Salmonella has been a major foodborne pathogen of concern for several years and scientists have worked relentlessly to reduce its incidence. Several initiatives such as antimicrobial interventions, process control, and pre-harvest food safety, among others, have helped to improve Salmonella-related food safety. However, after years of researching and understanding Salmonella, foodborne illnesses due to the pathogen continue to hound the food industry and scientists. The pathogen is being isolated from novel niches and has developed antibiotic resistance and tolerance to food processes. Salmonella is truly an ever-evolving pathogen, and the current approaches will not be adequate to control it in the future.

A paradigm shift in the thought process to understand the pathogen and in designing strategies is needed to ensure improved Salmonella food safety in the future. Modern methods such as Whole Genome Sequencing are helping researchers to take a deeper look at the organism, while the increased emphasis on microbiomes is providing clues about occurrence/survival of Salmonella in its many niches. Some scientists have developed novel, rapid, and accurate methods for pathogen detection to prevent contaminated food from entering commerce; similarly, the industry is modifying their Salmonella control programs to improve food safety. The scientific community should use these tools to address the existing gaps in the knowledge of Salmonella to achieve a higher degree of food safety.

The objective of the symposium is to provide novel perspectives and futuristic concepts on the ever-evolving Salmonella and on designing control strategies. The symposium aims to create discussion on missing crucial information on Salmonella, possible new directions for research, and addressing knowledge gaps that are preventing us from achieving food safety related to Salmonella and microbiome-Salmonella interactions, among others.

Presentations