OLD S294: Quality and Safety of Fresh-cut Vegetables and Fruits

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Inactive/Terminating

Project Menu

SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[01/19/2019] [12/01/2019] [03/01/2021]

Date of Annual Report: 01/19/2019

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/25/2018 - 06/27/2018
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2017 - 09/30/2018

Participants

Adhikari, Achyut (ACAdhikari@agcenter.lsu.edu) – LA;
Almenar, Eva (ealmenar@msu.edu) – MI;
Brecht, Jeff (jkbrecht@ufl.edu)
Shaw, Angela (angelaml@iastate.edu) – IA;
Woods, Floyd (woodsfm@auburn.edu) – AL;

Reports were also submitted by non-attending participants:
Fan, Xuetong (tvsuslow@ucdavis.edu) – ARS-PA;
Nannapaneni, Ramakrishna (nannapaneni@fsnhp.msstate.edu) – MS;

Brief Summary of Minutes

1. Welcome and Introduction, Angela Shaw, Chair
a. Attending: Adhikari, Almenar, Brecht, Shaw, Suslow, Woods, Reuben Moore

2. Report from the Administrative Adviser, Reuben Moore
* Will send a letter about this meeting to faculty at other universities, covering these points:
o Free membership to United Fresh Conferences
o Interaction with industry
o University Showcase, which provides visibility to program/ departments/ university
o Collaboration with United Fresh’s Food Safety and Technology Council
o Research methods sharing among S294 members
o Share funding sources for research and extension work
o Expertise in various areas of produce safety
o Funding for multi-state conference meeting
o Establishment of personal relationships with colleagues in your field
o Need to include how to join the group
* Need to make this a 2 day meeting so that funding is an option
* Develop a podcast or something that showcases the work of this group
o 2-3 minute video for United Fresh
o Slides for each university
o Need to have a phone conference Jennifer McEntire and maybe someone else like John Toner; about future of this group
* Student scholarships
* 5 years until project renewal
o Provided a handout on steps to complete/submit an appendix E and objectives
o Website doesn’t have the publication on NIMSS
o Adjust time for travel for the day before
o Need 2 chairs and 2 secretary: one for quality and one for safety
o Need to include the annual meeting minutes, publications, photos,
o 60 days after the meeting to submit the meeting minutes and the annual report
o Update the impact statements for each university

3. Station Reports
Auburn – Floyd Woods reporting.
A new, interdisciplinary, food quality & safety working group has been formed. There are not separate food science, plant science or botany departments at Auburn. There are Horticulture and Crop & Soil departments. Research is being conducted on nutritional value (esp. carotenoids and phenolics) of banana, blackberry, blueberry kiwi, peach – 5 crops with health impacts (high antimicrobial/resistant starch/ phenolic/ nutritional aspects). Variation in quality characteristics among specialty bananas. Banana processing – chips and fries.

Florida – Jeff Brecht reporting.
Two mango projects have been funded by the National Mango Board: improving fresh cut quality to assist with market increase. Mangoes are imported from various countries throughout the year. First project (UF, ARS-FL, CA): sampled products at retail in Florida (two locations) and California throughout the year and determined they were picking fruit too early. Second project (UF, ARS-FL) is best practices for riper fresh-cut mangos.
Schneider has been measuring pathogen survival on different surfaces and with sanitizers in post-harvest handling.
Sargent/Brecht: Hydrocooling of various fruits and crops: hydrocool quickly with chlorine or other sanitizers did not increase decay (strawberry, blueberry, peach).
Sargent: broccoli cultivar evaluations; investigating pink rib in lettuce.
Danyluk, Schneider: FSMA training conducted throughout the state and coordinating training throughout the Southeast as head of the Southern Center consortium; 15% of the required population has been trained;
Iowa – Angela Shaw reporting.
FSMA education for growers (small, large, and food hubs); leading the Northern consortium. Also have developed mentoring programs for trainers (sending experienced trainers to train trainers in other states). Niche education for Hmong and Plainsmen population.
Juice validation work: High pressure and additives
Quality of herbs with lights and effect on flavors
Louisiana – Achyut Adhikari reporting.
600-700 growers have been impacted by produce worker safety training. English and Spanish extension work: State and federal promotion funding
Specialty Block Grants are the major funding source for research. Risk Management Grants are also a major funding source.
Research focuses on food safety interventions for produce: Lab part (pathogen challenge studies) and on-farm part (agricultural water and die-off). Sprouts and pecans are primary subjects with double cropping. Has done a lot of work with pecan industry to assist with FSMA compliance. Now pecan is exempt from the FSMA rule.
Michigan – Eva Almenar reporting.
Research program is focused on active packaging development and validation: Shelf life and safety of the produce through addition of additives and scavengers into the packaging materials. Developing and studying packages that absorb ethylene and other gases (CO2), including the effect of humidity on ethylene scavenging. Working with a variety of foods within the active packaging materials, such as ethylene elimination with cherries during post-harvest

There was a general discussion of the effects of light on produce quality and safety.

4. New Business
* Election of new Secretary for 2017-19. Floyd Woods unanimously elected.
* Discussion of communication methods
* For future meetings we may have to consider videoconference.
* Discussion of involvement with United Fresh, Food Safety & Technology Council.
* Renew association with United FSTC; Almenar: establish a consortium for research.
* Talk to United Fresh about how to get more in front of the industry
* Student scholarships from United Fresh
* Impact statements – should write for industry. Moore suggests sending those to United Fresh.
* Increasing project participation; improving attendance at annual meetings
* How to get word out to potential participants? Reuben will send an email blast to Expt. Stations. Societies, too?
* Attendance; USDA ARS one trip limit per year; poor funding from universities for travel to attend annual meeting; current project was approved very late – expt. stations may not have allocated funds for this FY (maybe next year will be better).
* Meeting with other associations: PMA, IFT, Food Protection Assoc.(?)
* Angela will convene a videoconference (virtual meeting) in October to discuss
* Call those who haven’t completed Appendix E (Brecht will call)
* Planning collaborations, including grant proposals
* Subcommittees will plan collaborations in their areas; meet at professional meetings (IFT, ASHS)
* Also, plan collaborative grant projects (SCRI CAPs grants) together for research in interdisciplinary areas.
* No other business

