Oct 30, 2015NIFA establishes regional food safety centers
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has established two regional centers to support food safety training and education to aid in compliance with the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
USDA is committed to ensuring that farmers, food processors and wholesalers receive relevant training and assistance as they work to comply with new rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act,” NIFA director Sonny Ramaswamy said in a press release. “These newly established centers, along with the centers created by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will help producers and businesses across the country safely add value to agricultural products and expand their access to local, regional and national markets.”
The two centers established by NIFA will be located at the University of Florida in Gainesville and Oregon State University in Corvallis.
The University of Florida and Oregon State University will both receive just under $1.2 million to establish the Southern and Western regional centers to develop FSMA-compliant training workshops.
This collaborative program with FDA includes one national coordination center and four regional centers. 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.
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