Food Safety
Extension Programs for Consumers
Consumers recognize and respect Extension educators as a reliable source of food safety and food preservation information. Annually, within the state, FCS Extension educators answer thousands of questions on how to safely handle, store and preserve food.
Find an FCS Extension educator in your county through our UI Extension website.
Advancing Accurate Consumer Use of Instant-Read Food Thermometers through Grocery Stores and Women, Infants and Children Program is a USDA-funded project to educate and motivate consumers to use a thermometer when cooking hamburger patties. The long-term goal is to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness, particularly E. coli 0157:H7 infections, by increasing the number of consumers who routinely use food thermometers.
Please visit the All About Food Thermometers website for materials on how and why to use food thermometers, including a 15-minute consumer video, brochure, recipe cards and more.
FCS Extension educators teach a 30-hour intensive class on food safety and food preservation to interested consumers. Participants who pass a 50-question written and oral test qualify to become Master Food Preservers/Food Safety Advisors. These advisor volunteers support a program with a 30-year legacy of assisting in delivering food safety information to the general public by answering questions in Extension offices, manning booths at county and health fairs and teaching classes at churches, libraries and other community locations.
To learn more and sign up, please contact your local UI Extension county office.
This curriculum is used for teaching food service food safety to Idaho high school students. The curriculum provides 26 suggested and optional learning activities to reinforce concepts.
Visit your local UI Extension county office to see if Ready, Set, Food Safe is offered.
Programs for the Food Industry
The Food Technology Center is a multi-use facility where Idaho individuals and food companies can receive comprehensive business, technical and education assistance to develop or improve their food business.
For more information, please visit the University of Idaho Food Technology Center.
Our partners delivers practical HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) and practical food safety training to Idaho food processors. For training or onsite technical assistance to food processors, please visit Food Manufacturing Specialists.
To order peer-reviewed curriculum, please visit the Publications website.