Source: VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE submitted to
ENHANCING MICROBIAL FOOD SAFETY BY RISK ANALYSIS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
REVISED
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1000082
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
VA.136275
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
S-1056
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2013
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2018
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Eifert, JO.
Recipient Organization
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
(N/A)
BLACKSBURG,VA 24061
Performing Department
Food Science & Technology
Non Technical Summary
The long-term goal of this project is the establishment of a multi-disciplinary network of scientists that performs comprehensive and integrated risk-based research and outreach to improve the safety of food from farm to fork. Interested stakeholders, including food producers and/or processors, retailers and consumers, have identified the need for an approach that conducts applied research to determine the prevalence and ecology of foodborne pathogens (including antibiotic resistant bacteria) in fresh and processed foods coupling that to research aimed at establishing effective control methods to decrease pathogen contamination of foods. Several outreach objectives have also been developed in support of this project. These objectives include communication of risk-based management recommendations derived from the research aspects of this proposal to stakeholders as well as to those who interact with stakeholders. Communication strategies will be precisely tailored to the particular audience (processors, distributors, retailers, consumers). Message content will focus on risk-based strategies and microbial control opportunities deemed critical for each target audience to achieve the greatest strides in improving food safety in the U.S. Outreach to those who advise producers and consumers (e.g. educators, extension personnel) who are not part of the project will be achieved through ongoing symposia to disseminate key information concerning lessons learned during the course of this project. Finally, in addition to developing a better understanding of the microbial ecology of foodborne pathogens and methods to detect and control their presence in foods, this multi-state project will permit undergraduate and graduate students to gain experience in current and emerging methods used to identify, track, and control foodborne pathogens in the food production environment, as well as the use of modern molecular methods to identify and study emerging pathogens that may contribute to the burden of foodborne illnesses. The need for training programs to support the next generation of food safety specialists is clear, as is the need to increase the ethnic and cultural diversity among food safety researchers to reflect the ethnic and cultural composition representative of the U.S. population.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
60%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
5015010110030%
7124010110030%
5014010110015%
7114010110015%
7244010302010%
Knowledge Area
501 - New and Improved Food Processing Technologies; 712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins; 711 - Ensure Food Products Free of Harmful Chemicals, Including Residues from Agricultural and Other Sources; 724 - Healthy Lifestyle;

Subject Of Investigation
4010 - Bacteria; 5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education; 1100 - Bacteriology;
Goals / Objectives
Risk Assessment: Assess food safety risks in agriculture systems Risk Management: Develop science-based interventions to prevent and mitigate food safety threats Risk Communication: Communicate food safety messages to stakeholders
Project Methods
Materials and Methods: The proposed research reflects the diversity of the member scientists and will cover food commodities including aquaculture (fish and shellfish), meat (beef, pork sheep, goat, and other), poultry and eggs, dairy, fruits, vegetables, low moisture foods (primarily nuts and dried fruits), dry, raw, ready-to-eat and processed foods and animal feeds. In addition to multiple commodities, numerous conventional and emerging pathogens, including bacterial (Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Vibrio spp., shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria spp., Clostridium spp., Yersinia spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Mycobacterium spp.), viruses (hepatitis A, norovirus, FRNA phages), and parasites (Cryptosporidium spp., Cyclospora spp., Toxoplasmosis spp. and Giardia spp.) are investigated by members of this group. Although no current members conduct research on mycotoxigenic fungi or mycotoxins, we look forward to future inclusion of members with a specialty in this area, if they are interested. However we recognize that there is another multistate project entirely devoted to this hazard. Obfective 1. Assessment of food safety risks in agricultural systems. Understanding prevalence and frequencies of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance within the environment, food products and food production processing, distributions and consumer systems. Also vital to the success of any risk assessment is a comprehensive perception of both concentration and distribution of risk factors, including foodborne pathogens and presence of antimicrobial resistance genes. Much of the currently available prevalence data is lacking critical concentration data, which while difficult to determine, is an essential piece of any risk assessment. Also commonly overlooked are the potential spatial-temporal population differences that may exist across the US, and offer a unique niche for PIs collaborating on this project to evaluate. These spatial patterns that exist along the farm-to-fork continuum provide insight into current relative risk of food products and production environments, and are a critical starting point against which all risk reduction attempts can be benchmarked. Statistically-sound sampling methods and sample sizes are of fundamental importance to all studies. These issues will be addressed by our plan to evaluate frequencies and concentrations of pathogens and antimicrobial-resistance genes and identify production, manufacturing, distribution or consumer management practices that improve public health by reducing these risks. Objective 2. Develop science-based interventions to prevent and mitigate food safety threats A risk management framework based on commodity-specific flow diagrams and inputs from the first objective will be developed. A key component of this activity will be the use of risk modeling techniques to relate levels of microbial contamination in food to the likelihood of the occurrence of foodborne outbreaks. The information developed using this approach will then be utilized to mitigate risks at specific points along the farm to fork continuum. The data developed using the risk modeling approaches will also lead to the identification of critical data gaps, which will feed back into new projects under objective 1. Models and risk