Food Safety Systems Management (FSSM) Professional Certificate Program was launched in 2017.
To ensure the sustainability of the certificate program in Armenia, four Armenian food safety and microbiology experts from the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) and the Armenian National Academy of Sciences assisted the American faculty in course delivery.
The hands-on course includes six modules to be taught during four weeks (one module for each week):
- Introduction to Food Safety
- HACCP
- Sanitation
- Food Microbiology
- Better Process Control Systems
- Food Defense
In the scope of the program, participants study the latest scientific research in food science and safety. Lab exercises and lectures covering six modules, including food defense, sanitation, and food microbiology, are coupled with field trips to local food processing companies like Armenia Wine, Noyan Juice and Marianna Dairy. These trips are organized to equip the students with hands-on experience and critical skills to further Armenia’s food safety. Students in the Food Safety Systems Management program meet from 9 am till 5 pm daily
Food safety is a very serious issue in Armenia, especially if the country wants to significantly expand the export of its food products and strengthen Armenia’s agriculture sector. The Food Safety Systems Management course will enable ICARE students to introduce international food safety standards into Armenia’s food industry. Three well-known Armenian food safety experts are co-teaching the course with their American colleagues and will take over teaching responsibilities next year: Zaruhi Davtyan and Sergey Chakhmakhchyan are from the Food Safety department of CARD (the Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development) Foundation, and Davit Pipoyan is an instructor at the EVN Wine Academy.
The certificate program at the Agribusiness Teaching Center was established through the USAID-funded Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education (InnovATE) program.