Category Archives: Decontamination Microbial

Research – The Application of Ultraviolet Treatment to Prolong the Shelf Life of Chilled Beef

Posted on June 24, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

This study simulated the storage conditions of chilled beef at retail or at home, and the sterilization and preservation effects of short-time ultraviolet irradiation were studied. The conditions of different irradiation distances (6 cm, 9 cm, and 12 cm) and irradiation times (6 s, 10 s, and 14 s) of ultraviolet (UV) sterilization in chilled beef were optimized, so as to maximally reduce the initial bacterial count, but not affect the quality of the chilled beef. Then, the preservation effect on the chilled beef after the optimized UV sterilization treatment during 0 ± 0.2 °C storage was investigated. The results showed that UV irradiation with parameters of 6 cm and 14 s formed the optimal UV sterilization conditions for the chilled beef, maximally reducing the number of microorganisms by 0.8 log CFU/g without affecting lipid oxidation or color change. The 6 cm and 14 s UV sterilization treatment of the chilled beef was able to reduce the initial microbial count, control the bacterial growth, and delay the increase in the TVB-N values during storage. Compared with the control group, the total bacterial count decreased by 0.56–1.51 log CFU/g and the TVB-N value decreased by 0.20–5.02 mg N/100 g in the UV-treated group. It was found that the TBARS value of the UV treatment group increased during late storage; on days 9–15 of storage, the TBARS values of the treatment group were 0.063–0.12 mg MDA/kg higher than those of the control group. However, UV treatment had no adverse impact on the pH, color, or sensory quality of chilled beef. These results prove that UV treatment can effectively reduce the microbial count on the surface of beef and improve its microbial safety, thus maintaining the quality of beef and prolonging its shelf life. This study could provide a theoretical basis for the preservation technology of chilled beef in small-space storage equipment.

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

Research- Impact of nanoscale coating of stainless steel on Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli

Posted on June 24, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Cross-contamination in the poultry slaughtering process can lead to thespread of zoonotic bacteria like Salmonellaenterica. Surfaces of equiptment may facilitate contamination of carcasses due to bacterial adherence and transfer. In this study, attachment, proliferation, and detachment of Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli were comparatively investigated on uncoated and silica-coated stainless-steel surfaces. The conditions occurring in the slaughtering workflow were imitated on laboratory scale, for example, spilling of contaminated liquid onto equipment surfaces, pressing or sliding of carcasses against surfaces during the slaughtering procedure, and cleaning of contaminated stainless-steel surfaces with water or detergent. Growth on stainless-steel surfaces was measured for 8 h. The applied silica coating led to a partly higher repelling effect without impact on proliferation for the target organisms on stainless steel. Further development of the coating and daption to the exact circumstances as well as more extending testing under real conditions would be the next steps.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella

India – 10 MP students hospitalised due to food poisoning while travelling

Posted on June 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

InShorts

At least 10 students from Madhya Pradesh, who were travelling by train, were rushed to the Civil Hospital after they complained of severe food poisoning-like symptoms at Ludhiana railway station. Government Railway Police officials said the students who were travelling in a group of around 125, had brought packed food from a hotel, after which some of them started vomiting.

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

USA – Nationwide outbreak from Cyclospora tops 200; officials continue to seek source

Posted on June 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The number of patients in a nationwide outbreak of infections from the foodborne Cyclospora parasite continue to increase, having reached 210 laboratory-confirmed cases.

Federal, state and local public health officials are investigating the outbreak, which is spread across 22 states and New York City, according to a June 22 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration have been tracking the outbreak since April 1. Additional infections could have started before that date.

Also, there are likely more than 210 people in the ongoing outbreak because of the lag time between when patients become ill and when confirmation testing can be completed and results filed with the CDC. Some sick people don’t seek medical attention, also impacting the outbreak count. The parasite is killed by using antibiotics. Specific tests are required to diagnose Cyclospora infections.

