revised 8/99

GOAL 2: A SAFE AND SECURE FOOD AND FIBER SYSTEM

Program 3: Food Safety - Foodborne Illnesses

Statement of Issue
Foodborne Illness is responsible for approximately 9000 deaths and millions of illnesses in the United States each year according to a commonly used estimate. Among the most vulnerable are the elderly, the very young and people with compromised immune systems. The types of foods associated with foodborne illness have expanded to include atypical foods such as alfalfa sprouts, melons, and other types of fresh produce.

North Dakota has had a number of publicized cases of foodborne illness including hepatitis, E. coli O157:H7 and others. For example, over 90 people were sickened in a community-based setting in North Dakota in 1999, the confirmed source being roast beef contaminated with C. perfringens due to improper cooling. Over 300 students in a North Dakota school were sickened in 1999 in a separate incident.

In addition, many North Dakotans also are becoming food processing entrepreneurs and starting small-scale food processing businesses in their homes and other settings. Since North Dakota does not have a resident Process Authority, many of these products have not been tested for safety.

Performance Goal
To improve the detection of foodborne pathogens and to develop pre-and post-harvest processes to prevent contamination of food and assure a quality product all the way from farm to fork. To increase the knowledge of food processors and preparers of methods to prevent foodborne illnesses.

Output Indicators

• Improve detection of pathogenic microorganisms and processes to prevent harmful contamination of food by such pathogens.
• Number of peer-reviewed journal articles published
• Research-based extension circulars produced and distributed
• Reaction of professionals/consumers to their requests for information and training relating to pathogenic micro-organisms and foodborne illnesses.

Outcome Indicators

• Utilization of information by food producers (animal/vegetable) producers, processors, preparers and consumers in improvement of the quality and safety of food products.
• Decrease in foodborne illnesses.
  

Key Program Components

• Research in the area of food safety at NDSU is strong and involves nationwide and international collaborations. For instance, NDSU is an active participant in the National Alliance for Food Safety. Our research covers many disciplines and includes veterinary microbiologists, food microbiologists, immunologists, economists, engineers, food scientists and nutrition specialists. Many projects are collaborative in nature and look at detection and prevention of infectious disease caused by food safety pathogens in live animals; identification of microbial contamination using fast and non-destructive methods; risk/cost/benefit analysis of food safety issues and potential solutions/actions; physical treatment of foods to render them safe for human consumption; development of processes and procedures to prevent contamination of food during production, processing, distribution, and use/consumption; and study of the contagious, toxic, or immunologic bases of food borne illness.
  
• Identification and assessment of the effectiveness of various agents, including common acidulants, used to reduce microbial counts on fresh produce.
  
  • Conduct laboratory and statistical analysis.
  • Develop extension/research publication(s) and disseminate information to foodservice establishments and consumers, as appropriate.
    
• Assessment of the risks associated with foods commonly preserved in North Dakota homes.
  
  • Assess acidity of tomato varieties grown in North Dakota and the acidity of commonly-used salsa formulations.
  • Identify risks associated with Internet-based non-USDA food preservation formulations (i.e. canned quick bread). Conduct inoculated-pack studies.
  • Develop extension/research publication(s) and disseminate information to consumers and others, as appropriate.

Internal and External Linkages

• These research and extension programs are collaborative efforts of faculty from the departments of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences, Animal and Range Science, Food and Nutrition, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Cereal Science, and the Institute for Business and Industry Development, together with extension specialists and county staff.
  
• External linkages include collaborative educational projects with South Dakota State University, the North Dakota Department of Health and the National Food Safety Alliance of Universities.

Target Audiences
Target audiences include food processors and their employees, meat processors and their employees, food service managers and employees and agricultural producers.

Program Duration
These programs will continue for the five-year plan.

Education and Outreach Programs
The extension program is based on a strong linkage with departmental research faculty.

