Purdue, FDA lead extensive food safety study

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are conducting a multiyear study of salmonella in southwest Indiana — a region known for its cantaloupe production.

Growers in the region are assisting with the statewide study to extend their decades-long focus on food safety.

“The growers want to participate in this study because of their commitment to do everything they can to keep their produce as safe as possible,” said Amanda Deering, associate professor of fresh food produce safety at Purdue.

The study focuses on how pathogens move in the environment and may contaminate produce before harvest. Contamination can also arise during transportation or at the store.

Researchers are sampling air, soil, water and animal scat while also taking weather data to better understand what environmental conditions may encourage the survival, growth and spread of pathogens. They are also considering the possible role of bee pollination in the process.

Did You Know?

Indiana’s cantaloupe production ranked sixth in United States as of 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Indiana growers planted 1,800 acres of cantaloupe with a production value of $8.6 million that year.