Food Protection Trends - November/December 2023 - 571

Mathilde Trudel-Ferland, Donna Garren, Rocelle
Grabarek, Yuan Guo, Fabienne Hamon, Ruth Harper,
Sunee Himathongkham, Julie Jean, Hyo jung Kim,
David Kingsley, Sanjay Kumar, Susan Leonard,
Dan Li, Jinxin Liu, Yuxiao Lu, Jenny Maloney, Kyle
McCaughan, Naim Montazeri, Angela Nguyen,
Redd Ochoa, Sophie Pierre, Breanna Polen, Brooke
Schwartz, Alexandre da Silva, Daniele Sohier,
Yesutor Soku, Mitra Soni, Matthew Stasiewicz, Irshad
Sulaiman, Lori Tansey, Tom Tansey, Susan Teegardin,
Socrates Trujillo, Grace Tung, Chun Wang, Terri
Wasmoen, Beth Wittenauer, Jacquelina Woods, Zhihui
Yang, Linghuan Yang, Caroline Yates.
Board/Staff Present: Timothy Jackson.
Number of Attendees: 54.
Meeting Called to Order: Sunday, 9:00 a.m.
Eastern Time, July 16, 2023.
Minutes Recording Secretary: Caroline Yates.
Old Business: The minutes from IAFP 2022 PDG
meeting were approved with no modifications.
New Business: Four main topics were on the
agenda: IAFP Announcements: Updates from the
IAFP Executive Board were provided by Tim Jackson.
Updates from the Student PDG were provided by
Caroline Yates. Additional safety announcements
were provided by Kristen Gibson. These updates and
announcements included the following:
Notices from the Executive Board - Download the
meeting app as this will be the best way to track what
is happening. Make sure to synchronize the app to
reflect real time changes. The DEI council video is
now also available through the app. Webinars were
free this year in June for Food Safety month with a
record number of views and are a good platform for
PDGs to consider. Those looking to join a committee
can show interest with through their member profiles
on IAFP website. The website is also a great source to
get notifications for the new journal articles and issues.
IAFP Connect is the best option to communicate within
and across PDGs. You can also indicate interest in
the IAFP mentor and mentee program via the website.
Advice for those new to IAFP: go up and introduce
yourself to those here.
Updates from the Student PDG - Ways to get
involved with students include 1) meet your favorite
scientist; 2) 3-Minute Thesis Competition; and 3)
joint symposia, roundtable, or workshop proposal
submissions. Please reach out to Ellen Mendez
(ellenandrea@ksu.edu) if you are interested and for
more details.
Highlights from the IAFP 2022 program relevant to
the PDG:
Kristen reviewed accepted sponsored or cosponsored
proposals including symposia and
roundtables. There was also a note about numerous
posters and technical sessions that will be presented
and are relevant to the Viral and Parasitic Foodborne
Diseases PDG.
Update on foodborne parasitic diseases:
Dr. Monica Santin - Discussed the One health
approach to their work and emphasized that parasites
can infect animals and humans, and the environment
plays a role in this through contamination of the food
and water supply. Transmission of Cryptosporidium
and Giardia is fecal-oral and is immediately infectious
following excretion which differs from Cyclospora and
T. gondii. Cryptosporidium has 44 valid species but
not all infect humans, and there is a need to be able to
distinguish between them. Giardia has 9 valid species
and only 1 infects humans. Older detection methods
use microscopy, but species cannot be distinguished
only using morphology. Traditional molecular methods
such as Sanger sequencing are limited due to difficulty
with complex samples. Next Generation Sequencing
(NGS) can be used to identify species composition
within a sample, and NGS has a higher sensitivity
detecting mixed assemblages.
Overall, molecular characterization is needed to determine
risk. For example, a study on Cryptosporidium
in cattle revealed 4 species, where only 1 can infect
humans. This zoonotic species is found predominantly
in pre-weaned calves and thus this is where interventions
should focus.
Dr. Sonia Almeria - Improved methods for detection
of C. cayetanensis by real time PCR in produce were
discussed. Traditionally, 18S ribosomal RNA gene
target is used, but a method based on a different target
was developed. This method is referred to as Mit1C
qPCR, and conditions had to be optimized for this
method. Evaluated new method for exclusivity (using
a panel of protozoa) and inclusivity. Also, determined
sensitivity by spiking raspberries, lettuce, and cilantro
samples.
Update on viral foodborne viruses:
Dr. Dan Li - A preview of the symposium of human
norovirus infectivity assays was provided. Availability
of ISO methods is a great step forward but there
are many uncertainties as these methods are based
on molecular detection via RT-qPCR. In a study at
produce markets in Singapore, noninfectious norovirus
was detected on berry products highlighting the need
to apply a routine infectivity assay. The symposium
will include updates on the human intestinal enteroid
model to study human norovirus infectivity, the
zebrafish model to study human norovirus infectivity,
and inactivation of foodborne viruses and the use of
surrogates in industry research.
In preparation for IAFP 2024 in Long Beach, CA,
July 14 to July 18, 2023, roundtable and symposia
topics were suggested and discussed:
PDG participated in breakout groups to consider
important questions and areas of research related to
viral and parasitic foodborne diseases that would be
November/December Food Protection Trends 571
Food Protection Trends - November/December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - November/December 2023