management. Under this objective, predictive models will be built and validated for appropriate commodity/pathogen pairings. Mathematical models will be developed to describe the chilling and heating rates of various food commodities. These developed models will be validated using real-life scenarios, whenever possible. Following the development of temperature models, expert opinion, industry, experimentally derived and literature data for processing and handling conditions to the point of consumption can be integrated into risk assessment models to estimate changes in microbial population dynamics. Alternatively, established models such as The Pathogen Modeling Program or ComBase can be utilized. Risk Mitigation. For foods that are processed, the development and validation of novel processing technologies will lead to reduced risk of the production of contaminated foods. Ongoing studies include, but are not limited to, those related to high pressure processing (HHP), UV, ozone, electrolyzed water, bacteriophages, peracetic acid, essential oils, and value-added packaging, alone or in combination, as methods to mitigate food safety risks on various food commodities. An additional evaluation of the efficacy of novel methods and products for washing produce to decrease populations of foodborne pathogens may be undertaken. The most promising methods will be promoted through programs and educational materials developed in objective 3. Objective 3. Communicate food safety messages to stakeholders Effective communication is critical to incite behavior and management changes towards a safer food supply. We propose to use two-way exchanges of information between stakeholders and researchers to tailor risk management messages for each specific audience. Multiple criteria will be used to evaluate and assess message content and media. The efficacy of these messages to result in measurable changes in behavior and tangible impacts on food contamination will be evaluated. Based on stakeholder feedback and the assessed success or limitations of various communication strategies, changes will be made to outreach approaches to meet specific audience needs. Targeted stakeholders include producers, processors, retailers, food service, and consumers. The following approaches will be exploited: 1) Increase communication by recruiting additional university personnel with research and Extension appointments, including 1890's land-grant schools and Hispanic-speaking institutions. 2) Strengthen collaborative networks and exchange of information about integrated food safety issues, fostering communication with food industry/target audiences and other stakeholders (USDA, FDA, Departments of Agriculture and Health, etc.) on a regional and national scale. 3) Increase USDA-ARS scientist participation in group meetings and research collaborations on a regional and national scale. 4) Through stakeholder participation in meetings, conduct needs assessment/survey of stakeholders to determine current trends and food safety issues at annual meetings of IAFP, AMSA, PMA, AMI, NCBA, NRA, GMA, PSA, United Egg Producers, organic producers/processors, etc. 5) Transfer food safety knowledge to undergraduate and graduate students via training opportunities at collaborating institutions, resident education, extension and/or outreach activities nationwide. 6) Facilitate national networking and coordination amongst the users of food safety information from production to consumption (farmers, producers, processors, inspectors, researchers, consumers, etc.), to explore regional specific and national barriers and opportunities. 7) Identify and disseminate information about databases of food safety information and interactive software to support decision-making amongst food safety professionals, on a regional or national scale as necessary. 8) Disseminate (share among partners) food safety trainings, multiuser distance education programs, satellite communication, webinars, etc. to deliver food safety training on a variety of topics. 9) Encourage Technical Committee members participation actively in professional food safety venues and acknowledge the multi-state contributions of their activities publically. 10) Conduct evaluations to determine impact of educational and/or outreach activities on student and/or workshop participants' food safety knowledge, attitude, behavior, and/or skills.

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Farmers market producers and vendors in 3 states (VA, GA, SC). Meat and poultry processors in Virginia and North Carolina. Food handlers of raw meat and poultry. Raw produce growers and packers. Food regulatory authorities in Virginia Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A. Training of graduate and undergraduate student(s) including UG research/MS/PhD documents: Several students completed related research projects, completed degree requirements or are working on research related to this multistate project. Trained 5Ph.D. students (Kenneth Hurley, Vaishali Dharmhara, Jennifer Acuff, Michael Hughes, Calvin Waldron), 5Masters students (Kendall Fogler, Thomas Saunders, William Knight, Michael Wesolowski, and Melissa Wright) and 3 undergraduate researchers. B. Undergraduate and graduate student communication development through preparation and delivery of research [to classes, groups, scientific meetings]: Several students presented research (oral and/or poster) at theInternational Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting: Kendall Fogler, Thomas Saunders,Vaishali Dharmhara, Calvin Waldron. C. Training of agents or others: Trained 29 Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspectors in Food Safety Modernization Act rules. Trained 75 food processors in Preventive Controls for Human Food. Training of postdocs Giselle Guron and Jian Wu. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Peer-reviewed journal publications. Research presentations (oral and poster) at professional, scientific conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We planto publish 6relevant peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals. We plan to present findings atprofessional meetings including theInternational Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, and to share the results with researchers, regulatory agencies and industry professionals. Work with graduate students, post-docs, Extension agents, stakeholders to develop a better understanding of the impacts of thesestudies.