UC Davis gets $2M for produce safety

“A produce trade association announced it has pledged $2 million to fund a research center at the University of California, Davis dedicated to reducing food-borne illnesses in fresh vegetables and fruits. The Center for Produce Safety will be housed within UC Davis’ existing Western Institute for Food Safety and Security and distribute research grants to scientists from around the country, said Jerry Gillespie, the institute’s founding director. ‘This is a major step forward as far as industry stepping up and providing funds for scientific research,’ Gillespie said Monday. The move by the Produce Marketing Association, which has offices in Delaware and California, follows the nationwide E. coli outbreak linked to California-grown spinach that resulted in the deaths of three people last summer. Bryan Silbermann, the association’s president, said another trade group has promised to provide funds for the center, and that federal and state government officials would be among those deciding how to divide the research money. ‘We want to see this as an ongoing, world-class center of research and a clearinghouse of research,’ said Silbermann, who declined to name the second group before the official announcement planned for Wednesday.”