AUBURN, Ala.—In an effort to standardize training and create certifications for food inspectors, FDA granted $6.5 million over five years to Auburn University to establish a national food safety training center. In addition to Auburn, the Virtual Food Systems Training Consortium, includes Alabama A&M, North Carolina State and Purdue Universities.
"Several factors combine to cause an increase in outbreaks from tainted food," said Patricia Curtis, director of Auburn's food systems initiative and leader of the FDA program. "Auburn will work with the FDA to strengthen protection of our food supply and improve the way we detect and respond to foodborne illness."
According to an Auburn press release, food inspectors at city, state or federal levels receive no standardized training, and there are no required skill levels for those positions. There is likewise no system to keep food safety personnel up-to-date on new inspection technologies, changes in laws and regulations or developments in food safety science.
Auburn and other universities will infuse future FDA training with the latest research and technology on food detection and safety, according to Curtis. Auburn will also develop online instruction methods to simulate a "virtual world" that complements hands-on training for food safety personnel.
