Sessions
Application of Ozone for Decontamination of Fresh Produce
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM Tue
Dr. Ahmed Yousef earned his Ph.D. in Food Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before joining Ohio State as an Assistant Professor in 1991. Since joining OSU, Dr. Yousef has been searching for natural alternatives to currently used synthetic food preservatives. His team discovered potent antimicrobial agents produced by beneficial bacteria; both the agents and bacteria are suitable for applications in food preservation. Since the late 1990s, Dr. Yousef and his research team have worked to develop methods to pasteurize shell eggs and to decontaminate fresh produce while maintaining products’ fresh qualities. His breakthrough uses a combination of mild heat and pressurized ozone to pasteurize shell eggs. This process can eliminate Salmonella and other pathogens inside raw shell eggs. His ozone research also led to developing methods to decontaminate spinach, apples, and other fresh produce. As a result of this research, Dr. Yousef established the largest ozone research laboratory in the U.S. right here at Ohio State. Because of his food-safety expertise, Dr. Yousef frequently appears in television, radio, and newspaper interviews to explain issues related to foodborne disease outbreaks and products recalls.