Food Safety Resources

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Mar 2024

Cereulide in Dairy Matrices

Summarizes studies conducted on cereulide in dairy matrices, focusing on the toxin itself or any chemistry of the toxin and with less emphasis on Bacillus cereus growth and toxin production.

Mar 2024

Allergenic Potential of Ingredients Used in Plant-Based Cheese Analogs and Allergens

Identifies the ingredients most commonly used in plant-based cheese analogs marketed in the U.S. and identifies what is currently known about the allergenic potential of  these ingredients.

Jan 2024

Response to Questions Posed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service: Enhancing Salmonella Control in Poultry Products

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria in Foods (NACMCF) responds to questions posed by USDA FSIS on enhancing Salmonella control in poultry products.

Aug 2023

Cheese Brine Composition and Microbiology

Information on the composition and microflora (especially yeasts) of brines used with Gouda-style and other cheeses.

Aug 2023

Examples of Antimicrobial Hurdles Used to Control Pathogens in Chilled Foods

Aug 2023

Sporolactobacillus in Food: Literature Discussing Prevalence and Control

This brief literature summary discusses the prevalence and control of Sporolactobacillus in food.

Jun 2023

Thermal Inactivation of Bromelain

Discusses the inactivation of bromelain in pineapple

Jun 2023

Modified Atmosphere Packaging of Ready-to-Eat Meats

Discusses which gas mixtures are best for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to store ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products

Apr 2023

Novel Non-chemical Sanitation Methods

A literature review on novel (i.e., non-chemical) sanitation technologies for food (especially dairy) manufacturing environments, such as blue light.

Apr 2023

Sporistatic and Sporicidal Effects of Food Additives

A literature review on the mechanisms for sporistatic and sporicidal effects of food additives.

Mar 2023

Isolation of Extremophiles/Acidophiles/Halophiles

A literature review on the isolation of microorganisms from high salt and/or acidic environments (extremophiles/acidophiles/halophiles).

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Mar 2023

Nisin in Dairy Systems

A review of nisin in dairy systems.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Mar 2023

Pathogens associated with extra hard raw milk cheeses

Discusses the pathogens of concern in raw milk extra hard cheese varieties such as Parmesan, Grana Padano, and similar types

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Mar 2023

Nutritional content of vegetables after microwave vs. conventional pasteurization

A review of published studies that investigate how industrial microwave treatments affect the nutritional content of food (vs. conventional pasteurization methods)

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Feb 2023

Microbiological concerns of rice starch

This review by FRI science writer Wendy Bedale discusses the possible microbiological concerns associated with rice starch.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Feb 2023

Dairy spoilage: Organisms, mechanisms, and modeling

A review on spoilage microorganisms, spoilage mechanisms in raw and pasteurized milk, and factors associated with spoilage. Includes a list of microbiological spoilage models, highlighting those which focus on dairy and dairy-based data. By FRI science writer Wendy Bedale.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jan 2023

Refined coconut oil hazards

A review of the potential food safety hazards associated with coconut oil by FRI science writer Wendy Bedale.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jan 2023

General overview of plant-based cheeses

This document provides a general overview of plant-based cheeses, including their ingredients, quality, food safety risks, sales volumes, and regulations. This review does not discuss plant-based soft cheeses (such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, etc.). Written by FRI science writer Wendy Bedale.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Oct 2021

How Meat Allergies Led to the Development of Bioengineered Pigs for Human Consumption

Written by Persephone Valentine, Undergraduate Science Writing Intern, Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Oct 2021

Summary of 2021 IAFP Roundtable Discussion on “Opportunities and Challenges: Developments in Clostridium botulinum Challenge Studies"

FRI associate scientist Kristin Schill moderated an IAFP roundtable discussion on “Opportunities and Challenges: Developments in Clostridium botulinum Challenge Studies” at the 2021 IAFP Annual Meeting. The discussion featured international experts from industry, academia, and government discussing the unique challenges that face food companies who need to conduct C. botulinum challenge studies and highlighted progress in the development of new surrogates for the organism.

