The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) is the foundation of public and private partnerships that provides the scientific basis for ensuring a safe, wholesome food supply as well as provide the infrastructure for contributions to national food safety programs and international food standards. The institute fosters the missions of the Food and Drug Administration and the university through the creation of partnerships to increase the quantity and quality of research, which will provide the basis for sound public health policy. It promotes food safety, human nutrition, and animal health and production through integrated research, education, and outreach programs. Opportunities exist for collaborative projects with Federal and state agencies, private industry, consumer and trade groups, and international organizations with mutual interests.
About Us
The institute was established between the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the University of Maryland (UMD) in April 1996 and is a jointly administered, multidisciplinary research, education and outreach program.
Mission & Vision
Mission: To advance sound strategies to improve public health, food safety, and applied nutrition using risk analysis principles through cooperative research, education, and outreach programs.
Vision: To be a premier source of scientific information and education programs on food safety and applied nutrition that enables the development of sound public health policy and reduces the incidence of food-related illness.
Key Objectives
- Increase the global knowledge of effective, available practices that promote food safety throughout the supply chain.
- Enhance the development and promote the use of risk analysis models and tools for decision making processes associated with food safety and applied nutrition.
- Promote collaborative research efforts related to risk analysis, food safety, and applied nutrition.
- Broaden the research educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at University of Maryland.
- Promote the development of private and public partnerships to improve food safety.
Strategy
- Collaborative Research Program
- Advance food safety & applied nutrition research that contributes to the development of science-based public health policies
- Sustainable Partnerships
- Foster the establishment of sustainable partnerships for research, training, and outreach globally
- Expand Food Safety Educational Opportunities
- Develop and expand the availability of educational resources for training in food safety and applied nutrition
- Provide a venue for information exchange in food safety and applied nutrition
- Capacity Building
- Expand global capacity building in food safety & risk analysis through training initiatives
Research
The JIFSAN research program was established to assist in the generation of new knowledge to support research efforts in furthering the scientific basis for public health policy formulation, evaluation, and risk assessment.
Address, Contact & Facilities
Address & Contact Info
Address:
Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
University of Maryland
5825 University Research Court, Suite 1400
College Park, MD 20750
Phone: (301)405-2444
Email jifsan@umd.edu
Center Staff
Facilities
College Park Offices
The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) is located in the University of Maryland Discovery District, off River Road in College Park. The physical site is considered Riverdale Park, MD 20737, although the mailing address remains College Park, MD 20740.
Parking is free for visitors in the lots located in front of the building.
International Training Laboratory
The International Food Safety Training Laboratory (IFSTL) is a 4,600 square feet laboratory facility located at the University of Maryland. It is the home of JIFSAN's latest program focusing on laboratory capacity building to ensure the safety of the US food supply and harmonization of analytical methods worldwide. IFSTL was created in partnership with the Waters Corporation and is dedicated to training in the area of chemical and microbial food safety.