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Contamination of fresh produce by antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) can occur at any point in the food chain. However, limited research is available regarding the effect of sanitizer washing and refrigerated storage on bacterial community dynamics, including ARB on fresh produce. In this study, carrots stored at 2oC had greater species richness than carrots stored at 10oC. Carrot bacterial communities inoculated without antibiotics containing compost were more even compared to compost with antibiotics. Compost inoculated with ARB had more species evennessthan non-inoculated compost. Storage temperature significantly increased abundance of Pseudomonadales. Refrigerated storage and use of a sanitizer wash offer strategies to alter the bacterial composition on carrots. This study can help inform management practices for limiting the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance from farm-to-fork. In working towards a comprehensive strategy to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance, potential farm-to-fork routes of dissemination are gaining attention. The effects of pre-harvest factors on the microbiota and corresponding antibiotic resistance indicators on the surfaces of produce commonly eaten raw is of special interest. Here we conducted a controlled greenhouse study, using radishes as a root vegetable grown in direct contact with soil, and compared the effects of manure-based soil amendments, prior antibiotic use in the livestock from which the manure was sourced, composting of the manure, and soil type, with chemical fertilizer as a control. We noted significant effects of both amendment and soil type on the composition of the microbiota and certain markers of antibiotic resistance on radish surfaces. The findings take a step towards identifying agricultural practices that aid in reducing carriage of indicators of antibiotic resistance and corresponding risks to consumers. Meat jerky is a popular dried snack food that is typically considered shelf-stable and ready-to-eat. A lethality treatment is necessary to control biological hazards. However, many jerky processes incorporate post-lethality handling that represents opportunities of contamination through contact with worker hands/gloves and forearms/sleeves. This study identified transfer rates ofSalmonella entericafrom gloves to dried jerky after handling with three types of single-use gloves (nitrile, PVC, and PE) and one type of single-use PE-coated sleeves that covers worker's forearms. Salmonellatransfer to jerky was significantly greater (P<0.05) from PE gloves and PE-coated sleevescompared to nitrile and PVC gloves. In qualitative analysis, fingers-only contact resulted inSalmonellatransfer to 10 of 40 jerky strips from PE gloves and 1 of 40 strips from nitrile gloves. However, when the palm was involved in the contact, all 80 jerky strips acquiredSalmonella,regardless of material types. Selection of materials associated with reduced transfer may be an important strategy for reducing bacterial cross-contamination in jerky production facilities. Airborne pathogenic bacteria can present a significant public health risk. Pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes can colonize numerous surfaces as well, through direct and indirect cross contamination. The purpose of this work was to explore the ability of Listeria innocua (a surrogate for L. monocytogenes) to contaminate a surface after it has become aerosolized in a bioaerosol chamber and a walk-in cooler. Recovery of L. innocua from steel, plastic and agar was significantly higher at 83% relative humidity (RH) (2.7 cells/cm2) compared to 65% RH (0.45 cells/cm2). Mean cell recovery from air samples (gelatin filters) was significantly higher when collected 5 or 10 minutes after nebulization at 83% humidity (mean 2.2 CFU/L) compared to collection after 20 or 40 minutes or compared to all times under 65% humidity (mean 0.4 CFU/L). Recovery from high density polyethylene (HDPE) coupons (1.21 CFU/cm2) was 2.5 X recovery from Oxford agar (0.49 CFU/cm2).In the second part of the research, L. innocua was nebulized into an 11 m3 walk-in cooler where RH ranged from ~29-37%. The total estimated mean recovery from Oxford media at 10 min after nebulizing was 0.48%, but only 0.04% for samples collected after 60 minutes. The recovery of L. innocua from air samples after 60 min was one-fourth of the number recovered 5 min after nebulizing. Understanding the survival of aerosolized Listeria and how it can colonize over time on a food contact surface will enhance our efforts to prevent transmission on a small and large scale. Goal 2: Illnesses and recalls due toSalmonellaon tree nuts has prompted increased implementation of processing interventions, including propylene oxide (PPO) fumigation. There is a need to validate a large number of product configurations and processing parameters warranting the identification of a surrogate that can be used in the processing facility. PPO processing resulted insignificant differences in the mean reduction log CFU/g ofS. enterica(7.3) andE. faecium(6.4) andP. acidilacti(6.3) on whole macadamia nuts. On cashews, the mean reduction log CFU/g ofS. enterica(5.2) was not significantly different from that ofE. faecium(5.2) after PPO processing, however reduction ofP. acidilacti(4.1) was significantly different on cashews. Reductions of the target bacteria were significantly different for the two nut types, despite processing at the same time under the same parameters. This indicates the importance of comparing the efficacy of surrogate bacteria for the food of interest. Microbial pathogens may attach and form biofilms on raw fruit surfaces and can be difficult to remove. A cavitation process (formation of bubbles in water) was studied for its effectiveness for removal and inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Newport from the surfaces of fresh Roma tomatoes and cantaloupes.Individual fruit were separately inoculated with each pathogen, then submerged in a water tank and treated with a bubble flow through an air stone using one airflow rate (0 - 14 liters/min.) for up to 60 sec. As air flow increased, pathogen reduction increased up to 1.2 log CFU/fruit greater than with water alone (no bubbles). Additional pathogen reduction in the tank water (organisms detached from the fruit) was observed with the bubble treatments. Therefore, these bubble streams can be used to enhance the detachment of bacteria from fruit surfaces and to inactivate a proportion of these detached microorganisms. Goal 3: Bacteria isolated from triple-washed, bagged, ready-to-eat leafy vegetables have been shown to possess antimicrobial resistance. Sanitizers used in produce washing may select for survival of resistant strains. There is little known about how much produce growers understand about antimicrobial resistance and how their practices could influence antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this study was to understand how produce growers utilize sanitizers in their operations, and to assess their general knowledge of antimicrobial resistance. Growers surveyed (n=61) generally understand that antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern (61%). However, their understanding of how using sanitizers to wash fresh produce impacts antimicrobial resistance was less clear. Chlorine was the most common sanitizer used (65%), and the most common application method used to deliver sanitizer was through a spray bar (47.8%). Ninety-one percent of growers received sanitizer information from a chemical representative or local extension agent and 78% indicated extension agents and growers' meetings as their preferred source for education. Results demonstrate the importance of Extension efforts as a delivery system for fresh produce growers. Extension agents could be used to deliver information on how using sanitizers can reduce antimicrobial resistance in the food supply.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ponder, M. 2017. Strategies for Detection of Human Pathogens in Low-water Activity (aw) Foods: Application of Current Methods to Some Difficult Matrices In symposium Challenges and Strategies in Detecting Foodborne Pathogens in Low-water Activity Foods. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract S66. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wu, J., Saunders, T, Fogler K., Waterman K. and M. Ponder. 2017. Evaluation of Transfer Rates of Salmonella from Single-use Gloves and Sleeves to Dehydrated Pork Jerky. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract T11-05. (oral)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Levy J, Boyer RR, Neilson A, O'Keefe SF, Chu H, et al. Evaluation of peanut skin, and grape seed extract to inhibit growth of foodborne pathogens. Food Science & Nutrition. 10.1002/fsn3.503. 31 August 2017
