Source: PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
ENHANCING MICROBIAL FOOD SAFETY BY RISK ANALYSIS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1000140
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
S-1056
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2013
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2018
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Project Director
Cutter, CA.
Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
208 MUELLER LABORATORY
UNIVERSITY PARK,PA 16802
Performing Department
Food Science
Non Technical Summary
Food systems are extremely complex and various aspects of production, quality, and animal and plant healthhave the potential to impact food safety. The goal of this project is toimprove the safety of food from farm to fork. Farmers, food producers and/or processors, retailers and consumers, recognize the need for an approach that utilizes applied research to determine the prevalence and ecology of foodborne pathogens in fresh and processed foods,establish effective control methods to decrease pathogen contamination of foods, and then communicate the results to our stakeholders. The focus will include risk-based strategies, effective interventions and/or control measures that will ensure food safety in the U.S.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
7123260110015%
7123320110015%
7123440110010%
7123520110015%
7123620110010%
7124099110010%
7121499110015%
7123450109010%
Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other; 3320 - Meat, beef cattle; 4099 - Microorganisms, general/other; 3260 - Poultry meat; 3440 - Meat, dairy cattle; 3520 - Meat, swine; 3620 - Meat, sheep; 3450 - Milk;

Field Of Science
1090 - Immunology; 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
Research will be conducted via a number of methods. For objective 1, new, novel or establishedmethods for microbialdetection(ex.cultural, immunological or molecular) will be used to assess food safety risks in agriculture systems (ex. meat and poultry establishments, dairy operations, produce farms, produce processing facilities, etc).Results will be analyzed via standard statistical methods. For objective 2, new or novel thermal and non-thermal processes or antimicrobials will be employed todevelop interventions to prevent and mitigate food safety threats via challenge studies. For objective 3, Extension specialists (LaBorde, Cutter) will communicate food safety messages to stakeholders via Extension-related food safety shortcourses, webinars, workshops, publications, etc. Participants of these venues will be evaluated on their ability to change their food safety behavior, attitude, skills, and/or knowledge.

Progress 07/01/13 to 06/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences for our research and related Extension programs are small and very small food processors and growers/packers, and vendors across Pennsylvania and beyond. Our audiences are also university researchers at other land-grant institutions. We have reached these particular audiences through presentations at a variety of Extension/outreach-related workshops offered by our department, as well as annual, scientific meetings. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Cutter: Using needs assessments and social science research, we developed several new food safety training curriculua for food processors, vendors, and/or consumers/students. These curricula can be used by Extension specialists and/or food industry professionsals to improve the food safety knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills of participants, food handlers, etc.. LaBorde: A one-day workshop entitled "Controlling Listeria in Fresh Produce: Tree Fruit Packing Operations" featured lectures on cleaning and sanitizing, identification of L. monocytogenes harborage sites in packing houses, supplemented with hands on activities, such as microbial swabbing techniques, foam cleaning of brush lines, and the use of ATP bioluminescence to verify cleaning. In his role as Extension Specialist in the Penn State Food Science Department, Dr. LaBorde provides continuous support to state wide educators in food safety and horticulture to help them deliver workshops, training courses, and speaking engagements at winter grower meetings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Cutter: Research results from the laboratory and social science research have been shared via oral and poster presentations at national food safety conferences, via peer-reviewed scientific publications, and as an established curriculua (PSU Extension; Farmers' Market Food Safety). LaBorde: Dr. LaBorde is a Lead Trainer for the Produce Safety Alliance curriculum and Lead Instructor for the Preventive Controls curriculum. As such he shares his experiences and research results via short courses, workshops, and speaking engagements and with researchers via abstracts and presentations at national scientific meetings and publishing in peer-reviewed scientific publications. Several of our Extension educators also are disseminating and evaluating curricula that we have developed for specific audiences (Amish/Plain Sect farmers, Spanish-speaking produce growers, farmer's market vendors, farmstead cheese processors, etc.). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Cutter: We incorporated lauric arginate, nisin Z, essential oils and nanoparticles into edible films to control foodborne pathogens on seafood, meat and poultry products; determined the effect of buffered vinegar on bacterial populations associated with hot dogs; demonstrated the effects of high hydrostatic pressure/high pressure processing and boiling water treatments for controlling pathogens in beef jerky; demonstrated the effects of a pickling process to reduce pathogens on hard-cooked eggs; and also assessed the safety of poultry purchased at farmers' markets. We also conducted comprehensive needs assessments of cheesemakers and farmers' market vendors in Pennsylvania and used the information to develop, deliver, and evaluate a customized training program for these underserved audiences. Participants were assessed for their food safety knowledge, behavior, attitudes, and skills before and after the trainings. In all instances, it was determined that the training programs produced significant increases in food safety knowledge, behaviors, attitudes and positive changes in the handwashing skill among participants. We also conducted extensive environmental microbiological assessments of cheesemaking rooms, with samplings before and after the training, with some overall improvements to the microbial load. A microbiological assessment of foods purchased at farmers' markets demonstrated that a proportion of select produce and meat was of questionable microbiological quality, due to the presence of fecal coliforms, E. coli, and Listeria spp. Further analysis also suggested that E. coli isolated from meat and produce had unique phylotypic properties and few isolates exhibited potential pathogenic properties. These studies demonstrated that a comprehensive needs assessment identified gaps in food safety and sanitation, leading to the development of a customized face-to-face training program, which was proven to be effective for improving the food safety and sanitation knowledge and handwashing skills of food processors and vendors in Pennsylvania. These types of training programs could serve to further support and sustain the current local food movement in the U.S., while ensuring public safety and the success of individual farmers, processors, and/or vendors. We developed, disseminated, and evaluated a Food Safety System Management (FSSM) curriculum offered to college-aged, agribusiness students in Yerevan, Armenia. Demographic data were collected, and a paper-based pretest was administered to access the food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitude of participants (n = 29). For assessment of a skill, participants' handwashing techniques were videotaped and scored before the program commenced. Immediately after completion of the entire curriculum, a paper-based posttest with identical questions for food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitude was administered and handwashing skills were assessed. At the start of the program, students scored 44.93% (± 2.87) on pre-tests for food safety knowledge,but differed significantly when compared to post-test scores (73.21%, ± 3.28). A 3-mo follow-up score (67.76%, ± 3.93) was not statistically different from the post-test scores. Participants' handwashing skills prior to delivery of the FSSM curriculum differed significantly, when compared to handwashing skills after completion of the curriculum. Students' food safety attitudes and behavior assessed using a five-point Likert scale, also improved significantly as a result of the FSSM program. The information from this project may be of interest to education experts, Extension professionals, food industry personnel, or regulatory agencies, in the development and dissemination of an international food safety program. LaBorde: We have shown extensive colonization of L. monocytogenes on non-food-contact surfaces in both a mushroom slicing facility and in three tree fruit packing facilities. Of 255 samples taken at the mushroom facility over 3 sampling periods, 18.8% tested positive for L. monocytogenes, 4.4% for L. innocua, and 2.0% for L. grayi. L. monocytogenes (Lm) was most often found on floors within the washing and slicing and packaging areas which were wetter and littered with mushroom debris. Serotype 1/2c was the most predominant (93.6%), all of which were identified by multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (MVLST) as Virulence Type 11 (VT11) which was isolated from the same location within the facility during at least two of the three sampling periods. In three tree fruit packing facilities, environmental sampling at 40 standardized location types was conducted six times over two years. Of the 1,437 samples taken, 18% were confirmed positive by PCR for L. monocytogenes. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in Lm occurrence were observed between years and facility. Lm occurrence was consistently higher in the more active packing months especially in the dump tank/wash/waxing line, suggesting high levels of moisture and product debris provide optimum conditions for Lm survival and growth. Laboratory studies were conducted to determine he effect of up to 28 days storage, presence of punctures, and carnauba wax or shellac coatings on the fate of Lm in fresh apples. Significant reductions in Lm (up to 3 log/cm3) occurred on apples stored at 4oC at 35% RH. However, when the RH at the same temperature was maintained at 89%, Lm survival was observed for up to 28 days. Puncture and coatings did not significantly affect the results. Thermal sanitization of hard-to-clean mushroom multi-disk slicer heads has become common practice in the mushroom industry. The effectiveness of hot water wash tank treatments for eliminating Lm was determined. Thermocouples placed at suspected cold spot locations and Comsol™ modeling software were used to determine the slowest heating surfaces on the slicer assembly. Thermal death studies on selected heat-tolerant mushroom associated Lm strains and an isolate of Listeria innocua confirmed that the non-pathogenic Listeria species could safely be used for pilot plant challenge studies. Cold spot inoculation of the inner surface of slicing disk spacers followed by re-assembly of the slicer head, and hot water tank immersion at controlled temperatures demonstrated at least 7-log reductions of Lm can occur at lower temperatures and shorter times than used at some slinging facilities, thus resulting in energy savings and minimization of potential thermal damage to the equipment. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) challenges growers and processors to comply with new farm and facility food safety standards for growing, harvesting, packing and processing foods. As Penn State Extension FSMA Program Team Leader, an increasing focus of Dr. LaBorde' responsibilities are to assist the Pennsylvania agricultural and food industries prepare for new FSMA regulations. Those covered under the Produce Safety Rule must learn and understand farm food safety standards by attending a FDA approved training course. Particular challenges are faced by Plain sect (Amish/Mennonite) growers who have unique growing practices and cultural attributes that may forbid electronic course delivery, thus requiring specialized training and support to comply. We therefore developed a low-tech text-based version of the FDA approved curriculum and have successfully pilot tested it to Amish audiences. Pre- and post-tests have been developed and a controlled study is underway to compare knowledge acquisition after attending the standard computer-based projection version versus the low-tech text version.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Machado, R. M. and C. N. Cutter. 2018. Training hard-to-reach Pennsylvanian cheesemakers about food safety using a low-tech training tool. Food Protection Trends 38:266-283.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Pokharel, S., J. E. Marcy, A. N. Neilan, and C. N. Cutter. 2017. Development, Dissemination, and Assessment of a Food Safety Systems Management Curriculum for Agribusiness Students in Armenia. Journal of Food Science Education 16: 107-117.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: LaBorde, L. F. (2018). HACCP and HACCP-Based Programs for Controlling Food Safety Hazards in the Vegetable Industry In Siddiq, M., Ubersax M.A. (Eds.), Handbook of Vegetables and Vegetable Processing. (2nd), (969-988 pp). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing C.. http://www.wiley.com/en-us/Handbook+of+Vegetables+and+Vegetable+Processing-p-9780813815411. ISBN/ISSN #/Case #/DOI #: 978-0-813-81541-1 Revision of 1st edition book chapter reflecting changes in federal food safety modernization act regulations.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: LaBorde, L. F. 2018. Food Safety Modernization Act Web Site. Analysis of each of the FSMA regulations including links to FDA resources and Penn State training events. Penn State Extension Web Site. Available at https://extension.psu.edu/fsma.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: LaBorde, L. F. 2018. Mushroom GAPs Audit and FSMA Resources. Web based article on Penn State resources on Good Agricultural Practices for mushroom growers. Penn State Extension Web Site. Available at https://extension.psu.edu/mushroom-gaps-audit-and-fsma-resources
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: LaBorde, L. F. 2018. What is the Food Safety Modernization Act. 28-minute video covers the basics of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and provides in-depth information on the Produce Safety and Preventive Controls for Human Foods Rules. Penn State Extension Web Site. Available at https://extension.psu.edu/what-is-the-food-safety-modernization-act
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: LaBorde, L. F. 2018. FSMA Produce Safety Rule - Coverage and Exemption Tool Interactive questionnaire designed to help growers and educators determine regulatory status with respect to the FDA's Produce Safety Rule, under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Penn State Extension Web Site. Available at https://extension.psu.edu/fsma-produce-safety-rule-coverage-and-exemption-tool.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: LaBorde, L. F. and Stivers, L. 2018. Tools for Writing a Farm Food Safety Plan. Templates, checklist and logs developed by Penn State Extension to assist growers of fresh fruits and vegetables write farm food safety plans. Penn State Extension Web Site. Available at https://extension.psu.edu/tools-for-writing-a-farm-food-safety-plan.


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

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences for our research and related Extension programsare small and very small food processors and vendors across Pennsylvania and beyond. Our audiences are also university researchers at other land-grant institutions. We have reached these particular audiences through presentations at a variety of Extension/outreach-related workshops offered byour department, as well as annual, scientific meetings. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?LaBorde: One-day workshop entitled "Controlling Listeria in Fresh Produce: Tree Fruit Packing Operations". Program featured lectures on cleaning and sanitizing,identification ofL. monocytogenesharborage sites in packing houses, supplemented with hands on activities, such asmicrobial swabbing techniques, foam cleaning of brush lines, and the use of ATP bioluminescence to verify cleaning. LaBorde: Another project was initiated to develop a FSMA-compliant produce safety curriculum for Plain Sect/Amishgrowers. The curriculum isbeing developed during this period and will be tested against computer based programming in 2018. Cutter:We developed, disseminated, and evaluateda Food Safety System Management (FSSM) curriculum offered to college-aged, agribusiness students in Yerevan, Armenia. Demographic data were collected and a paper-based pretest was administered to access the food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitude of participants (n = 29). For assessment of a skill, participants' handwashing techniques were videotaped and scored before the program commenced. Immediately after completion of the entire curriculum, a paper-based posttest with identical questions for food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitude was administered and handwashing skills were assessed. At the start of the program, students scored44.93%(± 2.87) on pre-tests for food safety knowledge, butdiffered significantly when compared to post-test scores (73.21%, ± 3.28) . A3-mo follow-up score (67.76%, ± 3.93) was not statistically different from the post-test scores. Participants' handwashing skills prior to delivery of the FSSM curriculum differed significantly, when compared to handwashing skills after completion of the curriculum. Students' food safety attitudes and behavior assessed using a five-point Likert scale, also improved significantly as a result of the FSSM program.The information from this project may be of interest to education experts, Extension professionals, food industry personnel, or regulatory agencies, in the development and dissemination of an international food safety program. Cutter:The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot-test a customized, retail food safety training program for farmers' market vendors. A practical and customized 3-hour, in-person, training program consisting of interactive PowerPoint presentations and the use of a comprehensive reference guide was developed and pilot tested in Pennsylvania. Using pre- and post-test assessment tests conducted during the pilot training sessions, the results found participants scores on knowledge questionsWincreased significantly by ~20% with positive increases in attitudes related to retail food safety topics. The results of the pilot study demonstrated that a combination of a comprehensive training resource guide with interactive slide presentation training methods, could result in significant gains in farmers' market vendor knowledge and change in attitudes among farmers' market vendor participants. Cutter:A customized, counter-top food safety and sanitation training program was developed, disseminated, and evaluated for farmstead cheesemakers. Approximately 55 farmstead cheesemakers across Pennsylvania were contacted, with 17 agreeing to take part in the research. Participants were divided randomly into a control group (n=7; no treatment) and 2 treatment groups (n= 5 each). To address whether storytelling could affect the outcome of the food safety training, a video vignette was designed and administered to one of the treatment groups. Both treatment groups (with and without a video vignette) received a pre-test, followed by the counter-top training, and then a post-test was administered 3 weeks later. Pre- and post-tests addressed food safety knowledge, attitude, and behavior, as well as an evaluation of handwashing skills. The control group received the pre-test and post-test with no counter-top training in between. As expected, the counter-top training significantly increased participants' food safety knowledge by 18%, and handwashing skills were improved (25%), while no change was observed for those attributes in the control group. 76 Unfortunately, changes in food safety attitude and behavior were not observed for either of the treatment groups. Additionally, storytelling with the use of video vignette did not impact food safety knowledge, behavior, attitude, or handwashing skills, although its use was perceived as beneficial by participants. Overall, reception of the counter-top training program was very positive, and participants believed that it would help them improve their food safety and sanitation practices. The results from this study demonstrated that a combination of counter-top food safety training with a handwashing activity could result in significant gains in cheesemakers' food safety knowledge and handwashing skills. The information from this study may provide researchers and/or regulators with information that can be used to improve the delivery of food safety information to this audience. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have shared the results from our studies with researchers via abstracts and presentations at national scientific meetings, by publishing in peer-reviewed scientific publications, and to our clientele and stakeholders via our Extension-related shortcourses and workshops. Several of our Extension educators also are disseminating and evaluating curricula that we have developed for specific audiences (Amish/Plain Sect farmers, Spanish-speaking produce growers, farmer's market vendors, farmstead cheese processors, etc.). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Cutter: We plan to build on the food safety training program in Armenia with students at NULES in Kiev, Ukraine from June-July 2018 with a revamped curriculum which willincorporate case studies. We will evaluate the impact of these new approaches on the knowledge, behavior, attitude and skills of participants in the training program. We also plan to develop, deliver, and evaluate a food safety and a proficiency curriculum for personnel in food safety laboratories in Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique). We also will disseminate our current face-to-face farmers' market food safety training via an online format,in 2017-2018. Finally, the sanitation and personal hygiene curriculuathat we developed for farmstead cheese processors will be revamped and modified for a broader audience. LaBorde:We are developing, disseminating, and evaluatinga customized FSMA training program for Amish/Plain Sect produce growers/farmers in PA.We are developing, disseminating, and evaluatinga customized FSMA training program for Spanish-speaking produce growers/farmers in PA.We will continue to sample apple processing facilities for Listeria monocytogenes and make recommendations to the processors on control measures (interventions and/or antimicrobials) for the pathogen. We are researching new and improved interventions and/or antimicrobials for the control of LM on apples.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? LaBorde: Preliminary results were obtained from a project initiated last year to determine the occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes on non-food-contact surfaces in tree fruit packing houses. Lm was found throughout each of the three facilities but varied despite similar sanitation practices. At each facility, Lm incidence increased between August and January and decreased thereafter. Wash/fan dry/wax processing lines where moisture and apple debris are common had the highest occurrence. This study is continuing into the 2017-2018 packing season. LaBorde:We are conducting studies on the fate of Listeria monocytogenes on whole fresh apples. Preliminary results showed that Lm does not grow on intact or wounded apples for up to 28 days storage and that common commercially available wax and shellac fruit coatings have no affect on survival and growth of Lm. Studies are continuing using more controlled temperature and relative humidity scenarios that would likely be encountered in the packing house to retail to consumer continuum. Cutter: We performed a comprehensive food safety needs assessment of farmers' markets in Pennsylvania through the use of direct concealed observations, vendor surveys, state health inspector surveys, and structured group interviews with market managers. The results of this study revealed important gaps in vendor retail food safety behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes. Specifically, vendors were found to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in certain food safety topics such as hand washing, personal hygiene, and cross-contamination; however, this knowledge was not translated into proper food safety behaviors at farmers' markets. Observations of vendor-related retail food safety behaviors and state health inspector reported inspection outcomes coincided, while many vendor self-reported behaviors were counter to those behaviors observed by the researchers. It was concluded that farmers' market vendors in PA would greatly benefit from a customized food safety training program which addresses the needs and gaps determined in this study. Cutter:We conducted a needs assessment addressing sanitation and food safety issues at small farmstead cheese establishments in Pennsylvania using information obtained from dairy inspectors, cheesemakers, on-site observations, and environmental sampling. State dairy inspectors were surveyed to identify the most common "out of compliance" issues during inspections conducted over the last 4 years. Another survey was developed and disseminated to farmstead cheesemakers to assess their food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitudes. Five (n=5) farmstead dairy establishments also were visited and observed during cheesemaking sessions to evaluate food safety and sanitation issues. Finally, environmental samples from one processing facility were taken on two different days and analyzed using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay and microbiological methods. The inspector surveys (n=6), the observations during cheesemaking (n=5), and environmental sampling results suggest that basic sanitation is a concern and there is room for improvement. Contrary to these findings, the dairy processors indicated that their self-assessed knowledge, attitude, and behavior were "good" or "very good" in the areas of sanitation (70%) and food safety (65%). The observations, however, indicate that those processors may lack basic food safety practices and demonstrate gaps in their food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. As such, there appears to be a need for food safety training, with an emphasis on sanitation, for this underserved audience. Cutter:This project evaluated the impact of a food safety and sanitation training program, developed for farmstead cheesemakers, by investigating its effects on the cleanliness of cheesemaking rooms of dairy farms in Pennsylvania. Participating farmswere divided randomly into control and two treatments, consisting of a food safety and sanitation training program without a video vignette (treatment 1) and a training program supplemented with a video vignette (treatment 2). Before the training and again 3-4 months after the training, environmental samplings were conducted on select surfaces in cheesemaking rooms. Surfaces were swabbed and evaluated for aerobic bacterial counts (AC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), yeast and molds (YM),Listeriaspp., and for levels ofATP. The results demonstrate that the training program, with or without the video vignette, significantly reduced populations (log10CFU/100cm2) of AC (treatment 2=1.23), EB (treatment 1=1.18; treatment 2=0.89), and ATP (treatment 1=0.41; treatment 2=0.61) in samples taken from floors and drains. The results from this study may serve as a reference for future evaluations of food safety-related training programs that look beyond changes in employee knowledge, attitudes, skills, or behavior, and address or correlate to other potential indicators of sanitation, such as microbial counts and ATP levels. Cutter:A needs assessment was designed to gather information on laboratory personnel's behavior, attitude, knowledge, and skills as they relate to laboratory practices via a self-assessment and an on-site visit by the researchers. Laboratory infrastructure, sample handling, methodologies, data analyses, maintenance, troubleshooting, and training needs also were evaluated. Clear discrepancies were observed between the self-assessments and on-site visits, including behavioral and attitudinal responses. Behavioral (10/24, 42%) and attitudinal (8/18, 44%) survey questions, where participants previously 'agreed' or 'disagreed', were found to be the opposite during on-site visits. Similarly, discrepancies were also found in laboratory infrastructure (11/30; 37%), the number of samples analyzed (5/5; 100%), and general laboratory practices (4/8; 50%) where participants 'agreed' during the self-assessment, but did not match during on-site visits. . The information from this need assessment will be used to identify gaps and use that information to develop a comprehensive curriculum for this audience.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: LaBorde, L. F., Gorgo-Gourovitch, M. 2017. FSMA training requirements outlined. Mushroom News. 65(4):16-17. April 2017.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Tobin, H., R. C. Anantheswaran, L. F. LaBorde. 2017. Method for validating thermal sanitization of mushroom disk slicing equipment 2017. Mushroom News. 65(9):6-9. September 2017.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Tobin, H. M. 2016. Thermal Sanitizing Treatments for Eliminating Listeria Monocytogenes from Industrial Mushroom Disc Slicing Equipment. MS Thesis. Department of Food Science. The Pennsylvania State University.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Joshua A. Scheinberg, Edward G. Dudley, Jonathan Campbell, Beth Roberts, Michael DiMarzio, Chitrita DebRoy, and Catherine N. Cutter. 2017. Prevalence and Phylogenetic Characterization of Escherichia coli and Hygiene Indicator Bacteria Isolated from Leafy Green Produce, Beef, and Pork Obtained from Farmers' Markets in Pennsylvania. J. Food Protection 80:237-244.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Robson A. M. Machado, Rama Radhakrishna, Catherine N. Cutter. 2017. Food Safety of Farmstead Cheese Processors in Pennsylvania: An Initial Needs Assessment. Food Protection Trends 37:88-98.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: R. A. M. Machado and C. N. Cutter. 2017. Sanitation indicators as a tool to evaluate a food safety and sanitation training program for farmstead cheese processors. Food Control 78:264-269.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: S. Watson and C. N. Cutter. 2017. Shelf life and survey of mold isolated and identified from produce purchased at farmers market and grocery stores. Presented at Gamma Sigma Delta Research Expo, March 2017.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Machado, R. M. 2016. THE EFFECT OF AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION ON SMALL CHEESE OPERATIONS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. Ph. D. Dissertation. Department of Food Science. The Pennsylvania State University.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Scheinberg, J. A. 2016. A Comprehensive Food Safety Assessment of Farmers' Markets in Pennsylvania. Ph. D. Dissertation. Department of Food Science. The Pennsylvania State University.


