Category Archives: Decontamination Microbial

Research – Biofilm through the Looking Glass: A Microbial Food Safety Perspective

Posted on March 14, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Food-processing facilities harbor a wide diversity of microorganisms that persist and interact in multispecies biofilms, which could provide an ecological niche for pathogens to better colonize and gain tolerance against sanitization. Biofilm formation by foodborne pathogens is a serious threat to food safety and public health. Biofilms are formed in an environment through synergistic interactions within the microbial community through mutual adaptive response to their long-term coexistence. Mixed-species biofilms are more tolerant to sanitizers than single-species biofilms or their planktonic equivalents. Hence, there is a need to explore how multispecies biofilms help in protecting the foodborne pathogen from common sanitizers and disseminate biofilm cells from hotspots and contaminate food products. This knowledge will help in designing microbial interventions to mitigate foodborne pathogens in the processing environment. As the global need for safe, high-quality, and nutritious food increases, it is vital to study foodborne pathogen behavior and engineer new interventions that safeguard food from contamination with pathogens. This review focuses on the potential food safety issues associated with biofilms in the food-processing environment. View Full-Text

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

Australia – Don’t take a risk with food safety during and after floods (4 March 2022)

Posted on March 14, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety Council

Following extensive flooding in eastern Australia the Food Safety Information Council is warning people not to take food safety risks during and after flood.

Lydia Buchtmann, the Council’s Communication Director, said that floodwater can be contaminated with sewage, agricultural and industrial waste, and other substances that can cause illness so there is a danger that any food, surfaces and cooking utensils that have come into contact with floodwater might be contaminated.

‘Spills and sewage discharges can also contaminate water supplies and food gardens. If in doubt throw out any food that might not be safe to eat and follow these simple steps:

  1. Throw out food that has come into contact with floodwater or has an unusual odour, colour or texture. Do not taste or cook it.
  2. Check canned and unopened bottled food and throw out any cans that are dented, swollen or damaged. For cans that appear useable remove the label and thoroughly wash the outside of the can with drinking-quality water, sanitise the can in bleach for 1 minute, then rinse in drinking-quality water re-label the can with a waterproof pen.
  3. Carefully check dishes, pots, pans, cutlery and kitchen equipment that might have been in contact with floodwater. Throw away damaged or cracked items, items made from porous material such as wood, plastic or rubber including wooden chopping boards as they cannot be adequately sanitised.
  4. Wash utensils and surfaces in hot, soapy, drinking-quality water. Take apart and clean the non-electrical pieces of any kitchen equipment that can be safety taken apart and then rinse in clean, hot water.
  5. Sanitise silverware, metal utensils, pots, pans and kitchen equipment in pieces by boiling in water for 10 minutes. Sanitise dishes by immersing glass, porcelain, china and enamel-ware for 10 minutes in a disinfecting solution of 1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach per 2 litres of warm water. Clean cupboards and counters with hot soapy water then rinse with a chlorine bleach solution before storing dishes or food.
  6. Air dry items because towels might have been splashed with contaminated water.
  7. Commercial and most domestic dishwashers are capable of sanitising all eating and cooking utensils as part of their normal cycle
  8. Vegetable gardens can take a month to become suitable for harvest after flood or sewage discharge. Discard all leafy green produce or damaged vine or dropped tree fruits. After 1 month, wash other vegetables then sanitise in a weak bleach solution of 1 tablespoons bleach to 2 litres of water. Then rinse in drinking-quality water, peel and use.

‘Finally, after a flood tap water and private water supplies such as from tanks, wells and bores sometimes might not be safe to drink and use for cooking and cleaning so monitor public announcements and those from the local water supplier to know if tap water is safe to use. If the water is unsafe, use only bottled, boiled or treated water – in that order of preference – for drinking, cooking or preparing food, washing utensils and surfaces, brushing teeth, hand washing, making ice, and bathing, Ms Buchtmann concluded.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, food safety training, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Water Safety

Slovakia – Safe defrosting of food – promotional leaflet in Slovakian

Posted on March 12, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MPSR

The National Contact Point EFSA (Department of Food Safety and Nutrition MPRV SR ) in cooperation with the European Food Safety Authority has prepared a leaflet on safe defrosting of food in the Slovak language.

The leaflet presents basic information on defrosting food, usable in every household. By reducing the mistakes that consumers make when handling frozen food incorrectly, the formation of harmful bacteria is eliminated. Proper thawing procedures reduce the risk of foodborne illness and reduce food waste.

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

Hungary – Hungary seeks data on consumers’ habits with frozen vegetables

Posted on March 11, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Link to Portal

Hungary’s food agency has launched a survey to find out more on people’s habits related to quick-frozen vegetables.

