Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Food Safety

March 30, 2003
USDA and industry to investigate irradiation, food safety. Scientists at the research arm of USDA plans to partner with Ion Beam Applications (IBA) to further study irradiation and food safety in order to help guarantee the quality of the U.S. food supply.

Under the five-year agreement, the Food Safety Research Unit of USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will use IBA's commercial sterilization and ionization facilities to compare the effectiveness of gamma, electron beam and X-ray sources in controlling food-borne pathogens. IBA has been producing irradiation systems for more than 40 years and treating foods, particularly poultry, seafood, cheese and spices, for more than 15 years.

The USDA-ARS program will also examine how these treatments affect the properties of food such as taste and texture, and how to optimize the benefits of the process. The agreement is the result of growing public concern over food-borne illness and FDA's recent approval of irradiation to eliminate harmful microorganisms from meat.

"As an unbiased governmental research unit, ARS is able to provide the food industry with an unparalleled source of factual data concerning irradiated foods," said Pat Adams, president of IBA's food safety division.

Cleanliness is next to... A study by Utah State University, Spectrum Consulting and meat packaging supplier Volk Enterprises suggests that consumers are not as conscientious about kitchen hygiene and cleanliness as they may think they are. During the study -- A Camera's View of Consumer Food Handling and Preparation Practices -- 99 participants were observed preparing a choice of salad and one of the following: meatloaf, breaded chicken breast and marinated halibut. Observations showed that only 34 percent of participants washed their hands with soap. Seventy three percent used cloth towels -- a significant agent in cross-contamination -- to wipe kitchen surfaces instead of more sanitary paper towels. Nearly all subjects of the study cross-contaminated their salad with raw meat through a variety of transfer agents, including unwashed hands, utensils, surfaces and bowls. As Volk pointed out in a recent newsletter, "The study results seem to reinforce the idea that much of food safety is literally in the hands of the consumer."

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    People & Industry News
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Cleaning | Sanitation
    By: Richard F. Stier
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

Cargill Cocoa Plant

Cargill Invests in its Cocoa Supply Chain

Campbell’s Utah plant

Going for Gold(fish): Inside The Campbell’s Company’s $160M Cracker Plant Expansion

Woman engineer on construction site

Exploring the Impact of Women Engineers on the Food Industry

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

July 23, 2025

Decarbonizing Process Heat: What You Should Know and Next Steps

Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • Food Safety: Validating safety in your plant

    See More
  • IBM Blockchain

    Blockchain Food Safety Alliance will enhance food safety in China

    See More
  • CSPI says reports of food illnesses down 40 percent

    Review your food safety strategies for National Food Safety Month

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9780367351052.jpg

    Food Process Engineering: Safety Assurance and Complements

  • small-occ.jpg

    Occupational Health and Safety in the Food and Beverage Industry

  • food crime.jpg

    Food Crime: An Introduction to Deviance in the Food Industry

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing