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FOOD SAFETY: GENERAL RESOURCES


BUBL LINK: Food Safety

•  Links to 27 food safety-related websites for general resources, food handling/storage, food-borne diseases, government sites, professional associations/organizations, research institutes
•  Each link is annotated; includes a brief description, author/sponsoring body, resource type
•  International in scope, but primarily from the U.K. or U.S.A.
•  Excellent place to begin research


Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)

•  Sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
•  Extensive links to sites for over 70 topics on food safety and nutrition
•  Includes an overview of the Center’s activities, initiatives, programs, publications, resources
•  Links to related FDA pages and additional resources for food and nutrition information
•  Site’s primary emphasis on food safety-related issues, with lesser emphasis on nutrition
•  Last updated November 2005
•  Outstanding; one of the best federal sites for the topics covered; easy-to-navigate


Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)

•  Sponsored by the Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota
•  This site contains extensive information on bioterrorism and food safety issues
•  Topics discussed include biosecurity (initial security against bioterrorism threats, foodborne pathogens), food testing procedures, industry/trade resources
•  Includes articles/news produced by the Center’s staff as well as authoritative medical sites/resources
•  Updated daily
•  Also includes information on CIDRAP’s initiatives, programs, publications, resources
•  Outstanding; especially useful for its links to bioterrorism/food safety issues and timeliness of information


Food Safety

•  Sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), “a consumer advocacy organization whose twin missions are to conduct innovative research and advocacy programs in health and nutrition, and to provide consumers with current, useful information about their health and well-being”
•  “Food Safety” component of this site provides resources on multiple aspects of food safety
•  Best feature of this component is “Food Additives”, which does an excellent job of explaining food additives issues in language accessible to the layman
•  Provides other useful features for those who desire to take a more active role on this subject: frequently updated news, consumer action opportunities, legislation “fact sheets,” conference information, international food safety developments
•  Outstanding; one of the best sites for those who want to be involved, in addition to being well-informed


Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

•  Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
•  “Responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged”
•  Provides over 150 “Fact Sheets” for the following food safety categories: food handling, meat/poultry/egg preparation, seasonal food safety, appliances/thermometers, foodborne illnesses/diseases, emergency preparedness, inspections, food labeling
•  “Fact Sheets” are very well-written and include detailed instructions on the preparation of specific foods
•  “Regulations and Policies” link to food inspection programs at the federal/state levels, recall information
•  Includes additional information about FSIS’s events, initiatives, programs, publications, resources, services
•  Many parts of the site are available in Spanish
•  Outstanding; this is the best federal website – and one of the best food safety sites on the Web for detailed instructions on food safety procedures


Food Safety Project

•  Maintained by the Iowa State University Extension (ISUE)
•  “The goal of the Food Safety Project is to develop educational materials that give the public the tools they need to minimize their risk of foodborne illness”
•  Provides essays on food safety in specific situations, as well as food safety education/training, foodborne pathogens, food irradiation, biosecurity
•  All essays are clearly written and should be comprehensible to the layman
•  Also includes “Food Safety Tip of the Day,” “Foodborne Pathogen of the Day”
•  News is updated daily
•  Also available in Spanish
•  Excellent; a great place for up-to-date news and basic information on food safety issues; easy-to-navigate


Food Safety Research Information Office (FSRIO)

•  Affiliated with the National Agricultural Library (NAL), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
•  FSRIO serves as a clearinghouse for the food safety research efforts of the federal government, academia and professional associations/organizations by “… preventing unintended duplication of food safety research”
•  “Food Safety Research Database,” which is searchable, is the primary resource through which researchers in the field co-ordinate their research efforts
•  Also contains “Food Safety Reports,” “Research Assessments”
•  “Other Links of Interest” provides access to websites of “non-commercial organizations,” academic institutions with food safety programs, journals/magazines and “Food Safety Topics” (exceptionally useful)
•  “Updated Daily”
•  Outstanding; one of the best resources for keeping current on the status of food safety research; easy-to-navigate


