Food Safety Intervention Technologies Research Unit
Dr. Howard Q. Zhang, Research Leader
Patricia Coyle, Program Support Assistant
Voice: (215) 233-6583
Fax: (215) 233-6406
In the Spotlight
Food Safety Developments are in the Air
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An experimental treatment that relies on cold plasma, which is created by introducing electricity into a gas until free electrons are liberated, may one day keep fresh produce like apples and almonds safe from potentially harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. Photo courtesy of Paul Pierlott. |
An experimental treatment from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) could one day help protect some fresh produce from potentially dangerous microbes such as Salmonella, Listeria and Escherichia coli O157:H7.
The treatment relies on cold plasma, which is generated when some form of concentrated energy--in this case, electricity--is introduced into a gas until free electrons are torn from the gas's atoms.
At the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., microbiologist Brendan Niemira and engineer Joseph Sites--who are developing the process--exposed Golden Delicious apple samples to various microbial pathogens. Then they treated the samples with plasma.
Click here to read all about it!
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Food Irradiation
Recent E. coli outbreaks heighten interest in the technology
Bette Hileman
Stephen Ausmus/USDA
Safety studies USDA researchers vacuum-seal hot dogs to get them ready for irradiation.
Food-borne infections cause about 76 million cases of illness, 325,000 hospitalization, and as many as 5,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. In other words, they send one in 1,000 Americans to the hospital each year and kill thousands.
Read more about the research in the January 2007 issue of Chemical & Engineering News
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Nonthermal Food Processing is Heating Up
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Food microbiologist Dike Ukuku (left) and engineer Joseph Sites evaluate effects of high-pressure processing on microbial stability of tomato juice and liquid eggs. (D616-1) |
The food industry wants to ensure the safety of its products while maintaining quality. But while the maxim "heat kills germs" still holds true for food sterilization, scientists are exploring alternative treatments for lowering foodborne pathogen levels. Today, new technologies that are faster, cheaper, and less disruptive to quality than traditional thermal processing are increasingly common.
Read more about the research in the October 2006 issue of Agricultural Research Magazine.
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