The US Food and Drug Administration awarded the University of Maryland (UMD) Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) a five-year, $41 million collaborative agreement.
Funding supports the Institute’s work to provide scientific information to combat food-related disease and to promote sound public health policy.
JIFSAN, established in 1996, combines FDA expertise with UMD researchers.
The Institute promotes research, education and extension in food safety, security and applied nutrition. It also forged innovative partnerships between industry, government and other stakeholders in support of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. , the enduring partnership and funding will allow the Institute to continue its collaborative research efforts between UMD and FDA. “We are in a new era of food safety where better protection and preventive measures are more important than ever. The past few years have shown that we must all work together as a community to eradicate disease.”
The new funding will help develop several programs, including the Congressional Authorization for Imported Aquaculture Shrimp, which supports FDA in regulating the procurement and importation of U.S. shrimp.
The Institute will also conduct multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary research projects and develop mechanisms for the exchange of technical information and scientific concepts. The Institute plans to continue to advance the development of innovative education and outreach programs that enhance FDA’s and other national efforts to improve health in the United States and globally.
For more information about JIFSAN, please visit its website.
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