Source: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
ASSISTING PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS MEETING THE WATER AND FOOD SAFETY REQUIREMENTS IN THE CURRENT REGULATORY CLIMATE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1014993
Grant No.
2018-38821-27762
Cumulative Award Amt.
$349,788.00
Proposal No.
2017-07534
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Apr 1, 2018
Project End Date
Mar 31, 2022
Grant Year
2018
Program Code
[EWE]- Extension Project
Recipient Organization
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
3500 JOHN A. MERRITT BLVD
NASHVILLE,TN 37209
Performing Department
Agr. and Env. Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most comprehensive legislation in the U.S. food and agricultural productions in more than 70 years. The food safety law aims to ensure safety of domestic and imported foods by shifting focus of federal regulatory agencies from response to outbreaks and recalls to preventive measures. While larger entrepreneurs could navigate their way in new regulatory climate by expanding their personnel or hiring third-party service, small, and emerging entrepreneurs and those with socially disadvantaged leadership are particularly vulnerable in the current regulatory landscape. If failing to meet the requirements of FSMA, the later cohort of producers would need to remain low in profit in order to stay within the FSMA exemption "box." In addition to main legislative expectations of Produce and Preventive Control rules of FSMA, the requirement for water testing is of particular concern for stakeholders since producers of raw agricultural commodities would need to meet frequent testing and microbial quality expectations. The current proposal is a collaborative endeavor for (1) Development of a cadre of extension agents/faculty trained for FSMA outreach (2) Conduct of FSMA needs assessment of producers and processors. (3) Development of FSMA outreach material for extension agents emerging entrepreneurs (4) Development and validation of water testing and water sampling, storage, and analyses best practices, and 5) Continuation of annual state-wide small Tennessean growers' and students' FSMA/Food Safety scholarship programs. With expanding county infrastructure and active leadership in regional and national FSMA consortia, TSU is uniquely positioned to host this project.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
80%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
50140991170100%
Knowledge Area
501 - New and Improved Food Processing Technologies;

Subject Of Investigation
4099 - Microorganisms, general/other;

Field Of Science
1170 - Epidemiology;
Goals / Objectives
Current proposal is a Collaborative Extension project to build institutional and regional capacity, foster collaboration among the proposing institutions, and enhanced stakeholders' engagement by (1) Development of a cadre of extension agents/faculty trained for FSMA outreach (2) Conduct of FSMA needs assessment of producers and processors. (3) Development of FSMA outreach material for extension agents emerging entrepreneurs (4) Development and validation of water testing and water sampling, storage, and analyses best practices, and 5) Continuation of annual state-wide small Tennessean growers' and students' FSMA/Food Safety scholarship programs.?
Project Methods
Objective 1. Development of a cadre of extension agents/faculty trained for FSMA outreach. During the three years of the project, Tennessee State and Iowa State Faculty member will obtain the FSPCA and/or PSA train-the-trainer certifications that enable both institutions to conduct such workshops in-house. Content of these certification workshops are developed for Extension educators, thus certified instructors then bear the responsibility of curricula and outreach material development suitable for their institutions, and producers and processors in their geographical region. The certification workshops of Produce and Preventive Control Rules for Extension agents, conducted by the lead instructors, are expected to be 1 to 3 days in length for discussing core competencies of each rule, to meet and exceed the requirements of FSPCA and PSA certification programs.Objective 2. Conduct of FSMA needs assessment of producers and processors. A comprehensive list of core competencies of Produce and Preventive Control rules will be developed as the main sections of the needs assessment instrument. Information pieces such as surface and sub-surface water testing, conduct of hazard analysis, validation of existing process controls, biological soil amendment, wildlife control management, health and hygiene training, equipment and facilities sanitary design validation, recordkeeping and documentations, and development of process control measures, and corrective actions will be then organized as domains with relevant sub-domains and will be validated as an instrument for Delphi approach needs assessment. The key personnel of the project from Tennessee and Iowa will provide input for development and validation of the instrument. To conduct a systematic needs assessment and identify and refine areas of concern for producers and processors, domains and sub-domains will then be ranked by three panels of practitioners. Results of the above-mentioned ranking as well as a survey with open-ended questions, will be used as the basis for development of dissemination material and add-on programs and activities for Produce and Preventive Control certification workshops in TSU. These assessment rounds will be conducted with at least 15 participants in each panel to assure an adequately powered experiment and will be completed after obtaining Institutional Review Board approval of Tennessee State and Iowa Universities. Review and validation of instrument will be conducted by internal and external evaluators of the project (Drs. John Ricketts and Kushal Patel).Objective 3. Development of FSMA outreach material for extension agents emerging entrepreneurs. After assimilation of the qualitative and quantitative needs assessment data, and input from the project collaborators, the project proposed development of a Tool Kit for Tennessee and Iowa Extension agents. The Tool Kit dossier will include an approximately 20-minute power point slide deck as a general introduction to FSMA, 50-minute slide deck for elaboration of main competencies of Produce and Preventive Control Rules, infographical factsheet for discussion of exemption and non-exemption of Produce and Preventive Control Rules, and information on dual-jurisdiction facilities, as well as information on water sampling, transportations, and analyses best practices and TSU site(s) capable of conducting the testing for the stakeholders. The Tool Kit is expected to be disseminated to county agents with one months and 6 months follow up surveys to receive agents and stakeholders input on the content of the Kit.Objective 4. Development and validation of water testing and water sampling, storage, and analyses best practices. In post FSMA-era producers of raw agricultural commodities are required to conduct frequent surface and sub-surface microbial water testing and meet the regulatory microbiological criteria. The method elaborated in the Code of Federal Regulation for the rule is "Escherichia coli (E. coli) in Water by Membrane Filtration using modified membrane-Thermotolerant Escherichia coli agar (Modified mTEC)," in short also known as EPA Method 1603. The producers of raw agricultural commodities would need to meet two sets of criteria, to show no detectable genericE. colifor certain uses of agricultural water (water used on contact surfaces, making ice, used during and after harvest). Also, agricultural water applied directly to growing produce (other than sprout) would need to meet a different set of regulatory criteria based on geometric mean (GM) and the statistical threshold (STV) (FDA, 2015a).The GM and STV are derived from microbiological testing of each farm as indicators of"average amount of genericE. coliin a water source," and "amount of variability in water quality," respectively.TSU cooperative Extension is projected to develop the above-mentioned method, tools for assisting stakeholders interpreting their results as well as best practices for collection of sample, transportation, analyses, and interpretation of the data. The above-referenced testing is particularly a costly method due to needs for some initial infrastructures as well as high cost of selective media (Modified mTEC), as such the project also intends to develop and validate a low-cost alternative to method 1603, based on MPN and/or relative light Unit (RLU). These endeavors are expected to be completed in Public Health Microbiology Laboratory of TSU, where similar methods had been utilized and applied for detection and enumeration of bacteria in biotic and abiotic environment.Objective 5. Continuation of annual state-wide small Tennessean growers' and students' FSMA/Food Safety scholarship programs. Under this objective the project proposes to continue the established Tennessean Growers' Scholarship program to assist low-income and emerging entrepreneurs of raw agricultural commodities receive Food Safety Modernization Act training. The Scholarship program is stablished in 2017 by TSU Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (A. Fouladkhah), and had provided support for training of 9 low-income farmers for receiving training from Produce Safety Alliance. Further information about the program is available at: http://midtngrowers.com/produce-safety-alliance-grower-training/. Securing the current project will assure continuation of the program in years 2018 to 2020. It is also intended to continue the established Food Safety Modernization Act/ Food Safety Students' Competition program, a state-wide platform for sharing new research and outreach programs of Food Safety Modernization Act/ Food Safety pertaining to raw agricultural commodities and food manufacturing. The competition is stablished in 2017 by TSU Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (A. Fouladkhah). In first year, 34 participants, 11 finalists, and three awardees were among the participants of the program with inauguration by past president of Institute of Food Technologist (IFT), and President of Volunteer (Tennessee) section of IFT. Further information about the program is available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ift-vol-section-2017-spring-meeting-tickets-33476967511. Securing the current project will also assure continuation of this component in years 2018 to 2020. Both events will be harmonized by selecting a chair, co-chair, and coordinator from the project directors to assure early and state-wide advertisement and fair and transparent environment for students and stakeholders.

