Food Protection Trends - October 2009 - 691

Dr. Mark Sobsey of the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill focused on communicable diseases after environmental disasters. Infections are associated with crowding, poor sanitation and nutrition. Wound infections with atypical pathogens are common after disasters due to the abnormal mixture of soil, dust, and water in the environment. Increased incidences of animal bites also add to the unusual infections. He talked about pathogens such as C. tetani (soil), Aeromonas (brackish water), Aspergillus versicolor (flood); and how different disasters provide risks for emergence of different pathogens. Timely treatment and control were stressed to prevent disease. Dr. Collins of the University of Wisconsin-Madison discussed how ruminants are the primary host for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis with an incubation period of about 5 years. In the United States in 2007, nearly 68.1% of cows were infected. It is present in infected cows’s milk and higher pasteurization temperatures are required to kill the bacteria. It is believed to be associated with Crohns disease in humans, but has not been defined as causal. Dr. Suresh Pillai of Texas A&M University–College Station emphasized the use of emerging technologies such as deep sequencing and pyrosequencing to identify microbial diversity in different foods. He will continue with this research to study the long term influences of foods and their microbes on health. S16 – Facing a Persistent Challenge: Salmonella Control in Low-moisture Foods Laura Strawn, University of Florida Arpan Bhagat, Purdue University The symposium started with a presentation by Dr. Patricia Griffin, from CDC’s Foodborne and Diarrheal Branch who focused on the background of Salmonella and recent US outbreaks of salmonellosis in low moisture foods. There have been 11 outbreaks associated with the consumption of low moisture foods between 1998 and 2009. Low moisture foods can include pet food, cereals and associated nut products. Specifically three outbreak investigations were discussed in depth, which were associated with consumption of a puffed rice snack, peanut butter and white pepper. Dr. Griffin noted that the number of Salmonella outbreaks have increased due to better detection. Jenny Scott, from Grocery Manufacturers Association, presented low moisture products and the worldwide problem in human and pet foods. Salmonella can’t grow in most low moisture foods, but can survive for long periods of time. This is problematic because many low moisture foods have long shelf lives. Most outbreaks of salmonellosis in low moisture foods affect large numbers of consumers and span over long periods of time. Overall, the risks of Salmonella in low moisture foods should be investigated further, as well as potential solutions for getting rid of Salmonella in low moisture foods. Theodora Morille-Hinds, from Kraft Foods, discussed the industry approaches to minimizing Salmonella ingress and spread within low moisture product manufacturing facilities. Industry approaches include being aware of the many sources of potential Salmonella contamination, establishing supplier approval program key elements, raw materials testing programs, and in depth facility validations. Examples were provided for each approach. Highlighted was employee training and how critical it is to the success of these industry approaches. Following the break Timothy Frier, GMA talked about the importance of controlled wet cleaning while using a 4-step cleaning program. Avoidance of accidental and intentional introduction of moisture into dry processing areas and maintenance of hygienic design in the facility are critical. Accessibility for routine cleaning and sanitation, and integrity of infrastructure are important to prevent ingress, survival and multiplication of microbes. Thus it is important to involve marketing, operation, allergen control and sanitation personnel during the plant design. Eliminating and identifying dead ends and dead spots and sanitary design are essential.Validated cleaning and sanitation, separation of RTE from raw areas along with personnel hygiene and sanitation are required to prevent the ingress of Salmonella. The significance of practical verification, environmental monitoring and product testing were discussed by Scott Hood. Pathogen control should be verified across the food supply chain. Prerequisite programs, HACCP, hygienic zoning and microbial surveillance are required to accomplish this goal. Trend analysis should be performed along with raw material, environmental and product monitoring. Zoning in the production area is very important. According to ICMSF the following zoning should be done: zone 1: product contact surface; zone 2: non-product contact surface (in close proximity with product contact surface); zone 3: non-product contact surface (distant from food contact surface) and zone 4: areas outside processing area. Finally in the panel discussion, the importance of preventing wet areas and the significance of complying with the guidelines was reiterated to produce safe foods. S17 – Food Safety Challenge Impacting Global Food Trade Jeremy M. Adler, Colorado State University Anderson De Souza Sant’ana, University of São Paulo This session was intended to discuss the question of food safety within the context of globalization. Specifically, how the differing countries; local or federal government agencies; or health offices handle global food safety issues. The section was composed by five presentations, including speakers from industry, universities, and regulatory bodies. Emilio Esteban, from the United States Department of Agriculture, commented on the role the Codex Alimentarius plays in managing the safety of food in global trade. Codex is designed to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair trade, and level the playing field for exporting countries through developing single reference point microbial criterion based on scientifically sound and transparent standards. Bobby Krishna, from the Dubai Municipality, commented on how the Emirate of Dubai manages its safety of food imports. Dubai imports food stuff from over 160 countries and has created a food classification, description, and OCTOBER 2009 | FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS

Food Protection Trends - October 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - October 2009