Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The meeting convened at 8:12 am with a welcome by Anne Plotto and a round of introductions. Review of agenda - the agenda of the 2010 meeting was approved by voice vote without discussion. Approval of 2009 minutes - the 2009 minutes were approved by voice vote without discussion. Remarks from Dave Gombas, UFPA Vice President - Dr. Gombas discussed how United wants to foster engagement between scientists/students and industry members. He suggested that UFPA needs an official liaison from S-294. He further suggested creating a forum for scientist-industry communication, maybe a research advisory board with the structure to be determined later. Gombas stated that the industry can help identify both immediate & long term research needs for S-294. Regarding funding for such research, Brecht suggested that S-294 propose to AFRI a conference grant for a symposium with industry. Report from the Administrative Adviser, Reuben Moore - Dr. Moore discussed the budget situation at Land Grant Universities and ARS. Remarks and presentation about SCRI by CSREES Representative, Ram Rao - Dr. Rao reported that the SCRI grant program has been transferred to NIFA. AFRI was authorized at $700 million - he discussed the approach by AFRI in prioritizing research in terms of the focus, scale, and impact. There will be five program areas, including Food Safety. Dr. Rao indicated that AFRI expects greater collaborations and stakeholder involvement. There will opportunities for larger grants (up to $25 million) and greater duration (5 yr). SCRI was approved with $230 million of mandatory funding for 2008-12; project must include both research and extension, with priority going to multi-state/multi-institutional projects; there must 100% non-federal matching funds; proposed projects must address critical needs of the specialty crops industry. Focus areas (at least 10% to each) 1. Breeding/genetics; 2. Pests/diseases; 3. Production efficiency/product/profit. 4. Innovation and technology; 5. Food safety (food safety has been the least funded - including food safety in your proposal increases the chance of funding). NIFSI 2010. Integrated approach (2/3 RTE); from theory to practice. Priority: 1. Education & training for all stakeholders; 2. Safety of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Zeroed out for 2011 and $$ shifted to AFRI. Planning for the 2011 meeting - The next UFPA Fresh Summit convention will be in New Orleans, May 3-5. It was agreed that S-294 should meet prior to that on May 2. Election of new Secretary - Charles Forney was nominated and unanimously elected as Secretary for 2010-11. Poster Competition - The topic of discussion was whether to continue this tradition or discontinue it. There was discussion of the effectiveness of posters in communicating research activities to Fresh Summit attendees from industry; Lefcourt mentioned lack of promotion in program. UFPA is trying something new this year by having a discussion area and has scheduled scientists to discuss their work. Brecht suggested working with UFPA to come up with more innovative approaches, e.g., video posters. Suslow suggested submitting abstracts of proposed research in addition to reporting on completed research. Science Symposium -Plotto mentioned previous topics that have been covered in Science Symposia. She suggested as a topic, targeted nutrition based on individual genome. Rao mentioned the Childhood Obesity priority area related to nutrition and FFV. Cantwell suggested the interaction of sensory quality and nutrition. Lefcourt suggested exploring socioeconomic aspects of FFV consumption. Beaulieu suggested the effect of sanitation treatments on flavor and nutrition. These ideas and others suggestions from the S-294 participants will be communicated to UFPA during preparation for the 2011 Fresh Summit. Station Reports Details of these reports are available in the annual reports posted at http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/S294 FL - Brecht reporting. FL contributed to the quality rating scales compiled by Kader and Cantwell (CA). A MAP system was developed and tested for fresh-cut mango at higher temperatures. Best practices for application of aqueous 1-MCP were determined for tomato and carambola (carambola work in collaboration with ARS-FL). Responses to low temperature stress (tomato) and ethylene-mediated stress (cucumber and watermelon) were investigated. It was determined that the quarantine heat treatment being applied to mangoes does not affect fresh-cut quality, if the fruit are not unripe when treated. Common fresh-cut mango handling temperature of 5°C reduces aroma synthesis, but still is better for maintaining adequate shelf life than higher temperatures. ARS-FL - Plotto reporting. ARS-FL is continuing to use experienced consumer and trained descriptive panels and chemical analysis to evaluate strawberry and tomato germplasm from FL. Post-cut dipping of carambola with Ca-ascorbic acid reduces browning, maintains texture, and reduces sour, astringent and bitter tastes. Sanitizing blueberries with acid sanitizer does not remove bloom; coatings with volatile oils reduce decay and sweeten the fruit. Antioxidant responses in tomato, orange and carambola challenged with chilling or heating were investigated; tomato volatiles and flavor in response to heating and chilling were studied. ARS-MD - Lefcourt reporting. Improvements are continuing to be made with industry collaboration on an on-line multispectral detection system for apples that covers both quality and safety tasks. Work has been initiated with an industry partner on development of a handheld sanitation inspection device. A transportable hyperspectral imaging system for detection of pathogens on apples was developed with US Army. FT-Raman spectroscopy was used to detect melamine in meal and flour samples. Working