IAFNS Sponsored Research on Mitigation of Salmonella in Spices
Austin, Texas, USA
April 24, 2017

Speakers:
Nancy Bontempo, PhD, Mondelez International
Delia Murphy, IAFNS

Background:
This presentation will provide an overview of the results of two IAFNS sponsored research projects: “Correlation of surrogate bacteria and Salmonellae for validation of spice/herb pathogen reduction processes” and “Protocol and surrogate validation for the inactivation of Salmonella on whole black peppercorns and cumin seeds.”

The projects used four spices, oregano, onion powder, whole black peppercorns, and whole cumin seeds, and focused on evaluating the usefulness of surrogate bacteria for validation of irradiation as a decontamination processes, and developing validated protocols for inactivation of Salmonella using ethylene oxide fumigation and dry steam (vacuum-assisted) treatment. The American Spice Trade Association provided an unrestricted grant to help fund these research projects.

This work is supported by the IAFNS Food Microbiology Committee.