Efficacy of ATP Monitoring for Measuring Organic Matter on Postharvest Food Contact Surfaces.

Abstract: The Food Safety Modernization Act, specifically the Produce Safety Rule, requires growers to clean and sanitize food contact surfaces to protect against produce contamination. An ATP monitoring device is a potential sanitation tool to monitor the efficacy of an on-farm cleaning and sanitation program that could help growers meet regulatory expectations mandated by the Produce Safety Rule. This ATP monitoring device uses bioluminescence to detect all ATP (found in bacteria and produce matter cells) from a swabbed surface.

Sodium reduction strategies through use of meat extenders (white button mushrooms vs. textured soy) in beef patties.

Lowering the sodium content in meat products, particularly in beef patties, can be challenging because sodium plays many functional roles in these products. Meat extenders can contribute to lower sodium content by imparting complementary flavors while reducing caloric and sodium content. A systematic comparison of two meat extenders, namely mushrooms and textured soy (TSP) in terms of physical and sensory characteristics, is presented herein.

Utilizing Mushrooms to Reduce Overall Sodium in Taco Filling Using Physical and Sensory Evaluation.

Unlabelled: This project investigated the use of integrating mushrooms into beef taco filling as a means to reduce overall sodium for food service applications. Initial product development used physical characterization analysis (moisture, yield, color, and texture) to determine initial threshold of mushroom inclusion with minimal differences against an all-meat control. Increasing mushroom inclusion increased moisture and yield before draining but decreased yield after draining, lightness, redness, and texture.

Effect of surface roughness and stainless steel finish on Listeria monocytogenes attachment and biofilm formation.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surface roughness (Ra) and finish of mechanically polished stainless steel (Ra = 0.26 +/- 0.05, 0.

Effect of biofilm dryness on the transfer of Listeria monocytogenes biofilms grown on stainless steel to bologna and hard salami.

Listeria monocytogenes continues to be a major cause of class I food recalls in the United States. Very little is known about its transfer and cross-contamination in processing scenarios. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydration level on L.

Effects of inoculation level, material hydration, and stainless steel surface roughness on the transfer of listeria monocytogenes from inoculated bologna to stainless steel and high-density polyethylene.

The influence of inoculation level, material hydration, and stainless steel surface roughness on the transfer of Listeria monocytogenes from inoculated bologna to processing surfaces (stainless steel and polyethylene) was assessed. Slices of bologna (14 g) were inoculated with Listeria at different levels, from 10(5) to 10(9) CFU/cm2. Transfer experiments were done at a constant contact time (30 s) and pressure (45 kPa) with a universal testing machine.

Summer Pruning as a Method for Reducing Flyspeck Disease on Apple Fruit.

Summer pruning of apples, as opposed to the conventional commercial practice of dormant pruning, consistently reduced the incidence of flyspeck on apple fruit by approximately 50% in each of 2 years in trees where no fungicides were applied. In commercial orchard blocks using fungicides, summer pruning also produced a slight but significant decrease in disease severity. There appear to be at least two mechanisms contributing to decreased flyspeck incidence and severity in summer-pruned apple trees.