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Campylobacter and pathogenic Escherichia coliillnesses have been attributed to the consumption of fresh produce. The leafy green, kale, is increasingly consumed raw. In comparison to other leafy greens, kale has a longer shelf-life. Due to the extended shelf-life of kale, it is warranted to examine the survival of pathogenic Campylobacter jejuni and E. coli O157:H7 inoculated on the surface of kale stored in a controlled environment at 4 ± 1.4°C, and average humidity of 95 ± 1.9% over a 23-day period. At predetermined time points (days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 21), inoculated kale was destructively sampled and the surviving bacteria determined by serial dilution and plating onto Tryptic soy agar, Charcoal cefoperozone deoxycholate agar, and Eosin methylene blue for total aerobic bacteria, C. jejuni, and E. coli O157:H7, respectively. Enrichment and PCR were used for detection when pathogens were not detected using serial dilution and plating. Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria increased over the 23-day period, in contrast, significant declines in the inoculated pathogens were observed. Inoculated E. coli O157:H7 survived longer on kale (up to 19 d); in comparison, C. jejuni was undetectable by day 13 using enrichment and PCR or plating. In conclusion, C. jejuni and E. coli O157:H7 declined on fresh kale over time when held at refrigerated temperatures but were still detected during the majority of the time when the kale would likely still be considered edible by consumers.

Various food-borne Listeria outbreaks were studied between 2000 to 2020. Listeria monocytogenes symptoms might take up to 12 weeks to be reported as an outbreak. The highest food category contributor for the outbreaks was found to be Dairy contributing 43% of the outbreaks. The known highest outbreak originations for the outbreak were from restaurant facilities. Listeriosis could be prevented at home by washing hands regularly with soap and water while handling raw food, washing fruits and vegetables before eating them, storing ready-to-eat food as suggested on the label, keeping raw and ready-to-eat foods separately to avoid cross-contamination, using food by their use-by-date, and consuming ready to eat food within four hours of being taken out of the fridge. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), good manufacturing practices (GMP), and HACCP must be implemented to reduce the risk of Listeria in food manufacturing facilities. Steps with critical control points for targeted pathogens play an important role in pointing and treating to reduce/eliminate the risk. In the food service industry food products might be contaminated with Listeria if they have not been purchased from a reliable source, this will increase the chance of cross-contamination if not stored properly. Any form or media that might be the potential for transferring the Listeria from the environment like, metal, wood, plastic, and other chemicals should be handled carefully in the working environment to reduce the risk.

Small farms are exempt from the Food Safety Modernization Act. Thus, educational materials are necessary to remind small farmers about safe food handling practices. The cold chain (refrigeration) is an important part of the farm to fork process. A guide about cold chain management is a useful reminder that can help reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Salmonella enterica contamination of low water activity foods (LWAFs) has resulted in recalls of spices, herbs, and seeds and outbreaks of salmonellosis. To improve the safety of these ready-to-eat products, new treatment methods, including fumigation with chlorine dioxide (ClO2) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) gas are being explored, and effectiveness determined. To prevent overestimation of treatment effectiveness, it is vital that recovery methods should accurately quantify all viable cells, even those injured. This study evaluated different media and supplements for the recovery of multiple strains of S. enterica and Enterococcus faecium NRRL B2354, from ClO2 or H2O2 treated black peppercorns, dried basil leaves, and chia seeds. Also, this study aimed to compare the log reduction of these two microorganisms to evaluate E. faecium NRRL B2354, as a surrogate for S. enterica. On average, recovery of S. enterica was improved by 1 log CFU from ClO2 and H2O2 treated LWAFs when a non-selective but differential media containing tryptic soy agar with yeast extract, ammonium iron citrate and sodium thiosulfate (MTSAYE) was used, when compared to plating on XLD (p < 0.05). Furthermore, addition of sodium pyruvate, ferrous sulfate, or 3’3’-thiodiproionate supplements to MTSAYE did not show increased recovery of either S. enterica or E. faecium NRRL B2354 (p > 0.05). On each treatment and LWAF combination tested, there was no significant difference between the log reduction of S. enterica

