The main focus of Dr. Schneider’s research has been on food safety, with particular emphasis on produce safety and food defense. The University of Florida is heavily involved in improving the quality and safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Dr. Schneider’s program has been influenced by an increase in the number and frequency of foodborne illnesses associated with the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables. His on-going research program has examined etiologic factors, contamination mechanisms, and intervention strategies, as well as the production of educational materials.

The main focus of Dr. Schneider’s research is microbiological food science principles aimed at producing safer foods; with specific emphasis on food microbiology as it pertains to safety issues. In the past, his program focused heavily on the development of processing technique that results in a reduced risk of bacterial contamination and the development of applied microbiological techniques for detection of foodborne pathogens. Recently, his focus has shifted towards pathogen survival in the environment, especially related to produce production

1. Bartz, J.A., M.K. Fatica and K.R. Schneider. 2020. Sanitation in Fresh-cut and Vegetable. In: Postharvest Pathology of Fruits and Vegetables (Eds. J. Adaskaveg and D. Prusky). American Phytopathological Society.
2. Li, Y. and K.R. Schneider. 2015. Microbiological Hazard Outbreaks in Nuts/Nuts Related Food (Chapter 5). In: Foodborne Diseases: Case Studies of Outbreaks in the Agri-food Industries (Eds. J.M. Soon, L.J. Manning and C. Wallace). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
3. Danyluk, M.D., M.K. Fatica, P.K. Brar, R. McEgan, A.M. Valadez, K.R. Schneider and V. Trinetta. 2014. Fruit and Vegetables. In: S. Doores, M.L. Tortorello, B. Wilcke (ed.), Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods, 5th Edition.  American Public Health Association (APHA), Washington DC, USA.
4. Schneider, K.R., M.K. Fatica, K.A. Lampel and B.R. Warren. 2013. Chapter 34: Shigella (Shigellosis). In: Manual of Security Sensitive Microbes and Toxins (Ed. D. Liu). CRC Press-Taylor and Francis Group, LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

