Rhode Island efforts to improve food safety and prevent food poisoning
Official title: EH20-001Rhode Island EHS-Net Practice Based Research to Improve Food Safety
Funded at Rhode Island State Dept of Health · NIH-11416070 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project works with local health inspectors and food businesses to find and reduce things that cause food poisoning for people who eat at restaurants and other food venues in Rhode Island.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rhode Island State Dept of Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2020 |
| Project end | September 29, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $192,587 |
| NIH project number | 6U01EH001368-05M002 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416070 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People in Rhode Island who recently experienced suspected food poisoning or who are connected to a local outbreak (customers, food workers, or managers) are the most likely to be involved.
✕Less likely to help
People outside Rhode Island or those with gastrointestinal symptoms unrelated to contaminated food are unlikely to participate or see direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you've had food poisoning, this project helps Rhode Island health staff do environmental checks at places linked to outbreaks and share what they find with a national database. The team participates in the Environmental Health Specialist Network and CDC multisite activities to spot common risks in retail food settings and test practical fixes. They plan to perform environmental checks during all local foodborne illness investigations and report results to the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS). Findings and recommended actions will be shared so restaurants and regulators can adopt safer practices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower the chance of foodborne illness by helping food establishments and inspectors prevent common causes of contamination.
How similar studies have gone: Previous EHS-Net projects have successfully identified common restaurant risk factors and informed national food safety guidance, so this builds on proven public health work.
Where this research is happening
-
Rhode Island State Dept of Health
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Viveiros, Brendalee — Rhode Island State Dept of Health
- Study coordinator: Viveiros, Brendalee
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.