Fresh produce may be contaminated by bacterial pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, during harvesting, packaging, or transporting. A low-intensity cavitation process with air being injected into water was studied to determine the microbubbles’ efficiency when detaching L. monocytogenes from stainless steel and the surface of fresh cucumber and avocado. Stainless steel coupons (1″ × 2″), cucumber, and avocado surfaces were inoculated with L. monocytogenes (LCDC strain). After 1, 24 or 48 h, loosely attached cells were washed off, and inoculated areas were targeted by microbubbles (~0.1–0.5 mm dia.) through a bubble diffuser (1.0 L air/min) for 1, 2, 5, or 10 min. For steel, L. monocytogenes (48 h drying) detachment peaked at 2.95 mean log reduction after 10 min of microbubbles when compared to a no-bubble treatment. After 48 h pathogen drying, cucumbers treated for 10 min showed a 1.78 mean log reduction of L. monocytogenes. For avocados, L. monocytogenes (24 h drying) detachment peaked at 1.65 log reduction after 10 min of microbubbles. Microbubble applications may be an effective, economical, and environmentally friendly way to remove L. monocytogenes, and possibly other bacterial pathogens, from food contact surfaces and the surfaces of whole, intact fresh produce.

Food for thought, every year in the United States, foodborne illness accounts for notable losses of healthy life years. Given that food and water supplies are the basis for human survival, it seems likely that institutions of higher learning would be a logical place for a robust educational platform to be interjected. College students may not thrive securely as healthy, productive adults without foundational food safety skills and knowledge. Therefore, a short, interactive, engaging food safety curriculum was developed for college students working in Dining Services at Pensacola Christian College. The emphasis on collegiate dining services may exponentially mitigate the toll of foodborne illness as college campuses being one of the latter points of preparatory insertion of knowledge for building life skills and seeking advancement in education. The ultimate goal of this training is to provide a basis for food safety practices through strategic and cohesive training within the collegiate arena (in this case one university dining service team of 600-800 students).

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive foodborne pathogen responsible for the severe disease listeriosis and notorious for its ability to persist in food processing plants, leading to contamination of processed, ready-to-eat foods. L. monocytogenes persistence in various food processing environments (FPEs) has been extensively investigated by various subtyping tools, with increasing use of whole genome sequencing (WGS). However, major knowledge gaps remain. There is a need for facility-specific molecular signatures not only for adequate attribution of L. monocytogenes to a specific FPE but also for improved understanding of the ecology and evolution of L. monocytogenes in the food processing ecosystem. Furthermore, multiple strains can be recovered from a single FPE sample, but their diversity can be underestimated with common molecular subtyping tools. In this study we investigated a panel of 54 L. monocytogenes strains from four turkey processing plants in the United States. A combination of WGS and phenotypic assays was employed to assess strain persistence as well as identify facility-specific molecular signatures. Comparative analysis of allelic variation across the whole genome revealed that allelic profiles have the potential to be specific to individual processing plants. Certain allelic profiles remained associated with individual plants even when closely-related strains from other sources were included in the analysis. Furthermore, for certain sequence types (STs) based on the seven-locus multilocus sequence typing scheme, presence and location of premature stop codons in inlA, inlB length, prophage sequences, and the sequence content of a genomic hotspot could serve as plant-specific signatures. Interestingly, the analysis of different isolates from the same environmental sample revealed major differences not only in serotype and ST, but even in the sequence content of strains of the same ST. This study highlights the potential for WGS data to be deplo

