Research funded by the Center for Produce Safety is aiming to develop a low-cost tool that can detect fecal contamination in fields.
Mohit Verma, a professor at Purdue University, is leading efforts to develop a low-cost, portable, paper-based tool that can produce results of potential mammalian fecal contamination in about an hour, according to a news release.
Having that knowledge quickly could help producers make informed risk assessments before they plant or harvest, the researcher said in the release.
“What we really hope for is to build a risk-management tool that could be specific to their own sites,” Verma said in the release. “Right now, there are guidelines for distances from animal operations, but they are relatively general. What we envision is almost like a pregrowing risk assessment if they’re close to a feeding operation. That way they could set mitigation strategies.”
Test results could be used to develop preplant or preharvest, site-specific risk-management plans, Verma said in the release.
“What we are envisioning in the long term is to build a kit with collection flags to use with these tests — if it gets commercialized,” he said.
More information about the project is available on the Center for Produce Safety website.
