Source: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, OAKLAND submitted to
FRESH PRODUCE FOOD SAFETY, CA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0218537
Grant No.
2009-34608-20074
Project No.
CA-SW-ADM-7882-SG
Proposal No.
2009-03438
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
BB-Z
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2009
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2012
Grant Year
2009
Project Director
Standiford, R. S.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, OAKLAND
1111 FRANKLIN, 6TH FLOOR
OAKLAND,CA 94607
Performing Department
Interdepartmental
Non Technical Summary
This competitive research program will advance scientific knowledge in sources and causes of food-borne illnesses. Consumer confidence in fresh produce is critical; these foods are essential to achieving national nutrition enhancement and obesity-reduction goals and in significantly cutting long-term health costs. Recent incidents of E. coli O157:H7 and other microbial contaminants in spinach and leafy greens in the Salinas Valley and elsewhere, resulting in serious illnesses and several deaths, has shaken consumer confidence and cost growers millions of dollars. Currently, we lack sufficient science-based knowledge to develop reliable, cost-effective best management strategies and educational programs for growers, packers, shippers, grocers and other end users. As a result, industry is employing costly measures, predicated only on "best guesses," in an attempt to reduce sources of contamination. The Center for Produce Safety at UC Davis will coordinate this project with private sector funding received for produce food safety research. Priorities will be set by a broad advisory group of academia, industry, NGOs, and government agencies. Requests for proposals, based on these priorities, will be solicited from throughout the state and nation. Proposals will be reviewed and rated by science panels to ensure high quality research focused on issues of high priority.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
90%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
7121430106030%
7121420106020%
7121460106020%
5011430106030%
Goals / Objectives
The objective of this work is to advance science-based knowledge on food safety through a competitive grants program. This work will be directly applied to the development of good agricultural practices to be implemented by producers to ensure a safe produce food supply. First year priorities will be built upon issue identification work that has already taken place in the state.
Project Methods
The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) at UC Davis will administer the grants program. This federal appropriation for the proposed competitive research grant program would be leveraged by approximately $4 million in contributions from the produce industry and State of California, and would focus on food contamination with human pathogens. First year priorities for funding will be determined through consultation with a 31-person Technical Advisory Committee (see Appendix 1 below), composed of national food safety experts from academia, the agricultural community, and governmental agencies. There are several different prioritization processes that have been developed by different agencies and organizations, as well as adoption of industry-wide Good Agricultural Practices. The Technical Advisory Committee will coordinate these various priorities to develop requests for proposals. High priority commodities for first year funding includes leafy greens, tomatoes, melons, green onions, and herbs. Priorities for food-borne pathogens to be investigated include E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Listerium. The funding for the overall Fresh Produce Food Safety program will include these federal funds, as well as over $4 million in state and private research funding that has been awarded to the CPS to administer. There is good leveraging of federal, state and private funding to move this forward as an integrated research program. The University of California has a long history of administering joint federal, state and private competitive grant programs. The Viticulture Consortium Program and Pierces Disease Research Program, also utilizing CSREES funding, utilize a similar model and have produced high quality research that has had a direct economic and environmental impact in the state, region and nation. The Requests for Proposals will be circulated to the broad cross-section of University of California, California State University, the USDA-ARS, and other academic and private research institutions throughout the country to ensure wide exposure of the program to the research community. A Scientific Review Panel, composed of a subset of the Advisory Board, along with selected other scientific experts, will review all proposals received. All proposals will be ranked, and allocated to the federal funding program, or other sources of funds depending on the term and nature of the research. The Principal Investigator (Associate Vice President Standiford) will make the final decision on the awarding of the projects funded with the federal funds. ANR will allocate funds to the successful projects through subawards to the appropriate campus or organization. Continued funding will require annual reports, which will be posted on the CPS web site. Annual reports will be developed on the results of the research, and feed directly into Good Agricultural Practices utilized by the industry. An annual research meeting will be held to present the results to the broad array of producers, consumer groups, and regulatory agencies.

Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/12

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for these projects is California, regional and national grower/shippers, retail and food service buyers, scientists, academic, produce industry representatives, and members of regulatory agencies. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project provided opportunities for graduate and undergraduate student in-lab and in-field training and also postdoctoral development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Dr. Kalmia Kniel, University of Delaware and Dr. Edward R. Atwill, UC Davis, presented final results at the 2012 CPS Produce Research Symposium in Davis, California. Dr. Linda J. Harris, UC Davis, presented final results at the 2011 CPS Produce Research Symposium in Orlando, Florida. There were 300-500 participants at each symposium including California, regional and national grower/shippers, retail and food service buyers, scientists, academic, produce industry representatives, and members of regulatory agencies. The project results are posted on the CPS website, disseminated at industry meetings and streamed through social media sources. Final results are also included in the following manner: Final reports are posted on the CPS website (https://cps.ucdavis.edu/grant_opportunities_awards.php) CPS also works with scientists to publish results in scientific journals. Publication dates occur after the project is completed. Awards and abstracts can be found on the CPS website. The Center for Produce Safety’s Board of Directors and members of the Technical Committee distributes a series of information throughout the year on their websites, and through presentations, meetings and webinars. An example of this occurred on July 18, 2013 when Western Growers Association held a webinar for their members. Information discussed at the webinar is now part of the “Key Learnings” on the CPS website: https://cps.ucdavis.edu/amass/documents/document/186/Key%20Learnings_2013%20CPS%20Symposium.pdf. The following websites provide additional resources on the final reports and symposium proceedings: Center for Produce Safety: https://cps.ucdavis.edu/resources.php Produce Marketing Association: http://pma.com Western Growers Association: http://www.wga.com/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A technical committee, composing of scientists from academic institutions, government agencies and other selected entities, reviewed the proposals received and recommended to the PI funding of 3 research projects (listed in Products/Outputs) for 1 to 2 years utilizing the 2009 Fresh Produce Safety (CA) grant funds. Following are some significant results of the individual projects: Zero?valent iron (ZVI) is a useful addition to a sand filtration system to reduce bacterial contamination. Efficiency of removal was >2 log over 3 months, and ranged from 2?4 log removal. Based on its presence and elution from the ZVI, E. coli appears to survive better in the ZVI compared to S. Newport. ZVI filtration is a simple and effective way to use water that may not have previously been acceptable for irrigation, including surface water. Relative humidity rapidly impacts the percent moisture and water activity of almonds. In a short storage study (30 days) humidity (36 or 70%) did not impact the storage survival of Salmonella. However, moisture levels significantly impacted the efficacy of oil roasting with significantly greater reductions observed at higher moisture levels. Moisture levels should be routinely monitored in thermal validation studies after inoculation and drying of almonds. The current standard methods for preparation of inoculated almonds should be modified to include longer drying periods after inoculation and evaluation of moisture and water activity prior to initiating the study. A target moisture level should be specified in the protocol. At 121°C the heat also be compared. Two datasets were compiled that together represent a very large number of produce growers from various sources of irrigation water. The first dataset was of 44,249 water samples and targeting a different cross-section of the produce industry generated a second dataset of 15,486 samples. We have characterized the level of E. coli and the odds of an exceedance for foliar application for four major produce regions of California for the majority of sources of irrigation water for each of the four seasons of the year. Various risk factors were identified for the occurrence of E. coli and the odds of an exceedance were calculated for wells, reservoirs, and canal water sources. We also examined the effect of sampling frequency using the standard 100mL grab sample to properly classify a location as to its risk level of E. coli. We determined the positive effect of increasing the sample volume per assay to detect E. coli in irrigation water as a means to improve the ability to detect E. coli in irrigation water and to generate cost savings for the produce industry if the sampling frequency is to be reduced for some regions, seasons, and/or sources of water.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Ingram, D.T., Callahan, M.T., Ferguson, S., Hoover, D.G., Shelton, D.R., Millner, P.D., Camp, M.J., Patel, J., Kniel, K.E., Sharma, M. Use of zero-valent iron biosand filters to reduce Escherichia coli 0157:H12 in irrigation water applied to spinach plants in a field setting Applied Microbiology112 (3):1365-2672
