Produce Safety Rule Supplemental Training and Grower Learning Impact: Experimental Evidence from Latin America

The Produce Safety Rule (PSR), implemented under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), mandates science-based training for produce growers to strengthen food safety practices. Recognizing limitations of standard training for international audiences, particularly in Latin America, a supplemental training package was developed to better support international compliance efforts. Yet limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of such interventions. This study evaluates the impact of supplemental training materials, comprising web-based videos, infographics, and memes, using a randomized controlled trial in Mexico, Chile, and Costa Rica. The experiment included 298 growers (149 owners/managers and 149 supervisors) who were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, and learning outcomes were assessed with pre- and post-training knowledge tests separately for each group. Results show that supplemental training improved knowledge scores by approximately 8% points (pp) for owners/managers and 7 pp for supervisors, with larger effects among compliers (11 pp and 8 pp, respectively). These findings demonstrate the potential of tailored interventions to enhance the effectiveness of FDA-recognized PSR grower training for international audiences. Strengthening grower knowledge at this stage of the compliance pathway supports broader food safety capacity-building and underscores the global relevance of FSMA implementation.