An official website of the United States government.
Specific objectives for Phase 1 are: Design and cost a fruit and vegetable processing line housed in a biological containment facility; identify priority unit processes; identify and resolve short-term research issues; conduct long-term research leading to new produce decontamination technology; relay intermediate and final results to fresh fruit and vegetable industry and general public. <P>
Phase 2 objectives will be to build, deliver, install and validate the processing and containment systems.
An ERRC/PSU team will be created to implement project objectives. The fruit and vegetable processing line and containment facility will be designed, a cost estimate made, and bid documents prepared by a consulting firm under contract to PSU, with input from ERRC. Priority unit processes will be identified for short-term research and/or modification. Priority short-term research issues will be identified and resolved by investigators at PSU and ERRC. Long-term research will be performed by a PSU professor on sabbatical at ERRC and by an ARS-funded PSU graduate student. Results of research will be relayed to the fruit and vegetable industry through journals, popular publications and presentations. The facility will be built, delivered, installed, and validated.