A research project funded by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) seeks to answer questions about the food safety risks posed by unconventional surfaces used in produce packinghouses.
Led by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Kristen Gibson, Ph.D., the project is focusing on small and midsized packinghouses that may have less resources than large operations to ensure food safety, like stainless steel surfaces or dedicated food safety officers. In her professional experience, Dr. Gibson has seen cleaning and sanitation to be an area that is particularly challenging for smaller-sized operations. Therefore, by examining microbial persistence and sanitation practices used on unconventional surfaces, Dr. Gibson aims to develop a set of best practices for surface material selection and sanitation to reduce microbial risk.