Davis College
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A recent outbreak of illnesses caused by Salmonella Typhimurium was tracked back to peanut products, and a massive recall ensued. With food safety constantly in the news, we checked in with Kristen Matak, assistant professor of human nutrition and foods. Professor Matak, along with Jacek Jaczynski, associate professor of food science and technology, has been developing a microwave oven with an extra feature – electron beam technology to help home cooks protect themselves from dangerous food-borne microbes. Professor Matak is currently exploring the electron beam’s potential with peanut butter.

1. What’s the focus of your research on Salmonella in peanut butter?

We are looking at using electron beam irradiation as a potential method to reduce Salmonella in peanut butter. Specifically, we are trying to determine the e-beam dose that would be effective at reducing microbial populations and how that dose would influence the sensory and shelf-life characteristics of peanut butter.

2. Why did you get involved in this project?

The recent Salmonella outbreaks highlight the need for an effective processing step that would make peanut butter safe without compromising the flavor and texture of the product. A final “in-package” heat treatment would definitely kill Salmonella; however it would be at the expense of product quality. Our work at WVU has shown that e-beam irradiation is an effective means to kill bacteria without the application of heat. We suspect that e-beam will prove to be a viable alternative to traditional processing methods.

3. How is this research linked to your work with Jacek Jaczynski on the modified microwave with its food safety feature?

The point of most food preservation methods is to slow the deterioration of product quality and to increase food safety by inhibiting or reducing microbial growth. Traditional methods of microbial reduction depend upon a lethal heat treatment that often causes sensory, nutritional and functional changes in the foods, and therefore are not suitable for use with fresh and ready-to-eat food. Electron beam irradiation is a processing technique proven to kill bacteria in foods without using heat. Dr. Jaczynski and I would both like to see this technology made available to the consumer, and if it could be an added feature of a product that’s already in most home kitchens, all the better.

4. What would you recommend to a consumer who’s worried about food safety issues? Are there any particular resources they can watch to keep up to date on current issues?

The website www.foodsafety.gov is a great resource for most current food safety issues such as recalls, outbreaks, and legislation.