Sep 2021

Validating a Method to Ensure the Destruction of Salmonella on Product Surfaces During Impingement Cooking

This study investigated the effectiveness of cooking processes that incorporated hydrated surface lethality (HSL) steps for ensuring the reduction of Salmonella on the surfaces of small-dimension meat and poultry products cooked using short-duration, high-temperature impingement oven processes. Published in Meat and Muscle Biology.

Jul 2021

Prevalence and Levels of Pathogens, Coliforms, and Generic E. coli Found in Grains, Flour, and Related Products

Chart compiled by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Apr 2021

Prevalence and Levels of Spore-forming Pathogens in Spices

The purpose of this research is to provide food companies with microbiological profiles of different spices that have been reported previously in the scientific literature. We focused on three key spore-forming bacteria: Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, and Clostridium botulinum. This information may be of use to the food industry when they evaluate potential hazards associated with spices used in their products as part of their Food Safety Plans. View the Excel chart here.

Mar 2021

Hydrated surface lethality: Validation of a new processing method to ensure the destruction of Salmonella on product surfaces during impingement cooking

This study investigated the effectiveness of cooking processes that incorporated hydrated-surface lethality steps for ensuring the reduction of Salmonella on the surfaces of meat and poultry products cooked using short-time, high-temperature impingement oven processes.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jul 2019

Meeting Review: Food Waste and Sustainability Strategies to Improve Food Safety, Food Security

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; published in Food Protection Trends, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 348-353, Jul 2019

Jul 2018

How to Analyze a Sanger Sequencing Chromatogram

In this video, FRI affiliated faculty member JP van Pijkeren discusses how to analyze a Sanger sequencing chromatogram. It is recommended that you watch the Sanger DNA Sequencing video prior to viewing this one.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

May 2018

Meeting Report: Microbiomes in Food Safety, Food Quality, and Human Health

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; published in Food Protection Trends, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 226-231, May 2018

Jan 2018

North American Meat Institute Database on Antimicrobial Interventions

developed by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; Kathy Glass, FRI Associate Director and Distinguished Scientist; and Jeff Sindelar, Dept. Animal Sciences, UW-Madison

Dec 2017

Sanger DNA Sequencing

In this video, FRI affiliated faculty member JP van Pijkeren discusses how Sanger DNA sequencing works.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Aug 2017

BLAST: Basic Local Alignment Search Tool

In this video, FRI affiliated faculty member JP van Pijkeren discusses how to use BLAST to find similarities of your sequence (DNA or protein) with sequences in a large database.

Jul 2017

Bacterial Enumeration by Spread Plating and Spot Plating Methods

In this video, FRI affiliated faculty member JP van Pijkeren discusses bacterial enumeration by spread plating and spot plating methods.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Mar 2017

How Well Does the U.S. Food Recall System Work?

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; published in Food Safety Magazine EDigest

Feb 2017

What I Learned by Taking the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food Course

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; published in Food Safety Magazine February/March 2017

Nov 2016

Meeting Review: Food Research Institute’s 70th Anniversary and Annual Meeting

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; published in Food Protection Trends November/December 2016

Mar 2016

Meeting Report: Food Allergens: Best Practices for Assessing, Managing, and Communicating the Risks

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; published in Food Protection Trends, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 146-149, Mar 2016, Volume 36, Issue 2: Pages 146–149

Nov 2015

The Safety of Sodium Reduction in the Food Supply: A Cross Discipline Balancing Act

(A workshop on September 22, 2015 - Washington, D.C. - A Collaboration between the ILSI North America Technical Committees on Food Microbiology and Sodium)

Extensive debate continues on how to lower sodium intakes of the population given that previous campaigns, related to labeling and education, have had minimal impact. The workshop objective was to connect the dots with the nutrition and public health community on why sodium reduction has been so challenging due in large part to the variety of microbial and functional roles sodium plays across different food categories. The workshop provided greater knowledge and appreciation of these challenges. Access video presentations from the workshop here.

