Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Center for Produce Safety's (CPS) first 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 1st Annual 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 came 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. On June 28, 2011, the Center for Produce Safety held the 2nd Annual Produce Research Symposium in Orlando, Florida. The symposium brought together 250 attendees who met in the Omni Championsgate conference room to hear the results of sixteen produce-specific food safety research projects and discuss their immediate production and business applications. PARTICIPANTS: PI Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, CPS executive director, and Leslie Maulhardt, CPS grants manager, provided event management for the Produce Research Symposia in 2010 and 2011 through cost-share of their salaries from the University of California, Davis. In 2010 twelve organizations (10 corporate and 2 academic) provided funds for the symposium through sponsorship agreements. In 2011 eleven organizations (10 corporate and 1 academic) provided funds 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 is people who work in the produce industry who can discuss the science behind food safety to help manage potential risks. The participants were members of industry, academia and government. At the first session of the 2010 symposium, representatives from FDA-CFSAN, Chiquita Brands, Ocean Mist Farms, CDC and JV Farms discussed the survivability of E. coli bacteria in 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-ARS, Taylor Farms, Westside Produce, Univ. of Florida, Primus Labs and FDA-CFSAN discussed the development of better testing methods for pathogens in produce and the next generation of testing after presentations by scientists from UC Davis and Louisiana State Univ. The third session looked at possible vehicles of transfer for pathogens and research on the risks associated with fly reservoirs, grazing livestock, and harvesting practices. Industry leaders from the WIFSS-UC Davis, Western Growers Assn., Darden, Wegmans and FDA discussed how the research helps identify what risks these vehicles may pose in cross contamination after presentations by scientists from Oklahoma State Univ., UC Davis, Clemson, and USDA-ARS. Wrapping up the day was a discussion among food Industry and government representatives, moderated by PMA's Bryan Silbermann. USDA deputy undersecretary Ann Wright, Mary Ellen Burris of Wegmans, and Alec Leach of Taylor Farms also participated in the discussion about the research and how it will affect the future of food safety. In 2011 the first session panelists from the Florida Tomato Committee, United Fresh, Del Campo Supreme, DRS and FDA-CFSAN discussed postharvest approaches to minimizing pathogen contamination following presentations by scientists from USDA-ARS and the Universities of Florida and California. During the second session representatives from the Almond Board of California, FDA-CFSAN, US Food Service, Ocean Mist Farms and Del Monte Fresh addressed issues raised by scientists from the Universities of California and Delaware, Oklahoma State Univ., and UC Cooperative Extension about pathogen survival and mitigations in production environments. The third session looked at the challenges and opportunities of mining industry and surveillance data to assess risks in the produce industry. The panel included researchers from the Univ. of California, CA DFG and Intertox, Inc., and representatives from Markon Cooperative, FDA, Wegmans, Western Growers, Northwest Horticultural Council and Westside Produce. Session four focused on novel approaches to understanding interactions between human pathogens and produce. Following research results from the Universities of Florida, California, and Delaware, the panelists from McDonald's Corp., California Tomato Farmers, USDA-ARS, Ready Pac Produce and UF-IFAS discussed its implications. The final session in 2011 addressed a broader view of produce safety by representatives from the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, Florida Dept. of Agriculture, FDA, Ocean Mist Farms, and PMA. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Fifteen key produce safety research learnings were identified after the 2010 Center for Produce Safety (CPS) Produce Research Symposium, and twelve key learnings were identified after the 2011 symposium. The events 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 the lists of 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. Final reports for the first fifteen projects funded by CPS have been posted to the CPS website. The final reports were submitted as deliverables for research funded by CPS and presented at the CPS Produce Research Symposia in June 2010 and June 2011. They have not been subject to peer-review. A post-symposium survey was sent electronically to all registered participants following the