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Objectives 

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EIAO Internet Resources 

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EIAO Training 3/28/2014

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•Upon completion of this module you will be

able to:

• Locate scientific and technical resources

•Identify the sections of a scientific paper

•In given scenarios, evaluate and determine the

adequacy of supporting documentation

•In a given scientific article, determine what the

article can support in a HACCP system

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•How to locate scientific and technical

resources using the internet

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FSIS & Other Government 

Websites 

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Scientific & Technical Research 

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Academic Sources of 

Information 

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EIAO Training 3/28/2014

•AskFSIS

•Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook

•Small Plant News

•Compliance Guides Index

• FSIS Website – Thermometer Calibration

• FoodSafety.gov

• Food & Drug Administration

• FDA Bad Bug Book

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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•National Agriculture Library - DigiTop

• Journal of Food Protection

•NAL Catalog

• Food Safety Research Information Office

•PubMed

•Association of Official Analytical Chemists

•AOAC Official Methods

• Journal of AOAC

• Journal of Microbiological Methods

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•International HACCP Alliance, TAMU

•University of Wisconsin – Center for Meat

Process Validation

•Meat Science Extension - OSU

•Kansas State University – Thermometer

Calibration Guide

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Assessing Materials 

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Format of a Scientific Paper 

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Format of a Scientific Paper 

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EIAO Training 3/28/2014

•How to read a scientific or technical resource

Peer Reviewed or Refereed Journals:

•Articles are reviewed by other experts in the

field to get their opinion

•Considered a reliable source of scientific or

technical information

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Peer

Reviewed

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•Summary or abstract – gives a brief background to

the topic/purpose. It describes the major findings

and the implications of the findings in a concise

manner

•Introduction – Presents background necessary to

understand why the study will advance knowledge

•Brief discussion on current published literature

•Purpose of the study or problems investigated

•Rationale for study approach/technique used

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•Materials and Methods – Entity (what is)

being studied; description of the study site;

protocol for collecting data; and how the

data was analyzed

•Results – Describes the experiments and

documents the experiment outcomes

•Discussion – Analyzing and interpreting the

data from the results section

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Materials and Methods: 

Questions to Consider 

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Materials and Methods: 

Questions to Consider 

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Results 

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EIAO Training 3/28/2014

•What products did the researchers study? Are

they similar to the establishment’s product

characteristics?

•What hazards did the researchers study? Are they

the same hazards identified in the hazard

analysis?

•Can you identify which operational parameters

were measured?

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•Where were the measurements taken? Is the

establishment taking measurements? At what

locations?

•What were the operational parameters? Did any

change during the research?

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•Describes the experiments and documents

the experimental outcomes

•Logic of this section generally follows

directly from that of the introduction

•Usually contains the bulk of tables and

graphs

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Discussion 

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Discussion: Questions to Consider 

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Other Questions to Consider 

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EIAO Training 3/28/2014

•Analyzing and interpreting the data from

the results section

•Relationship of findings to other findings

in the field of study

•May provide guidance on appropriate

applications of the research

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• Did the authors provide some guidelines as to the

limitations of the research or any cautions on

application of results?

• For example, were there some parameters that were

controlled in the laboratory that differ in-plant? If so, 

have you considered if those apply to the process?

•If the parameters are different, what is the justification

for doing so?

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•How will the critical parameters of the study

be applied to the actual production process?

•How does the establishment monitor that the

critical parameters are being properly

implemented? What records support the

process?

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EIAO Role in Assessing Scientific Articles 

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EIAO Role 

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EIAO Role 

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•As an EIAO you are expected to be

knowledgeable in interpreting scientific or

technical support. You must evaluate the

scientific support being used by the

establishment

•You must be able to identify instances where the

establishment may not be applying the scientific

support appropriately to their process

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The number one consideration is:

•How is the establishment applying or using the

information in their HACCP system?

•Does this application “make sense”?

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Reading a Scientific Paper: 

Getting Started 

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Reading a Scientific Paper 

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Assessing Scientific Support 

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EIAO Training 3/28/2014

•Supporting documentation may exist in various

forms. There is no one size fits all

•There is no regulatory requirement for how

documentation must be organized and appear on

paper

• First consider and review in your mind what you

know about the topic

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•Discuss the study with plant management in order

to gain understanding of how the establishment is

applying the study in their HACCP decision making

•Ask questions! (Remember GAD!!)

•How is the scientific support being used in the

establishment? How are the critical parameters of

the study applied to the establishment’s production

practices?

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•If the establishment is applying the parameters

used in the study differently, is there justification or

additional data to support doing something

differently?

•Do production practices appear to make sense

based on what is commonly known about hazards?

•Do observations made on the production floor raise

a concern that the critical parameters are being

properly implemented?

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Assessing Scientific Support 

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Scientific - Technical Information 

Workshop 

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Questions? 

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EIAO Training 3/28/2014

•Do in-plant records exist to support what the

plant is doing?

•What issues raise a “red flag” that a closer

review of the establishment’s practices are

needed?

•Is there evidence that the establishment does

not have support for its food safety

practices?

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•Work in your groups to discuss the scenario

•Be prepared to report out

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