Impacts for Iowans

Enhancing food safety

Iowans expect a good return on their investment in Iowa State University programs.

Here are examples of how the College of Agriculture and ISU Extension help to improve food safety.

Training food handlers helps keep Iowans healthy

ISU Extension's ServSafe program has trained more than 2,000 food service workers in ways to keep their meals safe for customers. The program is cosponsored by the Iowa Restaurant Association and is available for restaurants, assisted living facilities and school districts. Extension also offers SuperSafeMark, a similar certification program for grocery and convenience stores.

Institute coordinates food safety work

The Institute for Food Safety and Security is dedicated to protecting Iowa's and the nation's vast investment in agriculture; and directly serving production, processor and consumer needs by enabling rapid identification and effective responses to food safety and security concerns that affect the global food chain. The institute was established to engage the farm-to-table spectrum of food problems and issues Collaborators include the University of Iowa's Colleges of Medicine and Public Health, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the State Hygienic Laboratory and it is associated with the USDA's National Animal Disease Center and National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

Meat industy workers learning food safety

In Southeast Iowa, extension is using a $600,000 federal grant to train meat plant employees in proper food safety. The program also is helping producers, animal transporters and meat plant animal handlers to implement animal handling and quality assurance practices. West Liberty and Mount Pleasant Foods are partners in the employee-training program. The program is being adapted for other processing plants in Southeast Iowa.

Tips offered for farmers in direct markets

Farmers who sell fruits and vegetables directly to consumers, restaurants and food services -- some of the most rapidly expanding niche markets for growers -- have a new resource from Iowa State. Three new publications outline on-farm food safety practices and how to document them, provide information about cleaners and sanitizers and offer tips for seasonal and part-time employees who handle the produce. The fact sheets were developed by ISU Extension with a grant from the Marketing and Food Systems Initiative of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.