Food Safety Training & Information

•  “Developed and maintained by Melissa Taylor Scherpereel” for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES), North Carolina State University
•  Provides information on NCCES’s online food safety courses
•  “Organisms of Concern” is a directory of links to over 20 categories of food illnesses and contaminants; short annotations are included
•  Most valuable section of this site is “Hot Topics,” a directory which links to sites for over 20 food preparation/preservation/safety topics; each topic links to annotated sites from academic, government and professional associations/organizations; topics included are “not commodity specific”
•  Updated October 2005
•  Outstanding; a great place to begin research; “Hot Topics” section includes topics not readily available elsewhere in one place (food safety for people “at risk,” emergency food/water supplies, holiday food safety, etc.)


Food Standards Agency (FSA)

•  This British government agency “… is an independent food safety watchdog set up by an act of Parliament in 2000 to protect the public’s health and consumer interests in relation to food”
•  “Safety and Hygiene” section examines the following: food intolerance, additives, microbiological safety, radiological safety, related information
•  All essays are clearly written and should be comprehensible to the layman
•  Links to other FSA categories for nutrition, labeling, research
•  Outstanding; this site is an excellent example of a well-designed, consumer-oriented resource for food safety and nutrition


FoodNews

•  Sponsored by the Environmental Working Groups (EWG)
•  This consumer-oriented guide provides information on the presence and effects of pesticides in fruits/vegetables
•  Discusses the methodology used by the EWG in analyzing/compiling the guide
•  Includes “Wallet Guide,” a downloadable ranking of fruits/vegetables and their pesticide content
•  Links to information on ordering EWG’s “Fresh Choices” cookbook
•  Not extensive, but does an excellent job for the area which it covers


Gateway to Government Food Safety Information

•  “Maintained by the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition”
•  This is the federal government’s most comprehensive website for food safety information, encompassing a wide variety of issues for both consumers and the food industry
•  Much of the information on this site is derived from federal agencies, state departments of agriculture, professional association/organizations, academic sources (primarily the co-operative extension services of state universities)
•  Extensive links to sites for foodborne pathogens, industry assistance, food safety programs, news
•  Browsable site index to over 80 topics
•  Searchable
•  Also provides alerts/recalls, procedures for reporting illnesses, complaints
•  FAQ feature includes over 500 questions/answers from federal/state/local websites
•  Outstanding; this is the best site for “one stop shopping” for food safety ;mandatory for anyone conducting research on food safety issues; easy-to-navigate


National Food Safety Programs

•  This sub-page of the Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) provides a directory of food safety-related program and related information for the following federal agencies: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP)
•  Links to a wide variety of research/educational information which, in addition to programs, includes agencies’ briefings/bulletins, reports and surveys; also includes an excellent overview
•  Topics include the following: surveillance, inspections/compliance, product/pathogen specific initiatives, inter-agency co-ordination efforts, education, research, risk assessment, additional resources
•  Updated November 2005
•  Outstanding; excellent directory of initiatives/programs of the food safety-oriented federal agencies listed above


Ohioline: Food

•  Sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio State University
•  Provides “Fact Sheets” for 10 categories of food and nutrition, prepared by the Ohio State University Extension staff
•  These include numerous “Fact Sheets” on the selection, preservation/storage, and preparation of fruits and vegetables; also includes sheets on food-borne illnesses, food science, meat science, age-specific nutritional information
•  “Fact Sheets” are clearly written and on a level accessible to the layman
•  “All or part of the Fact Sheets contained on Ohioline may be copied without permission for educational, non-profit purposes”
•  Excellent; a great place to begin research or learning about food safety procedures for specific foods


Websites presented on this page are for informational purposes only. Johnson & Wales University Library is not responsible for the accuracy, content or stability of any websites linked to this page. When in need of food safety advice, consult a medical, nutritional or foodservice professional.

Compiled by Rick Keogh, 8/05; links last checked 12/07

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