The food production environment imposes a variety of microbial stresses on bacteria, both physical and chemical.  Suboptimal temperature, pH, A_w, as well as the presence of chemical preservatives, antimicrobials, and sanitizers, are factors that can cause sublethal physiological stress, resulting in altered physiological responses by microbial cells. Despite the stresses, microorganisms can survive, contaminate food products and potentially cause illness to humans.  How do they survive these suboptimal conditions? There has been a long history of study of injured or stressed microorganisms, with the aim of developing appropriate methods to ensure their detection. Recently, advances in molecular biology methods have improved our ability to identify the mechanisms by which microorganisms can survive stresses encountered in the food production environment. Can bacteria adapt to these stresses, and persist in food production environments after exposure?  This symposium will examine responses of foodborne pathogens to various stresses encountered in the food production environment and will reveal how an understanding of the mechanisms of stress survival can lead to more effective ways to control pathogens in foods.

Presentations