Food Additives and Preservatives

• Additives in Meat and Poultry Products (USDA) This USDA webpage discusses food additives in meat and poultry, specifically, the types of additives commonly used and their history and regulation.
• Food Ingredients & Packaging and Color Additives Information for Consumers (FDA) These pages provide general information about the history and regulation of food additives including colors, answers to commonly asked questions, and a table listing popular food additives and their function in foods.
• Interpreting Pesticide Residues in Food (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). 2019. Interpreting Pesticide Residues in Food. Issue Paper 66. CAST, Ames, Iowa) (PDF 3.6 MB)

Food Regulations

• Ensuring a Safe Food Supply: A Concise Guide to Food Regulation in the U.S. (International Food Information Council's (IFIC) (PDF 231 KB)

For Youth 

• Science and Our Food Supply (FDA) Free supplementary curriculum for middle level and high school classrooms. The teacher guides are challenging hands-on, minds-on activities that link food safety, nutrition, and biotechnology to students' everyday lives. They are crafted in a teacher-friendly modular format that easily fit into science, health, and other classes.

Genetically Modified Foods 

• Agricultural Biotechnology (FDA)
• Agricultural Biotechnology in California:  Safety of Genetically Engineered Food (UCANR Pub 8180) (PDF 212 KB)
• Crop Modification Techniques (Biology Fortified, Inc.) Information and infographic regarding the many techniques used to generate new traits in plants. (Infographic, PDF 3 MB)

Shelf Life, Product Dating, and Long-Term Storage

• "Food Keeper" App - Your New Tool for Smart Food Storage (USDA)
• Food Product Dating (USDA)
• Food Product Dating and Storage Times (Arizona Cooperative Extension) (PDF 616 KB)
• Long-Term Food Storage (Utah State University)
• Refrigerator and Freezer Storage (University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension)
• Selecting and Serving Produce Safely (FDA)
• Storing Canned Food (University of Minnesota Extension)
• The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in America (NRDC Report; 2013) (PDF 3.0 MB)

 A poster produced by the UC Postharvest Center, showing the proper storage of fruits, melons and vegetables.

• Poster on Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste (PDF 3.7 MB)
• Poster on Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste (Spanish) (PDF 2.37MB)