Grant support for Univ. Food Safety, Stress & Sleep Research

A team of Delaware State University food safety researchers has been awarded a federal grant in support of study that will focus on the relationship between food safety, stress and sleep.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture of USDA awarded at three-year $382,163 research grant to Dr. Wilbert Long III, a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Human Ecology and the Principal Investigator of the grant. The co-PIs are Dr. Janeese Brownlow, Assistant Professor of Psychology, and Dr. Verona Mulgrave, Extension Specialist in Food and Nutrition in the Department of Human Ecology.

The research project – entitled “Food Safety, Stress and Sleep in Diverse Communities of Delaware – will not only study the connection between those areas, but will also provide University’s master’s degree students with holistic training in food safety and provide them with extension and outreach opportunities.. The findings of the research will be shared widely with Delaware’s food professionals (such as farmers, food preparers and restaurant workers).

Dr. Long said that it is well known that lack of sleep and increased stress directly affect occupational safety, employee retention, and attention to detail. However, he notes that limited research has looked at how these factors affect the food industry, especially in the realm of food safety. 

“This is extremely important as the global population continues to increase, there will be intensified demands and stressors on the food industry,” Dr. Long said. “Through this grant, we intend to gain knowledge of how stress and adverse sleep affects the food industry in the state of Delaware.  Furthermore, this project will train community food stakeholders and Delaware State students in food safety and the effects of sleep and stress on occupational safety.”