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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 - 12 of 12

  1. Structural Equation Models Suggest That On-Farm Noncrop Vegetation Removal Is Not Associated with Improved Food Safety Outcomes but Is Linked to Impaired Water Quality

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Ahead of Print. While growers have reported pressures to minimize wildlife intrusion into produce fields through noncrop vegetation (NCV) removal, NCV provides key ecosystem services. To model food safety and environmental tradeoffs associated with NCV removal, published and publicly available food safety and water quality data from the Northeastern United States were obtained.

      • Produce Safety
      • Post Harvest
      • Pre Harvest
  2. 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
  3. Prevalence and Epidemiology of Non-O157 Escherichia coli Serogroups O26, O103, O111, and O145 and Shiga Toxin Gene Carriage in Scottish Cattle, 2014-2015

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • Cattle are a reservoir for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), zoonotic pathogens that cause serious clinical disease. Scotland has a higher incidence of STEC infection in the human population than the European average. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and epidemiology of non-O157 serogroups O26, O103, O111, and O145 and Shiga toxin gene carriage in Scottish cattle.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Seasonal Produce
      • Produce Safety
  4. Vegetable-Derived Carbapenemase-Producing High-Risk Klebsiella pneumoniae ST15 and Acinetobacter baumannii ST2 Clones in Japan: Coexistence of blaNDM-1, blaOXA-66, blaOXA-72, and an AbaR4-Like Resistance Island in the Same Sample

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • This study was conducted to characterize carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from fresh vegetables in Japan. Two K. pneumoniae isolates (AO15 and AO22) and one A. baumannii isolate (AO22) were collected from vegetables in the city of Higashihiroshima, Japan, and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, conjugation experiments, and complete genome sequencing using Illumina MiniSeq and Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing platforms.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Leafy Greens
      • Produce Safety
  5. Discovery and Functional Analysis of a Salicylic Acid Hydroxylase from Aspergillus niger

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • Salicylic acid plays an important role in the plant immune response, and its degradation is therefore important for plant-pathogenic fungi. However, many nonpathogenic microorganisms can also degrade salicylic acid. In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger, two salicylic acid metabolic pathways have been suggested. The first pathway converts salicylic acid to catechol by a salicylate hydroxylase (ShyA).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Produce Safety
      • Ethylene Sensitive
  6. Salmonella Genomics and Population Analyses Reveal High Inter- and Intraserovar Diversity in Freshwater

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • Freshwater can support the survival of the enteric pathogen Salmonella, though temporal Salmonella diversity in a large watershed has not been assessed. At 28 locations within the Susquehanna River basin, 10-liter samples were assessed in spring and summer over 2 years. Salmonella prevalence was 49%, and increased river discharge was the main driver of Salmonella presence.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Seasonal Produce
      • Produce Safety
  7. Adjacent Terrestrial Landscapes Impact the Biogeographical Pattern of Soil Escherichia coli Strains in Produce Fields by Modifying the Importance of Environmental Selection and Dispersal

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • High-quality habitats for wildlife (e.g., forest) provide essential ecosystem services while increasing species diversity and habitat connectivity. Unfortunately, the presence of such habitats adjacent to produce fields may increase risk for contamination of fruits and vegetables by enteric bacteria, including Escherichia coli. E. coli survives in extrahost environments (e.g., soil) and could be dispersed across landscapes by wildlife.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Produce Safety
      • Pre Harvest
  8. Nature versus Nurture: Assessing the Impact of Strain Diversity and Pregrowth Conditions on Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, and Listeria Species Growth and Survival on Selected Produce Items

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • Inoculation studies are important when assessing microbial survival and growth in food products. These studies typically involve the pregrowth of multiple strains of a target pathogen under a single condition; this emphasizes strain diversity.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Fresh Cut
      • Produce Safety
  9. Plant-Scale Validation of Physical Heat Treatment of Poultry Litter Composts Using Surrogate and Indicator Microorganisms for Salmonella

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • This study selected and used indicator and surrogate microorganisms for Salmonella to validate the processes for physically heat-treated poultry litter compost in litter processing plants.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Produce Safety
  10. Variations among Viruses in Influent Water and Effluent Water at a Wastewater Plant over One Year as Assessed by Quantitative PCR and Metagenomics

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • Influent wastewater and effluent wastewater at the Rya treatment plant in Gothenburg, Sweden, were continuously monitored for enteric viruses by quantitative PCR (qPCR) during 1 year. Viruses in effluent wastewater were also identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS) in samples collected during spring, early summer, and winter. Samples of incoming wastewater were collected every second week.

      • Norovirus
      • Hepatitis
      • Viruses
      • Seasonal Produce
      • Produce Safety
  11. Longitudinal Assessment of the Dynamics of Escherichia coli, Total Coliforms, Enterococcus spp., and Aeromonas spp. in Alternative Irrigation Water Sources: a CONSERVE Study

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • As climate change continues to stress freshwater resources, we have a pressing need to identify alternative (nontraditional) sources of microbially safe water for irrigation of fresh produce. This study is part of the center CONSERVE, which aims to facilitate the adoption of adequate agricultural water sources.

      • Leafy Greens
      • Produce Safety
      • Bacterial pathogens
  12. Effect of Weather on the Die-Off of Escherichia coli and Attenuated Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium on Preharvest Leafy Greens following Irrigation with Contaminated Water

    • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    • The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) includes a time-to-harvest interval following the application of noncompliant water to preharvest produce to allow for microbial die-off. However, additional scientific evidence is needed to support this rule. This study aimed to determine the impact of weather on the die-off rate of Escherichia coli and Salmonella on spinach and lettuce under field conditions.

      • Pre Harvest
      • Produce Safety
      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens