GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES REDUCTION IN SALMONELLA IN RAW MEAT; PROVIDES $9.6 MILLION FOR FOOD SAFETY GRANTS Release No. 0399.99 Media Contact: Andy Solomon (202) 720-4623 andy.solomon@usda.gov Public Contact: Beth Gaston (202) 720-9113 elizabeth.gaston@usda.gov GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES REDUCTION IN SALMONELLA IN RAW MEAT; PROVIDES $9.6 MILLION FOR FOOD SAFETY GRANTS WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 1999 -- Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced today that the Clinton-Gore Administration's new, science-based inspection system has reduced the prevalence of potentially dangerous Salmonella in raw meat and poultry by as much as 50 percent in small plants, matching the extraordinary gains reported earlier in large plants. Salmonella is a potentially deadly pathogen that, via many food sources, sickens about 1.3 million Americans each year. "Salmonella is a major threat, causing serious illness and even death," said Glickman, speaking to the National Chicken Council. "Our ability to greatly reduce the prevalence of Salmonella in meat and poultry is a significant achievement in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American food supply, already the world's safest." Salmonella was present in 20 percent of young chicken carcasses in studies conducted before implementation of the new, prevention-oriented inspection system, known as HACCP. After six months under HACCP, only 13.9 percent of young chickens in small plants tested positive, a decrease of about 30 percent. Ground beef results went from 7.5 percent positive before HACCP to 3.3 percent after implementation, a decline of more than 50 percent. Although these are interim six-month results, they are encouraging. Data from the second year of testing in large plants indicate a continued decline in Salmonella there as well. The prevalence of the pathogen in swine in large plants dropped by more than 75 percent, from 8.7 percent of all swine testing positive before HACCP to 2.0 percent in the second year. About 9.3 percent of young chicken carcasses tested positive, a decrease of more than 50 percent from the pre-HACCP baseline. The prevalence in ground beef fell by nearly two-thirds, to 2.6 percent in large plants in the second year of the science-based inspection system. "The Administration's plan for additional investments in cutting-edge food safety research holds the promise of even more significant achievements in reducing the incidence of food borne illnesses for American families," said Glickman, who also announced more than $9.6 million in grants for food safety research and education and to provide assistance to small processors implementing HAACP. Twenty-five food safety special research grants will support research on prevention or detection of major causes of food borne illness. Projects funded include studies of pathogen detection and control on fresh fruits and vegetables and in minimally processed meats, risk assessment in ready-to-eat foods, and an analysis of the safety of imported and domestic fruits and vegetables. Forty-eight extension food safety and quality national education grants will fund innovative education and training programs to reduce food borne illness among consumers and other food handlers. Several grants will support the training and education programs of HAACP. Nine grants to colleges and universities serving American Indian, Hispanic American, and African American constituencies will help them provide technical assistance to very small meat and poultry processors that are due to implement HAACP in January, 2000. The complete list of grants follows: Food Safety and Quality National Education Grants Auburn University, Auburn, AL $100,000 Ethnic/Cultural Food Safety/Preservation Training Program at South Dakota Tribal Colleges Contact: Evelyn F. Crayton (334) 844-2224 Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL $100,000 An Education and Outreach Center on Food Safety for Small Processors Contact: Tsegaye Habtemariam (334) 727-8464 University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK $50,000 Simplifying HACCP: An Interactive Software Program for CCP Analysis of Recipes Contact: Bret R. Luick (907) 474-6338 University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR $49,483 Operation Food Safety -- Arkansas Public Schools Contact: John A. Marcy (501) 575-2211 University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ $99,988 HACCP for Small and Very Small Meat and Poultry Processors in Arizona Contact: Ralph Meer (520) 621-9058 University of California, Oakland, CA $181,291 California Small Farm Food Safety Project Contact: Desmond A. Jolly (530) 752-7774 Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO $53,966 Food Safety Works: A Certificate Training Program for Welfare to Work Contact: Patricia A. Kendall (970) 491-1945 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT $100,000 Food Handler Education and Training for Hispanic Consumers and Youth Contact: Rafael Perez-Escamilla (860) 486-5073 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT $59,902 Food Safety Distance Education and Training Contact: Ellen L. Shanley (860) 486-0119 University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC $60,000 Food Handler Education for Small Non-Commercial Service Agencies Contact: Lillie Monroe-Lord (202) 274-7125 University of Florida, Gainesville FL $52,500 A National Food Safety Database for Food Safety Information and Program Evaluation Contact: Pierce H. Jones (352) 392-8074 University of Georgia, Athens, GA $280,000 National Center for Home Food Preservations Contact: Elizabeth L. Andress (706) 542-3773 University of Georgia, Athens, GA $248,911 Food Handler Education for Consumers and