Category Archives: Decontamination Microbial

Research – Enhanced antimicrobial activity against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in apple juice by genome shuffling of Lactobacillus acidophilus NX2-6

Posted on February 26, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Food safety and quality are seriously compromised by the growth of spoilage bacteria in food. Various lactic acid bacteria (LAB) may inhibit the growth of spoilage bacteria in food and animal feed. In our study, the antibacterial activity of Lactobacillus acidophilus NX2-6 was improved by genome shuffling. The starting populations were obtained via 60Coγ-ray, diethyl sulfate mutagenesis, and UV mutagenesis of protoplasts. The optimal conditions for protoplast formation and regeneration were found to be 30 mg/ml of lysozyme at 37°C for 40 min. The protoplasts were inactivated by UV irradiation for 110 s or by heating at 58°C for 30 min. After two rounds of genome shuffling, the inhibitory activity of strain F50 was improved by 5.6-fold compared to the original strain. The shuffled strain has broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and is a promising candidate for bio-preservative. The antibacterial substances produced by L. acidophilus NX2-6 can be applied to the preservation of apple juice. The results showed that the growth of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in apple juice was significantly inhibited by the addition of 0.1% culture supernatant with acidocin NX2-6 at 28°C and 0.2% culture supernatant with acidocin NX2-6 at 45°C for 30 days. The sugar−acid ratio, pH value, clarity, and fruit flavor of apple juice were well maintained during storage. This study showed that genome shuffling was an effective strategy to improve the bacterial inhibitory activity of LAB and that the shuffled LAB and their metabolites are expected to be used as bio-based food protectors for food safety.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, LAB, lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, UV Microbiology

Research – Emergence of non-choleragenic Vibrio infections in Australia

Posted on February 25, 2022 by | Leave a comment

1 Health

Vibrio_vulnificus_01a

Vibrio infection was rarely reported in Tasmania prior to 2016, when a multistate outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus associated with Tasmanian oysters was identified and 11 people reported ill. Since then, sporadic foodborne cases have been identified following consumption of commercially- and recreationally-harvested oysters. The increases in both foodborne and non-foodborne Vibrio infec-tions in Tasmania are likely associated with increased sea water temperatures. As oyster production increases and climate change raises the sea surface temperature of our coastline, Tasmania expects to see more vibriosis cases. Vibriosis due to oyster consumption has been reported in other Australian states, but the variability in notification requirements between jurisdictions makes case and outbreak detection difficult and potentially hampers any public health response to prevent further illness.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Introduction to the Special Issue: Microbiological Safety and Quality of Foods

Posted on February 25, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Recent shifts in food production, processing and distribution, linked to the globalization of the food trade and the need to meet new consumers habits, are continuously challenging global food systems. Every effort is being made to ensure healthy and safe, food that is crucial to guarantee public health and wellbeing.
Despite the advancements in food safety management, foodborne diseases (FBD) still remain an important problem worldwide, with a significant negative impact on human health and countries’ economies and development. It has been determined that food unsafe for consumption causes 600 million cases of FBD every year, and 25% of all foods produced globally are lost due to microbial spoilage. Serious outbreaks have occurred, involving both developing and industrialized countries, showing how food safety is a transnational challenge and that a strong joint commitment between food safety authorities is needed.
Despite this awareness, the full extent of the impact of food contamination is still unknown. Foodborne contaminants are numerous, including viruses and bacteria, parasites, chemicals, toxins and allergens that cause a wide range of conditions. Globally, FBD caused by bacteria are more common than those caused by viruses and parasites. [1]. Moreover, between one-third and one-half of all human infectious diseases have a zoonotic origin. Among bacteria, Campylobacter, followed by Salmonella, are the major etiological agents of FBD, while, among viruses, norovirus is the foremost enteric pathogen of foodborne disease worldwide [2].
The most common foodborne parasites instead are protozoa such as Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis and Toxoplasma gondii; roundworms such as Trichinella spp. and Anisakis spp.; and tapeworms such as Diphyllobothrium spp. and Taenia spp. [3]. In particular, Anisakiasis is an emerging zoonosis caused by the fish parasitic nematode Anisakis. Humans are accidental hosts that become infected by eating raw or undercooked fish that contain viable Anisakis spp. larvae.
The major determinants for the incidence of FBD are unsafe raw food, abused temperature, inadequate storage, improper handling, undercooking and cross contamination [4]. Food from animal sources, fresh produce and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are the most at risk. In particular, RTE foods are an emerging issue concerning food safety. Furthermore, they have been demonstrated to contain antimicrobial-resistant strains. Since these products are consumed without any further treatment, they could serve as a vector for the spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, posing a significant threat to public health [5].
The importance of these topics is documented by the increasing number of papers published related to Food Safety. In a basic search using PubMed database, from 1945 to 2021, selecting as the search topic “Microbiological food safety”, a total of 54,210 results were obtained.
Although the first articles concerning microbiological food safety date from 1946, and since then a dozen articles appear in the following years, it is not until 1965 that a significant number of articles are published every year. Figure 1 shows the evolution of the number of papers per year (from 1965 to 2021) published regarding Microbiological food safety. As can be seen in this figure, approximately 80% of these papers have been published in the last 20 years, and the number continues to rise, revealing an increasing and ever-present interest towards the topic addressed in this Special Issue.
Foods 11 00673 g001 550