5. Adjourn
Next United Fresh Conference: June 10-12, 2019, in Chicago.

Accomplishments

Objective 1. Evaluate methods of sampling and measuring flavor and nutrition of fresh-cut products to facilitate comparison to traditional shelf life factors. * Determining aronia differences among basil, parsley, and dill grown under varied supplemental light wavelengths using consumer sensory and flash gas chromatograph-electronic nose analyses. (IA) * Blue light dose response modeling of hydroponically grown basil in controlled environments. (IA) Objective 2. Develop new strategies to improve and better maintain inherent fresh-cut product quality and nutrition. * Evaluation of fresh-cut mango quality at retail (CA; FL; ARS-FL); determining how to prepare riper fresh-cut mango with adequate shelf life (ARS-FL; FL) * Effect of retail display temperature on physical, sensory, and microbiological quality of leafy greens. (FL) * Hydrocooling and forced-air cooling studies with blueberries, peaches and sweetcorn (FL) * Storage temperature and coatings affect postharvest quality of red-fleshed pitaya (dragon fruit) (FL) * Quality evaluation of commercial broccoli cultivars (FL) * Postharvest quality of selected Asian vegetables: Hydrocooling and shipping container. (FL) * Retail display temperature for fresh produce. Sensors were installed in 5 different states: California, New York, Florida, Iowa, and Nebraska. The sensors were restarted 2 or 3 times in each state, collecting 40,000 data points in each start, per position. (FL; IA; ARS-MD) * Effect of microwave steamable bag design on the preservation of ascorbic acid and antioxidant capacity and on the physical properties of cooked frozen vegetables: A case study on broccoli (Brassica oleracea). (MI) * Metal-organic frameworks have utility in sorption and release of ethylene and 1-methylcyclopropene in fresh produce packaging. (MI) * Novel antimicrobial pouch to extend produce shelf life: a case study on blueberries. (MI) * Step isotherm research considering porous materials for water adsorption/desorption analysis. (MI) * Impact of temperature and relative humidity on the ethylene sorption capacity of selected scavengers. (MI) Objective 3. Improve understanding of physiological mechanisms that affect fresh-cut product quality. * Quality evaluation of breeding lines from the University of Florida lettuce breeding program and studies to determine the potential of reducing pink rib. (FL) Objective 4. Determine critical factors in controlled inoculation studies with human pathogens and surrogates that influence the outcome of quantitative microbial risk assessments. * Microbial evaluation of preprocessed and postprocessed tomatoes from Florida packinghouses. (FL) * Biofilm formation by Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe extracts on four food-contact surfaces. (MS) Objective 5. Development and validation of novel diagnostic methods to determine presence of human pathogens and chemical hazards associated with fresh and fresh-cut products. * Extension of sample hold time for method EPA 1603 on agricultural water and E.coli. No statistical difference (p>0.05) observed between numbers of E. coli cells at 6 and 24 hours. (IA) * Midwest Region Round Two Needs Assessment for FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Findings indicated respondents (n=410) least understood biological soil amendment of animal origin requirements, water testing/usage requirements, and protection of crops from animal fecal contamination. The most preferred educational resources were online videos, extension publications/ fact sheets, and printed checklists. The most preferred way to learn new information was hands-on/experiential events, text-based information (i.e. books online/print), and visual based messages (i.e. posters). (IA) Short-term Outcomes: * A novel antimicrobial pouch to extend produce shelf life was developed and validated with blueberries. * Project participants developed multiple employee FSMA training tools for training produce producers and fresh-cut processors (CA; IA). * Determination that method EPA 1603 water sample hold time can be extended from 6 hours to 24 hours without affecting results. Outputs: Inventions. N/A Patents. N/A

