The major goals of this project are to improve produce safety by reducing pathogen cross-contamination and proliferation through development and validation of new technologies, and to develop the scientific basis to support science- and risk-based food safety performance standards and practices.

Taking a holistic and systematic approach, we will partner with industry to address the following five objectives:

1. Develop and validate food safety preventive controls for water use in fresh-cut processing and whole-produce packinghouse operation.

2. Evaluate an innovative immersion-free fresh-cut produce washing technology to improve food safety and reduce potential risks.

3. Advance understanding of fresh-cut washing processes, and develop novel technologies to improve efficacy.

4. Evaluate effects on fresh-cut produce quality and safety, and energy use for open display and closed-door display case configurations.

5. Evaluate economic, social, and environmental impacts of pathogen control technologies and practices.;

6. Disseminate scientific information to stakeholders and facilitate adoption (integrated research-extension approach).

Funding for this project was provided by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2016-51181-25403.

I invite you to explore this project website, read our publications and presentations, and watch our outreach videos from this grant that runs from 10/01/2016  to 08/31/2021.