The Food Safety and Traceability Initiative (FSTI) is now in its second year of funding. This program provides funding to aid in the establishment of practices that reduce the danger to human health during production, processing, handling and storing of foods.
This year’s available funding was completely committed on the first day that applications were accepted. Changes to cost sharing were made so that there could be more participants in the 2nd year, and so that those participants can take part in food safety and traceability projects, instead of just one or the other.
More information about this year’s funding is available at www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/foodsafety/grants/fsti.htm
This is a very good sign that farmers and producers are taking food security and traceability to heart. It is important to consider these programs as there has been a continued push for local foods. The increased ability to produce, process, handle, store and transport foods in a safe manner is an excellent way to bring more local foods to the shelves of our grocery stores.
For more information about food safety and traceability systems, check out OnTrace Agri-food Traceability, an organization in Guelph that works to deliver integrated, flexible and affordable traceability systems for the agriculture and food industry.