Amarat (Amy) Simonne, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Food Safety and Quality

Office

3025 McCarty Hall D
PO BOX 110310
Gainesville, FL 32611-0310
(352) 273-3536

Email: asim@ufl.edu
Websites: Food Safety & Quality
Food Distribution and Research Center

Research Lab:

Food and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory
FSHN, S.W. 23rd Drive
Building 833, Room 4
Phone/voice mail: 352-392-1978 ext 416
Fax: 352-392-1988

Publications

Area of Specialization

 Food Safety and Quality

  • Chemical, physical, microbiological and sensory analysis of foods
  • Carotenoids and fat soluble vitamins chemistry
  • High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) in vitamins and phytonutrient analyses
  • Effects of technologies on nutritional quality, chemical and microbial safety of food

Abstract

Dr. Simonne is an associate professor and extension food safety specialist with the University of Florida. Her appointments are extension (60%), research (35%), and teaching (5%). She is actively involved with the graduate and undergraduate teaching programs.

Dr. Simonne received a BS in Chemistry and Biology from the Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, and earned both MS and Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology at the University of Georgia.

Her research program addresses chemical, microbial food safety, with specific emphasis on ethnic foods and fresh produce. She also develops many extension educational programs in the areas of safe food handling, safe produce handling, and worker health and hygiene training. Her extension program in food safety and quality serves both food professionals and consumers. 

Dr. Simonne has over 120 technical publications including refereed journal, peer reviewed research reports, peer reviewed extension fact sheets, proceedings, and peer reviewed abstracts. Her works have been recognized at the international, national, regional, and local levels.

She has been successful in securing extramural funding for research and extension programs as principal investigator, co-principal investigator or co-investigator. She is a recipient of many awards for her work in extension. After joining UF as an assistant professor in September 2000, she was awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor on July 1, 2006. 

Major Collaborators

Jeff Brecht of Horticultural Sciences

Maurice Marshall of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Samual Farrah of Microbiology and Cell Sciences.

Selected publications

Recent refereed publications:

Simons, K., M.A. Harrison, W.C. Hurst, J. Harrison, J. Brecht, K. Schneider, A. Simonne, and J. Rushing. 2006. Survey of food defense practices in produce operations in the southeast. In review: Food Protection Trends.

Simonne, A. H. J.M. Fuzeré, E. Simonne, R.C. Hochmuth, and M.R. Marshall. 2007. Effects of nitrogen rates on chemical composition of yellow grape tomatoes grown in a Sub-tropical climate (Accepted: Journal of Plant Nutrition)

Simonne, A. H., B. K .Behe, and M. M. Marshall. 2006. Consumers prefer low-priced and high lycopene-content fresh market tomatoes. (In press: HortTechnology)

W-Y. Hsu A. H. Simonne, and P. Jitareerat. 2006. Fates of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on selected fresh culinary herbs during storage  J. Food Protection. 69, (8): 1997-2001

Simonne, A. H., M.E. Swisher, and K. Saunders-Ferguson. 2006. Food safety practices of vendors at farmers' markets in Florida Food Protection Trends 26 (6):386-392

E. Simonne, S. Sargent, D. Studstill, A. Simonne, R. Hochmuth, and S. Kerr. 2005. Field performance, chemical composition and sensory evaluation of red and yellow grape tomato varieties. (Proc. Fla. Stat Hort. Soc.)

Simonne, A., A. Nille, K. Evans, and M. R. Marshall, Jr. 2004. Ethnic food safety trends in the United States based on CDC foodborne illness data. Food Protection Trends 24(8):590-604.

Guion, L., Simonne, A., and Easton J. . 2004. Youth perspectives on food safety. J. Extension:(8 pages) http://www.joe.org/joe/2004february/rb5.shtml116:360-363.

International referred abstracts/presentations
 

Simonne, A. H., J. M. Fuzere, E. H. Simonne, and M. R. Marshall, M. R. 2006.  Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization Rates on Chemical Composition of Yellow Grapes Tomatoes Grown in Sub-Tropical Climate.  International Society of Horticultural Sciences-MQUIC. Bangkok, Thailand. http://www.kmutt.ac.th/MQUIC2006/

Simonne, A. H., W-Y. Hsu, P. Jitareerat, and M.R.Marshall, M. R. 2006. Low-dose Irradiation Extend the Shelf-Life of Fresh Mint (Mentha Piperita L.) while improving Hygienic Quality.  International Society of Horticultural Sciences--MQUIC. Bangkok, Thailand. http://www.kmutt.ac.th/MQUIC2006/

Jitareerat, P., A. H. Simonne, and W-Y. Hsu. 2005. Survival of seeded Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on selected fresh herbs. Book of Abstract: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Symposium on Assuring Quality and Safety of Fresh Produce, Bangkok, Thailand. (P.40).

Simonne, A. H, J.K. Brecht, M.A. Ritenour, S. A. Sargent, and KR. Schneider. 2005. Worker health and hygiene training program for fresh produce handlers. Book of Abstract: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Symposium on Assuring Quality and Safety of Fresh Produce, Bangkok, Thailand. (P.41).