1. Baker, C.A., J. De, K.R. Schneider. 2021. Influence of soil microbes on Escherichia coli O157:H7 survival in soil rinse and artificial soil. J Appl Microbiol. doi: 10.1111/jam.15039.
2. Fan Y., Odabasi A., Sims C.A., Schneider K.R., Gao Z., Sarnoski P. 2021. Determination of aquacultured whiteleg shrimp (Litopanaeus vannemei) quality using a sensory method with chemical standard references. J Sci Food and Agric. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.11172.
3. Mehta, D.V., S.J. Curtis, A.B. Rudolph, C. St. Mary, R. Goodrich, K.R. Schneider and A.J. MacIntosh. 2020. A Mini Review - The History of Yeast Flocculation with an Emphasis on Measurement Techniques. J. Am Soc Brew Chem. 04 Sept. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/03610470.2020.1806006
4. De J., Bertoldi B., Jubair M., Gutierrez A., Brecht J.K., Sargent S.A., Schneider K.R. 2020. Evaluation and comparison of postharvest cooling methods on the microbial quality and storage of Florida peaches. Hort Tech. 30(4):504-509. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04609-20
5. Gutierrez A., De J., and Schneider K.R. 2020. Prevalence, Concentration, and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Salmonella Isolated from Florida Poultry Litter. J Food Protect. 83(12):2179-2186. https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-20-215
6. Fan Y., Odabasi A., Sims C.A., Schneider K.R., Gao Z., Sarnoski P. 2020. Utilization of volatile analysis and descriptive sensory analysis to determine quality indicators of aquacultured whiteleg shrimp (Litopanaeus vannemei) during refrigerated storage. J Aquatic Food Prod Technol. 29(8):722-735. https://doi.org/10.1080/10498850.2020.1799470.
7. Baker C.A., Lee S., De J., Jeong K.C., Schneider K.R. 2020. Survival of Escherichia coli O157 in Autoclaved and natural sandy soil mesocosms. PLoS ONE. June 11, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234562
8. Baker CA, De J, Schneider KR. 2020. Escherichia coli O157 survival in liquid culture and artificial soil microcosms influenced by pH, humic acid and clay content. J. of Applied Micro. 07 July 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14775
9. Reed, L., K.R. Schneider, A.J. MacIntosh, and P.J. Sarnoski. 2020. Determination of Enterococcus faecium thermal reduction in normal and high oleic peanut products. J. Food Safe. 07 April 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfs.12801.
10. Baker C.A., J. De, B. Bertoldi, L. Dunn, T. Chapin, M. Jay-Russell, M.D. Danyluk and K.R. Schneider. 2019. Prevalence and concentration of stx+ E. coli and E. coli O157 in bovine manure from Florida farms. PLoS ONE 14 (5): e0217445. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217445.
11. De, J., A. Sreedharan, Y. Li, A. Gutierrez, J.K. Brecht, S.A. Sargent, and K.R. Schneider. 2019. Comparing the efficacy of postharvest cooling methods to enhance fruit quality and reduce Salmonella in artificially inoculated southern highbush blueberry. HortTechnol. 29(30):314-319. doi: https://doi.org/10.21273/ HORTTECH04238-19
12. Tokarskyy, O. and K.R. Schneider. 2019. Influence of temperature, humidity, and diluent type on survival of Salmonella spp. on the surface of raw tomatoes. Potravinarstvo.13(1):325-330. doi: https://doi.org/10.5219/1121
13. De, J., Y. Li, A. Sreedharan, R. Goodrich Schneider, A. Gutierrez, M. Jubair,
14. M.D. Danyluk, K.R. Schneider. 2018. A three-year survey of Florida packinghouses to determine microbial loads on pre- and post-processed tomatoes. Food Control 86:383-388.
15. Tokarskyy, O., J. De, J. Brecht, and K.R. Schneider. 2018. Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on bruised and unbruised tomatoes from three ripeness stages at two temperatures. J. Food Protect. 81(12):2028-2033. doi:10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-220.
16. Gurtler, J.B, N.A. Harlee, A.M. Smelser and K.R. Schneider. 2018. Salmonella enterica contamination of market fresh tomatoes: A review. J. Food Protect. 81(7):1193–1213. doi:10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-395.
17. Underthun, K., J. De, A. Gutierrez, R. Silverberg, K.R. Schneider. 2018. Survival of Salmonella and Escherichia coli in two different soil types at various moisture levels and temperatures. J. Food Protect. 81(1):150-157. doi:10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-226.
18. Çekiç, S.K., J. De, M. Jubair and K.R. Schneider. 2017. Persistence of Indigenous Escherichia coli in Manure and Manure-Amended Soil. J Food Prot. 80(9):1562-1573. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-033.
19. Sreedharan, A., Li, Y., De, J., Gutierrez, A., Silverberg, R. and Schneider, K.R. 2017. Determination of Optimum Sanitizer Levels for Prevention of Salmonella Cross-contamination of Mature Round Tomatoes in a Laboratory Model Flume System. J Food Prot. 80(9):1436-1442. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-032.
20. Wu, S., Ricke, S.C., Schneider, K.R. and Ahn, S. 2017. Food safety hazards associated with ready-to-bake cookie dough and its ingredients. Food Control. 73:986-993.
21. Schneider, K.R., De, J., Li, Y., Sreedharan, A., Goodrich Schneider, R., Danyluk, M.D., Pahl, D.M, Walsh, C.S., Todd-Searle, J., Schaffner, D.W., Kline, W. and Buchanan, R.L. 2017. Microbial evaluation of pre- and post-processed tomatoes from Florida, New Jersey and Maryland packinghouses. Food Control. 73:511-517.
22. Wood, M.V., A. Sreedharan, R. Silverberg, A.N. Balaguero and K.R. Schneider. 2015. The Effects of Heat Shock on the D-Values of Listeria monocytogenes on Selected Seafood Matrices. Advances in Microbio. 5(8):580-585. doi: 10.4236/aim.2015.58060
23. Gereffi, S., A. Sreedharan and K.R. Schneider. 2015. Control of Salmonella Cross-contamination between Green, Round Tomatoes in a Model Flume System. J. Food Protect. 78(7):1280-1287. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-14-524
24. Bartz, J.A., H-G. Yuk, M.J. Mahovic, B.R. Warren, A. Sreedharan and K.R. Schneider. 2015. Internalization of Salmonella enterica by tomato fruit. Food Control. 55(9):141–150.
25. Tokarskyy, O., K.R. Schneider, A. Berry, S.A. Sargent, and A. Sreedharan. 2015. Sanitizer applicability in a laboratory model strawberry hydrocooling system. Postharv Biol and Technol. 101:103-106.
26. Sreedharan, A., O. Tokarskyy, S.A. Sargent and K.R. Schneider. 2015. Survival of Salmonella spp. on surface-inoculated forced-air cooled and hydrocooled intact strawberries, and in strawberry puree. Food Control. 51(5):244–250.
27. Balaguero, A.N., A. Sreedharan, and K.R. Schneider. 2015. Effect of Overhead Spray and Brush Roller Treatment on the Survival of Pectobacterium and Salmonella on Tomato Surfaces. J. Food Protect. 78(1):51-56. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-14-254

