Project

Project objectives

During this project, the problems associated with Salmonella contamination of fresh produce will be addressed through the development of natural solutions to control the presence of Salmonella on fruits and vegetables, as they are growing in the field. New tests will also be developed so that fresh produce can be quickly and efficiently tested for the presence of Salmonella before being sold to consumers. Finally, new tools will be developed to allow public health officials to better determine the source of Salmonella illnesses when they occur, which will allow for contaminated food to be removed from grocery stores, before purchase by consumers.

Project overview

Salmonella is an important cause of foodborne illness in Canada. Each year, approximately 88,000 people become sick from consuming food that is contaminated with Salmonella. While foods such as poultry have long been recognized as causes of Salmonella food poisoning, fresh fruits and vegetables have recently emerged as important sources of Salmonella.

Outcomes & Partners

Outcome #1: A biocontrol method to control Salmonella contamination of fresh produce in the field and reduce its presence on fresh produce during harvest and processing;

Outcome #2: More specific and rapid diagnostic assays to test fresh produce for Salmonella;

Outcome #3: Whole-genome based typing tools to enable more precise differentiation of Salmonella isolates during foodborne outbreak investigations.

Team

News & Publications