Jeff Farber , PhD

CREM Associate (Research)

Director, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada

Microbiology Research Division,
Bureau of Microbial Hazards,
4th floor west, Banting Research Centre,
Ross Avenue, Tunney's Pasture,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0L2, Postal Locator 2204A2

The Bureau of Microbial Hazards is responsible for policy, standard setting, risk assessment, research and evaluation activities with respect to microbial hazards and extraneous material in the food supply. The primary objective of the work is to minimize health risks which may result from consumption of foods contaminated with microbial, parasitic and extraneous material hazards.

Research Interests:
Development of pathogen detection techniques

Honors and Distinctions:

Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa
1998-Present Treasurer and Member; International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF)
1994- Present President-Elect; International Association for Food Protection
1989- present Editorial Board; International Journal of Food Microbiology
1990-present Editorial Board - Journal of Food Protection

Selected Publications:

Bin Kingombe, C.I.; Cerqueira-Campos, M.-L., and Farber, J.M. Molecular Strategies for the Detection, Identification, and Differentiation between Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli and Shigella spp. Journal of Food Protection. 68(2): 239-245, 2005.
Taboada, E.N.; Acedillo, R.R.; Carrillo, C.D.; Findlay, W.A.; Medeiros, D.T.; Mykytczuk, O.L.; Roberts, M.J.; Valencia, C.A.; Farber, J.M. and Nash, J.H.E. Large-Scale Comparative Genomics Meta-Analysis of Campylobacter jejuni Isolates Reveals Low Level of Genome Plasticity. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 42(10): 4566-4576, 2004.
Bidawid, S.; Malik, N.; Adegbunrin, O.; Sattar, S.A., and Farber, J.M. Norovirus Cross-Contamination during Food Handling and Interruption of Virus Transfer by Hand Antisepsis: Experiments with Feline Calicivirus as a Surrogate. Journal of Food Protection. 67: 103-109, 2004.
Rooney, RM; Cramer, EH; Mantha, S; Nichols, G; Bartram, JK; Farber, JM; Benembarek, PK. A review of outbreaks of foodborne disease associated with passenger ships: evidence for risk management. Public-HealthRrep. 2004 Jul-Aug; 119(4) : 427-34.
Pagotto FJ, Nazarowec-White M, Bidawid S, Farber JM. Enterobacter sakazakii: infectivity and enterotoxin production in vitro and in vivo. Journal of Food Protection. Mar;66(3):370-5, 2003.
Banerjee, S.K., S. Pandian, E.C. Todd and J.M. Farber. A Rapid and Improved Method for the Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus Strains Grown on Hydrophobic Grid Membrane Filters. Journal of Food Protection. 65: 1049-1053, 2002
Corneau, N., Pagotto, F., and J.M. Farber. 2001. DNA Microarrays: a high-throughput technology. Canadian Meat Science Association, 3-7.
Medeiros, D. and J.M. Farber. A single-step polymerase chain reaction for combined gene detection and epidemiological typing of Listeria monocytogenes. Food Microbiology. 18: 375-386, 2001.
Sewell, A.M., and J.M. Farber. Foodborne outbreaks in Canada linked to produce. Journal of Food Protection. 64: 1863-77, 2001.
Kalmokoff, M.L., J.W. Austin, X.D. Wan, G. Sanders, S. Banerjee, J.M. Farber. Absorption, attachment and biolfilm formation among isolates of Listeria monocytogenes using model conditions. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 4: 725-34, 2001.