Jennifer Quinlan is a professor emerita at Drexel University. Her areas of expertise include food safety risks for low-income and minority populations and consumer food safety education. Her laboratory’s work with low-income and minority consumers represents “community to benchtop” research. It has surveyed risks for foodborne illness in both homes and retail stores through sampling and testing for bacterial pathogens and indicator organisms in environmental and food samples collected in the community. Additionally, it examined the use of GIS mapping to identify potential differences in food safety risks for these populations. The laboratory has also collaborated with Drexel's Plasma Institute to explore the potential for nonthermal plasma to eliminate Campylobacter and Salmonella from the surface of raw poultry. The laboratory has used focus groups and surveys to explore differences in handling of food by consumers of different demographics and is currently conducting qualitative research to identify barriers to consumer adopting safe food-handling practices. The laboratory’s work led to the development and dissemination of a highly visible consumer education campaign around safe preparation of raw poultry drexel.edu/dontwashyourchicken.

Quinlan currently serves on the editorial boards of Food Protection Trends and the Journal of Food Protection. She has served on USDA’s National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria for Foods and is a former Fulbright Scholar to Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary. 

Academic Distinctions

Fulbright Scholar Award 2008-09

Professional Society

Sigma Xi
Phi Tau Sigma
Institute for Food Technologists
International Association for Food Protection
American Public Health Association

Selected Publications

Kavanaugh, M. & J. J. Quinlan (2020). Consumer Knowledge and Behaviors Regarding Food Date Labels and Food Waste. Food Control. 115: Available online March 30, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107285.

Henley, S. C., Launchi, N. & Quinlan, J. J. (2018). Survival of Salmonella on Raw Poultry Exposed to 10% Lemon Juice and Vinegar Washes. Food Control. 94, 229-232.

Borrusso, P. A. & J.J Quinlan, J. J. (2017). Prevalence of Pathogens and Indicator Organisms in Home Kitchens and Correlation with Unsafe Food Handling Practices. Journal of Food Protection. 80(4), 590-597.

Henley, S. C., Gleason, J. & Quinlan, J. J. (2016). Don’t Wash Your Chicken!: A Food Safety Education Campaign to Address a Common Food Mishandling Practice. Food Protection Trends. 36(1), 43-51.

Quinlan, J. J. (2013). Foodborne Illness Incidence Rates and Food Safety Risks for Populations of Low Socioeconomic Status and Minority Race/Ethnicity: A Review of the Literature. International Journal of Environmental Research in Public Health. 10(8), 3634-3652.

Grant participation:

Don’t Wash my Chicken?! Identifying Barriers to Consumers Adopting Safe Food Handling Practices. 2019-2021, Quinlan, J.J. (P.I.), Gleason, J., Chamberlain, B. Martinez, P., Feist, S. USDA- Critical Areas in Research and Extension Grant - $299,905

Retail Business to Promote Consumption of Processed Foods that Contribute Key Nutrients of Concern to Consumers. 2015-2016, Quinlan, J.J. (Principal Investigator-P.I.) and President of small business awarded grant – 1505 Race St., LLC. USDA-SBIR Grant - $99,944

Identifying & Addressing Potential Poultry and Egg Mishandling Habits of Minority Racial and Ethnic Populations. 2009-2014. Quinlan, J.J. (P.I.), Stein, S.E., Gleason, J. Chamberlin, B. USDA-CSREES NIFSI Grant - $598,752

Determinants of Risks for Foodborne Illness among Populations of Different Racial, Ethnic and Socioeconomic Status. 2007-2012. Quinlan, J.J. (P.I.) and Evans, A. USDA-CSREES Grant - $700,610

Fulbright Scholar Award Grant 2008-2009 to travel to Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary for Spring Semester, 2009. $15,500

Examination of the Effect of Socioeconomic Factors on Food Quality and Safety. 2004-2006. Quinlan, J.J. (P.I.) and Anandan, S. USDA-CSREES SEED Grant - $99,996

Implementation and Evaluation of a Food Safety Education Campaign for College Undergraduates. 2007, Quinlan, J.J. (P.I.) Rutgers University – pass through funding from USDA-CSREES NIFSI Grant - $5,000

Editorial review board membership:

Journal of Food Protection

Food Protection Trends

Research Interests

Quinlan's laboratory focuses on identifying potential unique food safety risks for minority racial/ethnic and low income populations. The research has examined differences in quality and safety of food available to these populations at the retail level by auditing small corner markets in the urban environment as well as sampling and testing food available in small corner markets. Additionally it examined the use of GIS mapping to identify potential differences in food safety risks for these populations. More recently the laboratory has used focus groups and surveys to explore differences in handling of food by consumers of different demographics. This research identified the common practice of incorrectly washing raw poultry by consumers of ALL demographics. In response to this finding, the lab has worked with colleagues at New Mexico State University to develop education materials for consumers stressing the concept of not washing raw poultry. These materials can be found at: drexel.edu/dontwashyourchicken. Additionally, the laboratory has performed more basic research on Campylobacter jejuni, a leading bacterial cause of foodborne illness. The laboratory has also collaborated with Drexel's Plasma Institute to explore the potential for non-thermal plasma to eliminate Campylobacter and Salmonella from the surface of raw poultry. 

PhD, Food Science, North Carolina State University
Minors in Microbiology and Immunology

MS, Food Science, Rutgers University

BS, Food Science, Rutgers University