Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

A summary of accomplishments, by objective area and member university follows.

Risk Assessment: Characterize food safety risks in food systems

Auburn University: In 2018, studies were initiated by the Price lab to examine Salmonella dynamics in the Equine Reproduction Center of the AU College of Veterinary Medicine. The horses in the center share a fence line with the CVM’s dairy herd. Previous work has shown the CVM dairy herd to be colonized by two serotypes of Salmonella, Muenster and Cerro, and we speculated that one or both of these two Salmonella serotypes might also have moved proximally into the Equine Reproduction herd. Environmental samples from horse stables, pastures, and trough water were taken weekly for five weeks in May/June 2018. Both of the dairy serotypes, S. Muenster and S. Cerro, were isolated from the Center environment, along with a third serotype, Muenchen. S. Muenchen was isolated from a dairy calf soon after its isolation from the Center environment.

The Ohio State University:

• Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) in artificially contaminated irrigation water can be internalized into leafy greens (lettuce and spinach) via roots and disseminated to edible leaf mesophyll.
• Specific environmental temperature and relative humidity conditions and grafting affect the persistence and dissemination of Salmonella in tomato plant tissues.
• Novel imidazole and methoxybenzylamine growth inhibitors alone or combined with plant beneficial bacteria (Bacillus and Enterobacter ) reduce Salmonella persistence in tomato plants.
• Only one third (33%) of cancer patients are aware of food safety risks, and food insecurity was associated with lower risk awareness, inadequate food preparation practices and inadequate food acquisition practices.
• Dietitian students are only marginally prepared to convey food safety message. While the most are aware of human pathogens in the US (Salmonella 91%; coli 90%; Listeria 75%), they cannot relate it to foods or practices (35-48%). Less than half have heard of Campylobacter.

Purdue University: Our previous study showed that 1) There was a trend for people to share housing. Two or more individuals or families are sharing the use of a home kitchen. 2) Consumers tend to make more food products in their home kitchen responding to the Do-It-Yourself trend. It is essential to evaluate the microbial risk associated with consumer trends. We currently have studies to assess the risk and understand the correlation between consumers’ behavior and food safety risk. We use both observation tools and environmental swabbing to understand consumers’ behavior and its implications on food safety risk.

University of Illinois:

• Genomic and statistical approaches to characterizing persistent monocytogenes
• Simulation approaches to improve high-number bulk-product sampling plans
• Microbiological risk assessment for low moisture pasta

Washington State University:

• Survival and transfer of foodborne pathogens to produce in pre- and post-harvest

University of Arkansas:

• Role of environmental reservoirs on the transmission of pathogens, specifically human enteric viruses, during harvest and packaging of fresh produce

Rutgers University:

• Influence of RH, temperature and matrix on survival on surfaces
• Bacterial survival modeling
• Pecan risk assessment
• Salmonella survival on flour and home-made play-dough
• Salmonella in cucumbers
• Listeria survival on fresh produce
• Norovirus in frozen berries QMRA, thermal inactivation and microwave validation, frozen storage survival
• Raw milk risk
• Pizza microbiology
• Salmonella in tomatoes QMRA
• Cross-contamination modeling in fresh cut
• Dynamic temperature modeling, Salmonella in ground beef

University of Nebraska:

• Microbial load of hard winter wheat varieties produced at three growing environments across the state of Nebraska, USA.
• Rapid assessment of mycotoxins in Afghanistan’s food value chains
• Assessment of mycotoxins in the corn value chain in western Honduras
• Assessment of Guatemalan corn from the western highlands
• Risk-based evaluation of Salmonella control measures of wheat flour production;
• Risk-based evaluation of use of reclaimed water for sanitation of food contact surface in dairy processing plant;
• Risk assessment of human exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria through the consumption of beef products;
• Risk assessment of human exposure to agriculture-originting antibiotic resistance through environmental pathways, i.e., beef cattle manure storage and land application;
• NGS approaches for source tracking Salmonella contamination in beef cattle including the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes from livestock animal waste on feedlot, through manure storage and land application into air and soil
• Prevalence and characterization of Salmonella isolated from non-traditional poultry products.