Publications

Abeysundara PDA, Dhowlaghar N, Nannapaneni R, Schilling MW, Chang S, Mahmoud B, Sharma CS, Ma DP. 2017. Growth and biofilm formation by Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe flesh and peel extracts on four food-contact surfaces at 22° C and 10° C. Food Control 80: 131-142. Abeysundara PDA, Dhowlaghar N, Nannapaneni R, Schilling MW, Mahmoud B, Sharma CS, Ma DP. 2018. Salmonella enterica growth and biofilm formation in flesh and peel cantaloupe extracts on four food-contact surfaces. International Journal of Food Microbiology 280: 17-26. Almenar, E. 2017. Packaging and shelf life of perishables. . PackagingIntegrity.com . https://www.packageintegrity.com/single-post/2017/09/29/Packaging-and-Shelf-Life-of-Perishables (accessed on 02 28 18). Boz, Z., B.A. Welt, J.K. Brecht, W. Pelletier, E. McLamore, G.A. Kiker, and J.E. Butler. 2018. Review of challenges and advances in modification of food package headspace gases. J. Applied Packaging Res. 10: 62-97. Brecht, J.K., Anne Plotto, Elizabeth A. Baldwin, Jinhe Bai, Sierra Jamir, Carlos Crisosto and Gayle Crisosto. 2017. Sensory quality of fresh-cut mango at the consumer level sampled through the year. Proc. Florida State Hort. Soc. 130: 158-164 Çekiç, S.K., J. De, M. Jubair and K.R. Schneider. 2017. Persistence of indigenous Escherichia coli in manure and manure-amended soil. J. Food Protect. 80(9): 1562-15473 Chopra, S., Dhumal, S., Abeli, P., Beaudry, R., Almenar, E. 2017. Metal-organic frameworks have utility in sorption and release of ethylene and 1-methylcyclopropene in fresh produce packaging.. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 130: 48-55 Hagan, L.L., Johnson, P. N. T., Sargent, S.A., Huber, D.J. and Berry, A.D. 2017. 1-methylcyclopropene treatment and storage conditions delay the ripening of plantain fruit while maintaining sensory characteristics of ampesi, the boiled food product. Intl. Food Research Journal. 24(2): 30-636 Makani, M.N., S.A. Sargent, L. Zotarelli, D.J. Huber and C.A. Sims. 2017. Harvest interval has greater effect on periderm maturity and storage quality of early-maturing, tablestock potato than nitrogen rate. HortScience. 52: 1390-1395 Manu, D., A. Mendonca, A. Daraba, J. Dickson, J. Sebranek, A. Shaw, and S. White. 2017. Antimicrobial efficacy of cinnamaldehyde against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica in carrot juice and mixed berry juices at 4C and 12C. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease 14(5): 302-307. Razali, N.A., A.C. Nascimento Antunes, A.D. Berry, and S.A. Sargent. 2016. Postharvest storage temperature and coating effects on fruit quality of red-fleshed pitaya (Hylocereus costarricenses).. Proc. Florida State Hort. Soc. 129: 190-194 Razali, N.A., S.A. Sargent, A.D. Berry and J.K. Brecht. 2017. Harvest maturity affects fruit quality and postharvest behavior of red-fleshed pitaya fruit (Hylocereus costaricensis). Proc. Florida State Hort. Soc.. 130: 185-190 Sargent, S.A., A.D. Berry, J.K. Brecht, M. Santana, S. Zhang, and N. Ristow. 2017. Studies on quality of southern highbush blueberry cultivars: Effects of pulp temperature, impact and hydrocooling. . Acta Hort. . 1180: 497-502. Schneider, K.R., De, J., Li, Y., Sreedharan, A., Goodrich Schneider, R., Danyluk, M.D., Pahl, D.M, Walsh, C.S., Todd-Searle, J., Schaffner, D.W., Kline, W. and Buchanan, R.L. 2017. Microbial evaluation of pre- and post-processed tomatoes from Florida, New Jersey and Maryland packinghouses. Food Control. 73: 511-517 Sreedharan, A., Li, Y., De, J., Gutierrez, A., Silverberg, R. and Schneider, K.R. 2017. Determination of optimum sanitizer levels for prevention of Salmonella cross-contamination of mature Round tomatoes in a laboratory model flume system. J. Food Protect. . 80(9): 1436-1442 Takeda, F., W.Q. Yang, C. Li, A. Freivalds, K. Sung, R. Xu, B. Hu, J. Williamson and S. Sargent. 2017. Applying new technologies to transform blueberry harvesting. Agronomy. 7(2): 33 Underthun, K., J. De, A. Gutierrez, R. Silverberg, and K.R. Schneider. 2017. Survival of Salmonella and Escherichia coli in two different soil types at Various moisture levels and temperatures. J. Food Protect. . 81(1): 150-157 Zhong, X.Y.; Siddiq, M.; Sogi, D.S.; Harte, B.; Dolan, K.D.; Almenar, E. 2017. Effect of microwave steamable bag design on the preservation of ascorbic acid and antioxidant capacity and on the physical properties of cooked frozen vegetables: A case study on broccoli (Brassica oleracea).. LWT- Food Science and Technology. 83: 165-171 Activities: Schneider, with Danyluk, Goodrich and Ritenour (FL) conducted 35 Produce Safety Alliance trainings on FSMA for industry and university professionals. Presentations. Almenar, E. Materiales y tecnologías para envasado de alimentos y bebidas. Aplicaciones innovadoras. Food Pack Summit 2017 September 27, 2017. Mexico City, Mexico. Oral Almenar, E. Trends in food packaging. Spring 2017 seminar program organized by the Southern Illinois University chemistry department March 10, 2017. Carbondale, IL, USA Oral Almenar, E. Shelf-life prediction of packaged foods. 1st Food Aid Packaging Solutions Workshop Series. A USAID, USDA, and MSU Collaborative effort. May 24, 2017. East Lansing, MI, USA. Oral Almenar, E. Food packaging trends. Workshop for the International Packaging Institute. September 13, 2017. East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Oral Awalgaonkar, G., Almenar, E. Impact of temperature and relative humidity on the ethylene sorption capacity of selected scavengers. . The 2017 United Fresh Convention. June 14, 2017. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Poster Brecht, J.K. New technology in postharvest plastics. ASHS annual meeting. September 17-22, 2017. Waikaloa, Hawaii Brecht, J.K. Modified atmospheres: Benefits and risks to fresh-cut produce. Fresh?Cut Products: The Science and Art of Quality and Safety. September 26-28, 2017. Davis, CA Brecht, J.K. Fresh?cut quality Issues regarding cell integrity, translucency & juice leakage. Fresh?Cut Products: The Science and Art of Quality and Safety. September 26-28, 2017. Davis, CA Brecht, J.K. Banana, mango, pineapple, citrus. Fresh?Cut Products: The Science and Art of Quality and Safety. September 26-28, 2017. Davis, CA Brecht, J.K. Sweet corn, cucumbers, squash. Fresh?Cut Products: The Science and Art of Quality and Safety. September 26-28, 2017. Davis, CA Brecht, J.K., Anne Plotto , Elizabeth A. Baldwin, Jinhe Bai , Carlos Crisosto and Gayle Crisosto. Sensory quality of fresh-cut mango at the consumer level sampled through the year. FSHS annual meeting. June 4-6, 2017. Tampa, FL Danyluk, M., Keith Schneider, Renee Goodrich and Mark Ritenour. Produce safety alliance training.. Course taught 35 times. 