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PFC Employees and Others Attended US FDA and NOAA Training

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): December 2, 1997 - The Pohnpei Fisheries Corporation (PFC) Processing Facility and staff has been inspected and found to meet US requirements, PFC Chief Executive Officer James Movick informed Vice President Leo A. Falcam.

The inspection was conducted by two Consumer Safety Officers from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Sea Food Inspection Team who were in Pohnpei from October 6 to 10, 1997.

It was a primary goal of PFC to have the PFC plant certified for processing seafood for exportation as it is anticipated that the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) will soon require all fish processors and exporters to the US markets are certified, Movick stated.

Five PFC, one FSM Health Services and one Pohnpei State Environmental Protection Agency staff attended and successfully completed the NOAA Seafood Inspection training and were awarded certificate of completion.

Eleven PFC staffs successfully completed a FDA Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) workshop which was also conducted by FDA Officials.

PFC is probably the first facility in the Pacific Island Region to obtain this certification, Movick said.

Additionally, Movick said all PFC staff, in all areas of operation, should be commended for passing the difficult courses involved which in some cases require two attempts before one can successfully pass the test.

Funding for the training workshop was made available from the FSM Congress with the support of the Pohnpei Delegation.