The Food Safety Consortium consists of researchers from the University of Arkansas, Iowa State University, and Kansas State University. The Consortium was established by Congress in 1988 through a special Cooperative State Research Service grant. The Consortium's charge is to conduct extensive investigation into all areas of poultry, beef, and pork meat production, from the farm to the consumer's table. Each of the university members of the Consortium is primarily performing research associated with the specific animal species for which that university is uniquely qualified: University of Arkansas, poultry; Iowa State University, pork, and Kansas State University, beef.