North Dakota State University: Genetic subtyping of Listeria monocytogenes from ruminant cases of listeriosis. 46 strains were characterized by multi-locus sequence typing. 27 strains were from North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Minnesota, and 19 strains were from New York State. The Pasteur Listeria monocytogenes database was used to assign sequence types, 26 sequence types were identified and 8 of the sequence types were novel. Sequence type 7 was the most common, found in the upper great plains states as well as New York. Sequence type 91 was the second most common, and only found in strains from North and South Dakota. Sequence type 91 was also of note as this sequence type was only associated with fetal infections. We are currently collecting whole genome sequence data on these strains.

Kansas State University: Ensuring the safety of pork is essential for producers in order to maintain animal and human health, and also to continue serving export markets. One barrier to this is the rising occurrence of Salmonella contamination in pork. In order to best prevent Salmonella in post-harvest pork, the pathogen must first be prevented from entering the farm-to-fork supply chain. Recently Salmonella enterica serotype I 4,[5], 12:i:- have been linked to swine feed and pork products. The magnitude of its presence in the U.S. and its pathogenicity are currently unknown. Therefore, the overall objective of this study was to give to the pork industry a better understanding of the ecology and distribution of Salmonella enterica and in particular of the serotype I 4,[5], 12:i:-; and collect valuable data for the development of effective intervention strategies both at pre and post-harvest level. Overall the data gathered in this research shows the potential role of feed and feed mill environment as entry routes for Salmonella spp, ST and STM into human food chain. Hygiene, management, production flow, and cross-contamination within facility were all significant factors linked with pathogen contamination in mills. We found that both the mill and the season were significantly associated with the presence of Salmonella in the production facilities. These results contribute both to the implementation of biosecurity plans and other preventative strategies in feed mills and to understand Salmonella behavior at pre-harvest level.

University of Florida:

• Survey of pathogen concentration and levels in poultry and bovine manure. The goal of this work is to obtain pertinent information related to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule requirements for use of untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin. FDA has deferred its decision on an appropriate time interval between the application of untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin (including raw manure) and crop harvesting until it conducts a risk assessment. UF is part of a team conducting a comprehensive nation-wide survey collecting and analyzing samples of raw poultry manure for Salmonella and raw cattle manure for STEC to determine the prevalence and level of the pathogen in each positive sample through enumeration. UF is responsible for sample collection and analysis throughout the SE US.

University of Tennessee:

• Performed coevolution studies between Listeria monocytogenes and bacteriophages. Determined that combination of phages could delay the emergence of phage-resistant populations. Identified new phage-resistance phenotypes. Isolated lab-evolved phages that can overcome all previously characterized phage-resistant mutants.
• Examined population structure of Salmonella Javiana, Newport, Enteritidis, and Typhimurium isolated from patients in TN in 2017-2018. We identified several clusters that may indicate potential Outbreaks. We were able to perform some of this analysis fast enough to assist TN Dept. of Health in ongoing outbreak investigations.
• Performed proof of concept experiments for a sylation method for the analysis of Listeria wall teichoic acid composition by FID (collaboration with Munafo lab, UT). This work may provide a considerably faster, cheaper, and more precise method for characterizing the composition of gram-positive bacteria’s wall teichoic acids (WTAs). We will use this method to follow up on previous work we performed showing different conditions affect binding of WTA-specific phages to monocytogenes

University of Wyoming:

• Rapid microbial diagnostics
  • We have developed a system in which the resin serves as a secondary concentration step for viral particles captured in the impinger liquid. Nucleic acids can then be directly eluted in small volumes, providing a concentrated sample for molecular analyses and improvement in viral detection sensitivity, primarily through reduction in sample volume. The anion exchange resin is expected to capture viruses with net-negative surface charges, including many enteric viruses, influenza viruses and other viruses relevant to public and animal health.
  • μPADs (paper-based analytical devices) are inexpensive, portable, easy to use microfluidic devices amenable to that would be beneficial as a rapid detection platform for sakazakii in PIF. We have recently developed μPAD-based rapid diagnostics for C. sakazakii in powdered infant formula relying on colorimetric detection of enzymatic activity. μPADs were impregnated with optimized concentrations of 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-α-D-glucopyranoside and 4-nitrophenyl α-D-glucopyranoside, substrates hydrolyzed by α-glucosidase) on 5-mm-diameter wax paper spot arrays. Visual confirmation of the presence of yellow or indigo color indicated α-glucosidase activity or ImageJ-based quantitation allowed for unambiguous detection of C. sakazakii from spiked PIF at 7.4x10¹ CFU/g after 18 hours enrichment.
  • To expand the detectable proteome in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, we have developed an offline LC protein separation/fractionation prior to MALDI-ToF-MS analysis and applied it for the analysis of several antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli Using the developed LC-MALDI-ToF-MS protocol in conjunction with supervised principal components analysis (sup-PCA), we identified protein biomarkers which exhibited the strongest correlation to β-lactam resistance among the E. coli tested, namely resistance mediated by the blaCMY-2 gene (encoding AmpC-type β-lactamase) in the incompatibility plasmid complex A/C (IncA/C). Our results demonstrate the utility of LC-MALDI-MS and MS/MS to extend the number of proteins detected and perform MALDI-accessible biomarker discovery in microorganisms.
• We have investigated the genetic context of phenotypically similar AMR Escherichia coli harboring priority AMR phenotypes that were collected from cattle and raccoons. In total, 72 chromosomal AMR determinants were detected, with 45 of these found in all isolates tested. Plasmid-encoded CMY-2 AmpC β-lactamases were present in 11 isolates. Similarly, conserved mutations in gyrA and parC were linked to fluoroquinolone resistance. The genetic conservation between AMR isolates from cattle and wildlife suggest a complex AMR livestock ecology that has inputs from multiple sources.