Program 4: Food Safety - HACCP

Statement of Issue
About half of the consumer's food dollar is currently spent on food eaten away from home (USDA, 1993). Nationally, foodservice establishments are linked with the most food-related outbreaks. In North Dakota, food-related businesses represent a growing sector of the economy; however, despite this growth, legislative action changed the required number of inspections from "at least once per year" to "at least once every two years." Some health districts, however, conduct inspections on a more frequent basis than what is required by law.

North Dakota has had a number of publicized cases of foodborne illness including hepatitis, E. coli O157:H7 and others. For example, over 90 people were sickened in a community-based setting in North Dakota, the confirmed source being roast beef contaminated with C. perfringens due to improper cooling.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) methodology has been successfully used in the food industry to assure and document safe food handling practices. HACCP programs are required for the seafood industry and much of the meat industry, and other industries such as the produce industry are applying similar principles.

Along with the increase in commercial foodservice operations, greater numbers of children and the elderly are participating in daycare. Many North Dakotans also are becoming food entrepreneurs and starting small-scale food processing businesses from their homes or other settings.

Community dinners through nonprofit organizations, such as fraternal organizations, congregations and 4-H clubs, also remain popular. The volunteer food handlers are often untrained in quantity food production and handling. All of these trends present unique food safety concerns.

Performance Goals

• Increased knowledge of food safety/HACCP principles and implementation among foodservice managers, meat processors, sanitarians and food processing entrepreneurs.
• Increased collaboration among Extension agents, sanitarians, commodity groups and food distributors in providing food safety training.
• Increased knowledge and awareness of safe food handling practices among consumers, daycare providers and volunteer food handlers.
• Changes in food handling practices to reduce risk of foodborne illness outbreaks.

Output Indicators

• HACCP training workshops will be offered in collaboration with extension agents and the North Dakota Department of Health. Workshops will target foodservice and food processing employees in cities across North Dakota. The NDSU-produced HACCP video will be marketed via the Internet and through county Extension Service offices statewide (99-2000).
• An educational package will be developed for use in training volunteer food handlers (99-2000).
• Materials from the national "Fight BAC" campaign will be distributed to county extension service offices for use in school and community settings. A series of food safety lessons for elementary students will be completed and distributed (99-2000).
• Food preservation circulars will be updated, and a lesson plan will be developed for use in workshops (99-2000).
• Food safety research updates will be provided to staff in written form, in meetings, by IVN training and by conference calls. Information releases and public service announcements on consumer food safety issues will be provided to staff.
• The NDSU Extension web site food and nutrition links will be updated. Interactive CD-ROM and other computer-based learning tools will be identified for use in programming.

Outcome Indicators

• Pre/post-testing will be used at HACCP training workshops to measure increased knowledge, awareness and intentions to change behavior.
• Six-month follow-up surveys on changed practices will be mailed to participants in HACCP workshops.
• Pre/post tests will be used to measure increased knowledge, awareness and intentions to change behavior among participants in volunteer food handler training and food preservation training.

Key Program Components

• HACCP training for foodservice and meat processing managers and employees.
  
  • Revise educational materials based on changes in North Dakota law.
  • Conduct training programs in cities throughout North Dakota, with cooperation from the North Dakota Department of Health and marketing by county extension service staff.
    
• Food safety testing and training for small food processors and entrepreneurs.
  
  • Identify existing campus-based and private food safety resources. Identify training needs of food processors and entrepreneurs.
  • Develop a basic food safety testing service.
  • Develop/adapt a web-based food processing guide for North Dakota food processing entrepreneurs. Disseminate through county extension offices and via the Internet.
  • Develop handouts and lesson plans based on the most current issues in food safety, including completed research on produce washing treatments.
  • Adapt materials for teens employed in foodservice establishments.

Internal and External Linkages

• These research and extension programs are collaborative efforts of NDSU Extension specialists and county staff, the NDSU Department of Food and Nutrition faculty, NDSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences faculty, NDSU Institute for Business and Industry Development staff and other campus-based faculty.
• External linkages include collaborative educational projects with South Dakota State University Extension Service and the North Dakota Department of Health/Division of Food and Lodging.
  

Target Audiences
Target audiences include North Dakota foodservice managers and employees, meat processing managers and employees, small food processing companies/entrepreneurs and consumers.

