Food Protection Trends - November/December 2024 - 496

COMMITTEE AND PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT GROUP MINUTES
Number of Attendees: 133.
Meeting Called to Order: Sunday, July 14, 2024, 2:45 p.m. Pacific Time.
Minutes Recording Secretary: Vanessa Whitmore, Shaelyn Xu.
Old Business: Dr. Melvin Carter, PDG Chair, called the meeting to order at
2:45 pm Pacific time. He began the meeting by discussing the 2023 Meat
and Poultry Safety and Quality PDG meeting minutes that had been sent
out to members for review from the 2023 meeting. There were no changes
or amendments. Dr. John Jarosh motioned to approve the 2023 minutes
as is, and Dr. Katie Rose McCollough properly seconded. The minutes
were unanimously approved. Dr. Carter then read the announcement from
the Journal of Food Protection Editors where the Editorial Board members
agreed that selecting topics from the Annual Meeting for releasing JFP
special issues, would both address state-of-the art areas and establish
the liaising of JFP, an ultimate food safety journal, with the leading food
safety community of IAFP professionals. Dr. Carter further reminded the
PDG to stay aware of the IAFP Executive Board announcements. Dr. Carter
introduced the Vice Chair, Dr. Alexandra Calle, Assistant Professor of
Microbiology at Texas Tech University in the School of Veterinary Medicine.
New Business: Dr. Carter introduced the first speakers from the Office
of Public Health Science (OPHS) where they provided an USDA FSIS
Science updates covering Salmonella in poultry, Laboratory Methods and
Procedures, Additional Updates, and USDA-FSIS Fellowship & Research
Priorities. USDA-FSIS OPHS announced that as of April 1, 2024, the
Salmonella Vaccine will be excluded from the FSIS Salmonella Performance
standards, Genomics being used in risk assessment is a priority, as it may
be helpful to predict virulence. OPHS highlighted improvements in methods
relating to Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, E. coli, and same day
reporting. Whole Genome Sequence methodology is being expanded, and a
new WGS/AST/AMR kit has been approved that can analyze more isolates
of E. coli. USDA is building a new FSIS lab in St. Louis, MO which will open
in FY2025. OPHS spoke about animal raising claims. There will be a multistep
process to substantiate claims such as raised without antibiotics and
will be validated by ARS. A final rule was published in March 2024 which
tightened the rules of what can be labeled " Product of USA " . This title can
only use this if this product was born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in
the US. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza actions: FSIS is partnering with
APHIS and ARS to do studies relating to H5N1 in dairy cows and ground
beef. Lastly, OPHS highlighted the Food Safety Fellowship for doctoral
students. This is a remote, part time, one year fellowship offered to current
doctoral students that addresses FSIS research priorities. Applications are
due August 14, 2024 at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and fellows will start
October 1, 2024.
Dr. Carter then introduced the second speaker, Dr. Rand Broadway from
USDA-ARS in Lubbock, TX. Dr. Broadway presented a research review on
Pre-Harvest Food Safety. This work primarily focused on feedlots. The goal
of this research is to reduce the microbial load at harvest, while protecting
animal health, human health, and the economy. A multi-disciplinary
approach is important for pre-harvest interventions. Each stop for a cow
along the process poses its own stressors and microbiological risks. It's
likely that pre-harvest interventions may have to happen at birth to impact
the immune health of calves. Post-harvest food safety is rigorous in the
U.S., but we have bacteria in the food supply chain. Control of lymph node
contamination is critical to preventing Salmonella contamination. Dr.
Broadway also focused on leaky gut, and synovial fluid where Salmonella
has been found. Connections between immunosuppression and Salmonella,
showed that it is possible to translocate to synovial fluid. A study testing
tylathromycin, Ceftiofur, Florfenicol as metaphylaxis against Salmonella
found that they can influence resistance patterns during feeding period but
does not cause MDR in Salmonella. Regionality showed a significant effect
on shedding of Salmonella and seasonality showed a higher prevalence
in the summer into the fall months, and higher prevalence in the South
compared to the North. Dr. Broadway further shared data relating to liver
abscesses correlated with fecal Salmonella. It was hypothesized that at
some point in the GI system, that Salmonella escapes and goes to the liver.
This study further showed that Salmonella was found by culture in 34.3% of
nasal samples, 73.7% of ruminal fluid samples, and 81.7% of fecal samples.
Salmonella was most concentrated in the ruminal fluid during feedlot
arrival, which may increase liver abscesses. At harvest, Salmonella was
most concentrated in feces. There may be pathogen synergism between
Fusobacterium necrophorum and Salmonella lubbock.
Lastly, Dr. Broadway pointed out that Bacillus subtilis reduces Salmonella in
lymph nodes when fed to cattle.
Dr. Carter then introduced the third speaker, Dr. Dayna Harhay from
USDA-ARS Meat Animal Research Center to speak on Methods for Rapidly
detecting Salmonella of Increased Concern (SoC) for Human Health. There
are more than 2,500 serovars of Salmonella, 1,600 can cause human illness
with 70 commonly found in FSIS product testing. The question is which of
those 70 should be prioritized because due to causing human illness. Dr.
Harhay analyzed CDC data from 102,184 isolates collected over 5 years
(2018-2022). Some are common in meat, but others in produce. Dr. Harhay
also mentioned the Salmonella database in NCBI, using 8 target genes and
multiplexing PCR to verify high-risk or low-risk Salmonella, as well as the
Highly Pathogenic Salmonella (HPS) real-time assay for detecting virulence.
Different commodities have different serovars, but 3-4 of the most common
serovars can be detected using the real- time HPS assay.
Dr. Carter then introduced the fourth speaker, Dr. Emilio Esteban,
Undersecretary for Food Safety from the USDA FSIS. Dr. Esteban started
with recent labeling initiatives, including products from the USA. The final
rule of voluntary labeling with U.S. origin claims will affect only 20% of
products in U.S. Animal-raising claims will need 3rd party verification of
what you want to claim. Safe-handling instructions were last revised in
1994 and a commission is coming up with recommendations to update
these instructions. The world population may be protein deficient, therefore
food products derived from animal cells are important and being produced.
These non-traditional proteins must be labeled correctly, and a standard
of identity is being discussed. Genomics will likely play a role in these
guidelines and definitions. Dr. Esteban urged members to look at USDA
website relating to climate change, and how it is associated with food
safety.
He further stated that Salmonella vaccines may be helpful to control top
two Salmonella serovars and thereby knock out 20% of Salmonella cases.
Salmonella enumeration is prioritized as a single cell can make a person
sick. The goal is to find better enumeration methods. Lastly, Dr. Esteban
spoke on H5N1 - PCR positive does not mean viable virus. Making the
most practical decisions and recommendations relating to this situation is
key.
Dr. Calle and Dr. Carter encouraged members to take the survey developed
for the PDG members to suggest topics for 2024-2025 IAFP webinars and
symposia. The deadline is October 1, 2024, to get support from this PDG to
make webinars and symposia for the 2025 conference.
Vanessa Whitmore, master's student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
gave the updates from the IAFP Student PDG. She gave an overview of
the three main events the Student PDG has put together: The Meet Your
Favorite Food Scientist series of chats, the 3-Minute Thesis Competition,
496 Food Protection Trends November/December
Food Protection Trends - November/December 2024

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