The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced that 35 research projects have been selected for funding totaling nearly $24 million to improve food safety by helping control microbial and chemical contamination in various foods.
“Foodborne illness affects approximately one in six Americans each year, making USDA’s investment in food safety science a high priority that will have direct impact on thousands of lives,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director. “Our goal is to reduce the number of illnesses and protect the food supply through research, education and Extension efforts focused on all levels of the food chain – from farm to fork.”
NIFA made the awards through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) Food Safety program. The program’s goal is to protect consumers from microbial and chemical contaminants that may occur in the food chain, from production to consumption. This year, AFRI’s Food Safety program focused on developing effective mitigation strategies for antimicrobial resistance, understanding the physical and molecular mechanisms of food contamination, and improving the safety of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. In addition, the program addressed critical and emerging food safety hazards to help prevent contamination and outbreaks.
The AFRI Food Safety program comprises four sub-programs. The following projects have been selected for awards in each sub-program:
Addressing Critical and Emerging Food Safety Issues
University of Georgia, Athens, GA, $298,799
Iowa State University, Ames, IA, $298,686
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, $299,999
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, $299,999
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, $299,989
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, $299,955
Effective Mitigation Strategies for Antimicrobial Resistance
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, $29,872
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, $800,000
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, $799,958
Improving the Safety of Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, $414,185
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, $424,955
University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, $424,930
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, $423,204
Iowa State University, Ames, IA, $424,846
Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, $209,928
University of Maryland, College Park, MD, $424,999
Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO, $147,110
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, $147,603
University of Houston, Houston, TX, $304,163
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, $424,983
Physical and Molecular Mechanisms of Food Contamination
University of California, Davis, CA, $499,921
University of California, Davis, CA, $499,946
University of Delaware, Newark, DE, $499,802
Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, $500,000
Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, $499,953
University of Georgia, Athens, GA, $499,848
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, $498,413
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, $499,429
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, $499,941
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, $495,950
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, $380,121
North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, $497,723
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, $499,568
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, $500,000
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, $27,500
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and Extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.