Progress 04/01/18 to 03/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:This project was designed to provide evidence-based outreach material for stakeholders and train a cohort of students/postdoc in the Public Health Microbiology program of Tennessee State University. With efficient and fast-evolving mechanisms such as the capability for biofilm formation, quorum sensing, and the ability to move towards diversity and "fitness" through vertical and horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, the continued emergence of organisms with new characteristics in response to evolving agricultural and manufacturing environments is an unavoidable episode. Because of these mechanisms, ensuring the safety of the public against natural and anthropogenic microbial pathogens from food and agricultural commodities is a daunting task and a moving target. Evolving social changes, such as expansion in global travel and commerce, consumers' demand for minimally processed and ready-to-eat products, and increases in at-risk segments of populations are further breeding grounds for emerging, novel, and reemerging infectious diseases associated with food and agricultural commodities. The food manufacturing and agricultural commodities market is highly volatile- producers' and manufacturers' profits could be adversely affected to a great extent when a food safety outbreak occurs anywhere in the country. In addition to the loss of productivity, medical expenses, and consumers' insecurity, it is estimated that the annual cost of foodborne diseases in the United States is around $77.7 billion. In case of negligence from a producer or processor, where the legal and medical expenses could burden back to the entrepreneur, costs per case illness episode could well exceed $100,000 per case. Agriculture is one of the top industries in Tennessee, contributing $70 billion annually to the state's economy, employing 340,000 individuals, with having 66,000 farms representing 10.8 million acres. TSU had been working very closely with FSMA stakeholders, in addition to the progress discussed, our recent assessment surveys show further needs for outreach and technical assistance in the Tennessee area. As such, in harmony with national and regional needs in food safety regulatory outreach and technical assistance, this project utilizeda systematic and evidence-based approach for a community outreach project addressing the needs of the stakeholders. Students are additionally the target audience of this important and timely project. Changes/Problems: A significant portion of this project was conducted during the COVID-19 global respiratory pandemic/endemic. Nevertheless, great progress was made during the course of this project. Students involved in this project were able to bring new heights to students' success at Tennessee State University, collectively receiving more than 40 awards during this project. Several publications, videos, conference presentations, and certifications workshops are among the other deliverables of this important and timely project. Project PD thanks NIFA for this financial support that enables a cohort of students and stakeholders to receive life-changing training and opportunities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? As mentioned above,the post-doctoral fellow funded 100% by this project (Dr. NK) was able to secure an assistant professor position in Spring 2021 at Albany State University thanks to the financial support provided by the current grant. Students involved in this project were also able to receive awards and recognitions. An exhaustive list of these awards (2017-2022) could be accessed using the below weblink (primary adviser of all listed awardees is Dr. Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah): https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/students-awards [Accessed 6-28-2022] Additionally, these students completed one thesis and 2 dissertations during the course of this project: (1) George, J. 2022. An Emerging Technology for Mitigating Burden of Sessile and Planktonic Foodborne Bacteria of Public Health Concern.Doctoral Dissertation(Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Spring 2022. (2) Wadood, S. 2021. Prevention of Foodborne Pathogens and Industrially Relevant Spoilage Microorganisms: Synergism of an Emerging Technology with Traditional Preservation Methods.Master of Science Thesis(Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Fall 2021 (3) Aras, S. 2021. Biofilm Formation and Pressure-based Pasteurization of Bacterial Spores and Foodborne Pathogens of Public Health Concern as Affected by Bacteriocin and Bactericidal Compounds.Doctoral Dissertation(Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Spring 2021. Professional Development for Faculty:(Funded in part by the current grant) Certified in Public Health.(CPH designation obtained).Examinee and certificate of Certified in Public Health program by National Board of Public Health Examiners. CPH recertification approved on 10-20-2019 until December 31, 2023, with highest level (level 3) distinction as "Start Presenter," (forCreating/Leading Multi-Day Course or Workshop or Seminar, Public Presentation, Guest Lectureship) and with highest level (level 3) distinction as "Wise Scholar,"(for involvement in Dissertation Preparation, Peer-reviewed Publication, and Manuscript Review)and distinction as an exam item writer and reviewer for CPH certification.[Faculty AF] 2022 Yale Day of Service(in-person). Yale Club of Middle Tennessee.May 7, 2022.During the day of service, 17 Yale-affiliated volunteers were kind enough to prepare nearly three pallets of supplies to be shipped to Ukraine. We would like to thank the amazing and kind-hearted volunteers and the event's host, Project C.U.R.E., for the important work they do and for hosting the volunteers. (A. Fouladkhah Organizer/Regional Director for Alumni Association). Completing a Certification: The Health Effects of Climate Change (PH278.Ax).Completed and passed a 7-week course from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a course of study offered by HarvardX, an online learning initiative of Harvard University (Certification ID: 0a25d28b1c664873bd47232e3e323261).May 7, 2020.Available at: https://courses.edx.org/certificates/0a25d28b1c664873bd47232e3e323261 Conducting (Teaching) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Certification Workshop: Preventive Control for Human Foods. 2022 Impact (workshop #3 in 2022).May 17 to 19, 2022.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) for Human Food FSMA Workshop for 9 individuals. (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah). 2022 Impact (workshop #2 in 2022).Mar 22 to 24, 2022.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) for Human Food FSMA Workshop for 17 individuals (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah). 2022 Impact (workshop #1 in 2022).Mar 1 to 3, 2022.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) for Human Food FSMA Workshop for 18 individuals (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah). 2021 Impact (workshop #3 in 2021.May. 10 to 18, 2021.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) for Human Food FSMA Workshop for 16 individuals (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah) 2021 Impact (workshop #2 in 2021).May. 10 to 18, 2021.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) for Human Food FSMA Workshop for 12 individuals (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah) 2021 Impact (workshop #1 in 2021).May. 10 to 18, 2021.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) for Human Food FSMA Workshop for 20 individuals (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah) Professional Development for Students (Academic adviser: A. Fouladkhah)(Funded in part by the current grant) Participation in Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science State-wide Poster Competition.The eventjointly held with the Volunteer (Tennessee) section of IFT and TSU Public Health Microbiology Laboratory. 2021 Impact:Three students in posters division, three students in oral division, and three students/fellows food policies division received a total of $1,800 awards (extramurally funded, PI. A. Fouladkhah).Dec. 16, 2021 2020 Impact:Four students (two tied*at 3rd place) in posters division, three students oral division, and three fellows of emerging leader category received a total of $2,700 awards (extramurally funded, PI. A. Fouladkhah). 2019 Impact:Four graduate students (two tied*at 1st) receive $600, $300, and $100 in the oral division, five graduate students (two tied at 1stand two tied at 2nd) receive $600, $300, and $100 in poster division, respectively, as awardees of the program (extramurally funded, PI. A. Fouladkhah).*Awards divided when there was a tie, determined by the judges. May 31, 2019, Available at:https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/annual-competitions[Accessed 6-28-2022] How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? As further discussed earlier, the project PD (Dr. Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah) has completed 6 workshops in 2021 and 2022 for dissemination of the material to 92 individuals who received the certifications. Additionally, the project outcome had been disseminated and discussed during these events: -2022 International Association for Food Protection 2022 Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA. July 31 to August 3, 2022 (accepted abstract to be presented). -2021 American Public Health Association 2021 Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Virtual oral presentation in session 111.0 -2021 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Phoenix, AZ, July 18-21, 2021 -2021 The 44thAnnual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN, March 28, 2021 -2021, 5th Annual State-Wide Research Competition, Vol. section IFT & Public Health Microbiology Laboratory, Nashville, TN, (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) December 16, 2021 -2021, 31st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, Poster Presentation, November 6, 2021 -2021, 4rd Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic), March 22 - 26, 2021 -2020 International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This is the final report for this project

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project had been successful in meeting the objectives. The project had held the statewide meeting of the project for Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Details of the event is available at (accessed June 28, 2022): https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/annual-competitions These had been very successfully scheduled and executed and had supported financially 39 students/awardees during the course of this project, list of these students receiving awards are additional available on the above-mentioned weblink. Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) FSMA workshops had been held as well that had led to the certification of additional 92 individuals in the 2021 and 2022 cycle. Students involved in this project had received additional recent awards, these are the student awardees that were in part funded by this project (A. Fouladkhah, adviser for all listed advisees, only 2021 awards are listed here): -1stPlace, Oral Presentation Competitions.5th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. December 16, 2021. Student: Sabrina Wadood. Dec. 16, 2021 -2nd Place, Oral Presentation Competitions.5th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. December 16, 2021. Student: Sadiye Aras. Dec. 16, 2021 -2nd Place, Poster Presentation Competitions.5th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. December 16, 2021. Student: Jyothi George. Dec. 16, 2021 -1st Place, Health & Medical Sciences Section, Oral Competitions.131st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University. November 6, 2021, Cookeville, TN. Student: S. Wadood. Nov. 26, 2021 -2nd Place, Health & Medical Sciences Section, Oral Competitions.131st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University. November 6, 2021, Cookeville, TN. Student: S. Aras. Nov. 26, 2021 -1st Place (tied), Health & Medical Sciences Section, Poster Competitions.131st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University. November 6, 2021, Cookeville, TN. Student: S. Aras. Nov. 26, 2021 -2nd Place, Health & Medical Sciences Section, Poster Competitions.131st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University. November 6, 2021, Cookeville, TN. Student: S. Wadood. Nov. 26, 2021 -3rd Place, Graduate Poster Competitions. 43rd Annual University-Wide Research Symposium, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, 2021. Student: S. Wadood.Mar. 26, 2021 The outreach article of the study entitled "Epidemiology-laboratory interactions for developing resilience against future infectious diseases," has reached more than 34,000 individuals. The impact statement for this study could be accessed at:https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/2022-news The article could be accessed at:https://researchoutreach.org/articles/epidemiology-laboratory-interactions-developing-resilience-future-infectious-diseases/ Finally, it is noteworthy that the post-doctoral fellow who received training in this project (Dr. NK) has recently accepted an assistant professor position at Albany State University.?

