Small and diverse farms are a vital part of California’s food system, but navigating food safety regulations can be challenging, especially for those with limited access to training and resources. To bridge this gap, UC Davis is leading an effort to establish the California Center for Food Safety, a new hub offering growers the education and support they need to meet food safety standards.

Together with UC Cooperative Extension and several non-governmental organizations across the state, this new center will help coordinate food safety training, provide one-on-one assistance for farmers, share expertise and train more educators to teach produce safety.

Project director Erin DiCaprio, a food microbiologist and associate professor of Cooperative Extension with the Department of Food Science and Technology, said the goal is to make food safety education more accessible. While food safety programs exist regionally and nationally, this project aims to create a more unified, statewide approach.

“We kind of have pockets of growers that are getting good support, but we don't really have a broad impact across the state,” DiCaprio said. “There have been a lot of conversations both at the state and national level about the lack of support to implement rigorous food safety standards.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year one in six people get sick from a foodborne illness. The federal Food Safety Modernization Act, signed into law in 2011, aims to strengthen the prevention of foodborne illnesses by ensuring stronger safety measures throughout the food chain.

“That prevention really starts on the farm,” DiCaprio said. “A lot of growers are doing quite a lot already to manage food safety risks, and we're just trying to build that out for additional growers in California.”

Enhancing safety training

The Community Alliance with Family Farmers, or CAFF, serves as a partner on the project and will help expand food safety training and the network of technical assistance providers throughout the state. DiCaprio said the project team offers certificate courses about twice a month to help growers comply with produce safety rules. CAFF has long supported farmers in developing good agricultural practices and food safety plans. Through the new center, it will continue providing one-on-one assistance in underserved areas and help train more food safety educators.

“We're really excited about the professional development opportunities for those food safety technical assistance providers in California and really building up this group of folks within this state that can support the growers better over time,” DiCaprio said.

Starting his month, CAFF is launching monthly Zoom office hours to give growers a space to ask food safety questions or get guidance on specific challenges on their farms. 

The project team is planning its first research symposium, bringing together faculty and researchers from UC Davis and other institutions to share their work on food safety. DiCaprio hopes the event could also spark new ideas for future research projects.

“This center might also provide opportunities to drive new areas of research, if we are able to really connect with folks and hear what they need,” DiCaprio said. “As questions come out from these interactions with growers, it'll be an opportunity to pull in faculty that have expertise in that space.”

By connecting experts, educators and advisors, the new center aims to build a stronger support system for farmers, ensuring safer food for consumers.

“I'm really excited to bring us all together, hopefully connect folks with resources and cross-promote educational events, with the ultimate goal of enhanced produce safety so the consumer can feel confident that what they're purchasing is going to be safe for consumption,” DiCaprio said.

The project is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.