symposiums in 2010 and 2011. In 2010 an 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 lacked value; 6 percent no response. On June 28, 2011, 249 attendees convened at the second annual Produce Research Symposium in Orlando, Florida. Sixteen projects were discussed and twenty-seven projects (five from FDA) were displayed on scientific posters as a part of an ongoing effort to translate scientific research into a compact easy to read format. In a post symposium survey completed by 63 respondents almost all respondents (92%) are very or somewhat likely to recommend this event to a friend or colleague. Respondents believe the featured research is relevant to the produce industry, assigning the projects average weighted scores of 1.8 or higher (1-to-5 scale, where 1 is very important). The 2011 symposium received attention from The Produce News, The Packer, Grocery Headquarters, Produce Retailer, PerishableNews.com, and Supermarket News.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: On November 14, 2008, the Center for Produce Safety at University of California, Davis announced the recipients of its first research awards aimed at providing the produce industry with the best science available to enhance food safety systems from field to fork. Over $500,000 in research funds were awarded to scientists who will engage in critical research projects for one year (January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009). The winning projects and principal investigators were: "A Sensitive and Specific Molecular Testing Method for Live Salmonella in Produce." Principal Investigator: Beilei Ge, Louisiana State University. "Enhancing the effectiveness of human pathogen testing systems for the advancement of practical produce safety research and commercial management." Principal Investigator: Carol D'lima, University of California, Davis. "Environmental effects on the growth or survival of stress-adapted Escherichia coli 015:H7 and Salmonella spp. in compost." Principal Investigator: Xiuping Jiang, Clemson University. "Examination of the survival and internalization of E.coli on spinach under field production environments." Principal Investigator: Steven T. Koike, University of California Cooperative Extension. The RFP netted 22 proposals, which were then rated by a four-person review panel comprised of CPS Technical Committee members. (The CPS Technical Committee is a collaboration of 21 industry scientists, academic scientists, government scientists and industry experts.) Review panel members were chosen by the chairman of the committee to insure that the appropriate subject expertise was brought to bear for each proposal. In some instances, the chairman enlisted ad hoc reviewers to insure that proposals were evaluated by peers with adequate knowledge and expertise.. The review teams presented analyses on the strengths and weaknesses of their assigned proposals and then the discussion was opened up for comments from the remainder of the Technical Committee. At the end of the discussion period, reviewers were asked to rank each proposal's suitability for funding from "high to medium to low". After all the proposals had been reviewed, the entire Technical Committee then ranked the strength of the proposals starting with the rankings shared in the group discussion. Arguments were made for and against specific proposals based on their merit and their ability to meet the CPS mission to provide ready-to-use science-based solutions that prevent or minimize produce safety vulnerabilities. The finalists were then selected for awards. Each scientist who submitted a proposal received a summary of comments from the CPS Technical Committee review panel. The four selected projects were required to provide mid-year reports for the period January 1, 2009 - June 30, 2009. All mid-year reports were received and reviewed by the CPS Technical Committee. PARTICIPANTS: The principal investigators for the four awarded projects are : 1.) Beilei Ge, Louisiana State University, 2.) Carol D'lima, University of California, Davis, 3.) Xiuping Jiang, Clemson University, 4.) Steven T. Koike, University of California Cooperative Extension. As stated, the Center for Produce Safety Technical Committee is a collaboration of industry scientists, academic scientists, government scientists and industry experts. The Committee is operated by consensus. Awarded scientists have access to the committee at any time as a resource for expertise and/or industry samples, and access to fields or facilities. access to the committee helps ensure both that industry understands the research goals, and that scientists have the adequate resources to conduct their research. Center for Produce Safety Technical Committee: Committee Chair - Bob Whitaker, Produce Marketing Association;Sekhar Boddupalli - Seminis; Robert Buchanan - Center for Food Safety and Security Systems - University of Maryland; Octavio Carranaza - Senasica - Sagarpa-Mexico; Will Daniels - Earthbound Farms; Michael Doyle - University of Georgia; Sam Duda - Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc.; Barry Eisenberg - River Ranch Fresh Foods; Bob Grey - A. Duda and Sons, Inc.; Phil Elliot - Grocery Manufacturers Association; Jeffrey M. Farber - Food Directorate - Health Canada; Jeff Farrar - California Department of Public Health; Hank Giclas - Western Growers Association; David Gombas - United Fresh; James Gorny - US Food and Drug Administration; Bob Krieger - University of California - Riverside; Jim Lugg - Fresh Express Inc.; Drew McDonald - Taylor Farms; Thomas Mack - Dole Fresh Vegetables; Robert Mandrell - USDA - ARS; Gurmail Mudahar - Tanimura & Antle; Paulette Pierson - Seminis; Walter Ram - Giumarra Companies; Martha Roberts - University of Florida; Joan Rosen - Chiquita; Stacy Stoltenberg - Primus Labs; Trevor Suslow - University of California, Davis; Mike Villaneva - California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement; Mike Willett - Northwest Horticultural Council; Devon Zagory - Davis Fresh Technologies (retired). TARGET AUDIENCES: The Center for Produce Safety at UC Davis (CPS) partnered with Produce Marketing Association to present a session on food safety innovations at PMA's Fresh Summit International Conference & Exposition in Anaheim, California. The session attracted a standing-room-only audience and as many were turned away as attended due to room size. CPS Executive Director Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli joined three other speakers and four panelists at the session, "Food Safety Innovations: What's New and What Does It Really Mean which showcased ongoing research and application of results. Bob Whitaker, PhD, chief science officer of PMA and chair of the CPS Technical Committee, moderated the session. Three of the funded CPS scientists shared insight into their current research findings. Steve Koike, funded through this grant, was one of the noted scientists. Dr. Jeff Farrar of California Department of Public Health, Sam Duda of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Mike Burness of Chiquita, and James Gorny of US FDA discussed the potential impact of the research and asked questions about next steps in each research project. The audience also provided insight and questions to the scientists. The Center for Produce Safety will hold a Research Symposium on June 23, 2010, at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis, California. All scientist awarded grants through the Center for Produce Safety in 2008 and early 2009 will showcase their results to an audience of at least 400 participants. This event will focus on translating the scientific results into information that can be applied within the produce industry. The participants will represent the produce marketing chain from field to retail to consumer advocates. Guests will be in attendance from Mexico, Australia, Chile, Canada and Europe. Highlighted at this event will be the various Partners in Research participants that funded the research including USDA, UC Davis ANR, California Leafy Greens Research Board, Taylor Farms, and Produce Marketing Association. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The CPS Technical Committee evaluated the proposals in part on their relevance to a set of clearly identified research priorities. Those research priorities were developed to answer three questions: where does a pathogen come from, how does a pathogen attach to the product(s) in question, and how does the produce industry reduce the risk of these events happening. There are six areas of priority for the current research and for future consideration: 1. Environmental effects on growth or survival of human pathogens in soils amendments and fertilizers (Where); 2. Cultivation practices and growth or survival of human pathogens in soil (How); 3. Effective human pathogen testing practices from plant tissues; 4. Human pathogen reservoirs and vectors (Where/How); 5. Effective microbial sampling schemes; and 6. Survival and growth requirements for human pathogens on produce (How/What). Since the initial announcement of research priorities, CPS has formed a Partners in Research (PIR) program that encourages commodity groups to collaborate with CPS on research critical to the specific commodity organization. This effort could not have been initiated without the effort sponsored by the funds in this project. The first CPS PIR was initiated in Spring 2009. Seven projects were funded. [ Bonnie, second sentence needs clarifying.] There is no doubt that these funds have given and will continue to provide the produce industry a well focused, peer-reviewed, industry-accepted research program. The results of these projects will be used to modify current industry practices and guidelines.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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