A globalized food trade, extensive production and complex supply chains are contributing toward an increased number of microbiological food safety outbreaks. Moreover, the volume of international food trade has increased to become very large. All of these factors are putting pressure on the food companies to meet global demand in order to be competitive. This scenario could force manufacturers to be lenient toward food safety control intentionally, or unintentionally, and result in a major foodborne outbreak that causes health problems and economic loss. The estimated cost of food safety incidents for the economy of the United States is around $7 billion per year which comes from notifying consumers, removing food from shelves, and paying damages as a result of lawsuits. Most other countries similarly have economic losses. Much of these losses represent lost markets, loss of consumer demand, litigation and company closures. Concrete steps are needed to improve safety of foods produced for local or overseas markets to avoid unexpected food scandals and economic losses.

ABSTRACTafter nitrification of the ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 -N) present, and emission of NH 3 (European Centre for Much animal manure is being applied to small land areas close to Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals, 1994), CH 4animal confinements, resulting in environmental degradation. This paper reports a study on the emissions of ammonia (NH 3 ), methane (Chadwick and Pain, 1997) et al., 1991, 1996). However, TAN applied). Methane emission was highest (39.6 g C hathe magnitude of these direct effects and interactions immediately after application, as dissolved CH 4 was released from the slurry. Emissions then continued at a low rate for approximately 7is not known with certainty.

The effects of ethanol on carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) cut flowers were studied by treating five cultivars ('Yellow Candy', 'Sandrosa', 'Francisco', 'White Candy', and 'Iury') with up to 8% ethanol solution and measuring vase life, solution uptake, delay in bud opening of flowers, and ethylene production. Treatment with 4 or 6% ethanol increased the vase life of 'Yellow Candy', 'White Candy', and 'Iury', but not of 'Sandrosa' or 'Francisco'. Cultivars showed variable response to ethanol treatment with regards to uptake of solution, vase life increment, and delay in bud opening. The highest increment in vase life after flower opening with 4% ethanol was for 'Yellow Candy', where the vase life doubled. Total ethylene production in untreated † Corresponding author. H98044 Received 22 September 1998; accepted 9 December 1998flowers varied according to cultivars; treatment with 4% ethanol inhibited ethylene production as well as sensitivity to ethylene. 'Yellow Candy' was the most sensitive to ethylene and most responsive to ethanol; 'Sandrosa' was the least sensitive to ethylene and least responsive to ethanol treatment. The effectiveness of ethanol in extending vase life correlated closely with the longevity, ethylene production, and ethylene sensitivity of each cultivar.

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