Program Duration
These programs will continue for the five-year plan.

Education and Outreach Programs
The extension program is based on research occurring at North Dakota State University, as well as research from other institutions.


Program 5: Pest Management

Statement of Issue
The value of North Dakota crops to the nation and region were specified as a crop production issue in Goal 1 - Program 1. However, in many cases the maximum potential value of the crops we produce is limited by pests. A sustainable approach to pest management combines biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools to regulate pest populations while minimizing economic, environmental, and human health risks. This approach falls under the term integrated pest management (IPM). IPM should be considered as a component of sustainable crop production. IPM combines essential aspects of efficacy and safety to meet expectations of those who produce and market commodities and of the general public.

The goal of the national IPM initiative is to insure the future profitability, sustainability, and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture for the benefit of America's farmers and consumers. The specific goal of the initiative is to implement IPM in cropping systems on 75% of the nation's crop acres. This goal is supported by North Dakota State University Experiment Station and Extension Service.

Pest control represents approximately 34 percent of a farmer's variable crop production costs and pests continue to cause crop losses of 10 to 30 percent even with current pest control strategies. In addition to existing pests, farmers are continually challenged by new pests such as Karnel bunt and by a resurgence of pests such as Fusarium on small grains and orange wheat blossom and sunflower midges. These and other pests not only reduce profitability but often threaten export markets.

Performance Goal
To create and extend knowledge leading to safe, effective, and economical pest management systems for North Dakota crops.

Output Indicators

• Release of adapted and improved crop varieties
• Workshops, meetings and schools for growers
• Publications, computer programs and videos on crop production
• Refereed Journal Articles and Regional Research Reports

Outcome Indicators

• Adoption of techniques, technologies, or practices by growers
• Acceptability of products by processing industries
• Adoption of IPM strategies by growers

Key Program Components
I. Pesticide Management.

A. Efficient pesticide use. A major component of any integrated pest management system is to use pesticides only when warranted and only when other approaches are uneconomical or inefficient.

1. A shift away from prophylactic use of pesticides to use only as needed.

2. Development of sampling protocols and economic injury levels to justify pesticide use.

B. Cultural pest control. Use of on-farm management techniques to make conditions less favorable for pest development.

II. Biological Control. Use of appropriate biological agents to control insect and weed pests in North Dakota. The goal is the establishment of self perpetuating populations of biological control organisms that will maintain pest populations below economically damaging levels.

A. Identification of potential biological agents in collaboration with appropriate state and federal (USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS) agencies.

B. Release of potential biological agents in collaboration with appropriate state and federal (USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS) agencies.

C. Implementation of release strategies and follow up studies to assess success and long-term consequences of the releases.

III. Genetic Resistance to Pests.

A. Identification of sources of resistance to insect and disease pests of North Dakota crops.

1. Gene sources may be from within the same, related, or distant species, or from non related species that require molecular techniques to incorporate the gene(s) into adopted germplasm.

B. Characterization of the functional and genetic traits of the resistance genes to facilitate efficient breeding techniques and to increase the durability of the resistance.

C. Development of insect and disease resistant crop varieties and germplasm.

IV. Preventative Pest Management.

A. Monitoring of changes in cropping practices or in pest adaptation to control methodologies that will alter pest ability to cause economic damage to North Dakota crops.

B. Being aware of potential alien or exotic pests.

Internal and External Linkages

• These research and extension programs are collaborative efforts of NDSU Extension specialists and county staff, the NDSU Department of Food and Nutrition faculty, NDSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences faculty, NDSU Institute for Business and Industry Development staff and other campus-based faculty.
• External linkages include collaborative educational projects with South Dakota State University Extension Service and the North Dakota Department of Health/Division of Food and Lodging.

Target Audiences
The target audiences are agriculture producers, consultants, and other agri-businesses who work with agricultural producers.

Program Duration
These programs will continue for the five-year plan.

Education and Outreach Programs
The extension and outreach programs are closely linked. Researchers participate in outreach activities, and extension specialists participate in applied research.