Low-moisture foods, like cereals and flour, dried fruit and nuts, have been recalled repeatedly in the last few years, posing health risks to consumers and economic threats to businesses.

Bradley Marks, professor and chair in the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE), is the project director of a five-year, $9.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) that takes a holistic look at reducing threats of pathogens in low-moisture foods. NIFA has designated the project as a Center of Excellence, meaning it has high merit value and meets criteria for broad impact.

Marks, along with a team of economists, engineers, microbiologists, consumer educators and risk modelers, is working to reduce the risk of Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria from harvest to consumer.

“Just being an engineer with a better piece of equipment isn't going to solve this food safety problem. We've got to look at the entire system,” Marks said. “It's a problem that may not always be a headline, but it's a huge economic impact for these companies.”

MSU researchers Sanghyup Jeong, assistant professor in BAE; Elliot Ryser, professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Felicia Wu, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in FSHN and Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, are part of the grant team.

To read the full story, go to CANR.