OSU researchers seek E. coli solutions
Friday, September 22, 2006
Dr. Peter Muriana, a food microbiologist at the Oklahoma Food and Agricultural Products
Research and Technology Center at OSU, heads research on a method to cleanse produce
and meats of pathogens during processing using electrolyzed water as a rinse.
The national outbreak of E. coli linked to fresh spinach has raised concerns about the safety of America’s food supply.
From pre-harvest to post-harvest stages of production, Oklahoma State University researchers are working to reduce the potential contamination of foods by E. coli and other common foodborne pathogens.
- Dr. Peter Muriana, a food microbiologist at the Oklahoma Food and Agricultural Products Research and Technology Center at OSU, heads research on a method to cleanse produce and meats of pathogens during processing using electrolyzed water as a rinse. Muriana, also a faculty member in OSU’s Animal Science department, is simultaneously leading work on the genetic fingerprinting of foodborne microbial pathogens and can speak about its use to track outbreaks.
- Dr. William McGlynn, a produce specialist at the FAPC and faculty member in OSU’s Horticulture and Landscape Architecture department, is conducting a contamination risk assessment analysis of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables used in salad bag mixes. The study seeks to identify the stages of processing — cutting, washing, bagging, etc. — during which the inherent risk of contamination is highest. Its findings will help Oklahoma produce processors target their efforts to prevent contamination by pathogens such as E. coli.
- Dr. Timothy Snider, assistant professor of veterinary pathology at OSU’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, is studying O157 E. coli as it occurs in cattle intestinal tracts. Cows are carriers of the E. coli strain known to cause human sickness, and Snider’s work in pre-harvest food safety seeks to prevent, reduce, or eliminate the bacteria’s presence.
- Compared to salmonella poisoning, which requires an infectious dose of approximately 1,000 to 10,000 bacteria, 1 to 100 E. coli microorganisms can make a person sick. Slightly reducing E. coli counts in cattle may improve the safety of meat processing exponentially. It also could greatly reduce the possibility of E. coli being passed from cows into water supplies used for irrigation, limiting potential contamination of produce in the field.