EFFICACY OF TRAINING, GOOD PRACTICES AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO CONTROL FOOD SAFETY HAZARDS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1002974
• Project Start Date: Jul 1, 2014
• Project End Date: Jun 30, 2019
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
(N/A)
EAST LANSING,MI 48824

Performing Department
Human Nutrition

Non Technical Summary
Foodborne illness associated with contamination fresh and processed food products are a major public health problem in the United States and internationally. Given the broad distribution of foods, particularly fresh produce, in the modern global food system, we increasingly are witnessing foodborne illness outbreaks that are very large with respect to numbers of cases and geographic distribution of cases. It is imperative for the food industry to implement more effective practices and systems to prevent and mitigate food safety hazards in fresh and processed food products. The preponderance of evidence indicates that effective education and training of food managers and front-line food workers, and implementing appropriate food safety behaviors and practices in the workplace, can prevent many foodborne illnesses. Relatively little research has been conducted to assess the impact of modern food safety systems, including those required by private food safety standards, to reduce food product contamination with microbial or chemical hazards and subsequently reduce the likelihood of foodborne illness in consumers of those products.This project will evaluate the efficacy of education and training of food managers and workers on implementation of appropriate food safety practices and behaviors. Knowledge will be assessed by assessment of training program participants. Practices will be assessed using survey instruments designed to evaluate production and processing practices by food producers and processors. Further, the incidence of selected food safety hazards and indicators of contamination will be assessed in products produced by participating firms. At the conclusion of this research, I expect to have identified production and processing practices most related to the incidence and levels of food safety hazards in selected fresh and processed food products. Further, this research will determine the potential efficacy of food safety training programs and management systems to control food safety hazards in these products.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

0%

Applied

100%

Developmental

0%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
711	5010	2000	40%
712	5010	1100	60%

Knowledge Area
711 - Ensure Food Products Free of Harmful Chemicals, Including Residues from Agricultural and Other Sources; 712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
1100 - Bacteriology; 2000 - Chemistry;

Keywords

food safety

training

food safety management systems

good manufacturing practices

good agricultural practices

haccp

microbial hazards

chemical hazards

Goals / Objectives
The long range goal of this research is to determine the efficacy of producer education and food safety management systems to ensure the safety of fresh and processed food products. The objective of this proposal is to determine the impact of food safety training programs and implementation of food safety management systems on the incidence and concentrations of food safety hazards in fresh and processed produce products as well as other fresh and processed foods. The central hypothesisof this research is that participation in formal food safety training programs will increase knowledge of producers and processors, and change behaviors (practices) of these producers and processors resulting in reduced incidence and concentrations of food safety hazards likely to be associated with these products. Assessing the impacts of participation in structured food safety training programs on food safety knowledge and behaviors will provide greater understanding of general mechanisms whereby food safety practices influence hazard incidence and levels in fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetable products.I plan to test our central hypothesis and accomplish the overall objective of this proposed research by pursuing the following specific aims:1) Assess the impact of production and processing practices on the incidence and concentrations of selected microbiological and chemical food safety hazards in food products.The working hypothesis of this aim is that the incidence and concentrations of food safety hazards can be directly related to production and processing practices. This hypothesis will be tested by quantifying selected food safety hazards in certain fresh and processed food products, and relating these parameters to data on production and processing practices obtained by surveys and facility visits.2) Determine the impact of food safety training programs on changes in participant knowledge and behaviors and consequent changes in food safety hazards in food products produced by participant firms.The working hypothesis of this aim is that participation in formal food safety training programs will increase knowledge, promote behaviors conducive to controlling food safety hazards, and ultimately reduce the incidence and concentrations of selected food safety hazards in certain fresh and processed fruit and vegetable products. This hypothesis will be tested by conducting formal food safety training programs and measuring knowledge change, behavior change, and quantifying food safety hazards in products produced by participant establishments.

