Shannon Coleman receives award to reach emerging and small food processors in Iowa
April 17, 2020 Shannon Coleman, assistant professor in food science and human nutrition, received a $149,999 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture as part of a two-year food safety outreach program. This award support ensures the development and implementation of sustainable educational curriculum and resources for small food processors in Iowa. This funding will help support the Food Safety Collaboration Program, which has been led by ISU Center for Industrial Research and Service. Coleman’s team will develop supplemental online curriculum modules covering basic food safety concepts and practices. They will also develop a face-to-face, one-day workshop curriculum on the topic of shelf-life expectations, as well as quality and safety requirements.
“Many small food processors underestimate the risk levels of their products,” Coleman said. “They are unaware of how microbial growth can be influenced by many intrinsic factors such as pH, water activity, preservatives, etcetera. The information from this training is also a beneficial element for processors to understand and identify the potential food safety hazards that are needed to identify preventive measurements for the food safety plan.”