Dirty Waters
Homeland Security's Science And Technology DirectorateCombating a frequently overlooked assassin: Water.
Combating a frequently overlooked assassin: Water.
No one wants a mixed salad tossed with extra bacteria, mold and yeast, but those are just what you might find when you try to eat a healthier diet in poorer neighborhoods.
A new study examines the potential influence that the business connections between broiler chicken growers may have on the transmission of avian influenza, H5N1. The risk of between-farm transmission is significantly greater among farms within the same company group than it is between farms with different company affiliation.
The following news briefs are from the Institute of Food Technologists® (IFT®), a nonprofit scientific society with members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. The briefs are derived from the Journal of Food Science and Food Technology magazine. The monthly media update also includes information on science and policy and IFT events.
College students may not start out with the best food safety practices, but they quickly learn the proper way to prepare and store food with the right information and education in place, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science Education, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
The USDA and NSF International will be hosting a 2010 Food Safety Education Conference, "“Advancements in Food Safety Education: Trends, Tools and Technologies" on March 23-26, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Ga. More information is available at www.fsis.usda.gov/Atlanta2010.
Study reviews more exposure pathways than previous surveys, also concludes additional research needed on production processes for canned soup, canned meat.
Perspectives on Food-Safety Issues of Animal-Derived Foods, a volume of essays by the nation’s leading food safety researchers, has been released by the University of Arkansas Press in association with the Food safety Consortium.
Food Safety Consortium research at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture closes in on how probiotics -- direct-fed microbials -- can be used to fight Salmonella in poultry.
Recent Food Safety Consortium-supported research at Iowa State University shows that antibiotics may be helpful in reducing the pathogen E. coli O157:H7 among swine.
WSU receives federal grant to target genetics of E. coli in cattle.
Food scientists found that boiling shrimp for 10 minutes may reduce allergenic properties of total shrimp extracts, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Pan-frying cod fish with sunflower oil may lead to a higher consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
The addition of rosemary extract to ground beef actually reduces cancer-causing agents that can form upon cooking, according to a recent study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Diners who are skeptical of the food safety practices in ethnic restaurants have new research to back up some of their assumptions. In a study of independently owned restaurants in 14 Kansas counties, Kansas State University researchers found a significantly higher number of food safety violations in ethnic restaurants than in nonethnic restaurants.
The Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa is the first laboratory in the nation to confirm a strain of salmonella that caused an outbreak in 39 states.
Pistachios, almonds and other popular tree nuts might someday be routinely sprayed with a yeast called Pichia anomala to prevent contamination with aflatoxins, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologist.
Thanksgiving is when people get together around the dinner table and, unless you want your loved ones getting violently ill, it is a good time to think about food safety. Dr. Ben Chapman, food safety specialist and assistant professor of food science at NC State University, can offer suggestions to ensure your Thanksgiving meal is a safe one.
Iowa State University Food Safety Consortium researchers have found a way to use natural ingredients to fight the potential of pathogenic contamination in organic products to make up for what nitrite isn’t present to do.
Kansas State University’s distance education program in food science is making its curriculum available to food industry employees and others who may not find it convenient to be a conventional on-campus student.
A Kansas State University study has shown that when preparing frozen foods, adolescents are less likely than adults to wash their hands and are more susceptible to cross-contaminating raw foods while cooking.
Institute of Food Technologists will host a press conference on the findings and recommendations from a new technical study that recommends guidelines to establish a comprehensive product tracing system to track the movement of food products effectively from farm to table.
Scientists in Canada are reporting the development of a fast, inexpensive “dipstick” test to identify small amounts of pesticides that may exist in foods and beverages. Their paper-strip test is more practical than conventional pesticide tests, producing results in minutes rather than hours by means of an easy-to-read color-change, they say.
Iowa State University researchers are beginning to work with a new $500,000 terahertz ray instrument that provides a new way to measure and characterize materials. The instrument should produce useful data for the automotive, aviation, food, energy, materials, pharmaceuticals, medical, forensics, defense and homeland security fields.
Ryerson University experts offer tips on how to safely prep a turkey and how to shop securely.
