Survey analysis of computer science, food science, and cybersecurity skills and coursework of undergraduate and graduate students interested in food safety

Abstract

Automation is coming and will enable not only the ability to increase poultry processing line speeds, but also the collection of considerable "big data." These data can be collected en masse, stored, analyzed, and used to improve food safety, quality, enhance traceability, and also be used for risk assessment. However, as this technology is implemented in the poultry industry, computer hackers will emerge to pose a clear and present danger to the poultry industry and the upcoming generation of professionals must be equipped with the knowledge to protect sensitive data. The objective of this study was to quantitate the current computer science (CS) competency, food science exposure and extracurricular activities, and familiarity with cybersecurity topics of students in food science and related fields. Students ranked their CS abilities, 1 through 5, with 1 being the lowest level of competence and 5 representing the highest level of confidence. To assess their knowledge of food safety-related sciences, participants were asked about their familiarity with the respective fields. The average student was familiar with common avenues of food safety exposure, such as television and the Internet. Students were less familiar with more advanced, and arguably important topics, such as botnet. Finally, the students ranked their familiarity with cybersecurity topics, 1 through 5, with 1 representing being not familiar at all and 5 representing extremely familiar. Therefore, to meet the future technological demands, specific course-work is required to improve prospective student CS and cybersecurity competency.

Practical opportunities for microbiome analyses and bioinformatics in poultry processing

“…Therefore, Thompson et al (2017) have pointed out that cybersecurity infrastructure in the food and poultry industries will become a critical issue for education and training. When Feye et al (2020b) surveyed food science students for background in computer. technology and cybersecurity topics, they concluded that students were relatively deficient in these skills Feye et al (2020b) suggested that more specialized coursework needed to be devoted to not only the technological aspects of topics such as microbiome sequencing, but also data management and security to appropriately train the next generation of food and poultry science professionals and workforce members.…”

“…When Feye et al (2020b) surveyed food science students for background in computer. technology and cybersecurity topics, they concluded that students were relatively deficient in these skills Feye et al (2020b) suggested that more specialized coursework needed to be devoted to not only the technological aspects of topics such as microbiome sequencing, but also data management and security to appropriately train the next generation of food and poultry science professionals and workforce members. This holds true for current poultry and allied industry personnel as well.…”

Communicating the utility of the microbiome and bioinformatics to small flock poultry producers

“…While it might be assumed that incoming college students are somewhat aware of digital technologies, how extensive their background is unclear. In a survey of undergraduate and graduate students interested in food safety, Feye et al (2020c) concluded that students were aware of some digital venues such as social media and word processing software, but much less so for digital technologies associated with web design and cybersecurity. Not surprisingly, Martins et al (2020) observed similar lack of familiarity in high school students with the terminology and definition of bioinformatics.…”

“…Not surprisingly, Martins et al (2020) observed similar lack of familiarity in high school students with the terminology and definition of bioinformatics. To remedy these deficiencies, Feye et al (2020c) suggested developing more cross disciplinary curricula that combine elements of practical agriculture sciences with computer and cybersecurity topics. These interfaces will become particularly important for adaptation of monitoring and data gathering based on microbiome bioinformatic interpretations by industries such as those with poultry processing facilities ( Feye et al, 2020b , c ).…”

“…Based on their surveys of biology faculty, they concluded that for some aspects such as quantitative and data processing, the lack of basic computing background in students, insufficient bioinformatic lesson plans, coupled with the rapidly changing bioinformatic program content were challenges along with limited faculty expertise and time. The idea of cross training between the disciplines of computer science and other fields such as food science may offer a partial solution to some of this by creating interactions between the 2 groups during classroom discussions ( Feye et al, 2020c ). This is also consistent with Muth and Caplan's (2020) observation that microbiome projects support development of critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills which, in turn is more reflective of the changing requirements of the workforce.…”