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Bacon K, Boyer R, Denbow C, Neilson A, Williams RC. 2017. Antibacterial activity of jalape�o pepper (Capsicum annum var. annum) extract fractions against select foodborne pathogens. Food Science & Nutrition. 5(3):730-738.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Concha-Meyer A, Eifert JD, Williams RC, Marcy JE, Welbaum GE. 2017. Listeria monocytogenes survival in the presence of malic acid, lactic acid or blueberry extract. Journal of Berry Research. 7(1):33-41.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Waldron, C., J. Eifert, L. Marr, A. Neilson, and R.C. Williams. 2017. The survival and transmission of aerosolized Listeria species. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. July 9 - 12
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Saunders, T., M. Ponder, R. Williams, J. Wu, K. Waterman, and K. Fogler. 2017. Inactivation of Salmonella spp. and surrogate bacteria on cashews and macadamia nuts exposed to commercial propylene oxide processing conditions. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. July 9 - 12.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wu, J and Ponder, MA. 2017. Evaluation of Transfer Rates of Salmonella From Single-Use Gloves and Sleeves to Dehydrated Pork Jerky. Food Control 84:17-22.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Duncan, SE. Moberg, K, Amin, K., Wright, M., Newkirk, J, and Ponder, MA . 2017. Processes to preserve spice and herb quality and sensory integrity during pathogen inactivation. Journal of Food Science 82 (5):1208-1215
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ponder, MA. 2017. The Effects of Food Composition on Foodborne Illness Infectious Dose and Host Susceptibility. In: Foodborne Pathogens, Eds. Doyle M and Gurtler J. Springer. 469-494
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Li, M, Seelenbinder, K, Ponder, M, Deng, L, Rhoads, RP, and Pelzer K. 2017. Effects of dirty housing and a Typhimurium DT104 challenge on pig growth performance, diet utilization efficiency, and gas emissions from stored manure Journal of Animal Science 95 (3): 1264-1276
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Waldron, C. Recovery and transport of aerosolized Listeria innocua. Ph.D. Dissertation, Virginia Tech; July 2017.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Lee, J. The effects of cavitation on the removal and inactivation of Listeria and Salmonella on the surface of fresh roma tomatoes and cantaloupes. M.S. Thesis, Virginia Tech; Dec. 2016
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Dharmarha, V, Pulido, N, Guron, G, Pruden A, Boyer R, Strawn L and M. Ponder. 2017. Storage Temperature and Sanitizer Washing Influences the Bacterial Community Dynamics of Carrots. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract P2-122.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Guron, G, Pruden A, and M. Ponder. 2017. Metagenomic Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Mobile Genetic Elements Found on Radish Taproots Grown in Soils Amended with Manure and Compost from Cattle. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract P3-63.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Guron, G, Pruden A, and M. Ponder. 2017. Quantifying Sulfonamide Resistance Genes on Lettuce Grown in Soil Amended with Manure and Compost from Antibiotic-Treated Cattle. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract P3-64.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Fogler, K, Guron, G, Pruden A, Krometis, K, Hession, C., Wind, L, Jacodbs, K. and M. Ponder. 2017. Microbial Community Analysis of Field Grown Produce in Soil Amended with Manure or Compost from Antibiotic Treated Cattle. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract P3-97
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Dharmarha, V, Drape T, Vallotton, Pruden A, Boyer R, Strawn L and M. Ponder. 2017. An Assessment of Produce Growers' Sanitizer Practices and Knowledge about Antimicrobial Resistance. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract T3-07. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ponder, M. 2017. The Effects of Food Composition on Foodborne Illness Infectious Dose and Host Susceptibility. In symposium: Virulence Factors and Host Susceptibility. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract S03. (oral)


Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Farmers market producers and vendors in 3 states (VA, GA, SC). Meat and poultry processors in Virginia and North Carolina. Food handlers of raw meat and poultry. Raw produce growers and packers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?ThreeM.S. studentscompleted related projects and completed degree requirements. Additionally, seven M.S. and two Ph.D. students are working on research related to this multistate project. Additionally, one post-doctoral researcher and six undergraduate students are being mentored through collaborations on this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Poster sessions at technical and scientific meetings, peer-reviewed publications, thesis and dissertations, discussions with students and faculty. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to send at least one member of the project faculty to the annual multistate project S1056 meeting. Collaborate with S1056 project particapants at other universities to establish a student mentoring program to recruit and mentor students into a variety of food safety related disciplines. (This is a project milestone for the full project team members.) Evaluate the pathogen load of leafy greens and herbs purchased from farmers' markets across VA and NC. Test the use of novel methods to educate consumers on how to properly handle mechanically tenderized beef products. Work to expand the farmers market food safety curriculumto include a number of new educational tools. Further study the effectiveness of cavitation bubbles for reducing and inactivating surface bacteria, on raw produce in post-harvest packing operations.