A small molecule designed to detect cyanide in water samples works quickly, is easy to use, and glows under ultraviolet or "black" light. Although the fluorescent molecule is not yet ready for market, its Indiana University Bloomington creators report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (now online) that the tool is already able to sense cyanide below the toxicity threshold established by the World Health Organization.
A recent study from the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, determined that smoking salmon at adequately high temperatures is a step in reducing the risk of Listeria monocytogenes in the fish.
Food and water around the world could soon become safer for human consumption thanks to a new cattle vaccine created by University of Saskatchewan graduate student David Asper.
As take-out food continues to increase in popularity, new research from Kansas State University has found that safe handling labels can help restaurants and food providers distinguish themselves in a competitive marketplace.
From household appliances to prescription drugs, nanotechnology will have an impact on everyday lives. Nanotechnology is the science and technology of the production and manipulation of materials at nanoscale levels of approximately 100 nanometers or smaller. A new paper in the October 2009 issue of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, discusses the emerging challenges and potential solutions generated by nanotechnology.
A new study from the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, shows that microwave reheating of hotdogs for 75 seconds at high power may decrease risks from pathogens that cause food-borne illness.
The October 2009 issue of the Journal of Food Science reviews the key concepts of RFID technology and its food safety applications to the food industry.
Researchers found that a common kitchen spice contains an active component that reduces the deadliness of the Escherichia coli O157 toxin, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists. E. coli O157 toxins cause abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, acute renal failure and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Foodborne pathogens like Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes are serious safety issues for food processors and consumers alike. However, meat and poultry products may be rendered safer with the use of edible apple film wraps, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Researchers demonstrate that the combination of certain bacteria and a common purple dye can reveal the presence of toxins in milk in just a few hours.
Oregano, allspice and garlic essential oils (EOs) can be effective, natural barriers against E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria, according to a study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists. The new study from government researchers revealed that oregano oil was found to be the most effective antimicrobial, followed by allspice and garlic.
Monolaurin, an extract from coconut oil could be used as a microbial agent in foods, according to a study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health have received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to educate AIDS patients on food safety.
Salmonella was more resistant to heat treatment of whole cuts of beef than in ground beef products, according to a study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Iowa State University's food safety Web site emphasizes information on hand washing documented in research-based findings.
Research at Kansas State University's Food safety Consortium shows that without proper precautions, washing the floor drains in food processing plants could actually make it easier for any Listeria monocytogenes to travel from the drain to points on the processing line.
Foods may look, smell and even taste fine -- and still harbor bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The July issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource provides an overview of food storage safety and how to avoid bad bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella.
Benjamin Cohen, an environmental historian and historian of science with an interest in modern environmental thought and the land and food at the center of it, looks to the past for insight into how we live, and eat, today.
Since the Jack-in-the-Box outbreak in 1993, food contamination continues to dominate the headlines. New sample preparation technologies continue to be developed, enabling scientists to extract biomolecules related to food-borne pathogens more quickly, accurately, and efficiently than ever before.
Musical parodies of contemporary songs can be effective in educating people about safe food handling, according to an article in the Journal of Food Science Education, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
A mixture of some organic acids and some extracts from plants turns out to be enough to greatly reduce pathogenic bacteria on chicken breast meat.
Warm weather brings on the seasonal meat favorites that are barbecued, grilled, broiled or fried. That also means more potential exposure to carcinogenic compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs). There's a way to reduce the risk significantly by just adding some spices "“ rosemary extracts or Thai spices.
Along with the increased worldwide demand for fish and seafood is a rise in the illegal practice of substituting lesser-valued seafood for the more highly prized varieties, such as sea bass labeled as halibut or rockfish labeled as red snapper. To prevent this illegal practice, a number of DNA-based methods have been developed to detect fish and seafood species in commercial products.
Consumers are willing to pay extra for food processed using new technology once they understand how it works and what it does, according to a study presented in the Journal of Food Science Education, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
The following news briefs are from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific society with more than 20,000 individual members working in food science, food technology and related professions in industry, academia and government. The briefs are derived from a variety of IFT publications, including the Journal of Food Science, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, and Food Technology magazine.