Posts Tagged: Development
Ettamarie Peterson: The Queen Bee Who'd Rather Be a Worker Bee
Ettamarie Peterson, fondly known as "The Queen Bee of Sonoma County," will be displaying...
Encouraged by the workshop instructor to hold newly emerged bees, Ettamarie Peterson shows a handful of bees at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Ettamarie Peterson stands next to Miss Bee Haven, an eight-foot-long ceramic-mosaic sculpture of a worker bee at the UC Davis Bee Haven. It is the work of Donna Billick of Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
UC food-safety specialist tests biosensors to ensure safe produce
Ahmed El-Moghazy joined UC Agriculture and Natural Resources as a UC Cooperative Extension food safety specialist in February and is based at UC Riverside. Food safety, according to El-Moghazy, are measures that ensure food is free from harmful contaminants, prevent foodborne illnesses and is safe to eat. El-Moghazy is responsible for assisting California farmers and food processing facilities to enhance food safety practices by training appropriate personnel and addressing food-safety issues on their farms.
As the principal investigator for the 2-SAFE Lab at UC Riverside, El-Moghazy is investigating the accuracy and applicability of point-of-use biosensor technology. The small, lightweight and easy-to-use sensor can be used while out in the field or in a packing house to test contamination of liquids such as irrigation and washing water or solids like food samples.
Testing for foodborne pathogens traditionally takes two to three days and the process can be costly. The biosensor technology that El-Moghazy is using is inexpensive and can provide results within one work shift, which allows businesses that grow fresh produce to confirm the safety of their products before sending them to the market.
The alternative, selling contaminated food to consumers, is not only detrimental to human health, but can ruin the reputation of businesses, making way for unanticipated costs associated with recalling contaminated products and regulatory consequences including fines and sanctions.
El-Moghazy is also developing the next generation of antimicrobial surface coatings and materials that can rapidly control the foodborne pathogens and hinder the transfer of harmful bacteria from contaminated food to non-contaminated food.
El-Moghazy is optimistic that his research can safeguard public health, reduce the burden of foodborne illness and protect the integrity of businesses. Although El-Moghazy serves the entire state, he is dedicating a large part of his needs assessment and efforts in Southern California where high-value specialty crops such as avocados and citrus are grown.
"Did you know that one in every six Americans get sick from eating food contaminated with a foodborne pathogen?" asked El-Moghazy. Understanding the fatality of foodborne illnesses, El-Moghazy believes that increasing awareness through education is an essential aspect of his role. "It's true, but not many people realize this, or that 40% of foodborne illnesses stem from fresh produce."
To protect consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires farms with a certain level of annual sales (adjusted for inflation) of fruits and vegetables typically consumed raw to have one employee who has completed an FDA-approved Produce Safety Rule Grower Training.
In addition to certified trainings, El-Moghazy offers technical assistance to ensure growers comply before and after inspections, as well as resources for several topics including produce safety, agriculture water, flooding, soil amendments, worker health, hygiene and training and postharvest handling and sanitation. He can also assist in developing food-safety plans and other general farm food-safety protocols. His technical expertise covers all aspects of food production and supply including irrigation water quality, hygiene of harvesting tools and transportation.
Before joining ANR, El-Moghazy completed two years as a visiting scholar in the UC Davis Biological and Agricultural Engineering department before continuing as a postdoctoral fellow in the UC Davis Food Science and Technology department for 5 years. Much of his work was rooted in the development of biosensors and antimicrobial materials for food safety. While in Davis, he collaborated with local farms and food processing companies on food safety research and extension.
El-Moghazy earned a Ph.D. studying developmental biosensors for food safety applications to detect pesticides residues from a joint program offered by University of Perpignan in France and Alexandria University in Egypt. He also earned a master's degree in developmental biobased fungicides and a bachelor's in agriculture science from Alexandria University. Finally, he completed a fellowship at the Institute of Plant Protection, Szent Istvan University in Hungary, where he studied how to extend shelf-life of fresh produce using biomaterials.
El-Moghazy is based at UC Riverside in the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology. He can be reached at aelmogha@ucr.edu or (951) 827-0257.
James R. Carey: 44-Year Career at UC Davis
It's not often that an entomologist chalks up a 44-year career of teaching, research and public...
UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor Frank Zalom (right) pays tribute to UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
UC Davis distinguished professor James R.Carey is an international-award winning teacher. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Reminder to complete our mailing list and interest survey
Attention Mendocino & Lake Ranchers, Farmers, Forest Land Owners:
Attached is a flier about our survey that some of you may have received. It is very important that you take the time to fill out the survey as it helps us help you. It also help us justify Advisor position requests that will serve Mendocino & Lake Counties. The information we collect is completely confidential and will be used to clean up our client database and give us direction for the types of programs and research you want. If you have children of 4-H age or know others that might be interested in 4-H we will use that part of the survey results for contacting you about participating. If you want ranch, forest or farm visits with our Advisors we will follow up with you to schedule.
Thanks so much for completing the survey!
Sincerely,
John Harper
UCCE Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor, Emeritus
UCCE Programs Interest and Mailing List Sign UP Survey
Youth invited to Mustang Camp in Lassen County June 28-29
UC Cooperative Extension in Modoc County is partnering with Utah State University to offer a mustang camp for California youth ages 9 to 19.
The 4-H Mustang Camp, sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, will be held on June 28-29.
This overnight camp is an opportunity for youth across California to learn about managing public lands, rangelands, wild horses and burros. Mustangs are feral horses that roam freely.
“We realize not everyone can take a wild horse home so we'll take the young people out on the range,” said event organizer Laura Snell, UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for Modoc County.
“Participants will learn about range management, the grasses, habitat, ecosystem and wild horses,” she said.
Youth also will learn about careers with U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service related to wild horse management.
Camp participants will spend the night at a campground and use facilities at the Lassen County Fair Grounds. Registration for the mustang camp is $75 and includes lunch and dinner on June 28 and breakfast and lunch on June 29. Space is limited to 25 youth.
“Our hope is that by participating in this camp these young people will leave understanding and appreciating the uniqueness of our wild horses and burros,” said Snell.
The 4-H Mustang Camp is sponsored by the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program and UC Cooperative Extension in Modoc and Lassen counties. It will be held at Lassen County Fair Grounds at 195 Russell Avenue, Susanville, CA 96130.
Registration for camp is open through June 14. To learn more about the camp or to register, visit https://extension.usu.edu/utah4h/events/mustang-camp.
Colt Challenge on June 22
The public is invited to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Devils Garden Colt Challenge on June 22 in Alturas in Modoc County. In the Colt Challenge, 4-H and FFA youth in California and in the Oregon border counties of Lake and Klamath take home young, wild horses in December to train, then gather in June to show their horses' progress. Attendance is free.
For more information about the Colt Challenge, visit https://www.devilsgardenucce.org/post/colt-challenge-faq.