Understanding the what, how, when & why of food pathogens

If you develop, process, distribute or sell food for a living, there is a bare minimum you need to know about food micro:

• Which pathogens are most likely to cause trouble;
• When/why do they threaten product/customer safety; and,
• How to best manage/control the risks posed by these organisms.

If you have never taken a food micro class, we will teach you the most critical points for food safety applications. Even if you have, you will learn when and how to use powerful – but often abused and misunderstood -- tests, tools and models that were not on the market just five years ago. Learn to make better choices by understanding the limits and applicability of data produced as well as the danger of starting with ill-considered assumptions!

Course Topics Include:

• Microbial Ecology – Food safety depends on understanding what conditions encourage microbial growth and what inhibits it.
  • Pathogens – Gram-negative: The FDA/USDA are hustling to better understand Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella.
  • Pathogens – Gram-positive: Listeria monocytogenes has plagued many food manufacturers. We focus on ecology and control.
• Spoilage – Yeast and mold are major culprits in food spoilage. Learn how to detect and identify them in food processing facilities.
• Current Food Safety Issues – Get the latest on the worst outbreaks to hit the news and consumers’ GI tracts.
• Testing – A good test done wrong can be more dangerous than no testing at all. Know the uses and abuses of microbial testing.
• Predictive Models & Quantitative Risk Assessment – Tools of quantification are continually expanding in power and applicability.