Research Projects 2007-08
• Unversity of Arkansas
• Iowa State University
• Kansas State University
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| Steven C. Ricke |
During 2007, challenges to the continuation of the Food Safety Consortium persisted at the federal congressional level. Consequently, the technical committee and administration worked with congressional representatives to retain the FSC for 2008 and were successful for 2008-09, albeit for 25 percent less. Because of limited funds in this carryover year, no formal research meeting was planned for the fall of 2008. Working with the other two cooperating states, efforts are ongoing to secure the necessary congressional funding support needed to sustain the research activities of the FSC.
The book chapters generated from the papers presented at the October 2006 meeting have been written, peer reviewed and accepted for publication in a book to be processed by the University of Arkansas Press. It is anticipated that this book of comprehensive reviews will be published as both a hardbound and softbound book in 2009.
Summarized in the following sections are some of the brief updates on research projects directed toward enhancing and improving the safety of poultry products from “farm to table.” These are excerpts from investigators' reports based on their pre- and post-harvest research projects funded by multi-year grants, as reported for the fiscal year 2007-08 funding cycle.
Pre-Harvest Projects
Campylobacter
Poultry-derived Campylobacter is a leading cause of human foodborne illness and several anti-Campylobacter proteins naturally produced from non-pathogenic microorganisms exist in nature. Previously Donoghue and co-workers demonstrated that bacteriocins produced by Bacillus circulans and Paenibacillus polymyxa would reduce cecal Campylobacter colonization in the ceca of broiler chickens infected with Campylobacter jejuni. Since Campylobacter coli is considered the most prevalent Campylobacter isolate recovered in turkeys, they evaluated the efficacy of these bacteriocins against C. coli colonization. In addition, they examined the gastrointestinal architecture of young turkeys after the administration of these compounds.
Promising results were obtained in continuing work with two natural proteins termed bacteriocins and produced by two beneficial bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus. These bacteriocins prevented colonization of young commercial turkeys by the pathogen Campylobacter. Microscopic studies suggested that these two compounds gave this benefit by reducing the niches (called “intestinal crypts and goblet cells”) in which this pathogen likes to set up shop. The dynamic reduction in crypt depth and goblet cell density in turkeys dosed with bacteriocin may provide clues to how bacteriocins inhibit enteric Campylobacter. Furthermore, results from these in vivo and follow up in vitro studies indicate that Campylobacter did not develop resistance to the antimicrobial effects of these bacteriocins.
Even though certain aspects of gut colonization of poultry by C. jejuni are well known, key information concerning the process involved with colonization remain a mystery. Knowing how colonization proceeds could greatly enhance control of C. jejuni leading to more of likely campylobacteriosis reduction. Thus, a major question involved in colonization of poultry is the initial source of C. jejuni. Poor cleaning, biosecurity breaches, poor house maintenance, short empty periods, insects and the presence of other animals on the farm have all been suggested as risk factors. However, detecting sources of Campylobacter infection to flocks remains difficult and, due to the susceptibilities and highly fastidious nature of C. jejuni, carryover between flocks is difficult to explain. Some studies suggest the risk factor for carryover is relatively low and that a persistent reservoir, such as a biofilm, may be a more likely source. This is a realistic scenario since many other bacteria and pathogens utilize a biofilm strategy for survival in adverse environments and to cause disease.
Hanning and Slavik determined whether C. jejuni biofilm formation is an important precursor for initial colonization in birds. They used a series of chick infection and tissue culture experiments to compare Campylobacter growth either in broth (nonbiofilm) or adherent to agar (biofilm). In general, broth grown cultures were more effective colonizers in both systems. This led them to conclude that colonization was more likely dependent on growth phase. So then the question becomes: Just how does growth phase influence Campylobacter virulence and subsequent infectivity capabilities?
Listeria
Listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes is a severe disease that can lead to septicemia, meningitis, and spontaneous abortion in susceptible persons. Despite the continued listeriosis outbreaks from turkey, the ecology and reservoir of these strains in turkey processing plants is still really not understood. Animals infected with listeriosis are often immunosuppressed due to other stressors.
