Safeguarding the American Food Supply

The Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP), in partnership with Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society and Ursinus College, convened a conference focused on linking scientifically credible information to the formulation and implementation of sound, effective domestic and international policies about food safety issues.

Ursinus is the first undergraduate college to hold a conference on this topic. Ursinus students are full partners in science-policy discussions that include internationally recognized scientists and policy-makers from government, the private sector, and the community. Participating students are taking a special class on the topic this semester.

The presenters are internationally recognized experts in the fields of biology, agricultural sciences, veterinary medicine and government. They addressed risk perception in food safety policies, the moral and ethical dilemmas of technological safeguards (such as the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture), and policies that will proactively address the threat of food fraud.

Conference Speakers

• Robert Buchanan,Director and Professor, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, “Risk Perception: A Challenge to the Development of Risk-based Food Safety Policy”
• Karen Everstine, Research Associate with the National Center for Food Protection and Defense, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence based at the University of Minnesota, “Policies to Proactively Address the Threat of Food Fraud”
• H. Morgan Scott, Professor, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, “Technological Safeguards for the U.S. Food Supply: Moral and Ethical Dilemmas”

Policy Position papers

ISGP Podcast: Perception Reception

Dr. Robert Buchanan
Public perception of food safety risk is highly influenced by social media. In a world of infinite information sources, who can you trust when it come...

Technological Safeguards for the U.S. Food Supply: Moral and Ethical Dilemmas

H. Morgan Scott, D.V.M., Ph.D. Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, U.S.
Safeguarding the American food supply through actions that improve food safety, security, and defense (FSSD) appears — at first glance — to be an ...

Policies to Proactively Address the Threat of Food Fraud

Karen Everstine, Ph.D. Research Associate, National Center for Food Protection and Defense University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Food fraud presents a threat to the health of American consumers. Food fraud is the intentional misrepresentation of food products or ingredients for ...

Risk Perception: A Challenge to the Development of Risk-based Food Safety Policy

Robert L. Buchanan, Ph.D. Director and Professor, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Universi...
The past two decades has seen increased progress in our striving to develop food safety policies that are science-based and risk-based. However, reach...