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Posted in Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Virus, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, Zoonosis

Research – Ireland – Overview of 2019 Zoonois Data

Posted on February 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment
Zoonoses are diseases and infections naturally transmissible between animals and humans. Transmission may occur via direct contact with an animal or indirect contact with animal excreta (e.g. faeces) present in contaminated food, water or the environment.
Foodborne zoonotic diseases are caused by consuming food or drinking water contaminated by zoonotic pathogenic (disease-causing) microorganisms such as bacteria and their toxins, viruses and parasites. They enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract where the first symptoms often occur. Many of these microorganisms are commonly found in the intestines of healthy food-producing animals.
The risks of contamination are present from farm to fork and require prevention and control throughout the food chain. While it is possible for anybody to become infected with a zoonotic pathogen, certain population groups such as the very young, the elderly and immunocompromised are particularly vulnerable and at greater risk of more serious consequences. The eradication of zoonoses in humans and animals is very challenging.
The impact of zoonoses on the health of humans and animals can however be limited, by (i) monitoring the reservoirs of infectious zoonotic pathogens with a view to understanding and controlling their modes of transfer; (ii) by businesses controlling the hazard along the food chain and; (iii) by educating the public about how to avoid or limit the risk of infection.
The Irish zoonoses report is published annually by the FSAI, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the Health Service Executive(HSE),the Local Authority Veterinary Service (LAVS), the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority(SFPA) and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
The report brings together the results of thousands of tests carried out on samples of food and feed, as well as tests on material of animal or human origin, in an effort to determine the pattern and extent of infection by zoonotic pathogens transmitted to humans from animals. Zoonoses data collected by EU Member States serve as a basis for the EU to set targets for the reduction of these microorganisms in food-producing animals and foodstuffs.
The impact of the reduction programmes on the actual prevalence of zoonoses in animals and foods and related human health cases are then monitored and analysed in the annual EU summary reports published by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (EFSA and ECDC, 2020).
The data in the 2019 tables for the results of Irish testing carried out in food, animal and animal feed samples are presented in four categories (routine, census, objective and suspect sampling) depending on the sampling context. Routine sampling is planned sampling but does not involve statistically random sampling. Census sampling is when the totality of a population, on which the data are reported, is controlled.
Objective sampling is the planned selection of a random sample, which is statistically representative of the population to be analysed (EFSA, 2020). Suspect sampling is the unplanned selection of a sample whereby the individual units are selected based on the recent judgement and experience regarding the population, lot or sampling frame, e.g., earlier positive samples (EFSA, 2020).
The samples obtained from suspect sampling may have a higher likelihood of having pathogens present.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, FSAI, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research

Netherlands – Safety warning Similac Elecare from Abbott BV – Salmonella and Cronobacter

Posted on February 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

NVWA

Safety warning Similac Elecare from Abbott BV

Abbot BV warns against Similac Elecare 400g can. As a precaution, Abbot BV is recalling the products after four complaints from US consumers related to Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella Newport in infants who ingested products from its Sturgis, Michigan plant.

See the Abbot Nutrition NL website

Which products are involved?