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Shortlidge, K., Johnson, C., Hernandez, C., Wei, J., Hoover, D., and Kniel, K. Removal of pathogens from irrigation water using zero?valent iron. CANR Fourth International Symposium on Global Issues in Nutrient Management: Science, Technology and Policy, Newark, DE, August 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Mudd, C., Callahan, M.T., Ferguson, S., Ingram, D.T., Shelton, D., Patel, J., Hoover, D.G., Wei, J., Kniel, K.E., and Sharma, M. The use of zero?valent iron and biosand filtration to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 in irrigation water. IAFP Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, August 2011. P2?62.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Kniel, K.E., Wei, J., Shelton, D., Patel, J., Hoover, D.G., and Sharma, M. Optimization for the removal of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O157:H12 from water using zero?valent iron. IAFP Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, August 2011. P3?25.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Kaur, H., and L.J. Harris. 2010. Impact of almond moisture on the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 after exposure to hot oil. International Association for Food Protection, Anaheim, CA, August 1-4. (Abstract P3-47).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2010 Citation: Atwill, E.R. 2010. Epidemiologic analysis and risk management practices for reducing E. coli in irrigation source water supplies and distribution systems. 2010 Fresh Summit: Produce Marketing Association. Orlando, Florida. October 15-17.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Atwill, E.R. 2011. Irrigation water and produce food safety. Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and Northwest Horticultural Council. Yakima, Washington. January 26 and 27.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Atwill, E.R. 2011. WIFSS research on preharvest food safety. FDA Advisory Board Meeting. College Park, Maryland. April 5-6.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Atwill, E.R. 2011. Mining Industry Data, panel speaker. 2nd Annual Conference, Center for Produce Safety. Orlando, Florida. June 27-28.


Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for these projects is California, regional and national grower/shippers, retail and food service buyers, scientists, academic, produce industry representatives, and members of regulatory agencies. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project has provided opportunities for graduate and undergraduate student in-lab and in-field training and also postdoctoral development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Dr. Kalmia Kniel, University of Delaware and Dr. Edward R. Atwill, UC Davis, presented final results at the 2012 CPS Produce Research Symposium in Davis, California. Dr. Linda J. Harris, UC Davis, presented final results at the 2011 CPS Produce Research Symposium in Orlando, Florida. There were 300-500 participants at each symposium including California, regional and national grower/shippers, retail and food service buyers, scientists, academic, produce industry representatives, and members of regulatory agencies. The project results are posted on the CPS website, disseminated at industry meetings and streamed through social media sources. Final results are also included in the following manner: CPS also works with scientists to publish results in scientific journals. Publication dates occur after the project is completed. Awards and abstracts can be found on the CPS website. The Center for Produce Safety’s Board of Directors and members of the Technical Committee distribute a series of information throughout the year on their websites, and through presentations, meetings and webinars.. The following websites provide additional resources on the final reports and symposium proceedings: Center for Produce Safety: https://cps.ucdavis.edu/resources.php Produce Marketing Association: http://pma.com Western Growers Association: http://www.wga.com/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A technical committee, composing of scientists from academic institutions, government agencies and other selected entities, reviewed the proposals received and recommended to the PI funding of 3 research projects (listed in Products/Outputs) for 1 to 2 years utilizing the 2009 Fresh Produce Safety (CA) grant funds. Following are some significant results of the individual projects: Zero?valent iron (ZVI) is a useful addition to a sand filtration system to reduce bacterial contamination. Efficiency of removal was >2 log over 3 months, and ranged from 2?4 log removal. Based on its presence and elution from the ZVI, E. coli appears to survive better in the ZVI compared to S. Newport. ZVI filtration is a simple and effective way to use water that may not have previously been acceptable for irrigation, including surface water. Relative humidity rapidly impacts the percent moisture and water activity of almonds. In a short storage study (30 days) humidity (36 or 70%) did not impact the storage survival of Salmonella. However, moisture levels significantly impacted the efficacy of oil roasting with significantly greater reductions observed at higher moisture levels. Moisture levels should be routinely monitored in thermal validation studies after inoculation and drying of almonds. The current standard methods for preparation of inoculated almonds should be modified to include