Recovery, Characterization, and Control of Microbial Pathogens in Specialty/Ethnic Foods

Determine the true prevalence of target pathogens such as Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing cells of Escherichia coli (STEC), and Listeria monocytogenes in a variety of specialty/ethnic foods such as raw, spiced meatballs, dry, uncooked, cured, and/or fermented sausage, Doner kebabs, kavurma, and/or kokoretsi. Through our newly established collaboration with colleagues at both Kirikkale University and Ankara University in Turkey we will conduct surveys of retail foods to establish the prevalence of target pathogens in higher volume, higher risk foods. Multiple isolates recovered from such foods will be retained and further characterized by microbiological, immunological, and molecular methods. We will also quantify the fate of target pathogens in these specialty products during preparation, processing, and storing as practiced by producers, processors, retailers, food service, and consumer sectors.