Alabama Public Television tonight airs a special program looking at food safety research and methods from Auburn University.
According to a news release, the show will look at practices that prevent food-borne pathogens and how scientists at Auburn develop and test technology. It will also explore Auburn’s approach in combating pathogens in food such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria.
“Spotlight on Agriculture: Food Safety” sheds light on the intricate web of safe food practices aimed at alleviating foodborne pathogens and increasing food integrity. It will air tonight at 8:00 p.m. on APT.
Dani Reams of Alabama Cooperative Extension System, one several interviewed for the series, said the portion of the show she was interviewed for has to do with the preservation of food.
“Food preservation is something that we’ve been doing as humankind for a long, long time,” Reams told Alabama Daily News. “But, we’ve learned a lot about what is safe and what is not safe. And also products have changed.”
She gave the example of canning tomatoes. She said tomatoes used to be acidic enough to can without any additives. Now, she said, a bacteria called clostridium botulinum can survive the canning process unless lemon juice or vinegar are added.
Reams said she uses the National Center for Home Food Preservation in the classes that the Cooperative Extension System offers because of the research it has done.
“So, a big part of what we do with food preservation is just teaching people how very important it is, especially when it comes to using those tested recipes and then how to follow them,” she said.