Based on this concept, Huff and coworkers hypothesized that one source of L.m. contamination of poultry processing plants could be incoming stressed birds sustaining sub-clinical L.m. infection within the leg joint synovial tissues. These bacteria could then be released into the processing plant environment when birds are cut up. In this phase of their work they focused on a common stressor of all poultry processing operations, namely, transport of live birds to the processing plant. Using molecular detection approaches and comparing a severe stress model with transport induced, they concluded that the modeled severe stress could indeed increase carcass contamination with environmentally acquired L.m., but the effects of transport stress were variable. This supports the idea that overall chronic or unapparent colonization of turkey knee joint tissues can constitute an unexpected source of L.m. contamination in processing plant environments for cross contamination to finished raw or cooked products. However, the degree of stress may influence the extent of colonization in these tissues.
Salmonella
Salmonella infestations in poultry flocks and poultry products remain persistent. Hargis and coworkers have focused on early interventions such as the application of lactic acid bacteria-based probiotics originating from the avian gut microflora can help prevent initial establishment of Salmonella in young birds when they are most susceptible. These culture probiotics significantly reduce incidence of Salmonella Enteritidis positive birds in commercial flocks of both broiler chickens and of turkeys as well as increase feed efficiency performance under commercial conditions. The successful Lactobacillus containing cultures have been identified commercially as FM-B1TM and licensed to a University of Arkansas start-up company. In 2007, the technology and product developed by this group was awarded a Federal Laboratory Consortium Excellence in Technology Transfer Award (National USDA Research Award). However, for such technologies to be fully implemented commercial probiotics should be shelf-stable, cost-effective and feed-stable (tolerance to heat pelletization process, for example). To this end Hargis's group are currently focused on the identifying Bacillus probiotic candidates. Bacillus bacterial species are spore formers and as spores can be stored indefinitely on the shelf and be used under extreme heat conditions. Preliminary studies indicate a potential mechanistic action of these new Bacillus candidates involving rapid activation of innate host immune mechanisms (system or responses) in chickens and turkeys. Development of a spore-based probiotic represents a potential new generation of vastly superior and more potent probiotics for the poultry industry.
Post-Harvest Projects
Campylobacter
Part of the difficulty with controlling Campylobacter lies with the ability to track it through a myriad of environments and hosts using the labor intensive molecular identification tools such as pulse-field gel electrophoresis. Eisenach and her group have developed a repetitive DNA sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting approach. Their method utilizes PCR amplification of repeat motifs of the Campylobacter genome based on the concept that diverse and discernible DNA banding patterns can be used to differentiate isolates from varied environments. In addition to comparisons with more standardized molecular methodologies, reproducibility was assessed using poultry isolates. Their rep PCR method compared favorably with PFGE, and the data are being used to construct relatedness diagrams or dendograms. These will provide a means to quantitate how closely related different isolates are to one another from their rep PCR patterns. This will provide a much more rapid analytical tool for better and more precise epidemiology of Campylobacter foodborne pathogens.
Antibiotic resistant in foodborne pathogens continues to be a public health issue. Johnson's group using a direct plating method tracked persistence of ciprofloxacin resistance in Campylobacter present on raw retail carcasses from 2002 through 2006. Although there was some reduction in the incidence of antibiotic resistant isolates resistance still persisted, despite the fact that the FDA approval for the use of the ciprofloxacin family of antibiotics for poultry management was withdrawn in 2005. Recently, Johnson's group in cooperation with Ricke and Crandall's groups has initiated efforts to explore the ability of citrus-based natural antimicrobials to inhibit growth of Campylobacter isolates obtained from retail poultry carcasses rinses. Initial screening using agar clearing zone assays indicate that orange cold-pressed valencia terpeneless fractions were particularly inhibitory toward a wide range of C. jejuni and C. coli isolates. Optimizing their application for commercial poultry products is a likely next direction.