The National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) said it would provide the authority with a picture of the risks at the consumer level for the product category.

An online questionnaire can be completed until March 31 and covers consumer preferences for frozen vegetables and whether they follow the instructions on the label. There are also questions on Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli.

Past outbreak
From 2015 to 2018, an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes caused by contamination of frozen corn produced in Hungary by Greenyard affected five countries in Europe as well as Australia with 54 confirmed patients and 10 deaths.

Despite the contamination, illnesses could have been prevented or reduced if people had been aware of the food safety risks and how to avoid them, according to Nébih.

To identify the hazards and reduce the risks, the agency is going to assess domestic consumer habits.

The questionnaire seeks answers to what Hungarian consumers think about quick-frozen products, how often they eat them and their preparation habits. The survey also looks at whether people are aware of food safety risks during purchase, transport, home storage and preparation and their knowledge about refrigerator and freezer temperatures as well as thawing and refreezing.

Based on the results, Nébih will put together a guide for consumers highlighting the most important findings. The agency will also give advice on how to minimize the food safety risks associated with quick-frozen vegetables in households.

Fagyasztott zöldségek vásárlásáról és fogyasztásáról gyűjt információkat a Nébih

Új kutatást indít a Nemzeti Élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági Hivatal (Nébih) a magyar lakosság gyorsfagyasztott zöldségekhez kapcsolódó vásárlási, felhasználási és fogyasztási szokásainak megismerése érdekében. A március 31-ig kitölthető online kérdőív többek között arra is kitér, hogy a fogyasztók mennyire kedvelik a fagyasztott zöldségeket, milyen ételekhez vásárolják őket, vagy, hogy figyelembe veszik-e a jelölésen szereplő felhasználási utasításokat. A kutatás segítségével a hatóság átfogó képet kaphat arról, milyen valós kockázatok merülnek fel fogyasztói szinten e termékkategóriával kapcsolatban.
Néhány éve az EU-ban lezajlott egy több országot is érintő, gyorsfagyasztott zöldségekhez kapcsolódó Listeria monocytogenes járvány. Az élelmiszerbiztonsági pandémiában bizonyítottan 46 személy betegedett meg és szorult kórházi kezelésre, valamint 5 haláleset is történt. Szomorú tény, hogy a szennyezés ellenére a megbetegedések megelőzhetők lettek volna, ha a fogyasztók tisztában vannak az élelmiszerbiztonsági kockázatokkal és azok elkerülésének módjával.
A veszélyforrás azonosítása és csökkentése érdekében a Nébih szeretné felmérni a hazai fogyasztói szokásokat. A hivatal https://portal.nebih.gov.hu/felmeres linken elérhető online kérdőíve többek között arra keresi a választ, hogy a magyar fogyasztók mit gondolnak a gyorsfagyasztott termékekről, miket részesítenek előnyben, vannak-e általános és speciális elkészítési szokásaik, továbbá elolvassák-e, betartják-e a jelölésen szereplő utasításokat. A felmérés arra is kitér, hogy a fogyasztók tisztában vannak-e az élelmiszerbiztonsági kockázatokkal a vásárlás, a szállítás, az otthoni tárolás és az előkészítés során.
A kérdőív segítségével a hatóság átfogó képet kaphat arról, hogy melyek a legjelentősebb kockázatok fogyasztói szinten e termékkategóriában. Az eredmények alapján a Nébih egy lakosságnak szóló tájékoztatót is összeállít a későbbiekben, kiemelve a felmérés szerinti kritikus pontokat. Az útmutatóban a hatóság azt is bemutatja majd, hogyan lehet a háztartásokban a gyorsfagyasztott zöldségekhez kapcsolódó élelmiszerbiztonsági kockázatokat a minimumra csökkenteni.
Az adatgyűjtés 2022. március 31-ig tart. A kérdőív kitöltése 10-15 percet vesz igénybe. A felmérés az alábbi linken elérhető: https://portal.nebih.gov.hu/felmeres

2022. március 4.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Research

UK – Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds Ltd recalls pet feed because of the presence of salmonella

Posted on March 10, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FSA

9 March 2022

Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds Ltd is recalling several pet feed products because of the presence of salmonella in one of the ingredients used to manufacture the products listed below.

Product details

Sneyd’s Wonderdog Active Light
Pack size 15Kg
Batch code 57 58
Best before 21 December 2022 06 January 2023
Sneyd’s Wonderdog Special
Pack size 15Kg
Batch code All batches from 1383 through to 1408
Best before All dates from 03 December 2022 up to and including 14 February 2023
Sneyd’s Wonderdog Original
Pack size 15Kg
Batch code All batches from 3239 through to 3264
Best before All dates from 03 December 2022 up to and including 14 February 2023

Risk statement

The presence of salmonella in the products listed above. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause illness in humans and animals. The products could therefore carry a potential risk, because of the presence of salmonella, either through direct handling of the product, or indirectly, for example from pet feeding bowls, utensils or contact with the faeces of animals.