“No specific food items have been identified as the source of most of these illnesses. State and local public health officials are interviewing people with cyclosporiasis to find out what foods they ate before getting sick,” the CDC reported.

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Posted in Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Rare Salmonella type behind multi-country outbreak

Posted on June 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Almost 70 people became ill this past year as part of a Salmonella outbreak involving 11 countries, including the United States.

France has the most patients in the Salmonella Ball outbreak but two people from the U.S., aged 44 and 62, were ill in August 2022. They both reported travel to France.

Salmonella Ball is very rare in Europe. Between 2007 and 2021, only 52 cases were reported from 14 countries, with an average of three per year.

Information was shared in a Joint Notification Summary (JNS). These are not made public but Food Safety News has seen a copy. It is prepared by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and affected countries.

An ECDC spokesman said this week that the agency had not received any updates on the number of people or countries affected since the JNS was produced.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella

USA – Broccoli was named as the source of the Cyclospora outbreak but the country of origin was not determined

Posted on June 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Public health officials have declared that imported broccoli was behind an outbreak from the Cyclospora parasite, but have closed their investigation without determining exactly where the produce came from.

The Food and Drug Administration announced that the outbreak has been determined to be over. The FDA reported that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with state and local officials, all concur that the outbreak has ended.

Twenty patients were confirmed as having been infected by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora, but their home states and ages have not been reported.

The outbreak was first reported by the FDA on May 24. The CDC has not posted any information about the outbreak.

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Posted in Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

Denmark – More sick from Salmonella and Campylobacter in 2022

Posted on June 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

SSI

Campylobacter was the cause of 5,142 registered cases of illness in Denmark in 2022, and salmonella was the cause of 899 cases. This is an increase for the second year in a row and thus at the same level as before the covid-19 pandemic. This appears from the annual report on the occurrence of zoonoses in Denmark for 2022.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella

USA – USDA launches Salmonella Grand Challenge

Posted on June 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) has initiated a far-reaching project called the Salmonella Grand Challenge.

The endeavor unites a group of scientists from ARS, universities, and the food industry, each specializing in various fields, to combat Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen that infects a million Americans annually. The challenge aligns with the ongoing efforts of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to develop a more effective strategy for reducing human Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry.

The primary objective of ARS is to integrate its research and expand understanding of how and where Salmonella poses the highest risk of contamination in meat and poultry products. This knowledge will prove invaluable in developing enhanced monitoring tools for meat and poultry producers to detect Salmonella contamination.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella, USDA

USA – Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens

Posted on June 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FSIS USDA

GUIDELINE IDFSIS-GD-2023-0004
ISSUE DATEJune 2023
FULL GUIDELINE

FSIS-GD-2023-0004
Replaces: FSIS-GD-2015-0014 and FSIS-GD-2015-0015

This guideline provides information on steps that retailers can take to prevent certain ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that are prepared or sliced in retail delicatessens (delis) and consumed in the home, such as deli meats and deli salads, from becoming contaminated with Lm. This guideline relates to FSIS regulations in 9 CFR parts 303, 327, 381, 416, and 430.

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

USA – FDA – Retail Food Risk Factor Study

Posted on June 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

In 1998, the FDA National Retail Food Team initiated a three-phase, 10-year study to measure the occurrence of practices and behaviors commonly identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as contributing factors in foodborne illness outbreaks.

In 2013, the FDA National Retail Food Team initiated a new, 10-year study to measure the occurrence of practices and behaviors commonly identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as contributing factors in foodborne illness outbreaks. Initial data collections began in 2013 for select restaurant facility types, followed by data collection for select institutional foodservice facility types in 2014 and select retail food store facility types in 2015. The results of the initial data collection for each of the facility types will serve as the baseline measurement from which trends will be analyzed. Two additional data collection periods for each of the facility types are planned at 3-year intervals after the initial data collection for the purposes of analyzing trends.

Backgrounders

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