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FOOD SAFETY COMMITTEES
Numerous issues related to food safety were in the news throughout 2015. ILSI North America’s food safety
committees will continue to be chal- lenged to address researchable issues that will continue to inform future regulatory policy. In recent years, the food safety committees have made sig- ni cant contributions in advancing the science on improving the understand- ing and control of microbial food safety hazards as well as safety evaluation of food-related compounds.
Each food safety committee estab- lishes a 3-year plan of work, which enables committee members to budget and plan activities and track the impact of the results achieved. The following committee recaps highlight work completed by each committee during 2015, with links provided to presentations andpublications.
Technical Committee on Food Microbiology
The Technical Committee on Food Microbiology is committed to proac- tively improving the understanding and control of microbial food safety hazards to enable scienti cally informed decision making. Through the support of sound science, spon- sorship of break-through research, and fostering collaboration among academia, government, and industry, the Committee has accomplished the following over the past year:
• Coordinated a cross-disciplinary dialogue regarding sodium reduction, with the ILSI North America Technical Committee on Sodium, by jointly convening a workshop on 22 September 2015, in Washington, DC, titled, “The Safety of Sodium Reduction in the Food Supply: A Cross Discipline Balancing Act.” The workshop provided an opportunity for nearly 75 experts including microbiolo- gists, food scientists, public health professionals, and nutritionists to come together and broaden the dialogue on sodium reduction.
Food Microbiology Committee Recent Accomplishments
2015 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting Sessions
Scienti c Sessions
• The Rise of the Genomes II: Practical Integration of Whole Genome Sequencing Into Food Safety
• How Do I Validate That? Assuring Credibility of Process Controls for Pathogen Reduction
• Current Perspectives in Food Safety Roundtable
1. Is Shoe Leather Epidemiology
Dead in the Age of Whole
Genome Sequencing?
2. Is Sustainability Treading on
Food Safety?
3. Is Sodium Reduction in
Processed Foods a Risk to Food Safety?
Video of these three sessions can be found here. h
Poster Sessions
• Development of Inoculation Methods for Enterococcus faecium, a Potential Surrogate Bacteria for Salmonella, on Whole Black Peppercorns
and Cumin
• Standardizing an Oregano
Inoculation Procedure for Use in Challenge Studies on Reduction of Salmonella in Dry Spices
• On-Farm Evaluation of the Prevalence of Human Enteric Bacterial Pathogens During the Production of Melons in California and Arizona
Publications
• Development of Dry Inocula
on Talc of Salmonella and a Surrogate (Enterococcus faecium) for Challenge Studies in Low- Moisture Foods 
• Cleaning and Sanitation of Salmonella-Contaminated Peanut Butter Processing Equipment 
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