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Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 1 - 25 of 74

  1. Differential microbiota shift on whole romaine lettuce subjected to source or forward processing and on fresh-cut products during cold storage

    • International Journal of Food Microbiology
    • Romaine lettuce in the U.S. is primarily grown in California or Arizona and either processed near the growing regions (source processing) or transported long distance for processing in facilities serving distant markets (forward processing).

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  2. Effect of aqueous ozone treatment on the reduction of chlorpyrifos and physicochemical and microbial qualities of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.): Process modeling and optimization

    • Journal of Food Process Engineering
    • This study explored the impact of aqueous ozone treatment on chlorpyrifos degradation in cucumbers, optimizing conditions using both response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network‐genetic algorithm (ANN‐GA). While both models demonstrated high predictability, the ANN optimized conditions surpassed RSM in chlorpyrifos degradation, resulting in enhanced physicochemical and microbial qualities in cucumbers.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Pesticide residues
      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  3. Development and evaluation of a vacuum impregnation system for enhancement of biochemical properties of food materials

    • Journal of Food Science and Technology
    • Vacuum impregnation is a novel methodology for adding various substances to porous foods. This study aimed to develop a cost effective automate system for vacuum impregnation of food materials to enhance their nutritional, functional and sensory properties depending on the functionality of the impregnation solution.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  4. Effect of edible coatings on quality parameters and phenol composition of ready-to-eat Salanova lettuce

    • European Food Research and Technology
    • Minimally processed fresh-cut leafy vegetables are becoming one of the fastest growing segments in the food industry. In this context, new strategies to extend the preservation, such as the application of edible coatings, represent a key issue for the research community. In this study, the effects of emulsion-based edible coatings on the quality parameters of ready-to-eat Salanova lettuce were investigated.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  5. Antioxidant effects of phenolic extract from sugarcane straw and mannan extract from brewer's spent yeast on fresh‐cut apples

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
    • Abstract BACKGROUND Fresh‐cut fruit are convenient ready‐to‐eat products increasingly demanded by consumers, but highly susceptible to oxidation. To increase the shelf life of these products, this industry is currently facing the challenge of finding sustainable natural preservatives capable of maintaining fresh‐cut fruit quality while meeting consumers’ expectations regarding health and environmental concerns.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  6. Control of Escherichia coli in Fresh-Cut Mixed Vegetables Using a Combination of Bacteriophage and Carvacrol

    • Antibiotics
    • The continual emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the slow development of new antibiotics has driven the resurgent interest in the potential application of bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents in different medical and industrial sectors. In the present study, the potential of combining phage biocontrol and a natural plant compound (carvacrol) in controlling Escherichia coli on fresh-cut mixed vegetable was evaluated.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  7. A new strategy for browning regulation: Flos Sophorae Immaturus extract and thermal treatment modulates nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species network in fresh‐cut potatoes

    • Journal of Food Science
    • Abstract Browning discoloration is a critical issue that negatively affects the quality of fresh‐cut products and their industrial growth. Although many individual anti‐browning technologies have been adopted, very few reports on the combination use of natural product extracts and physical methods exist.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  8. Recent trends in hydrogen-associated treatments for maintaining the postharvest quality of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables: A review

    • Food Control
    • The majority of fruits and vegetables are perishable, thus finding sustainable postharvest treatments to regulate the quality of fresh produce is imperative. Recent research has demonstrated that the exogenous application of hydrogen (H2)-associated treatments such as H2 gas or hydrogen-rich water (HRW), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at optimal concentrations can significantly maintain the quality of postharvest fruits and vegetables.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  9. Active pullulan-based coatings incorporated with Auricularia auricular extracts for preserving potato fresh-cuts

    • Food Science and Biotechnology
    • In the present study, Auricularia auricular polysaccharides (AAP) and Auricularia auricular proteins (AAPR) obtained from the waste products of Auricularia auricular were incorporated into pullulan (PUL) to obtain active packaging films/coatings. Results showed that incorporating AAP/AAPR into PUL-based films decreased their transparency, but increased the compactness, thermal stability, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  10. Improved chilling tolerance in glasshouse-grown potted sweet basil by end-of-production, short-duration supplementary far red light

