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Delegation Announces Grant to Help Ensure Food Safety

Washington, Dec 7 -

Delaware's congressional delegation, Senators Joe
Biden and Tom Carper (both D-DE) and Congressman
Mike Castle (R-DE), announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded a
$156,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Innovative
Food Processing and Preservation Technologies to University of Delaware in
Newark for The National Needs Fellowship Program.  This money will help to fund the programs for
graduate students at the University of Delaware who specialize in the subject
of food safety.  In light of recent
problems with the safety of food imports, the delegation believes this funding
comes just in time.



"This is an important step towards guaranteeing the
safety of our food supply," said Sen. Biden. "It enables our students to take a
national lead in protecting our consumers and increasing confidence in what we
buy, while reaffirming the USDA's recognition of the important role Delaware
plays in agriculture and food processing." 



"The
USDA does great work for consumers and farmers in Delaware," said Sen.
Carper.  "The USDA recognizes the needs in our state and this grant
will help bring in graduate students, provide educational opportunities and
help us protect the health and safety of all Delawareans."



"It
is so important to give those at the graduate level the resources that
they
need to study the science of food safety," said Rep. Castle.  "The
Federal government is taking steps to ensure that they have these
tools; it is a step that can certainly
benefit all Americans in the long run."



"We are very pleased to hear that the Department of
Animal and Food Sciences was awarded this grant, which will be used to recruit
and train food science graduate students in innovative food processing and
preservation technologies to ensure food safety," said Jack Gelb,
spokesperson for the University of Delaware.