Youth Using Fight Bac! Video Curricula Contact: Judy A. Harrison (706) 542-3773 University of Illinois, Urbana, IL $59,330 Partnership for Food Safety Certification Over the Worldwide Web Contact: Elizabeth F. Reutter (217) 333-2024 Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN $100,000 Food Safety Education for High-Risk Audiences! Prenatal to Preschool Contact: Donna Vandergraff (765) 494-8538 Iowa State University, Ames, IA $40,000 Web-Based Reporting Systems Indicator Facilitation for Food Safety and Quality Progam Contact: Sorrel Brown (515) 294-8802 Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS $59,811 Veterinarian HACCP Training Program for Reducing ON-Farm Foodborne Pathogens Contact: John C. Galland (785) 532-4262 Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS $100,000 Food-A-Syst for Food Producers and Home Food Preparers Contact: Karen P. Penner (785) 532-1672 University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY $135,000 Development of Comprehensive HACCP Technical Support System Contact: William B. Mikel (606) 257-7550 Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA $60,000 Circle of Food Safety for Children, Families, and Communities Contact: Carolyn M. Perkins (225) 771-2242 Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI $50,000 HACCP Curriculum for Bay Mills Community College Contact: Alden M. Booren (517) 355-8453 Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI $109,090 Fresh Juice HACCP Alliance and Train-the Trainer Program Contact: Leslie D. Bourquin (517) 353-9664 Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI $99,850 Food Handler Educational Training for Consumers and Youth in Poultry Areas Contact: Sam K. Varghese (517) 353-2906 College of Micronesia, Kolonia, Pohnpei, FM $24,390 Reducing Waterborne Disease in the Marshalls Contact: Andrew H. Kuniyuki (692) 625-5340 University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN $99,998 Woodlands Wisdom: Holistic Approach to Food Safety Education Contact: Joellen M. Feirtag (612) 624-3629 University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN $9,865 Preserving Food Safely Contact: Sharon K. O'Gorman (218) 847-3141 (218) 732-3391 University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN $21,767 Keep It Hot, Keep It Cold Contact: Barbara J. Oseth (218) 281-8697 Alcorn State University, Alcorn State, MS $88,200 Establish a Food Safety/Quality Assurance Program - Small-Scale Farmers and Cooperatives in Mississippi Contact: Samuel Scott (601) 877-3948 (601) 877-6449 Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO $87,376 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Safety for Small Missouri Farms Contact: Carol A. Giesecke (573) 681-5592 University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE $57,106 Food Safety and Limited Resources Management Collaborative Education Program Contact: Julie A. Albrecht (402) 472-8884 University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE $200,000 HACCP Implementation/Management for Small Meat and Food Processors in 4 Midwest States Contact: Dennis E. Burson (402) 472-6457 New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM $100,000 Trilingual (Navajo/Spanish/English) Games/Interactive Activities for Fight Bac! Outreach to Hard-to-Reach Audiences Contact: B. Jeanne Gleason (505) 646-5658 New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM $94,130 Navajo Food Safety - Pesticide Safety, Integrated Pest Management and Livestock Quality Contact: Gary L. Hathorn (505) 334-9496 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY $51,378 An Internet Based Distance Education Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Program Contact: Kenneth L. Gall (516) 632-8730 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY $731,481 Reducing Microbial Risks in Fruits/Vegetables with Good Agricultural Practices in US Contact: Robert B. Gravani (607) 255-3262 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC $23,811 Development of Food Safety Education Program for Congregate Nutrition Site Participants Contact: Angela M. Fraser (919) 515-9150 The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH $119,650 A HACCP-Based Plan for Ensuring Food Safety in Distribution/Shipping/Retail Establishments Contact: Valente B. Alvarez (614) 292-7765 The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH $75,960 Program Indicators and a Web-Based Reporting System for the FSQ Initiative Contact: Lydia C. Medeiros (614) 292-2699 Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR $97,599 Development and Delivery of HACCP Models for the Vegetable Sprout Industry Contact: Mark A. Daeschel (541) 737-6519 Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR $86,287 Native American Storytelling Teaches Food Safety in Oregon and Alaska Contact: Carolyn A. Raab (541) 737-1019 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN $52,693 Web-Based Food Safety Training to Vocational High School Teachers Contact: P. Michael Davidson (423) 974-7334 Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN $59,950 Food Safety Messages: Are They Effective for African Americans? Contact: Martha B. Thomas (615) 963-5562 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX $53,626 Food Safety Education for Retail Employees Contact: Kerri B. Harris (409) 862-2036 VPI Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA $100,000 Train-the Trainer in SQF 2000: An Integrated HACCP Program Contact: Cameron R. Hackney (540) 231-5247 Washington State University, Pullman, WA $8,992 HACCP Training and Development for the Lopez Island Food Processing Center Contact: Tom R. Schultz (360) 378-4414 West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV $19,000 Unsafe Temperatures in Home Refrigerators Contact: R. Jeff Olson (304) 