Most shoppers walking down the grocery aisle are unaware of the behind-the-scenes action that takes produce from the farm to packaged product in their hands. But Penn State faculty and researchers are working with some of Pennsylvania's most important commodities--milk, eggs and poultry, beef and pork--to ensure they are safe for consumers to eat. Generating a combined gross income of $2.7 billion (dairy, $1.4 billion; eggs and poultry, $700 million; beef, $360 million; and pork, $186 million), the production of this food is vital to Pennsylvania's economy.

Despite the dwindling number of farms (going from 222,000 in 1910 to 59,000 in 2003), agriculture remains the largest industry in Pennsylvania. And as Pennsylvania's sole land-grant institution, Penn State has continuously worked to make agriculture more productive, efficient and safe.

Animal Health Issues
Penn State--working with state government--is at the forefront of addressing outbreaks of new and emerging animal diseases. One of the keys to this has been contributing to the effort involved in the new U.S. Animal Identification Plan, used to track animals involved in interstate commerce (excluding pets).

"Fundamental to controlling any disease threat ... to the nation's animal resources is to have a system that can identify individual animals or groups, the premises where they are located and the date of entry to that premises," states the United States' plan, calling for the ability to retrieve that information within 48 hours of an outbreak. The national Animal Identification Plan relies heavily on education and outreach, as well as the need to conduct test strategies. As a leader in animal health issues, Penn State has been instrumental in ensuring that Pennsylvania producers have the information they need to comply with any new regulations.

Dr. John Comerford (standing) and Dr. Keith Bryan conduct an ultrasound, which helps to determine fat content in cattle.

In addition, Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Pennsylvania Beef Council have teamed up for an intensive one-on-one education program. Titled "Blueprint for Success for Cattle Feeding in Pennsylvania," the program is intended to help cattle feeders remain competitive, said Penn State Associate Professor of Dairy and Animal Science Dr. John Comerford. Offered throughout the state by Cooperative Extension educators, the blueprint is an effort to bolster beef cattle profitability by encouraging producers to embrace benchmarks and best management practices.

Explained Paul Slayton, executive director of the Beef Council, "Looking through the eyes of consumers, we're aiming for a beef product that exceeds expectations in taste, price, color, safety, leanness, ease of preparation and anything else important to them."

"The blueprint addresses what producers must do to remain a viable part of agriculture in Pennsylvania and to help carry the industry into the next 10 to 20 years," said Comerford. There are currently 1,000 producers in Pennsylvania's program, which also has been adopted by six other states.

Eggs Are Back
Thanks to the popularity of low-carb diets and a more educated approach to cholesterol, eggs have regained their luster as an excellent, economical source of protein. Dr. Paul Patterson, Penn State associate professor in poultry science, has been working with the Pennsylvania Egg Quality Assurance Program (PEQAP) since 1992 to ensure that the 6.5 billion eggs laid each year in Pennsylvania are safe.

"Pennsylvania has the most aggressive food safety program for eggs in the nation," said Patterson. "Our program is being used as a model for a new federal program."

Take this success story, for example. In 1992, 38 percent of egg flocks in the Northeast tested positive for salmonella enteritidis, a bacteria that causes cold-like symptoms or in severe cases, death. Consumers became concerned, and some restaurants even banned menu items such as Caesar salad (which contains raw eggs). In response to the problem, Penn State, the Pennsylvania Poultry Council, USDA, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the University of Pennsylvania collaborated to develop PEQAP.

The program addressed the problem on many fronts, instituting safety procedures for the purchase of chicks, cleaning and disinfection, monitoring of the hens and eggs, postharvest measures, and egg refrigeration and processing. As a result of the program, in 2003 fewer than .006 percent of eggs tested positive, and when they did, additional procedures were triggered to pull these eggs from the table market.

Dr. Ken Bailey created a Web site full of resources for dairy farmers. Howard P. Nuernberger--Information and Communications Technologies, College of Agricultural Sciences

The Other White Meat
Extension educators have been at the heart of the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) program, which began in 1989. The educators teach producers and youth about the proper use of medicine, animal identification, animal handling techniques and other essential practices. According to Dr. Kenneth Kephart, Penn State professor of animal science, this educational program reaches hundreds of people throughout the state, including Future Farmers of America.

Penn State also has played an important role in making swine farms good neighbors. The main problem with pigs is, well, they act like pigs. Plus, their manure can be more than a nuisance and an environmental hazard. Penn State has actively promoted the educational mission of the Pennsylvania Environmental Agricultural Conservation Certification of Excellence (PEACCE) for swine producers (it's also for beef and poultry producers). Cooperative Extension educators train producers in environmentally safe agricultural practices, such as farm site and building management, management of manure storage, application of manure to cropland and other related issues.

Penn State's influence has gone beyond the farm to establish safe handling for all parts of the operation, including waste removal and transport. Recently, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell signed into a law the Manure Hauler and Broker Certification Act that requires all manure handlers to take the certification program that originated at Penn State.

Dr. Kenneth Kephart (center, right) tours a swine farm. Howard P. Nuernberger--Information and Communications Technologies, College of Agricultural Sciences

Penn State's Got Milk
Dairy comprises 38 percent of Pennsylvania's agricultural production value. Penn State is involved in every facet of the industry and has been a leader in providing resources to producers. For example, the Web site http://dairyoutlook.aers.psu.edu created by Dr. Ken Bailey, associate professor of dairy markets and policy, provides everything from market data and graphs to economic forecasts to information for extension educators.

And Dr. Bhushan Jayarao, associate professor of veterinary science, has been working to educate dairy producers on the prudent use of antibiotics for their animals. "This is a national priority--one of the primary goals of the USDA, and Penn State has been heavily involved in the research," said Jayarao. "The antibiotics given to cows are closely related to the ones we use to treat our own illnesses. We're trying to reduce the impact of antibiotic resistance entering the food chain and the environment."

Much of the emphasis is on prevention. "We try to prevent problems, rather than treating our way out of them," said Dr. Dave Wolfgang, a senior research associate in veterinary science who offers continuing education programs for vets, agricultural professionals and producers. "This is a different mindset for many producers and has resulted in some fundamental changes that have standardized safety procedures."

All that is good news for producers. It's even better news for people making their way through the grocery aisles, shopping for the week's dinner.