CAES Profile

Faith Critzer Associate Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator Food Science & Technology

Contact Information fcritzer@uga.edu 706-542-1088

Mailing Address Athens, CAES Campus Food Science and Technology, 100 Cedar Street, room 340, Athens, GA 30602

Shipping Address Athens, CAES Campus

Description of Research Interests

Her team focuses on identifying food safety risks tied to the production and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as identification of and education on risk mitigation strategies. The most recent work from her lab group has focused on Listeria control in the packinghouse; preharvest agricultural water treatment in order to inactivate bacterial foodborne pathogens; and validation of antimicrobials in postharvest flumes using industry-relevant conditions. She also has a passion for communicating science-based best practices and outcomes of research to the produce industry with more than 5,000 contact hours annually.

Courses Taught

FDST 4030/6030 and 4030L/6030L: Food Microbiology

FDST 4100/6100: Governmental Regulation of Food Safety and Quality

FDST 7060E: Microbial Hazards in Food: Assessment and Control

Selected Recent Publications

Hamilton, A., B. Ruiz-Llacsahuanga, M. Mendoza, J. Mattheis, I. Hanrahan, F. Critzer. 2021. Persistence of Listeria innocua on fresh apples during long-term controlled atmosphere cold storage with postharvest fungal decay. J Food Prot. doi: 10.4315/JFP-21-232.

Sánchez-Tamayo, M., C. Vélez, C. Ochoa-Martínez, and F. Critzer. 2021. Inactivation of Salmonella enterica and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
on whole mangoes by application of an antimicrobial coating containing
oregano essential oil. Horticulturae. doi: 10.3390/horticulturae7090305.

Ruiz-Llacsahuanga, B., A. Hamilton, R. Zaches, I. Hanrahan, F. Critzer*. 2021. Prevalence of Listeria species on food contact surfaces in Washington State apple packinghouses. Appl Environ Micro. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02932-20.

Krishnan, A., C. Kogan, R. Peters, E. Thomas, and F. Critzer. 2021. Microbial and physicochemical assessment of irrigation water‐treatment methods. J Appl Microbiol. doi: 10.1111/jam.15043.

Hamilton, A., D. Paulsen, Rebecca Trout-Fryxell, V. Orta, S. Gorman, D. Smith, J. Buchanan, A. Wszelaki, F. Critzer*. 2021. Prevalence of Salmonella enterica in flies on a Diversified Cattle and Fresh Produce Farm Across Two Growing Seasons. J Food Prot. doi: 10.4315/JFP-20-339.

Ruiz-Llacsahuanga, B., A. Hamilton, R. Zaches, I. Hanrahan, F. Critzer*. 2021. Utility of rapid tests to assess the prevalence of indicator organisms (aerobic plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Listeria spp.) in apple packinghouses. Int J Food Micro. 108949.

Hamilton, A.; Harper, S.J.; Critzer, F. 2020. Optimization of a method for the concentration of genetic material in bacterial and fungal communities on fresh apple peel surfaces. Microorganisms. 8, 1480.

Estrada, E., A. Hamilton, G. Sullivan, M. Wiedmann, F. Critzer, L. Strawn. 2020. Prevalence, persistence and diversity of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria species in produce packinghouses in three U.S. States. J Food Prot. 83(2): 277-286.

Dunn, L., D. Smith, and F. Critzer*. 2020. Transcriptomic behavior of Salmonella enterica Newport in response to oxidative sanitizers. J. Food Prot. 83(2): 221-232.

Dunn, L., M. Harness, D. Smith, S. Gorman, Q, Zhong, P.M. Davidson, and F. Critzer*. 2019. Essential oil emulsions as postharvest sanitizers to mitigate Salmonella cross-contamination on peppers. J. Food Prot. 82(1):159-163.

Zhang, Y., H. Chen, F. Critzer, P. Davidson, and Q. Zhong. 2017. Potential of cinnamon oil emulsions as alternative washing solutions of carrots. J Food Prot. 80(6): 994-1001.

Harrison, J., F. Critzer, and M. Harrison. 2016. Regulatory and food safety knowledge gaps associated with small and very small food businesses as identified by regulators and food safety educators- implications for food safety training. Food Prot. Trends 36(6): 420-427.

Q. Ma, Zhang, Y., F. Critzer, P.M. Davidson, Q. Zhong. 2016. Quality attributes and microbial survival on whole cantaloupes with antimicrobial coatings containing chitosan, lauric arginate, cinnamon oil and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Int J Food Microbiol. 235:103-108.

Q. Ma, Zhang, Y., F. Critzer, P.M. Davidson, Q. Zhong. 2016. Antimicrobial activities of lauric arginate and cinnamon oil combination against foodborne pathogens: Improvement by ethylenediaminetetraacetate and possible mechanisms. LWT Food Sci Technol. 72:9-18.

Zhang, Y., Q. Ma, F. Critzer, P.M. Davidson, Q. Zhong. 2016. Organic thyme oil emulsion as an alternative washing solution to enhance the microbial safety of organic cantaloupes. Food Control 67: 31-38.

Monu, E.A., C. Techathuvanan, A. Wallis, F.J. Critzer, P.M. Davidson. 2016. Plant essential oils and components on growth of spoilage yeasts in microbiological media and a model salad dressing. Food Control 65: 73-77.

Dunn, L.L., P.M. Davidson, F.J. Critzer*. 2016. Antimicrobial Efficacy of an Array of Essential Oils Against Lactic Acid Bacteria. J Food Sci. 81(2): M438-M444.

Ma, Q., Y. Zhang, F. Critzer, P.M. Davidson, S. Zivanovic, Q. Zhong. 2016. Physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of chitosan films with microemulsions of cinnamon bark oil and soybean oil. Food Hydrocolloid. 52: 533-542. (

Zhang, Y., Q. Ma, F. Critzer, P.M. Davidson, Q. Zhong. 2015. Effect of alginate coatings with cinnamon bark oil and soybean oil on quality and microbiological safety of cantaloupe. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 215: 25-30.

Zhang, Y., M. Qiumin, F. Critzer, P.M. Davidson, Q. Zhong. 2015. Physical and antibacterial properties of alginate films containing cinnamon bark oil and soybean oil. LWT Food Sci. Tech. 64(1): 423-430.

Chen, W., D. A. Golden, F. Critzer, and P.M. Davidson. 2015. Antimicrobial Activity of Cinnamaldehyde, Carvacrol, and Lauric Arginate against Salmonella Tennessee in a Glycerol-Sucrose Model and Peanut Paste at Different Fat Concentrations. J Food Prot. 78(8):1488-1495.

Zhang, L.H., F.J. Critzer, P.M. Davidson, Q.X. Zhong. 2014. Formulating essential oil microemulsions as washing solutions for organic fresh produce production. Food Chem. 165: 113-118.

Chen, W., D. A. Golden, and F. Critzer*. 2014. Salmonella Survival and Differential Expression of Fatty Acid Biosynthesis Associated Genes in a Low Water Activity Food. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 59(2): 133-138.

Luo, Y.C., Y. Zhang, K. Pan, F.J. Critzer, P.M. Davidson, and Q. Zhong. 2014. Self-emulsification of Alkaline-dissolved Clove Bud Oil by Whey Protein, Gum Arabic, Lecithin, and Their Combinations. J. Agric. Food Chem. 62 (19) 4417-4424.

Andino, A., S. Pendelton, N. Zhang, W. Chen, F. Critzer, and I. Hanning. 2014. Survival of Salmonella enterica in poultry feed is strain dependent. Poult Sci. 93(2):441-447.

Davidson, P.M., F.J. Critzer, and T.M. Taylor. 2013. Naturally Occurring Antimicrobials for Minimally Processed Foods. Ann. Rev. Food Sci. Technol. 4: 163-190.