A farm-to-fork stochastic simulation model of pork-borne salmonellosis in humans: Lessons for risk ranking

A food systems perspective offers many appealing analytic features to food safety researchers with an interest in the design and targeting of effective and efficient policy responses to the risks posed by foodborne pathogens. These features include the ability to examine comparative questions such as whether it is more efficient to target food safety interventions on-farm or in the food processing plant. Using the example of a farm-to-fork stochastic simulation model of Salmonella in the pork production and consumption system, the authors argue the feasibility of such a food systems approach for food-safety risk assessment and policy analysis. They present an overview of the farm-to-fork model and highlight key assumptions and methods employed. Lessons from their experience in constructing a farm-to-fork stochastic simulation model are derived for consideration in other food safety risk assessment efforts and for researchers interested in developing “best practice” benchmarks in the area of food safety risk assessments. [EconLit Citations: Q18, I18, I12]. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 23: 157-172, 2007.

Milk and Ice Cream Processing

This chapter focuses on fresh milk products including fluid milks and ice cream. Frozen desserts can be packed in innumerable types and configurations of packages. The US dairy industry is a pioneer in milk and milk product production and export in the world, with a bright future to look upon. Milk is a highly nutritious addition to the diet, which contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. There are a number of processing technologies involved in the production of fluid milk and milk products, including pasteurization, homogenization, freezing and packaging, that have enabled these products to be distributed worldwide for decades. All the milk products and processing technologies are regulated by a number of federal and state agencies to ensure a good quality product for the consumer