2017. Various locations in Florida De, J., A. Sreedharan, Y. Li, A. Gutierrez, S. Sargent, K.R. Schneider. Comparison of forced-air cooling and hydrocooling on the microbial quality control of Florida blueberries. IAFP annual meeting. July 9-12, 2017. Tampa, FL De, J., B. Bertoldi, A. Gutierrez, M. Jubair, S. Sargent, K.R. Schneider. Effect of postharvest cooling on the microbial quality and storage of Florida peaches. IAFP annual meeting. July 9-12, 2017. Tampa, FL De, J., A. Sreedharan, A. Gutierrez, Y. Li, M. Jubair, K.R. Schneider. Microbial evaluation of preprocessed and postprocessed tomatoes from Florida packinghouses during 2013 to 2015. IAFP annual meeting. July 9-12, 2017. Tampa, FL Dhowlaghar N, Qian S, Schilling WS, Nannapaneni R "Survival of acid stress adapted cells of Listeria monocytogenes serotypes 1/2a and 4b in commonly used disinfectants in broth and water" Arkansas Association of Food Protection 19-Sep-17 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR Guamán, F.J., Steven A. Sargent, Jeffrey K. Brecht, Adrian D. Berry and Merce Santana. . Potential of partial cooling to expand handling options for fresh market strawberry. . FSHS annual meeting. June 4-6, 2017. Tampa, FL Jackson-Davis, A., Aubrey Mendonca, Floyd Woods, and Salam Khan. Antibacterial Efficacy of Eugenol against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica in Unpasteurized Apple Juice Produced in Juice Bars and Held at 4°C. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, July 9-12, 2017, Tampa, Florida. Lopez, K., Fehlberg, J. A., Oglesby, M.B., Lee, C-L., Ryser, E., Harte, J., Cho, S., Rubino, M., Almenar, E. Novel antimicrobial pouch to extend produce shelf life: a case study on blueberries. The 2017 United Fresh Convention. June 14, 2017. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Poster Lopez, K., Fehlberg, J. A., Oglesby, M.B., Ryser, E., Harte, J., Cho, S., Rubino, M., Almenar, E. Development of a novel antimicrobial pouch made of polyethylene terephthalate coated with a UV-curable formulation containing 2-(E)-hexenal and its effects on blueberry shelf life. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo (IFT 2017). June 28, 2017. Las Vegas, NV, USA. Oral Manu, D., Mendonca, A., Daraba, A., Dickson, J.S, Sebranek, J., Shaw, A., and A DiSpirito. 2017. Cinnamaldehyde Enhances the Killing Effect of High-pressure Processing against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Enterica in Refrigerated (4°C) Carrot and Berry Juices. Poster Presentation: International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Mendonca, A. F. Raw Juice Characteristics: Influence on Pathogen Survival. Oral presentation at the Annual Meeting of the International Association for Food Protection, Tampa, FL., July 9-12, 2017. Mendonca, A., Manu, D., Wang, F., Daraba, A. and A. Shaw. 2017. Antibacterial Efficacy of Geraniol against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica in Carrot Juice and a Mixed Berry Juice Held at 4°C. Poster Presentation: International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Overdiep, J., Shaw, A., Strohbehn, C., and L. Naeve. 2017. Development of a FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule Audit Checklist for Fruit and Vegetable Processors. Poster Presentation: International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Perry, B., Enderton, A., Strohbehn, C., Shaw, A., and L. Naeve. 2017. North Central Region Produce Needs Assessment of FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Poster Presentation: International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Razali, N.A., Steven A. Sargent, Adrian D. Berry and Jeffrey K. Brecht. Harvest maturity stage affects fruit quality and postharvest behavior of red-fleshed pitaya (Hylocereus costaricenses). . FSHS annual meeting. June 4-6, 2017. Tampa, FL Razali, N.A., Steven A. Sargent, Charles A. Sims, Jeffrey K. Brecht, Adrian D. Berry, and Guiwen W Cheng". Potential of postharvest coatings to maintain freshness of red-fleshed pitaya (Hylocereus costaricenses).. ASHS annual meeting. September 17-22, 2017. Waikaloa, Hawaii Sargent, S.A. Quality of small fruits – Trends and opportunities.. VII Meeting of Small Fruits and Native Fruits in MercoSul countries. Embrapa Clima Temperado. 1-Aug-17. Pelotas, RS, Brazil Shaw, A., R. McGorrin, D. Reed, C. Callan, and M. Danyluk. 2017. National and Regional FSMA Training Centers: Application of Lessons Learned. Round table Oral Presentation: International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Shaw, A., Oyarzabel, O., Deng, K., and J. Rogers. 2017. Tools to Improve Interactive Food Safety Training for Small Food Facilities. Oral Presentation: International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Spruit, D., Almenar, E. Step isotherm research considering porous materials for water adsorption/desorption analysis. 2017 Mid-Michigan Symposium for Undergraduate Research Experiences (Mid-SURE). . July 26, 2017. East Lansing, MI, USA. Poster Strohbehn, C., A. Shaw, and L. Naeve. 2017. The Impact of Online Modules on Farmers Market Vendors’ and Managers’ Knowledge about Good Agriculture Practices. Poster Presentation: 2017 National Extension Tourism Conference. Galveston, TX. Thomas-Popo, E., Aubrey Mendonca, Samuel Kiprotich, Floyd Woods, and Armitra Jackson-Davis. Antimicrobial Effectiveness of Eugenol or Geraniol Alone or Combined against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica in Pineapple Juice Held at 4°C. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, July 9-12, 2017, Tampa, Florida. Wang, F., Mendonca, A., Daraba, A., Zhang, Y., Manu, D., Shaw, A., and B. Brehm-Stecher. 2017. Influence of Desiccation on Survival and Dry-heat Resistance of Long-term-survival Phase Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella PT 30 on Paper Discs and Raw Almonds. Poster Presentation: International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Wilson, L. 2017. Aronia jam and jelly composition and the federal standards. Midwest Aronia Association Annual Conference. Kansas. Conference. Organized the Fresh-cut Products Workshop at UC Davis. (CA)

