Many people look to the Internet for food safety information, but can’t find what they need. Commercial sites, for instance, may lack objectivity or be too disorganized or lengthy for convenient use. Others contain outdated information.

People with questions on food safety, storage, and preparation now have a new, reliable Internet resource, thanks to researchers in the college.

The Penn State Food Safety Web site, at http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu, is a convenient and easy-to-use resource for consumers, educators, and the food industry. According to food scientist Luke LaBorde, the site was a response to public and professional
confusion.

“We’re all faced with a barrage of alarming news about food safety hazards and solutions,” says LaBorde, who developed the site. “And it’s not just the average consumer looking for accurate, science-based food safety information—Penn State Cooperative Extension educators also must scramble for reliable information on food safety hazards and effective control measures.

“This site combines a well-organized, user-friendly environment with a comprehensive, ‘farm-to-fork’ approach that provides information on the entire food system.”

With links to more than 1,200 reviewed food safety-related Web resources, the site can help people find the answer to almost any food safety questions.

“Consumers can access our site for food safety information from university researchers, extension educators, and government authorities,” says LaBorde. “They also can get up-to-the-minute information on issues like E. coli contamination, pesticides, food additives, mad cow disease, and biotechnology.”

The site’s Food Safety News and Features section offers daily updates on general food safety, diseases, and genetically modified organisms.

In addition to links to federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the section offers a special “Rumor Control” feature that debunks the latest misinformation. “Food safety advice from a variety of sources can be contradictory and confusing,” LaBorde says. “We have collected information from authoritative sources that consumers can count on to be accurate.”

The site also includes two easily searchable databases. The Food Safety Database offers Web links to research and
extension publications, position papers from commercial and trade organizations, and government regulations, organized for consumers, food service/retailers, processors, and producers. The Food Preservation Database contains links to specific procedures for safe canning, freezing, drying, smoking, and curing of foods.

“Gardeners harvesting fruits and vegetables or hunters just returning from the woods can use this information to make safe and delicious products,” LaBorde says. “They just select a process method—canning, freezing, or drying, for instance—then select a specific fruit, vegetable, or meat. There are over 100 food types to select from.”

The Web site also contains links to food safety courses and workshops offered by the food science department; an “Educator’s Toolbox” of brochures, fact sheets, videos, posters, and other materials; and a list of additional food safety contacts and Web sites.

—Gary Abdullah