MICROBIAL SAFE HARBOR AND SAFETY RECOMMENDATION FOR SMALL BEVERAGE PRODUCERS: SEAMOSS AS A MODEL SYSTEM

Seamoss, also known as Irish moss or Chondrus Crispus, is used as often a thickening agent. It is an edible sea vegetable in the algae family that is packed with nutrients like folate, vitamin K, B, iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc, and calcium. In the past three years, seamoss specifically has become very popular in US. Major news providers like The New York Times, CNBS, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, CBS news, the Seattle Times and many more have released articles highlighting seamoss potential health benefits. Celebrities like the Kardashian, and social media influencers are raving about the benefits and encouraging its consumption. During COVID, there has been an increase of seamoss products sold in the US market because it was believed to fight against the pandemic. Unfortunately, there are no foods safety guide for the producers wishing to include this ingredient in a food product specifically a beverage. Therefore, we proposed to:Objective 1: Survey commercially available seamoss products for physiochemical properties, microbial quality and heavy metals.Objective 2: Evaluate pathogens growth based on seamoss gel formulations and producers handling procedures.Objective 3: Identify critical control points to produce safe seamoss beverages and develop training and extension material for producers