Nov 2015

University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Food Research Institute 2015 Annual Meeting Highlights

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; published in Food Protection Trends, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 472-474, Nov 2015

Mar 2015

Meeting Review: Rapid Methods in Food Safety Microbiology

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer; published in Food Protection Trends March/April 2015

Feb 2015

Human Illness Caused by Campylobacter spp. from All Food and Non-Food Vectors

This review summarizes much of the latest information on campylobacteriosis and interventions being used or investigated to reduce contamination of food and water.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jan 2015

Salmonella Fact Sheet

by Wendy Bedale, FRI Science Writer, and Andy Milkowski, Dept. Animal Sciences, UW-Madison; edited by the American Meat Science Association Scientific Information Committee

Dec 2014

Use of High Pressure Processing (HPP) with Antimicrobials in Food

This literature search, compiled by Wendy Bedale, Science Writer for the Food Research Institute, covers the use of HPP along with antimicrobials in food.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jan 2014

What Is Food Allergy?

This brief review discusses some food allergen issues of interest to food producers and processors.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Sep 2013

Review of Epidemiology of Foodborne Listeriosis

Pathways for introduction of Listeria into different foods and strategies for preventing contamination and growth in foods are reviewed. Recent data from surveillance studies, outbreak investigations, and economic costs are presented.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Aug 2013

Spores of Clostridium botulinum in Dried Dairy Products (FRI Sponsors Science News Alert)

A recent report of presumptive C. botulinum spores in whey protein concentrate (WPC) generated questions about potential risks and strategies for control of spores in dried dairy products. This document was prepared to address Frequently Asked Questions regarding this episode.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Apr 2013

White Paper on Human Illness Caused by Salmonella from all Food and Non-Food Vectors, Update 2013

This update to the February 2009 FRI white paper on Salmonella discusses important food and non-food vehicles for outbreaks of salmonellosis during the past five years, routes of infection, interventions, current surveillance reports, and antimicrobial resistance.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jan 2013

Clostridium difficile as a Risk Associated with Animal Sources

C. difficile, a common cause of diarrhea in healthcare settings, has become more prominent in the community as more virulent strains emerge. This paper reviews data on epidemiology of C. difficile, including the potential for foodborne transmission.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jul 2012

D-Values References

D-values references list prepared to accompany the FRI interactive webinar: Calculating Thermal Inactivation of Pathogens

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Feb 2012

Helicobacter spp. — Food- or Waterborne Pathogens?

Although H. pylori is a known cause of ulcers and gastric cancer, it resides in the gastrointestinal tract of about half the world's population who are usually asymptomatic. Some other Helicobacter species infect mammals, birds and reptiles. Transmission of H. pylori is not well understood because these bacteria enter a viable but nonculturable state when exposed to stressful conditions outside the body.
Appendix: Earlier review on Helicobacter pylori (1997).

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Aug 2011

Toxins from Cyanobacteria

Human exposure to cyanobacterial toxins primarily occurs through ingestion of contaminated water or shellfish, with some additional exposure through dietary supplements, other foods, and aerosols from lakes with cyanobacterial blooms. This review addresses recent information on microcystins, β-methylamino-L-alanine, paralytic shellfish toxins, and anatoxin-a.
Appendix: Earlier review on the alga Pfiesteria (1998).

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Mar 2011

Understanding Sodium Replacements from a Food Safety and Health Risk Perspective

Sodium affects the taste, texture, and safety of foods; therefore the consequences of reducing sodium levels in various foods must be evaluated carefully. This report reviews health concerns associated with high intakes of sodium, important functions of salt in foods, and potential safety considerations associated with food components that may substitute for some functions of salt in foods.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Feb 2011

White Paper on Sources of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Other Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci: Implications for Our Food Supply?

Methicillin-resistant staphylococci: infections in animals and humans, presence in food, and potential food safety implications

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Nov 2010

Water Safety and Quality

Waterborne disease agents; surveillance and outbreaks.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jun 2010

White Paper on Effectiveness of Existing Interventions on Virus Inactivation in Meat and Poultry Products

Human enteric viruses and animal viruses potentially present in foods; outbreaks and effective control methods

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Apr 2010

Non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli from meat and non-meat sources

Epidemiology, detection, outbreaks, infection routes, and interventions

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Feb 2009

Human Illness Caused by Salmonella from all Food and Non-Food Vectors

Food and non-food vehicles of infection for human outbreaks of salmonellosis, surveillance strategies, and industry initiatives to control Salmonella spp.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Nov 2008