Virginia Tech University:

• Evaluation of transfer rates of Salmonella from single-use gloves and sleeves to dehydrated pork jerky
• Evaluating post-harvest handling practices on the water activity of Kona coffee beans
• Salmonella, coli O157:H7, non-O157 shiga-toxin producing E. coli and generic E. coli survival in biological soil amendments of animal origin
• Survival of Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley plants
• Evaluate the microbial quality of surface agricultural water used in pre-harvest production on the Eastern Shore of Virginia
• Examining transfer and regrowth of antimicrobial resistant bacteria from manure and compost applied to fresh produce.
• Growth and survival of monocytogenes on fresh and frozen broccoli & cauliflower florets
• Identify environmental and meteorological factors that are associated with microbial populations in agricultural surface water
• Prevalence, persistence, and diversity of Listeria species (including monocytogenes) in East Coast produce packinghouses
• Risk of Salmonella internalization in tomato during transplanting
• Control of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in field-pack and retail handling of cantaloupe
• Determining the microbiological quality of fresh produce sold at farmers’ markets
• Use of a quantitative microbial risk assessment model to estimate exposure to Campylobacter from consumption of chicken in the United States

Michigan State University: Three main focus areas, 1) develop a predictive model for bacterial transfer during slicing of various types of fresh produce based on intrinsic characteristics of the product, 2) assess the utilization of Enterococcus faecium as a Salmonella spp. surrogate for thermal treatment in selected low-moisture foods, and 3) identify the contamination mechanisms of engineered nanoparticles in fresh produce and control strategies during processing.

• Quantification of Listeria monocytogenes Transfer during Slicing of Fresh Produce Based on Inherent Product Characteristics
• Validation of Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 as a Surrogate for Thermal Inactivation of Salmonella in Date Paste
• Effect of Talc on Thermal Resistance of Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 in Almond Meal at a Water Activity of 0.45
• Modeling Inactivation of Salmonella during Spray Drying

Risk Management: Develop, validate, and apply science-based interventions to prevent and mitigate food safety threats

Auburn University: Because infection of mares with one of the dairy herd-endemic Salmonella serotypes had been documented previously, horses from the AU-CVM Equine Reproduction Unit were no longer allowed to graze on pasture previously grazed on by CVM dairy herd. Continued isolation of Salmonella from the Center environment resulted first in the institution of new biosafety guidelines for all employees and veterinary students, and eventually in the closure of the Equine Reproduction Center.

 The Ohio State University:

• Probiotic coli Nissle (EcN) enhanced intestinal barrier function, decreased cell permeability, increased tight junction integrity and cell proliferation, and stimulated the cellular innate immunity, resulting in reduce C. jejuni’s infection in HT-29 cells
• Two and three novel small compounds inhibiting the growth of Campylobacter and Salmonella, respectively, were identified using high-throughput chemical screens.
• Novel imidazole and methoxybenzylamine growth inhibitors affecting Salmonella growth and cell envelope integrity and its persistence in chickens
• The alginate-chitosan microcapsule can be used as an effective delivery system for administration of probiotic EcN to reduce Campylobacter infection in chickens and humans.
• Probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG) and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 significantly inhibit Salmonella in vitro.
• After education interventions through social media and traditional outreach, Campylobacter risk awareness increased in both groups. Food safety attitudes improved only in social media group indicating higher likelihood of behavior change. However, social media decreased perceived behavioral control in participants.

