Browsing by Subject "Food safety"
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Item Control of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli using bacteriophages(2010-07) Viazis, SteliosEnterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 has been recognized as a major foodborne pathogen responsible for frequent gastroenteritis outbreaks. Phages can be used as a natural antimicrobial method to reduce bacterial pathogens from the food supply. The objective of the first study was to isolate, identify and characterize a diverse collection of lytic bacteriophages capable of infecting EHEC serotypes O26, O111, and O157. Phages were isolated from dairy and feedlot manure using EHEC O157, O26, and O111 strains as hosts. Plaques were purified and screened against additional strains (14, O157; 10, O26; 10, O111) using the efficiency of plating method (EOP). Phage CEV2 and five other phages previously isolated were able to lyse all 14 O157 EHEC strains with EOP values consistently above 0.001. Two phages isolated from fecal slurry from dairy and feedlot cattle were highly effective against strains of E. coli O157, through EOP tests, and against O26 through spot tests, but not O111. Bacterial challenges against high titers of four E. coli O157 strains suggested that a mixture of the 8 most effective phages was just as effective as or more than each individual phage. This collection of phages can be grouped and potentially used as an antimicrobial cocktail to inactivate O157 and O26 serotypes. The objective of the second study was to determine the effect of the bacteriophage cocktail, BEC8, on the viability of a mixture of EHEC O157:H7 strains applied on surfaces of materials representative of food processing plants. Sterile stainless steel chips (SSC), ceramic tile chips (CTC), and high density polyethylene chips (HDPEC) were used. The EHEC O157:H7 strains used were EK27, ATCC 43895, and 472. Exponentially growing cells from tryptic soy (TS) broth cultures were spot inoculated on surfaces and dried. EHEC cells were placed at high, medium, and low inoculum levels (10 6 , 10 5 , and 10 4 CFU/mL, respectively). Appropriate controls and BEC8 (approx. 106 PFU/mL) were applied on treated surfaces. The surfaces were incubated at 4, 12, room temperature (RT), and 37°C. EHEC survival was determined using standard plate count on TS agar. No survivors were detected after BEC8 treatment at a low inoculum level at the following incubation conditions: 37oC for 10 min and RT after 1 h on SSC and CTC; 12°C after 10 min on SSC, 1 h for CTC, and 24 h for HDPEC. These results indicated that the phage cocktail was effective within an hour against low levels of the EHEC mixture at RT on all 3 hard surfaces. The objective of the third study was to determine the effect of the bacteriophage cocktail, BEC8, on its own and in combination with the essential oil trans -cinnameldehyde (TC) on the viability of a mixture of EHEC O157:H7 strains applied on baby romaine lettuce and baby spinach leaves. The EHEC O157:H7 strains used were nalidixic acid resistance mutants of EK27, ATCC 43895, and 472. The methods used were similar to the second study. The leaves were incubated at 4, 8, RT, and 37oC in Petri dishes with moistened filter papers. EHEC survival was determined using standard plate count on nalidixic acid containing Sorbitol MacConkey agar. No survivors were detected when treated with BEC8 or TC separately at low inoculum level after 24 h at RT on lettuce and spinach. However, when the EHEC inoculum size and/or incubation temperature increased, the efficacy of BEC8 and TC decreased. When the two treatments were combined, no survivors were detected after 10 min at all temperatures on lettuce and spinach. These results indicated that the phage cocktail and TC combination was highly effective against EHEC on leafy greens.Item Determining the antibacterial potential of a medium-chain fatty acid, caprylic acid, against multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica enterica serovar Heidelberg in broiler chickens(2020-04) Manjankattil Rajan, Shijina RajSalmonella is the leading bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the United States of America. Among the various foodborne infections, salmonellosis ranks first in terms of hospitalizations and death. More than 50% of foodborne salmonellosis is attributed to the consumption of contaminated poultry products. Salmonella colonizes the chicken cecum and gets excreted, leading to the contamination of the farm environment and poultry carcass during processing. Among the >2500 serovars of Salmonella causing human infections, 7% are associated with foodborne outbreaks through poultry. Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg (SH) has emerged through many foodborne outbreaks and found to be resistant to various commonly used and clinically relevant antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) SH is one of the commonly isolated Salmonella from chicken carcasses and is associated with foodborne outbreaks through chicken products. Due to the federal initiatives to curb the use of antibiotic resistance development in animal agriculture, alternative antimicrobial strategies that control all Salmonella, including SH, is considered the urgent need of the poultry food industry. Since the pathogen is resistant to clinically important antibiotics, strategies are required to control them on farms and processing. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) could be an effective alternative to antibiotics approach as MCFAs have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Among the MCFA’s, caprylic acid (CA) has been reported to have antibacterial potential against Salmonella. In this thesis, two questions were asked: Could a long-term supplementation of CA through feed control cecal colonization of MDR SH in broiler chickens (preharvest strategy), and could CA be effective against MDR SH on chicken drumsticks when applied in scalding water (processing aid). At first, we investigated the efficacy of CA in reducing MDR SH colonization in the cecum of 5-week old broiler chickens. Two independent studies were conducted. In each experiment, day-old Ross 708 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to four different groups (3 chicks/group; two studies). The four groups included in the study were: Negative control (NC), Positive Control (PC), Antibiotic group (AB), and CA group (CA). The birds in NC and PC were fed with a standard basal diet, whereas the broilers in the AB group received a standard diet containing 50g bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD)/ ton of feed for 5 weeks. The CA (1% w/w) was supplemented through the feed to the broilers in the CA group for 5 weeks. All birds except those in the NC group were challenged with 3.69 log10 CFU MDR SH (2014 Tennessee correctional facility outbreak strain) by crop gavage. Birds were euthanized 7-days after MDR SH inoculation by CO2 asphyxiation. Cecal samples were collected, and the cecal colonization of Salmonella was determined after plating the homogenates onto xylose lysine deoxycholate agar (XLD) plates. The bacterial counts were transformed to log values, and ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. The BMD supplementation resulted in 3.4 and 4.0 log10 CFU/g reduction of MDR SH in studies 1 and 2, respectively. The CA supplementation also resulted in a comparable reduction in cecal colonization of MDR SH as that of BMD. A reduction of 3.2 and 4.0 log10 CFU/g was observed in studies 1 and 2, respectively, in the CA group compared to birds in PC. Therefore, CA could be used as an effective control strategy against MDR SH colonization in 5-week old broilers. This results corroborate with other studies employing CA to control another major Salmonella serovar in broiler chickens, S. Enteritidis. In the second study, we determined the antimicrobial efficacy of CA against MDR SH on chicken drumsticks in simulated soft scalding conditions. Chicken drumsticks were spot inoculated with MDR SH [either lower (~3.0 log10 CFU/g) or higher (~5.0 log10 CFU/g) inoculum] and immersed in scalding water containing treatments for 2 min at 54oC (USDA-recommended time-temperature combination for soft scalding). The antimicrobial treatments included in the study were 0.5% CA, 1% CA, 0.05% peracetic acid (PAA), 0.5% CA + 0.05% PAA and 1.0% CA + 0.05% PAA. Samples inoculated with or without MDR SH and immersed in scalding water containing neither of the antimicrobial treatments served as the PC and NC groups, respectively. Immediately after scalding, the drumsticks were homogenized in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and surviving MDR SH populations were recovered on XLD agar plates (n=6). Similarly, MDR SH populations that survived in scalding water was also determined after surface plating (n=6). Additionally, the efficacy of the scalding treatments against MDR SH survival on drumsticks for a storage period of 48 h at 4oC was determined. Furthermore, the effect of these treatments on the surface color of the drumsticks was also evaluated. The antimicrobial treatments resulted in a significant reduction of MDR SH on drumsticks. For the lower inoculum, 0.5% CA, 1% CA, 0.05% PAA, 0.5% CA + 0.05% PAA and 1.0% CA + 0.05% PAA resulted in 0.7, 1.0, 2.5, 1.4 and 1.5 log10 CFU/g reduction of MDR SH on drumsticks (P<0.05). The same treatments resulted in 0.9, 1.3, 2.5, 2.2, and 2.6 log10 CFU/g reduction of MDR SH when the drumsticks were contaminated with the higher inoculum level (P<0.05). Moreover, the antimicrobial treatments completely inactivated MDR SH in scalding water to undetectable levels, whereas 2.0 to 4.0 log10 CFU/mL MDR SH survived in the PC group (P<0.05). Also, the scalding treatments were effective in inhibiting MDR SH on the drumsticks compared to the respective controls during a storage period of 48 h at 4oC (P<0.05), although the magnitude of reduction remained the same as observed during the scalding treatment. Additionally, none of the treatments affected the color of the drumsticks (P>0.05). The results indicated that CA could be used as an effective intervention strategy against MDR SH on chicken drumsticks at scalding to render safe meat production during subsequent stages of processing. The overall results from the MS studies indicated that CA could be used as an effective natural antimicrobial against MDR SH in the pre- and post-harvest stages in broiler production and could improve the microbiological safety of chicken meat.Item Economically motivated adulteration: implications for food protection and alternate approaches to detection(2013-05) Everstine, KarenThe food supply system is vulnerable to various types of contamination and adulteration. This research focuses on economically motivated adulteration (often called "food fraud"). Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) refers to the knowingly selling a food product that is not up to standards in order to gain economic advantage. There is a long history of EMA in a wide variety of food products. The food safety paradigm is not sufficient for food defense, or for prevention and deterrence of EMA. The goal of this research was to develop methods to improve capabilities for preventing and detecting EMA incidents. First, the food ingredient monographs in the United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) were evaluated for susceptibility to EMA. These evaluations can be used to help target the most susceptible ingredients for monograph modernization within USP, and for inspection and laboratory testing resources by regulatory agencies. Second, economic and production data for dairy products in China leading up to the melamine adulteration event was analyzed to evaluate the utility of this data for alerting to the potential for EMA in a food commodity. This analysis shed insight on variables that may be useful for tracking the production of global commodities for early indications of EMA. Finally, a surveillance technique for trade data was evaluated using melamine adulteration of wheat gluten as a case study. This biosurveillance-like methodology can be applied to food import data to identify supply chain shifts that could indicate changes in the market for food products and a heightened risk of EMA. Regulatory agencies have an enormous burden of responsibility for regulating the food supply for both domestically-produced and imported food products. Given the constrained resources of these agencies, they need improved methods for targeting those resources towards the riskiest food products. These preliminary efforts to shed light on EMA vulnerabilities and potential mitigation efforts can contribute to efforts in that area. An integrated, systems-based approach to food protection that encompasses both food safety and food defense is imperative for ensuring the integrity of our food supply.Item Effects of chili pepper extracts on microbial viability and growth(2015-12) Omolo, MorrineAlthough there are hundreds of varieties of chili peppers, those of the Capsicum annuum are more readily available. However, the more promising varieties such as Capsicum Chinense have not been extensively investigated. This study, the capsaicin content of 29 chili peppers grown under the same conditions is determined. 24 of the samples belong to the Capsicum chinense species while the others belong to the C. annuum species. Several samples from similar pepper plants of the C. chinense species showed wide variation in capsaicin content. The methanol extracts of the 29 samples were then tested for antimicrobial effects against well-known foodborne pathogens and one commensal fungus. The resazurin assay tested for bactericidal properties while the growth inhibition assay tested for bacteriostatic properties. The samples high in capsaicin showed antimicrobial properties, while no effects of bacterial viability and growth was noted from the samples low in capsaicin, except for the Tobago Scotch Bonnet Red pepper.Item Evaluating Environmental Health Agency-Level Interventions for Foodborne Illness Outbreak Prevention and Surveillance(2023-05) Kim, ThuyProtecting the safety of food is an integral public health function involving a continuous cycle of foodborne illness prevention, surveillance, and investigation. It is by conducting surveillance that public health can detect and investigate outbreaks. Investigation of these outbreaks enables public health to learn and adapt methods to better prevent illness. Environmental health (EH) professionals play critical roles in each of these stages beginning with their efforts in illness prevention through restaurant inspections. Chapter 2 illustrates the importance of the data collected by EH agencies, an underutilized data source for public health hazard surveillance. Efforts to standardize restaurant grading and disclosure practices have been hindered by the inability to compare their effects across multiple jurisdictions. Using national outbreak data and standard outcome metrics, Chapter 3 determines the effect of restaurant inspection agency practices in foodborne illness outbreak prevention by distinguishing inspection grading and disclosure practices that reduce foodborne outbreaks.If foodborne illness is not prevented, detection of illness relies on public health surveillance methods. Complaint-based surveillance has traditionally been conducted via phone calls from the public to local EH agencies housed within health departments. This method, while effective, can be limited by hours of operations of EH agencies or discomfort of the public to place a call. Advancements in complaint-based surveillance by using online complaint forms managed by public health agencies can expand the reach of current surveillance efforts and improve timeliness of reporting. Chapter 4 investigates the impact of expanding complaint reception capability through online complaint forms as a means of enhancing complaint-based surveillance. The robustness of a complaint-based surveillance system can be measured by its ability to detect foodborne outbreaks. However, while an increase in outbreak detection