The Food Protection Lab at Chapman University is focused on research involving food fraud and food safety.  Under the direction of Rosalee Hellberg, Ph.D., this research program develops and applies rapid methods for the detection of food fraud and food contaminants. The lab’s research on food fraud is dedicated to the development and application of molecular techniques to identify meat and seafood species in food products.  Dr. Hellberg and her research team have published numerous studies that utilize methods such as DNA barcoding and real-time PCR to reveal undeclared species in food products, including pet foods, game meats, and seafood products. The lab’s research on food contaminants is focused primarily on the development and application of rapid methods to concentrate, detect and differentiate foodborne pathogens, such as norovirus, Salmonella, and Listeria.