Impact Statements

No major differences were found among the L. monocytogenes strains tested for biofilm formation in cantaloupe extracts. L. monocytogenes formed less biofilm on buna-n rubber than stainless steel, polyurethane and polyethylene containing cantaloupe extract. These findings will aid the cantaloupe industry to develop proper cleaning and sanitation procedures to reduce the persistent biofilms of Salmonella in the food processing environment for controlling food safety risks. (MS)

Date of Annual Report: 12/01/2019

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/10/2019 - 06/12/2019
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2018 - 09/30/2019

Participants

Participants attending:
Almenar, Eva (ealmenar@msu.edu) – MI
Brecht, Jeffrey (jkbrecht@ufl.edu) – FL
Houtz, Robert L. (rhoutz@uky.edu) - KY
Moore, Reuben (r.moore@msstate.edu) – MS
Nannapaneni, Ramakrishna (nannapaneni@fsnhp.mstate.edu) – MS
White, Shecoya (sw2323@msstate..edu) – MS
Woods, Floyd M. (woodsfm@auburn.edu) - AL

Non-attending participants also submitted reports:
Annous, Bassam (bassam.annous@ars.usda.gov) – USDA/ARS - PA
Fan, Xuetong (Xuetong.Fan@ars.usda.gov) – USDA/ARS- PA

Participants Attachment:

Final Report S294 Conference Dec 4 2019.pdf

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

Publications

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 03/01/2021

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/19/2020 - 06/19/2020
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2019 - 09/30/2020

Participants

Participants attending:
1. Almenar, Eva (ealmenar@msu.edu) – MI
2. Annous, Bassam (bassam.annous@ars.usda.gov) – ARS-PA
3. Brecht, Jeffrey (jkbrecht@ufl.edu) – FL
4. Fan, Xuetong (Xuetong.Fan@ars.usda.gov) – ARS-PA
5. Feng, Hao (haofeng@uiuc.edu) – IL
6. Gil, Mabel (migil@cebas.csic.es) – Spain
7. Houtz, Robert L. (rhoutz@uky.edu) – KY
8. Nannapaneni, Rama (nannapaneni@fsnhp.msstate.edu) – MS
9. Sargent, Steve (sasa@ufl.edu) – FL
10. Schneider, Keith (keiths29@ufl.edu) – FL
11. Shaw, Angela (angelaml@iastate.edu) – IA
12. White, Shecoya (sw2323@msstate.edu) – MS

Non-attending participants also submitting reports:
Woods, Floyd M. (woodsfm@auburn.edu ) – AL

Brief Summary of Minutes

1. Welcome and Introduction, Jeff Brecht, Chair
a. Attending: Eva Almenar, Bassam Annous, Jeff Brecht, Xuetong Fan, Hao Feng, Mabel Gil, Bob Houtz, Rama Nannapaneni, Steve Sargent, Keith Schneider, Angela Shaw, and Shecoya White.
b. Guests: Jinhe Bai (ARS-FL), Hongda Chen (NIFA), Cheryl Enlow (UFPA Food Safety & Technol. Council Chair), Xuetong Fan (ARS-PA), Jorge Fonseca (ARS-MD), Jim Gorny (FDA), Emily Griep (UFPA Mgr. Food Safety), Yaguang (Sunny) Luo (ARS-MD), Jennifer McEntire (UFPA VP Food Safety & Technol.), Anne Plotto (ARS-FL), Tianbao Yang (ARS-MD)
c. The agenda for the meeting was approved.
d. The minutes of the 2019 meeting were approved.

2. Report from the Administrative Advisor, Robert Houtz, Assoc. Dean for Research and Dir. of the Agric. Exp. Station at University of Kentucky. Dr. Houtz introduced himself and his background in horticulture. He reported that Eric Young, the regional Executive Director for SAESSD, is retiring and his replacement will be Gary Thompson from Penn State, who will be located in Arkansas. Otherwise, nothing is changed with regard to multistate, regional projects. Dr. Houtz mentioned that there is interest at USDA in direct marketing of produce such as CSAs, particularly with regard to food safety.

3. USDA NIFA Grant Opportunities, Dr. Hongda Chen, National Program Leader, USDA NIFA. Dr. Chen spoke about research priorities for produce researchers within the USDA NIFA grant program. Dr. Chen updated us on the changes occurring at NIFA related to the move to Kansas City. He also discussed research priorities, mentioning food safety and reduction of food losses, including nutritional losses, that are within the S294 scope.

4. Station Reports. Station reports were presented from U. Florida (Brecht & Sargent), Auburn (Brecht, for Woods), Iowa St. (Shaw), Michigan St. (Almenar), and Mississippi St. (Nannapaneni).

5. Improving S294 Engagement with United Fresh, Dr. Jennifer McEntire, VP Food Safety & Technology, United Fresh Produce Association. Dr. McEntire presented the research needs of the produce industry as seen by the UFPA membership, emphasizing food safety. She discussed how S-294 members can collaborate with United Fresh membership on research opportunities, mentioning that she is willing to write letters of support for research proposals if given sufficient time to interact with the researchers, such as giving feedback during proposal development. S294 member biosketches were shared with Dr. McEntire to facilitate more interaction.

6. Research Opportunities with FDA, Dr. Jim Gorny, Sr. Science Advisor, FDA. Dr. Gorny presented the produce-related research needs and opportunities as seen by FDA. He discussed how S-294 members can collaborate with FDA on research priorities. He explained that FDA does not fund outside research, but does sometimes form research partnerships with businesses and research institutions.

7. Station Reports (cont.). Station reports were presented from ARS-FL (Plotto), ARS-PA (Fan), and ARS-MD (Luo and Yang).

