Speakers will offer a look at microorganisms in fresh foods, biotechnology issues, home food safety practices and safety trends in the food service industry. The keynote speaker will be James Jay, adjunct professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
Food borne illness is a real problem, however, and it can be expensive.
More than 90 percent of all cases of food poisoning are caused by eight bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus Cereus and Eschericia coli. Jim Rushing, Clemson Extension Service specialist in post harvest horticulture, will talk to symposium participants about international and national training programs that deal with food safety. Brian Sheldon, professor and Extension leader in poultry science at N.C. State University, will discuss bacteriocins used in food preservation. Bacteriocins are substances, which inhibit development of competing bacterial strains. Other speakers will cover topics such as biotechnology food safety issues, the chemistry of sanitizing in food service operations, packaging irradiated foods, controlling pests in a food service environment, the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts, and food borne illness and its impact on food safety.