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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #266504

Title: Safety of foods treated with novel process intervention technologies

Author
item Sommers, Christopher

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/2011
Publication Date: 4/29/2011
Citation: Sommers, C.H., Safety of foods treated with novel process intervention technologies [abstract]. April 29, 2011, Pittsburgh, PA. 1:1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Many consumers are familiar with traditional food safety and preservation technologies such as thermal processing (cooking), salting, and pickling to inactivate common foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Many consumers are less familiar with other technologies such as ultraviolet light, pulsed electric and radiofrequency electric fields, cold atmospheric plasma, high-pressure processing, biological control, bacteriophages, and treatment with ionizing radiation. The food processing industry, and consumers, like to know as much about these technologies as possible before adopting them, or consuming foods that are treated with them. Information regarding changes to food chemistry and the toxicological safety of those foods can affect industry and consumer perceptions. In this presentation changes to food chemistry, and how foods treated using novel process intervention technologies were tested for safety, and ultimately gained appropriate regulatory approvals, will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to the process of food irradiation.