Budget Includes Funds For Int’l Food Protection Training Institute
BattleCreekEnquirer.com -
Like many people in Battle Creek, we’re excited about the prospect of making our city a national center for food safety and research. Now with President Obama proposing $8 million for the International Food Protection Training Institute, the concept is gaining steam.
News that Obama has amended his proposed 2011 budget to include money for the Battle Creek-based institute is just the latest in a series of promising steps toward creating an important new industry that will help revive the local economy.
It was not quite a year ago that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded a $2 million grant to foster development of the institute, allowing it to train approximately 300 food inspectors from throughout the United States in 2009. Plans are on track for another 1,000 students to attend training sessions this year, and the proposed $8 million in federal money would help the institute serve 2,000-3,000 students in 2011, in addition to providing Web-based training for another 5,000 food inspectors.
The federal funds would allow the institute to expand from the current staff of about a half-dozen people to 20-25 employees. We’re talking about highly skilled, well-paid jobs that would give a solid boost to the local economy.
