Food Industry Information Resources Key Terms

Learn about resources for information on the food industry

By Terri Deno

Knowing how food is grown, harvested and manufactured is important to understand the safety of consuming the products. Consumers and businesses in the food industry can benefit from food industry information resources online and in print. These resources explain the rules and regulations for safety in all aspects of producing food as well as the research and advancements taking place in the industry. Resources range from nonprofit organizations to federal regulation agencies.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The United States Department of Agriculture is the regulatory agency that oversees the growth and production of agricultural products in the United States. The USDA provides inspections and safety regulations for crops and livestock products sold to consumers.
Try: Learn more about the USDA by visiting its website.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The Food and Drug Administration is the best resource for laws that regulate how to manufacture, package and label foods for human consumption.
Try: The FDA provides its Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, a resource for information on the laws and regulations that food manufacturers must meet.

Institute of Food Technologists

The Institute of Food Technologists is an organization that provides news and information on the latest technology used to grow and manufacture food products for consumers.
Try: The Institute of Food Technologists provides information on research, training and additional resources for information on the food industry.

State food laws

Besides the national food laws from the USDA and FDA, state agencies for agriculture and public health also have food laws to protect the quality and standards of locally grown produce.
Try: Food Law provides information on food laws from most of the U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam.

Alliance for Better Foods

The Alliance for Better Foods is an organization that works to promote agricultural biotechnology. These processes are used to provide foods of a higher quality and safety in food production.
Try: The Alliance for Better Foods provides statistics, regulations and technology information for using biotechnology to produce food.

Association of Fruits and Vegetable Inspection and Standardization Agencies

The Association of Fruits and Vegetable Inspection and Standardization Agencies (AFVISA) is an organization that brings together state inspection and standardization programs to promote more national standards of inspecting produce in the U.S.
Try: Learn about the different state agencies involved in this voluntary organization by visiting the AFVISA website.