In humans, symptoms caused by salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Infected animals may not necessarily display signs of illness, but symptoms can include diarrhoea.

Action taken by the company

Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds is recalling the above products. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that have sold these products. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the products.
Customer Notice: Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds Ltd

Our advice to consumers

(pet owners): If you have bought any of the above products do not use them. Instead contact Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds for further advice: Call 01724 872 448 or email info@wonderdog.co.uk

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

Research – High-pressure processing: food safety without compromising quality

Posted on March 9, 2022 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

High-pressure processing (HPP) of food is effective at destroying harmful microorganisms and poses no more food safety concerns than other treatments. These are two of the conclusions of a scientific opinion published by EFSA today.

EFSA experts assessed the safety and efficacy of HPP of food and, more specifically, whether it can be used to control Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and as an alternative to thermal pasteurisation of raw milk.

HPP is a non-thermal food preservation technique that kills microorganisms that can cause diseases or spoil food. It uses intense pressure for a certain time and has minimal effects on taste, texture, appearance, or nutritional values.

HPP can be used at different steps of the food chain, usually on pre-packed products. It can be applied to raw materials such as milk, fruit juices, and smoothies but also to products that have already been processed, such as sliced cooked meat products and RTE meals. In the latter case, it reduces the contamination originating from the manufacturing environment, for example during slicing and manipulation of the products.

This processing method reduces levels of Listeria monocytogenes in RTE meat products, at specific time-pressure combinations defined in the scientific opinion. In general, the longer the duration and intensity of the pressure, the more reduction is achieved. This is an important finding because L. monocytogenes contamination of RTE foods is a public health concern in the EU. HPP also proved to be effective at decreasing the levels of other pathogens, such as Salmonella and E. coli.

For raw milk, experts identified the time-pressure combinations that can be considered to have the same effect as thermal pasteurisation. These vary depending on the pathogen considered.

HPP is not specifically regulated at EU level and EFSA’s advice will inform the possible decisions of risk managers in this field.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, EFSA, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, food safety training, Food Technology, HPP, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microorganism DNA, Technology

Research – The Importance of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O145:NM[H28]/H28 Infections in Argentina, 1998–2020

Posted on March 9, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is known as a pathogen associated with food-borne diseases. The STEC O145 serogroup has been related with acute watery diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Argentina has the highest rate of HUS worldwide with 70% of the cases associated with STEC infections. We aimed to describe the epidemiology and genetic diversity of STEC O145 strains isolated across Argentina between 1998–2020. The strains isolated from 543 cases of human disease and four cattle, were pheno-genotipically characterized. Sequencing of five strains was performed. The strains were serotyped as O145:NM[H28]/H28, O145:H25, and O145:HNT, and mainly characterized as O145:NM[H28]/stx2a/eae/ehxA (98.1%). The results obtained by sequencing were consistent with those obtained by traditional methods and additional genes involved in different mechanisms of the pathogen were observed. In this study, we confirmed that STEC O145 strains are the second serogroup after O157 and represent 20.3% of HUS cases in Argentina. The frequency of STEC O145 and other significant serogroups is of utmost importance for public health in the country. This study encourages the improvement of the surveillance system to prevent severe cases of human disease. View Full-Text

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Posted in Antimicrobials, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O145, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome, HUS, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Fruit Juice Spoilage by Alicyclobacillus: Detection and Control Methods—A Comprehensive Review

Posted on March 8, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Fruit juices have an important place in humans’ healthy diet. They are considered to be shelf stable products due to their low pH that prevents the growth of most bacteria. However thermo-acidophilic endospore forming bacteria of the genus Alicyclobacillus have the potential to cause spoilage of commercially pasteurized fruit juices. The flat sour type spoilage, with absence of gas production but presence of chemical taint compounds (mostly guaiacol) and the ability of Alicyclobacillus spores to survive after pasteurization and germinate under favorable conditions make them a major concern for the fruit juice industry worldwide. Their special characteristics and presence in the fruit juice industry has resulted in the development of many isolation and identification methods based on cell detection (plating methods, ELISA, flow cytometry), nucleic acid analysis (PCR, RAPD-PCR, ERIC-PCR, DGGE-PCR, RT-PCR, RFLP-PCR, IMS-PCR, qPCR, and 16S rRNA sequencing) and measurement of their metabolites (HPLC, GC, GC-MS, GC-O, GC-SPME, Electronic nose, and FTIR). Early detection is a big challenge that can reduce economic loss in the industry while the development of control methods targeting the inactivation of Alicyclobacillus is of paramount importance as well. This review includes a discussion of the various chemical (oxidants, natural compounds of microbial, animal and plant origin), physical (thermal pasteurization), and non-thermal (High Hydrostatic Pressure, High Pressure Homogenization, ultrasound, microwaves, UV-C light, irradiation, ohmic heating and Pulse Electric Field) treatments to control Alicyclobacillus growth in order to ensure the quality and the extended shelf life of fruit juices.