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

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences are small and very small food processors and vendors throughout Pennsylvania and beyond, as well as researchers. We have reached these audiences via Extension programs, including HACCP, Sanitation Shortcourse, Food Microbiology Shortcourse, Food Mycology Shortcourse, GAP's, etc. and via presentations at national and international food safety conferences. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?2016-2019. L. F. LaBorde. Research to reduce Listeria risks in the Pennsylvania tree industry through application of antimicrobial compounds on whole apples. USDA Specialty Block Grant Program/ PA Dept. of Agric. (through Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program. $60,000 2016-2019. C. Callahan, E.A. Bihn, A. Kinchla, L. LaBorde, C. Walsh. The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS). U.S. Food and Drug Administration/NIFA. $949,867. 2016-2017. C. N. Cutter. Development and Dissemination of a "Food Safety Systems Management" Curriculum for Armenia. USAID funded through a subcontract with Virginia Tech University; $65,000. 2016-2017. C. N. Cutter. Food Safety Laboratory Capacity Gap's Assessment- East & South Africa. USDA-Foreign Ag Service; $125,000. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our target audiences are small and very small food producers and processors throughout Pennsylvania and beyond. We have reached these audiences via Extension programs, including FSMA, HACCP, Sanitation Shortcourse, Food Microbiology Shortcourse, Food Mycology Shortcourse, GAP's, etc. and via presentations at national and international food safety conferences. We also have shared the information from our research projects with researchers via scientific publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?LaBorde. In the 2015-2016 year, we plan to conduct a longitudinal study on the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in multiple apple packing establishments in Pennsylvania. A study in collaboration with a commercial mushroom slicing operation is anticipated to determine the feasibility of the thermal sanitization process under routine production conditions. An increase in training activities for produce growers and food processors who are required to comply with produce safety standards and develop preventive controls food safety plans. Accelerated development of fact sheets and web sites to assist the food industry in understanding and meeting regulatory requirements under FSMA is anticipated. Cutter. We plan to evaluate the impact of customized trainings on the food safety attitude, behavior, skills, and knowledge of vendors of farmers' markets and farmstead cheese processors. We also will assess the microbial and mycological quality and shelf life of produce purchased at farmers' markets. We will develop and disseminate a Food Safety Systems Management program to agribusiness students in Armenia. Finally, we will assess personnel and procedures of food safety/food microbiology laboratories in East and South Africa. Doores. Ongoing research with ultrasound on produce will involve using E. coli as a model, optimizing frequency, cycle and amplitude, as well as introducing cooling temperatures to prevent any overheating. Thus, several treatments together could create a hurdle effect that reduces the microbiological contamination of produce more efficiently through the use of ultrasound.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1 LaBorde. Results from the completed longitudinal survey of Listeria spp. in a commercial mushroom packing and fresh-cut processing facility were published in the Journal of Food Protection. A new project was initiated to determine the occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in tree fruit packing houses in Pennsylvania. Preliminary data show between 0 and 50% of non-food-contact surfaces samples taken between October 2015 and May 2016 were positive for the pathogen. A one year longitudinal study at 3 packing houses over a one year period was initiated in September of 2016. There are not data to report on this yet. In December of 2015, a 1-day workshop titled "Controlling Listeria in Fresh Produce Packing and Minimal Processing Environments" was held in Biglerville, PA. A total of 66 participants attended the event. Objective 2 LaBorde. Because commercial mushroom slicers are difficult to disassemble for regular and frequent deep cleaning and sanitization, there is a need to validate the effectiveness of a rapid thermal sanitization treatment. Heat tolerance studies in the laboratory determined D-values of 11.53, 1.90, and 0.99 minutes at 50, 60, and 70oC, respectively. Kinetic data for destruction of a selected strain of Listeria innocua showed that it would be an adequate non-pathogenic surrogate for a pilot plant challenge study. The surrogate was inoculated at the pre-determined cold-spot within the disassembled slicer head. Upon re-assembly, the slicer head was subjected to temperatures between 55 and 75oC for up to 90 minutes. The results showed complete destruction of the inoculated Listeria innocua from which we can infer the same for L. monocytogenes. Cutter. Farmers' markets (FM) and farmstead cheese production play a crucial role in the agricultural system in the U. S., especially for small-sized farms. FM's and farmstead cheese production has grown steadily in the U. S. over the last decade. FM's are also characterized by a lack of infrastructure (buildings, utilities, etc.) and regulations. Because of these issues, as well as the increased popularity of food from these venues, there have been a number of efforts to identify general food safety concerns from farm to fork. We developed and distributed a survey to assess the food safety knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of consumers who purchase foods at Pennsylvania farmers' markets in order to identify gaps that may be addressed through educational materials or outreach activities. Overall, consumers were lacking in general food safety knowledge, including the identification of pathogens associated with raw poultry and raw milk, and temperatures for storing and cooking of foods. Additional issues identified in the survey included the washing of raw poultry and the improper handling and storage of food purchased at farmers' markets. Consumers also believed that food purchased from farmers' markets was safer than foods purchased from commercial supermarkets or grocery stores. The information collected from this survey will be used to develop and disseminate food safety materials for consumers who shop at farmers' markets in Pennsylvania. To assess the microbiological safety and quality of produce, beef, and pork obtained from farmers' markets in Pennsylvania through the enumeration of hygiene indicators and the screening of E. coli isolates for select virulence genes and phylogenetic profiling. Coliforms, fecal coliforms, and E. coli were enumerated from produce (n=150) and meat (n=50) obtained from farmers' markets in Pennsylvania, using the Most Probable Number method. Phylogenetic analysis of E. coli was performed using the Clermont method, and isolates were screened for Shiga-toxin producing (STEC) and Extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC)-associated genes using multiplex PCR. E. coli was isolated from 40% ( 20/50) and 18% ( 9/50) of beef and pork, and was found in 28% ( 15/54), 29% (15/52), and 17% ( 8/46) of kale, lettuce, and spinach, respectively. Listeria spp. was isolated from beef (8%; 4/50), kale (2%; 1/54), lettuce (4%; 2/52), and spinach (7%; 3/46), with three isolates confirmed as L. monocytogenes. E. coli isolated from meat mainly clustered into phylogroup B1 (66%; 19/29), while produce isolates primarily clustered into phylogroups B2 (36%; 14/39) and B1 (33%; 13/39). ExPEC/STEC-associated genes present in E. coli (n=67) included: fimH (100%; 67/67) iroN (3%; 2/67), hlyD (3%; 2/67), and eae (1.5%; 1/67). The presence of Listeria spp. and E. coli on farmers' market produce and meat are strong indicators that the practices of vendors have a serious impact on the safety of the foods they sell. Farmers' market vendors may benefit from food safety training and increased public health oversight. We assessed needs relative to sanitation and food safety concerns in small artisanal cheese establishments in Pennsylvania. Data were collected from three different sources: dairy inspectors, cheesemakers, and on-site observations. Dairy inspectors provided data on most common "compliance" questions, while cheesemakers were surveyed to assess their food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitudes. Five farmstead dairy establishments were evaluated for food safety and sanitation issues. Overall, results suggest that basic sanitation is a major issue. Cheesemakers indicated that their self-assessed knowledge, attitude, and behavior were "good" or "very good" relative to sanitation (70%) and food safety (65%). The observations, however, indicated that cheesemakers lacked basic food safety practices and gaps existed in their food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Findings suggest a need for food safety training, specifically designed for artisanal cheese establishments, and has implications for program development and evaluation. Generally, the enumeration and isolation of food-borne pathogens is performed using culture-dependent methods. These methods are sensitive, inexpensive, and provide both qualitative and quantitative assessment of the microorganisms present in a sample, but these are time-consuming. For this reason, researchers are developing new techniques that allow detection of food pathogens in shorter period of time. This review identifies commercially available methods for rapid detection and quantification of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli in food samples. Three categories are discussed: immunologically based methods, nucleic acid based assays, and biosensors. This review describes the basic mechanism and capabilities of each method, discusses the difficulties of choosing the most convenient method, and provides an overview of the future challenges for the technology for rapid detection of microorganisms. Doores. Nothing to report. Objective 3 LaBorde. Dr. LaBorde has been active in preparing produce growers and food processors for the food safety requirements established under the Food Safety Modernization Act. He obtained Lead Instructor certification from the Preventive Controls Alliance and has co-taught four 2.5-day Preventive Controls for Human Foods Qualified Individual workshops. Dr. LaBorde leads the Penn State Farm Food Safety Extension program which will conduct Produce Safety Alliance certification training in 2017. He also serves as a member of the executive committee of the North East Center for the Advancement of Food Safety (NECAFS), one of 4 regional FSMA outreach coordination centers funded by USDA and FDA. A Penn State Extension "Learn Now" instructional video series titled "Using Sanitizers in Wash Water" was completed. The video series consists of "Part 1 - Reasons for Washing Fresh Produce", "Part 2 - Types of Wash Systems", "Part 3 - Correct Use of Sanitizers". The three 15-minute video presentations are accessible as Embedded YouTube videos at http://extension.psu.edu/food/safety/farm/gaps.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Tobin, H., R. C. Anantheswaran, L. F. LaBorde. Validation of thermal sanitizing treatments for the elimination of Listeria monocytogenes from mushroom slicers. 2016. International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Conference. August 2, 2016.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Watson, S. A., S. Doyle, J. A. Scheinberg, and C. N. Cutter. 2016. Survey of food safety knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of farmers market consumers in Pennsylvania. Gamma Sigma Delta Research Expo and Penn State Undergraduate Research Expo, March 2016.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ercan, D., S. A. Wang, A. Demirci, L. F. LaBorde, R. J. Elias. 2016. Effect of UV-C and pulsed-UV treatments on reduction of Penicillium expansum spores and E. coli K12 in a model apple juice. Oral presentation at the American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Orlando, Florida. July 17-20, 2016.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Draper, A. D., S. D. Doores, H. Gourama, L. F. LaBorde. 2016. Microbial survey of Pennsylvania surface water used for irrigating produce crops. Journal of Food Protection. 79(6):902-912.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: LaBorde, L. F. 2016. Incidence and fate of Listeria monocytogenes during mushroom growing, packing, and processing. International Society for Mushroom Science (ISMS) Conference. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. May 30, 2016. Conference proceedings published in: Science and cultivation of edible and medicinal fungi: Mushroom Science IXX. Proceedings of the 19th Congress of the International Society for Mushroom Science. Pages 9-13. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 30 May2 June 2016. Baars J.J.P. & Sonnenberg A.S.M., ed.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Murugesan, L. Kucerova, Z., Knabel, S. J., L. F. LaBorde. 2015. Predominance and distribution of a persistent Listeria monocytogenes clone in a commercial fresh mushroom processing environment. Journal of Food Protection. 78(11):1988-1998.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Valderrama, W. B., E. G. Dudley, S. Doores, and C. N. Cutter. 2016. Commercially available rapid methods for detection of selected foodborne pathogens. Current Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 56:1519153.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ercan, D., S. A. Wang, A. Demirci, L. F. LaBorde, R. J. Elias. 2016. Effect of UV-C and pulsed-UV treatments on reduction of Penicillium expansum spores and E. coli K12 in a model apple juice. Poster presented at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Convention. Chicago, Il. July 1619, 2016.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Macarisin, D., A. Wooten, M. Hur, K. Peter, L. F, LaBorde, W. Jurick, Y. Chen. 2016. Incidence and characterization of Listeria monocytogenes in stone and pome fruit production continuum. International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Conference. August 2, 2016.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Murugesan L., S. J. Knabel, L. F. LaBorde. 2016. Effect of growth phase on quaternary ammonium chloride tolerance of a predominant and persistent Listeria monocytogenes clone from a mushroom processing environment. International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Conference. August 1, 2016.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Nayak, R., J. Ewing, E. Yoder, L. LaBorde. 2016. On-Farm Food Safety Practices and Farm Science Centers in India: Programming Needs and Barriers Penn State Graduate Research Exhibition. University Park. PA. March 24, 2016. (2nd place in Social and Behavioral Science Division). Also presented at the 2016 Penn State Gamma Sigma Delta College of Agricultural Sciences Research Expo. University Park. PA. March 29, 2016.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Scheinberg, J., E. Dudley, L. F. LaBorde, J. Campbell, B. Roberts, C. DebRoy, M. DiMarzio, C. Cutter. 2016. The prevalence and characterization of Escherichia coli and hygiene indicator bacteria isolated from leafy green produce, beef, and pork obtained from farmers markets in Pennsylvania. International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Conference. August 3, 2016.


