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INVESTIGATOR: Patras, A.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
3500 JOHN A. MERRITT BLVD
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37209

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO CONTROL FOODBORNE BACTERIAL, VIRAL, AND MYCOTOXINS IN HIGH RISK FOODS USING ULTRAVIOLET TECHNOLOGIES

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: This project, integrating research with education activities, addresses the USDA priority area "Food Safety" by developing a novel continuous flow-through Ultraviolet Light (UV) based system for non-thermal pasteurization of liquid foods. Research in UV technology for disinfection of liquid foods in general is very limited and not fully understood, and particularly scarce for disinfection of highly absorbing and scattering liquid foods (milk, flavored water, juices with particulates and high concentration of proteins and other polymers). To improve this situation, engineering solutions are needed to remove several limitations of the technology, scientific research is necessary to understand the effects of the UV process on nutritional value, safety quality, and the cost and benefit concerns with implementation of the technology in new plants and retrofitting in existing plants must be addressed. Industrial implementation of these novel technologies will help food companies to be in compliance with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This project will also reduce technical and regulatory hurdles for food industries, particularly small and medium sized companies, to adopt the novel technologies for the production of microbiologically-safe and high-quality beverages. Inappropriate and insufficient decontamination have led to numerous viral and bacterial outbreaks in the past. This project will address these challenges by developing a novel flow-through UV reactor and expansion of this technology into new regimes. The project also intends to develop formal education programs at graduate and under-graduate levels as well as nonformal education programs for broader audiences on new food safety technologies.

OBJECTIVES: A.This program is designed in a series of logical, sequential work packages, supported by NCAT and industrial collaborators, Aquafine Corporation (AFC) and Trojan Technologies (TUV) and Vita Coco, VC. The members of this program with expertise in complementary academic multi-disciplines will work closely to achieve 7 key objectives. These 7 objectives are structured into 7 work packages (WP). It is important to note that the WPs are all highly interconnected. In addition most WPs involve the cooperation of various scientists, SMEs, and an education specialist for prototyping and validation.Specific objectives (1-7)1. Perform effective management of all project work and resources; 2. Conduct extensive engineering studies to optimize design of a novel pilot UV-C reactor, and assist in scaling-up of UV assisted pasteurization systems; 3. Evaluate, improve maximize, and disseminate findings concerning safety of UV processed foods; 4. Perform chemical profiling and cytotoxicity analysis of UV irradiated fluids in cell culture and animal models; 5. Conduct accelerated storage and sensory studies for UV processed liquid foods; 6. Develop, validate, and disseminate UV processes for selected liquid food products for FDA FSMA compliance; 7. Develop formal education programs at graduate and under-graduate levels as well as nonformal education programs for broader audiences;