Date of Graduation
12-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Chemical Engineering
Advisor/Mentor
Beitle, Robert R. Jr.
Committee Member
Thoma, Gregory J.
Second Committee Member
Subbiah, Jeyamkondan
Third Committee Member
Kwofie, Ebenezer M.
Fourth Committee Member
Matlock, Marty D.
Fifth Committee Member
Peters, Gregory
Keywords
DALY; Life cycle assessment; low moisture foods; QMRA; risk assessment
Abstract
Food safety and sustainability are critical concerns in the food industry. However, these areas are often evaluated separately, leading to an incomplete understanding of the overall impact of food production on human health. This dissertation aims to integrate food safety with sustainability to provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of low-moisture foods on human health, using the almond processing supply chain as a case study.
In addition to conducting life cycle assessments (LCA) of almond processing, wheat flour production, and dried apple processing, this dissertation aims to create a framework to bridge the gap between sustainability and food safety. The objectives of this study are to develop an integrated approach incorporating disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from endpoint LCA results and quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), conduct a QMRA of almond processing to track the movement of Salmonella from the orchard to the consumer, investigate the parameters within the developed framework that most impact the estimated number of Salmonella cases.
This study uses a Monte Carlo simulation based on an established dose-response relationship. The model incorporates data on Salmonella prevalence, concentration on almonds, storage time, rate constants, and transfer coefficients derived from previously published literature and extrapolation for this model. It estimates the annual number of Salmonella cases under a 4-log pasteurization scenario and assesses the model's sensitivity to various parameters, including prevalence and transfer rates.
The baseline risk model estimated approximately six cases of salmonellosis per year with a 1% prevalence rate. The probability of illness per serving was calculated to be 0.11 per one million servings. Sensitivity analysis revealed that increasing the prevalence from 1% to 10% resulted in 64 cases yearly. The model was also highly sensitive to transfer coefficients, with increased values significantly raising the estimated cases. The environmental impact assessments of almond, wheat flour, and dried apple production highlighted critical areas such as emissions, resource use, and transportation impacts.
This dissertation demonstrates the importance of integrating food safety with sustainability to assess the impact on human health. The developed framework captures the movement of Salmonella throughout the almond supply chain and provides insights into critical control points and intervention strategies. Integrating DALYs from LCA and QMRA offers a holistic measure of the health burden, bridging the gap between food safety and environmental sustainability.
Citation
Bain, J. (2024). Integrating Sustainability and Food Safety through Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment and Life Cycle Assessment of Low-Moisture Foods. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/5615
Included in
Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons, Chemical Engineering Commons, Food Science Commons