longer drying periods after inoculation and evaluation of moisture and water activity prior to initiating the study. A target moisture level should be specified in the protocol. At 121°C the heat also be compared. Two datasets were compiled that together represent a very large number of produce growers from various sources of irrigation water. The first dataset was of 44,249 water samples and targeting a different cross-section of the produce industry generated a second dataset of 15,486 samples. We have characterized the level of E. coli and the odds of an exceedance for foliar application for four major produce regions of California for the majority of sources of irrigation water for each of the four seasons of the year. Various risk factors were identified for the occurrence of E. coli and the odds of an exceedance were calculated for wells, reservoirs, and canal water sources. We also examined the effect of sampling frequency using the standard 100mL grab sample to properly classify a location as to its risk level of E. coli. We determined the positive effect of increasing the sample volume per assay to detect E. coli in irrigation water as a means to improve the ability to detect E. coli in irrigation water and to generate cost savings for the produce industry if the sampling frequency is to be reduced for some regions, seasons, and/or sources of water.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Shortlidge, K., Johnson, C., Hernandez, C., Wei, J., Hoover, D., and Kniel, K. Removal of pathogens from irrigation water using zero?valent iron. CANR Fourth International Symposium on Global Issues in Nutrient Management: Science, Technology and Policy, Newark, DE, August 2011.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Mudd, C., Callahan, M.T., Ferguson, S., Ingram, D.T., Shelton, D., Patel, J., Hoover, D.G., Wei, J., Kniel, K.E., and Sharma, M. The use of zero?valent iron and biosand filtration to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 in irrigation water. IAFP Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, August 2011. P2?62.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Kniel, K.E., Wei, J., Shelton, D., Patel, J., Hoover, D.G., and Sharma, M. Optimization for the removal of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O157:H12 from water using zero?valent iron. IAFP Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, August 2011. P3?25.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2010 Citation: Kaur, H., and L.J. Harris. 2010. Impact of almond moisture on the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 after exposure to hot oil. International Association for Food Protection, Anaheim, CA, August 1-4. (Abstract P3-47).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2010 Citation: Atwill, E.R. 2010. Epidemiologic analysis and risk management practices for reducing E. coli in irrigation source water supplies and distribution systems. 2010 Fresh Summit: Produce Marketing Association. Orlando, Florida. October 15-17.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Atwill, E.R. 2011. Irrigation water and produce food safety. Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and Northwest Horticultural Council. Yakima, Washington. January 26 and 27.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Atwill, E.R. 2011. WIFSS research on preharvest food safety. FDA Advisory Board Meeting. College Park, Maryland. April 5-6.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2011 Citation: Atwill, E.R. 2011. Mining Industry Data, panel speaker. 2nd Annual Conference, Center for Produce Safety. Orlando, Florida. June 27-28.


Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: This USDA-supported project, administered through the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Center for Produce Safety (CPS) at the University of California, Davis, sponsored the 2009 CPS competitive grants program (2009-2012). The program funds work that advances scientific knowledge in sources and causes of foodborne illnesses. The review process in 2009 evaluated thirty-one proposals submitted in July 2009 for coordinated evaluation by the CPS Technical Committee and UCANR. Three projects were approved for funding, effective September 1, 2009: one for 1 year and two for 2 years. The project to determine the impact of almond moisture, almond cultivar and Salmonella serovars on the desiccation, persistence, and heat resistance of Salmonella in almonds was completed. The researcher found relative humidity rapidly impacts the percent moisture and water activity of almonds. The results indicate moisture levels should be routinely monitored in thermal validation studies after inoculation and drying of almonds and current standard methods for preparation of inoculated almonds should be modified to include longer drying periods after inoculation and evaluation of moisture and water activity prior to initiating the study. The second project is studying epidemiologic analyses and risk management practices for reducing E. coli in irrigation source water supplies and distribution systems. The researcher has built two large datasets, total approximately 60,000 data points that represent a large number of produce growers throughout California and various sources of irrigation water. They are completing data analyses for preparation of the final research results report. The third project seeks to remove bacterial pathogens from irrigation water by using zero-valent iron