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Chowdhury, A., Aras, S., Kabir, N., Wadood, S., Allison, A., Chowdhury, S., and Fouladkhah*, A.C. 2022. Susceptibility of Pathogenic Nontyphoidal Salmonella Serovars and Avirulent Salmonella LT2 to Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure and CitricidalTM. Journal of Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Division (in press since February 1, 2022).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Aras, S.; Kabir, N.; Wadood, S.; George, J.; Chowdhury, S.; Fouladkhah*, A.C. Synergistic Effects of Nisin, Lysozyme, Lactic Acid, and CitricidalTM for Enhancing Pressure-Based Inactivation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, and Bacillus atrophaeus Endospores. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 653.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Allison A. Fouladkhah*, A. Sensitivity of Wild-Type and Rifampicin-Resistant O157 and Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli to Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure and Lactic Acid in Ground Meat and Meat Homogenate. Plos One, 2021, 16(2), p.e0246735.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Allison, A., Fouladkhah*, A. Sensitivity of planktonic cells and biofilm of wild-type and pressure-stressed Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella enterica serovars to sodium hypochlorite. Food Protection Trends, 2021, Vol. 41, No. 2, p. 195203.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kabir, N., Aras, S., George, J., Wadood, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah*, A. High-pressure and thermal-assisted pasteurization of habituated, wild-type, and pressure-stressed Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, and Staphylococcus aureus. LWT- Food Science and Technology, 2021, 137: 110445.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Fouladkhah, A.C. 2022. Advances in High-Pressure Pasteurization of Wild-Type and Pressure-Stressed Bacterial Pathogens and Endospores by Synergism with Bacteriocin and Bactericidal Compounds. Technical Research Abstract, International Association for Food Protection 2022 Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA. July 31 to August 3, 2022. Abstract No. T7-06 (Oral Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: George, J., Aras, S., Wadood, S., Kabir, N., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A.C. 2022. Biofilm Formation of Pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Serovars and Non-Pathogenic L. innocua and Salmonella LT2 and Their Inactivation Using Industrial Antimicrobials. Technical Research Abstract, International Association for Food Protection 2022 Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA. July 31 to August 3, 2022. Abstract No. P2-38 (Poster Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kabir, N., Aras, S., Wadood, S., George, J., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A.C. 2022. Sensitivity of Planktonic Cells and Spores Suspension of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus atrophaeus, Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus to Elevated Hydrostatics Pressure Augmented with Mild Heat and Acidic Bactericidal Compounds. Technical Research Abstract, International Association for Food Protection 2022 Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA. July 31 to August 3, 2022. Abstract No. P3-106 (Poster Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Fouladkhah, A. Bacterial biofilms and proliferation of foodborne and waterborne infectious diseases under the landscape of changing climate. American Public Health Association 2021 Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Virtual oral presentation in session 111.0 Building Community Resilience and Addressing Social Vulnerability-Environment. Monday, October 25, 2021 (Presented virtually due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Jackson-Davis, A., Coleman, S., White. S., Smith, D., Jackson, J., Bolden-Tiller, O., Danyluk, M, Fouladkhah, A., Woods., K. Diversifying the Pipeline in Food Safety Education: Engaging Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 2021 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Phoenix, AZ, July 18-21, 2021 (Session/Abstract #: RT18).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kabir, N., Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. Effectiveness of Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure & Mild Heat Against Pressure-Stressed, Habituated, & Wild-Type Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, and Staphylococcus aureus. 2021 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), Phoenix, AZ, July 18-21, 2021 (Session/Abstract #: P3-66).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Fouladkhah, A. Comparison of Planktonic Cells and Biofilms of Pressure-Stressed and Wild-Type Bacterial Pathogens of Food Industry Significance. 2021 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), Phoenix, AZ, July 18-21, 2021 (Session/Abstract #: P1-61).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Fouladkhah, A. Frontiers in Pressure-based Treatment of Bacterial Spores and Pressure-Stressed Pathogens of Public Health Concern. 2021 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), Phoenix, AZ, July 18-21, 2021 (Session/Abstract #: T10-02).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wadood, S., Fouladkhah A., Biofilm Formation of Wild-Type and Rifampicin-Resistant O157 and Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and Their Inactivation by Bactericidal Compounds. 2021 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), Phoenix, AZ, July 18-21, 2021 (Session/Abstract #: T10-05).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: J. George., Fouladkhah A. 2022. High-Pressure Pasteurization of Staphylococcus aureus Augmented with Mild Heat and Nisin. The 44th Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN, March 28, 2021 (Poster Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wadood, S., Fouladkhah A. 2021. Public health significance of wild-type and rifampicin-resistant Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. 5th Annual State-Wide Research Competition, Vol. section IFT & Public Health Microbiology Laboratory, Nashville, TN, (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) December 16, 2021. Oral Presentation Category.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Aras, S., Fouladkhah A. 2021. Inactivation Thymol as a bioactive compound to enhance pressure-based inactivation of Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli. 5th Annual State-Wide Research Competition, Vol. section IFT & Public Health Microbiology Laboratory, Nashville, TN, (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) December 16, 2021. Oral Presentation Category.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wadood, A., and Fouladkhah, A. High-pressure pasteurization of L. monocytogenes in presence of nisin. 31st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, Poster Presentation, November 6, 2021. (2nd place in poster competitions).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Aras, S., and Fouladkhah, A. Bacterial endospores as affected by elevated hydrostatic pressure. 31st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, Poster Presentation, November 6, 2021. (1st place in poster competitions).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., and Fouladkhah, A. Thymol as a bioactive compound to enhance pressure-based inactivation of Shiga toxigenic E. coli. 31st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, Oral Presentation, November 6, 2021. (2nd place in oral competitions).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wadood., S., and Fouladkhah, A. Public health significance of wild-type and rifampicin-resistant Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. 31st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, Oral Presentation, November 6, 2021. (1st place in oral competitions).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: George, J., Fouladkhah, A. Sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus to Mild Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure and Nisin in HEPES Buffer. 43rd Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic), March 22 - 26, 2021 (Poster Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Aras, S., Fouladkhah, A. Thermal Assisted High-Pressure Processing of Three Microbial Spores in Presence of Nisin, Lysozyme, Lactic Acid, and Citricidal in Deionized Water and a Food Vehicle. 43rd Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic), March 22 - 26, 2021 (Oral Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. Augmenting the Efficacy of Pressure-Based Pasteurization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 using Thymol and Mild Heat in Meat Homogenate. 43rd Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic), March 22 - 26, 2021 (Poster Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: J. George., Fouladkhah A. 2021. Novel bacteriocin and bactericidal compounds for augmenting pressure-based elimination of planktonic cells of Staphylococcus aureus. 5th Annual State-Wide Research Competition, Vol. section IFT & Public Health Microbiology Laboratory, Nashville, TN, (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) December 16, 2021. Poster Presentation Category.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: George, J., and Fouladkhah, A. Elimination of Staphylococcus aureus using mild elevated hydrostatic pressure and nisin. 31st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences Section. Hosted by Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, Poster Presentation, November 6, 2021.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Asefaw, S., Aras, S., Fouladkhah, A. Biofilm formation of pathogenetic nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica serovars and non-pathogenic Salmonella LT2 and their sensitivity to sodium hypochlorite and quaternary ammonium compounds. 43rd Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic), March 22 - 26, 2021 (Oral Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wadood, S., Fouladkhah, A. Biofilm formation of wild-type and rifampicin-resistant O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and their inactivation by bactericidal compounds. 43rd Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic), March 22 - 26, 2021 (Oral Presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wadood, S., Fouladkhah, A. Inactivation of L. monocytogenes by utilization of nisin and elevated hydrostatic pressure. 43rd Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic), March 22 - 26, 2021 (Poster Presentation).


Progress 04/01/20 to 03/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:With mechanisms such as the capability for biofilm formation, quorum sensing, and ability to move towards diversity and "fitness" through vertical and horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, the continued emergence of organisms with new characteristics in response to evolving agricultural and manufacturing environments is an unavoidable episode. Because of these mechanisms, ensuring the safety of the public against natural and anthropogenic microbial pathogens from food and agricultural commodities is a daunting task and a moving target. Evolving social changes, such as expansion in global travel and commerce, consumers' demand for minimally processed and ready-to-eat products, and increases in at-risk segments of populations are further breeding grounds for emerging, novel, and reemerging infectious diseases associated with food and agricultural commodities. The food manufacturing and agricultural commodities market is highly volatile- producers' and manufacturers' profits could be adversely affected to a great extent when a food safety outbreak occurs anywhere in the country. In addition to the loss of productivity, medical expenses, and consumers' insecurity, it is estimated that the annual cost of foodborne diseases in the United States is around $77.7 billion. In case of negligence from a producer or processor, where the legal and medical expenses could burden back to the entrepreneur, costs per case of illness episode could well exceed $100,000 per case. Agriculture is one of the top industries in Tennessee, contributing $70 billion annually to the state's economy, employing 340,000 individuals, with having 66,000 farms representing 10.8 million acres. TSU had been working very closely with FSMA stakeholders, in addition to the progress discussed, our recent assessment surveys show further needs of outreach and technical assistance in the Tennessee area. Results of these needs assessments could be accessed at: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/fact-sheets As such, in harmony with national and regional needs in food safety regulatory outreach and technical assistance, this project utilizes a systematic and evidence-based approach for a community outreach addressing the needs of the stakeholders. Students are additionally the target audience of this important and timely project. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The post-doctoral fellow funded 100% by this project (Dr. Niamul Kabir) was able to secure an assistant professor position in Spring 2021 at Albany State University thanks to the financial support provided by the current grant. Students involved in this project were also able to receive awards and recognitions. These accomplishments could be access at: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/students-awards [Accessed 6-29-2021] ?Professional Development for Faculty:(Funded in part by the current grant) Certified in Public Health.(CPH designation obtained).Recertification on Dec 31, 2019.Examinee and certificate of Certified in Public Health program by National Board of Public Health Examiners. CPH recertification approved on 10-20-2019 until December 31, 2021, with highest level (level 3) distinction as "Start Presenter," (forCreating/Leading Multi-Day Course or Workshop or Seminar, Public Presentation, Guest Lectureship) and with highest level (level 3) distinction as "Wise Scholar,"(for involvement in Dissertation Preparation, Peer-reviewed Publication, and Manuscript Review)and distinction as an exam item writer and reviewer for CPH certification.[Faculty AF] Participation in Yale Day of Service:Available:https://yaledayofservice.org/.2020 Yale Day of Service.1stGenYale DC and the Yale Club of Washington, D.C.May 12, 2020.Virtual event due to COVID-19 pandemic: Side-by-Side: Mentoring Future First-Generation CollegeStudents.2019 Yale Day of Service,Yale Club of Middle Tennessee.July 13, 2019.Nashville Classical Charter School. Conducting (Teaching) Food Safety Modernization Act Certification Workshop: Preventive Control for Human Foods. 2020 Impact (workshop #1 in 2020). Nov. 23 to Dec. 4, 2020 Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) Training/Certification for 13 individuals from the food industry. 2019 Impact (workshop #1 in 2019).Oct. 2-31, 2019.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) Training/Certification for 3 PhD students, 9 MS students, and one member of TN Department of Agriculture, extramurally funded by Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah). 2019 Impact (workshop #2 in 2019).June 3-7, 2019.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) Training/Certification for 12 food industry leaders in Antigua, Guatemala, extramurally funded by Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah). [Workshop to Celebrate 1stworld food safety day on June 7, 2019]. Completing a Certification: The Health Effects of Climate Change (PH278.Ax).Completed and passed a 7-week course from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a course of study offered by HarvardX, an online learning initiative of Harvard University (Certification ID: 0a25d28b1c664873bd47232e3e323261).May 7, 2020.Available at: https://courses.edx.org/certificates/0a25d28b1c664873bd47232e3e323261 [Accessed May 7, 2020] Professional Development for Students (Academic adviser: A. Fouladkhah)(Funded in part by the current grant) Participation in Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science State-wide Poster Competition. The eventjointly held with the Volunteer (Tennessee) section of IFT and TSU Public Health Microbiology Laboratory. 2020 Impact: Four students (two tied*at 3rd place) in posters division, three students oral division, and three fellows of emerging leader category received a total of $2,700 awards (extramurally funded, PI. A. Fouladkhah). 2019 Impact:Four graduate students (two tied*at 1st) receive $600, $300, and $100 in the oral division, five graduate students (two tied at 1stand two tied at 2nd) receive $600, $300, and $100 in poster division, respectively, as awardees of the program (extramurally funded, PI. A. Fouladkhah).*Awards divided when there was a tie, determined by the judges. May 31, 2019, Available at:https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/annual-competitions[Accessed 6-29-2021] How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the course of this capacity-building project results and deliverables have been disseminated to various regional and national events. The target audience and our stakeholders were producers and processors of food and agricultural products, agriculture and public health practitioners, and students and faculty active in areas of microbial food safety, food safety modernization act, consumer food safety, and public health microbiology. Specifically, the project outcome had been disseminated and discussed in these events: 2019-2020 Dissemination: -2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24,19. -2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019. -129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Nov 22, 2019 -2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. -2019 Yale School of Public Health Summer Institute. 2020-2021 Dissemination: -43rd Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium, Jane Elliott Hall, Nashville, TN (virtually held due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic), March 22 - 26, 2021 -130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. Health & Medical Sciences Section, November 21, 2020. -International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020.-2020 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019. -2020 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. The success of students involved in the project had been disseminated as well on our website: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/students-awards [Accessed 6-29-2021]. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The project is expected to make further progress on the objectives, provide educational opportunities for students, FSPCA certification for stakeholders, and disseminate results as conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications. The 2020-2021 deliverables will be reported on the final report of this project. Deliverables of our program could be accessed at: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/ [Accessed 6/29/2021]

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project had been successful in meeting the objectives. The project had held the statewide meeting of the project for Food Safety Modernization Act that is available at: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/annual-competitions. These had been very successfully scheduled and executed and had supported financially 31 students so far, list of these students receiving awards are available at: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/annual-competitions. Additionally, students had also received the opportunity to present and interact with FSMA stakeholders. The water testing capability of the institution has been improved to great extent as well. Summary of some of the endeavors associate with water testing capability developed during the course of the project is available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/3/408 FSMA certifications workshops had been held as well that had led to the certification of additional 13 individuals in the 2020 cycle. Students had received some recent awards as well, these are the student awardees that were in part funded by this project: -3rd Place, Graduate Poster Competitions. 43rd Annual University-Wide Research Symposium, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, 2021. Student: S. W.March 26, 2021 -1st Place, Health & Medical Sciences Section, Oral Competitions.130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. November 21, 2020. Student: S. W.Nov. 21, 2020 -2nd Place, Health & Medical Sciences Section, Oral Competitions.130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. November 21, 2020. Student: S. A.Nov. 21, 2020 -3rd Place, Health & Medical Sciences Section, Oral Competitions.130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. November 21, 2020. Student: N. K.Nov. 21, 2020 -3rd Place, Health & Medical Sciences Section, Poster Competitions.130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. November 21, 2020. Student: J. G.Nov. 21, 2020 -1st Place, Graduate Students Oral Competitions.4th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. September 8, 2020. Student: S. W.Sep. 8, 2020 -2nd Place, Graduate Students Oral Competitions.4th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. September 8, 2020. Student: J. G.Sep. 8, 2020 -3rd Place, Graduate Students Oral Competitions.4th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. September 8, 2020. Student: S. A.Sep. 8, 2020 -1st Place (tied), Oral Emerging Leader Competitions.4th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. September 8, 2020. Scholar: Dr. M.S.B.N. (part-time visiting scholar of the PHM lab).Sep. 8, 2020 -2nd Place, Oral Emerging Leader Competitions.4th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. September 8, 2020. Scholar: Dr. N.K. (Postdoc of PHM lab).Sep. 8, 2020 -3rd Place, Poster Student Competitions.4th Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists/Public Health Microbiology laboratory. September 8, 2020.Student: A. S.Sep. 8, 2020 The outreach article of the study entitled "Bacterial biofilms: A persisting public health challenge," had received 134,592 views on the web, 2,398 engagements on Twitter, and 6,139 engagements on Facebook. The impact statement for this study could be accessed at:https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/2021-news The article could be accessed at:https://researchoutreach.org/articles/bacterial-biofilms-persisting-public-health-challenge/ Finally, it is noteworthy that the MS student, funded in part by the current project (Ms. SW) was 2020 Inductee in Phi Tau Sigma, the Food Science and Technology honor society and the post-doctoral fellow funded by the current project has recently received an assistant professor position in Albany State University.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Aras, S., Kabir, N., Allison, A., George, J., Fouladkhah*, A. Inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157: H7 and mesophilic background microbiota of meat homogenate using elevated hydrostatic pressure, mild heat, and thymol. Journal of Food Science, Food Engineering, Materials Science, and Nanotechnology, JFS 2020, 85(12): 4335-4341.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: George, J. Aras, S., Kabir, N., Wadood, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah*, A. Sensitivity of Planktonic Cells of Staphylococcus aureus to Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure as Affected by Mild Heat, Carvacrol, Nisin, and Caprylic Acid. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(19): 7033. Impact factor (2019-2020): 2.849.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fouladkhah, A.; Thompson, B.; Camp, J.S. The Threat of Antibiotic Resistance in Changing Climate. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 748. Impact factor (2019-2020): 4.167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kabir, M.N., Aras, S., Wadood, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah*, A. Fate and Biofilm Formation of Wild-Type and Pressure-Stressed Pathogens of Public Health Concern in Surface Water and on Abiotic Surfaces. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 408. Impact factor (2018-2019): 4.167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Aras, S., Kabir, M.N., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah*, A. Augmenting the Pressure-Based Pasteurization of Listeria monocytogenes by Synergism with Nisin and Mild Heat. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 563. Impact factor (2018-2019): 2.469
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: 1. Stull, K., K. Schneider, R. Goodrich, A. Harder, M. Krug, A. Jackson-Davis, L. Kassama, D. Chembezi, E. Myles, A. Perez, K. Woods, C. Carter, J. Northcutt, K. Baker, K. Sarjeant, R. Balasubramanian, L. Dunn, P. Vijayakumar, M. Newman, A. Adhikari, K. Fontenot, J. Silva, J. Anderson, C. Gunter, E. Rogers, O. Simmons, R. McReynolds, R. Jadeja, D. Jaroni, L. Orellana-Feliciano, M. Plaza, A. Wszelaki, M. Morgan, Fouladkhah, A., T. Taylor, A. Castillo, J. Masabni, B. Vaughan, F. Malekian, L. Strawn, A. Vallotton, R.Williams, M. Danyluk.Evaluation of the Southern Center for FSMA Training. 2021 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), Phoenix, AZ, July 18-21, 2021 (Session/Abstract #: P3-21).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fouladkhah, A. Frontiers in Pressure-based Pasteurization: Cost Optimization by Synergism with Natural Bacteri-cidal and Bacteriocin Compounds. International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. Abstract No. T12-04
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., Kabir, N., Fouladkhah, A. Augmenting the Efficacy of Pressure-based Pasteurization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Using Thymol and Mild Heat in Meat Homogenate. International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. Abstract No. P1-130
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kabir, N., Fouladkhah, A. Fate and Biofilm Formation of Wild-type and Pressure-stressed Foodborne Pathogens of Public Health Concern in Surface Water. International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. Abstract No. P1-231
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Katelynn J. Stull1, Keith Schneider, Renee Goodrich, Travis Chapin, Amy Harder, Colby Silvert, Matthew Krug, Armitra Jack�son-Davis, Lamin Kassama, Duncan Chembezi, Elizabeth Myles, Amanda Philyaw Perez, Kristin Woods, Chad Carter, Julie Northcutt, Kimberly Baker, Keawin Sarjeant, Ramkrishnan Balasubramanian, Laurel Dunn, Paul Priyesh Vijayakumar, Melissa C. Newman, Achyut Adhikari, Kathryn Fontenot, Juan L. Silva, Joy Anderson, Christopher Gunter, Benjamin Chapman, Elena Rogers, Otto D. Simmons, Roland McReynolds, Ravirajsinh Jadeja, Divya Jaroni, Lynette Orella�na-Feliciano, Maria Plaza, Annette Wszelaki, Mark Morgan, Fouladkhah, A., Thomas Taylor, Alejandro Castillo, Joseph Masabni, Barrett Vaughan, Fatemeh Malekian, Laura K. Strawn, Amber Vallotton, Robert Williams, Thomas Saunders, and Michelle Danyluk. Evaluation of the Southern Regional Center for FSMA Training, Outreach and Technical Assistance Training Efforts. International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. Abstract No. P2-19
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kabir, N., Bhullar, M., Fouladkhah, A., Coleman, S. A Pilot Evaluation of Two Water Safety Videos for Stakeholders by Individuals Familiar with Food Safety Modernization Act. International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. Abstract No. P2-22
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: George, J., Fouladkhah, A. Sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus to Mild Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure and Nisin in HEPES Buffer. International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. Abstract No. P2-50
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Chowdhury, A., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. Sensitivity of Non-pathogenic LT2 and Pathogenic Salmonella enterica Serovars to Elevated Hydro�static Pressure and Citricidal Under Controlled Temperature. International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. Abstract No. P2-88
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: 1. Aras, S., Kabir, N., George, J., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. Thermal Assisted High-pressure Processing of Three Microbial Spores in Presence of Nisin, Lyso�zyme, Lactic Acid, and Citricidal in Deionized Water and a Food Vehicle. International Association for Food Protection 2020 Annual Meeting. Virtual event due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic. October 26-28, 2020. Abstract No. P2-90
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: 1. Wadood, S., Fouladkhah, A. Reducing the L. monocytogenes infection risk by utilization of nisin and elevated hydrostatic pressure. 130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. Health & Medical Sciences Section, Oral Presentations, November 21, 2020.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. Synergism of thymol, mild heat, and elevated hydrostatic pressure for inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157: H7. 130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. Health & Medical Sciences Section, Oral Presentations, November 21, 2020.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kabir, N., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. Formation of biofilm and survival of wild-type and pressure-stressed pathogens of public health concern in surface water and on abiotic surfaces. 130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. Health & Medical Sciences Section, Oral Presentations, November 21, 2020.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: George, J, Fouladkhah, A. Novel bacteriocin and bactericidal compounds for augmenting pressure-based elimination of planktonic cells of Staphylococcus aureus. 130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. Virtual meeting (due to ongoing respiratory pandemic/endemic) hosted by East Tennessee State University. Health & Medical Sciences Section, Poster Presentations, November 21, 2020.


