Food Science Students Present at International Conference, Khattra Second in Three-Minute Thesis

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Assistant professor of food microbiology and safety Jennifer Acuff (far right) poses with students from her Food SMART Lab at the International Association for Food Protection meeting in Toronto.

Members of the U of A Food SMART Lab (Food Safety, Microbiology And Research Technology Lab) in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences attended the International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, this summer to present their food safety research.

Arshpreet Kaur Khattra, a master's degree student in food science, presented research and placed second in a Three-Minute Thesis contest sponsored by the Indian Association for Food Protection North America Affiliate. 

Khattra's poster presentation was "Gaseous ozone to improve the microbial safety of spices and nuts." Her project was funded by the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.  

Other student presentations included:

• Manita Adhikari, Ph.D. student in food science, technical presentation titled "Characterization of Low-Moisture food Persistent Bacterial Populations (LMF PBP) and impacts of nutrient type, moisture ratio, and relative humidity" (funded by USDA NIFA)
• Kavita Shripati Patil, Ph.D. student in food science, poster presentation "Evaluating the safety of sous-vide beef products" (sponsored by the Arkansas Beef Council)
• Patil, poster presentation "Determination of the thermal inactivation kinetics of Salmonella and a surrogate in milk powders as impacted by water activity and food matrix" (sponsored by Dairy Management, Inc.)
• Erin Ramsay, M.S. student in food science, poster presentation "Antimicrobial washes for in-shell pecans to reduce Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli" (funded by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Specialty Crop Block Grant Program)

All four students are advised by assistant professor of food microbiology and safety Jennifer Acuff. She is a faculty member of the college; a researcher and scientist with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture; and the PI of the Food S.M.A.R.T. Lab.

In addition to the student presentations, Acuff provided an update at the USDA NIFA Project Directors meeting on the project "Persistent Populations: Methods development to investigate harborage of pathogens in low-moisture food environments."

IAFP represents a broad range of members focused on protecting the global food supply. The association is made up of educators, government officials, microbiologists, food industry executives and quality control professionals involved in all aspects of growing, storing, transporting, processing and preparing all types of foods. Members, representing more than 50 countries, help the association achieve its mission through networking, educational programs, journals, career opportunities and other resources.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.