Food Safety
Importance of Food Safety
Each year, millions of Americans suffer — and thousands die — from foodborne illnesses, a preventable problem that affects individuals and the economy. Ongoing food safety improvements can yield economic and social benefits, in addition to reducing foodborne illnesses.
Benefits of Improved Food Safety
- Safer food supply, from farm to table, with minimal loss of productivity
- Reduced burden on the country’s health care system through improved public health
- Reduced loss of income and health care costs for the affected individual
- Enhanced consumer confidence in the U.S. food supply leading to economic stability throughout the food sector
Ensuring food safety requires science-based approaches to on-farm production, processing, distribution, storage, selection, preparation, and consumption.
NIFA's Impact
NIFA’s food safety programs seek to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness, improving the safety of the food supply while maintaining a secure supply of healthy choices. NIFA’s food safety programs also aim to advance The President’s Make America Healthy Again initiative.
NIFA collaborates with other government agencies, universities and colleges, and private-sector partners to safeguard the country’s food supply, prevent foodborne illnesses, and educate all food handlers, including consumers. Selected investments include research, education, and Extension designed to:
- Reduce food hazards such as disease-causing microorganisms, toxins, allergens, and chemical and physical hazards.
- Educate small producers, processors, and low-income families on food safety practices.
- Develop food manufacturing and processing technologies to advance food safety.
- Improve the safety of meat, eggs and poultry, fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, and fresh, frozen, shelf-stable, and processed foods.
- Find alternatives to the use of antimicrobial compounds in agriculture.
- Devise mitigation strategies for antimicrobial resistance in agriculture.
- Train the next generation of scientists focused on improving food safety.
Key NIFA Programs
- Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)
- Foundational and Applied Science Program
- Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health (FSNH) program area
- A1332 Food Safety and Defense
- A1366 Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance Across the Food Chain
- A1364 Innovations in Food Manufacturing Technologies
- Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health (FSNH) program area
- Crosscutting Programs
- A1181 Agricultural Biosecurity
- A1402 Agricultural Microbiomes in Plant Systems and Natural Resources
- A1511 Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems
- A1541 Data Science for Food and Agricultural Systems (DSFAS)
- A1701 Critical Agricultural Research and Extension (CARE)
- A1712 Rapid Response to Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems
- A1713 Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Disease Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems
- A1811 Commodity Board Co-Funding Topics
- Education and Workforce Development
- A7101 Predoctoral Fellowships
- A7201 Postdoctoral Fellowships
- A7401 Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates
- A7501 Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy
- A7601 Agricultural Workforce Training Grants
- A7801 Food and Agricultural Non-formal Education
- A9201 Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS)
- Non-AFRI Programs
- Foundational and Applied Science Program
Other Relevant NIFA Programs
- 4-H Youth Development Program
- 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program
- Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNH) Competitive Education Grants Program
- Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant program; selected other relevant programs include but are not limited to:
- A1531 Biorefining and Bioengineering
- A1641 Economics, Markets and Trade
- A1642 Social Implications of Food and Agricultural Technologies
- Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program
- Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)
- Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program (HSI)
- Tribal Colleges Extension Grant Program
- Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program
- Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP)
- Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR)
- CYFAR 4-H Military Partnership Professional Development & Technical Assistance (CMPC-PDTA)
- Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans (AgVets)
- Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program
- Higher Education Challenge Grants Program
- Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program
- Master Food Preserver Programs
- National Center for Home Food Preservation
- New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE)
- Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative
- Regional Rural Development Centers
- Resident Instruction Grants (RIIA) and Distance Education Grants (DEG) for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas
- Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program
- SPECA Grant Program
- Specialty Crop Research Initiative
- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program
- Women and Minorities in STEM (WAMS)
Relevant Collaborations
Closer to Zero
NIFA collaborates with the Food and Drug Administration on the Closer to Zero initiative designed to reduce dietary exposure to contaminants to as low as possible, while maintaining access to nutritious foods.
Relevant Topic Pages
- Advancing Food Manufacturing
- Community Nutrition
- Food Loss and Waste
- Food Products
- Food Safety
- Food and Nutrition Security
- Local and Regional Food Systems
- Nutrition and Food Systems
- Nutrition Education
- Prevention of Diet-Related Diseases and Disparities