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

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences are small and very small food processors throughout Pennsylvania and beyond. We have reached these audiences via Extension programs, including HACCP, Sanitation Shortcourse, Food Microbiology Shortcourse, Food Mycology Shortcourse, GAP's, etc. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?2014-2015, C. N. Cutter, L. Johnson, and L. F. LaBorde. Food safety at farmers' markets: a consumer perspective, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture & PSU Food Safety Resource Center, $25,000. 2014-2015. C. N. Cutter, L. F. LaBorde, E. G. Dudley, J. A. Campbell, J. Scheinberg. A Microbiological Quality Assessment of Produce and Meat Products Sold at Farmers' Markets in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. $25,000. 2015-2016. C. N. Cutter. The effect of an educational intervention on the microbial safety and quality of farmstead cheese: an exploratory approach. PSU College of Agricultural Sciences. $16,000. 2015-2016. Johnson, L. LaBorde, Connelly, L. Planning for Food Safety Modernization Act Implementation. USDA Specialty Block Grant Program/ PA Dept. of Agriculture. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Food Safety-subcontracted to PSU for support of GAPs training in Pennsylvania. $95,000. 2015-2016. Peter, K., LaBorde, L. F. Pre- and Post-Harvest Environmental Sampling and Microbial Analysis in Stone and Pome Fruit Production Continuum. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. $75,000. 2015-2016. Peter, K., LaBorde, L. F. Tracking Listeria species in Pennsylvania packing houses and development of strategies to prevent post-harvest contamination of tree fruits. USDA Specialty Block Grant Program/ Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. $80,000. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have shared the information from our research projects with small and very small food processors via Extension programs, outreach activities, and presentations at national food safety/food science meetings.We also have presented our research findings with other members of the S-1056 multistate project at annual meetings of the group. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?LaBorde. Experience gained from the L. monocytogenes tracking study carried out in a mushroom slicing and packaging facility was used to leverage funding from the Specialty Crops Block Grant program to conduct a similar study in the 2015-2016 year on multiple apple packing establishments in Pennsylvania. A Listeria control workshop for produce packers and fresh-cut processors is planned for December of 2015. He expects that the project to validate thermal disinfection of mushroom slicers initiated in 2014-2015 will be completed and a paper describing our results will be submitted to a scientific journal. With the release of preventative controls regulation under the final food safety Food Safety Modernization Act, Dr. LaBorde expects to modify current Penn State HACCP Extension courses to align with the FDA Hazard Analysis Risk Based Preventative Controls (HARPC) approach. Once the final draft produce safety rules are released on October 31, 2015, Dr. LaBorde expects to move away from the Penn State GAP training curriculum to that developed by the Produce Safety Alliance. Doores. Nothing to report Cutter. We plan to evaluate the impact of food safety educational materials to improve the microbiological safety offoods sold at farmers' markets and/or processed at farmstead cheese establishments. We propose to sample and compare produce purchased from farmers' markets and supermarkets for mold. We will survey consumers of farmers' market for their food safety practices and develop educational materials for this audience from the information.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For Objective 1: LaBorde. A longitudinal survey of Listeria spp. in a commercial mushroom packing and fresh-cut processing facility was completed. Results were described in last year's report. This year, the results were presented to the mushroom industry at the Mushroom Short Course, Kennett Square, PA and a paper was submitted and accepted for publication in the November 2015 issue of the Journal of Food Protection. Through presentations made at mushroom food safety lectures, his study has made the industry aware of the importance of establishing effective sanitation protocols for controlling Listeria in the packaging and processing environment. For Objective 2: Cutter. Raw milk cheeses, characteristically made by farmstead dairy processors, have been involved in several of these outbreaks; but little is known about this audience's food safety practices. The main goal of this study was to conduct a needs assessment addressing food safety issues at farmstead cheese establishments in Pennsylvania (n=56), using information obtained from dairy inspectors, cheesemakers, on-site observations, and environmental sampling. The findings indicate that farmstead cheese processors may lack basic food safety practices and demonstrate gaps in their food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. As such, there appears to be a need for food safety training, with an emphasis on sanitation, for this underserved audience. Doores. The use of ultrasound technology may be effective in reducing or eliminating naturally occurring pathogens as well as other microorganisms on alfalfa seeds. The seed coat can harbor such organisms in the cracks and crevices, thus making it difficult to thoroughly eliminate microbes. We have found that subjecting seeds directly to ultrasound causes a "popcorn" effect which destroys the seed, thus preventing germination. However, placing the seeds in varying amounts of liquid can be more effective in reducing numbers. Furthermore, exposure to ultrasound using the appropriate amplitude, cycling and pulsing did not affect germination or grow out of the sprout. At the current time, we are examining the range of amplitude, cycling and pulsing that would retain the integrity of the seed and allow germination while reducing the level of salmonella in inoculated seed. LaBorde. Work continued on our project to validate the effectiveness of hot water wash tank thermal sanitization treatments for rapid elimination of L. monocytogenes from mushroom slicing equipment. These slicers are constructed with many intersecting parts deep inside the unit that chemical sanitizers cannot reach without time intensive disassembly procedures that do not fit into the heavy demand that production requires. Screening studies to determine heat tolerance of selected isolates of L. monocytogenes obtained from a mushroom slicing facility have been completed and thermocouple heat penetration studies placed within the cold spots of the slicer are underway. For Objective 3: Cutter. Observing food handling practices is an important aspect of food safety research. Direct concealed observations (DCOs) have been used by researchers during data collection of food safety behaviors. A customized smartphone application, known as "Food Safe Surveys," was developed to record DCOs in real-time. To evaluate public perception of smartphone usage, including activities related to DCOs, a web-based questionnaire, consisting of images of people using a smartphone or clipboard, superimposed on a retail setting or blank space, was developed and distributed online (n=85) for feedback. Participants indicated that images of an individual using a clipboard with either background suggested evaluative activities such as research, surveys, or inspections (25%), while others stated the images revealed checklist-related (66%) or other activities (6%), respectively, and (3%) did not know. Alternatively, (98%) of the participants indicated that the images of smartphone use, with either background, was primarily for phone or internet use. These results suggest that the use of a smartphone in a retail setting may not be perceived as an evaluative activity and that the use of a smartphone application (ex. "Food Safe Surveys") can be used for data collection of food safety behaviors at various food retail and processing environments. Farmers' markets remain a significant source of food for millions of Americans, with over 8,000 in operation in the United States. To ensure their continued success and to protect the public health of consumers, food safety risks at farmers' markets must continue to be evaluated and assessed. To investigate retail food safety risks at farmers' markets in Pennsylvania, a comprehensive needs assessment, utilizing concealed vendor observations, market manager focus groups, and surveys of vendors and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) inspectors, was conducted. Results found compelling inconsistencies between self-reported and observed retail food safety related behaviors at farmers' markets. More importantly, this study has provided practical and relevant scientific data for use in the development of future farmers' market food safety training programs and outreach activities. LaBorde. Dr. LaBorde leads the Penn State Farm Food Safety Extension program which continues to train produce growers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). On January 26, 2015, Dr. Laborde with support from the Penn State Food Safety Resource Center (FSRC), sponsored a 1-day farm pilot presentation of the farm food safety curriculum developed by the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA). A total of 76 growers, extension educators, and officials from federal and state government agencies from 5 Mid-Atlantic states and Washington D.C attended. On June 9-10, 2015, Dr. LaBorde, hosted a Produce Safety Alliance Train-the-Trainer workshop for 49 extension and NGO educators from 18 states and Washington D.C. By completing the curriculum presented by the PSA, extension educators will be qualified to participate in teaching the FDA-approved curriculum. Doores. The research is directed to those companies/individuals who are sprouting alfalfa seeds for consumption. If successful, this procedure could lower or eliminate the possibility of illness resulting from consumption of this product.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: LaBorde, L. F. Evaluation of on-farm food safety programming in Pennsylvania: Implications for Extension. Journal of Extension 53(1) 1FEA9. February 2015.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Valderrama, W. B., N. Ostiguy, and C. N. Cutter. 2014. Multivariate analysis reveals differences in biofilm formation capacity among Listeria monocytogenes lineages. Biofouling. Vol. 30, No. 10, 11991209.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Hayes, J. E., C. R. Raines, D. A. DePasquale, and C. N. Cutter. 2014. Consumer acceptability of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)-treated ground beef patties. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 56:207-210. Access at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643813004179
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Machado, R. A., J. A. Scheinberg, L. F. Pivarnik, and C. N. Cutter. 2015. Use of the Smartphone Application Food Safe Surveys for Data Collection During Direct Concealed Observations. Food Protection Trends 35:357364.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Scheinberg, J. A., R. Radhakrishna, and C. N. Cutter. 2015. A Comprehensive Needs Assessment of Retail Food Safety Practices of Farmers Market Vendors in Pennsylvania. Annual Meeting of International Association of Food Protection, July 2015; Portland, OR.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Machado, R. A., J. A. Scheinberg, and C. N. Cutter. 2015. Use of a Smartphone Application (Food Safe Surveys) for Data Collection During Direct Concealed Observations. Meeting of International Association of Food Protection, July 2015; Portland, OR
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Machado, R. A., and C. N. Cutter. 2015. Food Safety of Farmstead Cheese Processors in Pennsylvania: An Initial Needs Assessment. Annual Meeting of International Association of Food Protection, July 2015; Portland, OR.