Sodium Reduction and Its Effects on Food Safety, Food Quality, and Human Health

Adverse health effects of high dietary levels of sodium chloride, important functions of sodium chloride for the flavor, structure, and preservation of foods.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Aug 2007

Destruction of H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus in Meat and Poultry Products

Effects of heat, irradiation, and high pressure on avian influenza viruses present in meat and eggs, sanitation methods for environmental decontamination.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jul 2007

Microbial Food Spoilage and Losses and Control Strategies

Bacteria, yeasts, and molds causing food spoilage, factors affecting shelf-life of meats, dairy products, fish, cereals, vegetables, fruits, and juices.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Nov 2006

Natural and Organic Foods: Safety Considerations

Food safety issues related to organic and natural foods, additives and processes approved for these foods.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Oct 2006

Human Illness Caused by E. coli O157:H7 from Food and Non-food Sources

Epidemiology, outbreaks, infection routes, surveillance, regulations, interventions.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jun 2006

Nanotechnology

Technology; Applications; Toxicology and safety issues.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Mar 2006

Veterinary Drug Residues in Processed Meats-Potential Health Risk

Penicillin, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, neomycin, gentamicin, flunixin, streptomycin, arsenicals; withdrawal periods.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Sep 2005

Food Antimicrobials, Cleaners, and Sanitizers

Cleaning compounds for food contact surfaces, fresh produce, animal carcasses; antimicrobials used in foods.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jul 2005

Safety of Processed Cheese

Bacteria of concern (C. botulinum, B. cereus, Listeria, Salmonella, S. aureus, E. coli O157:H7); Importance of salt, emulsifiers, fat, bacteriocins, pH, enzyme-modified cheese.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Nov 2004

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: update

Update of previous review; prion structure, analytical methods; CWD, BSE, and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.
Appendix, earlier BSE briefs: historical review, current issues and strategies for control of transmission spongiform encephalopathies (1996–2002).

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Feb 2004

Saturated Fat and Beef Fat as Related to Human Health

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, different fatty acids.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Oct 2003

Foodborne Parasites

Protozoa, Tapeworms, Anisakis, Trichinella, lung and liver flukes, Ascaris.
Appendix: Earlier review on Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora: Protozoan parasites, waterborne outbreaks, contamination of fresh produce (1996).

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Mar 2002

Survival and Growth of Clostridium perfringens during the Cooling Step of Thermal Processing of Meat Products

Heat resistance in uncured and cured meats; Efficiency of different cooling processes; Growth inhibitors.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Oct 2001

Virulence Characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes

Strain variation; Invasion and Spread; Host Defenses; Virulence factors.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Apr 2001

Alternatives to Antibiotic Use for Growth Promotion in Animal Husbandry

Antibiotic resistance; Probiotics and competitive exclusion; Enzymes; Immune modulators; Organic acids; Other feed supplements; Alternative husbandry practices.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jul 2000

Human Safety of Hormone Implants Used to Promote Growth in Cattle

Safety of growth hormone implants in livestock.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Nov 1999

Various Techniques Used in Listeria Intervention

RTE products; organic acids, bacteriocins, thermal processes, irradiation, modified atmosphere packaging, high pressure, UV light, Ultrasound.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Mar 1999

Food Irradiation

Destruction of microbes; issues of concern; current and proposed applications.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Nov 1998

Non-Cholera Vibrios

Vibrio vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus; shellfish; wound infections.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jul 1998

Campylobacter Chronic Effects

Food vectors; Guillain-Barre syndrome.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Dec 1997

Fusarium Mycotoxins

Pre- and post-harvest approaches to control DON and fumonisins.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Apr 1997

Mycobacterium paratuberculosis — Another Emerging Pathogen of the Human Gastrointestinal Tract?

Presence in milk; possible link to Crohn's disease.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Jan 1997

Emergence of a Highly Virulent Strain of Salmonella typhimurium

Multiple antibiotic resistance.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief

Aug 1996

Helicobacter pylori

Gastritis, ulcers.

import_contacts Food Safety Brief