With the introduction of the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulatory oversight of dog food production is becoming clearer, and it is important for consumers and manufacturers to understand the effect of regulatory oversight on the safety of their pet’s food. This review of guidance documents, laws and regulations, news articles and scholarly research aims to educate the consumer on how their dog’s food is regulated at each stage of its production. Additionally, this review aims to assist manufacturers in understanding the regulations and/or authorities the finished products and ingredients may be subject to thus providing the manufacturers with the tools to perform a more complete and accurate review of their food safety procedures. To convey this information three educational fact sheets were developed that focused on explaining how dog food is produced, educating on the regulatory oversight of dog food production, and illustrating how consumers can protect both themselves and their pets from contaminated pet food. It is recommended that additional materials aimed at consumers be developed to cover trends in dog food diets, pet food labelling including medical claims, and tips on safely creating home-made pet food.

This study investigates the effect of two different types of packing films, OLAF and D1050, with different water vapor transmission rates, MAP with 15% carbon dioxide (CO2) and 85% nitrogen (N), variations in the number of micro perforations (11/18) in films, variations in weight (400 or 650 grams) and package size (1.5 or 2 lb.) to evaluate the effect on strawberry shelf life. All package combination were Compared to the typical clamshell packing with 650 grams of strawberry (control) to measure the effect of different variations on the shelf life of strawberries, and at the same time obtain new information that helps to optimize the engineering packing design.

The Nationaal Instituut voor Voedselveiligheid Suriname (NIVS) which is established in the context of general food safety and protecting consumers from dangers associated with all foods sold in Suriname, gives the opportunity to develop food safety rules, regulation and raise awareness on topics regarding food safety. One opportunity of this Institute is to create awareness among the consumers who are part of the food supply chain (known as the farm to fork continuum). Historical data show that Suriname is not excluded from foodborne illness. The goal of this project and report was to educate consumers in Suriname on food safety best practices. To the authors knowledge, no reports were found on consumers food safety behavior and knowledge in Suriname. Therefore, these guidelines were developed to educate consumers on food safety behavior, and also food safety best practices based on different international prior studies. These food safety best practices are described under several different topics related to consumer behavior and food handling.

Nutritional feed additives are incorporated into rations to improve reproductive and growth performance in livestock. Dietary supplementation with OmniGen-AF® (OMN; Phibro Animal Health Corporation, Teaneck, NJ, USA) has been studied in dairy and beef cattle to date, but no research has been conducted in swine. This study evaluated the effects of feeding OMN and administration of P.G 600® (400 IU PMSG + 200 IU hCG; Merck Animal Health, Millsboro, DE, USA) on reproductive performance of crossbred gilts. Gilts were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: 1. a fortified corn and soybean-meal based control diet, 2. a control diet plus an i.m. injection of P.G. 600, 3. OMN (control diet plus 4 g per 100 kg BW/head/d), 4. OMN plus an i.m. injection of P.G. 600. Gilts were fed appropriate diets for approximately 40 d before breeding, and estrous cycles were synchronized using an orally active progestin (15 mg/d Matrix®; Merck Animal Health) for 14 d, and 24 h after withdrawal received either an injection of P.G. 600, or no P.G. 600. Gilts were bred by post-cervical AI using pooled Duroc semen (Swine Genetics International, Cambridge, IA). Reproductive tracts were harvested at approximately d 50 of gestation. P.G. 600 was effective in reducing the interval to estrus among gilts (P = 0.03), which is consistent with previous studies. P.G. 600 also increased average ovary weight (P = 0.04), and total corpora lutea (P < 0.01) (indicative of ovulation rate), but decreased fetus survival (P < 0.01). Fetus weights were less (P = 0.03) in OMN-supplemented gilts compared with controls. Pregnancy rate decreased after P.G. 600 treatment in OMN-fed gilts, but not in controls (OMN x P.G. 600, P < 0.01). In summary, gilts had typical responses to P.G. 600 and in general, the effects of P.G. 600 were not affected by dietary supplementation with OMN.