treatment. The researcher has found zero-valent iron (ZVI) is a useful addition to a sand filtration system to reduce bacterial contamination and is a simple and effective way to use water that may not previously been acceptable for irrigation. They are completing data analyses for preparation of the final research results report. PARTICIPANTS: Project Director Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli directed the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) research grants program in 2009-2010. Principal investigators (PIs) and co-PIs of individual research project funded through this grant are: L. Harris, R. Atwill, K. Tate, M. Jay-Russell, K. Kniel, D. Hoover, P. Chiu, M. Sharma, D. Shelton, J. Patel. Scientific and industry expertise in decision making for the grants program's research funding was provided by: W. Ram, M. Doyle, M. Willet, B. Ge, T. Mack, P. Elliott, S. Boddupalli, S. Duda, W. Daniels, M. Villaneva, J. Rosen, M. Roberts, B. Eisenberg, D. Zagory, H. Giclas, J. Brennan, S. Stoltenberg, P. Pierson, J. Farrar, G. Mudahar, B. Krieger, J. Lugg, Y. Luo, L. Harris, D. Gombas, B. Buchanan, E. Holst, J. Farber, R. Mandrell, D. McDonald, M. Marco, L. Crawford-Mikza, T. Suslow, X. Jiang, A. Wayadande, G. Nikolich, S. Koike. Support for financial and administration of the grants program: L. Maulhardt, M. Caruso. Partner organizations: University of California, Davis (Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Dept. of Plant Sciences, and Western Institute for Food Safety and Security), University of Delaware, USDA-ARS. TARGET AUDIENCES: The fresh produce industry (growers, shippers, processors, distributors) is the direct audience for the research products. The information developed by supported projects also is intended to help the California Department of Food and Agriculture in its produce food safety programs. As science-based results are adopted by the produce industry, this research will benefit consumers. Research progress, final results, and/or research posters are presented at the annual Center for Produce Safety Produce Research Symposium. Final reports and posters are available on the CPS website. Publications resulting from this research are available on the CPS Global Research Database. www.cps.ucdavis.edu PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Research supported by this project will advance the understanding of fresh produce contamination with human pathogens. Current grants show potential in developing good agricultural practices for implementation by producers to ensure a safer produce food supply.

Publications

  • Kaur, H., L.J. Harris. 2010. Impact of almond moisture on the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 after exposure to hot oil. International Association for Food Protection, Anaheim, CA, August 1-4. (Abstract P3-47).


Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Center for Produce Safety's (CPS) first-ever research symposium brought the private fresh produce supply chain together with researchers and government officials on June 23, 2010, to learn about and discuss the real-world business applicability of the center's produce-specific food safety research. The Produce Research Symposium attracted 300 attendees from the private produce and food safety communities, including growers, packers, processors and commodity groups, retailers and restaurant operators, as well as representatives from government and academia. They convened at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of University of California, Davis, to hear the results of eleven produce-specific food safety research projects and discuss their immediate production and business applications. Research findings were presented on topics related to assessing the actual survivability of E. coli in the field, previewing the next generation of pathogen tests, and assessing the risks of pathogen transfer posed by livestock and harvest practices. Researchers hailed from a broad range of agricultural research universities and government agencies, including UC Davis, Louisiana State University, Oklahoma State University, Clemson, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service. After a brief presentation by each researcher, the real-world implications of each project were discussed by panelists from across the supply chain and the public sector, including the Food and Drug Administration, Taylor Farms, Darden Restaurants and Wegmans Food Markets. CPS Advisory Board Chair Tim York noted, "Our industry has come together as never before - not just to react to events, but to debate, initiate and lead changes that will improve the safety of our products and, by extension, improve public health." In his closing remarks, he acknowledged the generous contribution of the public and private partners that have provided critical funding support. "CPS is a shining example of the public and private sector working together toward a common goal: increasing the safety of fresh produce." "The symposium reflected the efforts of so many dedicated stakeholders, and it is great to see the broad and sincere interest in our mutual challenge to raise consumer confidence in our healthy fresh fruits and vegetables," said Alec Leach, president of Taylor Farms, a founding partner of CPS and one of the symposium's sponsors. Presenting researcher Dr. Xiuping Jiang of Clemson University also noted the unique nature of the symposium from a researcher's perspective, reporting, "This meeting