Listeria
In food production environments foodborne Listeria undergo fairly radical changes in nutrient availability and must respond accordingly to persist. Johnson's group has previously demonstrated starved L.m. cells can survive up to 180 days in minimal nutrient backgrounds. As a follow-up the group has further examined mechanisms of energy metabolism during starvation under anaerobic and aerobic atmospheric conditions. Using a variety of metabolic inhibitors they concluded that protein synthesis does occur during multiple nutrient starvation and that both glycolytic and electron transport pathways are needed for protein synthesis. However, the energy generating pathways utilized may be different under anaerobic versus aerobic environmental conditions. Energy generation pathways may also be differentiated in food processing conditions based on biosynthetic pathway. A second study employing pathogen functional microarrays indicated that L.m. cell division and DNA metabolism may require a different energy generating pathway than the phosphotransferase systems. How these results impact virulence expression remains to be determined.
Salmonella
Multiple hurdle approaches such as combining thermal with acids to limit Salmonella and other pathogens during processing have come into vogue as better strategies to reduce overall levels and limit survivors. However, Salmonella spp. are quite capable of eliciting resistance to these hurdles -- particularly if they are administered at less than lethal doses. Once this happens there is a danger that this less than lethal exposure will lead to “cross-protection” to other supposedly unrelated hurdles. Clearly, a multiple hurdle strategy that involves interventions that do not offset each other would be desired. Ricke's group, as an offshoot of their earlier real-time PCR work, are now using microarray technology to screen large sets of genes to see what genes are turned on or off by typical sublethal intervention treatments. Results indicated that many genes are turned on in their expression after treatments such as temperature increases and acid exposure. This work should lead to the application of rapid genomic-based tools to assess and design optimal multiple hurdle combinations.
Multiple hurdle strategies for limiting foodborne Salmonella may have other potential advantages as well. Salmonella and other foodborne pathogenic bacteria interact with food surfaces not only by nonspecific mechanisms but can also use specific mechanisms to attach to food matrix surfaces. In turn attached bacteria may form biofilms, thus potentially allowing them to escape from or become more resistant to environmental and sanitizing treatments. Thus, limiting biofilm formation should obial efficacy. Hettiarachchy and coworkers determined whether combinations of organic acids would inhibit Salmonella Typhimurium biofilm formation using an assay based on adherence to titer plate wells. At lower concentrations organic acids disrupted biofilm formation while higher concentrations led to bacterial death. However, specific responses were dependent on the type of organic acid.
Hetteriarachchy and her group have also examined combinations of organic acids with natural plant extracts. They incorporated fenugreek, grape seed, or green tea extracts plus organic acids in either broth culture models or raw and cooked ready-to-eat poultry meat either having undergone electron beam irradiation or storage. Malic acid and tartaric acids were the most potent against the three pathogens tested, L.m., E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium. Their next step is to find the inhibitory effect of the most effective treatments from this study when they are combined, in the chicken meat model, with varying dosage strengths of irradiation. In addition they want to determine the above treatment effects on poultry quality attributes including, rate of lipid oxidation, color, flavor, internal pH and texture.
Conclusions
Foodborne diseases have not gone away and continue to receive considerable media coverage. The food safety research conducted by Food Safety Consortium researchers at the University of Arkansas reflect a combination of mechanistic understanding followed by developing and applying technologies that will help limit initial pathogen establishment in live poultry and inhibit their proliferation in post-harvest settings. More effective and rapid detection tools are being further refined and should enhance epidemiology response times. As we better understand of the mechanisms that these pathogens use to overcome the adversity of food production and processing environments we will be better positioned to not only contain and limit foodborne pathogens in food production but actually be preemptive and prevent initial occurrence of foodborne pathogen contamination in food.