Project Methods
Methods for Specific Aim 1 - Assess the impact of production and processing practices on the incidence and concentrations of selected microbiological and chemical food safety hazards in food products.The presence and concentrations of selected microbial and chemical food safety hazards in fresh and processed food products will be quantified to establish baseline parameters for these hazards. These baseline parameters will be statistically compared to data on production and processing practices obtained from surveys and visits to farms and processing facilities. This comparison will facilitate the identification of specific practices that are principally related to the incidence and concentrations of food safety hazards. The primary commodity of focus for these studies initially will be apple juice and cider products produced by small-scale juice and cider manufacturers throughout the state of Michigan. The incidence and concentrations of selected microbiological hazards and indicator organisms will be assessed. Further, the incidence and concentrations of the mycotoxin patulin will be assessed.Questionnaires and Processing Facility Inspections. Questionnaires on production and processing practices will be developed and circulated to apple growers who also produce juice or cider in Michigan. In addition, similar survey instruments will be sent to juice processors who purchase apples from the open market. These questionnaires will be adapted from survey instruments used previously by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and persons in my laboratory (Thede, 2004). Surveys will be coded to allow for anonymous responses. These survey instruments will be administered by mail, and follow-up mailings will be conducted on two occasions to improve survey response.Microbiological and Chemical Analyses. As appropriate, laboratory assays will be conducted to assess the presence and concentrations (as appropriate) of selected microbiological and chemical hazards in food products produced by participating establishments. Microbiological assays will focus on indicators of contamination such as aerobic plate counts and non-specific E. coli. Chemical hazard assays will be for the most pertinent potential hazards (e.g. patulin in apple juice).Methods for Specific Aim 2 - Determine the impact of food safety training programs on changes in participant knowledge and behaviors and consequent changes in food safety hazards in food products produced by participant firms.Formal food safety training curricula will be created and delivered to targeted groups (e.g. fruit and vegetable growers, food processors, etc.). The impact of this training on participant knowledge, attitudes and change in behaviors (production and processing practices) will be assessed. The efficacy of selected training programs and implemented quality management systems to control public health hazards will be assessed by measuring the incidence and concentrations of microbiological and chemical hazards in food products obtained from participant establishments.Curriculum Development. Curricula on food safety best practices and management systems will be developed or revised from existing materials for selected food producers and processors. It is anticipated that at least three core curricula will be developed: 1) Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs, pre-harvest food safety practices) for fresh fruit and vegetable growers, 2) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs) for food processors, and 3) the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety management system for juice processors. Curricula will be developed to meet the expectations of applicable federal and state regulations and guidance, as well as requirements established by retail buyers. The GAPs curriculum will be generic for all fruits and vegetables, but modules specific for certain commodities will be developed as necessary for the specific target audiences. The GMP and GHP modules will be based on FDA's GMP requirements (21 CFR part 110) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission's "General Principles of Food Hygiene," respectively. The HACCP curriculum for juice processors will be based on the FDA Juice HACCP regulation (FDA, 2001) and its associated guidance documents, as well as HACCP principles and procedures as outlined by the U.S. National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF, 1997).Assessment of Knowledge and Behavior Change. Training programs utilizing each of the food safety curricula will be conducted with appropriate producer and processor groups. These programs will be conducted as face-to-face group training, although some programs ultimately may be adapted for internet-based delivery and assessment. Knowledge change will be assessed using a written test that will be administered to course participants. For each training program, an examination instrument consisting of 30 - 50 questions will be developed based on the course content. The same examination will be administered as a pre-test prior to initiation of the workshop, and as a post-test at the conclusion of the full training program.Food safety behavior change will be assessed using mail surveys and visits to farms and processing facilities. Instruments to assess food safety practices and appropriate for the target audiences for each of the training curricula will be developed. These instruments initially will be administered prior to participants beginning each of the training courses. Follow-up assessment will be conducted by mail survey, and will be completed 6-12 months following initial participation in the courses. Reminder messages will be sent to participants to increase response rate. When possible, information obtained using the practices questionnaires will be supplemented by information gathered during interviews conducted while visiting farms and processing facilities of participants.