Progress 04/01/19 to 03/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:With mechanisms such as biofilm formation, quorum sensing, and ability to move towards diversity and "fitness" through vertical and horizontal gene transfer mechanism, continued emergence of organisms with new characteristics in response to evolving agricultural and manufacturing environments is an unavoidable episode. As such, assuring safety of the public against natural and anthropogenic microbial pathogens from food and agricultural commodities is a daunting task and a moving target. Evolving social changes, such as expansion in global travel and commerce, consumers' demand for minimally processed and ready-to-eat products, and increases in at-risk segments of populations are further breeding grounds for emerging, novel, and reemerging infectious diseases associated with food and agricultural commodities. Food manufacturing and agricultural commodities' market is highly volatile- producers' and manufacturers' profit could be adversely affected to great extent when food safety outbreak occurs anywhere in the country. In addition to loss of productivity, medical expenses, and consumers' insecurity, it is estimated that annual cost of foodborne diseases in the United States is around $77.7 billion. In case of negligence from a producer or processor, where the legal and medical expenses could burden back to the entrepreneur, costs per cases of illness episode could well exceed $100,000 per case. Agriculture is one of the top industries in Tennessee, contributing $70 billion annually to the state's economy, employing 340,000 individuals, with having 66,000 farms representing 10.8 million acres. TSU had been working very closely with FSMA stakeholders, in addition to progress discussed, our recent assessment surveys show further needs of outreach and technical assistance in Tennessee area. As an example in a preliminary survey of 16 farmers (median farm size of 1.5 acre, mean 3.6, and SD 3.1), TSU specialists observed about 75% of Tennessean growers do not currently conduct water testing and over 53% of the farmers do not keep any record of the operation on file (Preliminary surveys, unpublished data). As such, in harmony with national and regional needs in food safety regulatory outreach and technical assistance, this project utilizes a systematic and evidence-based approach for a community outreach project addressing the needs of the stakeholders. Students are additionally stakeholders of this important and timely project. Changes/Problems:The current pandemic of the respiratory disease in the country is a challenge for all researchers across the country. We had been able to adopt to these challenging times and circumstances and make progress on the project with minimal disruption. We expect to be able to complete this work without any disruption. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?(Funded in part by current grant) (Funded in part by current grant) Oct. 2-31, 2019. Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) Training/Certification for 3 PhD students, 9 MS students, and one member of TN Department of Agriculture, extramurally funded by Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah).2019 Impact (workshop #2 in 2019).June 3-7, 2019.Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PC QI) Training/Certification for 12 food industry leaders in Antigua, Guatemala, extramurally funded by Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (Project PI/Lead and Sole Instructor: A. Fouladkhah). [Workshop to Celebrate 1stword food safety day on June, 7, 2019]. Available:.2020 Yale Day of Service. 1stGenYale DC and the Yale Club of Washington, D.C.May 12, 2020.Virtual event due to COVID-19 pandemic: Side-by-Side: Mentoring Future First Generation CollegeStudents. 2019 Yale Day of Service, Yale Club of Middle Tennessee.July 13, 2019.Nashville Classical Charter School. ).Completed and passed a 7-week course from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a course of study offered by HarvardX, an online learning initiative of Harvard University (Certification ID: 0a25d28b1c664873bd47232e3e323261).May 7, 2020.Available at: https://courses.edx.org/certificates/0a25d28b1c664873bd47232e3e323261 [Accessed May 7, 2020] . June 17-19. 2019.Analyses of infectious diseases "big data," New Haven, CT. .March 14-16, 2019 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The needs assessment and factsheets and publications of the study had been available to stakeholder and public via the program website available at: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/ Additionally, the project outcome had been disseminated and discussed in these events: -2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24,19. -2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019. -129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Nov 22, 2019 -2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. -2019 Yale School of Public Health Summer Institute. Success of students involved in project had been disseminated as well on our website: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/ [Accessed 5-26-2020]. Most specifically this presentation was made for dissemination of the project progress: Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Updates on a Planning Activity Project for Development and Implementation of an Intercollegiate MPH Degree Tracked in Food Safety and Foodborne Diseases Epidemiology. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In addition to the progress that is going to be continues as elaborated in the proposal, the FSMA training material had been incorporated as part of a graduate course in our institution and is expected to be continued during the course of the project. Evaluation of the course by student surpassed the average of the college and university and thus course was incorporated as part of the core sections in curriculum. Student success in our public health microbiology program has also been exceptional and unparalleled, the students award tab of our new website illustrates their recent success. Including the first, second, and third place awardees in 2019 Tennessee Academy of Sciences awards in health and medical sciences division. The information could be accessed at and is expected to be continued during the course of the project: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/students-awards [Accessed 6-25-2020] Progress in area of public health and food safety in our institution has received recognition at national and international venues. Most recently, we had been involved in training of the Faculty and staff in ISA University in Dominican Republic through a workshop series for food safety and control of zoonotic diseases, celebrating the First World Food Safety Day proclaimed by the United Nation on June 7, 2019 by teaching food industry leadership of Guatemala, and teaching public health and infectious diseases in Cape town, South Africa. Summary of these endeavors are available at: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/international-programs [Accessed 6-25-2020] Our program had also stablished a state-wide student competition and stakeholder engagement meeting, a state-wide platform for sharing recent research and outreach programs of public health microbiology, microbial food safety, and control of zoonotic diseases. The competition is stablished in 2017 and have so far (2017 to 2019) awarded 19 scholarships to graduate and undergraduate competitors in Tennessee. Further information about the program is available under outreach and then annual competition tab of the above-mentioned website. These endeavors and the project objectives are expected to be continued in this funding cycle.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Project had been successful in meeting the objectives. The project had held the statewide meeting of the project for Food Safety Modernization Act that is available at: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/annual-competitions. These had been very successfully scheduled and executed and had supported financially 9 students (KK, JVR, SSH, PW, JA, MH, TK, AA, SH) who presented their work, judged by four judges (AF, SS, NK, MM). Additional students had also received the opportunity to present and apply and interact with FSMA stakeholders. Water testing capability of the institution has been improved to great extent as well. Summary of some of the endeavors associate with water testing capability developed during the course of the project is available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/3/408 FSMA certifications workshops had been held as well that had led to certification of 13 individuals in 2019 cycle. Students had received some recent awards as well, these are the studnts that were in part funded by this project: -1st Place, Oral Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section. 2019 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Student: A. A. Nov 22, 2019. -2nd Place, Oral Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section. 2019 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Student: S. A. Nov 22, 2019. -3rd Place, Oral Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section. 2019 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Student: M. H. Nov 22, 2019. -1st Place (tied), Poster Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section. 2019 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. 2019 Summer Intern (supervisor A. Fouladkhah): A. C. Nov 22, 2019. -2nd Place, Poster Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section. 2019 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Student: S. A. Nov 22, 2019. -3rd Place, Poster Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section. 2019 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Student: M. H. Nov 22, 2019. -3rd Place, Poster Graduate Competitions, 2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: J. A. -2nd Place, Oral Graduate Competitions, 2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: A. A. -1st Place, Oral Graduate Competitions, 2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: M. H. Three students had also received a graduate degree, thanks to support from this project: Dissertation, Theses, and Report of Degrees (Edited and Chaired by A. Fouladkhah). Allison, A. 2019. Inactivation of Wild-type, Rifampicin-resistant, and Pressure-adopted Foodborne Bacteria of Public Health Concern and Microbial Spores using Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure. Doctoral Dissertation (Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Fall 2019. Henry-Smith, M. 2019. Control of biofilm and planktonic cells of Cronobacter sakazakii, Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, and Salmonella serovars using pressure-based and quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizers. Master of Science Thesis (Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Fall 2019. Keene, T. 2019. Public Health Burden of Listeria monocytogenes: Secondary Analyses of Recent Epidemiological Studies. Non-thesis Master of Science Graduate Seminar (Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Fall 2019. -Co-Development of Water Safety Teaching Videos by the help of sub-awardee from Iowa State University are the other deliverables of the project. Video 1: Water Testing. Available at: https://vimeo.com/user20353817/review/345950181/3d1e57190c [Accessed June, 25, 2020]. Video 2: Water Quality and Testing. Available at: https://player.vimeo.com/video/309109532 [Accessed June, 25, 2020].

Publications

  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Allison, A. 2019. Inactivation of Wild-type, Rifampicin-resistant, and Pressure-adopted Foodborne Bacteria of Public Health Concern and Microbial Spores using Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure. Doctoral Dissertation (Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Fall 2019.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Henry-Smith, M. 2019. Control of biofilm and planktonic cells of Cronobacter sakazakii, Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, and Salmonella serovars using pressure-based and quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizers. Master of Science Thesis (Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Fall 2019.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Keene, T. 2019. Public Health Burden of Listeria monocytogenes: Secondary Analyses of Recent Epidemiological Studies. Non-thesis Master of Science Graduate Seminar (Degree Chair: A. Fouladkhah). Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. Fall 2019.