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Posted in Alicyclobacillus, 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

Research – Antimicrobial effect of chitosan and extracellular metabolites of Pediococcus pentosaceus CM175 against Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7

Posted on March 8, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Foodborne illness outbreaks caused by consuming cantaloupe melon contaminated with Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are recurrent. The objective of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of the combination of chitosan (Q) and extracellular metabolites of Pediococcus pentosaceus CM175 (EmPp) on the surface of cantaloupe against E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium. The minimum inhibitory and bactericide concentrations (MIC and MBC) of Q and EmPp were determined by the method of microdilution in broth and viability in plate, respectively. The antimicrobial effect derived from the combination of Q and EmPp was evaluated using the chessboard technique. The antimicrobial activity of the different treatments in cantaloupe was performed employing plate counting. The viability and membrane integrity of S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 after treatments application were observed by fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that MIC and MBC of Q against S. Typhimurium were 0.1% and 0.7%, respectively; 0.004% and 0.03% for E. coli O157:H7, respectively; for EmPp, MIC was 8.0% and MBC was 10% for both bacteria. The combination of 0.1% Q and 6.6% EmPp against S. Typhimurium and 0.01% Q and 5.0% EmPp against E. coli O157:H7 showed an additive effect. The highest reductions of S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 in cantaloupe were exerted by the combinations of 0.1% Q with 6.6% EmPp and 0.01% Q with 5.0% EmPp, respectively. These results show that combination of Q and EmPp could be an effective and promising alternative against the tested pathogens.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella

Research – Don’t take a risk with food safety during and after floods

Posted on March 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Medical Express

Following extensive flooding in eastern Australia the Food Safety Information Council is warning people not to take food safety risks during and after flood.

Lydia Buchtmann, the Council’s Communication Director, said that floodwater can be contaminated with sewage, agricultural and , and other substances that can cause illness so there is a danger that any food, surfaces and cooking utensils that have come into contact with floodwater might be contaminated.

“Spills and sewage discharges can also contaminate  and food gardens. If in doubt throw out any food that might not be safe to eat and follow these simple steps:

  1. Throw out food that has come into contact with floodwater or has an unusual odor, color or texture. Do not taste or cook it.
  2. Check canned and unopened bottled food and throw out any cans that are dented, swollen or damaged. For  that appear useable remove the label and thoroughly wash the outside of the can with drinking-quality water, sanitize the can in bleach for 1 minute, then rinse in drinking-quality water re-label the can with a waterproof pen.
  3. Carefully check dishes, pots, pans, cutlery and kitchen equipment that might have been in contact with floodwater. Throw away damaged or cracked items, items made from porous material such as wood, plastic or rubber including wooden chopping boards as they cannot be adequately sanitized.
  4. Wash utensils and surfaces in hot, soapy, drinking-quality water. Take apart and clean the non-electrical pieces of any kitchen equipment that can be safety taken apart and then rinse in clean, hot water.
  5. Sanitize silverware, metal utensils, pots, pans and kitchen equipment in pieces by boiling in water for 10 minutes. Sanitize dishes by immersing glass, porcelain, china and enamel-ware for 10 minutes in a disinfecting solution of 1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach per 2 liters of warm water. Clean cupboards and counters with hot soapy water then rinse with a chlorine bleach solution before storing dishes or food.
  6. Air dry items because towels might have been splashed with contaminated water.
  7. Commercial and most domestic dishwashers are capable of sanitizing all eating and cooking utensils as part of their normal cycle
  8. Vegetable gardens can take a month to become suitable for harvest after flood or sewage discharge. Discard all leafy green produce or damaged vine or dropped tree fruits. After 1 month, wash other vegetables then sanitize in a weak bleach solution of 1 tablespoons bleach to 2 liters of water. Then rinse in drinking-quality water, peel and use.

“Finally, after a flood tap water and private water supplies such as from tanks, wells and bores sometimes might not be safe to drink and use for cooking and cleaning so monitor public announcements and those from the local water supplier to know if tap water is safe to use. If the water is unsafe, use only bottled, boiled or treated —in that order of preference—for drinking, cooking or preparing , washing utensils and surfaces, brushing teeth, hand washing, making ice, and bathing,” Ms Buchtmann concluded.

Explore further

Proper handling of fresh produce can reduce risk of foodborne 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, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety