USDA awards $10.4 million in food safety grants

By AP

EAST LANSING, MI –

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding $10.4 million in grants to universities in 13 states for projects designed to boost the safety of the nation's food supply.

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the grants Wednesday during a visit to Michigan State University in East Lansing, which is receiving three grants totaling nearly $2.9 million.

Merrigan said the research, education and extension projects will deal with a variety of food-safety issues at a time when millions of Americans get food-borne illnesses each year.

The projects will deal with food production on the farm but also with processing, distribution and even selection and preparation of food by consumers and food-service workers.