    • Frontiers in Plant Science
    • Sweet basil is a popular culinary herb used in many cuisines around the world and is widely grown commercially for retail as a live potted plant. However, basil is easily damaged by temperatures below 12 °C meaning plants must be transported from the grower to the retailer in a warm transport chain, adding considerable commercial cost in temperate countries.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  11. Effects of electrolyzed water‐ultrasound treatment on pesticide removal in fresh‐cut potatoes with different cutting methods

    • Journal of Food Process Engineering
    • Effects of electrolyzed water‐ultrasound treatments on pesticide removal in fresh‐cut potatoes with different cutting methods. Abstract Electrolyzed water (EW) and ultrasound (US) treatment are emerging effective means of reducing pesticides in fresh‐cut vegetables. However, their synergetic efficacy of degrading pesticides in fresh‐cut potatoes has not yet been revealed.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Pesticide residues
      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  12. Does the Oxygen Permeability affect the Equilibrium Gas Concentrations in Passive Modified Atmosphere Packaged Pomegranate Arils?

    • Journal of Food Quality
    • Abstract The effect of oxygen permeability of packaging material on shelf life of minimally processed and passive modified atmosphere packaged pomegranate arils, cv “Wonderful” as well as some quality attributes were investigated. Packaging materials having Oxygen transmission rate (OTR) as low as 125–290 cm3/m2/day were found to provide the gas concentration requirements of 2–5% O2 and 3–10% CO2 for passive modified atmosphere application of fresh fruits and vegetables.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  13. Anti‐browning active packaging: A review on delivery mechanism, mode of action, and compatibility with biodegradable polymers

    • Journal of Food Processing and Preservation
    • Abstract Fresh‐cut fruits and vegetables are still an active area of study despite being a staple of food outlets offering minimally processed foods. These minimally processed foods often have a short shelf life due to enzymatic browning. Active packaging is of current interest as it offers an efficient method to deliver polyphenol oxidase inhibitors onto the surface of foods to suppress browning.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  14. A new and efficient method for producing food ingredients high in l‐ornithine using unused parts of white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

    • Journal of Food Biochemistry
    • A surplus of unused parts of vegetables (e.g., white cabbage cores and outer leaves) is generated daily by factories of fresh‐cut vegetables. Anaerobic fermentation of these vegetable residues with protease (Sumizyme FP) and Pediococcus pentosaceus did not produced l‐ornithine, however, when eggshell was added to them, large amounts of l‐ornithine were stably produced. These fermented products are sustainable food ingredients with the potential health benefits of l‐ornithine.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  15. High virulence Proteus mirabilis strains cause acceleration of decay of fresh-cut fruits

    • LWT
    • The role of Proteus mirabilis on food safety has not been investigated before. Three P. mirabilis strains (swupm1, swupm2 and swupm3) isolated from fresh-cut fruits were shown to vary in swarming motility, with strains swupm1 and swupm2, but not awupm3 exhibiting the characteristic bull's-eye phenotype. Strains swupm1 and swupm2 grew faster and produced stronger biofilm than swupm3.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  16. Combined antibacterial effect of 460 nm light-emitting diode illumination and chitosan against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes on fresh-cut melon, and the impact of combined treatment on fruit quality

    • Food Science and Biotechnology
    • This study evaluated the combined antibacterial effect of 460 nm LED illumination and chitosan on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes on fresh-cut melon surface and its impact on the quality of melon at a total dose of 2.4 kJ/cm2 at 4 and 10 °C.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  17. Hyperspectral imaging techniques for detection of foreign materials from fresh-cut vegetables

    • Postharvest Biology and Technology
    • Foreign materials (FMs) in fresh-cut vegetables are a huge concern for the fresh-cut industry since they affect product safety and quality. Therefore, effective methods of detecting FMs in industrial processing operations are urgently required. In this study, three hyperspectral imaging (HSI) techniques (VNIR, SWIR, and fluorescence) were investigated to distinguish the FMs from seven common fresh-cut vegetables.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  18. Different microbial genera drive methane emissions in beef cattle fed with two extreme diets

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • The ratio of forage to concentrate in cattle feeding has a major influence on the composition of the microbiota in the rumen and on the mass of methane produced. Using methane measurements and microbiota data from 26 cattle we aimed to investigate the relationships between microbial relative abundances and methane emissions, and identify potential biomarkers, in animals fed two extreme diets - a poor quality fresh cut grass diet (GRASS) or a high concentrate total mixed ration (TMR).