Progress 07/01/14 to 06/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this work include US- and internationally-based food manufacturers, fruit and vegetable producers and packers, retail food safety operations, and laboratory professionals. Apple growers, processors and packers in Michigan were the prime focus of work for much of the research conducted under thisproject. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Project staff participated in the Global Food Safety Initiative Technical Working Groups meetings on ten separate occasions during the reporting period (2014-2019) and also attended the GFSI Annual Meeting in each year of the project. In April 2015, a training program was conducted for food safety managers from apple packing facilities in Michigan and other major apple-producing states.The Principal Investigator and graduate students working on the project attended the Annual Meeting of the International Association for Food Protection on three occasions during the project, and presented research conducted under this project on each occasion. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of this research were presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Association for Food Protection on four occasions.Results also were presented at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo in 2014-2018.All of the educational materials developed under this program will be disseminated as Open Educational Resources on theMSU Food Safety Knowledge Network (FSKN) web sites: http://www.fskntraining.org/ andhttp://www.foodsafetyknowledgenetwork.org/ as well as being distributed through web sites of partner organizations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During this project, research was conducted in two principal areas - 1) the safety of irrigation water used in blueberry production in Michigan, and 2) the prevalence and concentrations of heavy metals in apple juice, fresh apple cider, and other juice products available for purchase in Michigan, and factors affecting these concentrations. For the blueberry irrigation water study, six blueberry farms in Michigan were identified for intensive sampling of irrigation water sources throughout the 2015 growing season. The farms were identified based on potential risk profile (i.e. using surface water and overhead irrigation). Samples of water from irrigation ponds were obtained twice weekly and assayed for total coliforms and generic E. coli. To assess potential carry-over of microbial populations from irrigation water to the blueberry crop, samples of blueberries were obtained from each farm once weekly and analyzed for the same microbial indicators. Among the water samples (n=111), 95% contained detectable generic E. coli, and 16% of samples had generic E. coli levels greater than 126 MPN/100 ml. Among the blueberry samples assayed (n=68), only 4.4% tested positive for generic E. coli, with the maximum level detected being 4 MPN generic E. coli per 100 grams of blueberries. Research also assessed heavy metal concentrations in apple juice, fresh apple cider and other juice products consumed in Michigan. Samples of shelf-stable apple juice, apple juice concentrate, and fresh apple cider were obtained in 2015 and 2016 and assayed for heavy metal concentrations by ICP mass spectrometry. Using this methodology, the concentrations of arsenic (As), aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), cooper (Cu), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) were quantified in these samples. Samples of apple juice and fresh apple cider were obtained in both 2015 and 2016. Averaged across both years, arsenic was quantifiable (> 1 microgram per liter) in 78% of apple juice samples, but only 16% of apple cider samples. Among those samples containing quantifiable arsenic and lead, the total arsenic and lead concentrations detected in apple juice and cider were similar. Cu and Mn was found in all of the samples, and their means ranged from 112.7-157 and 196-330.8 micrograms per liter in apple juice and cider respectively. Al and Cr levels were not significantly different in both juice categories but the percentage of samples containing these metals was higher in apple juices compared to apple cider. Research was conducted to assess lead and arsenic levels in apples, leaves and orchard soils where the apples were grown to determine the relationship between metal levels in fruits and fruit products versus orchard soils. Soil and tree tissue samples were collected from several Michigan farms and then were analyzed using microwave extraction and ICP-MS. Soil samples were taken at depths of 20 cm and 40 cm at a distance of one meter from the tree trunk. Fruit samples were also processed into juice and pomace fractions to assess the partitioning of arsenic and lead during juice processing. Lead concentration was significantly higher in topsoil as compared to that in the subsoil; there was no difference in arsenic content between the two soil layers (P>0.05). Lead concentrations in apple leaves were significantly correlated to lead concentrations in topsoil, but lead concentrations in apple juice and pomace were not correlated with topsoil lead concentrations. Concentrations of total arsenic in all juice samples were less than 1 microgram/L and show less potential than lead for uptake and translocation to fruits. There was no significant relationship among arsenic level in juice, residue and leave samples versus that in soil (P>0.05). This was the first study characterizing the relationship between metal concentrations in apple tissues and orchard soils in Michigan. In conjunction with the results of the market basket survey of lead and arsenic concentrations in Michigan juice products in 2015 and 2016, results of this research indicate that lead and arsenic concentrations in apples from Michigan orchards are unlikely to cause harm to human health. Finally, research was conducted to determine the potential health effects of different arsenic species (arsenite [As (III)] and arsenate [As (V)]) , particularly with respect to intestinal epithelial cells. A human intestinal cell line (Caco-2) was used to determine the total uptake of As (III) and As (V) at different concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 mg/kg). The concentration of arsenic in the cells and the culture medium after exposure was analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the integrity of the cell monolayers was monitored by Transepithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) during the assays. Across all the arsenic concentrations tested, both As (III) and As (V) significantly reduced the TEER value of Caco-2 cells after one hour of exposure, but As (III) exposure caused a greater reduction in TEER. In addition, greater concentration of As (III) in the medium resulted in greater arsenic transport to basolateral media and greater arsenic retention in the cells. After 4 hours of exposure, As (V) had lower uptake than that of As (III); the uptake percentages ranged between 5.1-8.4% and 20.6-30.8 % for As (V) and As (III), respectively. These results indicated that arsenic absorption in human gastrointestinal tract is dependent on its chemical species. Further, the arsenic concentrations observed in apple and juice samples obtained in Michigan were considerably lower than concentrations we observed to impact TEER or other indicators of intestinal integrity in this model system.

