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  • Screenshot of video with blue background

    Four videos are now available from the FSIPC-Food Safety Stakeholder Workshop-2020.  Each video covers a session from the virtual workshop.

  • Pile of vegetables

    You are invited to a (virtual) fresh produce food safety workshop hosted by participants from USDA-NIFA project (#2016-51181-25403) entitled Food Safety Innovations and Preventive Controls during Fresh-cut Produce Washing and Retail Display”.

  • tomatoes

    Co-PI Schneider organized four visits to Florida tomato packinghouses to analyze wash water and tomatoes (pre- and post-wash). Chemical (pH, free Cl, ORP, turbidity, temperature, TDS, COD) and microbiological analysis were performed to evaluate the efficacy of chlorine sanitizer in preventing cross-contamination and reducing microbial load on the tomatoes. Laboratory experiments were also performed to find chlorination break point and stability of free chlorine in simulated wash water.

  • Tranference graphic

    Project team members from the USDA-ARS identified key factors, including sanitizer concentrations and operational conditions, that affect bacteria survival and transference during produce washing. Their findings were used by an industry and multi-agency taskforce to develop “Guidelines to Validate Control of Cross-Contamination during Washing of Fresh-Cut Leafy Vegetables,” which was published in the Journal of Food Protection in 2017. These guidelines can help the produce industry to implement science- and risk-based food safety practices in their operations. 

  • Group visiting Lipman Produce

    Members of the USDA-ARS project team visited Lipman Produce and Taylor Farms fresh-cut processing facilities in New Jersey, October 2018. The team is collaborating with Lipman Produce to conduct commercial scale experiments and collect water and produce samples for testing.

  • Co-PI Nou and project team members (Luo, Millner) recently received $360,199 from the Center for Produce Safety to support their research on “Assessing growth potential and kinetics of L. monocytogenes on a variety of fresh produce and factors affecting Lm persistence”. 

  • PD Luo and Co-PDs Millner and Pearlstein recently collaborated with Dr. Boce Zhang from University of Massachusetts on research to prevent biofilm and surface-mediated cross-contamination. The team (led by Zhang) received a grant from the Center for Produce Safety for $269,825.

  • Tomatoes

    Project team members from the USDA-ARS and the University of Florida teamed up with Florida tomato growers and packers to address critical food safety data gaps identified by the industry.

  • Yanguang Luo receives award

    PD Dr. Yaguang (Sunny) Luo was named 2018 IFT Fellow for her exemplary contribution in the field of food science, especially on produce food safety.

  • Team coordinates session

    PD Luo and Co-PI Brecht coordinated a session at the American Society for Horticultural Science, 2018 Annual Conference entitled “Minimizing Food Safety Risks While Maintaining Quality of Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce,” which included expert speakers from industry, government, and academia.

  • Co-PI Dr. Lydia Bourouiba was a 2018 recipient of the Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award for creative and innovative junior investigators working on high impact ideas to generate breakthroughs and drive new directions in biomedical research.

  • PD Luo partnered with scientists from Israel and Harvard University in developing cutting edge technologies for food safety. The team was recently awarded a $310,000 grant from BARD (US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund) to develop “Green nature inspired nano-sanitizers for enhancing safety of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables”.

  • Droplet graphic

    Splashing Droplet Research

    Co-PI Bourouiba’s work was featured in an MIT News article highlighting a new theory that describes the intricacies of a splashing droplet. These findings may help track the movement of biological contaminants.

  • Co-PIs Millner and Hashem organized the 2nd 1890 ARD and USDA-ARS Food Safety Symposium in Belstville, MD. The purpose of the symposium was to highlight current 1890 research, education, and extension efforts and impacts related to food safety and agricultural water quality, and to provide networking opportunities to develop collaborations among 1890 Universities’ Food Safety Consortium participants and USDA-ARS scientists in future activities.

  • Tour of a lab

    Project team members from the USDA-ARS gave tours to visitors during the 2nd 1890 ARD and USDA-ARS Food Safety Symposium, and the Food Safety and Technology Council Meeting, United Fresh Produce Association.

  • Workshop team

    Co-PI Millner, co-organized the First Annual Association of 1890 Research Directors Food Safety and Water Consortium Workshop. The team members presented our research advances and provided guided tours of our research facilities for 65 attendees. April, 2015.

  • The FDA FSMA PCHF fact sheet was recently updated and is now available on the FDA FSMA website.

  • FSMA Compliance Dates

    A new web page on fda.gov lists compliance dates for rules that form the foundation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. There is also a graphic timeline on the page that lists key compliance dates by year. Additionally, the web pages for the two preventive controls rules – which had the first major compliance dates -- have been updated.

  • The FDA announced the availability of a Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG) to help small businesses understand the requirements of the Final Rule on the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food (Sanitary Transportation Rule). Small businesses have until April 6, 2018, to comply with the rule.

  • Student intern group photo

    Student interns, including students from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and 1890 Land Grant Institutions, worked with project team members, summer 2015. Project provided unique research experience and exposure for students to learn about produce safety hands-on. We also mentored high school students and supported their science fair projects.

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