is beneficial for understanding risk factors involved in foodborne illness, it can also indicate deficient prevention measures upstream. Chapter 5 develops a novel framework that can be used to assess the interplay between the prevention interventions of grading and disclosure and surveillance system effectiveness. Successful outbreak detection and investigation relies on combinations of policies and practices targeting illness prevention practices and surveillance systems in place to detect outbreaks (Chapter 6). By examining agency-level interventions that strengthen foodborne illness prevention efforts, and distinguish effective surveillance methods, the findings from this dissertation will be useful in influencing food safety policy standards that can reduce foodborne illness burden in the U.S.Item Food Safety at Temporary Events in Milwaukee, Wisconsin(2022-06) Schuldt, SadieThis capstone project provides a total of eight detailed training presentations focused on educating food vendors on the importance of food safety and the regulations associated with selling food at temporary events in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The training presentations allow operators and food vendors the ability to watch, pause, and rewatch as needed. The final presentation shows the importance of food safety while examining violation and compliance data compiled from 2018, 2019, and 2021 in Milwaukee. The capstone accomplishes providing educational outreach and reducing violations related to food safety at temporary events. Future studies will include this to be evaluated by showing the trainings to operators, and providing them with a pre and post knowledge survey. The survey data will be used to update material as needed. This capstone will contribute as the framework for an improved temporary event operator/vendor training program offered by the Milwaukee Health Department.Item An In-Depth Exploration of Food Safety Performance of Independent Somali Restaurants: A closer look at food safety cultural norms, longitudinal inspection outcome, impact of oral training and the promise of letter grading(2017-08) Farah, Farhiya M; Farah, Farhiya MPublic health researchers have increasingly found food safety concerns with ethnic owned restaurants yet ethnic food consumption is on the increase. This dissertation provides a deeper look at ethnic food safety compliance from one immigrant community and presents its arguments and findings through three different studies. The first study analyzes data on food safety cultural norms from seven focus groups of Somali immigrants, and maps out these norms against food safety regulations. It then examines the relationship between these cultural norms and food safety inspections by examining seven years of violation data from 62 independently operated Somali restaurants. A strong correspondence was observed between cultural norms and patterns of violations typically not addressed in current food safety education programs. The second paper compares food safety compliance of independently owned and operated Somali restaurants to non-Somalis; it then compares the performance of establishments with longer inspection history with newer ones, and investigates the role that restaurant letter grading could play in improving sanitation. The results concur with current research findings on three fronts: (a) poor food safety compliance was more frequent in ethnic than non-ethnic food establishments, (b) food safety compliance was slightly related to the number of inspections, (c) inadequate facility design and maintenance were associated with poorer sanitation. And finally, the third study examines the effectiveness of an oral learner teaching strategy as a food safety teaching method for a new immigrant/refugee food service workers through certified food manger exam performance. Statistically significant differences between the oral learner teaching strategy and traditional group were observed.Item Investigating the Potential of Lemongrass Essential Oil Against Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Heidelberg in Broiler Chickens(2018-10) Dewi, GraceFoodborne illness continues to persist as a global public health concern, despite technological advances. In particular, Salmonella has remained a major foodborne illness-causing pathogen in the United States. Epidemiological studies indicate that poultry are among the major source of Salmonella in developed nations, as food-producing animals like chickens often serve as natural hosts for the pathogen. Among the many serovars of Salmonella enterica, Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg has emerged as a pathogen of concern as it causes infections of greater severity in humans and possesses high potential for multidrug resistance. As Salmonella colonization in broiler chickens increases the risk of contamination during subsequent stages of processing, antimicrobial intervention strategies are warranted to ensure food safety and prevent outbreaks from occurring. Decades of efforts to control Salmonella in food systems have indicated that the problem must be approached holistically, with the best intervention strategy ideally applied at multiple stages of production. In that regard, the current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of lemongrass essential oil (LGEO), a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) compound