by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
Bacteria found in foods sicken millions around the globe each year, cost billions of dollars in economic losses, and in rare instances, even result in deaths. One Arkansas food safety researcher is hoping to find new methods for keeping dry food safe.
Jennifer Acuff, assistant professor in food safety and microbiology with the University of Arkansas System Division, was recently awarded a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
She received the grant to learn more about how much moisture is required to allow bacterial survival in low-moisture foods. The research will help develop foundational knowledge on how bacteria persist in low-moisture food processing environments.
