Food safety has been a hot topic in 2026, with 463 food recall events in the first 10 months of the year. There are many factors that impact the safety of the food we eat: natural growing environments, growing and harvesting practices, post-harvest handling, packaging and storage, plus retail and wholesale handling, server or store worker handling, and consumer safety practices for cooking and handling in their homes. Thankfully, Clemson University has a dedicated team across the state within Cooperative Extension’s Food Systems and Safety Program to educate people throughout the food system on these factors. Clemson Extension agents, associates, and specialists with primary responsibilities in Food Systems and Safety provide expertise in food safety within the food system. This includes growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, distribution (wholesale, retail, and home-based), and consumption to improve the safety of foods produced in South Carolina and reduce the number of foodborne illness outbreaks.
Most recently, representatives from this team traveled to the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, to represent Clemson and educate the public about food safety. Their exhibit featured clams from our SC Farmer of the Year – Jeff Massey and shrimp and crab dip from Carolina Seafoods, Inc. All foods they prepared and gave for samples were produced by a South Carolina producer. The educational portion of our exhibit focused on seafood food safety. Participants loved their interactive seafood safety Jeopardy game. The Clemson barn had over 1,000 visitors from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and even Italy, Peru and the Netherlands!
Programs from this team include Carolina Canning, Food Safety Modernization Act trainings, Master Food Preserver, ServSafe, Food2Market, Aquaponics & Hydroponics, and Food Safety for Gatherings. You can learn more about the team and these programs by visiting their team page.
The next cohort of Master Food Preservers will begin their training soon! For more info check out our website (https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/programs/master-food-preserver.html) or connect with Claudia Ionita with any questions or information: cionita@clemson.edu.
Staff Senate welcomes a regular contribution to the Staff Senate Newsletter from the Extension Senate President, Charley Maxwell. Visit the Extension Senate blog at https://blogs.clemson.edu/ces/.
