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Fresh Express to Fund Studies of E. Coli in Produce

SALINAS, Calif. Fresh Express will underwrite a $2 million series of studies of the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria as it affects fresh-cut produce. The move follows an outbreak of the pathogen that was traced to fresh spinach and caused a severe disruption in both supply and public trust in late 2006. According to officials with the grower/shipper, the identified research priorities and those against which

SALINAS, Calif. — Fresh Express will underwrite a $2 million series of studies of the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria as it affects fresh-cut produce. The move follows an outbreak of the pathogen that was traced to fresh spinach and caused a severe disruption in both supply and public trust in late 2006.

According to officials with the grower/shipper, the identified research priorities — and those against which research proposals are being sought — include:

  • Determine the potential for Escherichia coli O157:H7 to be internalized into lettuce or spinach.

  • Identify new mitigation strategies and technologies to reduce the potential for E. coli O157:H7 to contaminate leafy green produce.

  • Conduct field studies to identify sources, vehicles and factors that affect the degree of contamination or extent of contamination of leafy green produce by E. coli O157:H7.

  • Determine the ability of E. coli O157:H7 to multiply in the presence of normal background flora following the harvest of produce such as lettuce or spinach.

  • Determine the ability of E. coli O157:H7 to survive composting processes.

Fresh Express based its research parameters on current research conducted by an independent scientific advisory panel comprised of six nationally recognized food safety experts from both federal and state food safety-related agencies and academia. The group, which has been meeting on a nonpaid, voluntary basis since May 2006, developed the research priorities related to the source, mode of action and life cycle of E. coli as it impacts lettuce and leafy greens. According to Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, the panel's chairman and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, the group found critical research gaps in a number of areas, ranging from growing and harvesting to cooling, transporting, processing and packaging.

“We systematically used our individual areas of expertise to scrutinize the entire supply chain and ultimately uncover the areas where we collectively agreed more research was necessary,” Osterholm said. “From this process, the five critical research priorities began to emerge fairly consistently.”

Funding is available immediately, and all proposals will be reviewed against guidelines established independently by this scientific advisory panel, said Fresh Express officials, adding that the company is empowering the panel to review proposals, make funding decisions and monitor and disseminate research results, without restriction by Fresh Express.