Excerpt: The Programs mission is to provide through research, the means to ensure that the U.S. food supply is safe 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, non-pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites; bacterial toxins, fungal toxins (mycotoxins) and plant toxins; non-biological-based chemical contaminants, and foreign materials. Food safety is a global issue; thus, the research program involves both national and international collaborations through formal and informal partnerships. Accomplishments and outcomes are utilized in national and international strategies delivering research results and advances to regulatory agencies, commodity organizations, industry, academia, other researchers, and consumers.
