thon. The grant team will prepare parent packets including nutrition information and healthy recipes and will develop educational displays for classrooms and the school dining room.

Dorchester County: The grant team will develop a nutrition and physical fitness brochure and conduct nutrition activities in schools. The goal is to share useful nutrition information with 1,000 elementary school students and their parents by July 1999.

Harford County: School meals staff will be trained to educate students and parents on the Food Guide Pyramid’s relationship to school meals. Grant money also will be used to expand existing nutrition curriculum and conduct various classroom activities, including planting a vegetable garden.

Kent County: Students will develop an awareness of "food insecurity," which occurs when people worry about where they will get food to eat. Activities will include a Hunger Awareness Day and a food drive, during which students will sort donated food items into their appropriate section of the Food Guide Pyramid.

Montgomery County: Health education teachers and school meals staff will receive training in the use of USDA Team Nutrition kits and other nutrition education materials. The project is designed as a model that can be ongoing and replicated.

Prince George’s County: Students at Flintstone Elementary, many of whom care for themselves and other household members, will learn how to prepare healthy, low-cost meals. Students will plan menus, make lists, shop at the market, and prepare meals.

St. Mary’s County: Students at Spring Ridge Middle School will develop a theme and name for the school dining room. A vegetable and herb garden will be planted to help children learn about vitamins and minerals in food. The team hopes to do a community tasting event, featuring foods harvested from the garden.

Somerset County: Grant money will be used to fund the School Nutrition Adventure Program (SNAP), which will include taste-testing events, farm visits, and a tour of food preparation laboratories at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Talbot County: Students at Easton High will conduct nutrition surveys and design nutrition-related billboards for the school cafeteria. They will also take part in a nutrition fair, which will include 15+ stations focusing on good nutrition and fitness. At SS. Peter and Paul Elementary, grant money will be used to introduce new recipes in the school dining room, for tasting parties, and for other nutrition education activities.

During February and March, Judy Pugh, an Extension family and consumer sciences educator, taught a series of nutrition education classes called "Now You’re Cookin’: Healthy Foods from Around the World."

As she prepared various dishes, Pugh discussed the fat and sodium content of the ingredients. She cautioned participants that some condiments, such as soy sauce, contain large amounts of sodium and advised them to use reduced-salt varieties. "Even then," she added, "it’s important to remember that ‘reduced-salt’ doesn’t mean ‘low-salt.’"

While many people have no trouble believing that Asian cooking is low in fat and high in fiber, they find it inconceivable that French food can be good for them. But Pugh made believers of her students. In addition to Normandy pork with calvados cream sauce, their French feast included oven-roasted asparagus with herbs and chocolate merengues filled with strawberries.

"People think of French food—especially deserts—as being really rich and fattening," explains Pugh. "But merengues are made with egg whites and sugar and contain no fat."

And participants really liked them. Donna Thorp prepared them for her family, substituting mixed berries for strawberries because "that’s what I had," and they were a great success.

Hands-on experience played a part in many of the classes, with participants helping to prepare some of the recipes. When all the dishes were ready, they sat down to enjoy the fruits—and vegetables—of their labors. They gamely tasted new foods—such as persimmons and jicama—and tried out new utensils, such as chopsticks. "It’s an opportunity to try something new, to broaden your horizons," explained Nicolina Murphy, a frequent participant at Extension programs.

Once a week, she conducted 2 1/2-hour classes for young parents (mostly women) ranging in age from 14 to 23. Some of her "students" had substance abuse problems; all had emotional problems. None had finished high school.

Holmes began at the beginning — with basic nutrition information; she introduced participants to the Food Guide Pyramid and explained how to use it as a dietary decision-making tool. She then covered the essentials of food safety, such as proper sanitation, cooking temperatures, and holding times. And last but not least, she taught students how to prepare some tasty, nutritious foods, such as stir-fry chicken, yeast bread, and one-dish casseroles.

Classes combined lecture, demonstration, and hands-on experience. After helping Holmes prepare the food and set the table, students sat down for a meal and follow-up discussion. "This was an important part of the class," says Holmes. "Most of these young men and women were not used to eating together with family members or conversing during a meal."

Each week, participants received the non-perishable components of the meal they had made and were encouraged to practice the recipes at home. At the conclusion of the 10-week program, they received certificates of completion.

Recognizing a need for nutrition and food safety information in Maryland’s Vietnamese community, Bui volunteers her time at a Vietnamese-language radio station to help fill this informational void.

"Nutrition and food safety education is something new to most Vietnamese-Americans," Bui explains. "In Vietnam, there was no written information about such subjects. Information would be shared by word of mouth, but it wasn’t always accurate."

Bui became involved with the radio station about a year ago, after one of the announcers attended her EFNEP classes. The announcer was so impressed that she asked Bui to share her information with the station’s listeners. Bui now takes to the airwaves once or twice a month.

Radio provides an excellent medium for education, according to Bui, because people listen to it at work, at home, and even in their cars. Initially, the show reached some 600 listeners in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The station’s programming now reaches audiences as far away as Georgia and Louisiana.

Bui bases her radio discussions on the EFNEP curriculum, translating and shortening the material for a broadcast format. She also responds to questions that listeners have sent or called in to the station.

Introduced in 1991, the classes offer a thematic approach to nutrition, with a different focus each month, ranging from healthy microwave meals to "Bread in a Bag." The 1998 schedule opened with a class on warm winter soups and will conclude in December with "Healthy Holiday Treats." It also will include a perennial favorite called "Gifts from the Kitchen," which, like many of the sessions, involves demonstration, hands-on experience, and taste-testing. Last year, participants rotated through several "gift stations" around the room, making a different food gift at each one.

Each class is offered once during the day and once in the evening. Attendance is limited to 36 people; this ensures that everyone can clearly see the demonstration and that each person gets to taste the foods prepared. "I feel strongly that my nutrition classes should convey an important educational message— through the demonstration, the hands-on opportunities, and the tasting," says Corridon. "It’s important that participants know that foods can be tasty as well as good for them."

As part of her effort to provide research-based information in a palatable format, Corridon reviews relevant nutrition data, tests recipes that complement the lesson, collects hand-out materials, and sets up for and practices the demonstrations. She then prepares six to eight dishes in an hour.

The results of her efforts are greatly appreciated, according to regular participant Kathy Breeze. "Sandy teaches us how to cook food in a healthy, low-fat manner using a variety of fruits and vegetables in new and different recipes," says the Myersville resident and National Cancer Institute employee. "And everything she shows us is healthy, nutritious, and delicious. I end up using at least two recipes from every class." Among Breeze’s favorites are a fresh apple cake in a jar and pumpkin bread, both of which make great gifts.

The classes, which cost $3 each to cover demonstration materials and handouts, are popular and have a devoted following. Approximately a third of the participants return month after month, and waiting lists are established frequently. As one regular participant wrote in a follow-up evaluation, "I’m not going to tell my friends about your classes any more. It’s getting so I have trouble getting in the classes — I was on a waiting list!!!" Fortunately for dedicated clients such as this, when the waiting list for a particular class grows to 10 or more, Corridon adds another session.