Three-day HACCP workshop helps seafood industry professionals strengthen food safety practices and earn an official certification.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) is conducting a three-day Basic Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) workshop to strengthen food safety knowledge among seafood industry workers. The programme is designed to help participants understand how potential hazards can be identified and controlled throughout seafood handling and processing.
The training covers biological, chemical and physical food safety hazards, along with methods for identifying critical control points, establishing safe operating limits and monitoring processes. Participants are also trained to take corrective action when problems occur and verify that food safety procedures are working effectively.
The workshop is intended for seafood dealers, processors, employees and other professionals involved in seafood handling. Mississippi students and restaurant employees are also encouraged to participate, providing broader access to food safety knowledge across the seafood and food-service sectors.
The 2026 workshop is being held from September 15 to 17 in Biloxi, Mississippi. The programme is free for Mississippi residents, while out-of-state participants are charged $160. The class is limited to the first 25 registrants, and participants who successfully complete the course receive an official certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO).
The Seafood HACCP programme was developed by AFDO and the National Seafood HACCP Alliance and meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration training requirements under 21 CFR Part 123. The training focuses on preventive food safety practices that can be applied during seafood processing, packaging, storage and distribution.
The initiative is supported through funding from the Mississippi Tidelands Trust Fund Program. Through the workshop, MDMR is providing seafood industry participants with practical knowledge intended to support safer seafood handling and strengthen food safety practices across Mississippi’s seafood sector.