Han Chen

Han Chen joined UC ANR as the Statewide Food Safety Coordinator for Community Food Systems at UC SAREP. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Food Science from Purdue University, where she continued to work as a postdoctoral researcher for one year before joining UC ANR. Her research has focused on human factors in food safety, with an emphasis on food safety culture, risk communication, and Extension program development and evaluation. 

Chen has experience conducting food safety needs assessments, identifying barriers to adopting food safety practices, and developing targeted educational interventions to address identified gaps and enhance food safety compliance. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research has primarily focused on food safety management and culture in the low-moisture food sector, including food handling practices for dried mushrooms in restaurants, food safety research and educational needs in the U.S. low-moisture food industry, and the optimization of food safety warning labels on flour packaging. She also collaborated with the Almond Board of California to examine the evolution of food safety management and culture in the California almond industry and assess food safety training needs among almond processors. 

In her current role, she will work closely with colleagues and partners across California to support small- and medium-scale food businesses, food hubs, and other stakeholders throughout the post-harvest supply chain. Through education, outreach, and applied research, she aims to strengthen food safety practices, support regulatory compliance, and address the evolving needs of California's community food systems.

Chen is based at the Second Street building in Davis and can be reached at [email protected].