Agricultural News
USDA Awards Grants to Oklahoma and Others to Improve Food Safety
Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:33:57 CST
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan visited Michigan State University today to announce that USDA has awarded 17 grants to improve the safety of the food supply in the United States through research, education and extension. USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants, totaling $10.4 million, to universities in 13 states to help address a broad spectrum of food safety issues. Michigan State University was awarded three grants in total.
"With millions of Americans contracting food-borne illnesses each year, USDA is committed to supporting research that improves the safety of our nation's food supply," said Merrigan. "Primarily, we expect that the research and education spurred by these grants will find solutions to some pressing food safety issues. Additionally, we want to help American consumers, restaurant employees, and teachers put new food safety principles into practice. Ensuring the safety of food is a top priority for USDA, and we will continue to work with our public and private sector partners on developing solutions to decrease potential risks."
NIFA made the awards through the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative (NIFSI), which addresses a broad spectrum of food safety concerns, from on-farm production, post-harvest processing and distribution, to food selection, preparation and consumption. Focused on integrated approaches to food safety, NIFSI projects combine research at colleges and universities, education in the classroom, and outreach to a variety of groups, including consumers, foodservice workers, teachers, federal agencies, and farmers.
In fiscal year 2011, NIFA awarded $10.4 million to 17 projects in 13 states:
Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $100,000
University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., $542,969
Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Ga., $100,000
University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., $535,725
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass., $424,878
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $542,824
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $543,000
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $1,809,934
North Carolina State University, Raleigh., N.C., $541,621
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $1,864,665
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., $543,000
Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., $542,607
Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., $542,999
Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tenn., $100,000
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., $542,977
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, $540,326
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., $541,313
Click here for a full list of awardees and more detailed information on each..
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