Foundation Releases 2019-2020 Request for Proposals

The Foundation released its 2019-2020 request for proposals in early July. The Foundation is seeking proposals in the research areas of food safety, product quality and nutrition sciences. Specific priorities include but are not limited to:

Food Safety

Evaluate genetic factors that would allow bacterial pathogens (STEC, Salmonella and/or Listeria) or specific pathogen strains to live and thrive in processing environments, on food contact surfaces and/or on products, including in specific niches (e.g. areas with high or low temperatures, etc.).  Research should include how these pathogens survive, assess the virulence phenotypes of these pathogens and if environmental factors have the ability to alter virulence gene expression. 

Evaluate mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer in pathogens in different environments.  Research should address how horizontal gene transfer can lead to emergence of pathogen strains with increased virulence and/or antibiotic resistance phenotypes. Research should be conducted outside of laboratory benchtop evaluations and in practical environments.

Identify the combination of virulence factors that cause human illness in pathogenic Salmonella and E. coli. 

Product Quality

Evaluate the ability and reliability of instruments to predict quality traits including tenderness, color stability, flavor, etc. Research should focus on muscles other than the longissimus dorsi.

Nutritional Sciences

Risk-benefit analysis on the consumption of fresh and processed meat and poultry products as a component of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

• Research may address potential risks or implications associated with eliminating fresh and/or prepared meat products from the diet.  This could include nutrition status, water use, environmental implications, among other outcomes.

How does dietary intake, particularly dietary patterns, track across life stages from the introduction of foods, into childhood, and through older adulthood?

Food safety topics areas also include Appendices A&B and African swine fever.  Other nutrition sciences priority areas include several questions under evaluation by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on dietary patterns, dietary fats and complementary foods.

The complete request for proposals is available at http://www.meatpoultryfoundation.org/pages/request-for-proposals.  Pre-proposal are due to Shannon Green by 5 p.m. EDT on August 20, 2019.  Contact Susan Backus or KatieRose McCullough with any questions.