A presentation educating the American food production worker on the science behind Current Good Manufacturing Practices

Plant operations personnel are responsible for daily food safety paperwork, including a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) monitoring form. These practices of along with the standard sanitation operation practices (SSOP) are considered the backbone of safe, quality food. Before the consolidation project, this large United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspected meat processing plant was separated into 42 different monitoring areas. Even though many of these areas overlapped with each other, but there were still certain areas of the plant that were not covered, creating an issue for the FSIS and auditors to complete record review. The main objective was to identify if consolidating areas monitored for GMPs would decrease the amount of time dedicated to checking paperwork, while still producing safe, wholesome food. After consolidation of areas monitored on the GMP form, the amount of areas dropped from 42 to 27. Since changing over the GMP monitored areas, more visual checks throughout the production floor were randomly completed throughout the day by the food safety team to ensure a standard of thoroughness since the newly designated areas encompass more square footage. There would be a range of visual checks on the floor from 3-5 times per production day. From my visual monitoring of the production floor, I noticed that the GMP standards have consistently remained the same compared to before the area consolidation. From a reviewing standpoint, food safety staff can check daily paperwork 8.7 minutes faster daily due to the fewer amount of GMP forms to physically review. Food safety staff has also had a much easier time pinpointing which areas are problematic based on the consolidated list. This helps with corrective actions, audits, and overall plant management.

Food products are regulated by both the USDA and the FDA. Food recalls are voluntary and can be classified as class I, class II, or class III, depending on the risk to the public. In this project, food recall and withdrawal trends were evaluated between 2014 and 2018. During this timeframe, approximately 1,700 food recalls occurred in the United States. The majority of food recalls were caused by undeclared allergens and pathogen contamination. Risk management and loss control tools are used to prevent recalls or minimize the effects of recalls. Recall insurance is a risk management tool that minimizes a company’s financial burden due to a recall event. Recall insurance is widely available but does not cover all of the costs associated with a recall. Risk management tools on-farm or in processing facilities and recall insurance should be used in conjunction with each other to provide the best protection.

Foodborne related disease outbreaks have been on the rise since 1998. For example, in 2019, approximately 75,233 pounds of salad products were recalled due to contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Investigations concluded there was a single grower that supplied romaine lettuce. Outbreaks in 2019 associated with romaine lettuce caused were over 167 people sick with 85 hospitalizations. Moving forward to prevent future outbreaks, control strategies need to be developed for romaine lettuce. The U.S. FDA has put together a plan, but it will also depend on the work of the farmers to follow guidelines. Additionally, studies by scientists will also be needed to fully understand how certain pathogens, like E. coli O157:H7, can remain on the produce. E. coli O157:H7 deals with different stresses along the supply chain; for example, E. coli O157:H7 can survive on the edible portion of the harvested lettuce for extended periods and adapt to different stresses like temperature changes. Modifying the atmosphere is one control strategy that does help with food quality, but other measures need to be taken to prevent future outbreaks and protect food safety. Romaine lettuce is a widely consumed product in the US. Consumers are looking for a product that is fresh, convenient, retains its nutrients and, has good sensory qualities. Romaine lettuce is also a highly perishable product resulting in flavor loss, discoloration, decay, softening, shrinkage, and vitamin loss. The use of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) can extend shelf-life and limit these effects, to provide a fresh product to the consumer. Romaine lettuce is typically packaged with passive MAP. Passive MAP is generated by relying on the natural process of product respiration and the film permeability by relying on the natural respiration rates to attain the desired gas composition over time. Thus, the objective of the study reported here was to conduct a review of MAP and to understand how MAP can help the quality and saf

