In compliance with mandatory USDA and FDA regulations designed to prevent health hazards from low-acid and acidified canned foods, Dr. Paul Priyesh and his colleagues at the Food Systems Innovation Center (FSIC) offer the Better Process Control School (BPCS). This program provides essential certification for supervisors in thermal processing systems, acidification, and container closure evaluation.

The UK-FSIC, in partnership with the FDA and the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH), conducts the BPCS to certify supervisors from small- and medium-sized food processing businesses, ensuring they meet regulatory requirements and qualify for commercial licenses. The DPH Food Safety Branch mandates this certification for Kentucky processors and food businesses intending to sell acidified canned foods through retail chains and grocery stores, particularly across state lines.

This two-day training follows an FDA-approved curriculum, and participants must achieve at least 70% on each of the five post-chapter tests to receive certification. In 2025, six small- to medium-sized food processors and business owners from Kentucky, along with six senior food science students, successfully completed the workshop and earned their Better Process Control School Certification.