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: The effectiveness of commercial treatment of whole black peppercorns and cumin seeds with ethylene oxide (EtO) on the survival of Salmonella enterica, Enterococcus faecium, and total aerobic bacteria was evaluated. Ethylene oxide fumigation significantly reduced the populations of Salmonella and E. faecium on whole black peppercorns and cumin seeds (P<0.05). Reductions of Salmonella on peppercorns were significantly greater than those for Enterococcus (P=0.05, 2.96±0.66 log CFU/g). Reductions of Salmonella and Enterococcus on cumin seeds were not significantly different. EtO fumigation significantly reduced total aerobic plate counts for both spices by 2 to 3 log CFU/g.Significance: Ethylene oxide fumigation offers a strategy to reduce Salmonella on whole spices. Reduction of E. faecium was equivalent to that of Salmonella on whole black peppercorns and cumin seeds processed using the US EPA label requirements for EtO. Composting may reduce the risk of transferring manure-borne antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) to vegetable surfaces. A greenhouse study was carried out to determine the effect of application of composted manure, originating from cattle with or without antibiotic administration, on ARB found on the surface of radish taproots. Radishes grown without soil amendment had fewer ceftazidime-resistant bacteria than those grown in soil amendments originating from beef (P< 0.02) or dairy (P< 0.04) cattle. Radishes grown in either compost also had more ceftazidime-resistant bacteria than those grown without soil amendment (P< 0.006). Radishes grown in beef compost and beef manure had greater tetracycline-resistant bacteria than those grown in dairy compost and dairy manure (P< 0.01). Tetracycline-resistant bacteria on radishes grown in manure were fewer than on radishes grown in compost (P< 0.02) and no soil amendment (P< 0.05). Significance:This study can determine whether composted manure can be a source of ARB on fresh produce, providing insight as to how agricultural practices could spread ARB from the environment to humans. Strategies using practices, like those outlined in the FSMA produce rule, could reduce consumer exposure to ARB. Leafy greens and herbs purchased from farmers' markets across VA and NC were surveyed to collect data on microbiological quality of fresh leafy greens and herbs sold in the locally grown market. Arugula and salad mix were highest in all total aerobic, coliform, E. coli and Enterococci counts. Cilantro had the highest count among herb varietals. Romaine lettuce and basil had the lowest microbial counts. There were no differences in counts associated with vendor where product was purchased. The prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in fresh produce purchased from farmers' markets' was assessed. Enteric bacteria isolated from produce were resistant to tetracycline (68%), sulfamethoxazole (71%), ceftazidime (69%), and trimethoprim (94%). Produce samples traditionally grown touching soil had a significantly greater number of enteric bacteria resistant to ceftazidime (P = 0.009) and trimethoprim (P = 0.03) when compared to produce that does not touch the soil (e.g., tomato). Determining antibiotic resistance profile of environmental Salmonella isolates collected from the Eastern Shore of VA was an objective. Of the 301 Salmonella isolates, 19.0% (n=57) were resistant to at least one of the tested antibiotics, including 10 isolates from pond water, 4 from well/creek water, and 43 from soil samples. Tested isolates were resistant to tetracycline (13%), streptomycin (3%), ceftriaxone (2%), ampicillin (1.3%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 2:1 (1%), and cefoxitin (0.3%). Isolates recovered from chicken manure were more likely to be resistant to multiple antibiotics. Quantitative microbial risk assessment models were developed to gain insight into the prevalence and concentration of Campylobacter spp. at various stages of poultry production, processing, retail, and consumer storage and handling. The pathogen levels were fit into a dose-response model that yielded estimations of annual health impacts of chicken product consumption. Health-impact estimations were separated by illness predictions of various levels caused by consumer exposure. Health-impact estimations were linked to cost-of-illness predictors using nationally available data to demonstrate the societal burden caused by this pathogen-food-consumer interaction. Baseline annual illnesses resulting from consumption of Campylobacter-contaminated chicken-breast meals in the home were estimated at ~270,000. Additionally, ~1,500 hospitalizations, 271 cases of secondary infections, and ~60 deaths were also attributed. Campylobacter-contaminated chicken consumption presents significant health- and socio-economic burdens in the U.S., as demonstrated with this quantitative risk assessment. Goal 2: A cavitating bubbles process was studied forthe removal and inactivation of Listeria and Salmonella on produce surfaces. Preliminary research showed that a bubble flow of 14L/ minute delivered through an air stone in water can be used to reduce pathogenic bacteria from the surface of roma tomatoes and cantaloupe.This method of using mechanical or shear force to remove bacteria may reduce the need for antimicrobial chemicals, reduce energy use and reduce water use in postharvest packing and packaging processes. The potential for fresh vegetables to serve as a vehicle for antibiotic-resistant bacteria is poorly understood. In one study, thesurvival of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on raw, peeled, carrots after washing with commonly used sanitizers was evaluated.Reduction ofE. coliO157:H7 andP. aeruginosaon carrots when washed with sodium hypochlorite were 3.27 log CFU/g and 1.65 log CFU/g, respectively, a significant difference in effectiveness between microbes (P<0.05). Washing with peroxyacetic acid reduced the numbers ofE. coliO157:H7 andP. aeruginosaon carrots by 2.67 log CFU/g and 2.53 log CFU/g, respectively. Heterotrophic bacteria resistant to cefotaxime (10 µg/ml) reduced from 5.96 log CFU/g on cefotaxime-supplemented R2A plates (10 µg/ml) to 2.5 log CFU/g after washing with either sodium hypochlorite or peroxyacetic acid. A 4-log reduction in heterotrophic bacteria resistant to clindamycin (25 µg/ml) also occurred after sanitizer washes.Bacterial populations are altered by post-harvest washes and sanitizer washes may offer a good strategy for reduction of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Twenty-four focus groups (187 participants) were conducted to assess consumer knowledge and behaviors related to handling mechanically tenderized beef (MTB). Only 2 participants had previous knowledge of MTBs and no one understood that it needed to be handled differently from other beef, showing a need for education targeting food handlers on safe handling of MTB. Goal 3: Delivering and evaluating farmers market curriculum across VA, GA and SC that was developed as part of a former NIFSI grant. A significant increase was measured in theknowledge of participants after they received the training. (P<0.01). Grant received: "A multistate effort to integrate and expand farmers' market food safety materials across the southern region to increase food safety culture". USDA AFRI FSOP grant.($525,610, Boyer et al.)