on theoretical aspects of fruit orientation during movement. ARS-LA - Beaulieu reporting. SPME and Tenax trapping are being used to recover pomegranate volatiles. Amino acid profiles are being surveyed for berries and juices. Measuring pomegranate polyphenolics. Measuring blueberry composition, including volatiles. Volatiles from cantaloupe and honeydew melons in CA and MAP were compared. Collaborated with LA on testing for E. coli on spinach and Salmonella on other produce. MI - Beaudry and Almenar reporting. The quality and microflora of fresh-cut Romaine lettuce in polypropylene versus poly(lactic acid) packages was compared and found to not differ. The dynamics of volatile evolution following tissue cutting or disruption was characterized for apple, showing that differing kinetics of production/degradation for different compounds likely influences flavor perception. BC - Bach reporting. A protocol was developed to measure oxygen radicals and quinones on cut surfaces of Romaine lettuce. Work with E. coli was performed related to persistence and survival on and around leafy greens. Assessed the VBNC state of human pathogens on leafy greens under different conditions. NS - Forney reporting. Lactic acid bacteria and bacteriocins, and MicroGARD® 730 are being evaluated as bio-preservatives and antimicrobials for fresh-cut vegetables. The influence of packaging on the flavor retention of fresh-cut apple slices and whether aeration of CA stored apples can enhance the flavor of fresh-cut apple slices was determined. Volatile compounds responsible for apple and blueberry flavor are being identified and characterized. Effects of cutting on respiratory metabolism and volatile production of fresh fruits and vegetables are being determined. The role of metabolic and diffusional mechanisms contributing to the loss of aroma and flavor of fresh-cut produce is being assessed using carrots and apples as model systems. A novel protocol for the recovery, enrichment and confirmation of carriage of verotoxigenic E. coli other than serotype 0157:H7 by intact field-grown Romaine lettuce was assessed and modified. The possibility that E. coli-contaminated irrigation water and liquid dairy manure may serve as reservoirs of enteric pathogens for field grown spinach and lettuce is being assessed. Variation in ratio of typical to atypical coliforms and relative incidence of E. coli phylogenetic groups is being evaluated as a means of estimating time and source of fecal contamination of field-grown Romaine lettuce. GA - Hurst reporting. CA - Cantwell and Saltveit reporting. The 2nd edition of Produce Quality Rating Scales and Color Charts was completed. Ammonia was evaluated as a MA stress indicator in a range of fresh and fresh-cut vegetables in comparison to fermentative volatiles. The best handling conditions for fresh-cut specialty Brassicas are being determined. The performance of lettuce cultivars, including Iceberg x Romaine hybrids, as salad-cut products was compared. Work has continued to study the wound signal that initiates increased phenolic synthesis and tissue browning in lettuce. The signal has been partially characterized as a product of lipid breakdown. Research is underway to characterize the sources of carbon dioxide evolution form fresh-cut lettuce and tomato, which appear to be, in order, 1) out-gassing, 2) carbon dioxide produced upon decompartmentalization, and 3) increased respiratory system capacity. HI - Brecht reporting for Li. The stability of DNA in dead Salmonella cells was studied in order to develop an approach for detecting viable Salmonella cells on lettuce. DNA from the dead cells was found to remain intact on lettuce for at least 8 days. Propidium monoazide (PMA), a dye that can selectively bind to DNA of dead cells and prevent its amplification by PCR, was combined with real time PCR to selectively detect only viable S. Typhimurium on lettuce. The detection limit of this method on lettuce was approximately 103 CFU/g, or 101 CFU/g after 12 h of enrichment. Termination report - Brecht reported that the Termination Report for 2005-2010 will be due in March 2011, after the project end date. Plotto will write the Termination Report after soliciting member input on the most important accomplishments and impacts. Discussion ensued on the meaning of results, knowledge used, actions, and conditions. It was agreed that adoption of new practices by industry and marketing of new fresh-cut products would be great examples. New 5-year Project Proposal - Brecht reported that there is an August 31st deadline for submitting a new project proposal in order to avoid a gap in the project. He presented the draft project outline and discussed what has been done so far. After some discussion, it was decided to remove molecular activities. Objective 1 was re-written to cover comparison of methods and to include nutrition. Suslow volunteered re-write Objective 4. Brecht agreed to circulate a draft within one week of the meeting and to solicit modifications and indicate who will work on which areas. Ten potential peer reviewers were suggested. Brecht instructed the Participants that they will need to sign in again to participate in the new project. When signing in, it will be necessary to indicate a percent activity, it is recommended that not exceed 25%. The University Administrator/Experimental Station has to approve institutional and individual participation; the Administrative Advisor for the project must also approve participation. There was a question about who approves for ARS folks. The group has to let members know that they need to re-register. Brecht suggested that, for the new project, we should propose an SCRI grant to cover collaborative activities and annual meeting travel. New Business - None. The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 UFPA will pick up the tab for food and beverage service. Thank you UFPA!