  • Similac Elecare, 400g can
  • Best before September 2022
  • Batch number on the can 27930Z20

Yours sincerely

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority

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Posted in Cronobacter sakazakii, cross contamination, Decontamination Microbial, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Salmonella

Spain – Alert for possible presence of Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport in special infant milks from the United States

Posted on February 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

ACSA

The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition has informed the Autonomous Communities through the Coordinated System for the Rapid Exchange of Information (SCIRI) of an alert notification sent by the health authorities of the Autonomous Community of Madrid regarding the possible presence of Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport in two special infant milks.

This information has been transferred to the contact point of the Community of Madrid by the company ABBOTT LABORATORIES SA, which has proceeded to the voluntary withdrawal of two special infant milks, manufactured at the Sturgis Michigan plant (USA), after having received four consumer complaints in the US related to Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport in infants who had consumed special infant formula made at this plant.

The information included is the result of the company’s own self-control, which has reported the incident to the competent authorities, in compliance with the legislation and in order not to make unsafe food available to the public.

The products and batches subject to withdrawal are:

  • SIMILAC FOOD 400g: lots:
    • 25659Z261 (expiration 01 2023)
    • 28123Z261 (expiration 04 2023)
    • 30283Z262 (expiration 06 2023)
    • 31410Z204 (expiration 07 2023)
    • 33688Z201 (expiration 09 2023)
  • SIMILAC ELECARE 400g: lots:
    • 25557Z203 (expiration 07 2022)
    • 30374Z202 (expiration 12 2022)

According to the information available, the distribution has been exclusively through pharmacy channel and hospitals of all the autonomous communities.

The company reports that it has contacted the distribution warehouses, hospitals, health centers and pharmacy services of the hospitals that purchase these products to slow down their distribution and proceed with the return of the units that are still in stock.

With the information available , there is NO evidence in Spain of any reported cases associated with this alert.

People who have products affected by this alert at home are advised to refrain from consuming them and return them to the point of purchase.

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Posted in Cronobacter sakazakii, cross contamination, Decontamination Microbial, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Salmonella

Australia – EleCare, Similac and Alimentum infant formula products – Salmonella and Cronobacter

Posted on February 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FSANZ

Product information

​Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd and Abbott US are conducting a precautionary recall of some EleCare, Similac and Alimentum infant formula products manufactured in Abbott’s Sturgis plant in the United States. The products are available nationally​​ through prescription at pharmacies, hospitals and via direct mail order. ​

The recalled products can be identified by the 7 to 9 digit code and expiration date on the bottom of the package (see images). Products are included in the recall if they have all three items below:
• the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37 and
• the code on the container contains K8, SH, or Z2, and
• the expiration date is 1 April 2022 (APR 2022) or later.​


​
Infant formula lot codes
Problem

The recall is due to potential microbial contamination (Cronobacter and Salmonella).

Food safety hazard

Food products contaminated with Cronobacter or Salmonella may cause illness if consumed.

Country of origin

United States

What to do​

​Parents and caregivers should change to a suitable alternative product as soon as possible. Cease feeding the affected product once an alternative has been sourced. Medical advice on alternative products can be sought from your treating doctor.

For further information please contact:

Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd

Customer Service Number: 1800 225 311

http://www.abbottnutrition.com.au

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Posted in Cronobacter sakazakii, cross contamination, Decontamination Microbial, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Salmonella

Research – Evaluation of liquid and dry chemical treatments to reduce Salmonella typhimurium contamination on animal food manufacturing surfaces

Posted on February 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Salmonella can be isolated from animal food, ingredients, and animal food manufacturing surfaces. There is limited data regarding the sanitation of animal food manufacturing surfaces. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of nine chemical treatments to reduce Salmonella Typhimurium contamination on various manufacturing surfaces. This experiment was a 9 × 5 factorial with nine chemical treatments and five surfaces. The nine chemical treatments included: 1) no inoculation or sanitation treatment (negative control), and those inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium and treated with 2) no sanitation treatment (positive control), 3) ground corn, 4) liquid commercial formaldehyde, 5) liquid food-grade sanitizer, 6) liquid medium chain fatty acid blend of caprylic, capronic and capric acids (MCFA), 7) dry commercial calcium propionate, 8) dry commercial acidulant, and 9) dry commercial benzoic acid. The five surfaces included 1) stainless steel, 2) plastic, 3) polypropylene tote bag, 4) rubber belt, and 5) rubber tire. Plastic had greater Salmonella in the positive control than the polypropylene tote bag, with other surfaces being intermediate ( P < 0.05). Surfaces treated with formaldehyde had no detectable Salmonella after treatment, and surfaces treated MCFA had at least a 4-log reduction compared to the control ( P < 0.05). The dry acidulant was the most effective dry sanitizer tested, but had no impact on Salmonella concentration on rubber tires ( P < 0.05). While most effective in this experiment, liquid sanitizers have limitations in a dry, bulk systems. In summary, formaldehyde, food-grade sanitizer and MCFA, were the most effective chemical treatments to reduce Salmonella surface contamination. Surface type can also influence Salmonella mitigation strategies specifically stainless steel and plastic which can be more challenging sanitation within animal food facilities.