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| James S. Dickson |
The Iowa State University component of the Food Safety Consortium funded five research projects and two diversity graduate assistantships in 2007-2008. Research scientists representing several academic departments at the university, as well as USDA-ARS and HHS-FDA, were involved. The primary basis for research under this research program has been the enhancement of the safety of pork and pork products. The research projects encompassed many aspects of food safety as it is currently viewed, from the farm to the consumer. Since the Food Safety Consortium was not funded by special grants during this time period, the funding to continue the program was made available from Hatch funds and other administrative funds within Iowa State University.
Diversity Graduate Assistantships
Recognizing the need to enhance diversity in the field of food safety, the Iowa State University portion of the Food Safety Consortium funded two diversity assistantships in 2007-2008. This support was half of the typical assistantship, with the major professor supplying the matching funds and tuition funding. The two students receiving support were Ph.D. students, one working in the area of risk assessment and the other in the microbiological safety of pork products.
Research Grants
Preharvest Interventions
The Iowa State University component of the Food Safety Consortium funded two research projects relating to pre-harvest interventions. The first, with Drs. Tuggle, Wannemuller and Bearson (USDA-ARS, NADC) evaluated the immune response of swine to salmonellae, to determine if there are opportunities to prevent contamination of the live animal. They have identified a large number of genes that are differentially expressed in whole blood at 48 hours post-Salmonella infection between pigs that persistently shed bacteria up to 21 days post infection and those that shed low to non-detectable numbers. These genes have specific functional pathway annotation, which are clues as to the biological differences between these shedding phenotypes.
Dr. Cornick investigated the potential for Escherichia coli O157:H7 to become endemic in swine. While E. coli O157:H7 is commonly associated with ruminants, it has been demonstrated that this bacterium can also infect swine. The potential consequences of swine becoming a source of this bacterium are significant. Her research showed that fewer pigs fed diets containing subtherapeutic levels of either tylosin or chlorotetracycline shed E. coli O157:H7 for longer than two weeks compared to those fed an antibiotic-free diet. These results suggest that subtherapeutic antibiotics may reduce the persistence of E. coli O157:H7 in swine.
Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter in Swine
Dr.'s Zhang and Wesley (USDA-ARS, NADC) evaluated the antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter found in live pigs. Macrolides are an important class of antibiotics used for clinical treatment of campylobacteriosis caused by Campylobater spp. There is a trend that Campylobacter, especially C. coli, is increasingly resistant to macrolides. Although the point mutation (A2074G or A2075G) in 23S rRNA is a well known mechanism for macrolide resistance in Campylobacter, the contribution of cell permeability and other types of mutations in the 23S rRNA gene or other target proteins to macrolide resistance are poorly understood. Using various techniques and multiple Campylobacter strains collected from swine and turkey farms as well as in vitro selected Campylobacter mutants, we revealed two new mutations that are potentially associated with macrolide resistance in Campylobacter. One is the C2113T mutation in the 23S rRNA gene and the other is a six-nucleotide deletion in the L22 gene, both of which are associated with intermediate-level resistance to erythromycin. We also found that the field isolates collected from swine and turkey farms harbored different types of resistance-associated mutations compared with in vitro selected erythromycin-resistant mutants.
Post-Harvest Interventions
The Food Safety Consortium funded two post-harvest research projects, one on decontamination and the other on detection methods. Dr. Mendonca's laboratory researched the destruction of Salmonella enterica on pork skin using a solution of organic acids and surfactants.
Dr. Brehm-Stecher's laboratory evaluated flow cytometry as a detection method for foodborne pathogens in pork. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a rapid molecular method for the detection of specific pathogens. In the FISH technique, fluorescently labeled oligomer probes are reacted with ribosomal RNA present in whole microbial cells, leading to the selective “phylogenetic staining” of target pathogens. As a whole cell fluorescent method, FISH can be combined with flow cytometry to enable the rapid detection and enumeration of specific cells in complex samples. In this work, we sought to evaluate the utility of combined FISH and flow cytometry for the rapid detection of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in contaminated pork products, including raw, cubed pork and pork franks. Both pathogens were directly detectable at high levels of contamination (106 CFU/g) in cubed pork (Salmonella) and pork franks (Listeria). Unambiguous detection of both pathogens at low levels (102 CFU/g) was also possible after only 8 hours of non-selective pre-enrichment in either buffered peptone water or universal pre-enrichment broth.
