Food Safety

Through two separate grant awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), MOWAA has joined with Rutgers University and the University of Maryland to improve food safety practices among both Meals On Wheels programs and homebound seniors.

A research team from the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers University is working with MOWAA to improve food safety among homebound clients by conducting a study designed to identify and analyze food quality and safety among homebound clients.  Interventions to improve food quality and safety will be tested and evaluated through five MOWAA Member programs.

Working with the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, MOWAA is developing a food safety training program designed to strengthen food safety for homebound adults via the continuum from food preparation to packaging, meal delivery and storage within the home. Once completed, this new food safety training program will be made available to more than 5,000 Meals On Wheels program directors and their more than 750,000 volunteers in communities nationwide.