Extension

 

Christi Evans is the new assistant state food safety specialist for Oklahoma State University Extension. A registered dietician with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from OSU in nutritional sciences, she has previously served as a family and consumer sciences educator in Cleveland County as well as a Community Nutrition Education Program area coordinator in the Oklahoma County unit. 

 

“I’m here to assist county educators with any of their food safety needs,” Evans said. “I think my experiences as a county educator will be helpful in this new role at the state level. I want to be a resource for our educators.”

 

With her nine years of OSU Extension experience, Evans will provide information on food preservation methods such as canning, freezing and pickling. She will also guide consumers on other food safety issues such as cooking to proper internal temperatures, the safest way to thaw the Thanksgiving turkey or how to safely get the family’s favorite casserole to grandma’s house for the family reunion. She is available to support county educators with training and workshops on food safety and food preservation. 

 

With Oklahoma’s extreme weather, residents often deal with power outages during an ice storm or after a tornado. Evans is a resource for Oklahomans affected by the weather and can help them determine if refrigerated and frozen foods are safe to use.

 

Evans’ expertise is valuable from a food safety standpoint and can also help stretch food dollars. She can advise on proper storage to extend the life of fresh, perishable foods. This can help reduce food waste and cushion the grocery bill. State residents can benefit from this valuable information with food costs continuing to soar.