Tasty Toppings

Food Safety Training leads to substantial improvements

Courtesy, Tasty Toppings

Tasty Toppings, Inc.
Nebraska Extension Partnership

2022

"The MEP and Food Processing Center (FPC) helped us improve the safety and quality of our products during production and storage, while meeting the requirements of the FDA. Having this training available to us locally, as well as the affordability of the training, is a great benefit to a small food manufacturer like ourselves. The ability to access the expertise of the FPC and Nebraska MEP to improve our processes was extremely helpful."

Ken Robinson, Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager

Food Safety Training leads to substantial improvements

Tasty-Toppings, Inc., is located in Duncan, Nebraska, and produces Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing. The company was incorporated in 1963, when the founding family sold the company. Currently Tasty-Toppings has approximately 25 employees. Product is available in over 30 states through retail grocery chains and can also be purchased online via Amazon and buynebraska.com.

The Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing was developed in the 1940’s by Dorothy Lynch while she and her husband ran the restaurant in the local legion club in St. Paul, NE. As it grew in popularity patrons of the lodge began to bring in bottles and jars from home asking them to be filled, thus leading to the commercialization of the product.

The Challenge

Tasty-Toppings, Inc., decided that it would be beneficial to attend a FSPCA (Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance) Human Food Course which was brought to their attention by the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), part of the MEP National Network™, and the Food Processing Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Tasty-Toppings determined that having a well educated preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI) in their company would contribute to the growth and safety of their food products.

MEP's Role

Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager Ken Robinson attended a 20-hour course offered through the Nebraska MEP and the University of Nebraska Food Processing Center (FPC). The course offered through the FPC is the “standardized curriculum” recognized by the FDA and will meet the requirements for a “preventive controls qualified individual.” This course is taught by lead instructors trained by the FSPCA, who have been instructed in how to teach the FDA-recognized standardized curriculum. This certification equipped him with the knowledge to implement quality and safe food processes and helped ensured Tasty-Toppings would continue to meet the requirements in their industry.