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  19. Development of a food preservative from sea buckthorn together with chitosan: Application in and characterization of fresh-cut lettuce storage

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • The purpose was to create a novel composite food preservative for fresh-cut lettuce using flavonoids and chitosan from sea buckthorn leaves (SBL). Sea buckthorn leaves were extracted with ethanol as the extraction solvent and ultrasonic-assisted extraction to obtain flavonoid from sea buckthorn leaf crude (FSL), and then the FSL was secondarily purified with AB-8 resin and polyamide resin to obtain flavonoid from sea buckthorn leaf purified (FSL-1).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
      • Leafy Greens
  20. A Genome-Wide View of the Transcriptome Dynamics of Fresh-Cut Potato Tubers

    • Genes
    • Fresh fruits and vegetable products are easily perishable during postharvest handling due to enzymatic browning reactions. This phenomenon has contributed to a significant loss of food. To reveal the physiological changes in fresh-cut potato tubers at the molecular level, a transcriptome analysis of potato tubers after cutting was carried out. A total of 10,872, 10,449, and 11,880 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at 4 h, 12 h and 24 h after cutting, respectively.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  21. Cross contamination of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in fresh-cut leafy vegetables: Derivation of a food safety objective and other risk management metrics

    • Food Control
    • In the present study, the distribution of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was investigated in fresh-cut lettuce by simulating a commercial process at a pilot plant scale with different initial inoculum levels. A deterministic approach was used to derive a potential Food Safety Objective (FSO) for the studied pathogen. The experimental outcomes, together with literature data, were used to develop a probabilistic exposure model for E.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
      • Leafy Greens
  22. Advances in formulation, functionality, and application of edible coatings on fresh produce and fresh-cut products: a review

    • Food Chemistry
    • With the increasing population of the world food demand is also increasing but unfortunately, many countries in the world are lacking suitable and economical postharvest preservation techniques to minimize increasing postharvest losses. To ensure food security advanced production technologies, distribution systems and minimum losses should be ensured to give accessibility of food to all population groups.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  23. Ethylene: Management and breeding for postharvest quality in vegetable crops. A review

    • Frontiers in Plant Science
    • Ethylene is a two-carbon gaseous plant growth regulator that involved in several important physiological events, including growth, development, ripening and senescence of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops. The hormone accelerates ripening of ethylene sensitive fruits, leafy greens and vegetables at micromolar concentrations, and its accumulation can led to fruit decay and waste during the postharvest stage.

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
      • Ethylene Sensitive
  24. Whole-Genome Sequencing-Based Characterization of Listeria Isolates from Produce Packinghouses and Fresh-Cut Facilities Suggests Both Persistence and Reintroduction of Fully Virulent L. monocytogenes

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Ahead of Print. The contamination of ready-to-eat produce with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) can often be traced back to environmental sources in processing facilities and packinghouses. To provide an improved understanding of Listeria sources and transmission in produce operations, we performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of LM (n = 169) and other Listeria spp.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut
  25. Effects of Ascorbic Acid and Melatonin Treatments on Antioxidant System in Fresh-Cut Avocado Fruits During Cold Storage

    • Food and Bioprocess Technology
    • Fresh-cut fruits have a limited postharvest life compared to fresh intact fruits; they have gained considerable market share. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of melatonin (1 mM) and ascorbic acid (20 mM) treatments, alone or in combination, on qualitative traits and antioxidant systems of fresh-cut avocado fruits during 14 days of cold storage (4 ± 0.5 °C and RH 95 ± 0.5%).

      • Produce Safety
      • Fresh Cut