Source: OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
FOOD MANUFACTURING AND SAFETY MENTORING PROGRAM TO DEVELOP FUTURE FOOD INDUSTRY LEADERS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1012792
Grant No.
2017-38420-26757
Cumulative Award Amt.
$246,000.00
Proposal No.
2016-11407
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jun 15, 2017
Project End Date
Jun 14, 2022
Grant Year
2017
Program Code
[KK]- National Needs Graduate Fellowships Program
Recipient Organization
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
STILLWATER,OK 74078
Performing Department
Biosystems Engineering
Non Technical Summary
There is an increasing need for trained professionals working to ensure that our food production and processing systems continue to be safe, nutritious, and cost-effective. The enactment of new food safety regulations will require all food manufacturers to meet safe food manufacturing standards, but there are not enough students pursuing this career field. The overall goal of this program is to train and develop six M.S. Food Science Graduate Fellows who are well- prepared to be future leaders in the food industry. In order to accomplish this goal, Fellows will be involved in state-of-the art research projects, leadership and professional training, and experiential learning opportunities with food industry clients. Students will be mentored by a multidisciplinary team of food scientists with extensive expertise in food safety, food processing, and food industry training and assistance. The proposed project is directly tied to the USDA strategic goals related to ensuring both a safe and high quality food supply and the development of human capital in the food sciences to support a sustainable agriculture system.
Animal Health Component
90%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
90%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
5025010200035%
7124099110065%
Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins; 502 - New and Improved Food Products;

Subject Of Investigation
4099 - Microorganisms, general/other; 5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
1100 - Bacteriology; 2000 - Chemistry;
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of this program is to train and develop six M.S. Food Science Graduate Fellows who are well- prepared to be future leaders in the food industry. In order to accomplish this goal, Fellows will be involved in state-of-the art research projects, leadership and professional training, and experiential learning opportunities with food industry clients. The specific objectives of the proposed program are to:1. Provide research opportunities for fellows to learn technical and analytical skills related to food science, food safety, and food processing2. Immerse students in real food industry safety needs via an audit internship program3. Develop leadership and professional skills through quarterly team training sessions and participation in workshops, seminars, and scientific meetings, and4. Develop enhanced communication skills through presentations at food industry workshops and research symposia.
Project Methods
All graduate fellows will be exposed to experiential learning through several different modalities. They will each have an extensive research project, participate in industry workshops, serve as an audit intern, and have several opportunities to practice their communication skills, guided by their faculty mentor through each of these activities. Each M.S. fellow will have a unique research project involving food safety, food processing, food quality, or food product development. Through their research projects and with the guidance of their faculty mentor, each student will learn basic laboratory and analytical techniques, how to design and conduct experiments, how to analyze and interpret data, to evaluate cause and effect relationships, and how to report results and conclusions. Some of the potential areas of research include: pre- and post-harvest antimicrobial interventions, pathogenic biofilms, encapsulation of alternative protein sources, and value-added product development.Food science fellows will also be immersed in current food manufacturing and safety training and regulations. They will be required to attend at least 3 industry workshops offered at the FAPC. There are more than a dozen food industry workshops offered each year, including topics such as HACCP, FSMA, and BRC training. Exposure and training in these topics is critical for food science graduates to be prepared for jobs in the food industry. During the second year of their fellowship, they will each also be required to serve as a presenter during one of the workshop modules. This will allow them to practice oral communication and professional skills.Each of the food science fellows will also be required to participate in an audit internship during their program of study. The FAPC's quality assurance specialist is involved in numerous industry audits throughout the year involving audit programs such as BRC, SQF, etc. Graduate fellows will have the opportunity to choose one industry audit and serve as an intern by accompanying, observing, and participating in the audit process (see letter of support from Head Country, an OK food business participating in the audit program). Typically such an audit will take place over the course of 2-3 months. This experience will give students first-hand knowledge of typical food industry regulations and quality control requirements. Students will also have numerous opportunities for presenting their research. Both OSU and FAPC host annual research symposia that are attended by industry professionals, students, and researchers from across the state. Each student will be expected to give a presentation at one or both of these symposia. Students will also have the opportunity (and will be provided travel funds) to attend a national scientific professional meeting each year (such as the IFT or IAFP annual meetings).In order to measure the program's effectiveness, numerous forms of quantitative and qualitative assessment will occur throughout the program. Pre- and Post-surveys of the Fellows will be used to evaluate student knowledge of basic food science topics upon entry to the program and at the completion of the program. Performance in the area of research will be measured through completion of a graduate thesis, thesis defense, and publication of at least one refereed paper. Oral communication skills will be evaluated during Fellows' presentations at Industry workshops, Food Science seminars, and the FAPC Research Symposium. Faculty mentors will have the opportunity to evaluate student problem-solving skills during the Food Industry Case Study course. Industry sponsors of the audit internships will also evaluate the professionalism and critical thinking skills of the Fellows. Upon completion of their program, students will also complete an Exit Interview with all program Faculty Mentors.Fellows will also have the opportunity to evaluate various program activities regularly. They will provide feedback in both written form and in group discussions during monthly brown bag lunches to help guide faculty mentors in making any changes and improvements that could enhance the fellows' experiences.

Progress 06/15/21 to 06/14/22

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? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? All participating students had completed the program prior to the start of this fiscal year, so there is nothing additional to report.

Publications


    Progress 06/15/17 to 04/08/22

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The direct target audience for the program is students that are interested in completing an M.S. degree in the area of Food Science, with a focus in Food Manufacturing and Safety. Another direct audience is the food companies that have benefitted from the students in the program offering their services to help develop food safety plans as audit interns. The indirect audience for the program includes the food companies that will benefit by having students trained in the growing area of food safety and food manufacturing regulations, and the general public, who will benefit because their future food supply will remain safe, sustainable, and of high quality. Changes/Problems:The only significant problems encountered during the project involved the two students who ended up not completing their M.S. degrees. Both were far along in their programs when they departed, so it was very unfortunate that they did not finish. One was enticed by a job offer and never ended up coming back to complete his thesis. The other was a very disappointing incident involving academic integrity, and it was determined that he should be released from the program. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Student Fellows involved in the program had the opportunity to participate in a number of different food safety training workshops offered at the Food and Agricultural Products Center. As part of their programs, they were each required to participate in at least three training workshops, but most participated in more than that, because they were aware of the value of the training to their future careers. Some of the workshops that students participated in included: Food Defense and Food Fraud, HACCP, Preventive Controls for Human and Animal Food, SQF and BRC Certification, Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training, Internal Auditor Workshop, and Food Labeling. In addition to the workshops, each student was also required to complete an industry audit internship, where they assisted Dr. Jadeja in development of a food safety plan for a specific food company. Students worked with a variety of Oklahoma companies to develop plans involving HACCP, SQF, BRC, and GAP requirements. All students also had the opportunity to attend professional scientific meetings and conferences related to their area of interest. Some of the conferences have included the annual meeting of the International Association of Food Protection in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2018 and in Louisville, Kentucky in 2019 as well as the Pro Food Tech Food Processing Show in Chicago in 2019. During COVID, some attended on-line conferences as well. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from the work of the students involved in the program have been disseminated at various conferences and symposia, including local, regional, and national conferences. Several of the students have attended and presented their work at the International Association for Food Protection meetings, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers annual meeting, the Food and Agricultural Products Annual Research Symposium, the OSU Graduate Student Research Symposium and the 3-Minute Thesis Competition. Results have also been published in scientific journal articles in LWT Food Science and Technology, Meat and Muscle Biology, Journal of Food Quality, and MOJ Food Processing and Technology. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Program Participants: A total of six M.S. students were admitted to the program, with three of them being admitted in summer 2017 and three more being admitted in the summer of 2018. In addition to their graduate coursework, all students were expected to participate in a research project to develop their technical and analytical skills, complete at least three food safety workshop trainings, complete an industry audit internship, and participate in professional development activities. The six Fellows in the program also represent minority populations, with three of them being African American, one being Native American, one being Hispanic, and two being female. One of the program goals was to recruit program participants from underrepresented minority populations, and that goal was successfully accomplished. Student Research Opportunities: A total of six. M.S. students were admitted to the program, with three being admitted in the first year, and three more admitted in the second year. All students participated in research projects involving food safety and food processing where they had extensive opportunities to develop their technical and analytical skills. Projects included evaluation of the use of peracetic acid in meat grinder sanitation, evaluating the effectiveness of sodium acid sulfate for sanitaion of fresh produce, development of value-added products from brewer's spent grain, evaluation of wine produced from a novel grape variety, the use of natural celery nitrite for spore inhibition in meat products, and the use of bacteriophage depolymerase on biofilms formed on food contact surfaces. Industry Audit Internships: All six students participated in industry audit internships in consultation with Dr. Ravi Jadeja. The internships involved development of a variety of different food safety plans including HACCP, BRC, SQF and Harmonized GAP requirements. The audits involved a number of different Oklahoma food companies, including Miller Pecan Co., Bruce Pak, Head Country, Natural Native, Mexican Bakery, and Triple S Farms. New Course in Food Safety Case Studies Developed: As part of the program, a new course involving Case Studies in Food Safety was developed. The course was co-taught by the five faculty involved in the project, and was very well received. The course is planned to be offered again to a new cohort of graduate students in the future. Professional and Communication Skills: One of the program goals was development of communication skills in the graduate students. Program Fellows were required to participate in quarterly Professional Development meetings where they learned about communication skills, professional ettiquette, interviewing skills, resume develoment, and other professional skills. Oral communication skills were a big focus area, and they were given numerous opportunities to practice and hone their communication skills throughout their programs. In addition to the scientific meetings and conferences they attended, they also participated in activities such as the 3-Minute Thesis competition within the college, and a New Product Innovation Competition at the Food and Ag Products Center. These events gave students great opportunities to share their research progress and ideas with a larger audience as well as practice their communication skills. Student Completion: All six program Fellows participated in research projects, completed their safety training workshops and completed their industry audit internships. Unfortunately, however, only four of the six completed their M.S. degrees. One of the students was enticed by a job in the food industry before completing his thesis, and he did not complete his M.S. degree. One of the students in the program was released due to academic integrity violations, and did not complete his degree. Of the four students that did complete the program, three are working in the food industry and one continued her graduate studies to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Food Science.

    Publications

    • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Garrett, Reann. 2020. Development of New Chip Products from Brewer's spent Grain. M.S. Thesis, Oklahoma State University, 2020.
    • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Wilson, Parker. 2020. Evaluation of the color compounds present in Rubyat wine as a function of skin contact time during fermentation. M.S. Thesis, Oklahoma State University, 2020.
    • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: McDaniel, Conner. 2019. Novel microbial interventions for pecan processing operations. M.S. Thesis, Oklahoma State University, 2019.


    Progress 06/15/20 to 06/14/21

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The direct target audience for the program is students that are interested in completing a Master of Science Degree in the area of Food Science, with a focus in Food Manufacturing and Safety. Another direct audience is the food companies that have benefitted from the students in the program offering their services to help develop food safety plans as audit interns. The indirect audience for the program includes the food companies that will benefit by having students trained in the growing area of food safety and food manufacturing regulations, and the general public, who will benefit because their future food supply will remain safe, sustainable, and of high quality. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students involved in the project have had numerous opportunities to participate in food safety training workshops and programs offered through the Food and Agricultural Products Center. As part of their program, students are required to each participate in at least 3 training workshops, but all of the student Fellows have participated in more than three because they know how valuable the training is for their future. Some of the training workshops that students have attended include Preventive Controls for Human and Animal Food, SQF and BRC Certification, Food Defense and Food Fraud, and HACCP. In addition to workshops, several studentshave also attended annual scientific meetings such as the annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Students involved in the program have a history of disseminating their results at numerous local, regional, and national conferences and symposia. While somesymposia and conferences werecancelleddue to the pandemic, many were offered as on-line conferences this past year, so students had the opportunity to give presentations via their computers. While this may not be ideal for their professional development, it was certainly better than no conference at all. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The project is nearly finished. The only tasks left are to get the one remaining student to complete his M.S. degree, and complete publication of any remaining student research projects.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Student Research Opportunities: A total of six M.S. students have been admitted to the program. All students have partipated in research projects involving food safety and food processing where they have had extensive opportunities to develop their technical and analytical skills. Projects have included evaluation of the use of peracetic acid for meat grinder sanitation, evaluating the effectiveness in sodium acid sulfate for sanitation of fresh produce, development of value-added products from brewer's spent grain, evaluation of wine produced from a novel grape variety, the use of natural celery nitrite for spore inhibition in meat products, and the use of bacteriophage depolymerase on biofilms formed on food contact surfaces. Industry Audit Internships: All six students have participated in industry audit internships in consultation with Dr. Ravi Jadeja. The internships have involved development of a variety of different food safety plans, including HACCP plans, Harmonized GAP requirements, and plans for SQF and BRC certifications. Students have worked with a variety of Oklahoma Companies, including Miller Pecan Co, Bruce Pak, Head Country, Natural Native, Mexican Bakery, and Triple S Farms. Professional and Communication Skills: Students in the program have continued to develop their professional and communication skills through regular professional development workshops and other professional opportunities across campus. Some of those include the Food Product Innovation Competition and the OSU 3-Minute Thesis competition. Students also participate in regional and national scientific meetings. Student Progress: To date, four of the six students in the program have completed their M.S. degrees in Food Science. Two studentsgraduated in 2019, and two students graduated in 2020. Three of them areworking in the food industry, and one has continued in graduate school to complete her PhD. Unfortunately, one student in the program wasreleased due to academic integrity violations, and will not complete his M.S. degree. One remaining student still has not completed his M.S. degree, but was enticed by a job in the food industry before completing his M.S. degree. He is no longer being paid by the program.

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Garrett, R., D. Bellmer, W. McGlynn, and P. Rayas. 2021. Development of New Chip Products from Brewers Spent Grain. Journal of Food Quality. vol. 2021, Article ID 5521746, 6 pages, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5521746
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Bhusal, A.; Nelson, J.; Pletcher, D.; Muriana, P.M. Comparison of Sodium Nitrite and Natural Nitrite on the Inhibition of Spore Germination and Outgrowth of Clostridium sporogenes in Low- and High-Fat Frankfurters. Appl. Microbiol. 2021, 1, 104-122. https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol1010009
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Pletcher, D., J. Nelson, and P.M. Muriana. 2019. Comparison of Sodium Nitrite and Natural Celery Nitrite on the Inhibition of Spore Germination of Clostridium sporogenes as a Nonpathogenic Surrogate Assay in Meat Products. Intl. Assoc. Food Protection Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, Abstract P2-146.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: C. McDanial, X. Teng, D. Jaroni, and R. Jadeja (2021).* # Investigation of Antimicrobial Mode of Action of Sodium acid Sulfate and Potassium Acid Sulfate. LWT Food Science & Technology. 148: 1111719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2021.111719
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: K. Hearn, M. Denzer, N. Maheswarappa, R. Mitacek, C. McDaniel, R. Jadeja, G. Mafi, A. Becker, A. Pezeshki, and R. Ramanthan. (2021). * Carbon monoxide Modified Atmosphere Packaging Improves Ground Chicken Color and Decrease Lipid Oxidation. Meat and Muscle Biology. Accepted.


