USDA Awards $10.4 million In Food Safety Grants
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $10.4 million in grants to 15 state universities to improve the safety of the nation’s food supply through research and education.
The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants through its National Integrated Food Safety Initiative, which addresses a broad spectrum of food safety concerns, from on-farm production, post-harvest processing and distribution, to food selection, preparation and consumption.
The 2011 grants were awarded as follows:
- 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
Penn State will use its $542,607 grant to work with Iowa State University in developing an updated Egg Quality Assurance Program that will reduce Salmonella Enteritidis contamination of egg shells.
Salmonella cause salmonellosis a serious, sometimes life-threatening infection. Symptoms include nausea, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping. Complications include reactive arthritis and heart problems.
Subhashinie Kariyawasam, lead researcher on the project, said that Iowa State University was chosen as a research partner because the state lead’s the nation in egg production and it has recently experienced a major Salmonella outbreak, according to a story by Essential Public Radio in Pittsburgh.
