U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
November 4, 1998

Dear Colleague,

This letter is to apprise members of the food safety community of eight new research and risk-assessment grants totaling $2 million that FDA has funded under the President's Food Safety Initiative. We believe these projects help lay the groundwork for a safer U.S. food supply.

The funding applications for these projects were submitted to FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, in response to the Center's published request earlier this year for proposals on microbial risk assessment and food safety research projects.

The projects include studies on methods to prevent E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Listeria contamination of fruits and vegetables; antimicrobial treatments for sprouts and sprout seeds; dose-response models for foodborne Cryptosporidum parvuum, Listeria, and Vibrio; the pathogen-related DNA structure of E. coli O157:H7; and how consumer food preparation practices can be enhanced to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

We hope you agree that these projects funded by FDA under the Food Safety Initiative target some of the most troubling problems facing the food supply today, and that they promise real and practical results, including, hopefully, fewer foodborne illnesses in the future. The selection of these projects is not only consistent with the Initiative's primary goal, but is a big step toward achieving it: a re-energized and more effective national food safety system based on the best science available.

• $399,122 to Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine for establishing a dose-response animal model for human Cryptosporidiosis. The research will test three different Cryptosporidium parvuum isolates in mice and compare the response in the test animals to those in human volunteers challenged with the same isolates. Development of this model is necessary for making accurate assessments of the risk of infection to humans exposed to foodborne and waterborne C. parvuum. The principal investigator is Saul Tzipori of Tufts University. The research will be performed at Tufts and at the University of Texas.

• $483,077 to the University of Georgia to establish an animal dose-response model for foodborne Listeriosis. The research will test Listeria monocytogenes in pregnant rhesus monkeys. Data from this study will be used for estimating human dose response to L. monocytogenes, one of the most common causes of foodborne infections in the United States. The principle investigator is Mary Alice Smith of the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement. The research will be performed at the University of Georgia, the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center at Emory University, and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

• $264,179 to the University of Maryland at Baltimore to establish a dose-response model for Vibrio species. Vibrio infections remain the primary cause of serious foodborne illnesses and deaths associated with consumption of raw shellfish in the United States. The research is expected to produce data that will allow development of a quantitative risk assessment for shellfish-associated Vibrio infections in humans. The principal investigator is J. Glenn Morris, Jr., M.D.; co-principal investigator is Carol O. Tacket, M.D. The study will be performed at the University of Maryland Medical School's Center for Vaccine Development and at the university's Center for Marine Biotechnology, both in Baltimore.

• $78,645 to the University of Georgia to determine effectiveness of several potential antimicrobial treatments for killing Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on alfalfa seeds and sprouts. The research will test both aqueous and vaporized solutions of food-grade chemicals at various concentrations and exposure times. Several recent outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella infections have been associated sprout consumption. The study goal is develop data useful for developing antimicrobial treatments for seeds or sprouts that will reduce the risk of illness from their consumption. The principal investigator is Larry R. Beuchat of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement. The research will be conducted at that center.

• $291,738 to the University of Wisconsin for genetic studies of E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogenic E. coli species. The university's genetics department already has nearly finished DNA sequencing of the complete genome of one E. coli O157:H7 strain. Through this work, the laboratory has identified areas of DNA differences between pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli. The funding will allow further study of these genetic areas through the collection of additional DNA sequencing data from each of ten strains of E. coli O157:H7. Data from the study could aid in the development of new molecular markers for the detection of O157:H7 in clinical settings and food samples; aid in the development of new drugs and vaccines; provide insights into the mechanisms of gastrointestinal disease; and illuminate the mode and rate of evolutionary events involved with the emergence of O157:H7 as a pathogen. The principal investigator is Frederick R. Blattner of the University of Wisconsin's Genetics Department in Madison, which is where the research will be conducted.

• $160,458 to the University of Georgia to develop cost-effective methods for reducing or inactivating pathogenic microoganisms on fresh fruits and vegetables. The project will test combinations of GRAS chemicals as surface dip treatments on apples, oranges, lettuce and sprouts. Treatments include lactic acid with hydrogen peroxide, lactic acid with sodium benzoate, and lactic acid with glycerol monolaurate. Tested produce items will be inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella species. In addition, the sensory effects of these treatments on produce will be evaluated using untrained panelists who are regular consumers of the fruit or vegetable. The principal investigator is Michael P. Doyle of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement. The research will be conducted at the center.

• $185,958 to the University of Georgia to study the antimicrobial effect of using High Oxidation Potential (HOP) water to wash fruits and vegetables under conditions that exist in home kitchens and food service facilities. The study will measure the efficacy of HOP water on pure cultures of Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7, and, of HOP water washes of apples, alfalfa sprouts, raspberries, strawberries, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and broccoli inoculated with these pathogens. The study also will assess the effect of HOV water on the quality of treated produce. The principle investigator is Yen-Con Hung; the co-principal investigators are Marilyn C. Erickson and Yun-Yun Hao; all of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement. The research will be conducted at the center.

• $146,267 to the University of California at Davis for a study on consumer handling practices for fresh fruits and vegetables. The projects will identify consumer handling practices regarding storage temperature, general sanitation and washing of fresh fruits and vegetables, and evaluate effectiveness of washing methods commonly used by consumers for selected fruits and vegetables consumed raw. In addition the project will evaluate effectiveness of fruit and vegetable washing procedures using antmicrobial agents such as chlorine and organic acids on Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7. The project's goal is to develop science-based recommendations for consumer washing and handling of fresh produce, as well as to evaluate consumer knowledge and the likelihood of following recommended washing procedures. The principal investigator for the microbiological aspects of the research is UC-Davis' Linda J. Harris.