Food Plant Safety

Food Plant Safety: UV Applications for Food and Non-Food Surfaces discusses the fundamental principles of ultraviolet (UV) light technology, and gives practical recommendations on UV processes and systems design for specific processing operations, as well as how microbial efficacy of UV light can improve the quality of existing product lines. Innovative research of ultraviolet light for food applications has been growing worldwide. With increased consumer demand for fresher, minimally processed but safe foods, comes the need for novel technologies to meet that demand. Ultraviolet technology has been taking its niche in food production as a non-chemical treatment to control and enhance safety of processing plants and storage facilities. This concise resource covers the fundamentals of this promising technology and its applications; it will benefit a broad audience of professionals in food engineering, processing, and product development, as well as graduate level students. Focuses on plant processing operations in the food industry Presents the benefits of UV light technology applications for air quality, and safety of non-food and food contact surfaces Covers the cost benefits and energy and environmental advantages of using UV technologies

Globalization of the food supply has created conditions favorable for the emergence, reemergence, and spread of food-borne pathogens-compounding the challenge of anticipating, detecting, and effectively responding to food-borne threats to health. In the United States, food-borne agents affect 1 out of 6 individuals and cause approximately 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year. This figure likely represents just the tip of the iceberg, because it fails to account for the broad array of food-borne illnesses or for their wide-ranging repercussions for consumers, government, and the food industry-both domestically and internationally. A One Health approach to food safety may hold the promise of harnessing and integrating the expertise and resources from across the spectrum of multiple health domains including the human and veterinary medical and plant pathology communities with those of the wildlife and aquatic health and ecology communities. The IOM's Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop on December 13 and 14, 2011 that examined issues critical to the protection of the nation's food supply. The workshop explored existing knowledge and unanswered questions on the nature and extent of food-borne threats to health. Participants discussed the globalization of the U.S. food supply and the burden of illness associated with foodborne threats to health; considered the spectrum of food-borne threats as well as illustrative case studies; reviewed existing research, policies, and practices to prevent and mitigate foodborne threats; and, identified opportunities to reduce future threats to the nation's food supply through the use of a "One Health" approach to food safety. Improving Food Safety Through a One Health Approach: Workshop Summary covers the events of the workshop and explains the recommendations for future related workshops.

How safe is our food supply? Each year the media report what appears to be growing concern related to illness caused by the food consumed by Americans. These food borne illnesses are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, pesticide residues, and food additives. Recent actions taken at the federal, state, and local levels in response to the increase in reported incidences of food borne illnesses point to the need to evaluate the food safety system in the United States. This book assesses the effectiveness of the current food safety system and provides recommendations on changes needed to ensure an effective science-based food safety system. Ensuring Safe Food discusses such important issues as: What are the primary hazards associated with the food supply? What gaps exist in the current system for ensuring a safe food supply? What effects do trends in food consumption have on food safety? What is the impact of food preparation and handling practices in the home, in food services, or in production operations on the risk of food borne illnesses? What organizational changes in responsibility or oversight could be made to increase the effectiveness of the food safety system in the United States? Current concerns associated with microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards in the food supply are discussed. The book also considers how changes in technology and food processing might introduce new risks. Recommendations are made on steps for developing a coordinated, unified system for food safety. The book also highlights areas that need additional study. Ensuring Safe Food will be important for policymakers, food trade professionals, food producers, food processors, food researchers, public health professionals, and consumers.

Tackles the contentious issue of food safety in America, exploring the role of "Frankenfoods" and rampant reports of food poisonings on the overall perception that food is safe to eat.

Present Knowledge in Food Safety: A Risk-Based Approach Through the Food Chain presents approaches for exposure-led risk assessment and the management of changes in the chemical, pathogenic microbiological and physical (radioactivity) contamination of ’food’ at all key stages of production, from farm to consumption. This single volume resource introduces scientific advances at all stages of the production to improve reliability, predictability and relevance of food safety assessments for the protection of public health. This book is aimed at a diverse audience, including graduate and post-graduate students in food science, toxicology, microbiology, medicine, public health, and related fields. The book's reach also includes government agencies, industrial scientists, and policymakers involved in food risk analysis. Includes new technologies such as nanotechnology, genetic modification, and cloning Provides information on advances in pathogen risk assessment through novel and real-time molecular biological techniques, biomarkers, resistance measurement, and cell-to-cell communication in the gut Covers the role of the microbiome and the use of surrogates (especially for viruses)

Food Safety and Human Health provides a framework to manage food safety risks and insure safe food system. This reference takes a reader-friendly approach in presenting the entire range of toxic compounds found naturally in foods or introduced by industrial contamination or food processing methods. It provides the basic principles of food toxicology and its processing and safety for human health to help professionals and students better understand the real problems of toxic materials. This essential resource will help readers address problems regarding food contamination and safety. It will be particularly useful for graduate students, researchers and professionals in the agri-food industry. Encompasses the first pedagogic treatment of the entire range of toxic compounds found naturally in foods or introduced by industrial contamination or food processing methods Features areas of vital concern to consumers, such as the toxicological implications of food, implications of food processing and its safety to human health Focuses on the safety aspects of genetically modified foods currently available

Safety and Practice for Organic Food covers current food safety issues and trends. It provides detailed information on all organic and pasture practices including produce-only, farm-animal-only or integrated crop-livestock farming, as well as the impact of these practices on food safety and foodborne infections. The book explores food products that organic, integrated and traditional farming systems are contributing to consumers. As the demand for organic food products grows faster than ever, this book discusses current and improved practices for safer products. Moreover, the book explores progressive directions, such as the application of next-generation sequencing and genomics to aid in the understanding of the microbial ecology of the agro-environment and how farmer education can contribute to sustainable and safe food. Safety and Practice for Organic Food is a unique source of organic agricultural practices and food production for researchers, academics and professionals at agriculture-based universities and colleges who are involved in food science, animal sciences including poultry science, food safety, food microbiology, plant science and agricultural extension. This book is also an excellent source of information for regulators and federal government officials (USDA, FDA, EPA) and the food processing industry. Discusses limitations in pre-harvest and post-harvest level practices with specific information on risk and bio-security of existing organic production systems Explores policies and guidelines for organic food production and future directions for safer and more sustainable management Presents microbial and other biological hazards at pre-harvest and post-harvest levels