Time is running short for food entrepreneurs who want to participate in the state’s premier annual food competition: UGA’s Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest. The deadline for registering for the 10th annual contest is Friday, Feb. 5.

Researchers at the University of Georgia found that pathogens, like salmonella, can survive for at least six months in cookies and crackers. The recent study was prompted by an increased number of outbreaks of foodborne diseases linked to low-water-activity, or dry, foods.

In the middle of this season of feasting and fêtes, it can sometimes be easy to forget about the plight of people who struggle to have enough to eat. For two University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students who had the chance to attend the 2015 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue this fall, that won’t be the case this year.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is ensuring that food safety is a priority for Georgia’s food industry. Through the ServSafe® program, UGA Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) agents, like Roxie Price in Tifton, Georgia, are leading training sessions for local restaurant managers and employees on how to properly and safely handle food..

Gifts of food to friends and family are common during the holidays. To help both the gift-giver and the gift-getter keep these foods safe, follow these tips from UGA Extension expert Judy Harrison.

One of the best ways to celebrate the holidays is to gather around the table to enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal. Follow these simple recommendations to have a turkey feast that will be remembered for years to come, for all the right reasons.

The current highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 outbreak in the United States is a concern for the commercial poultry industry, not the general population, says a University of Georgia poultry expert. Humans won’t be infected with avian influenza by eating chicken or other poultry products. Nearly all previous cases of human infections with other avian influenza viruses involved close, direct contact with infected poultry, but little to no direct transmission from person to person. While the HPAI H5 virus has caused some severe devastation for the U.S. commercial poultry industry, there have been no reports of infections in humans, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers the risk to people from this virus to be low.

Whether it’s a specialty sweet treat, small-batch pork sausage or pimento cheese made from Grandma’s secret recipe, the University of Georgia’s Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest shines the spotlight on the state’s craft foods. Registration for the 2016 Flavor of Georgia contest, which is conducted each year by the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, is now open.

In a recent study funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, University of Georgia researchers found that produce containing bacteria are likely to contaminate other produce items through the continued use of knives or graters — the bacteria latches onto the utensils commonly found in consumers’ homes and spreads to the next item.