Ep. 37. Keith Warriner: Produce, Biosensors, and Successful Research

Dr. Keith Warriner is a professor of food science at the University of Guelph. He is also the food science graduate coordinator of the department’s Master of Science and Ph.D. food science programs.

After completing his Ph.D. in microbial physiology at the University College of Wales, he worked for the Department of Medicine at the University of Manchester where he studied biosensors. He also attended the University of Nottingham as a research fellow in food microbiology, working with fresh produce. 

He joined the Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph in 2002 and was promoted to full professor in 2011. He is the former president of the Ontario Food Protection Association, a member of the International Association of Food Protection, is an associate editor of the Canadian Journal of Microbiology, and is on the editorial board for Applied & Environmental Microbiology and International Journal of Food Microbiology. Keith's research revolves around food safety and food microbiology, allowing him to work closely with industry and he is able to apply his research findings in a practical way.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Keith Warriner about:

• Effective antimicrobial treatments for fresh produce
• Ridding leafy greens of microbial contamination
• His research looking at pathogen survival in different types of soil, and the impact of soil temperature
• His thoughts on what happened in the U.S. romaine lettuce outbreak
• Clostridium difficile and its persistent presence in meat, seafood, and fresh produce
• The new development of biosensors, and how they detect pathogens
• Internet of Things and how it can be used to track data and produce results
• Challenges with contamination in low-moisture food products
• The use of food-contact antimicrobial coatings
• How getting certain products or processes is easier to get approved in the U.S. vs. in Canada
• The One Health approach, which focuses on animal health, which would then lead to safer food
• The Highly Qualified Personnel Scholarship Program

Food Safety Magazine articles written by Keith: Control of Listeria monocytogenes on Food-Contact and Noncontact Surfaces by Antimicrobial Coatings Developing a Cost-effective Sanitation Plan for Small-to-medium Processors

News Mentioned in This Episode: Larry Keener's IUFoST Lifetime Achievement Award  Deirdre Schlunegger to Retire from Stop Foodborne Illness

FDA Update on Romaine Lettuce Outbreak as Yuma, AZ, Growing Season Begins | FDA's environmental assessment  California LGMA Updates Food Safety Practices Prior to the Desert Growing Season  FSMA Produce Safety Rule Meetings in Albany, Anaheim, Atlanta, and Portland | FDA meeting page  FDA Q&A on Mandatory Recalls

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