    Progress 06/15/19 to 06/14/20

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The direct target audience for the program is students that are interested in completing a Master of Science Degree in the area of Food Science, with a focus in Food Manufacturing and Safety. Another direct audience isthe food companies that have benefited from the students in the program offering their services to help develop food safety plans as audit interns.The indirect audience for the program includes the food companies that will benefit by having students trained in the growing area of food safety and food manufacturing regulations, and the general public, who will benefit because their future food supply will remain safe, sustainable, and of high quality. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students involved in the project have had numerous opportunities to participate in food safety training workshops and programs offered through the Food and Agricultural Products Center. As part of their program, students are required to each participate in at least 3 training workshops, but allof the student Fellows have participated in more than three because they know how valuable the training is for their future. Some of the training workshops that students have attended include Preventive Controls for Human and Animal Food, SQF and BRC Certification, Food Defense and Food Fraud, and HACCP.In addition to workshops, several students also attended the annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection in Louisville, Kentuckyin July2019. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Students involved in the program have a history of disseminating their results at numerous local, regional, and national conferences and symposia. Several students were able to attend the annual meeting of the International Association of Food Protection in July 2019. Unfortunately, many spring symposia and conferences were either cancelled or postponed this year due to the pandemic, but hopefully those presentations will be made up at future events. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Students in the program have all completed their industry audit internships, their coursework, and their food safety workshops. Several are still completing their research projects and need to complete their M.S. Theses in the near future. They may also have presentations at future scientific meetings.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Student Research Opportunities:A total of six M.S. students have been admitted to the program. All students have partipated in research projects involving food safety and food processing where they have had extensive opportunities to developtheir technical and analytical skills. Projects have included evaluation of the use of peracetic acid for meat grinder sanitation, evaluating the effectiveness in sodium acid sulfate for sanitation of fresh produce, development of value-added products from brewer's spent grain, evaluation of wine produced from a novel grape variety,the use of natural celery nitrite for spore inhibition in meat products, and the use of bacteriophage depolymerase on biofilms formed on food contact surfaces. Industry Audit Internships: All six students have participated in industry audit internships in consultation with Dr. Ravi Jadeja. The internships have involved development of a variety of different food safety plans,including HACCP plans, Harmonized GAP requirements, and plans for SQF and BRC certifications. Students have worked with a variety of Oklahoma Companies, including Miller Pecan Co,Bruce Pak, Head Country, Natural Native, Mexican Bakery, and Triple S Farms. Professional and Communication Skills: Students in the program have continued to develop their professional and communication skills through regular professional development workshops and other professional opportunities across campus. Some of those include the Food Product Innovation Competition and the OSU 3-Minute Thesis competition. Students also participate in regional and national scientific meetings. Student Progress: Two students graduated in summer 2019. One of them is working in the food industry in Oklahoma City, and one has continued in graduate school to complete her PhD. Unfortunately, one student in the program was recently released due to academic integrity violations, and will not complete his M.S. degree.Two more students are scheduled to graduate later this summer.

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: C. McDaniel and R. Jadeja (2019). * A Review of Fresh Produce Borne Illness Outbreaks, Current interventions, Food Safety Concerns and Potential Benefits of Novel antimicrobial Sodium Acid Sulfate. MOJ Food Processing & Technology. 2019 ;7(3):59-67
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: J. Saha, D. Jaroni, J. Nelson, C. Willoughby, C. McDaniel, and R. Jadeja (2019). * Influence of Weight and Thickness on Cooking Time Required for Various Mechanically Tenderized Beef Steaks to Reach Minimum Safe Internal Temperature Without Resting. LWT Food Science and Technology: 110: 365-369
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: McDaniel, C., S. BillupsR. Ramanathan, D. Jaroni, and R. Jadeja (2019). A Novel Antimicrobial Approach to Improve Microbial Safety of Beef. IAFP, Louisville, KY.


