You’re really going to eat THAT!?

Salmonella in peanut butter. E. coli in beef. Listeria in lettuce. Each year a surprising number – one in six – of Americans get sick from tainted food. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that more than 3,000 of those people die.

Part of the problem is the global supply chain. Those peanuts may come from Georgia, but the beef may be raised in Argentina and the lettuce in Costa Rica. Protections are inconsistent, even in the U.S.

Auburn scientist Patricia Curtis is leading a national effort to ensure that the FDA takes advantage of the latest research and technology and employs the most effective detection tools. Joined by experts at Purdue, North Carolina State and Alabama A&M, Curtis will look at the food supply chain from start to finish, identify and correct weaknesses, and train inspectors to work more efficiently and effectively.

Called “The Virtual Food Systems Training Consortium,” the FDA program is part of Auburn’s comprehensive Food Systems Initiative. That initiative integrates research, outreach and instruction toward enhancing the nation’s safety and quality of life.

Principal Investigator

For more information:

• Visit Auburn University Food Systems Initiative website
• Read the Food Safety magazine article: Auburn University’s New Food Systems Initiative Seeks Collaborative Effort to Protect and Improve U.S. Food Supply