Center for Food Industry Excellence

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: We will collaborate with trade associations in Mexico and in the US to conduct a pathogen comparison study to determine the prevalence of E. coli O157 and Salmonella in beef products. The antibiotic resistance patterns of the pathogens will also be determined. After the baseline information has been collected, two workshops, one in the US and one in Mexico will be held to train processors on food safety, HACCP, and sanitation. Sampling will be conducted again along with plant audits to determine the effectiveness of the training. Additionally, training materials will be made available to US and Mexican markets in English and Spanish. A combination of MAP packaging and traditional packaging will be used to evaluate the shelf-life and pathogen survival in meal and poultry products. Beef and poultry products will be enhanced and then packaged in bulk MAP packaging units and stored in the dark to simulate distribution. The bulk packages will be opened and then the products will be stored under lighted display. The shelf-life and pathogen survival will be determined along with the impact on sensory properties. Multiscale balance laws and entropy inequality will be exploited to develop generalized fluid and heat transfer equations for predicting moisture loss, and oil uptake coupled with physico-chemical changes in foods. The equations will be solved using finite element method. For validation, material coefficients will be estimated and macroscale frying experiments will be performed. An education and training program for farmers which emphasizing the application of market-driven strategies to enhance opportunities for direct farm marketing to Generation Y will be developed. Farmers participating in the training will participate in an experimental marketing even on the university campus for generation Y audiences to engage them in the "locally grown" movement.

<P>APPROACH: We will conduct a comparison study in US and Mexican meat processing operations in cooperation with US trade associations, USMEF and COMCARNE to determine pathogen prevalence in meat and products, their antibiotic resistance patterns and the impact on training on reduction of those pathogens in the meat supplies. We will also determine the impact of bulk packaging of enhanced meat and poultry products in a modified atmosphere packaging system containing 0.4% carbon monoxide gas on the survivability of pathogens and spoilage during dark storage and lighted display. Finally, we will develop a pilot Program to Enhance Awareness of and Promote Direct Farm Sales to Generation Y through an Experiential Marketing Event