An official website of the United States government.
About FSRIO
The Food Safety Research Information Office (FSRIO) supports the research community by collecting, organizing, and disseminating food safety information in accordance with the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998.
Key Information Products
Food Safety Research Projects Database
The Research Projects Database provides users with information on current food safety research projects from both U.S. and international government and non-government organizations.
Research Publications (Food Safety)
An automated feed of the latest food safety research publications released from more than 200 peer-reviewed journals, including FDA/USDA specific publications.
Funding Opportunity Announcements
- The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) seeks a Research Specialist to conduct literature-based reviews on the subject of produce safety, interpret research findings and create educational materials that will provide research-based solutions to fruit and vegetable producers. This is a full-time remote position. The application is available here.
- The HHS, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) application portal.
- USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Food Safety Outreach Program grants.
- USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture Risk Management Education (ARME) grants.
- USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowships (NNF) grants.
- USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grants.
What's New
- FSIS Strategic Plan for 2023-2026 [fsis.usda.gov] is available.
- The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) provides access to foodborne and intestinal data through an interactive tool: NARMS Now: Integrated Data [fda.gov].
- NECAFS Produce Safety Handbook for Buyers [necafs.org] is an online tool to support compliance with produce safety standards across the Northeast region of the U.S.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Biden-Harris Administration Invests $59 Million to Strengthen Food Supply Chain and Rural Economies [usda.gov].
News
FDA Roundup: March 21, 2023
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency.Urban gardens are good for ecosystems and humans
Traditionally, it has been assumed that cultivating food leads to a loss of biodiversity and negative impacts on an ecosystem. A new study from researchers at multiple universities, including The University of Texas at Austin, defies this assumption…FDA Roundup: March 17, 2023
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency.WOW Frozen Food LLC Recalls Frozen Meat and Poultry Sfihas Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection
WASHINGTON, March 17, 2023 - WOW Frozen Food LLC, a Plantation, Fla. establishment, is recalling approximately 488 pounds of meat and poultry sfihas products that were produced without the benefit...FDA Roundup: March 14, 2023
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are there software tools for predictive microbiology?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) manages the Predictive Microbiology Information Portal (PMIP) [ars.usda.gov] to assist food companies in the use of predictive models. This portal contains:
- The Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP) [ars.usda.gov] a package of models that predicts the growth and inactivation of foodborne bacteria under variable environmental conditions.
- The ComBase [ars.usda.gov], a database of quantitative microbiological or kinetic data collected from different laboratories.
Where can I find safe food preparation, handling, and storage information?
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) maintains the Kitchen Companion [PDF, 50 pages] and the Food Safety Basics resources [fsis.usda.gov].
- North Dakota State University (NDSU) has a Food Storage Guide [PDF, 16 pages] available online.
- Food Marketing Institute maintains the FoodKeeper [fmi.org] application with helpful hints about food preparation, handling, and storage.
- National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) maintains a website that focuses on canning and other means of preservation [nchfp.uga.edu].
How will biosensor technology be used to make our food supply safer?
Biosensor technology is used for the rapid detection of pathogens in our food supply. Please visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's New Era of Smarter Food Safety [fda.gov] resource for more information.
How do I contact a food safety representative at the federal, state, and local level?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the United States government agencies that regulate food safety.
- USDA
- FDA
- CDC
- EPA
FSRIO's Mission
The Food Safety Research Information Office (FSRIO) is aligned with the Research, Economics, and Education (REE) mission area of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It was created by the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (Note: This is a PDF file) (7 U.S.C.A. & 7654 Sec. 615) and was formally launched on July 2, 2001.
The mission of FSRIO is to provide the research community and the general public with information on publicly funded, and to the maximum extent practicable, privately funded food safety research initiatives. The purpose of the FSRIO information products is to prevent the unintended duplication of food safety research and to assist the executive and legislative branches of the Federal Government and private research entities with assessing food safety research needs and priorities. FSRIO works in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public institutions, and, on a voluntary basis, private research stakeholders. FSRIO works in partnership with a working group that consists of scientific experts in food safety across the USDA.
Contact Us
Use the National Agricultural Library's Ask a Question form.
Questions are answered by FSRIO Technical Information Specialists with expertise in food safety.
Phone: (301)504-5022
Sign Up
To sign up for the ARS Food Safety and News Listserv go to USDA Agricultural Research Service (govdelivery.com)