Publications

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this work include US-based food manufacturers, fruit and vegetable producers and packers, retail food safety operations, and laboratory professionals. Apple growers, processors and packers in Michigan were the prime focus of work in this phase of the project. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Project staff participated in the Global Food Safety Initiative Technical Working Groups meetings on one occasions during the reporting period and also attended the GFSI Annual Meeting. The graduate student working on this project attended and gave a presentation at the 2018 meeting of the International Associate for Food Protection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research findings were presented at the 2018International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, and also werepresented at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo in December 2017. All of the educational materialsdeveloped under this program will be disseminated as Open Educational Resources.? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The current research on the relationship between metal concentrations in orchard soils and plant tissues will be combined with prior research assessingmetal concentrationsin juice products and developed into a series of research articles that will be submitted for publication during the next reporting period. Results of this research also will be communicated to the foodindustry via presentations at international scientific conferencesand presentations at grower and processormeetings.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the 2017-18reporting period, research was conducted to assess lead and arsenic levels in apples, leaves and orchard soils where the apples were grown to determine the relationship between metal levels in fruits and fruit products versusorchard soils.?Soil and tree tissue samples were collected from several Michigan farms and then were analyzed using microwave extraction and ICP-MS. Soil samples were taken at depths of 20 cm and 40 cm at a distance of one meter from the tree trunk. Fruit samples were also processed into juice and pomace fractions to assess the partitioning of arsenic and lead during juice processing.Lead concentrationwas significantly higher in topsoil as compared to that in the subsoil; there was no difference in arsenic content between the two soil layers (P>0.05). Lead concentrations inapple leaves were significantly correlated to lead concentrations in topsoil, but lead concentrations in apple juice and pomace were not correlated with topsoil lead concentrations. Concentrations of total arsenic in all juice samples were less than 1 microgram/L and show less potential than lead for uptake and translocation to fruits. There was no significant relationship among arsenic level in juice, residue and leave samples versusthat in soil (P>0.05).This was the first study characterizing the relationship between metal concentrations in apple tissues and orchard soils in Michigan. Results of this research indicate that lead and arsenic concentrations in apples from Michigan orchards areunlikely tocause harm to human health.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Cao, L. and Bourquin, L.D. 2018. Relationship of arsenic and lead concentrations in soil and that in fruits and leaves of apple trees at selected orchards in Michigan. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Book of Abstracts.

