The Rich Family Foundation has donated $250,000 to a new partnership with Cornell University. The goal is to further the development of a safe and sustainable global food supply, through research and education. The new Rich’s Food Safety Lab has been opened to engage in both critical food safety research and the education of the next generation of food safety leaders - two functions the foundation said can significantly influence the future of the food industry and drive essential innovations in the safe production, handling and distribution of the world’s food supply.
“The Rich’s Food Safety Lab is a state-of-the-art platform to support groundbreaking food safety research at Cornell University,” said Bob Rich Jr., Chairman, Rich Family Foundation and Rich Products Corporation. “In addition, the lab will serve as a training facility for the next generation of highly qualified food safety professionals, who will lead our industry, share their expertise, and collaborate with manufacturers such as Rich’s and also with our customers, to protect the safety and availability of the global food supply.”
The 1,396-square-foot lab is located on Cornell's Ithaca campus and will address food safety issues along the entire supply chain. With the facility, the foundation said faculty and their research groups will be able to apply interdisciplinary approaches that will allow Cornell to continue as the global leader in food safety.
“Rich Products’ gift of the Rich’s Food Safety Lab is a permanent, physical embodiment of the powerful partnership our two Upstate NY institutions have established," said Kathryn J. Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "Rich Products’ generosity will allow Cornell to build on its legacy of leadership in food safety while facilitating future interdisciplinary, collaborative efforts—using state-of-the-art technologies—to ensure a safe and wholesome global food supply from New York to Shanghai.”
Rich’s is a leader in the frozen food industry, with more than 4,000 products sold across 112 countries.
