The Center for Food Safety's mission is to maintain and improve the safety of foods by developing new methods for detecting, controlling and eliminating disease-causing microorganisms and their toxins.

Food processing technologies that decrease the risk of safety hazards may compromise quality, and processing techniques that enhance quality may create safety risks. To address these potential conflicts, the center's researchers explore processing solutions that maintain safe, high-quality foods. The center has strong collaborative ties with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Russell Research Center, and nearly 50 of the world's leading food processing companies.

The center was established in 1993.

Worth noting: The Center's annual meeting updates the industry on ongoing research and provides a forum for industry leaders to meet informally with CDC scientists and with USDA and FDA scientists and regulators. The center also sponsors scientific workshops each year.

Institutions involved: University of Georgia

Research focus: The center's research objectives are to:

• Determine how procedures for processing, preserving, packaging, storing, and distributing foods may affect food safety and/or quality
• Provide the food industry with information that helps solve processing problems
• Develop processing solutions that provide the consumer with safe, high-quality foods

GRA investment: GRA provided helped to fund the center’s state-of-the-art facility, which includes 12 microbiological laboratories and animal care facilities.

External funding: Projects are funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), industry and industry associations. Annual external funding averages $6 million.

Web site: http://www.ugacfs.org/