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

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this work include US-based food manufacturers, fruit and vegetable producers and packers, retail food safety operations, and laboratory professionals. Apple growers and packers in Michigan were the prime focus of work in this phase of the project. Standardized educational and training materials also were produced and are being disseminated as Open Educational Resources. Therefore, globally-based food safety professionals also will be able to utilize these materials. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Project staff participated in the Global Food Safety Initiative Technical Working Groups meetings on two occasions during thereporting period and also attended the GFSI Annual Meeting. The graduate student working on this project attended and presented a research poster atthe 2017 meeting of the International Associate for Food Protection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research findings were presented at the 2017 International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, and also were presented at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo in December 2016. All of the educational materials developed under this program will be disseminated as Open Educational Resources onthe MSU Food Safety Knowledge Network (FSKN) web sites: http://www.fskntraining.org/and http://www.foodsafetyknowledgenetwork.org/ as well as being distributed through web sites of partner organizations.Links to training materials also are disseminated via social media platforms includingWordPress (https://michiganstateuniversityfoodsafety.wordpress.com) and Twitter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The current research onmetal contamination in juice products will be extended to assess the relationship between metal concentrationsin orchard soils, apple fruits, and apple juice. Results of this research will be communicated to the food industry viapublications, presentations at international scientific conferences,and presentations at grower and processor meetings.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the 2015-16 reporting period, research was conducted to assessmetal concentrations in apple juice, fresh apple cider, and other juice productsavailable for purchase in Michigan.To date, samples of shelf-stable apple juice, apple juice concentrate, and fresh apple ciderhavebeen obtained and assayed for heavy metal concentrations by ICP mass spectrometry. Using this methodology, the concentrations of arsenic (As), aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), cooper (Cu), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) were quantified in these samples. Samples of apple juice and fresh apple cider were obtained in both 2015 and 2016. Averaged across both years, arsenic was quantifiable(> 1 microgram per liter) in 78% of apple juice samples, but only 16% of apple cider samples. Among those samples containing quantifiable arsenic and lead, the total arsenic and lead concentrations detected in apple juice and cider were similar. Cu and Mn was found in all of the samples, and their means ranged from 112.7-157 and 196-330.8 micrograms per literin apple juice and cider respectively. Al and Cr levels were not significantly different in both juice categories but the percentage of samples containing these metals was higher in apple juices compared to apple cider. Apple juice available for retail saleinthe US is primarily produced by reconstituting apple juice concentrate, so research is planned to assess heavy metalconcentrations in samples of apple juice concentrate produced domestically and apple juice concentrate imported from other countries.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Cao, L., & Bourquin, L. D. 2017. Assessment of Selected Metal Concentrations in Shelf-Stable Commercial Apple Juices and Fresh Apple Ciders in Michigan. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Book of Abstracts.

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

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this work include US-based food manufacturers, fruit and vegetable producers and packers, retail foodsafety operations, and laboratory professionals. Apple and blueberry growers and packers in Michigan were the prime focusof work in this phase of the project. Standardized educational and training materials also were produced and will be disseminated as Open EducationalResources. Therefore, globally-based food safety professionals also will be able to utilize these materials. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Project staff participated in the Global Food Safety Initiative Technical Working Groups meetings on two occasions duringthe reporting period and also attended the GFSI Annual Meeting. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All of the educational materials developed under this program will be disseminated as Open Educational Resources on theMSU Food Safety Knowledge Network (FSKN) web sites: http://www.fskntraining.org/ andhttp://www.foodsafetyknowledgenetwork.org/ as well as being distributed through web sites of partner organizations. Links totraining materials also are disseminated via social media platforms including WordPress(https://michiganstateuniversityfoodsafety.wordpress.com) and Twitter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The current research on irrigation water quality is being completed and will be published in the next reporting period. Research on metal contamination in juice products will be extended to assess the relationship between metal concentrations in orchard soils, apple fruits, and apple juice. Results of this research will be communicated to the food industry via publications and presentations at grower and processor meetings.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the 2015-16reporting period, research was conducted in two areas - 1) the safety of irrigation water used in blueberryproduction in Michigan, and 2) heavy metal concentrationsin apple juice, fresh apple cider, and otherjuice products available for purchase in Michigan.For the blueberry irrigation water study, six blueberry farms in Michigan were identified for intensive sampling of irrigationwater sources throughout the 2015 growing season. The farms were identified based on potential risk profile (i.e. usingsurface water and overhead irrigation). Samples of water from irrigation ponds were obtained twice weekly and assayed fortotal coliforms and generic E. coli. To assess potential carry-over of microbial populations from irrigation water to theblueberry crop, samples of blueberries were obtained from each farm once weekly and analyzed for the same microbialindicators. Among the water samples (n=111), 95% contained detectable generic E. coli, and 16% of samples had generic E. coli levels greater than 126 MPN/100 ml. Among the blueberry samples assayed (n=68), only 4.4% tested positive for generic E. coli, with the maximum level detected being 4 MPN generic E. coli per 100 grams of blueberries. Research also assessed heavy metal concentrations in apple juice, fresh apple cider and otherjuice products consumed in Michigan. To date, samples of shelf-stable apple juice, apple juice concentrate, grape juice, andgrape juice concentrate have been obtained and assayed for heavy metal concentrations by ICP mass spectrometry. Results obtainedduring 2015 indicated that fresh apple cider contained significantly lower concentrations of total arsenic than apple juice purchased at retail, whereas lead concentrations were similar for fresh apple cider and apple juice. Apple juice available for retail sales in the USis primarily produced by reconstituting apple juice concentrate, so research is planned to assess heavy metal concentrations in samples of apple juice concentrate. We also are repeating sampling of fresh apple cider during the 2016 season to confirm that total arsenic concentrations in apple cider are consistent across two apple harvests.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Cao, L., & Bourquin, L. D. 2016. Arsenic and Lead Concentrations in Shelf-Stable Commercial Apple Juices and Fresh Apple Ciders in Michigan. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Book of Abstracts.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Alraqibah, S., Rose, J. B., Garcia-Salazar, C., & Bourquin, L. D. 2016. Assessment of Generic E. coli in Surface Irrigation Water Sources and Fruit in Selected Michigan Blueberry Farms. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting Book of Abstracts.

