UC-Davis Center For Produce Safety Awards Grants

The Center for Produce Safety at the University of California-Davis (CPS) has awarded 13 new grants aimed at mitigating the food safety risks associated with growing and harvesting fresh produce. Eleven of the 13 grants were for proposals submitted in response to a RFP issued in May 2009. For that program, CPS reached out to industry partners with inter-related research needs who then collectively matched funds provided by the California Department of Food And Agriculture (CDFA) Specialty Crop Block Grant and the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC-ANR). Other partners include:

• Almond Board of California, www.almondboard.org
• California Pistachio Research Board, www.calpistachioresearch.org
• Florida Tomato Committee, www.floridatomatoes.org
• Grocery Manufacturers Association, www.gmabrands.com
• Taylor Farms, www.taylorfarms.com

PIR grants are co-developed and co-funded with industry partners to address the research priorities of specific commodities, commodity groups, and/or growing regions. “On behalf of our partners, we are eager to demonstrate the power of leveraging public and private commitments to address critical research questions,” said Tim York, president of Markon Cooperative and chairman of the CPS advisory board. “These collaborations are the way of the future and we will work to foster them as long as they produce results.”

Find out more at http://cps.ucdavis.edu.