National referred abstracts/presentations

Grotheer, P., A. Simonne, J.M. Kim, and M.R.Marshall. 2006.  Polyphenol Oxidase Inhibitor(s) from German Cockroach Extract (Blatella Germanica). Institute of Food Technology (IFT) National Meeting, Orlando, FL.

Hsu, W-Y., A.H. Simonne, P. Jitareerat. 2006.  Effects of Low-dose irradation on survival of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and MS2 bacteriophage on Fresh mint (Menta piperita L.).International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting.  Accepted.

Hsu, W., A. H. Simonne, P. Jitareerat, K.M. Evans, and M.R.Marshall. 2006.  Effect of low-dose irradiation on quality characteristics of fresh mint (Menta piperita L.). Institute of Food Technology (IFT) National Meeting, Orlando, FL.

Schulbach, K. F., Bent, R., Simonne, A. H. & Marshall, M. R. 2006. Characterization of polyphenol oxidase inhibitors extracted from blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). Proceedings of the Institute of Food Technologists 2006 Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.

Simmons, K., M.A. Harrison, W.C. Hurst, J. Harrision, J.K. Brecht, K.R. Schneider, A.H. Simonne and J. Rushing. 2005. Surveys of biosecurity practices in produce operation in the southeast. Book of Abstracts: International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting. (T6-07, P.178)

Simonne, A. H., M.E. Swisher, and K.Saunders-Ferguson, K. 2005. Food safety practices of vendors at farmers' markets in Florida.  Book of Abstracts: IAFP Annual Meeting. (T1-10, P159)

Courses

Dr. Simonne teaches FOS 6905 Problems in Food Science and FOS 4905 Special Problems in Food Science which are individual research work in various phases of food science. She is a frequent guest lecturer in classes across CALS-IFAS (Food Science and Human Nutrition, Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and Horticultural Sciences Department).

Extension

Dr. Simonne’s main assignment in Extension is to develop, deliver, and implement education programs to county Extension faculty, consumers, volunteers, policy makers, and stakeholders with interests in food safety and quality. The overall goal of this Extension program is to educate Floridians on food safety and quality issues from Farms to Forks. Her extension works can be divided into 3 program areas:

Goals and Objectives of Program Area 1

Reducing foodborne illness risk through food handler training and education:

1) Identify and/ or develop and implement effective educational programs for food professionals, food handlers, Florida's citizens and consumers, leading to improved food handling practices, and consequently, to a safer food supply;

2) Provide professional development opportunities in the subject areas for University of Florida Family and Consumer Science county Extension faculty, volunteers, policy makers, and stakeholders with interests in food safety and quality, and

3) Provide ready access to accurate food safety and quality information for food handlers, Florida's citizens and consumers.

http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/foodsafety/haccp/haccpfall05.pdf

http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/foodsafety/2006/profiles/mccurdy.html

Goals and Objectives Program Area 2

Improving produce safety by training consumers, produce handlers, and farmers:

1) Provide ready access to accurate produce safety information for consumers, produce handlers, operators and farmers;

2) Provide educational tools for operators of packinghouses, farmers and produce manager to improve safe produce handling techniques; and

3) Provide professional development opportunities in the subject areas for University of Florida Family and Consumer Science county Extension faculty, volunteers, policy makers, and stakeholders who have vested interests in produce safety.

Materials for Worker Health and Hygiene: Produce Industry

Goals and Objectives Program Area 3

Improving food safety through proper food preservation:

1) Identify, adopt, review and develop home food preservation literature and recommendations for use in Florida,

2) Provide ready accessible and updated accurate food processing and preservation for Florida's citizens and consumers and;

3) Provide professional development opportunities in the subject areas for University of Florida Family and Consumer Science county Extension faculty, volunteers, policy makers, and stakeholders in this area.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_A93310290

Professional and Honor Societies

Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) (member1988 - 1995, professional member 1995 - present)

International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) (October 2000 - present)

American Chemical Society (ACS) (1996 - present)

AOAC International (Formerly Association of Official Analytical Chemists International) (1994 - present)

Association of Thai Professionals in North America and Canada (ATPAC) (Life Time Member)

Phi Beta Delta, Honor Society for International Scholars (1995 - present)

Phi Tau Sigma, Honor Society in Food Science (1992 - present)

Gamma Sigma Delta, Honor Society in Agriculture (1990 - present)

Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society (1989 - present)

Academic Distinctions

Co-Recipient of the 2006 Extension Material Award (Video Category) by the American Society for Horticultural Science on Worker Health and Hygiene Training Manual for Florida Produce Industry (July 2006) [Executive Producer]

Co-Recipient of the UF / IFAS 2004 GRAND IMAGE Awards. This award is given to the Family Album Radio and Website. She is one of the contributing members in food safety area of the program (April 2005). 

Co-Recipient of the 2003 Blue Ribbon Extension Publication Award by the American Society for Horticultural Science Southern Region. Good Agricultural Practices for the Production and Handling of Citrus Fruit, Green Beans and Peas, Peaches, Fresh Carrots and Root Crops, Melons, and Tomatoes, February 3, 2003.