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Brown, E., J. di Stefano, M. Duong, L. Yang, R. Boyer, G. Gu, and S. Rideout. 2016. Antimicrobial-resistance of Salmonella enterica environmental isolates from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Poster presented at the International Association for Food Protection Annual meeting, St. Louis, MO. July 25-28.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ponder, M., J. Newkirk, J. Wu, and R. Williams. 2016. Survival of Salmonella enterica and a Surrogate Microorganism, Enterococcus faecium, on Whole Black Peppercorns and Cumin Seeds Subjected to Ethylene Oxide Fumigation. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract T3-04. Oral presentation August 1, 2016. St. Louis, MO.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Yang, L., M. Duong, B. Chapman, T. Archibald, R. C. Williams, M. Schroeder, N. Arnold, R. Boyer. 2016. Use of focus groups to assess consumer knowledge and behaviors related to safe handling of mechanically tenderized and enhanced beef products. International Association for Food Protection Annual meeting, St. Louis, MO. July 25-28.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Caver, C., Newkirk, J., Williams, RC, Ponder, M.and Eifert, J. 2016. Recovery of Salmonella from Steam and Ethylene Oxide-Treated Spices Using Supplemented Agar with Overlay. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. St. Louis, MO.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Dev Kumar G, Williams RC, Sumner SS, Eifert JD. 2016. Effect of ozone and ultraviolet light on Listeria monocytogenes populations in fresh and spent chill brines. Food Control. 59:172-177.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Dev Kumar, G, Williams, RC, Alqublan, H, Sriranganathan, N., Boyer, R., and Eifert, J. 2016. Airborne soil particulates as vehicles for Salmonella contamination of tomatoes. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 243:90-95.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Caver, C. 2016. Recovery of Salmonella from Steam and Ethylene Oxide-Treated Spices Using Supplemented Agar with Overlay. Thesis. Virginia Tech.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Pollard, S., R. Boyer, B. Chapman, J. di Stefano, T. Archibald, M. Ponder and S. Rideout. 2016. Identification of risky food safety practices at Southwest Virginia farmers markets. Food Protection Trends. 36(3) 168-175.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bacon, K., R. Boyer, C. Denbow, S. OKeefe, A. Neilson and R. Williams. 2016. Evaluation of different solvents to extract antibacterial compounds from jalapeno peppers. Food Science & Nutrition. doi:10.1002/fsn3.423.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bacon, K., R. Boyer, C. Denbow, S. OKeefe, A. Neilson and R. Williams. 2016. Anti-bacterial activity of jalapeno pepper extract fractions against select foodborne pathogens. Food Science & Nutrition. In press.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Schroeder, M., Yang, L., Eifert, J., Boyer, R., Chase, M., and Nieto-Montenegro, S. 2016. Evaluation of how different signs affect poultry processing employees hand washing practices. Food Cont. 68:1-6.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Schroeder, M., Galagarza*, O., Eifert, J., Boyer, R., Chase, M., Nieto-Montenegro, S. 2016. Employee perceptions of food safety pictograms at meat and poultry processing plants leads to new hand washing pictogram. Food Prot. Trends 36(3):195-207.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Concha-Meyer, A.A., Eifert, J.D., Williams, R.C., Marcy, J.E. and Welbaum, G.E. 2016. Listeria monocytogenes survival in the presence of malic acid, lactic acid or blueberry extract. (Journal of Berry Research)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kang, D. and Eifert, J. 2015. Use of a Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment Model to Estimate Exposure to Campylobacter from Consumption of Chicken in the United States. Poster presented at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, Dec. 6-10, 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Guron, G., P. Ray, M. Ponder, and A.. Pruden. 2016. Assessing the Potential for Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria to Carry Over from Soil Amendments to Vegetable Surfaces: A Greenhouse Study . International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract P2-120. Poster presented August 2, 2016. St. Louis, MO.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Pulido, N., V. Dharmarha, R. Boyer, M. Ponder, and A. Pruden. 2016. Effect of Sanitizers on the survival of antibiotic resistant bacteria applied to carrots through contaminated compost. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Abstract P2-117. Poster presented August 2, 2016. St. Louis, MO.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Duong, M., L. Yang, W. Wallner, B. Ong, B. Chapman, T. Archibald, R. William, and R. Boyer. 2016. Use of focus groups to assess consumer knowledge and behaviors related to the safe handling of mechanically tenderized and enhanced beef products. 2016 STEC CAP Annual Conference. Lincoln, NE. June 14-16.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: di Stefano, J., R. Boyer, M. Duong, B. Chapman, M. Ponder, and L. Strawn. 2016. Microbial quality of leafy greens and herbs purchased from farmers markets in Virginia and North Carolina. Poster presented at the International Association for Food Protection Annual meeting, St. Louis, MO. July 25-28.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Stark, M., S. Pollard, R. Boyer, J. Boron, J. di Stefano, M. Ponder, and R. C. Williams. 2016. The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in fresh produce purchased from farmers markets and grocery outlets. International Association for Food Protection Annual meeting, St. Louis, MO. July 25-28.


