USDA Announces Grants Aimed at Reducing Foodborne Illness

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded research, education and extension grants to 24 institutions to reduce foodborne illnesses and deaths from microbial contamination.

Projects were funded in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Highlights include:

• A project in Iowa to examine the factors contributing to the appearance of staph bacteria on raw meat and study the relationship between meat contamination and human staph infections.
• A project in Washington State to expand the commercial possibilities of microwave technologies for the control of harmful bacterial and viral pathogens in packaged foods, particularly ready-to-eat foods, deli meats, and seafoods.
• A project in Florida to identify the specific Salmonella genes that allow the bacteria to attach to and persist on tomatoes.

A full list of awardees can be found online at: www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2011news/food_safety_awards.html. The grants are awarded through USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and administered through NIFA. AFRI food safety grants promote and enhance the scientific discipline of food safety, with an overall aim of protecting consumers from microbial, chemical, and physical hazards that may occur during all stages of the food chain, from production to consumption.