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

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this work include US-based food manufacturers, fruit and vegetable producers and packers, retail food safety operations, and laboratory professionals. Apple and blueberry growers and packers in Michigan were the prime focus of work in this phase of the project. As the educational and training materials will be disseminated as Open Educational Resources, globally-based food safety professionals also will be able to utilize these materials. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Project staff participated in the Global Food Safety Initiative Technical Working Groups meetings on three occasions during the reporting period and also attended the GFSI Annual Meeting. In April 2015, a training program was conducted for food safety managers from apple packing facilities in Michigan and other major apple-producing states. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All of the educational materials developed under this program will be disseminated as Open Educational Resources on the MSU Food Safety Knowledge Network (FSKN) web sites: http://www.fskntraining.org/ and http://www.foodsafetyknowledgenetwork.org/ as well as being distributed through web sites of partner organizations. Links to training materials also are disseminated via social media platforms including WordPress (https://michiganstateuniversityfoodsafety.wordpress.com) and Twitter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The irrigation water research will be completed in 2015 and the results communicated to the industry and other key stakeholders prior to the 2016 growing season. The arsenic research will continue into 2016 and may be expanded to assess other metals (e.g. lead) as well as other commodities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the 2014-15 reporting period, research was initiated in two areas - 1) the safety of irrigation water used in blueberry production in Michigan, and 2) a market-basket survey of arsenic concentrations in apple juice, fresh apple cider, and other juice products available for purchase in Michigan. Both studies were in data collection phase at the writing of this report. For the blueberry irrigation water study, six blueberry farms in Michigan were identified for intensive sampling of irrigation water sources throughout the 2015 growing season. The farms were identified based on potential risk profile (i.e. using surface water and overhead irrigation). Samples of water from irrigation ponds were obtained twice weekly and assayed for total coliforms and generic E. coli. To assess potential carry-over of microbial populations from irrigation water to the blueberry crop, samples of blueberries were obtained from each farm once weekly and analyzed for the same microbial indicators. Data collection for this study will conclude in September 2015. A research project also was initiated to determine the total arsenic concentrations in apple juice, fresh apple cider and other juice products consumed in Michigan. To date, samples of shelf-stable apple juice, apple juice concentrate, grape juice, and grape juice concentrate have been obtained and assayed for total arsenic concentrations by ICP mass spectrometry. This study will continue with sampling and assessment of arsenic in fresh apple cider produced during the 2015 season.

Publications

Progress 07/01/14 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Target audiences for this work included primary producers of agricultural commodities such as fresh produce and food manufacturers. Apple cider processors in Michigan were the prime focus of work in this phase of the project. Project activities were conducted in the Michigan. 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? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This report covers the first three months of a renewal of this project. During this time, the focus was on assessing food safety hazards, particularly the mycotoxin patulin, in apples that had been maintained in controlled atmosphere storage in Michigan since the apple harvest of 2013. The purpose of this research is to determine the incidence and concentration of patulin in different varieties of apples stored under these conditions, and to correlate patulin levels with apple variety, storage conditions, and visible lesions on the fruit. This research will be used to develop recommendations for the apple industry on optimal apple handling and storage practices to manage patulin levels in the fruit and juice products manufactured from stored apples.

Publications