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

Outputs
Target Audience: We have shared the information obtained from our research projects with small and very small food processors via Extension programs (ex. HACCP, Sanitation, Food Microbiology, GAP's, etc.). We have conducted a comprehensive needs assessment to address the food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitudes of farmstead cheese processors and vendors of food products sold at famers’ markets and will use the information to develop educational/training materials for these audiences. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? October 2013-May 2015. C. N. Cutter & L. F. LaBorde. Improving the safety of foods processed by farmstead cheese operators and sold at farmers’ markets in Pennsylvania. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Program Priority Initiative project. July 2014 –June 2015 L. F. LaBorde & R. C. Anantheswaran-Validating the effectiveness of thermal sanitization treatments for eliminating Listeria monocytogenes from mushroom disc slicing equipment-Giorgi Mushroom Company Fund for Mushroom Research-$22,000 (year 1 funding) June 2014-L. F. LaBorde-Gift in support of mushroom food safety research-U.S. Mushroom Council-$23,000 July 2014 – June 2015-L. F. LaBorde-Support for GAP Training in Pennsylvania-PSU/PDA Food Safety Resource Center -$28,305 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? Cutter. We plan to: identify antimicrobials or probiotic organismsthat can be incorporated into edible films and use this approachto reduce or inhibit undesirable microflora in vitro and in situ; determine the impact of pickling processes on the spoilage and/or pathogenic microflora of sausages; determine the impact of a fermentation process on pathogens associated with a pork sausage (landjaeger); determine the effect of high pressure processing for controlling Shiga-toxin producing E. coli in ground beef; and develop and disseminate food safety educational material to improve the microbiological safety offoods sold at farmers' markets and/or processed at farmstead cheese establishments. Doores.Ultrasound waves (USW) have been used as an effective means to reduce or eliminate microorganisms in milk and buffer solutions. Little work has been done on the use of USW to eliminate or reduce bacteria on sprout seeds or sprouts, without affecting the integrity of the sprout. Work will be conducted on the use of USW and its impact on germination of the seed as well as the integrity of the sprouted seed. LaBorde. The expected release of final food safety regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act provides long term direction toward continuous development of science-based food safety interventions of benefit to the food industry. We will continue to analyze the data from our mushroom facility microbial survey and submit a paper to a peer reviewed journal. For the mushroom slicer study, we expect to complete our initial thermal death time experiments and move on to our thermocouple studies. For our field studies on agricultural water disinfection, we will continue to work with colleagues in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences to plan research for next summer and submit a grant proposal to support further work. We look forward to submitting a paper on the development of a response surface method paper to predict patulin degradation in the presence of added ascorbic acid. LaBorde. Winter farm food safety training sessions will continue. In January of 2015, Penn State is hosting a pilot presentation of the FDA approved basic course in GAPs at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Hershey, PA. Educators from 5 Mid-Atlantic states have been invited and over 40 growers are expected to attend. Each of the educators will be invited to an evening dinner session for a discussion and critique of the curriculum and to discuss possible regional collaborations on future GAPs training and research.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For objective 1: LaBorde. A longitudinal survey of Listeria spp. in a commercial mushroom packing and fresh-cut processing facility was completed. Of 255 samples taken over 3 sampling periods, 18.8% tested positive for L. monocytogenes, 4.4% for L. innocua, and 2.0% for L. grayi. L. monocytogenes was most often found on floors within the washing and slicing and packaging areas. Each of the L. monocytogenes isolates found in the facility could be placed into 1 of 3 serotypes; 1/2c was the most predominant (93.6%) followed by 1/2b (3.5%) and 1/2a (2.9%). Multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (MVLST) identified all 1/2c isolates as Virulence Type 11 (VT11) and all 1/2b isolates as VT105. 1/2a isolates were either VT106, VT107, or VT56. VT11 and VT105 were designated as persistent sub-types because they were isolated from the same location within the facility during at least 2 of the 3 sampling periods. VT11 was isolated from a trench drain location in the washing and slicing area at each of the 3 sampling periods, strongly suggesting that it had colonized the facility and that the probable reservoir was the trench drain. Improvements made to sanitation procedures by company management after period 2 coincided with a reduction in the prevalence of L. monocytogenes suggesting that effective cleaning and sanitizing procedures can help to minimize the occurrence of L. monocytogenes contamination in processing facilities. LaBorde and Doores. Two studies was conducted to determine possible effects of surface sanitization treatments on fruit set in overhead sprayed strawberries and efficacy of late blight fungicide sprays prepared from treated water. Researchers on this project were from the Penn State Departments of Food Science, Plant Sciences, and Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology. The data are not yet compiled and will be reported next year. For objective 2: Cutter: We have incorporated lauric arginate, nisin Z, essential oils and nanoparticles alone or into pullulan films to control foodborne pathogens on meat and poultry products; determined the effect of buffered vinegar on bacterial populations associated with hot dogs; demonstrated the effects of high hydrostatic pressure/high pressure processing and boiling water treatments for controlling pathogens in beef jerky; demonstrated the effects of a pickling process to reduce pathogens on hard-cooked eggs; assessed the safety of poultry purchased at farmers’ markets and determined the incidence of Salmonella and Campylobacter is higher than what is purchased in grocery stores. LaBorde. A project was initiated to validate the effectiveness of COP wash tank thermal sanitization treatments for eliminating L. monocytogenes from mushroom slicing equipment. The initial phase, not yet completed, is to conduct bench-top studies to determine time/temperature conditions necessary to achieve complete destruction of planktonic and adherent Lm strains previously isolated from mushrooms and mushroom processing environment. A multi-disc slicer assembly, commonly used by mushroom fresh-cut processors was obtained on loan. After examination for sanitary design flaws, thermocouples will be placed at putative cold spot locations within the slicer and COP wash tank time/temperature treatment combinations to achieve target slicer cold spot killing temperatures will be determined. A final verification step will be to inoculate a Listeria surrogate at confirmed cold spots and confirm complete destruction during COP thermal treatments. LaBorde. Work on developing intervention methods for reducing patulin mycotoxin levels in apple juice has culminated with publication of two papers on the development of a kinetic model useful for predicting patulin levels in juice containing added ascorbic acid. Another study examining the potential for reducing patulin levels in juice by UV radiation treatments was also published. For objective 3: LaBorde. Dr. LaBorde is the program leader for the Penn State Farm Food Safety Extension program which continues to train produce growers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). We developed curricula on basic GAPs and Writing a USDA Harmonized Farm Food Safety Plan. A series of Mock GAP audits conducted on a cooperating farm was co-hosted by Penn State Extension Educators and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) inspectors who offer USDA-AMS GAP audits. Our multidisciplinary team from the Penn State Departments of Food Science and Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education continues to publish workshop evaluation findings in peer reviewed journals and presents posters and papers at professional and national and international scholarly conferences. Dr. LaBorde maintains the Penn State farm food safety web site (http://extension.psu.edu/food/safety/farm) which contains original materials on how to write a farm food safety plan, instructions for obtaining a USDA third party farm inspection, template and example GAP plans and forms, and regular updates on the Food Safety Modernization Act.