    Progress 06/15/18 to 06/14/19

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The direct target audience for the program is students that are interested in completing a Master of Science Degree in the area of Food Science, with a focus in Food Manufacturing and Safety. The indirect audience for the program includes the food companies that will benefit by having students trained in the growing area of food safety and food manufacturing regulations, and the general public, who will benefit because their future food supply will remain safe, sustainable, and of high quality. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Student Fellows involved in the project have the opportunity to participate in a number of food safety training workshops offered at the Food and Agricultural Products Center. As part of their programs, students are required to each participate in at least 3 training workshops, but most participate in more than that, because they are aware of the value of the training. Some of the workshops that students participated in this past year included: Food Defense and Food Fraud - November 2018, Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training - November 2018, Preventive Controls for Human and Animal Food - January 2019, SQF and BRC Certification - April 2019, Internal Auditor Workshop - April 2019. In addition to the workshops, three students also attended the annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection in Salt Lake City, UT in July 2018 and gave presentations. Three students also attended the Pro Food Tech Food Processing Show in Chicago IL in March 2019 and helped promote OSU and the food safety programs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from the work of the students involved in the program have been disseminated at various conferences and symposia, including local, regional, and national conferences. Several of the students have attended and presented their work at the International Association for Food Protection meetings, the Food and Agricultural Products Annual Research Symposium, and several OSU Research Symosia. Students have also presented their work while competing in local competitions such as the 3-Minute Thesis Competition and Graduate Student Research Competitions. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Three of the Fellows are planning to complete their M.S. degrees during the summer (within the next 2 months), and they are also planning to present their research at the 2019 annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection this summer. The remaining 3 Fellows will continue in their M.S. programs and progress in their research projects. They will each be paired with a food industry partner to complete their industry audit internships. They will also continue to participate in quarterly professional development training sessions.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Overall: A total of six Food Science Fellows are successfully progressing through their Food Manufacturing and Safety programs. Three will graduate this summer with M.S. degrees and will be exceptionally prepared to enter the food industry with a thorough knowledge of food safety, food science, and food industry regulations. They are also well-trained in research and analytical skills as well as communication skills. They will be an asset to the future food industry. Student Progress: Three new M.S. Food Science Fellows were recruited and began their programs in August 2018, completing the cohort of six total students in the program. All 3 students who began their programs in the summer of 2017 are making excellent research progress and plan to complete their degrees during the spring and summer of 2019. The six fellows in the program also represent minority populations, with three of them being African American, one being Native American, one being Hispanic, and two being female. All six students are making successful progress toward their degrees, in both their coursework and their research projects. Program-Specific Development: Three of the students have completed their industry audit internships, participating with Dr. Jadeja in helping companies develop food safety plans. The companies involved included Miller Pecan Co., DeVine Water, and Triple S. Farms, all in Oklahoma. The interactions with food companies allow the students to put the theory and skills they learn in class into practice in a real-world setting. A new course was also developed and taught during the Fall 2018 semester involving Case Studies in Food Manufacturing and Safety. It was co-taught by the 5 faculty involved in this project and all six student Fellows in the program took the course and really enjoyed it. Communication and Professional Skills: Students in the program also continue to develop their professional skills through quarterly professional development workshops which are largely focused on oral presentation skills and techniques. They have the opportunity to practice those skills through participation in research symposia and conferences. Three of the program Fellows attended the annual meeting of the International Association of Food Protection in Salt Lake City, Utah in July 2018 and presented their research. Several students also gave presentations at the Food and Agricultural Products Annual Research Symposium at OSU in February 2019. All six of the program Fellows also participated in the Food Product Innovation competition at OSU in November 2018, and one group won 3rd place in the competition. These events are great opportunities for students to practice and hone their communication and professional skills and to discuss their research progress and ideas with a larger audience.

