Plant breeders and food safety experts conducted a two-day conference at UC Davis (June 5–6, 2019) to discuss issues relevant to food safety, including control of microbial contamination in produce throughout the food chain (seeds, field production, pre- and postharvest, packaging, distribution, marketing). Maeli Melotto, a UC Davis Plant Sciences professor who focuses on plant-microbe…
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DAVIS and WASHINGTON (March 28, 2019) – More than 80 percent of the world’s almonds are produced in California, and this industry contributes $21 billion to the state’s economy. In recognition of the need to develop more resilient almond orchards, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) awarded a $225,000 Seeding Solutions Grant to…
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Beth Mitcham’s postharvest lab in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis is determining if ethyl formate treatments affect the sensory quality of citrus fruit. Ethyl formate naturally occurs in many plants, fruits, soils, and insects. It is used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages, and used in the fragrance and cosmetic…
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Florence Zakharov, associate professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, is the new director of the Postharvest Technology Center, succeeding Trevor Suslow, Cooperative Extension research specialist emeritus. In her director’s note in the center’s January newsletter, Zakharov said: “I have been involved with the center since joining the faculty of the Department of Plant Sciences…
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[This op-ed, by Professor Kent Bradford, Director of the Seed Biotechnology Center at UC Davis, is reprinted from The Hill, September 24, 2018] Some companies in California were surprised recently when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates food labeling, announced that it was considering no longer allowing food products to be labeled as…
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This workshop, held on the UC Davis campus, September 18-20, 2018 (Tues.–Thurs), provides an intensive and substantive overview of fresh-cut product physiology, production, hygienic facility and equipment design, wash water management, film and packaging design principles and practical selection, sensory evaluation, and distribution. Participants will gain working knowledge of established and new procedures through topic-related…
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The DryCard team from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, was selected for its simple, low-cost invention that helps prevent food spoilage. The reusable DryCard™ is about the size of a business card and uses a strip of cobalt…
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a statement (March 28, 2018) providing clarification on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) oversight of plants produced through innovative new breeding techniques which include techniques called genome editing. Under its biotechnology regulations, USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have…
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Trevor V. Suslow, Cooperative Extension specialist, Department of Plant Sciences, and director of the Postharvest Center, recently received the 2017 Valley of the World Education Award given by the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. The center established its Valley of the World Awards to honor key figures in the Salinas Valley agricultural industry. “In the…
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a media statement in late December profiling a multi-state E. coli O157:H7 outbreak with 17 reported illnesses. Romaine and leafy greens are among the suspected sources of contamination, but no definitive source or location has been confirmed at this time. According to Trevor Suslow, produce…
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