Foodborne illnesses linked to produce make regular news headlines these days. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has investigated outbreaks of Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli related to mushrooms, peaches, onions and clover sprouts just this year. FDA averages more than a dozen similar outbreaks annually. Detecting contamination in the field is difficult because samples must be sent off to labs that can take several days to report results. But Purdue University biological engineer Mohit Verma is developing a test that could take less than an hour and help producers track the source of contamination. His efforts have been boosted by a nearly $400,000 grant from the Center for Produce Safety.
October 19, 2020