Purdue University: Temperature control prevents the rapid growth of foodborne pathogens during food storage and assures adequate heating to destroy pathogens before consumption. The use of thermometers is a recognized best practice in consumer and food worker guidelines; however, compliance with this recommended practice is quite low. We conducted an extensive literature review of research studies from the past 21 years to gain a deeper understanding of motivators and barriers to cooking and refrigerator thermometer use. The manuscript has been accepted recently by Journal of Food Protection. We are also assessing the needs among industry stakeholders. We are developing and implementing needs assessment surveys among veteran farmers, poultry farmers, and processors.

University of Illinois:

• Single-kernel optical sorting to remove aflatoxin and fumonisins from corn
  • Developed new device, now calibrations for Texas corn
  • Looking to join in with in Honduras; also perhaps Fusarium in wheat
• Development of novel anti-listerials for Hispanic-style fresh cheeses
• Hygiene solutions for industrial fermentations
• FSMA validation of low moisture food undergoing heating and drying
• New strategies to enhance the microbial safety of brassicacae microgreens in Illinois

Washington State University:

• Evaluation of agriculture water disinfection treatments
• Systems-based approach for improved packinghouse sanitation
• Utility of rapid tools to assess cleanliness in apple packinghouses

University of Arkansas:

• Evaluation of sanitizer and disinfectant efficacy against human enteric viruses
• Development of advanced environmental surface sampling tools to aid in standardization across the food industry

Rutgers University:

• Cold plasma as an intervention strategy

University of Nebraska:

• Improving the safety of wheat milled products through processing
• Assisting a large microwaveable food company in developing and validating a process for producing ready-to-eat food products
• Developed a response surface model for predicting inactivation of 5-strain Salmonella cocktail and surrogate, Enterococcus faecium, based on extrusion process parameters and food matrix composition. Demonstrated that faecium is a good surrogate for Salmonella in extrusion of low moisture food products.
• Developed and validated radio frequency processing of spices and demonstrated that faecium is a good surrogate for Salmonella in radio frequency processing of low moisture food products.
• Cost-effectiveness of Campylobacter control in broiler chicken in the US
• Evaluation of ozonated water as a decontamination strategy for poultry carcasses and parts.
• Comparison of factors influencing the effectiveness of lactic acid, cetylpyridinium chloride, and peroxyacetic acid for Salmonella reduction in poultry processing.
• In-plant validation of peroxyacetic acid as a decontamination strategy for poultry parts throughout processing.

North Dakota State University: Vacuum steam pasteurization to inactivate pathogens on low moisture foods. Using both a commercial, pilot scale system and a lab scale system, we have demonstrated 5 log reduction in Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on various low moisture foods. Our current work utilizes the lab scale system to assess variation in thermal resistance among four different Salmonella serovars inoculated onto flaxseed. We are also determining if time of storage on the flaxseed prior to pasteurization impacts Salmonella thermal resistance. We have observed no significant differences in thermal resistance among the serovars. Storage over time does increase thermal resistance of Salmonella in a serovar-specific manner, with strains of serovar Agona doubling their thermal resistance from the average initial kmax of 3 log/cfu/g/min to 1.5 log cfu/g/min after 6 months of storage on flaxseed at 22°C. In collaboration with Dr. Senay Simsek, NDSU Cereal Sciences, we have determined that whole wheat kernels can be pasteurized at 65°C for 8 minutes without impacting gluten structure and flour quality. E. coli O121:H19 inoculated onto wheat can be reduced ~ 3 log cfu/g with this time/temperature combination. Current research is determining if the same parameters can be used for soft wheat.

University of Kentucky:

COMPOST BEDDED PACK DAIRY HOUSING: ANIMAL PERFORMANCE AND WELL-BEING, AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY IN A PASTURE-BASED SYSTEM. Improving housing for dairy cattle is of interest because hoof and udder health, which are associated with the housing environment, are important economic and welfare issues. The objectives were to assess the effect of type of housing––conventional cubicle dairy (CCD) barn vs compost bedded pack (CBP) barn––and management (grazing vs semi-grazing) on the performance and welfare in dairy cows, to compare the performance of the CBP housing under grazing or semi-grazing system, and to assess viability of CBP housing in a pasture-based system. Semi-grazing system did not affect cow hygiene, milk yield, lameness, and hock health. Cows in the CBP barn produced more milk during the dry season than rainy season (11.99 vs 11.02 kg/d). Sub-clinical high SCC prevalence in the CBP barn was 49%, 20.5 % lower than in CCD barn (62.2 ± 0.03%). Mean SCC (x 1000) in the CBP barn was 612 ± 85.8, 43.7% lower than in the CCD barn (1088 ± 93.1). Compost barn performance under grazing was comparable to that of the barn under semi-grazing. Compost housing was viable with net returns of $881. Focus on reducing SCC in preventing mastitis infection will be critical in implementing the CBP housing as an alternative housing option. A potential challenge to the practicality of this system is an issue with thermoduric spore-forming bacteria. Bacillus formis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus spp. (unable to be differentiated), Brevibacillus borstelensis, Gemella spp.(unable to be differentiated), Geobacillus toebii, Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. cremoris, and Paenibacillus polymyxa were identified. The absence of differences in milk thermoduric bacteria populations by housing type indicate compost bedded pack barns to not affect milk thermoduric bacteria. Future analysis will need to investigate milk, teat swab, and bedding anaerobic bacteria differences.

THE USE OF LACTOBACILLUS SALIVARIUS L28 AS A BIOPROTECTIVE CULTURE IN DRY FERMENTED SAUSAGES. A challenge study to validate a 5 log10 CFU/g reduction of non-O157 Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in dry fermented sausage (DFS) was performed. A 4.49 ± 0.474 log10 CFU/g was achieved over two trials. The results indicated that the process was not effective in reducing the pathogen to the level required of most pathogens by the USDA.  Lactobacillus salivarius L28 (L28) was screened in vitro for the ability to inhibit STEC utilizing the paper disk diffusion method. This strain is a known bacteriocin producer. The results revealed that L28 would be a good candidate for use as a protective culture as large zones of inhibition were noted against the STEC. No zones of inhibition were noted against the commercial starter culture; therefore, it would not adversely impact the quality of the DFS. The supplementary L28 strain was added to a commercial starter culture to provide an additional hurdle in the protection against STEC. The sausage trial showed the additional strain did not offer a significant difference in reduction of the pathogen (p > 0.05). Further study will be required before L28 could be considered for use as a bioprotective culture.

INACTIVATION OF BACILLUS CEREUS SPORES IN INFANT FORMULA BY COMBINATION OF HIGH PRESSURE AND TRANS-CINNAMALDEHYDE. This study investigated the combined effects of trans-cinnamaldehyde (TC) and high pressure (HP) to inactivate B. cereus spores in reconstituted infant formula. High pressure (600 MPa for 5 min), with or without TC (0.1%), was applied to reconstituted infant formula with B. cereus spores. Samples were stored at 23 and 7 °C for 4 and 6 weeks, respectively. Microbiological and sensory analyses, pH and emulsion stability of each sample were determined.  At 7 °C, B. cereus spores in HP and TC treated formula were reduced by 2.4 and 3.1 log, respectively. At 23 °C, the highest inactivation was observed with TC alone and TC combined with HP, by 2.1 log. Overall, HP showed the highest inactivation rate when combined with TC, confirming the synergistic antimicrobial effect of TC and HP. Remarkable deformation and damage in both B. cereus vegetative cells and spores were observed by transmission electron microscopy after the application of HP and TC. Although TC exhibited a cinnamon-like taste, overall sensory attributes were not significantly different than the control samples. These results suggest that TC and HP could be incorporated in infant formula as a natural intervention to replace the synthetic preservatives and/or enhance the microbiological safety and shelf-life.

University of Florida:

• Industry metrics specifically require a five-foot buffer zone around the point of the fecal contamination. When these metrics are applied to tomatoes, they may include not only the tomato plant where the feces have been deposited, but also adjacent plants. The objective of this study is to determine the microbial dispersal due to wild animal fecal deposits on or near tomato plants in commercial tomato fields.
• Cross-contamination by food contact surfaces - The objective of this project was to simulate cross-contamination in wet and dry packing environments and compare survival of monocytogenes on different food contact surfaces. Survival of L. monocytogenes increases on cantaloupe contact surfaces under wet and dirty (fouled) conditions. This emphasizes the importance of diligent sanitation and limiting water use in dry packing conditions.
• Current cooling procedures used by sweetcorn growers often result in cooling delays up to 24 hours, compromising potential quality. Thus, the need exists to investigate the impact of cooling practices on postharvest quality and shelf life and then compare them with corn cooled with fewer delays. Freshly harvested corn were field-packed into wooden crates on wooden pallets and hydrocooled for ~60 min. Hydrocooling of corn was done with plain water, and with sanitizer (75 and 150 ppm HOCl). Aerobic place counts were determined on plate count agar (PCA) and Y&M counts were determined on potato dextrose agar (PDA), amended with 0.01% of chloramphenicol. Colonies of microbes were counted after proper incubation of the media plates. Data from these tests are currently being processed for statistical analysis.
• The FSMA Produce Safety Rule allows for use of water that does not meet its microbial standards if Corrective Measures are employed. Commercial washing is identified as a potential corrective measure. This research was initiated to evaluate Salmonella and monocytogens reductions by overhead spray washers with either brush or PVC rollers on Tommy Atkins mangoes using various sanitizers (100 ppm free chlorine, pH=7; 80 ppm PAA, 5 ppm chlorine dioxide, or 2 ppm ozone). In all cases, log reductions increased with longer treatment times. No significant difference exists between previously heat-treated and not heat-treated mangoes.

University of Tennessee:

• Determined the effects of chlorine dioxide gas against hepatitis A virus on a food contact surface, determined the heat inactivation kinetics of bacterial surrogates for foodborne viruses in buffer, determined the effects of ultrasound, ultraviolet light and natural antimicrobials against foodborne viruses and/or their surrogates, and the effects of blueberry polyphenols against foodborne viruses in buffer, food matrices and under simulated gastric conditions, and their mechanism of action and physicochemical interactions, utilization of byproducts of the food and agricultural industry as a source of natural antimicrobials to decrease the risk of foodborne disease transmission, and tracking and genetic characterization of antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

Virginia Tech University:

• Evaluation of the difference between contact time and drying time on the efficacy of a variety of sanitizers to kill foodborne pathogens on Formica and glass surfaces
• Inactivation of Salmonella and surrogate bacteria on cashews and macadamia nuts exposed to commercial propylene oxide processing conditions
• Practical application of bacteriophage in food manufacturing facilities for the control of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria
• Cavitation bubbles for the removal and inactivation of Listeria and Salmonella on cucumber and cantaloupe surfaces
• Developing benchmarks for postharvest application of sanitizers and irradiation to reduce regrowth of antibacterial-resistant bacteria on fresh produce.
• Aerosolized ethanol sanitizing system to eliminate foodborne pathogens from cantaloupe and tomatoes

Risk Communication: Convey science-based food safety messages to stakeholders to improve food safety behaviors and practices

Auburn University: The Price lab communicated the environmental Salmonella surveillance results weekly to the Section Head of Equine Medicine and the AU-CVM’s Infection Control Committee. After multiple horses were found by the CVM’s diagnostic bacteriology lab to be culture positive for Salmonella, the decision was made to close the Center and call in a biosecurity consultant for a review and advice.

The Ohio State University: Training for youth vertical garden growers.

Purdue University: We offer FSMA preventative control qualified individual workshops, targeting Indiana food processing, packing and manufacturing business owners and quality control managers. In the past year, we prepared and submitted five peer-reviewed manuscripts, and three has been accepted by major food safety journals. As for extension materials:

• We prepared three extension publications to address the food safety and regulations of Home-Based Vendor Law in Indiana.
• We prepared a high school food safety curriculum that is compliant with the Indiana Science Curriculum Standard and Agriculture Education Curriculum Standard
• We developed three short food thermometer-use videos for consumers.
• We developed a holiday cooking video with food safety emphasis for consumers

Washington State University:

• ¾ day curriculum to educate produce growers and ag educators on agricultural water treatment systems and how to implement them within the context of the Produce Safety Rule.

New Mexico State University: In 2017-2018 we produced several multimedia educational tools relevant to food safety and risk analysis. These include animated videos about nanotechnology as a treatment for plant disease (“Zinkicide: A Safe New Treatment for HLB”); the role of water treatment technologies in human health and agriculture, and the use of recycled water for irrigation of food crops (“Water, Food and Our World,” and “Humans and Food Are Part of the Water Cycle”); and the importance of washing fresh produce (the “Fresh and Sometimes Dirty” series, including “Berry Rude,” “Dirty Couch,” “Double Blink,” and “Dirty Leaves”). All of these animated videos are available on YouTube. These videos were aimed at audiences including agricultural producers, regulators, consumers, and high school students. Details of our collaborations are given below. Under the leadership of the University of Arkansas and collaborating with the University of Houston, we produced the “Fresh and Sometimes Dirty” series of animated videos for the Farmers’ Market Food Safety Toolkit, as part of a USDA-NIFA funded grant (2013-68003-21288).

