Food Safety Laboratory

Food Safety is a chief aspect drastically affecting global health. According to the World Health Organization, food-related illnesses cause billions of illnesses and numerous deaths annually from ingesting harmful food-related microorganisms or toxins. Additionally, as the global population increases, there is an ever-increasing demand for fresh natural wholesome foods. For example, consumers increasingly demand more natural products in food processing and natural wash products. Such products must be evaluated for their ability to decrease harmful pathogens while ensuring shelf life with limited damage to the foods’ quality.  

Dr. Wilbert Long’s Food Safety Laboratory focuses on food safety and integrative microbiology. He is also a senior research scientist in the Food Science and Biotechnology Program. He has a long history of conducting food science research in various capacities within higher education, government, and other organizations. Dr. Long’s research interest and background include evaluating novel methods to identify/examine current and novel washing processes and products and how they affect water quality, food safety, and shelf life of foods. Additionally, he enjoys helping communities and students understand how imperative food safety is to their everyday lives and health.

Currently, one of Dr. Long’s laboratory projects involves evaluating medicinal plant extracts, which also have antimicrobial properties for application as wash additives to be used synergistically, or as an alternative to currently used ready-to-eat wash additives. Due to increased demands on the food industry, Dr. Long is also investigating how the high demand on food stakeholders, leading to lack of sleep and increased stress, may indirectly affect food safety among community and professional food stakeholders.  

Students conduct research under Dr. Long’s guidance in the Food Safety Laboratory