Welcome to Dr. Angela Shaw’s Food Safety Website
Dr. Walla's life-long research mission is to reduce the food safety burden in the United States and abroad by conducting research that discovers novel food safety interventions from the farm to the consumer while training the next generation of Food scientists.
About Dr. Walla
Dr. Angela Walla is a Professor of Food Microbiology/Safety at Texas Tech University in the Department of Animal and Food Science. She received her B.S. and M.S. in animal and meat science at Iowa State University and continued on for her Ph.D. and a post-doctorate in food microbiology at Texas Tech University.
At Texas Tech University, her research and extension and outreach focus on the development of intervention strategies to control and prevent foodborne pathogen (E.coli O157:H7, non-O157 STEC, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes) from the farm to the consumer. Dr. Walla also focuses on the food safety culture of food companies and how that can influence food safety management and inspection. Her research reaches many different commodity groups including fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, grains, and by-products, while her outreach work focuses on the education of emerging food safety concerns and food regulations.
Dr. Walla is a lead trainer for the FSPCA Preventive Controls Human Food and FDA Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training and a trainer for the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Animal Food. She has taught HACCP, ServSafe Certified Teacher, Good Agricultural Practices, and Good Manufacturing Practices for 20 years.
Current Projects
Research
- Prevalence and survival of foodborne pathogens within the different types of soils and climates
- Food safety status of ghost kitchens and e-commerce food delivery systems
- Prevalence and survival of foodborne pathogens in controlled agricultural environments (i.e hydoponics)
- Effect of different Plant Based Growth Promoters on foodborne pathogens during the growing process.
- Effect of weather changes (i.e. temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors) on survival of foodborne pathogens on produce.
Current Grants
- § USDA NIFA Organic Research and Education Initiative. From seed to plate: Improving produce safety for organic production using natural biocontrol strategies. (Co-PI): PI: Mary Anne Amalaradjou, ($3,500,000). 9/1/2024 to 8/31/2028.
- § USDA NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiatives. CEA HERB: Controlled Environment Agriculture Herb Extension and Research Base. (Co-PI): PI: Roberto Lopez ($3,482,251). 09/15/2022 to 09/14/2026.
- § USDA NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Conference Grant. Identifying the food safety research and extension gaps within the controlled environmental agricultural fruit and vegetable industry. PI: Shaw. ($50,000). 02/01/2023 to 01/31/2024.
- § USDA NIFA Food Safety Outreach Program. Empowering Minority Serving Institutions Food Safety specialists to write successful Food Safety Outreach Program grants through education, training and technical assistance. PI : Shaw ($300,000). 9/30/2023 to 9/29/2026.
- § USDA Food and Nutrition Services. Review of the Evidence-Based Food Safety Education Program called Produce Safety University. PI: Shaw ($599,998). 9/31/2023 to 9/30/2025.
Food Safety Centers
- Co-Project Director of International Center for Food Industry Excellence (ICFIE)
Research/Outreach Summary
- Refereed Journal Publications: 58
- Refereed Extension Publications: 47
- Grant Funding: $27,098,664 (Direct to Lab $5,614,7371)
- Research and Extension Audience: Growers/Farmers, Processors/Manufacturers, Food Distribution Chain, Holders of Food for Human Consumption, Retailers (such as grocers, restaurants), and Food Safety Educators.
Animal & Food Sciences
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Address
Texas Tech University, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Box 42141, Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
806.742.2805 -
Email
moriah.beyers@ttu.edu