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Farmers market producers and vendors in 3 states (VA, GA, SC). Meat and poultry processors in Virginia and North Carolina. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One M.S. student and two doctoral students completed projects and completed degree requirements. Additionally, two M.S. studentsmade significant progress toward completing degree requirements. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Progress was shared on signage for improving hand washing practices to food science graduate students, staff, and faculty. Peer-reviewed research and trade publications have been published. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue to send at least one member of the project faculty to the annual multistate project S1056 meeting. Collaborate with S1056 project participants at other universities to establish a student mentoring program to recruit and mentor students into a variety of food safety related disciplines. (This is a projectmilestone for the full project team members.) Further development and application of the risk assessment and decision analysis tool developed in 2014 to assess the risk presented by Salmonella spp. contamination on whole broilers produced and sold in the U.S. Evaluate inoculation and cell resuscitation methodologies for spices to identify strategies that improve recovery of stable Salmonella populations. Examinetransfer and regrowth of antimicrobial resistant bacteria from manure and compost applied to fresh produce. Continueto evaluate and deliver food safety curriculums at farmers markets.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1) Risk Assessment: Assess food safety risks in agricultural systems For the research project "Fate of Salmonella on Whole and Sliced Cucumbers at Various Storage Conditions", we determined that the potential for Salmonella (at both inoculum levels 1 and 5 log CFU/g) survival exists on whole and sliced cucumber held at 4°C (up to 7 d, at least). And, the potential for Salmonella (at both inoculum levels 1 and 5 log CFU/g) growth exists on whole and sliced cucumber held at 23°C. Good agricultural practices should be followed in the field to prevent contamination of cucumbers (as both growth and survival during storage are possible at low contamination levels), Also, the cold chain must be maintained to reduce the likelihood of Salmonella multiplication. Goal 2) Risk Management: Develop science-based interventions to prevent and mitigate food safety threats Validated use of Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2385 as a surrogate for inactivation of Salmonella enterica on dried spices treated with a vacuum assisted steam process. This effort will be used to develop amodel for inactivation of Salmonella enterica on spices processed using a vacuum assisted steam process. Developed validated process parameters that result in a 5-log reduction of Salmonella enterica for a snack meat product for a private corporation. Launched into market place October, 2015. Developed a Food Safety Management Plan template that will be made available for farmer's market managers to use in order to put a food safety plan in place at their market. Will be piloted in 2016. Goal3) Risk Communication: communicate food safety messages to stakeholders Continuing to deliver and evaluate a farmer's market curriculum across VA, GA and SC that was developed as part of a former NIFSI grant. Significant increase in knowledge of participants following receiving training (P<0.01). Continuing to analyze data related to changes in behavior. Surveying farmers markets across VA and NC to collect data on microbiological quality of fresh leafy greens and herbs sold in the locally grown market. Completed the dissertation research project "Evaluation of an innovative, employee-driven sign on hand washing behavior changes using video observation": Signs or pictograms can be used in food industries to portray food safety messages including hand washing, cleaning/sanitizing and preventing cross-contamination. New hand washing signs were developed from surveys and focus groups conducted with English and Spanish speaking workers in meat and poultry processing industries. Signs were evaluated by video observation through five hand washing practice behaviors (soap use, hand coverage, wash time, rinsing, and towel use) at two poultry processing facilities at three different time points (baseline, short term, and long term). Both facilities showed a significant increase in soap use when baseline data was compared to short term and long term time periods. Facility B showed a significant increase in washing, time, and rinsing when baseline data was compared to short term, which indicates that a new sign could increase hand washing compliance. Sign color had a significant effect on behavior for washing and time of washing.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Pollard, S. diStefano, J., Boyer, R., Chapman, B., Archibald, T. Ponder, M. and Rideout S. 2015. Identification of Risky Food Safety Practices at Southwest Virginia Farmers Markets. Food Protection Trends.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wu, J., Eifert, J.D., Jahncke, M.L., OKeefe, S.F., and Welbaum, G.E. 2016. Pomegranate peel (Punica granatum L) extract and Chinese gall (Galla chinensis) extract inhibited Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes on cooked shrimp and raw tuna. Food Cont. 59:695-699.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Concha-Meyer, A., Eifert, J., Williams, R., Marcy, J., and Welbaum, G. 2015. Shelf life determination of fresh blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) stored under controlled atmosphere and ozone. Int. J. Food Sci. vol. 2015, Article ID 164143, 9 pp. doi:10.1155/2015/164143
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Dodson, S., R. R. Boyer, M. E. Chase, J. Eifert, J. Eifert, L. Strawn and A. Villalba. 2015. Safe handling and storing of raw fruits and vegetables. VCE Extension publication, available at: http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/FST/FST-216/FST-216-PDF.pdf.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Evaluation of an innovative, employee-driven sign on hand washing behavior changes using video observation, Ph.D. Dissertation, Matthew Schroeder; Virginia Tech, Dept. of Food Science and Technology; October, 2015. Research Advisor: Joseph Eifert, Virginia Tech
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Newkirk, Jordan, Mallikarjunan, Kumar, Robert C. Williams and Monica Ponder. Survival of Salmonella enterica on Whole Black Peppercorns or Cumin Seeds Subjected to Saturated Steam Treatment. Poster presented at IFT 2015. July 13, 2015. Chicago, Il.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Bowman, Lauren, Pulido, Natalie, Newkirk, Jordan, Mallikarjunan, Kumar, Robert C. Williams and Monica Ponder. Development of Inoculation Methods for Enterococcus faecium, a Potential Surrogate Bacteria for Salmonella, on Whole Black Peppercorns and Cumin Seeds. Poster presented at the International Association for Food Protection General Meeting, July 26, 2015. Portland, OR.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Fogler, K., Pulido, N., Ponder, M. and A. Pruden. Antimicrobial resistance of manure based dairy cattle compost. Poster presented at the Virginia Tech 2015 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. Blacksburg, VA, July 30, 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pollard, S., R. Boyer, B. Chapman, M. Ponder, S. Rideout, and T. Archibald. 2015. Identification of risky food safety practices and microbial assessment of produce at Southwest Virginia farmers markets. International Association for Food Protection Annual meeting, Portland, OR. July 25-28.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pollard, S., R.R Boyer, B. Chapman, M. Ponder, J. Harrison and M. Chase. 2015. Creating model farmers markets to encourage change. Poster presented at the Food Safety Summit. Baltimore, MD. April 28, 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Schroeder, M., Galagarza, O., Eifert, J., Boyer, R., Chase, M., and Nieto-Montenegro, S. Meat and poultry processing employee perceptions of food safety pictograms. Poster presented at the International Association of Food Protection Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, July 26, 2015.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Bowman, Lauren, Waterman, Kim, Robert C. Williams and Monica Ponder. 2015. Inoculation Preparation Affects Survival of Salmonella enterica on Whole Black Peppercorns and Cumin Seeds Stored at Low Water Activity. Journal of Food Protection. 78(7):1259-65.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Weller, D., S. Swakoti, P. Bergholz, Y. Grohn, M. Wiedmann, L.K. Strawn. 2015. The Use of Geographic Information Systems to Validate a Mathematical Model for Predicting Pathogen Prevalence in the Produce Preharvest Environment. Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Weller, D., M. Wiedmann, L.K. Strawn. 2015. Spatial and Temporal Factors Associated with Listeria monocytogenes Contamination of Spinach Fields in New York State. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. online 26 June 2015, doi:10.1128/AEM.01286-15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Surrogates for Process Validation oral presentation for the How Do I Validate That Symposium at the International Association for Food Protection General Meeting, July 28, 2015. Portland, OR.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pollard, S., R. R Boyer, B. Chapman, M. Ponder, J. Harrison and M. Chase. 2015. Creating model farmers markets to encourage change. Oral presentation at the Food Safety Summit. Baltimore, MD. April 28, 2015.