New Business:
1. Eva Almenar led a discussion on submission of a conference proposal to USDA. The idea is for S294 to sponsor a conference on cutting edge research in improving food safety and quality, to include new technology.
a. Need to address critical areas / topics of concern from a domestic and international perspective. Invite cutting edge researchers to represent each topic (TBD).
b. Include interaction between microbiological and plant physiology/food science in the research.
c. Inclusive participation, including students (scholarships/travel grants?) and underrepresented institutions.
d. Format, structure, presentation topics, target audience, and budget/funding were discussed. Discussion of the location centered on USDA ARS, Beltsville meeting facility, with the possibility of linking the timing to the UFPA annual Washington D.C. meeting.
e. An organizing committee to be chaired by Eva Almenar with members Brecht, Fonseca, Luo, Shaw, and possibly Woods (pending medical outcome) will meet and continue planning for a 2021 submission of a conference grant proposal to USDA.
2. Brecht brought up renewal of the current 5-year S294 project, which will expire in 2022. That means that the next S294 Project Statement should be submitted in 2021. He asked for volunteers to serve on the writing committee to email him.
3. No other business

Adjourn: Next meeting of S-294 meeting in Los Angeles, CA, 2021.

Accomplishments

Objective 1. Evaluate methods of sampling and measuring flavor and nutrition of fresh-cut products to facilitate comparison to traditional shelf-life factors. • Bai, J., Plotto, A. and Manthey, J. Distribution of volatile and the secondary metabolites in different fruit structures in tomato and citrus. Flavonoid glycosides are the most important bioactive compounds and are abundant in citrus albedo. Citrus juice or other products containing more albedo tissue usually are more health-beneficial but may sacrifice taste with enhanced bitterness. (ARS-FL). • Shaw et al., focused on the quality and safety testing of value-added produce products (IA). • Wilson’s team worked with 13 groups (13 Orchard Operators, 3 Entrepreneurs, and two companies) to test the pH, titratable acidity, degrees brix, color, water activity, density and composition of various jams, jellies, chocolate/fruit/ pepper blends, and syrups. These products required verification to ensure they meet both Federal (Food and Drug Administration) and State (Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals) standards. All tests were performed in triplicate, and the results were reported and when appropriate to the Federal or state agency. Two groups had their kitchens certified, and two have contracted with co-packers to mass-produce their certified products. The products that passed inspection, were/are sold in farmers markets, and some regional grocery chains. Some groups had to resubmit samples, if their first or second or third set did not meet standards. This work is ensuring safe products are present within the local food markets (IA). Objective 2. Develop new strategies to improve and maintain inherent fresh-cut product quality and nutrition. • Plotto, A., Bai, J., Baldwin, E.A., Brecht, J.K. Overcoming limitations for processing riper mango fruit for fresh-cut mango. Mangoes should be conditioned (ripened) to a firmness level of 30-35N (6-8 lbs-force) (compression test) before cutting to achieve good eating quality and 10 days shelf life. Dipping mango slices in citric acid maintains good appearance in storage and prevents browning. (ARS-FL). • Ritenour, M., Plotto, A., Bai, J. Plant essential oils to enhance decay control of Florida fresh strawberries Botrytis cinerea is the most common decay organism found on strawberries postharvest. Thymol or carvacrol are fungistatic in vitro. Application of plant essential oils in microencapsulated powder placed in a sachet on a clamshell lid controls decay without providing additional (off) flavor. (ARS-FL). • Ritenour, M., Plotto, A., Bai, J. Developing effective pre- and postharvest methods to control Diplodia stem-end rot (Lasiodiplodia theobromae) and reduce mandatory segregation of fresh Florida grapefruit exports arriving in Japan. Project started 2019-2020 season. Establish Lasiodiplodia theobromae colonization level and other fungal population in selected Florida grapefruit groves. (ARS-FL). • Brecht et al., developed recommendations for minimum firmness for processing different mango cultivars (Tommy Atkins, Keitt, Kent), with and without additives and MAP (FL). • Brecht et al., reported that lower temperatures in enclosed refrigerated retail display cases maintain higher quality of leafy greens. An approximately 3 degree C temperature difference before versus after display case retrofitting resulted in improved quality maintenance of baby spinach, spring mix and Romaine lettuce; we also demonstrated lower microbiological populations on chopped Romaine lettuce (FL). • Sargent et al., determined the quality evaluation of commercial broccoli cultivars and breeding selections for potential winter production in north Florida (part of East Coast Broccoli Project) was done. There were inherent differences between cultivars but cooling with slush ice or hydrocooling did not result in differences in quality changes during storage; plastic film overwrap was effective in reducing water loss during storage. Samples from broccoli storage regimes were analyzed for nutritional content at Univ. of Tennessee in Dr. Carl Sams' laboratory (FL). • Belisle et al., demonstrated how trimming shanks better maintains total sugars and water content and reduces kernel denting of sweetcorn kernels during storage (FL). • Sargent et al., began evaluation of a purple-fleshed sweet potato with potential as a high-value crop for Florida growers. We are testing effects of curing regime and harvest time on anthocyanin content and other quality factors during storage at 10C (FL). • Shaw et al., the use of surrogate microorganisms that act like the human pathogens are critical for the fresh-cut industry to have an accurate model. The selection and evaluation of surrogate microorganism is an area that is under researched in the microbiology field. Drs. Wilson and Mendonca worked with a local grocery store to determine how fresh-cut cantaloupe melons would be affected by different simulated retail storage conditions. In this work utilized surrogate bacteria to mimic human pathogens. This work estimates the potential financial impact of up to $1.5 million in cost savings from reducing waste from out-of-date fresh-cut cantaloupe melon and fresh produce (IA). • Shaw and Mendonca have been working to identify potential surrogate microorganisms that can be used within a produce field setting and in a fresh-cut processing setting. To date, these two labs have been able to identify 5 strains that can be utilized for microbial risk assessment that mimic the attributes of Escherichia coli O157:H7. As a result of this results, as of December 11th, 2019 these strains have been cited in 62 peer-reviewed journal articles as being used in other food safety research. With so few of options for surrogate available, this is a major contribution to the field of food safety (IA). • da Rocha et al., Created a double-bottom antimicrobial package that extends apple shelflife (MI). • da Rocha et al., demonstrated novel package slows Penicillium expansum growth (MI). • da Rocha et al., reported novel package reduces apple ethylene production, respiration rate and firmness loss (MI). • da Rocha et al., demonstrated double-bottom antimicrobial packages with ICsa extends apple shelf life better than with ICp (MI). • da Rocha et al, reports new strategy to reduce postharvest losses in countries lacking cold storage (MI). • Pranata et al., demonstrated that EWP film can be produced through extrusion and calendaring processes and can be used as an alternative to other materials for food packaging applications where thermal resistance, rigidity, strength, barrier to oxygen, and avoidance of condensation are desired (MI). • Fehlberg et al., report eight different LLDPE/OP sheets from combinations of different OP characteristics are examined. Results show that OP particle sizes of 75-177 µm without zest at 0.4-g loading improve thermal stability, color, dispersion, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and elongation at break as well as reduce air bubble formation and OP agglomerate sizes in LLDPE/OP composites. Results show a promise in utilization of OP fillers to produce a composite comparable to neat LLDPE and composites with UV-blocking properties (MI). Objective 3. Improve understanding of physiological mechanisms that affect fresh-cut product quality. • Kargar Ph.D. project. Evaluating physiochemical properties and bioactive compounds of selected banana cultivars: Consumer demand, browning potential of fresh with intent to expand fresh-cut product. (AL). • Shi, M.S. project. Evaluating impact of hydroponic production of lettuce-on-lettuce quality with emphasis on secondary metabolism. (AL). • Evaluating interactive effects of environment, growing season and cultivar of blueberries destined for value-added consumer / homeowner quality. (AL). • Evaluating combinational applications of labeled herbicides on hill and plasticulture for postharvest quality of selected cultivars destined for fresh-cut. (AL). • Xia, M.S. project. Evaluating impact of hydroponic production of lettuce using nutrient film technique, incidence of tipburn and phenolic content. (AL). • Belisle et al., are developing rapid quality assessments for breeding line selections and applying chemical interventions to reduce pink rib, a common physiological disorder of lettuce (FL). • Wilson and Mendonca to evaluated how natural antimicrobials can be utilized to kill Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes in juice products. In this research the essential oil component isoeugenol (at 0.5 μLmL−1) enhances the microbial safety of pineapple juice with an acceptable impact on the sensory attributes of the juice. This can serve as an alternative to heat pasteurization and meet consumer demand for minimally processed fresh-like juices (IA). • Shaw has been focusing on how best to educate produce growers on the risk factors that impact the safety of the produce they grow, harvest, process, and distribute. In 2018/2019, six peer review articles were published on projects related to produce food safety. Additionally, there were 16 produce safety alliance grower trainings provided in Iowa to educate 430 produce growers and 10 on-farm food safety visits to produce farms. All of this research has been presented at conferences through the U.S. It is estimated that over 500 food industry, academics, and government agencies have been exposed to this research and extension publications. Knowledge assessments taken from the produce safety alliance grower trainings indicate a significant increase in knowledge related to the food safety modernization act produce safety rule (p<0.001) and changes in behavior were observed through on-farm visits at all 21 farms in 2019. These include adoption of increased documentation, employee training, facility upgrades and technology (IA). Objective 4. Determine critical factors in controlled inoculation studies with human pathogens and surrogates that influence the outcome of quantitative microbial risk assessments. • De J et al., determined the required concentrations of free chlorine in hydrocooling systems in order to reduce microbial load on whole sweetcorn (FL). • Jayeola, et al., report, L. monocytogenes growth was more accurately predicted in celery (RMSE 0.28 to 0.47) than in onions (RMSE 0.42 to 1.53) under the fluctuating temperature scenarios tested. However, both predictions yielded APZ values, which ranged from 82 to 100% for celery and 36 to 78% for onions. In contrast, Salmonella Typhimurium populations increased < 1 log CFU/g in diced tomatoes under the three fluctuating temperature scenarios studied. Overall, these diced products packaged under a high oxygen atmosphere showed a decreased pathogen growth compared to product stored in a passive modified atmosphere. Findings from this study will be particularly useful in assessing the risk associated with consumption of diced celery, tomatoes and onions and in designing effective packaging strategies to minimize pathogen growth in fresh-cut produce (MI). • Nannapaneni and White, reported that rugose morphotype of S. Typhimurium and S. Heidelberg produced significantly denser biofilm on food-contact surfaces which also increased with sequential exposure to sublethal concentrations of NaOCl in the case of S. Heidelberg and these biofilms were more tolerant to biocidal NaOCl concentrations commonly used in the food processing plants (MS). • Nannapaneni and White, reported that oxidative based agents are the best choice to decontaminate the food contact surface where acid stress adapted L. monocytogenes cells may be present (MS). • Nannapaneni and White, reported that cold stressed cells of L. monocytogenes Bug600 and ScottA have greater tolerance to lethal alkali and some oxidative stresses that are commonly employed by the food industries to kill this foodborne pathogen (MS). Objective 5. Development and validation of novel diagnostic methods to determine presence of human pathogens and chemical hazards associated with fresh and fresh-cut products. Nothing to report.

Publications

Publications Kargar, M., F.M.Woods, M.M. Wall, R.J. Kessler, E. Vinson III, E.G. Fonsah, R.B. Jeganathan, and N. Larsen. 2019. Screening underutilized banana for carotenoid content: Consumer acceptance and potential health benefits. Journal of the American Pomological Society 73(4):198-205 Thomas-Popo, E., A. Mendonca, J. Dickson, A. Shaw, S. Coleman, A. Daraba, A. Jackson-Davis, and F. Woods. 2019. Isoeugenol significantly inactivates Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes in refrigerated tyndallized pineapple juice with added Yucca schidigera extract. Food Control 106:106727 Baldwin, E.A. and J.K. Brecht. 2020. Advances in the use of barrier coatings and additives in the preservation of fresh horticultural produce, p. 91-115. In: C. Watkins (ed.). Advances in Postharvest Management of Horticultural Produce. Burleigh Dodds, Cambridge, U.K. Belisle, C.E., S.A. Sargent, and J.K. Brecht. 2018. Trimming sweetcorn shanks better maintains total sugars and water content of kernels during storage. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 131:189-192 De, J., Y. Li, A. Sreedharan, R. Goodrich Schneider, A. Gutierrez, M. Jubair, M.D. Danyluk, K.R. Schneider. 2018. A three-year survey of Florida packinghouses to determine microbial loads on pre- and post-processed tomatoes. Food Control 86:383-388 Gurtler, J.B, N.A. Harlee, A.M. Smelser and K.R. Schneider. 2018. Salmonella enterica contamination of market fresh tomatoes: A review. J. Food Protect. 81(7):1193-1213 https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-395 Bardsley, C.A., L.N. Truitt, R.C. Pfunter, M.D. Danyluk, S.L. Rideout, L.K. Shawn. 2019. Growth and survival of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella on whole and sliced cucumbers. J. Food. Prot. 82:301-309 Brecht, J.K., S.A. Sargent, P.E. Brecht, J. Saenz, and L. Rodowick. 2019. J.K. Brecht (ed.). Protecting Perishable Foods During Transport by Truck or Rail. University of Florida and USDA AMS, Gainesville, Fla., HS1328, 204 p. De, J., A. Sreedharan, Y. Li, A. Gutierre, J.K. Brecht, S.A. Sargent, and K.R. Schneider. 2019. Comparing the efficacy of postharvest cooling methods to enhance fruit quality and reduce Salmonella in artificially inoculated southern highbush blueberry. HortTechnology 29:314-319 Plotto, A., J.K. Brecht, J. Bai, E. Baldwin, E. Branca, D. Wood., C. Abrahan, S. Stahl, and Y. Xie. 2019. Overcoming limitations for processing riper mango fruit for fresh–cut mango. Final Report to the National Mango Board Schneider, K.R., D.L. Archer, R. Goodrich Schneider, G.L. Baker, M.D. Danyluk, and C. Thomas. 2019. The Food Recall Manual (Version 2). University of Florida, IFAS Press, Gainesville, FL. Tokarskyy, O. and K.R. Schneider. 2019. Influence of temperature, humidity, and diluent type on survival of Salmonella spp. on the surface of raw tomatoes. Potravinarstvo. 13(1):325-330 https://doi.org/10.5219/1121 Wang, L., E.A. Baldwin, W. Luo, W. Zhao, J. Brecht, and J. Bai. 2019. Key tomato volatile compounds during postharvest ripening in response to chilling and pre-chilling heat treatments. Postharv. Biol. Technol. 154:11-20 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2019.04.013 Brecht, J.K. 2020. Fresh-cut mango: Requirements and recommendations, p. 495-500. In: R. Beaudry and M.I. Gil (eds.). Controlled and Modified Atmosphere for Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce. Academic. Brecht, J.K. 2020. Fresh and fresh-cut sweetpotato: Requirements and recommendations, p. 629-633. In: R. Beaudry and M.I. Gil (eds.). Controlled and Modified Atmosphere for Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce. Academic. Brecht, J.K., E. Pliakoni, and K. Batziakias. 2020. The impact of temperature on atmosphere requirements and effects: The limits of design and utility for CA/MA/MAP, p. 147-166. In: R. Beaudry and M.I. Gil (eds.). Controlled and Modified Atmosphere for Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce. Academic. Brecht, J.K., I. Uysal, M. C. N. Nunes, J. P. Emond, S. Mercier, and U. McCarthy. 2020. Smart distribution to maintain shelf-life of horticultural produce, p. 409-432. In: C. Watkins (ed.). Advances in Postharvest Management of Horticultural Produce. Burleigh Dodds, Cambridge, U.K. de Frias J.A., Y. Luo, B. Zhou, B. Zhang, D.T. Ingram, K. Vorst, J.K. Brecht, and J. Stommel. 2020. Effect of door opening frequency and duration of an enclosed refrigerated display case on product temperatures and energy consumption. Food Control 111:107044 (8 p.) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2019.107044 Wang, F., Mendonca, A., Brehm-Stecher, B., Dickson, J., Dispirito, A., and A. Shaw. 2018. Long-term-survival phase cells of Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 have significantly greater resistance to ultraviolet radiation in 0.85% saline and apple juice. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease 15(9):538-543 Bai, J., Baldwin, E., Tsantili, E., Plotto, A., Sun, X., Wang, L., Kafkaletou, M., Wang, Z., Narciso, J., Zhao, W., Xu, S., Seavert, C., and Yang, W. 2019. Modified humidity clamshells to reduce moisture loss and extend storage life of small fruits. Food Packaging and Shelf Life 22:100376 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2019.100376 Bowman, K.D., McCollum, G., Plotto, A., and Bai, J. 2019. Minnie finger lime: a new novelty citrus cultivar. HortScience 54:1425-1428 https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI13622-18 Whitaker, V.M., Peres, N.A., Osorio, L.F., Fan, Zhen, do Nascimento Nunes, M.C., Plotto, and A., Sims, C.A. 2019 ‘Florida Brilliance’ strawberry. HortScience 54:2073-2077 https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14327-19 Li, J., Di, T., and Bai, J. 2019. Distribution of volatile compounds in different fruit structures in four tomato cultivars. Molecules 24:2594-2019 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142594 Sun, X.N., Baldwin, E.A., and Bai, J. 2019. Applications of gaseous chlorine dioxide on postharvest handling and storage of fruits and vegetables – A review. Food Control 95:18-26 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.07.044. Sun, X.N., Cameron, R.G., and Bai, J. 2019. Microencapsulation and antimicrobial activity of carvacrol in a pectin-alginate matrix. Food Hydrocolloids. 92:69-73 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2019.01.006. Marín, A., Plotto, A., Atarés, L., and Chiralt, A. 2019. Lactic acid bacteria incorporated into edible coatings to control fungal growth and maintain postharvest quality of grapes. HortScience 54:337-343. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI13661-18 Endo, H., Ose, K., Bai, J., and Imahori,Y. 2019. Effect of hot water treatment on chilling injury incidence and antioxidative responses of mature green mume (Prunus mume) fruit during low temperature storage. Scientia Horticulturae 246:550-556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.11.015 Bhullar, M., Shaw, A., Hannan, J., and S. Andrews. 2019. Extending the holding time for agricultural water testing method EPA 1603 for produce growers. Water: 11 (10): 2020; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11102020 Shaw, A., and K. Helterbran. 2018. Development of a food safety training for prison farm: Challenges and opportunity. Journal of Extension: 56(7):7IAW8 https://joe.org/joe/2018december/iw8.php?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2018december Overdiep, J., and A. Shaw. 2019. Development of a FSMA human food audit checklist for food processors. Journal of Extension: 57 (3): 3TOT4 https://www.joe.org/joe/2019june/tt4.php Gomez, C., Currey, C., Dickson, R., Kim, H., Hernández, R., Sabeh, N., Raudales, R., Brumfield, R., Laury-Shaw, A., Wilke, A., and S. Burnett. 2019. Controlled Environment Food Production for Urban Agriculture. HortScience: 54 (9):1448-1458. Perry, B., Shaw, A., Johnsen, E., Enderton, A., Strohbehn, C., and L. Naeve. 2019. Assessment of midwest growers’ needs for compliance with The Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. Food Protection Trends: 39(3):212-217. Strohbehn, C., Enderton, A., Shaw, A., B. Perry, Overdiep, J. and L. Naeve. 2019. What do growers’ need to comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule? Journal of Extension: 56(7):7RIB1 https://joe.org/joe/2018december/rb1.php da Rocha Neto, A.C., Beaudry, R., Maraschin, M., Di Piero, R.M., and Almenar, E. 2019. Double-bottom antimicrobial packaging for apple shelf-life extension. Food Chemistry 279:379-388 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.12.021 Pranata, M.P., González-Buesa, J., Chopra, S., Kim, K., Pietri, Y., Ng, P.K.W., Matuana, L.M., and Almenar, E. 2019. Egg white protein film production through extrusion and calendering processes and its suitability for food packaging applications. Food and Bioprocess Technology 12:714-727. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-019-2248-0 Fehlberg, J., Lee, C-L., Matuana, L., Almenar, E. 2019. Orange peel waste from juicing as raw materials for plastic composites intended for use in food packaging. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 137:48841 https://doi.org/10.1002/app.48841 Jayeola, V., Jeong, S., Almenar, E., Marks, B., Vorst, K., Brown, W., and Ryser, E. 2019. Predicting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium in diced celery, onions, and tomatoes during simulated commercial transport, retail storage, and display. Journal of Food Protection 82(2):287-300. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-277 Bansal, M., Nannapaneni, R., Kode, D., Chang, S., Sharma, C., McDaniel, C., and Kiess, A. 2019. Rugose morphotype in Salmonella typhimurium and S. heidelberg induced by sequential exposure to subinhibitory NaOCl aids in biofilm tolerance to lethal NaOCl on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces. Frontiers in Microbiology 10:2704. Abeysundara, P., Dhowlaghar, N., and Nannapaneni, R. 2019. Influence of cold stress on the survival of Listeria monocytogenes Bug600 and ScottA in lethal alkali, acid and oxidative stress. LWT - Food Science and Technology 100:40-47. Dhowlaghar, N., Shen, Q., Nannapaneni, R., Schilling, M. W., and Samala, A. 2019. Survival of acid stress adapted cells of Listeria monocytogenes serotypes 1/2a and 4b in commonly used disinfectants in broth and water models. LWT Food Science and Technology 109:201-206. Presentations Kargar, M. (Presenter), F.M. Woods, M.M. Wall, E.G. Fonsah, J.R. Kessler, K. Shetty, R.B. Jeganathan, and N. Larsen. Influence of maturity on physiochemical quality of genomically diverse banana (Musa spp.) cultivars. 82nd Annual Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science, Feb 2-4, 2018, Jacksonville, FL Kargar, M. (Presenter), F.M. Woods, M.M. Wall, E.G. Fonsah, J.R. Kessler, K. Shetty, R.B. Jeganathan, and N. Larsen. Preliminary study of enzymatic browning susceptivility in banana peel and pulp tissues in relation to genotype and ripening. 115th Annual American Society for Horticultural Science, July 31-August 3, 2018, Washington, D.C. Woods, F.M. (Presenter), A. Gebrekidan, E. Coneva, E. Vinson, K. Shetty, D. Sarkar, B.D. Blasius and A. Caylor. Influence of cultivar, environment and growing season on phytochemical properties of Alabama-grown Rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei Reade). 4th NDSU Annual Conference on Food for Health, July 8 - 11, 2018, Fargo, North Dakota Miranda, M. (Presenter), Marcos, D., Garrido Assis, O.B., Sun, X., Ference, C., Plotto, A., Bai, J., Baldwin, E. Effect of ginger essential oil on citrus fruit decay when applied in a nano-emulsion coating. Becerra, C. (Presenter), Plotto, A., Du, X. Strawberry flavor reconstitution and the impact of methyl anthranilate on strawberry flavor. Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Jun-19, New Orleans, LA Bai, J. (Presenter), Sun, X., Baldwin, E.A., Plotto, A. Chlorine dioxide as a tool for food safety and reduction of postharvest decay. Specialty Crops Block Grant Showcase, 29-Oct-19, Gainesville, FL Bai, J. (Presenter), Baldwin, E.A., Plotto, A., Driggers, R.E., Stover, E.W. Classification of USDA orange-mandarin hybrids using volatile profiles. American Chemical Society (ACS), 31-Mar-19 , Orlando, FL Ali, S. (Presenter), Plotto, A., Scully, B.T., Stover, E.W., Pisani, C., Ritenour, M., Bai, J. Fatty acid composition and aroma volatile profiling of avocado germplasm from subtropical regions. American Chemical Society (ACS), 31-Mar-19, Orlando, FL Marin, A. (Presenter), Baldwin, E.A., Bai. J., Wood, D.R., Brecht, J., Plotto, A. Edible coatings as carriers of antioxidant compounds to maintain appealing appearance of fresh cut mango. Florida State Horticultural Society, 10-Jun-19, Orlando, FL Marin, A. (Presenter), Sun, X., Miranda, M., Ference, C.M., Bai, J., Ritenour, M., Plotto, A. Optimizing essential oil applications to prevent postharvest decay in strawberries. Florida State Horticultural Society, 10-Jun-19, Orlando, FL Belisle, C.E. (Presenter), Kim, J., Sargent, S.A., Brecht, J.K., and Sandoya, G.V. "Reducing pink rib, a stress-induced disorder in lettuce. Plant Science Symposium 2018, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL Belisle, C.E. (Presenter), Kim, J., Sargent, S.A., Brecht, J.K., and Sandoya, G.V. Mitigating pink discoloration in lettuce. Everglades Research & Education Center Open House. [Poster], 2019, Belle Glade, FL Belisle, C. (presenter), G.V. Sandoya, S.A. Sargent, and J. K. Brecht. Developing a methodology to screen Lactuca sativa cultivars and breeding lines to predict shelf life potential. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, 2019, Orlando, FL Bertoldi, B. (Presenter), J. De, C. Baker, C. Pabst, A. Gutierrez and K.R. Schneider. Determining water quality and bacterial load on tomatoes in flume tanks from Florida packinghouses. International Assoc. of Food Protection, 2019, Louisville, KY Brecht, J.K. (Keynote Presenter). The physiological basis of fresh–cut fruit and vegetable differences. ISHS IV International Conference on Fresh-Cut Produce, 2019, Taian, China Brecht, J.K. (Presenter). Fresh–cut quality issues regarding cell integrity, translucency & juice leakage. Fresh–Cut Products: Maintaining Quality and Safety Workshop, 2019, Univ. of Calif., Davis, CA Brecht, J.K. (Presenter). Modified atmospheres: Benefits and risks to fresh–cut produce. Fresh–Cut Products: Maintaining Quality and Safety Workshop, 2019, Univ. of Calif., Davis, CA Brecht, J.K. (Presenter). Transportation and distribution issues. Fresh–Cut Products: Maintaining Quality and Safety Workshop, 2019, Univ. of Calif., Davis, CA De, J. (Presenter), Bertoldi B., Pabst, C.R., Baker C.A., Brecht J.K., Sargent S.A., and Schneider K.R. Comparing efficacy of hydrocooling with different concentrations of free chlorine in reducing microbial load from whole corn. Poster #P1-22. International Assoc. of Food Protection, 2019, Louisville, KY De J. (Presenter), Bertoldi B., Pabst, C.R., Baker C.A., Gutierrez A., Sargent S.A., and Schneider K.R. Evaluation of hydrocooling with two different sanitizers in reducing microbial load from whole corn and their shelf life. Poster #P1-119. International Assoc. of Food Protection, 2019, Louisville, KY Theodore, C. (Presenter), S.A. Sargent, J.K. Brecht, and L. Zotarelli. Cooling method affects postharvest quality of new breeding lines and commercial broccoli cultivars in Florida. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, 2019, Orlando, FL Theodore, C. (Presenter), S.A. Sargent, J.K. Brecht, and L. Zotarelli. Effect of cooling methods on postharvest quality of commercial broccoli cultivars grown in Florida. American Society for Horticultural Science, 2019, Las Vegas, NV Xie, Y., J.K. Brecht (Presenter), C. Abrahan, Y. Luo, and E.R. Bornhorst. Minimizing quality deterioration of fresh–cut baby spinach by retrofitting refrigerated retail display cases with doors. (e-Poster). ISHS IV International Conference on Fresh-Cut Produce, 2019, Taian, China Almenar, E. (Presenter). New Packaging materials for fresh-cut produce. IV International Conference on Fresh-cut Produce, August 14, 2019, Taian, Shandong, China Spruit, D. (Presenter), Almenar, E., Peters, A., Salva, S. Project E-COMMFOOD. Phase 1:E-commerce food packaging market study. ISTA. The Omni-Channel Packaging Strategies Conference 2019, October 2, 2019, Chicago, IL Fehlberg, J. (Presenter), Almenar, E. Use of orange juicing waste for development of food packaging film. IFU Juice Conference 2019, May 27-30, 2019, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico Kode, D. (Presenter), Nannapaneni, R., Bansal, M., Cheng, W.-H., Sharma, C., Kiess, A. Homologous stress adaptation in four strains of Listeria monocytogenes to quaternary ammonium compounds after sublethal exposure. Annual Meeting of the International Association for Food Protection, 7/21/2019 to 7/24/2019, Louisville, KY Kode, D. (Presenter), Nannapaneni, R., Bansal, M., Cheng, W.-H., Sharma, C., Kiess, A. Heterologous stress adaptation to gentamicin in four strains of Listeria monocytogenes after sublethal adaptive response to quaternary ammonium compound (QAC). Annual Meeting of the International Association for Food Protection, 7/21/2019 to 7/24/2019, Louisville, KY Kode, D. (Presenter) and Nannapaneni, R. Stress adaptation in Listeria monocytogenes to quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) after sublethal exposure. Summer Student Science Symposium of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, 7/11/19, Mississippi State University, MS

Impact Statements

Demonstrated that the survival of acid stress adapted cells of Listeria monocytogenes serotypes 1/2a and 4b in commonly used disinfectants occurred in broth and water models (MS).