The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations require that acidified/canned foods need to be tested by a qualified person, called a Process Authority, to make sure the products are safe. While large processing plants have their own Process Authority to test these foods, small businesses in Kentucky and other states depend on qualified University Extension Specialists to help them. As the Process Authority at the Food Systems Innovation Center, partnering with the Food Microbiology Laboratory in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, I tested, reviewed and issued process review letters for 36 different products from 12 small businesses in Kentucky. This Process Authority letter helped all 12 processors to obtain a commercial permit from the Kentucky State Food Safety branch, which authorizes the processors to sell their value added products at any market not just in Kentucky or within the U.S but also across the globe.