Consumer Information
It is imperative that the information developed in the research laboratory be transferred to the general public, in a format accessible to them. The Consortium continues to help fund the food safety web page designed and maintained under the direction of Dr. Catherine Strohbehn. The Food Safety Consortium consumer Web site project continues to receive a significant number of site visits and be recognized for its work. More than 600,000 visitors have accessed the food safety web site home page or one of its links over the past year. Visitors accessed our site with an average of approximately 10 minutes per visit.
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| Curtis Kastner |
Because of the productivity record of the Food Safety Consortium, other government, industry and academic initiatives have been integrated to enhance output relative to FSC goals. Specifically, the FSC methods development; hazard elimination, validation studies; economics, policy and trade and educational initiatives have resulted in other support which is twice that of the Consortium. That support has significantly increased the FSC output that includes not only food safety but food security, defense and protection. The following progress report summarizes those outputs.
Microbial Food Safety
Contaminated surfaces of food processing equipment are believed to be a significant source of L. monocytogenes to foods. The effectiveness of an ozone generator with cold plasma discharge reaction in reducing Listeria monocytogenes populations on stainless steel surfaces was evaluated. The ozone levels were monitored at 0.018-0.02 ppm for 0, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours. At the end of 24 hours the microbial counts obtained were below the detection limits (D.L < 10 CFU/cm2) on Modified Oxford Medium (MOX), while the injured cells due to ozone process recovered on Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) showed a reduction of 1.67 log CFU/cm2.
Ineffective and inadequate cleaning and sanitizing procedures are some of the major causes of recontamination of food products with Listeria monocytogenes. The effectiveness of Maquat-A and PolysphereTM in reducing or inhibiting the biofilm formation of L. monocytogenes on stainless steel was evaluated. L. monocytogenes was not recovered from either Maquat-A or PolysphereTM treatments (D.L.= 0.9Log10 CFU/cm2) in any of the recovery media.
Floor drains in processing environments harbor Listeria due to continuous presence of humidity and organic substrates. The cleaning and washing activities undertaken in the processing facilities can translocate the bacterial cells from the drain to the surrounding environment, thus contaminating food products being produced. The potential for translocation of Listeria monocytogenes from drains to food contact surfaces in the surrounding environment using Listeria innocua as surrogate was evaluated. A 7-by-7-by-8 feet flexi-glass chamber was built in which a 10-inch diameter drain mounted on an aluminum cabinet was placed. Significantly higher translocation (p<0.05) was seen at 1 foot, followed by 3 feet and 5 feet indicating that bacterial cells are able to transfer from the drain to the surrounding surfaces.
The effectiveness of Johnson Diversey 'Eliminex' Foaming Drain Cleaner and Johnson Diversey 'Final Step' 512 sanitizer for inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes in drain surfaces using Listeria innocua as a surrogate was evaluated. A 7-by-7-by-8 feet flexi glass chamber was built in which a 10-inch diameter drain mounted on an aluminum cabinet was placed. The drain was inoculated with the surrogate organism, Listeria innocua at specific time intervals was treated with the given chemicals. Reductions up to 4 log CFU were seen at the different sampling sites, drain surface, drain crate, drain pipe and wash water for both free cells and cells entrapped in biofilms.
Current methods for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) from foods are limited by an inefficiency of toxin recovery after extraction, particularly when low toxin concentrations are present. Food matrix effects are important contributors to assay sensitivity and preparation protocols should be optimized for the specific assay and food matrix being utilized. The efficiency of three sample processing methods for recovery of low levels of SEB from food products using a commercial electrochemiluminescence (ECL)-based detection technology (BioVeris™ M1M) was evaluated. SEB was detected down to 0.5 ng/g or mL in meat samples. The samples processed using the Pulsifier yielded comparable or higher S:B ratios compared to the Stomacher method.
