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The overall goal of this proposed work is to improve the capacity of Cooperative Extension specialists/educators to deliver technical assistance and research-based home food preservation information. The project is composed of integrated extension/research objectives. <P> Objective 1: To continue to support educators in the national Cooperative Extension System, home food preservers, the media and other educators through expansion and maintenance of the USDA-related National Center for Home Food Preservation website (NCHFPP). Services and activities will include (a) review and updating of the NCHFPP website on a continual basis, (b) expansion of the linkages to nationwide Extension resources for and assistance to small food and farm entrepreneurs utilizing home- or near-home food processing methods, and (c) producing and evaluating short webinars every six months via distance technology to Extension educators and website users. <P> Objective 2: To develop, pilot test and evaluate a series of lesson plans for teaching food preservation and related food safety concepts to youth in nonformal, Extension-type programming such as 4-H clubs, after school programs, and summer enrichment programs. Activities and products will include (a) multi-state planning for curriculum content, (b) developing and pilot testing an original curriculum and (c) evaluation and broad public dissemination of the curriculum. <P>Objective 3: Through original laboratory research, evaluate the safety of atmospheric steam canners for processing of acid foods. New data will be generated on heat distribution in a steam canner readily available in the open marketplace, as well as heat penetration and pathogen destruction behavior for a selection of home-canned foods within the USDA body of food preservation recommendations. Results will be submitted to scientific peer review and new Extension recommendations will be formalized and disseminated. <P> Objective 4: Through original laboratory research, evaluate the performance of a reusable plastic canning lid in the marketplace. New data will be generated from experimental food packs and storage studies to allow comparisons to traditional home canning lid systems currently described in USDA recommendations. Results will be submitted to scientific peer review and findings will be incorporated as appropriate into Extension recommendations. Reports of research studies and evaluation findings for the youth curriculum will be shared electronically with the Cooperative Extension System and on the NCHFPP website.
Non-Technical Summary: <BR>The practice of home food preservation has been experiencing dramatic increases in interest and activity in the last few years. There needs to be a sound scientific basis for many methods involved in processing and preserving food at home in order to prevent foodborne illness. Yet, the Internet and community activism around local food systems have led to many sources of information and advice, which while well-intentioned, are not always promoting safe handling and processing advice. USDA and the Cooperative Extension System (CES) have more than a century of recognition as the leading sources for research-based consumer recommendations but the CES is experiencing budget and staff reductions in the individual states. A previously established National Center for Home Food Processing and Preservation (NCHFPP) website is extremely popular as a supporting resource for the CES and the public, receiving 1.08 million unique visitors per year. Nevertheless, risky practices (particularly in home canning) do exist in the population, as do the needs for continual education, outreach, and applied research. This project addresses integrated Extension and research goals for promoting safe food handling through home processing and preservation, through national support and coordination of food safety programs and resources. It is multidisciplinary and multi-state. This project proposes to update and maintain the existing NCHFPP website, target website offerings to the media and small food entrepreneurs, and conduct webinars twice a year for Extension and other educators. Conduct of objective, public applied research provides a foundation for updating Extension and USDA recommendations. Therefore, this project also will conduct research projects related to the appropriate and safe use of the home-style atmospheric steam canner for small batch canning as well as the functioning of a reusable plastic canning lid system currently in the marketplace. Finally, the NCHFPP will also develop, pilot test and evaluate a youth food preservation curriculum suitable for delivery in a variety of nonformal community 4-H and other workshop settings. These materials will help meet requests made to faculty in the previous NCHFPP project as well as Extension specialists nationwide for resources to be used with youth from those engaged in the popular movement toward community and school gardens. The expected outcomes are improved knowledge of scientific foundations for home food preservation among Extension and other educators, improved knowledge and skills in home food preservation among youth, and original research findings on atmospheric steam canning and jar lid functioning that can be applied to Extension and USDA recommendations for processing food at home. One benefit is to continue allowing Extension and USDA to provide appropriate technical assistance and research-based education and information systems to citizens in order to prevent foodborne illness and/or economic losses associated with food spoilage. <P> Approach: <BR> Objective 1: Expand the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFPP) website. Methods include (a) regular scanning and updating of the website contents, (b) environmental scanning of nationwide Extension websites to keep referrals current, (c) a new webpage to provide links to nationwide Extension resources for small food entrepreneurs, (d) targeting website content appropriate to media outlets, and (e) webinars every six months via distance technology to Extension and other educators. Input from a convenience sample of previous media contacts will be sought for that new section; a website pop-up survey will ask other media users for input. Webinars for educators will be announced on the website and through national listservs of Extension and other food safety contacts. During pre-registration, participants will be asked to voluntarily complete an online pre-test to ascertain their knowledge about key concepts. At the end, another online evaluation will determine knowledge change; intent to make personal behavior changes if appropriate; and/or likelihood of using the content in their educational programs. The post-webinar evaluation will also obtain feedback as to usefulness of the format, future webinar topics, and evaluation of the instructor. Objective 2: Develop a curriculum for teaching food preservation to youth. Methods include (a) multi-state planning for curriculum content, (b) development of the lessons in Georgia and South Carolina, (c) pilot testing in a variety of youth settings by Extension agents, and (d) evaluation of the curriculum by change in knowledge in the youth and for process by Extension agents prior to finalization. Objective 3: Evaluate the atmospheric home steam canner for processing of acid foods. (a) Conduct heat distribution studies in a steam canner readily available in the open market. (b) After experimental determination of cold spots, conduct heat penetration studies for selected foods within USDA home canning recommendations. Selected foods will represent varying modes of heat transfer within a canning jar. Processes will be calculated using 24 datapoints from at least 3 canner loads. (c) Verify calculated processes with microbial challenge studies carried out in triplicate for each food/process combination. Objective 4: Evaluate the performance of a reusable plastic canning lid in standard home canning practices. Experimental food packs representing different food characteristics and jar filling practices that can affect lid performance (air entrapment, hot pack, raw pack, boiling water and pressure processing, unclean sealing surfaces, and overfills) will be made using the plastic lid, traditional two-piece metal lid and a glass/rubber ring lid system for comparisons. Sealing success rates, initial vacuum levels obtained, and vacuum retention over storage periods up to one year in duration will be recorded along with subjective evaluations of use. The NCHFPP website will be used as a record of activities and products. Additional communication methods to stakeholders will include Extension listservs, professional scientific meetings and internal Extension in-service workshops.