  • Type: Websites Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: https://publichealthmicrobiology.education/
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fouladkhah*, A.; Thompson, B.; Camp, J.S. The Threat of Antibiotic Resistance in Changing Climate. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 748. Impact factor (2018-2019): 4.167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kabir, M.N.; Aras, S.; Wadood, S.; Chowdhury, S.; Fouladkhah*, A. Fate and Biofilm Formation of Wild-Type and Pressure-Stressed Pathogens of Public Health Concern in Surface Water and on Abiotic Surfaces. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 408. Impact factor (2018-2019): 4.167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Aras, S.; Kabir, M.N.; Chowdhury, S.; Fouladkhah*, A. Augmenting the Pressure-Based Pasteurization of Listeria monocytogenes by Synergism with Nisin and Mild Heat. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 563. Impact factor (2018-2019): 2.469
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Fouladkhah*, A.; Thompson, B.; Camp, J.S. Safety of Food and Water Supplies in the Landscape of Changing Climate. Microorganisms 2019, 7, 469. Impact factor (2018-2019): 4.167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kumar, A.; Allison, A.; Henry, M.; Scales, A.; Fouladkhah*, A. 2019. Development of Salmonellosis as Affected by Bioactive Food Compounds. Microorganisms 2019, 7, 364. The Featured Paper of Volume 7, Issue 9 (September 2019). Impact factor (2018-2019): 4.167
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Allison, A., Kabir, N., Adhikari, J., Henry, M., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. High-Pressure Pasteurization of Ground Meat for Decontamination of Rifampicin-Resistant Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Six Non-O157 Serogroups. 2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Allison, A., Henry, M., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Needs Assessment Survey of Producers of Raw Agricultural Commodities in Tennessee for Meeting the Requirements of Food Safety Modernization Act. 2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Adhikari, J., Kabir, N., Allison, A., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. High-Pressure Pasteurization of Salmonella Serovars and Rifampicin-Resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Apple Cider. 2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Henry, M., Allison, A., Adhikari, J., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Biofilm formation of wild-type and pressure-stressed Listeria monocytogenes at 7 and 25 �C and their sensitivity to quaternary ammonium compound. 2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Allison, A., Kabir, N., Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Sensitivity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, and Bacillus atrophaeus to Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure in Presence of Mild Heat, Nisin and Lysozyme. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Allison, A., Henry, M., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Needs Assessment Survey of Processors of Human Food in Tennessee for Meeting the Requirements of Food Safety Modernization Act. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Advances in Validation Studies for Pressure-based Pasteurization of Microbial Pathogens, Pressure-adopted Microorganisms, and Bacterial Spores. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Henry, M., Allison, A., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Biofilm formation of O157 and Non-O157 wild-type and pressure-stressed Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli at 7 and 25 �C and their sensitivity to quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizer. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kabir, N., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Effects of Come-Up and Come-Down Times on Efficacy of Pressure-Based Pasteurization of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kabir, N., Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Interactions of Carvacrol, Caprylic Acid, Habituation, and Mild Heat for Pressure-Based Inactivation of O157 and Non-O157 Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Low-Acid Environment. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Aras, S. Kabir, N., Adhikari, N., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Synergism of mild heat, nisin, and elevated hydrostatic pressure for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Aras, S., Fouladkhah, A., Pressure-based inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes as augmented by nisin. Health & Medical Sciences Oral Presentations. Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Nov 22, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Allison, A., Fouladkhah, A. Decontamination of pressure-stressed sessile bacteria of public health concern and microbial spores. Health & Medical Sciences Oral Presentations. Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Nov 22, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Henry-Smith, M., Fouladkhah, A. Use of an emerging technology and evidence-based recommendations for control of pathogenic Cronobacter and Salmonella serovars in infant formula. Health & Medical Sciences Oral Presentations. Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Nov 22, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Keene, T., Fouladkhah, A. Public health burden of Listeria monocytogenes: secondary analyses of recent epidemiological studies. Health & Medical Sciences Poster Presentations. Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Nov 22, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Chowdhury, A. Fouladkhah, A. Sensitivity of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Salmonella enterica serovars to pressure-based pasteurization. Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Nov 22, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: George, J., Fouladkhah, A. Decontamination of Staphylococcus aureus by pressure-based pasteurization. Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 129th annual meeting, Columbia State Community College. Columbia, TN. Nov 22, 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Updates on a Planning Activity Project for Development and Implementation of an Intercollegiate MPH Degree Tracked in Food Safety and Foodborne Diseases Epidemiology. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Adhikari, J., Allison, A., Henry, M., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Pressure-based pasteurization of wild-type and acid-adopted Escherichia coli O157 and non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars in orange juice. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.


Progress 04/01/18 to 03/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Our project is a collaborative study enhancing cooperative partnership among 1890 (Tennessee State University) and 1862 (Iowa State University) land-grant Institutions. The project also fosters collaboration within Tennessee by having members with Education and Agricultural Leadership, Plant Science Extension, Community Health, and Food Safety Extension, Regulatory Affairs from College of Agriculture with a colleague with program evaluation background in TSU School of Public Health. Through the conduct of training workshops, and needs assessment survey it is expected to establish enhanced partnership among project investigators, TSU agents, and stakeholders. Last objective of the project also provides a common ground for stakeholders' engagement, students' competition, networking, and leadership development as well as enhanced collaboration and partnership among the participants. In addition to students, water and food stakeholders, and practitioners in our field are the main audiences of our research project. Changes/Problems:There has been no major changes in the execution of the project. Faculty members of the project agreed to divert funds originally designated to support faculty salary for hiring an additional graduate research assistant instead. This change was proposed to the agency and was approved and thus the project PI was able to train one additional student (JA). He has been involved in several conference presentations and hasreceived two awards during his education journey in TSU (3rd Place in 2018 Tennessee Academy of Science Competition, and 3rd Placed in 2019 State-Wide Research Competition of regional IFT). Heis expected to obtain the dissertation-based graduate degree during the course of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Unlike vast majority of species, microbial communities have the tremendous ability to move towards diversity and fitness through vertical and horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, enabling the "emergence" of organisms with new characteristics in response to evolving agricultural and manufacturing environments. As such, assuring the safety of the public against natural and anthropogenic microbial pathogens from food and agricultural commodities is a daunting task and a moving target. Enhanced global travel and commerce, an increased proportion of food safety at-risk populations, and consumers' demand for nontraditional commodities such as minimally processed and ready-to-eat products also provide breeding grounds for emerging, novel, and reemerging infectious diseases associated with food and agricultural commodities. The public health burden of foodborne diseases is estimated at 420,000 lives every year around the globe, for a collective loss of over 33 million years of healthy living years annually. Most recent epidemiological investigations also reveal similar trends with roughly 1 out of 6 Americans experiencing illness episodes from these pathogens, leading to over 3,000 deaths, every year. The vast majority of the endeavors for control of contamination in food and agricultural environments had been primarily reactions, addressing an outbreak or recall after the occurrence. Signed into law in January of 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most comprehensive legislation in the U.S. food manufacturing and agricultural production in more than 70 years. The food safety law aims to ensure the safety of domestic and imported foods by shifting the focus of federal food regulatory agencies from responding to contamination to preventive measures. As comprehensive legislation with over 50 rules, the proposal and implementation of the law had been in progress and have gained increasing momentum in recent years. Students and post-doctoral associate of the project had a chance to obtain certification in Food Safety Modernization through FSPCA certification workshop conducted by the project director (A. Fouladkhah). The students had also the chance to present their research in national conference (2018 and 2019 Institute of Food Technologists and 2018 and 2019 International Association for Food Protection meetings, in Regional meetings (2019 TSU campus-wide research symposium, 2018 and 2019 Tennessee Academy of Science, and 2018 and 2019 State-Wide research competition for Food Safety Modernization, Food Safety, and Food Science Students). Students had also been involved in the conduct of regional needs assessment as presented in the product section and for the conduct of validation studies required in food safety plan under the food safety modernization act requirements. Advisees involved in the project had been able to publish their work in peer-reviewed journals with high impact factor (i.e. Microorganisms impact factor for 2018-2019= 4.167) and the published the abstract of their work in national and regional conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A rigorous, systematic preventive approach had only been part of food safety regulatory requirements for limited high-risk sectors of manufacturing such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point mandatory requirements for meat, poultry, and juice industries. Signed into law in January of 2011, Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most comprehensive legislation in the U.S. food manufacturing and agricultural production in more than 70 years. The food safety law aims to ensure the safety of domestic and imported foods by shifting the focus of federal food regulatory agencies from responding to contamination to preventive measures. As a comprehensive legislation with over 50 rules, the proposal and implementation of the law had been in progress and have gained increasing momentum in recent years.While vast majority of previous resources and food safety trainings, such USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) or FDA Food Code were categorized as a recommendation and optional practices, the Produce and Preventive Control rules of FSMA are required for non-exempt producers and processors. As such, the role of land-grant institutions is critical in the current food safety regulatory landscape. Results of our endeavors had been shared in various conferences with practitioners and stakeholders specifically: 2018 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologist 2018 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection 2018 Annual Meeting of Tennessee Academy of Science 2018 Annual Meeting of Tennessee State University campus-wide Research Symposium 2018 State-Wide Research Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection 2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologist 2019 Annual Meeting of Tennessee Academy of Science 2019 Annual Meeting of Tennessee State University campus-wide Research Symposium 2019State-Wide Research Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. In addition, a food safety modernization act booth was held during the 2019 State-Wide Research Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science students that were sponsored by the current project where information was dissemination to stakeholders and regional practitioners. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Food manufacturing and agricultural commodities market is highly volatile- producers and processors profit could be adversely affected to a great extent when a food safety outbreak occurs anywhere in the country. In addition to the loss of productivity and medical expenses, it is estimated that the annual cost of foodborne diseases in the United States is around $77.7 billion. In case of negligence from a producer or processor, where the legal and medical expenses are burdened back to the entrepreneur, costs per cases of illness episode could well exceed $100,000 per case. Under the first objective of this proposal, faculty from Tennessee and Iowa who obtained Lead Instructor (AF) and on-site readiness training (SC) status for Preventive Control and Produce Rules, will continue to deliver the critical information on this emerging regulation to their institutions' students andExtensionstakeholders. The PSA and FSPCA Lead Instructor training is providing highlights of the regulation for educators, while cooperativeExtensionspecialists, instructors, and lead instructors bear the responsibility of development and delivery of material for their corresponding regional production. As such, the third objective of the proposal is intending to develop outreach material and after assimilation of a systematic needs, assessment delineated under the approach section that is recently completed. This would enable the producers and processors of Tennessee and Iowa to rank their areas of concern and receive dissemination material and training in harmony with their food safety regulatory needs, tailored for small, and socially disadvantaged entrepreneurs.Meeting and exceeding Produce and Preventive Control Rules requirements would be critical for producers and processors regardless of the size of their operation. For those currently exempt from the produce regulation (i.e.those with three year average annual revenue of high-risk Raw Agricultural Commodities below $25K) and Preventive Control rule (e.g.direct sales to restaurants and consumers within 275 mile radius of their operations), training and certification would empower them to expand their businesses that otherwise had to remain inside the exemption "box" to be excluded from federal audits and compliance requirements. For non-exempt farmers and processors, the information would also be critical for continued access to the market since in post-FSMA era, Food and Drug Administration had received authority both for mandatory recall and suspension of noncompliant facilities. We are also expecting to continue the success in the training of the students involved in the project and contributing to the research and extension literature by presenting our work in key national and regional meetings and publishing our work in high impact factor peer-reviewed journals.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A series of peer-reviewed journal and conference presentations were generated due to work conducted in this period. Those are articulated in the products section. Project director had also been able to supervise education of a cohort of students, with success in competition and collegiate endeavors as delineated below for 2018-2019 academic year. A FSPCA workshop had been conducted in Fall 2018 and as delineated under the projects objective a state-wide research competition had been successfully organized with 9 awardees from University of Tennessee (SH, TK, PW, JVR) and Tennessee State University (AA, MH, JA, SH, KK). 2018-2019 Students' Research Competition Awards(Advisor: A. Fouladkhah): -3rd Place, Poster Graduate Competitions, 2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: J. Adhikari. -1st Place (tied) Poster Graduate Competitions, 2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: K. Karim. -2nd Place, Oral Graduate Competitions, 2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: A. Allison -1st Place, Oral Graduate Competitions, 2019 Annual State-wide Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: M. Henry -1stPlace, Oral Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section.2018 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 128th annual meeting, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. Student: M. Henry -2ndPlace, Oral Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section.2018 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 128th annual meeting, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. Student: A. Allison -3rdPlaces, Oral Competitions, Health and Medical Sciences section.2018 Tennessee Academy of Sciences. The 128th annual meeting, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. Student: J. Adhikari -1st Place (tied), Graduate Poster Competitions, 2018 Annual State-wide Poster Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: M. Henry. -1st Place, Undergraduate Poster Competitions, 2018 Annual State-wide Poster Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: B. Simpson. -2nd Place, Undergraduate Poster Competitions, 2018 Annual State-wide Poster Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: A. Sumlin. -3rd Place (tied), Undergraduate Poster Competitions, 2018 Annual State-wide Poster Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: K. Day. -3rd Place (tied), Undergraduate Poster Competitions, 2018 Annual State-wide Poster Competition for Food Safety Modernization Act, Food Safety, and Food Science Students. Tennessee (Volunteer) section Institute of Food Technologists. Student: K. Sampson. -3rd Place, Oral Competitions, Graduate Agricultural Sciences Oral I Division, 40th Annual University-Wide Research Symposium, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, 2018. Student: A. Allison. -2nd Place, Oral Competitions, Graduate Life and Physical Sciences Oral Division, 40th Annual University-Wide Research Symposium, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, 2018. Student: M. Henry. -2nd Place, Oral Competitions, Graduate Life and Physical Sciences Division, 40th Annual University-Wide Research Symposium, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, 2018. Student: A. Allison. 2018-2019 Students'Collegiate and Scholastic Recognitions(Advisor: A. Fouladkhah): -2018-2019 Outstanding MS Student of College*of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Sciences, Tennessee State University (Selected after peer-review by college faculty and NIFA judges, among approximately 138 graduate students/candidates in the college). Student: M. Henry, MS candidate -2018 Public Health Microbiology Graduate Student Publication Scholarship. Funds of $550 towards Publication and Open Access Fees, For Preparation of an Outstanding Manuscript as Part of AGSC 5540 Food Policies and Regulation Course. Student: M. Henry Nov 15, 2018 -2018-2019 Foundation/Food and Product Safety (FMI) Scholarship ($3,000).Student: A. Allison -2018-2019 Monsanto Undergraduate Scholarship($10K/2 years), Student: B. Simpson -2018-2022 POTUS (Preparing Our Tomorrow Uniquely in STEM) Fellowship program at Tennessee State University.(~ $115K/4 years), Student: A. Scales -2018 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Feeding Tomorrow Graduate Scholarship. Extension and Outreach Division. Student: A. Allison -2018 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Graduate Scholarship. 2018 Annual Conference of IAFP. Student: A. Allison

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kabir, M.N., Aras, S., Allison, A., Adhikari, J., Chowdhury, S. and Fouladkhah, A., 2019. Interactions of Carvacrol, Caprylic Acid, Habituation, and Mild Heat for Pressure-Based Inactivation of O157 and Non-O157 Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Acidic Environment. Microorganisms, 7(5), p.145. Impact factor(2018-2019): 4.167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Henry, M., Fouladkhah*, A. Outbreak History, Biofilm Formation, and Preventive Measures for Control of Cronobacter sakazakii in Infant Formula and Infant Care Settings. Microorganisms 2019, 7(3), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7030077. Impact factor(2018-2019): 4.167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Allison, A., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah*, A. Synergism of Mild Heat and High-Pressure Pasteurization against Listeria monocytogenes and Natural Microflora in Phosphate-Buffered Saline and Raw Milk. Microorganisms 2018, 6(4), 102. Impact factor(2018-2019): 4.167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Allison, A., Fouladkhah*, A. Sensitivity of Salmonella Serovars and Natural Microflora to High Pressure Pasteurization: Open Access Data for Practitioners and Risk Assessment. Data in Brief (Elsevier) 2018, 21:480484.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Allison, A., Kabir, N., Adhikari, J., Henry, M., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. High-Pressure Pasteurization of Ground Meat for Decontamination of Rifampicin-Resistant Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Six Non-O157 Serogroups. 2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Adhikari, J., Kabir, N., Allison, A., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. High-Pressure Pasteurization of Salmonella Serovars and Rifampicin-Resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Apple Cider. 2019 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, New Orleans, LA, June 2-5, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Allison, A., Kabir, N., Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Sensitivity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, and Bacillus atrophaeus to Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure in Presence of Mild Heat, Nisin and Lysozyme. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Adhikari, J., Allison, A., Henry, M., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Pressure-based pasteurization of wild-type and acid-adopted Escherichia coli O157 and non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars in orange juice. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Karim, K., Sampson, K., Henry, M., Kabir, N., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Survival and Inactivation of Wild-Type and Rifampicin-Resistant Cronobacter sakazakii and Background Microflora of Infant Formula using Mild Hydrostatic Pressure. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Henry, M., Allison, A., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Biofilm formation of O157 and Non-O157 wild-type and pressure-stressed Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli at 7 and 25 �C and their sensitivity to quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizer. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kabir, N., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Effects of Come-Up and Come-Down Times on Efficacy of Pressure-Based Pasteurization of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kabir, N., Aras, S., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Interactions of Carvacrol, Caprylic Acid, Habituation, and Mild Heat for Pressure-Based Inactivation of O157 and Non-O157 Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Low-Acid Environment. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Aras, S. Kabir, N., Adhikari, N., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2019. Synergism of mild heat, nisin, and elevated hydrostatic pressure for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes. 2019 Annual Meeting of International Association for Food Protection, Louisville, KY, July 21-24, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Adhikari, J., Fouladkhah, A. 2018. Inactivation of wild-type and acid-adopted Salmonella serovars and Escherichia coli O157:H7 using high pressure pasteurization. 128th Meeting Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences section, November 17, 2018 Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee (oral presentation [3rd Place]).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Allison A., Chowdhury S., Fouladkhah, A. 2018. Prevention of planktonic and sessile foodborne pathogens of public health concern using an emerging technology. 128th Meeting Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences section, November 17, 2018 Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee (oral presentation [2nd Place]).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Scales, A., Henry, M., Fouladkhah, A. 2018. Epidemiology of foodborne disease outbreaks in Tennessee and the United States: analysis of CDC National Outbreak Reporting System data of 1998 to 2016. 128th Meeting Tennessee Academy of Science, Health and Medical Sciences section, November 17, 2018 Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee (poster presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Allison, A., Chowdhury, S., Fouladkhah, A. 2018. High pressure pasteurization against O157 and Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. 128th Meeting Tennessee Academy of Science, Microbiology section, November 17, 2018 Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee (poster presentation).