Cornell’s Institute for Food Safety has created a comprehensive website, Food Industry Resources for Coronavirus (COVID-19), to help keep New York’s food processing industry safe during the current pandemic. The website contains key information and allows access to Cornell faculty and experts for up-to-date, industry-specific information.
The website’s guidance includes information that ranges from how to keep a proper social distance and wash hands to more complex issues, such as how to clean and disinfect food manufacturing facilities and food retail stores. The website team collaborated with external groups, including the National Dairy Center network, to ensure food industry-specific guidance to minimize personnel risks due to COVID-19 illness, protect employees, and maintain a functional, safe supply chain, was included.
Experts curating this website and available to speak to food industry members to provide science-based support include:
- Sam Alcaine, assistant professor of food science
- Olga Padilla-Zakour, professor of food science and director of the Cornell Food Venture Center
- Martin Wiedmann, the Gellert Family professor in food safety and director of Cornell’s New York State Milk Quality Improvement Program
- Rob Ralyea, senior extension associate, and Kimberly Bukowski, extension professional, for dairy questions
- Elizabeth Bihn, senior extension associate, and Michele Humiston, extension support specialist, for fresh produce questions
- Randy Worobo, professor of food microbiology, for processed fruits and vegetables questions
- Anna Katharine Mansfield, professor of enology, and Chris Gerling, senior extension associate, for fermented beverages questions
- Bruno Xavier, senior extension associate, for processed foods questions