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Farmers market producers and vendors in 3 states (VA, GA, SC). Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue to send at least one member of the project faculty to the annual multistate project S1056 meeting. Collaborate with S1056 project particapants at other universities to establish a student mentoring program to recruit and mentor students into a variety of food safety related disciplines. (This is a 2015 milestone for the full project team members.) Further development of the risk assessment and decision analysis tool developed to assess the risk presented by Salmonella spp. contamination on whole broilers produced and sold in the U.S. Evaluate inoculation and cell resuscitation methodologies for spices to identify strategies that improve recovery of stable Salmonella populations. Continuing to evaluate and deliver food safety curriculums at farmers markets.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1) Risk Assessment: Assess food safety risks in agricultural systems: Incidence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli was assessed in a cow-calf production system. Fecal samples positive for stx genes were obtained from 93.3% (84/90) of dams and 95.6% (86/90) of calves at one or more sampling time-points. Age class (dam, calf), spatial distribution of cattle and sampling time-point influenced prevalence and distribution of virulence genes in the herd. A risk assessment and decision analysis tool was developed to assess the risk presented by Salmonella spp. contamination on whole broilers produced and sold in the U.S. Changes in qualitative and quantitative levels of Salmonella contamination, at multiple steps from farm to fork, can be evaluated for their effects on measures of public health. Quantitative estimates of the magnitude of salmonellosis resulting from consuming whole broilers was used to develop a decision-making tool to aid risk managers to identify best mitigation option(s) for reducing illnesses. 2) Risk Management: Develop science-based interventions to prevent and mitigate food safety threats: Compared inoculation methodologies for spices to identify strategy for recovery of stable Salmonella populations. 3) Risk Communication: communicate food safety messages to stakeholders: Conducting focus groups across VA and NC to evaluate the current farmers market food safety curriculums in both states in an effort to improve upon them Continuing to deliver and evaluate farmers market curriculum across VA, GA and SC that was developed as part of a former NIFSI grant. Significant increase in knowledge of participants following receiving training (P<0.01). Continuing to analyze data related to changes in behavior.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Baltasar, Patricia P., Milton, S., Swecker, W., Elvinger, F., and M. Ponder. 2014. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli distribution and characterization in a pasture-based cow-calf production system. Journal of Food Protection. 77(5):722-31.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Harrison, J., J. Gaskins, M. Harrison, J. Cannon, R. Boyer, G. Zehnder. 2013. Survey of food safety practices on small to medium sized farms and farmers markets. Journal of Food Protection. 76, 1989-1993.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Lopez-Velasco G., Carder, P., Welbaum, G. and M. Ponder. 2013. Diversity of the spinach (Spinacia oleracea) spermosphere and phyllosphere bacterial communities. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2013; 346(2):146-54.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Alshuniaber, M. (2014) Risk Analysis Based on Performance Criteria: A Food Safety Control System and Decision-making Tool to Control Salmonella from Whole Broilers. Ph.D. dissertation (J. Eifert, Advisor)
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Briggs, N (2014) Effect of Ethanol Vapor Fumigation on Survival of Salmonella enterica biofilms on Whole Black Peppercorns. M.S. Thesis (R. Williams, Advisor)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Pollard, S., J. Barak, R. Boyer, M. Reiter, G. Gu and S. Rideout. 2014. Potential interactions between Salmonella enterica and Ralstonia solanacearum in tomato plants. Journal of Food Protection. 77, 320-324.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Schroeder, M., Eifert, J., Schmale, D., and M. Ponder. 2014. Association of Campylobacter spp. Levels between chicken grow-out environmental samples and processed carcasses. Poultry Science. 93: 734-741.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Boyer, R. R., and B. Chapman. 2013. Food safety for school and community gardens. Publication number FST-60P. Available at: http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/FST/FST-60/FST-60_PDF.pdf (Extension publication)
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Boyer, R., R. Williams, and A. Villalba. 2014. Important facts about the safety of unpasteurized (raw) milk. Publication number FST 139. Available at: http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/FST/FST-139/FST-139-PDF.pdf (Extension publication)


Progress 07/01/13 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Scientists, food processors, retailers, and consumers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Increase representation on this project to include researchers from all 50 states and food safety researchers and educators at 1890 institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal colleges and Universities. Project Leaders will initiate a plan to disseminate current and planned research, extension and education activity among project participants.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The S-1056 annual meeting provided a forum for project participants to meet and discuss current and planned research related to this project.

Publications