that is obtained from plants of the Cymbopogon species, in reducing MDR S. Heidelberg in vitro, in broiler chicken, and on broiler chicken carcass. The direct effects of LGEO against MDR S. Heidelberg virulence factors, which are important for colonization, survival, and transmission, were first assessed through a series of in vitro assays. Additionally, the potential quorum sensing modulating properties of LGEO against S Heidelberg was indirectly assessed using the biosensor organism, Chromobacterium violaceum. C. violaceum produces violacein, a violet pigment under the vio operon regulation, which is easily observable and quantifiable. Effect of LGEO against S. Heidelberg multiplication was examined through macrodilution assays performed in either tryptic soy broth (TSB) or poultry cecal contents. The effect of LGEO on S. Heidelberg motility was assessed using a motility assay where S. Heidelberg was spot inoculated on the center of semi-solid agar plates supplemented with LGEO. Assays that investigated the effect of LGEO against S. Heidelberg biofilms formation and inactivation of mature biofilms were performed using 96-well microtiter plate assays and 24-well tissue culture plate assays, respectively. Finally, the quorum sensing modulation of LGEO was assessed based on violacein synthesis by C. violaceum. At concentrations of 0.5% (vol/vol) or higher, LGEO was effective in inhibiting multiplication S. Heidelberg by at least 4.0 log10 CFU/mL after 24 hours in TSB and poultry cecal contents (P ≤ 0.05). Addition of 0.15% LGEO in semi-solid motility agar yielded complete inhibition of S. Heidelberg motility (P ≤ 0.05). Concentrations of 0.15% and 1% LGEO were also found effective against MDR S. Heidelberg biofilm formation and inactivation of mature MDR S. Heidelberg biofilms (P ≤ 0.05). Additionally, a reduction in violacein production by C. violaceum was observed with 0.5% and 1% LGEO (P ≤ 0.05). Results of the in vitro assays indicate the potential of LGEO to mitigate the persistence and dissemination of MDR S. Heidelberg in poultry production systems. Subsequently, in vivo experiments were performed to determine the efficacy of LGEO as an antimicrobial supplement either through feed or drinking water to reduce S. Heidelberg colonization in broilers. The efficacy of in-feed supplementation of LGEO against MDR S. Heidelberg was evaluated in 3-week-old broiler chickens. Efficacy of LGEO supplementation through drinking water was first examined in 5-week-old broiler chickens and then in 7-week-old broiler chickens. All birds, except those in NC groups, in all studies, were challenged by crop gavage with 105, 104, and 108 CFU/mL MDR S. Heidelberg, at 2-, 4-, and 6-weeks of age, respectively. For both feed studies where 1% LGEO was supplemented through feed, no significant reduction in S. Heidelberg populations was observed (P > 0.05). Likewise, when supplemented through drinking water, 0.5% LGEO resulted in no significant reduction in both 5- and 7-week old broiler chickens (P > 0.05). However, a significant reduction of 2.4 log10 CFU/gram cecal S. Heidelberg was observed in one replicate involving 5-week old broilers (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that LGEO supplementation in either feed or water was not effective in reducing MDR S. Heidelberg colonization in broiler chickens at the current concentrations tested. Finally, the last set of experiments examined the effect of LGEO dip treatments on MDR S. Heidelberg attachment to broiler chicken skin and meat samples. Skin from drumsticks and breast meat samples were spot-inoculated with 4.0 log10 CFU MDR S. Heidelberg per sample and dipped in water containing 0.5, 1, or 2% LGEO for 2, 3, or 5 minutes at either 54°C or 4°C, individually, as well as at 54°C and 4°C in sequence. At 2%, LGEO consistently resulted in significant reduction of MDR S. Heidelberg on both skin and meat samples, though the magnitude of reduction was lesser on meat than on skin (P < 0.05). Sequential dip treatments performed on skin yielded comparable results to that observed in individual dip treatments at scalding temperatures. However, subsequent dip treatments were also not as effective on meat compared to skin samples. All concentrations of LGEO effectively inactivated S. Heidelberg from the scalding and chilling treatment waters for both skin and meat samples (P < 0.05). The results indicate that LGEO could be utilized as a natural antimicrobial intervention in scalding and chilling waters to reduce S. Heidelberg on poultry carcasses. In conclusion, the results are indicative of the direct antibacterial effects which LGEO exerts on S. Heidelberg in vitro and on broiler chicken skin samples. However, results of the in vivo study suggest that additional studies must examine the possible factors that may have impeded LGEO’s efficacy against foodborne pathogens in broiler chickens. Overall, the efficacy of LGEO observed on retail broiler chicken samples is indicative of its potential use to control MDR S. Heidelberg transmission in poultry production systems.Item Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophages for Bicontrol of Salmonella and Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Food Applications(2021-08) Hansen, EleanoreSalmonella poses a significant risk to public health, with tens of thousands of cases occurring each year. Food is the primary vehicle for Salmonella outbreaks, and several diverse foods are frequently attributed to outbreaks. Traditional methods of pathogen control in the food industry are often indiscriminate, killing microbes that may be beneficial alongside the pathogens. In addition, these methods can alter the organoleptic properties of foods and may not be usable for raw and ready-to-eat foods such as raw poultry or fresh produce. Use of chemical antimicrobials is also growing out of favor in some settings as concerns rise over antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens. Interest is growing in using phage cocktails as an alternative method to combat Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens.Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria. They are highly host specific, safe to consume, relatively inexpensive, and do not alter the organoleptic properties of food, making them ideal as a biocontrol agent in a variety of food applications. Using several phages combined in a cocktail can increase their success in killing pathogens and lower the chance of resistance to the phages developing. Phages are the most abundant biological entity on the planet, and most remain undiscovered. A few commercial phage cocktails exist that may be used in the food industry, but identifying novel cocktails of unique phages increases the diversity of the tools available to handle troublesome pathogens that arise. In this study, phages were isolated from local Minnesota wastewater samples. The newly isolated phages were tested for their ability to lyse and kill several serotypes of Salmonella and a few serotypes of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli. Six promising phages were picked for a putative novel cocktail. This putative cocktail was assessed for its ability to reduce Salmonella levels in a raw chicken breast model. The cocktail shows promise as a tool to manage both Salmonella and Shiga-toxin producing E. coli in food and food processing environments.Item Private and Public Value of Extension Food Safety Education: Perspectives from Minnesota(2020-08) Omolo, MorrineEducational programs offered by University of Minnesota Extension play an important role in helping learners understand and implement regulatory guidelines regarding food safety. The goal of the present study is to evaluate three such education endeavors (Cottage Food Producer training, Serve It Up Safely for food managers and the Food Safety Modernization Act - Produce Safety Rule), as a foundation for future programming. I hypothesize that the continued success of these programs in meeting private and public values is based on ongoing collaboration between Extension educators, learners and relevant regulatory agencies. The results of this study are based on post-training evaluation of learners. These studies highlight areas in the delivery of the programs and in the experiences of learners that can be the focus for further research and development. Discussion around the public value of the programs and future research considerations are also presented.Item Risk-Based Evaluation Of The Public Health Impact Of Food Safety Interventions For The Control Of Salmonella Spp. In The Chicken Meat Production Chain(2017-05) Gonzalez, RolandoThe aim of this work was to develop a risk-based decision analysis framework of farm to table food safety interventions for the control of Salmonella spp. in the chicken meat production chain, using chicken breasts and ground chicken as the model food systems. This framework should assist chicken producers, processors and policy makers when evaluating and selecting the most cost-effective and feasible pre-harvest and post-harvest interventions to control Salmonella spp. The approach included defining the risk factors for Salmonella spp. contamination in the chicken meat production chain, identifying existing and proposed pre- and post-harvest interventions for controlling Salmonella spp., prioritizing pre- and post-harvest interventions based on the reduction of the overall public health risk, developing a quantitative risk assessment to predict the number of Salmonella cases in the US population per year and the impact of individual and combined intervention strategies in reducing the Salmonella public health burden, and finally, applying cost-benefit analysis to identify the most cost-effective measures. The results suggest that the use of peroxyacetic acid as a single intervention applied at post-chill is the most cost-effective intervention to both control Salmonella spp. and meet regulatory performance standards in chicken meat production. It also became evident that there is a need to update the body of published literature to better understand the impact of all stages of the chicken meat production chain, from pre- and post-harvest through consumer handling and cooking, particularly on levels of Salmonella spp.Item Source, Fall 2011(University of Minnesota Extension, 2011) University of Minnesota ExtensionItem Source, Fall 2013(University of Minnesota Extension, 2013) University of Minnesota ExtensionItem Source, Spring 2012(University of Minnesota Extension, 2012) University of Minnesota ExtensionItem Source, Winter 2007(University of Minnesota Extension, 2007) University of Minnesota ExtensionItem Source, Winter 2008(University of Minnesota Extension, 2008) University of Minnesota Extension