    Publications

    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Billups, S., C. McDaniel, T. Kountoupis, C. Rayfield, J. Saha, D. Jaroni and R. Jadeja. 2018. A Novel Peracetic Acid Based Meat Grinder Sanitation Process Optimization. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting 2018, Salt Lake City, UT.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: C. McDaniel, S. Billups, T. Kountoupis, D. Jaroni, R. Jadeja. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sodium Acid Sulfate to Reduce E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium DT104 from Chopped Bell Peppers. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, 2018, Salt Lake City, UT.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: C. McDaniel, S. Billups, M. Fitzgerald, J. Hearn, D. Cassens, C. Rayfield, R. Ramanathan, D. Jaroni, and R. Jadeja (2019). The Development of a Multiple Hurdle Approach to Improve the Safety of Ground Beef. Food and Agricultural Products Center Research Symposium, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: R. Garrett, D. Bellmer, W. McGlynn, P. Rayas. Potential New Snack Products from Brewers Spent Grain. Presentation at FAPC Research Symposium, Oklahoma State University, February, 2019.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Pletcher, D., A. Boeken, M. Aryal, P. Muriana. Use of Listeria innocua (cells) and Clostridium sporogenes (spores) as surrogate organisms for in-plant validation of a sous vide process for chicken breasts using celery nitrite. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, 2018, Salt Lake City, UT.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Pletcher, D., J. Nelson, and P. Muriana. Evaluation of sodium nitrite and natural celery nitrite on the inhibition of spore germination of Clostridium sporogenes as a nonpathogenic surrogate assay in meat products. Presentation at FAPC Research Symposium, February 2019, Stillwater, OK.
    • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kountoupis, Tony. 2019. Identification and Expression of the Holin Gene in Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia Coli Specific Bacteriophages and the Use of Bacteriophage Depolymerase on STEC Biofilms Formed on Food Contact Surfaces. M.S. Thesis, Oklahoma State University, 2019.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Kountoupis, T., P. K. Litt, and D. Jaroni. 2018. Comparing the Lytic Activity and Genetic Makeup of Bacteriophages Targeting Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting 2018, Salt Lake City, UT.


    Progress 06/15/17 to 06/14/18

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The direct target audience for the program isstudents that are interested in completing an M.S. degree in the area of Food Science, with a focus in Food Manufacturing and Safety. The indirect audience for the program includesthe food companies that will benefit by having students trained in the growing area of food safety and food manufacturing regulations. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Fellows have participated in quarterly Professional Development seminars, which have focused largely on presentation skills and techniques. In addition, Fellows have had the opportunity to participate in a number of food safety training workshops. Some of the students have participated in the following workshops: Internal Auditor Workshop - September 2017, Food Defense and Food Fraud Workshop-November 2017, Produce Safety Alliance Training Course - October 2017, Food Labelling Workshop- May 2018, How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Students have presented their initial research findings and ideas at several different events, including the OSU 3-Minute Thesis competition in November 2017, the FAPC Research Symposium in February 2018, and the Whiteman Competition in February 2018. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next year, three additional students will begin their Master's programs in Food Science.All three new students are set to begin in August, 2018, which will complete the cohort of six Fellows in the program.In addition, all six Fellows will be participating in a new Food Safety course being offered during the Fall 2018 semesterentitled 'Case Studies in Food Manufacturing and Safety'.The course is being co-taught by all the Co-PIS on the project. Professional development events offered for the Fellows will also continue throughout the next year.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Three new M.S. Food Science Fellows were recruited and began their programs in August 2017. The three Fellows also represent minority populations, with one being African American, one being Native American, and one being female.They have each taken several graduate courses and are making successful progress toward their degrees.They have each begun research projects, and are learning technical and analytical skills. In addition, they have all participated in professional skills development through quarterly training sessions, and some have practiced their communication skills by giving presentations at research competitions and symposia.

    Publications