• Google Scholar

• Ph.D. University of Florida; Food Science, 1991
• M.S. University of South Florida; Public Health and Environmental and Occupational Health, 1987
• B.S. University of Florida; Education and Biological Science Education, 1984

It is Dr. Schneider’s goal to have students leave the class prepared to enter a professional setting with the knowledge to be successful. For a discipline such as food science, an understanding of how this information is to be used in the real world is paramount. Since many food science students are preparing themselves for a career in the food industry, Dr. Schneider also believes in a strong interaction with industry professionals who can impart a unique perspective to student.

COURSES TAUGHT

Undergraduate

• FOS 4202 Food Safety and Sanitation/Current Issue in Food Safety
• FOS 4936 Life After Graduation

Graduate

• FOS 5205 Food Safety and Sanitation/Current Issue in Food Safety
• FOS 6938 Food Science Seminar

Lectures In

• FOS 4435/5437 Product Development
• FOS 4222L/5225C Food Microbiology
• FOS 6455 Industrial Food Fermentations
• FOS 6936 Food Toxicology
• FOS 6915 Research Planning

Lead IFAS, Cohort IX. 2017. The LEAD IFAS program provides leadership training for IFAS faculty and staff who have assumed or are interested in assuming management and leadership positions.

Elmer Marth Educator of the Year Award, 2014. Present by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). The Elmer Marth Educator Award recognizes dedication and exceptional contributions to the profession of the educator in the field of food safety.

Laboratorian of the Year Award, 2009. Presented by the Florida Association for Food Protection (FAFP).  The Laboratorian of the Year Award recognizes a FAFP Member for their contributions to the ideals of FAFP through their endeavors in the laboratory.  It recognizes outstanding commitment in utilizing and developing innovative and practical laboratory techniques to support food safety.

The majority of Dr. Schneider’s extension efforts focus on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) with an emphasis on two of the seven major components: The Produce Safety Rule and the Preventive Control Rule. In addition to FSMA, he continues to train in the areas of Packinghouse and Juice HACCP.

Florida continues to be one of the lead intuitions training for FMSA and is currently the Lead Regional Coordination Center for the nation and the Southern Regional Center for Produce Safety.

Our team trains participants from around the country (academic, industry, and regulatory) who attend our workshops. During the pandemic, the team create and hosted a Virtual Office Hours series. Despite limitations, the extension training group continues to host over 40 training events annually.

FOOD SAFETY - PRODUCE SAFETY CENTER

The Southern Center for FSMA Training highlights various workshops and training programs offered by the Extension team. This site also contains commodity-specific information and links to valuable resources designed to help make food safety a top priority in the produce industry.

For additional information, please contact Dr. Keith Schneider

• Extension Faculty Page 
• EDIS Publication Page