is by far the most interactive meeting I have participated in. The format of the meeting created an environment to promote dialogue among the presenter, panel members, and meeting participants. I was able to meet so many people from the produce industry, government, and universities to discuss produce safety, and get information on the real-world practices and research needs in the area of composting." PARTICIPANTS: No staff was paid on this grant. PI Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, CPS executive director, and Leslie Maulhardt, CPS grants manager, provided event management for the Produce Research Symposium through cost-share of their salaries from the University of California, Davis. Twelve organizations (10 corporate and 2 academic) provided funds for the symposium through sponsorship agreements. Many individuals, from the private fresh produce supply chain together with researchers and government officials, provided in-kind support of their time and expertise as speakers and panel members. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for the CPS Produce Research Symposium was people who work in the produce industry who can discuss the science behind food safety and translate that to help manage potential risks. The speakers, panelists and participants were members of industry, academia and government. During the first session representatives from FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Chiquita Brands International, Ocean Mist Farms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and JV Farms discussed the survivability of E. coli bacteria in actual field conditions and the applicability of the research results to commercial operations, after presentations by scientists from UC Davis and UC Cooperative Extension. During the second session panelists from USDA's Agricultural Research Service, Taylor Farms, Westside Produce, the University of Florida, Primus Labs and FDA's CFSAN discussed the development of better testing methods for pathogens in produce and the next generation of testing for pathogens after presentations by scientists from UC Davis and Louisiana State University. The third session looked at possible vehicles that might transfer pathogens, and included research on the role of risks associated with fly reservoirs, grazing livestock, and harvesting practices. Industry leaders from the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security at UC Davis, Western Growers Association, Darden, Wegmans and FDA's Pacific Region discussed how the research helps identify what risks these vehicles may or may not pose in cross contamination after presentations by scientists from Oklahoma State University, UC Davis, Clemson, and USDA/ARS. Wrapping up the day was a discussion panel among food Industry and government representatives, moderated by PMA President & CEO Bryan Silbermann. USDA deputy undersecretary Ann Wright, consumer affairs specialist Mary Ellen Burris of Wegmans, and Alec Leach of Taylor Farms also participated in the discussion about the presented research and how it will affect the future of food safety. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Fifteen key produce safety research learnings were identified after the CPS Produce Research Symposium, an event that showcased how a strong collaboration with industry, government and academia can result in timely and important research results. Dr. Bob Whitaker, PMA's chief science officer and the chair of the CPS Technical Committee, provided a list of 15 key learnings from the research reports. Those learnings may be found on the CPS website (www.cps.ucdavis.edu) and have been widely disseminated and discussed throughout the fresh produce supply chain, as well as in research and regulatory communities. The final reports for the first eleven projects funded by the Center for Produce Safety have been posted to the CPS website, http://cps.ucdavis.edu. The final reports were submitted as deliverables for research funded by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) and presented at the CPS Produce Research Symposium in June 2010. They have not been subject to peer-review at this time. A post-symposium survey was sent electronically to all registered participants. On overview of responses showed: 84 percent were very likely to recommend the event to a colleague; 15 percent somewhat likely; and 1 percent neutral. In response to the question, "How would you rate the relevance of each research project to the produce industry," the results for Session One (survivability of E. coli in field conditions) averaged 68 percent very important; 23 percent somewhat important; 6 percent neutral; 3 percent no response. Session Two (enhanced testing methods for pathogens in produce) averaged 54 percent very important; 31 percent somewhat important; 9 percent neutral; 2 percent somewhat unimportant; 1 percent very unimportant; 3 percent no response. Session Three (potential vectors for pathogen transfer during field production) averaged 50 percent very important; 27 percent somewhat important; 14 percent neutral; 4 percent somewhat unimportant; 1 percent very unimportant; 4 percent no response. In response to the question, "How valuable was Session Four (Food Industry/Government Discussion) to you," Session Four averaged 33 percent very valuable; 41 percent somewhat valuable; 17 percent neutral; 3 percent somewhat unvaluable; 6 percent no response.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period