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The primary objective for this study will be to develop means to preserve or protect harvested foods from microbial contamination that can result in effective control measures by studying the efficacy and mechanisms of potential control agents.
Our approach will focus on inhibiting attachment of bacteria and fungi,such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Fusarium moniliforme, as well as biofilm formation on plant surfaces during postharvest processing and storage. We will <ol> <li>Determine the stability of test compounds,
<li>Develop an assay method for measurement of inhibition of microorganisms,
<li>Test effectiveness of compoundson attachment and growth of mycotoxin-producing fungi and bacterial pathogens,
<li>Develop methods to sample biofilms and evaluate test compounds for effect on composite microbial growth and biofilm formation.</ol>
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The research will develop efficacy, rate, and application data for test compounds on poultry processing plant surfaces and corn,and to increase shelf life and food safety. The study will start with laboratory studies and end with foods collected from processing and storage environments.