ECA Check® Easygel® Plus is a pectin based gelling system with calcium ions that does not require heating and can chromogenically and/or fluorogenically distinguish four organisms including Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Aeromonas, and coliforms. ECA Check® Easygel® has shown comparable or better recovery than conventional means for beef and turkey samples.
The effectiveness of the Seward Stomacher®, Pulsifier®, Interscience Bagmixer® and AES-Chemunex Lab Blender Smasher® with regards to viable cell count of 10 foods, subjective and objective noise levels during operation, the ease of cleaning the instruments after use and ergonomic design was evaluated. Results from the two replications performed thus far have shown no significant difference in recovery of both aerobic and E. coli/coliform counts. The Pulsifier produced the highest decimal levels and was also scored most difficult to clean in comparison to the other machines that scored acceptable to very good for ease of cleaning and ergonomics.
USDA/FSIS has issued two jerky compliance guidelines that provide processing parameters for controlling pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. When the smokehouse dry bulb (D.B.) temperature was 52 degrees C and relative humidity (R.H.) was approximately 20 percent for 45 minutes followed by 57 degrees C D.B. and R.H. at approximately 20 percent for 60 minutes, 60 degrees C D.B. and R.H approximately 23 percent for 45 minutes, and 63 degrees C D.B. with 22 percent R.H. for 45 minutes, a ≥5 log reduction was observed for Salmonella spp. populations. However, an additional 68 degrees C D.B. with no R.H. for 90 minutes was needed to achieve a ≥5 log reduction of E. coli O157:H7.
Persimmon puree may be a natural alternative that could be incorporated into food products to naturally control pathogens. The efficacy of persimmon puree in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) to suppress Escherichia coli O157 (Ec O157) and Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) was evaluated. Initial data suggest that persimmon puree could be an effective antimicrobial against Lm bacteria in a liquid system. The effectiveness on other Gram (+) pathogens and E. coli O157 and other Gram (-) bacteria is being further researched.
Chemical Food Safety
Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are mutagenic and suspected carcinogenic compounds that are produced in protein-rich muscle foods that have been barbecued, grilled, broiled or fried. The influence of commercial rosemary extracts on the inhibition of HCA formation in cooked beef patties was evaluated. The results showed that the rosemary extracts, galangal and fingerroot significantly reduced HCAs in cooked beef patties compared to controls. Antioxidant containing spices can be a simple and effective method for decreasing carcinogenic compounds in meat products.
Three different types of meat packages, filled with water and fresh beef semitendinosus muscle, were exposed to different ammonia concentrations and different time periods at a temperature of -18 degrees C with an ammonia flow rate of 40 mL/min. Two essential tests were performed for the exposed samples; pH and ammonia concentration. Low-density polyethylene, multilayer polyolefin, and polyamide/polyethylene bags effectively prevented the meat from being contaminated during low-level ammonia (50 and 250 ppm) refrigerant exposure.
A rapid, cheap, low-technology alternative to the Soxhlet method for the extraction of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone (2-DCB) that can quantify 2-DCB and thus estimate irradiation dose in commercial meat products was evaluated. Direct solvent extraction, using acetonitrile, was as efficient as the Soxhlet method for extracting 2-DCB from irradiated ground beef. The method provides a relatively quick inexpensive and sensitive method to evaluate product compliance to regulations.
Consumer Studies
A continuing problem with consumer acceptance of irradiation is the level of unfamiliarity meat with the process and with the science behind it. While the technology has been around for decades, most U.S. consumers remain unfamiliar with it. The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess consumer familiarity with food irradiation in two markets -- Wichita, Kan., and Los Angeles; 2) assess consumer reaction to the recent spinach E. coli outbreak; and 3) assess acceptability of food irradiation as a risk-reducing technology when irradiation is performed using one of two technologies -- electron beam or gamma radiation. These results related to the highly visible spinach outbreak are applicable to meat. Ordered probit analysis of the responses showed, other things being equal, statistically significant positive effects on the likelihood of choosing irradiated product associated with a) residence in Wichita versus residence in Los Angeles and b) respondent income. After controlling for respondent demographics, there was no significant difference found between gamma and e-beam technology in terms of their effect on the likelihood of choosing irradiated product.
