Francisco Diez-Gonzalez

Francisco Diez-Gonzalez is a Professor and Director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. His research focuses on food safety, particularly pathogen control in low-water activity foods, fresh produce, and dairy products, with an emphasis on Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli. He has contributed extensively to understanding stress responses of foodborne pathogens and developing antimicrobial strategies.

• Education: Ph.D. in Food Microbiology (inferred from expertise).

His research spans topics such as biofilm formation and inhibition, thermal inactivation of pathogens in food matrices, and the survival of SARS-CoV-2 on frozen berries. He collaborates widely, including studies on blue light technology for pathogen inactivation and the application of natural antimicrobials in food preservation.

Publications highlight advancements in food safety practices, including Delphi analyses of industry challenges and metagenomic approaches for pathogen detection in wheat flour. He leads the Center for Food Safety, fostering interdisciplinary efforts to address foodborne disease risks.