Davis, Calif., Feb. 1, 2011 – The Center for Produce Safety at the University of California, Davis, today announced its 2011 request for food safety research proposals. The center and its public and industry research partners are making $3 million available to fund general and commodity-specific research to address the fresh produce industry’s food safety research needs.
CPS and its partners sponsor research activities designed to fill basic knowledge gaps in specific areas of food safety practices for fruit, vegetable and tree nut production, harvest and post‐harvest handling. The objective is to provide the produce industry with practical, translatable information that can be used at all levels throughout the supply chain. To date, CPS has funded 43 research projects with a total investment of nearly $6.8 million.
The 2011 RFP seeks to fund both produce-general food safety questions and commodity-specific questions. Core (produce-general) research priorities endeavor to better understand risk potential and to develop more effective food safety management tools in the following areas:
This RFP also seeks to fund commodity-specific food safety research pertaining to almonds, tree fruit, leafy greens, pistachios, strawberries and tomatoes.
The RFP’s general research priorities were identified in industry risk assessments and prioritized by the CPS Technical Committee, an independent advisory board including experts from industry, academia, government and nongovernmental organizations. The commodity-specific research priorities were developed with industry partners.
“CPS’ research work would not be possible without the support of our public and industry partners. Our ability to work together gives testimony to how committed the fresh produce industry and its partners are to better safeguarding public health and increasing consumer confidence,” said Tim York of Markon Cooperative, chair of the CPS Advisory Board.
CPS’ public partners include:
Industry partners include:
To view the full RFP, click here.
Proposals are due by March 31 and should be submitted through the CPS Grant System website at https://ucanr.org/cpsgrants/. All qualified research professionals are eligible to apply for CPS funding.
About CPS
The Center for Produce Safety is focused exclusively on providing the produce industry and government with open access to the actionable information needed to continually enhance the safety of produce. Established by public and private partnership at the University of California, Davis. Initial funding for CPS was provided by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the University of California, the Produce Marketing Association and Taylor Farms. For more information, visit https://www.centerforproducesafety.org.
About CDFA
The California Department of Food and Agriculture protects and promotes California's agricultural industry. California's farmers and ranchers produce a safe, secure supply of food, fiber and shelter; marketed fairly for all Californians; and produced with responsible environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.cdfa.ca.gov.
About UC ANR
University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources is a statewide network of University of California researchers and educators dedicated to the creation, development and application of knowledge in agricultural, natural and human resources. For more information, visit http://ucanr.org.
About USDA NIFA
Formerly the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, the unique mission of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is to advance knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well‐being, and communities by supporting research, education, and extension programs in the land‐grant university system and other partner organizations. NIFA doesn't perform research, education, and extension but rather helps fund it at the state and local level and provides program leadership in these areas. For more information, visit http://www.csrees.usda.gov/index.html.
About WSDA
The Washington State Department of Agriculture serves the people of Washington by supporting the agricultural community and promoting consumer and environmental protection. WSDA staff carries out a broad spectrum of activities that support the producers, distributors, and consumers of Washington's food and agricultural products. For more information, visit http://agr.wa.gov.
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