558-3755 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI $150,000 Linking Food Safety to Farm*A*Syst/ IPM to Reduce Microbial/Pesticide Risks in Apples Contact: Steven C. Ingham (608) 265-4801 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI $100,000 A National Risk Assessment Tool for Consumer Safety Contact: Gary W. Jackson (608) 265-2773 Food Safety Research Special Grants The University of Arizona, Tucson AZ $275,000 Role of irrigation water in contamination of Imported and domestic fresh food Contact: Charles P. Gerba (520) 621-6906 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR $194,668 An Electrochemical Method to Destroy Pathogenic Bacteria in Brine Chilling Water for Cooked Poultry and Meat Products Contact: Yanbin Li (501) 575-2424 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR $160,000 Non-destructive rinse sampling - Immunoblot quantitation of RTE foods for bacterial pathogens. Contact: M.G. Johnson (501) 575-4778 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA $117,648 Processing Parameters and GMPs for Optimal Application of Ozone in food Processing Contact: Brian Hampson (805) 756-6127 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO $190,920 Food Safety Risks and Critical Control Points for Stressed Bacterial Pathogens Contact: John N. Sofos (970) 491-7703 National Food Processors Association Research Foundation, Washington, D.C. $340,000 Quantitation of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods and Risk Assessment Contact: David Gombas (202) 639-5978 The University of Georgia, Athens, GA $92,763 Validation of jerky processing for small-scale and home processors Contact: Mark A. Harrison (706) 542-1088 Iowa State University, Ames, IA $275,000 Characterization of Antimicrobials and Risk Assessment of Listeria monocytogenes on Hot Dogs Contact: Joseph G. Sebranek (515) 294-1091 Iowa State University, Ames, IA $151,876 Real-Time Detection of Fecal and Ingesta Contamination Contact: Jacob W. Petrich (515) 294-9422 Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS $124,026 Post-process Pasteurization of Packaged, Ready-to-eat Meat Products for Control of Listeria monocytogenes Contact: Harshavardhan Thippareddi (785) 532-1295 Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI $184,807 A time-temperature integrator to validate Salmonella destruction in beef patties Contact: Denise M. Smith (517) 353-9513 University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN $210,000 Control of Calicivirus Contamination of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in Food Service Establishments Contact: Craig W. Hedberg (612) 626-4757 University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN $157,136 Use of bacteriocins to control food-borne pathogens in vegetables Contact: Francisco Diez-Gonzalez (612) 625-5272 Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, Lincoln, NE $249,481 CCP Identification and Validation During Poultry Production and Processing Contact: Mindy M. Brashears (402) 472-3403 Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ $188,422 Implication of Manure and Irrigation Water on contamination of Produce in the Field. Contact: Karl Matthews (732) 932-9611, ext 219 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY $151,684 Survival of Foodborne Pathogens in Untreated Manure and Manure Applied to Soil Contact: R.W. Worobo (315) 787-2284 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC $377,503 Human Disease Risk from RTE Foods Contaminated by Poor Handling Practices Contact: Lee-Ann Jaykus (919) 515-2971 Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK $69,619 Lactobacilli to Control Salmonella & E. coli O157:H7 in Fresh Cut Produce Contact: Stanley Gilliland (405) 744-4513 University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI $140,000 Surface scanning biosensor for microbial pathogen contamination on fruits and vegetables Contact: A. Garth Rand (401) 874-4081 Clemson University, Clemson, SC $145,984 In-package pasteurization and food grade film agents for pathogens on meat products. Contact: Paul Dawson (864) 656-1138 Texas A & M University, College Station, TX $263,920 Contamination During Production of Domestic and Imported Cabbage and Melons Contact: Elsa Murano (409) 845-3565 Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA $185,575 Surface Sampling and Ultraviolet Light Treatment of Raw Produce Contact: Joseph D. Eifert (540) 231-9293 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI $149,191 Sensitization of E. coli O157:H7 on Fruits and Vegetables to Halogenated Sanitizers Contact: Eric Johnson (608) 263-7944 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI $163,193 Critical Limits for Land-Spread Manure to Ensure Vegetable Crop Safety Contact: Steven C. Ingham (608) 265-4801 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY $88,019 Control of foodborne pathogens in minimally processed ready-to-eat meat products Contact: Bibek Ray (307) 766-3140 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Grants to minority-serving educational institutions provided by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to provide technical assistance to very small meat and poultry processors in implementing the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system. Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA $24,000 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, AR $24,135 Langston University, Langston, OK $24,250 Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL $24,909 New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM $24,500 Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, PR $24,250 Little Priest Tribal College, Winnebago, NE $24,822 Dull Knife Memorial College, Lame Deer, MN $24,116 Si Tanka College, Eagle Butte, SD $24,900