Can Research from an Immaculata University Professor Address Food Safety Challenges?

Cucumbers, onions, meat, lettuce, eggs, frozen pizza, baby food—few things are exempt from food recalls caused by food contaminants. Amid recent concerns over highly pathogenic avian influenza, researchers, including Immaculata University Associate Professor of Nutrition Qian Jia, Ph.D., M.S., R.D., L.D.N., have focused on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among foodborne pathogens affecting poultry. These pathogens, which include Salmonella and E. coli, pose risks to both animals and humans, causing illnesses and, in severe cases, death.

Jia, who has studied food safety and nutrition across various species since earning her Ph.D. at Texas A&M, has a background in biology from Shanxi Normal University and a master’s in cell biology from Beijing Normal University. Her expertise in food safety management grew during her tenure in Pennsylvania, where she collaborated with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Villanova University on foodborne illness research.

Their combined efforts resulted in the publication “Investigation of Antimicrobial Resistance of Pathogens Isolated from Poultry in the U.S.,” which analyzed antimicrobial resistance in chicken and poultry from 2015 to 2023. The study explored regional farming practices’ impact on resistant pathogens and state-by-state prevalence of foodborne illnesses.

Why Antimicrobial Resistance is an Important Topic

Immaculata University Professor of Nutrition, Qian Jia, Ph.D., M.S., R.D., L.D.N.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, at least 2.8 million Americans get infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, leading to 35,000 deaths. Antibiotics are widely used in food-producing animals (such as poultry, livestock, and fish) for disease prevention, growth promotion, and treatment of infections. The use of antibiotics in animals is a significant factor in the development of antibacterial resistance. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in animals contribute to the development of resistant bacteria, which can then be transmitted to humans through direct consumption of animal-based food products, human-animal contact, and environmental exposure through contaminated soil, water or air.

Significant evidence has linked the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in food-producing animals to the development of antimicrobial resistance in humans. The two major foodborne pathogens, Salmonella and Campylobacter, have developed resistance to common antibiotics due to their excessive use in animals.

Jia explains that the resistance to overused antibiotics is often not easily reversible. Although the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has decreased, the damage has been done. “The effect is already there. Even if you stop now, the genes are still there—they are not removable. We can’t just hope that if we slow down then the problem is solved; it’s not that easy,” Jia stated.

Strategies to Improve Food Safety Production

Efforts have been underway to address this issue, including the FDA’s 2017 implementation of new regulations for how medically important antibiotics are used for food-producing animals. An important first step was the Veterinary Feed Directive, which ensures a veterinarian’s approval and supervision to administer drugs to animal populations. Previously, antibiotics were used for growth promotion and illness/disease prevention in overcrowded livestock.

These regulations have helped decrease the use of antibiotics in poultry—dropping usage in broiler chickens in the hatchery from 90% in the early 2010s to less than 1% in recent years.

Even still, Jia noted a study in 2023 by the advocacy group Environmental Defense, which stated that Delaware led the country in the use of antibiotics in male poultry feed, nearly three times more than the second state. The state recently launched an Antimicrobial Stewardship program to improve the use of antimicrobial medications. However, the development of alternative strategies is imperative.

According to Jia and other industry experts, a multi-faceted approach is needed to combat antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals. Jia emphasizes the importance of developing new antibiotics to prevent resistance from building up due to repeated use. Adding prebiotics and probiotics to animal diets helps strengthen their immune systems and prevent infections. Increasing vaccinations could also help curb pathogens, a topic gaining attention amid the current avian influenza outbreak. Additionally, educating farmers and food manufacturers on safe food handling and proper chemical use would further support food safety efforts.

“Immunity is impacted by multiple factors such as environmental contamination, routine health care—and management also plays a role in the animals living in a sanitary environment,” Jia stated. She contends that if the conditions are right, the animals will have limited exposure to pathogens.

How Pathogens Impact Americans’ Daily Lives

Americans are feeling the direct impact of animal-borne infectious illnesses at grocery stores throughout the country as egg prices, according to the USDA, have increased to an average of $7.74 a dozen in 2025 and are in short supply since the Bird Flu outbreak.

Jia discusses these topics in her nutrition classes at Immaculata, including food safety strategies related to pathogens, contamination and pesticides. She also explains ways that consumers can protect themselves from foodborne illnesses. Her advice to the students consists of the key principles that have been the cornerstone of prevention for decades: cook food thoroughly and to the required temperature, separate raw food from cooked food, properly store and reheat leftovers, store food properly and choose a variety of foods.

Students also learn about additional food safety strategies, such as selecting organic and pesticide-free food to help reduce exposure to chemical pesticides. They also study risks associated with contaminants in shellfish and water like heavy metals, parasites from raw or undercooked animal products, toxins in certain foods and other potential hazards.

Antibiotic residues can remain in meat, milk, eggs and other animal-derived products. When consumed by humans, they may colonize and transfer resistance to other bacteria, making infections harder to treat. This ongoing resistance limits the effectiveness of antibiotics, leading to more severe infections and fewer treatment options for humans.

According to Jia, “Emerging pathogens today require greater food safety vigilance than previous generations, as they continue to evolve, spread more widely and develop resistance to treatments.”

Jia remains committed to researching and raising awareness about antimicrobial resistance in animals and food safety. However, she acknowledges that the issue extends beyond farms and slaughterhouses, ultimately affecting humans. When people consume animals treated with antibiotics, those antibiotics can enter their bodies as well.

Tips to Combat Food-borne Illnesses

• Choose antibiotic-free animal products whenever possible.
• Cook poultry and eggs to an external temperature of 165 degrees.
• Cook beef products thoroughly: ground beef should be 160 degrees; whole cuts of beef should be 145 degrees.
• Separate uncooked/raw poultry from cooked foods.
• Thoroughly cook all poultry products (including eggs) before eating.
• Choose pasteurized milk and milk products over raw milk.
• Keep hot food hot.
• Keep cold food cold.
• Store food properly.
• Wash hands and surfaces often.