Under the leadership of University of Tennessee, we are developing virtual labs to address on-farm microbiological safety of irrigation water, as part of multi-state USDA-NIFA funded grant “Bridging the Gap: Effective Risk Mitigation through Adoption of Agricultural Water Treatment Systems” (2016-70020-25803). Additional partners include the University of Florida and Washington State University. In 2017-2018, we conducted a design summit with the multi-state team to clarify goals, audience needs, and approach. We then designed, drafted, and user-tested four short animated videos and an interactive prototype of a web module addressing various water treatment technologies for irrigation water.

NMSU is also collaborating with University of Maryland on a large USDA-NIFA grant (2016-68007-25064), “Coordinating Nontraditional Sustainable Water Use in Variable Climates (CONSERVE): A Center of Excellence for Safe and Sustainable Water Reuse in Agriculture,” about issues related to the use non-traditional irrigation water. Working with the team are collaborators from the University of Arizona, the University of Delaware and Arava Institute of Environmental Studies, Israel. NMSU produces outreach materials for consumers and producers, including interactive modules currently in production that explore principles and techniques of sampling and testing irrigation water. In 2017-2018 we conducted design activities and produced wire-frame versions for testing of two interactive modules that explore techniques and basic principles of sampling and testing irrigation water from various sources.

Collaborating with the University of Florida, we are developing educational videos and animations for USDA-NIFA grant (2015-70016-23010), “Zinkicide: A Nanotherapeutic for HLB.” As the multistate team (including the University of Central Florida, Auburn University, the University of Tennessee, and the Ohio State University) develops new technologies to combat citrus greening, NMSU creates educational videos/animations to explain the context of the problem and the underpinnings of this nano-technological solution. We are currently preparing a series of short videos featuring project personnel and including footage from citrus harvest of experimental groves treated with Zinkicide.

We also are collaborating with University of Tennessee faculty to create multimedia STEM-related classroom tools, through USDA-NIFA funded grant “Advancing Food Safety Education through Inquiry-Based STEM Instruction and Multimedia Strategies” (2015-38414- 24223). In 2017-2018 we designed and began to prototype a food safety learning game focused on the social science aspects of regulation and food safety.

University of Nebraska:

• Food safety risk assessment training program in the Latin American and Caribbean countries
  • UNL as a member of Food Safety Risk Analysis Consortium, together with UMN, UMD, Texas Tech, RTI, WHO PAHO, FAO, IICA, and OIRSA
  • Food safety training program for 14 Caribbean countries, including on-site workshop and follow-up projects;
  • Mentoring program with pilot project: Risk assessment of hepatitis A and coli in fresh and frozen raspberry in Chile.

University of Florida: Currently the majority of extension efforts are focused on FSMA-related training, including FSPCA PCQI, FSPCA FSVP, and PSA. New workshops being developed include i) treatment of preharvest agricultural water, ii) hands-on food safety, iii) build your own food safety manual, and entrepreneurial cottage foods. Other efforts include conducting On-Farm Readiness Reviews and collaborating with NY and CA to update worker training videos.

University of Rhode Island: URI has developed strong collaborative partnerships with state regulatory agencies, industry groups, and our Land Grant food safety colleagues in the New England and Northeast regions, which is essential to provide training and resources to our stakeholders as well as collaborative research. The Food Safety Education Program at URI currently has Lead/Supervisory Instructors for seafood, meat/poultry, produce, and preventive controls for human food. We have been offering recognized training to target audiences in all these areas as well as being involved with the state recognized Produce Safety regulatory program participating in On Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRRs). Since we are a small program with large outreach effort and expectations for an applied research initiative, collaboration with the southern tier of New England state food safety specialists, in addition to regional network support from NECAFS, has allowed us to successfully offer an array of programing.

Virginia Tech University:

• Developing farmers’ market food safety guide for market managers to write their own plans
• Working with other colleagues in the Southern Regional Center to develop a farmers’ market food safety tool kit
• Assessing consumer knowledge, attitudes, and handling practices for mechanically-tenderized beef products