A recent deadly outbreak of botulism in Ohio underscores the necessity for proper home canning procedures and food preparation, a University of Georgia Extension food safety specialist said.

Kirk Kealey spent the last 30 years helping develop and launch products like Mountain Dew, Tropicana juices and Dove Chocolate. Now, as director of the University of Georgia’s Food Product Innovation and Commercialization (PIC) Center, he’ll do the same for small and large food businesses in Georgia and across the Southeast.

Many people are turning toward home canning as a way to show their loved ones how much they care during the holidays. While gifts from one’s own kitchen can mean a lot, it’s essential that the canner use the proper techniques so that everyone has a safe and healthy holiday season.

A group of scientists from China, Taiwan and Japan traveled to south Georgia this week to share their work with University of Georgia researchers during the Seventh Annual Mini Summit on Food, Policy and the Environment. Cultural differences and thousands of miles separate the group, but they are unified in their primary concern — the safety of the world’s food supply.

A team of University of Georgia scientists have found peanut skins can be incorporated into traditional peanut butter with potentially surprising results.

Bob Westerfield spends his days growing vegetables and watching for problems. As University of Georgia Extension’s consumer vegetable horticulturist, he answers questions from backyard gardeners and Extension agents across the state. In the summer months, most of the questions are about tomatoes.

A popular citrus crop commonly grown by homeowners has become a highly sought after commodity for some south Georgia farmers. And one University of Georgia Extension agent believes Satsuma oranges will soon be a valuable crop.

Canning and preserving homegrown produce will be the focus of the next Saturday at the Rock workshop set for June 8 at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton.

First-year students at the University of Georgia are learning about chicken by learning everything from where it comes from and how it is processed, down to what impacts it’s tenderness and how to make it tasty.