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Scheinberg, J. A., S. Diabagate, and C. N. Cutter. 2014. COMP07-01. Incorporation of a Buffered Vinegar Solution to Control Growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Lactic Acid Bacteria in Hot Dogs. 2014 IFT Annual Meeting, June 2124, 2014, New Orleans, LA. Accessed at: http://www.ift.org/Meetings-and-Events/Past-Meeting-Resources/Technical%20Abstract%20Search%20Details.aspx?id=59828.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Pattanayaiying, R., A. H-Kittikun, and C. N. Cutter. 2014. Effect of lauric arginate, nisin Z, and a combination against several food-related bacteria. International Journal of Food Microbiology 188:135146. Accessed at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160514003559#.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Morsy, M. K. H. H. Khalaf, A. M. Sharoba, H. H. El-Tanahy, and C. N. Cutter. 2014. Incorporation of essential oils and nanoparticles in pullulan films to control foodborne pathogens on meat and poultry products. J. Food Science. 79:775-784.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Scheinberg, J. A., A. M. Svoboda, and C. N. Cutter. 2013. High-pressure processing and boiling water treatments for reducing Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus during beef jerky processing. Food Control 39:105-110. Accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.11.002.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Scheinberg, J. A., W. B. Valderrama, and C. N. Cutter. 2013. The effects of a pickling process on the reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus inoculated onto hard-cooked eggs. J. Food Safety 33:413-417. Accessed at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfs.12069/pdf.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Scheinberg, J. A., S. Doores, and C. N. Cutter. 2013. A Microbiological Comparison of Poultry Products Obtained from Farmers Markets and Supermarkets in Pennsylvania. J. Food Safety 33:259-264. Access at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfs.12047/pdf.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Scheinberg, J. A, R. Radhakrishna, and C. N. Cutter. 2013. Food Safety Knowledge, Behavior, and Attitudes of Vendors of Poultry Products sold at Pennsylvania Farmers Markets. J. Extension. 51 (6):#6FEA4. Accessed at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2013december/pdf/JOE_v51_6a4.pdf.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Cutter, C. N., J. Eifert, and S. Nieto-Montenegro. 2013. Countertop Food Safety Training Program for Retail Employees. Six (6) stand-alone modules (English and Spanish): ABCs of Food Safety; Personal Hygiene; Handwashing and Gloves; Cross Contamination; Sanitation; Allergens.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Cutter, C. N. and M. W. Bucknavage. 2013. Let's preserve meat and poultry. http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/PDFs/ee0058.pdf.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2014 Citation: Nayak, R., D. Tobin, J. Thomson, R. Radhakrishna, L. LaBorde, and Evaluation of On-Farm Food Safety Programming in Pennsylvania: Implications for Extension. Journal of Extension. Accepted for publication on May 29, 2014.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Doores, S. 2014. The Genus Sporolactobacillis. Chapter in Lactic Acid Bacteria Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Pages 543-553, Edited by W. H. Holzapfel and B. J. B. Wood.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2014 Citation: Doores, S. 2014. Lipolytic Microorganisms. Chapter in Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods, 5th edition. (In press).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Nayak, R., D. Tobin, J. Thomson, and R. Radhakrishna, L. F. LaBorde. 2013. Produce growers challenges in implementing good agricultural practices. Research paper. International Conference on Extension Educational Strategies for Sustainable Agricultural Development - A Global Perspective. Bangalore, India. December 5-8, 2013. Winner Best Paper Presentation Award.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Radhakrishna, R., A. K. Chaudhary, J. Thomson, and, L. F. LaBorde. 2013. Mandates of Food Safety Modernization Act for Fresh Produce Exported from India to United States: Implications for Extension Programming. Research paper. International Conference on Extension Educational Strategies for Sustainable Agricultural Development - A Global Perspective. Bangalore, India. December 5-8, 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Murugesan, L., Z. Kucerova, S. J. Knabel, and L. F. LaBorde. 2014. Detection and control of a persistent and predominant subtype of Listeria monocytogenes in a commercial fresh mushroom processing facility. Penn State Gamma Sigma Delta College of Agricultural Sciences Research Expo. University Park. PA. March 19, 2014.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Tikekar, R. V., R. C. Anantheswaran, L. F. LaBorde. 2014. Patulin degradation in a model apple juice system and in apple juice during ultraviolet processing. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation. 38(3):924-934.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Kokkinidou, S., J. D. Floros, L. F. LaBorde. 2014. Kinetics of the thermal degradation of patulin in the presence of ascorbic acid. Journal of Food Science. 79(1):T108-T114.


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

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported 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? Dr. LaBorde: For research in 2013-2014, I plan to continue a drip and spray irrigation system that has been set up at the Horticulture Research Farm in Rock Springs, PA. Studies are underway to determine the feasibility of injecting select sanitizers at various doses into water lines for reducing bacterial populations. I will also be co-advising a graduate student on project to track Listeria monocytogenes in a commercial mushroom packing and fresh-cut processing facility. Studies on growth and biofilm formation characteristics of a persistent and transient LM strains isolated from the facility will be compared in the laboratory. Extension activities will be to develop and deliver a training workshop on the USDA GAP Harmonized farm food safety audit. A workshop on controlling food safety hazards in mushroom growing and packing facilities will also be presented. Dr. Cutter: For 2013-2014, my research goals are to: identify novel antimicrobials (ex. nanoparticles, esters, bacteriocins, etc.) and incorporate them into edible packaging films to inhibit or reduce spoilage and/or pathogenic bacteria on fresh or processed muscle foods (poultry, beef, pork, lamb, seafood, etc.); to characterize (ex. molecular, antibiotic resistance profile, etc.) STEC isolated from very small beef processing plants; to identify or validate non-thermal interventions (ex. high pressure processing, pulsed light, pickling, etc.) to inhibit or reduce spoilage and/or pathogenic bacteria on fresh or processed meat and poultry products. And finally, I plan to develop educational materials for improving the microbiological safety of farmstead cheese and poultry sold at farmers’ markets.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Lengthy delay on the approval of the multistate project delayed work and subsequent accomplishments on this projects. Activity will resume as a result of the multistate actiivty meeting in September 2013.

Publications