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Secondary science teachers who integrate food safety (FS) into curricula can provide FS knowledge and skills to youth while reinforcing science skills and concepts. National science education standards and the Biological Science Curriculum Study 5E Inquiry‐based Learning Model were used to design an online training, Food Safety FIRST. The training has 3 modules, each with 15 h of web‐based instruction, interactive discussion, and tools to conduct experiments or critical evaluation projects. A CD‐ROM, web site (http://foodsafetyfirst.org), and lab kit were developed to accompany module activities. Seventy‐one teachers registered for the program; 38 matched pretest/posttest evaluations were analyzed. When asked their intention to teach FS in the next year, enrollees responded “definitely” (60.5%) or “possibly” (34.2%), reaching potentially 3570 students. Participants found the training very valuable (71.1%) and were significantly more comfortable teaching FS at posttest (3.6 ± 0.5 on a 4‐point Likert scale) than at pretest (2.8 ± 1.0; P < 0.0001, n= 35). Self‐reported FS practices also improved from pretest (24.8 ± 5.7 out of a possible 35) to posttest (27.7 ± 4.8; P < 0.001, n= 32). On 4‐point Likert scales, teachers were confident answering FS questions (3.4); confident that if they did a good job teaching this topic, students would be interested in FS (3.4); and confident FS concepts taught would meet national science standards (3.4). They found the program satisfactory for demonstrating inquiry‐based learning (3.8). Most agreed that they would change FS habits (3.2). Using 5‐point scales, participants agreed that they felt more able to critically evaluate FS information on the Internet (4.2) and that the training was enjoyable in an online format (4.3).

Data from a longitudinal survey of 92 mothers and their female infants supported the hypothesis that the method of feeding had an effect on weight gain. Nutritionists visited the homes monthly during the first 6 months after parturition and obtained both dietary and anthropometric information. The infants were grouped according to the method of feeding at 2 months. A two-factor experiment with repeated measures on one factor as the experimental design was used to test for the effects of diet on weight gain, length increment, and weight/length pattern. The difference between group mean weights adjusted for birthweight was significant with .05 < P < 0.1. One difference was between infants fed formula and solids and infants fed breast milk and food supplements but not between infants fed breast milk or formula alone. No significant differences among the feeding groups were noted in length and weight/length, but there was a tendency for higher weight in relation to height in the infants fed formula and solids.

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