The Preventive Controls for Human Food (PC) Rule, published in 2015, expanded on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach by including sanitation, allergen, and supply chain preventive controls for food manufacturing. In a Preventive Controls food safety plan, the process controls are required to be scientifically validated, but allergen and sanitation controls are not. However, food manufacturers should determine if the sanitation and allergen controls being applied in their facilities are adequate to control identified hazards. This work was conducted to determine the efficacy of cleaning practices to control bacterial contamination and soy allergen in a large bakery that manufactures cracker and wafer products. Cracker and wafer lines were subjected to the typical wet and dry-cleaning procedures used in the facility. Pre-cleaning and post-cleaning surfaces were sampled and tested using the following methods: ATP bioluminescence, microbiological sponge, Aerobic Plate Count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae Count (EC), and soy allergen qualitative and quantitative testing. Wet-cleaning and dry-cleaning methods were generally found to be effective for reducing microbiological contamination and soy allergen presence. However, certain areas of the processing equipment, such as the groove between the roller shaft and wall and the lid lip, were found to have higher APC post-cleaning than pre-cleaning. This work highlights the importance of sanitation validation studies that are specific to the equipment being utilized.

This project was written to provide resources for consumers and industry on food safety for food deliveries with considerations for COVID-19. There are on going, mandated shutdowns across the United States causing the rates of food deliveries to rapidly increase with no signs of slowing down. While there is no documented evidence that COVID-19 can be spread from food or food packaging, the virus can live on surfaces and be transmitted from person-to-person contact. The following handouts were created to support the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s (VCE) repository of COVID Food Safety resources.

Recent data estimates 30% or more of the overall food supply is discarded due to food safety-related issues of spoilage, damage, and expiration (USDA, 2015). At the same time, food insecurity poses an equally significant issue within the United States. There are limited research studies involving food safety and food waste at food recovery locations, particularly in Virginia. This project facilitated semi-structured interviews with five food recovery managers in multiple localities in Virginia on how decisions are made regarding food waste and safety within their facilities. The interviews revealed a need for on-going food safety education, as many food recovery locations struggle with the dilemma of short-term and one-time volunteers, and resources on how to combat food waste through additional redistribution and agricultural waste recovery. Future research should focus on the challenges specific to reducing food waste at food recovery locations in order to better meet the needs of this population.

The Food Safety Modernization Act was a broadly impactful piece of legislation signed into law in 2011. This legislation is composed of seven core rules that together made sweeping changes to the regulations surrounding how foods are grown, harvested, and processed. These regulations affected many different industries, including the brewing industry and its supporting counterparts. Due to the expansive nature of the regulations, there have been issues with interpretations during their rollout and direct guidance from the FDA was not always immediately available. This meant that during initial years following passage of the legislation, non-government groups were left to gather information and disseminate answers to questions on maintaining compliance. A review of available literature and resources has found that even though there has now been clarification on how many of the provisions affect various industries directly from the FDA, resources on how to achieve compliance in specific areas are not always available and can sometimes be hidden behind a paid membership. Due to this, there exists a state where some resources may be unavailable to potential industry participants. There is value in providing free resources to potential participants, future research on sustainable practices with industry byproducts, and in identifying shortcomings in the legislative rollout for the benefit of future regulatory endeavors.

Cleaning and disinfection are critical areas of Veterinary hospital biosecurity. Without a validated biosecurity program, veterinary hospitals are in a vulnerable state. Potential outbreaks of pathogenic microorganisms could occur causing loss of: patient lives, hospital revenue and hospital prestige. Instances of pathogenic outbreaks have been recorded in small animal settings (i.e. veterinary clinics and shelters) and in large animal settings (i.e. farms and hospitals.) Veterinary hospitals, often considered the gold standard of veterinary care are not immune to biosecurity breaches. In last 5 years 82% of veterinary teaching hospitals reported nosocomial infections (Anderson, 2010). The aim of this project was to validate cleaning and sanitation procedures that are already in place in the Harry T. Peters, Jr. Large Animal Hospital located in Blacksburg, VA. This project compared two sanitation protocols and validated them using environmental sampling. Using chi-square analysis results indicated there was no significant difference between the sanitation methods.