There is a lack of research examining whether safe food handling labels are perceived as effective and translate into actual safe food handling behavior, including the use of proper thawing and cooking techniques, the use of measures to minimize cross-contamination, and the use of meat thermometers to confirm doneness. A novel video capture system was used to observe the kitchen preparation practices of 41 consumers -- 21 primary meal preparers and 20 adolescents -- using uncooked, frozen, breaded chicken products and to determine if differences exist between consumers' intent and actual safe food handling behavior. There were notable differences between self-reported and actual observed food safety behaviors. A relatively high number of all participants (73 percent) were observed washing their hands prior to beginning food preparation for the first time. Adolescents also made significantly more food preparation mistakes compared to the primary meal preparers. Although, many participants reported owning a food thermometer (73 percent) and using it when cooking raw breaded chicken entrees (19.5 percent), very few participants were observed measuring the final internal temperature with a food thermometer.
Border Security, Food Security, and Trade Policy
Policy analysis, historical studies, and multidisciplinary synthesis research has appeared in a variety of formats during the last year. The Frontier website -- http://frontier.k-state.edu -- features not only research materials but also multimedia and podcasted content related to food safety and trade policy.
Policy-related work in 2007-08 has included the following:
In August 2008, for the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service's Cochran Fellowship Program, the Frontier program is providing food safety, trade, and policy training for three food regulatory officials from Thailand.
A November 2007 Food Safety Forum was held in Mexico City as part of a larger Kansas Trade Mission to Mexico. The Kansas Department of Commerce was in charge of this event, to which they invited Frontier researchers to speak about Kansas-Mexico food safety and trade relations.
In April 2008, researchers delivered a talk on “How can we improve the effectiveness of policies related to food safety and trade?” for the USDA W2177 Regional Research Meeting (devoted to enhancing the competitiveness of U.S. meats).
A manuscript in the Journal of Borderlands Studies of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (a North American agreement for cross-border cooperation in food safety, animal health, and plant health) highlighted how routinized regulatory workflows can help foster cooperation in food safety and trade policy.
Researchers examined import security regarding Chinese seafood. Using software developed by CREMe Software Ltd, graduate student Edward Nyambok presented a conference paper in September 2008 on this research that was still in progress. Mr. Nyambok is using CREMe to model the population-based risk of specific chemical contaminants that have prompted FDA import alerts in the seafood sector.
Other 2007-2008 work that deserves particular attention includes the following:
The Frontier program and its new Frontier Interdisciplinary eXperience (FIX) educational program has been funded by the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) to help foster precisely what the Food Safety Consortium has charged Frontier with: that is, to foster multidisciplinary appreciation and understanding of food safety, food protection, food defense, border security, food security, and trade policy. The initial cohort of NCFPD-funded FIX students began Fall 2008.
Food Safety Education
Credit courses in food science and food safety have been developed and continue to be updated for distance education. These courses integrate interactive components to create an experiential learning environment similar to on-campus courses. Many of these courses have been captured with an enhanced media system while faculty teach students on campus. Student evaluations of the courses have been positive and supportive for the future creation of additional interactive components and courses as part of a food safety and security curriculum. The courses integrate results from the Food Safety Consortium along with research from other sources.
Core Competencies:
• A Multidisciplinary Overview of Food Safety and Security
• Food Microbiology
• Principles of HACCP
• Food Toxicology
Elective Courses:
• Principles of Food Defense for the Food Industry
• Advanced food Biotechnology
• Food Laws, Regulations and the Regulatory Process
• Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology
• Risk Assessment for Food, Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
The Master of Public Health-Food Safety Emphasis Area is offered.