Mission Statement:

The Programs’ Mission is to provide, through scientific research, the means to ensure that the food supply is safe and secure for consumers and that food and feed meet foreign and domestic regulatory requirements. Food safety research seeks ways to assess, control, or eliminate potentially harmful food contaminants, including both introduced and naturally occurring pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites, toxins and non-biological-based chemical contaminants, mycotoxins, and plant toxins. Since food safety and food security are global issues, our research program involves both national and international collaborations through formal and informal partnerships. Our accomplishments and outcomes are utilized in national and international strategies delivering research results to regulatory agencies, commodity organizations, and consumers.

Vision Statement:

The Programs' Vision is to increase public health through the development of technologies which protect food from pathogens, toxins, and chemical contamination during production, processing, and preparation; thus increasing the safety of the food supply.  The research components of the Program during 2007 were:

·        [Microbial] Pathogens, Toxins and [non-biological-based]; Chemical Contaminants: subdivided in Pre-harvest and Post-harvest.

·        Mycotoxins and Plant Toxins