Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE, 3/4/16


With two new grants for regional food safety training centers announced this week, the USDA and FDA are approaching their goal to create a national grid of centers modeled on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

The centers are a key component in bringing information and outreach to small and medium-sized farms, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, as well as small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers.

The grants were awarded through the National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Grant Program funds regional centers. The training and education funded through the program should address a variety of agricultural production and processing systems, including conventional, sustainable, organic and conservation and environmental practices, according to the USDA.

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) collaborative program with FDA includes one national coordination center and four regional centers, all of which have now received awards.

The FDA-funded national coordination center will coordinate the overall program, while the regional centers will reach out into local communities to work with FSMA audiences and stakeholders across the country. Regional centers also will coordinate with one another through the national coordination center.

On Wednesday, the FDA awarded grants to Iowa State University to establish the North Central Regional Center for Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance and the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College to establish The Northeast Center for Food Safety, Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance.

NIFA awarded the first two grants for this program in October 2015, providing nearly $1.2 million in funding to the University of Florida to establish the Southern Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Center to Enhance Produce Safety and nearly $1.2 million to Oregon State University to establish the Western Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Center to Enhance Food Safety.

FDA announced in September 2015 that it had awarded the national coordination center grant to the International Food Protection Training Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.