E. coli O157:H7 in Lettuce and Leafy Greens: Strategies for Developing an Intervention Assessment Model
Asilomar, California, November 13-15, 2006
This is the fourth in a series of collaboratives for the project "Building a Framework for Prioritizing Opportunities to Reduce Risk." The objective was to generate ideas, facilitate discussion, and make progress towards applying the conceptual framework to a real-world problem, namely that of comparing intervention strategies for E. coli O157:H7 in lettuce and other leafy greens. The workshop explored the obstacles to identifying interventions along the farm-to-fork continuum and to assessing their costs and effectiveness, as well as how the use of intervention assessment modeling may help to find and evaluate intervention opportunities.
Session 1: Welcome and IntroductionsModerator: Juliana Ruzante, Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS)
Session 2: Setting Up the Problem
Moderator: Juliana Ruzante, WIFSS
| Mike Batz | University of Maryland/FSRC | Towards an Interventions Assessment Model for E. coli O157:H7 in Leafy Greens |
| Investigation of past outbreaks including the 2006 spinach outbreak – lessons learned | ||
| Jeff Farrar | CDHS | E. coli O157:H7 and Spinach 2006 |
| Tracy L. Ayers | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Outbreaks of E. coli O157 Infections Associated with Lettuce and Other Leafy Greens |
Moderator: Michelle Jay, CDHS and WIFSS
| Overview of Lettuce Production, California and Yuma, Arizona | ||
| Mary Zischke | California Lettuce Research Board (CLRB) | Leafy Greens: Industry Statistics |
| Belinda Platts | Dole | Lettuce Production: Patterns and Practices |
| Jorge Fonseca | University of Arizona | Lettuce Production in Yuma |
| Trevor Suslow | UC Davis | Overview of Spinach Production, California |
| All | Discussion: Identification of Potential Preharvest Risk Factors |
| E. coli O157:H7 – What do we know about sources and environmental ecology? | ||
| Rob Mandrell | USDA-ARS | E. coli O157:H7: What Do We Know About Sources and Environmental Ecology? |
| Rob Atwill | UC Davis | Characterizing the Risk of E. coli Contamination from Animal Agriculture and Wildlife |
| E. coli O157:H7 – What do we know about the pre-harvest and at-harvest lettuce and leafy green/human pathogen interaction? | ||
| Maria Brandl | USDA/ARS | Preharvest Factors in Leafy Greens Contamination |
| All | Discussion: The Ability to Model Pathogens in the Production and Harvesting of Leafy Greens – State of Knowledge and Key Data Gaps | |
Moderator: Linda Harris, WIFSS
| Overview of Processing Lettuce and Leafy Greens and what do we know about impacts of processing and ecology in the processing and packaging environment? | ||
| Jim Gorny | United Fresh Produce Assoc. | Lettuce and Leafy Greens Fresh-Cut Product Preparation |
| Retail/Food Service/Consumer – What role in the safety of lettuce and leafy greens? | ||
| Don Schaffner | Rutgers University | Retail/Food Service/Consumer – What Role in the Safety of Lettuce and Leafy Greens? |
| All | Discussion: The Ability to Model Pathogens in the Processing and Distribution of Leafy Greens – State Of Knowledge and Key Data Gaps | |
Moderator: Mike Taylor, University of Maryland/FSRC
| Helen Jensen | Iowa State University/FSRC | Economic Considerations for Intervention Strategies |
| All | Round Table: Pre- and Post-Harvest Intervention Strategies |
Moderator: Mike Batz, University of Maryland/FSRC
| Don Schaffner | Rutgers University | Risk Assessment Modeling for Other Produce Categories |
| All | Round Table: Pre- and Post-Harvest Intervention Strategies | |
| Michelle Danyluk | UC Davis | Risk Assessment Modeling of Salmonella in Almonds |
| All | Round table: Moving Toward Developing an Intervention Model for Lettuce and Leafy Greens and E. coli O157:H7. |
Moderator: Jerry Gillespie, WIFSS