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Posted in Animal Feed, Animal Feed Salmonella, Animal Feed Testing, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella

Research – Mineral and Microbiological Analysis of Spices and Aromatic Herbs

Posted on February 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Spices and aromatic herbs have always had great historical importance in human nutrition. Their use has been documented for centuries as a rich source of bioactive compounds; they have been used for their health benefits and also for flavoring or coloring food. However, despite the many health properties linked to the use of spices and aromatic herbs, these can represent biological hazards and can contain chemical substances of concern. Certainly, monitoring potential health hazards in spices and aromatic herbs includes microbiological safety and also the content of inorganic substances: both represent a key step. This research aims at monitoring the compliance of various spices and aromatic herbs from a non-European country market (namely: black cumin seeds, Iranian Tokhme Sharbati, clove buds, Shahjeera, Abbaszadeh saffron, organic fenugreek, whole black pepper, cinnamon, Abthul Ahmar (Asario), Ajwan seeds, whole coriander seeds, black sesame seeds, Sabja seeds) with the current European Union (EU) and WHO regulations, when available, regarding mineral and microbiological parameters. In particular, microbiological assays using rapid and conventional methods, and trace mineral determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were performed. Results show the safety of the tested spices, given that the microbiological parameters were within the legal microbiological criteria set by the European Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 and its amendment Regulation (EC) No. 1441/2007. With reference to potentially toxic Cd, Pb, As, Hg, these were within the limits set by the European Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 and its amendments, Regulation (EU) No. 1317/2021 and Regulation (EU) No. 1323/2021, and WHO. According to EU regulations, for Pb content, 2 samples out of 16 showed values different from the set limits. View Full-Text

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Research

Research – The Efficacy of Conventional Spray, Electrostatic Spray, and Dip with a Combination of Hydrogen Peroxide and Peroxyacetic Acid to Inactivate Listeria monocytogenes on Apples

Posted on February 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and peroxyacetic-acid (PAA) mixer delivered by conventional garden sprayer (GS), electrostatic sprayer (ES) and dip methods to inactivate Listeria monocytogenes on apples. Organic Honey Crisp ( HC ), Fuji ( FJ ), and Pink Lady ( PL ) were dip-inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes (2-strain, serotype 1/2b), which were then kept untreated (control), sprayed with water only, or treated with the H 2 O 2 -PAA mixer (0.0064, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.50%) for 20 s via GS, ES, or dip, followed by draining (2 min) on aluminum foil. Surviving bacteria were recovered on Modified Oxford agar. Atomic force microcopy was used to detect the structural changes of inactivation of L. monocytogenes in broth medium by the H 2 O 2 -PAA mixer solution. Data (2 replicates/6 samples/replicate) were analyzed using the Mixed Model Procedure of SAS ( P =0.05). Initial counts of L. monocytogenes on untreated apples were 6.80 to 6.90 log CFU/apple. The dip method was the most effective treatment (P<0.05) on pathogen reductions (2.31-2.41 log CFU/apple) followed by GS (1.44-1.70 log CFU/apple) and then ES (0.84-1.20 log CFU/apples). Reductions of L. monocytogenes were greatest ( P < 0.05) when apples were treated with H 2 O 2 -PAA mixer -0.25 and -0.50%. Atomic force microscopy analyses indicated that inactivation of L. monocytogenes cells in H2O2-PAA mixer solutions resulted from disruption of the outer membrane. The H 2 O 2 -PAA mixer treated cells had increased width, height and decreased roughness when compared to the untreated cells. Results suggested that applying a H 2 O 2 -PAA mixer by dip or GS methods is better for pathogen reduction than ES on apples.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Technology, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research, Technology