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) solutions (0, 0.5, or 1.0%) were applied to cantaloupe (Athena and Hale's Best Jumbo cultivars) rind plugs, either before or after inoculation with a broth culture of Salmonella Michigan (10(9) CFU/mL) and held at 37 degrees C for 1 or 24 hr. Rind plugs were diluted, shaken, and sonicated, and solutions were enumerated. Texture quality and color were evaluated over 14 days storage at 4 degrees C after 0 and 1% CPC spray applications. A 0.5 or 1.0% (vol/vol) application of CPC after Salmonella reduced the pathogen levels between 2.34 log CFU/mL and 5.16 log CFU/mL in comparison to the control (p<.01). No differences were observed in the firmness and color of 1% CPC treated cantaloupes. Salmonella concentrations on cantaloupes, treated with 1.0% CPC, were lower after 1 hr storage as compared to 24 hr. And, Salmonella on Athena surfaces were more susceptible to CPC spray treatments than on Hale's Best Jumbo. Practical applicationsCetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is the active ingredient of some antiseptic oral mouth rinses, and has a broad antimicrobial spectrum with a rapid bactericidal effect on gram-positive pathogens. The spray application of CPC solutions to cantaloupe may reduce the level of Salmonella surface contamination during production from irrigation water and manure fertilizers and, during food processing by contaminated equipment and food handlers. Since the surfaces of cantaloupes are highly rough or irregular, bacteria can easily attach to these surfaces and become difficult to remove. Appropriate postharvest washing and sanitizing procedures are needed that can help control Salmonella and other pathogens on melons, especially on cantaloupes with nested surfaces. A direct surface spray application of CPC may be an alternative antimicrobial postharvest treatment to reduce pathogen contamination of cantaloupe melons, while providing an alternative to chlorine-based solutions.

Foodborne pathogens are a major source of illness in the United States. In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 1 in 6 Americans are sickened by a foodborne illness each year. While many steps in the farm to table process are well researched and regulated, little information is known about the time between purchase and plate. This study evaluated current food safety recommendations made by the Partnership for Food Safety Education on FightBAC.org. An online survey of consumers was conducted to determine how often they perform the recommended practices to reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens at home. A total of 1,034 consumers responded to the survey. The majority of respondents indicate they practice good personal hygiene, take steps to reduce cross contamination, and store food properly. Safe handling and proper cooking of meat and poultry are areas where consumers are inconsistent and knowledge of recommended practices could be reinforced to decrease the risk of foodborne illness.

Foodborne illnesses have been a heavy burden in the United States and globally. Many medicinal herbs have been cultivated in the US and many of which contain antimicrobial compounds with the potential to be used for food preservation. Methanol/water extracts of pomegranate peel (“PP”, Punica Granatum L.), Chinese gallnut (“CG”, Galla chinensis), Forsythia fruit (“FF”, Forsythia suspensa) and Baikal skullcap root (“BS”, Scutellaria baicalensis) were tested for antimicrobial activity using the agar diffusion assay on tryptic soy agar (TSA) and microdilution assay in tryptic soy broth (TSB). CG and PP extracts showed good to excellent inhibitory effect against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes in both assays, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range from 0.04 to 5 mg/mL. BS had moderate inhibitory effects against V. parahaemolyticus with an MIC of 5 mg/mL in TSB, and against L. monocytogenes with an MIC of 20 mg/mL on TSA. CG was analyzed using LC-MS and fractionated using HPLC. The major components were identified as gallic acid, digallic acid, methyl gallate, and gallotannins (oligo-galloyl-D-glucose, nGG, n = 1~10). Six fractions (I - VI) were collected and their antibacterial activities were tested against L. monocytogenes, and V. parahaemolyticus both on TSA and in TSB. On TSA, fraction III, IV and V inhibited V. parahaemolyticus but no fraction inhibited L. monocytogenes. In TSB, all fractions inhibited V. parahaemolyticus and fractions II - V inhibited L. monocytogenes. Future studies are needed to investigate the effects of medicinal plants on food products.

