The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) was established between the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the University of Maryland (UM) in April 1996. The Institute is a jointly administered, multidisciplinary research, education and outreach program.

The Institute is the foundation of public and private partnerships that provides the scientific basis for ensuring a safe, wholesome food supply as well as the infrastructure for contributions to national food safety programs and international food standards. JIFSAN fosters the missions of FDA 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.

With the help of an endowment from Robert A. Facchina, a UMD alumnus, the University of Maryland established in 2006 the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems (CFS3) to assemble and coordinate the university's extensive research, education, and outreach capabilities in order to make meaningful improvements in the complex global food system, which includes production, processing, distribution and marketing. CFS3 is committed to developing the tools and concepts that will improve and safeguard the lives of consumers around the world.

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