Food Safety Regulation Discussion Forums this month

Small food processors, producers and food entrepreneurs are invited to participate in a series of forum discussions on Michigan food safety regulations. As the Michigan Food Law is improved and revised, these forums provide an opportunity for small and medium size farm operators and food entrepreneurs to provide input on food safety and how regulations affect them.

The forums are hosted by Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) with funding from the Michigan Department of Agriculture in order to learn more about perceptions and experiences of food safety regulations and discover if and how regulations have constrained the viability of small food businesses. Pre-registration is requested; you can register by clicking the "Register now" links below or at www.miffs.org/foodsafetyforums.asp.

These forums will take place throughout the month of March at the following locations:

·         March 2, 2011 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the NEW Center,1100 N. Main St., Ann Arbor

o    Register now

·         March 9, 2011 from 6 – 8 p.m.  at the Portage Public Library, 300 Library Lane, Portage

o    Register now

·         March 15, 2011 from 9 – 11 a.m. at Michigan State University (MSU) Extension - Bay County, 515 Center Ave., Bay City

o    Register now

·         March 25, 2011 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at MSU Extension - Mecosta County, 14485 Northland Dr., Big Rapids

o    Register now

·         March 30, 2011 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Holiday Inn, 1201 W. Main St., Gaylord

o    Register now

For further details, contact Jenifer Buckley, Project Manager, at jbuckley@msu.edu or (517) 355-5962. 

Do You Spend Time Keeping Your Files in Sync?

Syncing files from one computer to another used to be a constant task in my work flow. Sometimes it created annoying workflow bottlenecks. 

If you need to have copies of the same files on different computers,you simply have to try out DropBox.com. This amazing free service lets you keep multiple computers in sync so seamlessly that you will forget about it.

I used to move files back and forth with USB drives. I have a drawerful of USB drives and a couple of portable hard drives that are obsolete. Instead, Dropbox creates a special folder called "Dropbox." Anything put in that folder gets magically synchronized to Dropbox's servers, and then downloaded to the other selected machines automatically. It is not intended as a backup service, but the files are stored on the Dropbox server and the multiple machines. Even better, it is cross-platform and works on PCs, Macs, iPads, and even smartphones.

Dropbox totally changed my workflow for the better. Try it out. If you use my affiliate code by using this link, you'll get an extra 250Mb of DropBox storage for free: nealfortin_dropbox_link. The 2GB account is free. Give it a shot. It is awesome!

"Food Safety Research in FDA: Collected Stories" Seminar on February 16, 2011

Mary Lou Tortorello, Ph.D., Chief, Food Technology Branch, NCFST/FDA will be presenting a seminar on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 4:00 p.m. in 1135 S. Anthony Hall, Michigan State University.  Her presentation "Food Safety Research in FDA:  Collected Stories" is part of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition Spring Seminar Series.