Low-moisture foods, which are often considered ready-to-eat, cause hundreds of foodborne illness cases each year. One University of Arkansas professor aims to investigate the microbiological risks of low-moisture foods and improve low-moisture food safety.
Jennifer Acuff, assistant professor in food safety and microbiology with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, was recently awarded a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study how bacteria persist in low-moisture food processing environments. According to Acuff, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding how much water and nutrients are required to sustain pathogen populations, but it is obvious that pathogens can persist in dry foods for a long time.