Farmers’ markets are increasing in popularity and becoming central community focal points, providing produce, baked goods, and value-added foods items such as hummus and guacamole, as well as jams and jellies. Farmers’ markets often have an eclectic mix of consumers; toddlers to senior citizens. For both public health and economic reasons, food safety at farmers’ markets is a central issue to be researched and addressed. A foodborne illness or outbreak traced back to a farmers’ market and or a particular vendor could have huge financial implications, and potential health consequences. As part of a larger education outreach, Enhancing the Safety of Value Added Foods at Farmers’ Markets and research initiative four additional fact sheets were created on high moisture refrigerated foods, jams and jellies, maple syrup and fermented vegetables. These sheets are designed for use by Extension professionals, farmers’ market managers and vendors, consumers or the interested entrepreneur. It is our hope that combining these fact sheets with other educational tools and programs, food safety knowledge will increase followed by adoption of food safety best practices. Vendors, as well as market managers, will feel equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to create and continue to build a successful farmers’ market.

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) solutions (0, 0.5, or 1.0%) were applied to cantaloupe (Athena and Hale's Best Jumbo cultivars) rind plugs, either before or after inoculation with a broth culture of Salmonella Michigan (10(9) CFU/mL) and held at 37 degrees C for 1 or 24 hr. Rind plugs were diluted, shaken, and sonicated, and solutions were enumerated. Texture quality and color were evaluated over 14 days storage at 4 degrees C after 0 and 1% CPC spray applications. A 0.5 or 1.0% (vol/vol) application of CPC after Salmonella reduced the pathogen levels between 2.34 log CFU/mL and 5.16 log CFU/mL in comparison to the control (p<.01). No differences were observed in the firmness and color of 1% CPC treated cantaloupes. Salmonella concentrations on cantaloupes, treated with 1.0% CPC, were lower after 1 hr storage as compared to 24 hr. And, Salmonella on Athena surfaces were more susceptible to CPC spray treatments than on Hale's Best Jumbo. Practical applicationsCetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is the active ingredient of some antiseptic oral mouth rinses, and has a broad antimicrobial spectrum with a rapid bactericidal effect on gram-positive pathogens. The spray application of CPC solutions to cantaloupe may reduce the level of Salmonella surface contamination during production from irrigation water and manure fertilizers and, during food processing by contaminated equipment and food handlers. Since the surfaces of cantaloupes are highly rough or irregular, bacteria can easily attach to these surfaces and become difficult to remove. Appropriate postharvest washing and sanitizing procedures are needed that can help control Salmonella and other pathogens on melons, especially on cantaloupes with nested surfaces. A direct surface spray application of CPC may be an alternative antimicrobial postharvest treatment to reduce pathogen contamination of cantaloupe melons, while providing an alternative to chlorine-based solutions.

The topic of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and its many equivalent terms, has been magnified in recent years, and with it, the uncertainty of the meaning of GMOs. Consumers are challenged with conflicting information on the safety of GMOs and whether or not consuming products sourced from genetically modified (GM) sources will negatively affect their health. The scientific community seems to be at odds with consumer advocacy groups. While scientists back the safety and risk of genetically modified foods, claiming equivalency to conventional food alternatives, consumer advocacy groups’ positions disagree with this opinion and are seeking point-of-purchase labeling differentiating foods made with genetic modification from those without. This paper will discuss these relevant topics of GMOs, the sourcing and availability of genetically modified foodstuffs, and the labeling and pending U.S. government regulation on genetically modified or “bioengineered” foods. Scientists assert genetic modification has been occurring in one form or another in nature for centuries. In attempt to demystify the bioengineered food spectrum, a panorama of various forms of genetic modification will be outlined, and the climate of consumers’ beliefs, attitudes and concerns over genetically modified foods will be examined.