Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC)

Dr. John P. Cherry, Center Director
Phyllis M. Davis, Executive Assistant
Voice:  (215) 233-6595
Fax:  (215) 233-6777

Mission

The ERRC has responsibility for fundamental, applied and developmental research on agricultural commodities including milk, meat, poultry, hides, leather, wool, fats, oils, fruits, vegetables and juices. New knowledge and technology that will ensure an abundance of high quality agricultural commodities and products at reasonable prices to meet the increasing needs and to provide a continued improvement in the standard of living of all Americans are obtained through the following research objectives: improve and reduce pre- and postharvest losses; develop new and improved food and nonfood or industrial products and energy efficient processing technologies; upgrade nutritional value of foods; ensure microbial and chemical food safety via molecular biology studies, rapid detection-sensing methods, intervention technologies and risk assessment; decrease costs for production of fuel-grade alcohol and biodiesel from agricultural feedstocks; utilize by-products particularly potential pollutants; open new and expand existing domestic and foreign markets; reduce marketing costs and transfer technology. ERRC has six Research Units that conduct research work to benefit the producers of agricultural commodities, handlers and processors of food and nonfood products, federal action and regulatory agencies and the consumer. They are Dairy Processing and Products; Crop Conversion Science and Engineering; Food Safety Intervention Technologies; Fats, Oils and Animal Co-Products; Microbial Food Safety; and Microbial Biophysics and Residue Chemistry and Core Technologies. Two Work Sites, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State University with microbial food safety programs report to ERRC.

HISTORY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Eastern Regional Research Center, NAA, ARS, USDA
600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania  19038
Phone:  (215) 233-6400   FAX:  (215) 233-6777