Abstract #378
Section: Dairy Foods (orals)
Session: Dairy Foods: Recent Advances in Dairy Food Safety Research
Format: Oral
Day/Time: Tuesday 4:45 PM–5:15 PM
Location: Room 237/238
Presentation is being recorded
Session: Dairy Foods: Recent Advances in Dairy Food Safety Research
Format: Oral
Day/Time: Tuesday 4:45 PM–5:15 PM
Location: Room 237/238
Presentation is being recorded
# 378
Interventions to control Listeria monocytogenes as a surface contaminant on high-moisture cheese.
D. D'Amico1, S. Brown*1, 1University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
Key Words: cheese, Listeria, interventions
Speaker Bio
Interventions to control Listeria monocytogenes as a surface contaminant on high-moisture cheese.
D. D'Amico1, S. Brown*1, 1University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
Despite efforts to control Listeria monocytogenes in dairy processing environments, contamination and subsequent outbreaks of listeriosis continue to occur. Among cheeses, listeriosis outbreaks have been disproportionality attributed to environmental contamination of soft, high-moisture products (e.g., Queso Fresco) in recent years. The ability of L. monocytogenes to grow on these products during refrigerated storage necessitates strategies to prevent contamination, reduce pathogen numbers, and limit growth during storage. This presentation will review recent research on approaches to control L. monocytogenes as surface contaminants on high moisture cheese including modified atmosphere packaging, protective cultures and other antimicrobials used alone and in combinations as dip and coating applications. We will conclude with a focus on the specific applications of hydrogen peroxide and address future research needs.
Key Words: cheese, Listeria, interventions
Speaker Bio
Dennis D’Amico is an Assistant Professor of Dairy Foods in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Connecticut where his research and outreach efforts focus on improving the safety and quality of milk and value-added dairy products. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Nutrition and Food Sciences and his Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from the University of Vermont. Prior to joining the faculty at UConn he was a founding member of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese where he served as Senior Research Scientist and Lecturer working closely with the artisan cheese industry to develop risk reduction interventions and technical outreach programs. His research continues to examine the presence, ecology, and diversity of microbes in the cheesemaking continuum as well as the natural and novel means of controlling them with a focus on the development and use of natural interventions. Dennis has published more than 60 peer reviewed articles and abstracts on the topic of dairy food safety and quality. He also serves on the board of directors of the American Cheese Society and is an active member of several food safety organizations.
