According to N.C. State Extension, North Carolina State University experts will lead a national project for COVID-19 research and outreach to the food sector with a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “We really want to help the food sector make decisions based on the best available science, fill knowledge gaps and provide specific training,” said Ben …
Food Safety in Light of COVID-19
With millions of American workers staying home to aid public health efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the security of America’s food supply is more important than ever before. It’s crucial that growers are taking the appropriate measures to ensure food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of …
Food Safety a Top Priority in Alabama Produce Industry
By Katie Nichols, Communications Specialist/Alabama Cooperative Extension System AUBURN University, Ala. – With Alabama’s growing season in full swing, produce growers are working to ensure continuing food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC, USDA and FDA agree that there is no indication the virus can infect consumers through food or food packaging. Good Agricultural Practices Alabama Extension food safety …
COVID-19 and Food Safety: Fact and Fiction for Food Production
By: Ruth Borger, University of Florida LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — Consumers are being bombarded with tips for what to do with their groceries during the coronavirus crisis. Leave them in the garage for three days? Wash the produce with soapy water? Wipe all packaging down with disinfectant wipes? Listen to the science, say University of Florida Institute of Food and …
UGA Extension Food Safety Specialist Addresses Issues Surrounding COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to impact and alter the southeastern produce industry and world, there is an increase in questions from growers, packers, and shippers of fresh produce. Some issues that have surfaced this week include: How can the 6-foot rule apply to harvest and packing crews? What do I do when employee housing meets US DOL guidelines but employees are …
New UGA Entomologist Studies Food Safety, Farming Systems
By Karla Arboleda At the University of Georgia (UGA), research on birds and bacteria may contribute to food safety and farming systems. That’s what Bill Snyder, a professor of agro-ecology at UGA, hopes to accomplish in his latest position. After spending 20 years in the Northwest, where he worked on natural approaches to pest control, Snyder will continue to pursue …
Food Safety Advice
Although food safety is always on the minds of growers, 2018 was a notable year for this issue due to widespread E. coli outbreaks. Trevor Suslow, vice president of food safety with the Produce Marketing Association, recently gave some food safety advice to the produce industry. Suslow says that producers need to have a sound produce safety management plan. If …
Food-Safety Concerns Sought for Produce Industry
The University of Florida (UF) and Rutgers University are teaming up to find out what food-safety issues are the biggest concerns across the produce industry. Members of the produce industry are invited to participate in an anonymous online survey that will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Michelle Danyluk said the survey …
Webinars to Focus on Food-Safety Crisis Communications
By Karla Arboleda The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) and the United Fresh Produce Association have teamed up to host a webinar series on how producers can prepare to handle a food-safety crisis. The Crisis Communications Webinar Series hosted and led by several crisis management experts from Washington, D.C., will cover what aspects to consider when encountering events …
Gather Family, Friends for Tailgate, Complete with Florida-Grown Foods, UF/IFAS Cultivars
It’s game day. The excitement around stadiums is palpable. The college football season kicked off this weekend, and many fans enjoyed the company of family and friends while tailgating before and after the game. That meant food – lots of it. Tailgaters might think about eating some Florida-grown grub, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts …