Since 1979, Food Inspectors from the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Food Safety and Inspection have been strengthening their food safety knowledge and skills at an annual Cornell sponsored Update.

In New York State, there are approximately 29,000 food processing plants, retail food stores and warehouses and more than 19 million consumers. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Food Safety and Inspection has a field force of about 125 inspectors who conduct food safety and sanitary inspections of these facilities on a regular schedule. It is important to update the scientific knowledge and technical skills of this inspection force to enable them to continue to effectively protect the public health in New York and to reduce the risk of foodborne illness and injury.

A two day Food Inspector's Update is conducted annually by the Department of Food Science at Cornell University in cooperation with the Division of Food Safety and Inspection of the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. Since 1979, this program has provided research based information on specific emerging foodborne pathogens including bacteria, viruses and parasites, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), bioterrorism, risk communication during catastrophic food events, prerequisite programs, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), HACCP, new food preservation technologies, food allergens, biofilms and their control, food packaging systems, new inspectional tools, pest control strategies, human relations in inspections and many other timely topics. All of the information presented has enabled the inspectors to remain at the forefront of science and has assisted them in performing their inspectional duties. The Update programs stress education as well as regulation of the food industry in New York and is one of the most proactive programs of its type in the US.

New York is one of the only states in the US that has successfully integrated the academic/regulatory interface to bring university based research information to a field inspection force on an annual basis. This education and training program has assisted the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in developing one of the best trained and effective food inspection forces in the US. Department personnel have won numerous awards for their outstanding investigations that resulted in many food product recalls, product seizures and destruction of adulterated foods. In 2006, over 42,000 food establishment inspections were conducted and investigations of violative foods by A & M inspectors resulted in approximately 350 food product recalls. The Division also received and handled over 3,000 compliants about food from consumers.

Food Safety Education

Division of Food Safety and Inspection