Two family and consumer sciences professors received a $475,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a food safety virtual reference desk to answer frequently asked questions.

James Huss, associate professor of hotel, restaurant and institution management, and Daniel Henroid, temporary instructor of hotel, restaurant and institution management, are developing an online searchable database to provide up-to-date, research-based answers to commonly asked food safety questions.

The primary audiences for the reference desk are general consumers and food service operators, Henroid said.

“There are many food safety Web sites, but no food safety virtual reference desks,” Huss said. “No one has done it because there are no research-based answers to many food safety questions.”

Huss and Henroid said they plan to recruit experts from around the country to reference their answers. For those questions for which there is not agreement, Huss said they will ask a panel of experts to reach a consensus.

“This is very significant because when experts reach a consensus, it is the most reliable information you can find,” said Sue Ellen Tuttle, family and consumer sciences communications specialist.

Huss and Henroid had a good indication in mid-August they would receive the $475,000 grant. Their unofficial notice arrived late September, and they were officially notified three weeks later, Huss said.

While Huss heads the project, he gives most of the credit to Henroid.

“Without Dan, this never would have happened,” Huss said. “He had the vision and he’s not intimidated by the size of the project.”

Henroid works as webmaster for three food safety Web sites.

“His industry experience makes him a valuable asset,” Huss said.

Iowa State is collaborating with 10 government organizations and universities on the project, Huss said.

Henroid and Huss will attend the Virtual Reference Desk Conference in Florida this week to talk with other operators of virtual reference desks and discuss problems that occur when implementing similar sites, Henroid said.

A pilot version of the reference desk is expected to be available to the public next September, Henroid said.

“Sustainability is crucial to the success of this project,” Huss said.

“We need to keep it going until completion. This includes finding additional funding to continue the project.”