Category Archives: Food Microbiology Research

Luxembourg – BAME BRAND MUSSELS FROM SPAIN – E.coli

Posted on January 5, 2023 by | Leave a comment

SAP

Last name Mussels from Spain
Brand BAME
Unity 1.4kg
bar code 3293580020804
Use-by date (DLC) 01/05/2023
Batch 36322

Danger  : Potential presence of E. coli bacteria

Escherichia coli can cause food   poisoning which can occur within a week after consumption and result in gastrointestinal disorders often accompanied by cramps. These symptoms may be aggravated in young children, immunocompromised subjects and the elderly. People who have consumed these products and have these symptoms are invited to consult a doctor and report this consumption to him.

Sale in Luxembourg by: Match; Smatch

A sale by other operators cannot be excluded.

Information Source: Match Recall Notification

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Posted in E.coli, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing

India – 100 people suffer food poisoning after baptism ceremony in Kerala; case filed, probe underway

Posted on January 3, 2023 by | Leave a comment

India Today

Over 100 people suffered food poisoning after consuming food served at a baptism ceremony in Kerala last Thursday. Police have registered a case and are conducting further investigations.

 

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

Australia – At Least 70 Contract Salmonella Following Conference at the Crown Plaza Terrigal Pacific Hotel

Posted on January 3, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

A hotel on the New South Wales Central Coast suffered from a severe food poisoning outbreak of Salmonella after approximately 70 out of 230 people who attended a two-day conference at the Crown Plaza Terrigal Pacific hotel on November 30th fell ill. A total of 27 out of the 70 illnesses have now been confirmed by medical professionals as cases of Salmonella.

The NSW Food Authority are currently investigating the cause of this outbreak and urges, “anyone who felt unwell or had concerns after the conference should seek medical care, get in touch with their local public health unit, or contact conference organizers, the Aboriginal Languages Trust.”

Authorities are continuing to investigate food that may have been contaminated at the conference, and for the time being, the hotel’s kitchen has voluntarily closed, though “it is required to do [so] under the Food Act of 2003.”

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Posted in 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

France – Smoked salmon tartare with black truffle – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 3, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Food
  • Product subcategory Fishery and aquaculture products
  • Product brand name Dom Petroff
  • Model names or reference ssmoked salmon tartare with black truffle
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Batch
    3019898384168 see attached document
  • Products List list_of_lots.pdfEnclosed
  • Marketing start/end date From 22/11/2022 to 29/12/2022
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Health mark FR 49 267 007 CE
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Whole France
  • Distributors Monoprix, Leclerc, Galeries Lafayette

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall presence of listeria
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Listeria monocytogenes (causative agent of listeriosis)

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes

Research – Effect of Ultra-High-Pressure Homogenization Processing on the Microbiological, Physicochemical, and Sensory Characteristics of Fish Broth

Posted on January 2, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

The effect of ultra-high-pressure homogenization (UHPH) treatments at 300 MPa at inlet temperatures (Ti) between 45 and 75 °C on the microbiological, physical, and sensorial characteristics of fish broth was evaluated. Before the application of UHPH treatments, different fish broth formulations were tested, selecting the formula with the best organoleptic and nutritional characteristics and the lowest cost, containing 45% monkfish heads and rock fish in the same proportion. The microbiological shelf-life of fish broth during cold storage at 4 and 8 °C was extended by a minimum of 20 days by applying UHPH treatments at inlet temperatures (Ti) between 45 and 65 °C. Fish broth UHPH-treated at Ti = 75 °C was microbiologically sterile during storage at 4 °C, 8 °C, and room temperature. Fish broth UHPH-treated was physically stable, significantly reducing the particle size. Color showed higher luminosity and lower yellowness as the inlet temperature increased. In fish broth UHPH-treated at Ti = 75 °C, selected for its microbiological stability, no differences were observed in the nutritional composition, antioxidant activity, and sensorial perception compared to untreated fish broth. Hence, UHPH treatments showed to be an alternative to preserving fish broth with an improved microbiological shelf-life and good sensorial characteristics.

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

Research – Surveillance of Human Cases of Salmonellosis, Campylobacteriosis, Listeriosis, and Hepatitis A in Campania (Southern Italy): Seven-Year Monitoring (2013–2019)

Posted on January 2, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Foodborne infections cause illness and death every year worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe trends in 2013–2019 in the occurrence of human cases of salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, listeriosis, and hepatitis A in the Campania region. Human case data were provided by the National Surveillance System of disease and were grouped by year, province, age group, and sex. Moreover, the number of people hospitalized was recorded. In the Campania region, the total number of confirmed human cases for the diseases investigated was 1924, with Hepatitis A and the Salmonellosis as the first most reported (1009 and 825 cases, respectively). The incidence rates of gastroenteritis under study were lower than those in Italy and European Union in the same period, with the exception of Hepatitis A whose incidence was higher than that recorded in Italy. Data on hospitalizations pointed out the onset of severe forms of infection also for listeriosis and campylobacteriosis, whose incidence was very low (27 and 63 cases, respectively). Unfortunately, no information on the foods implicated is available. Although probably underestimated, gastroenteritis due to foodborne agents still represents a burden in Campania, and continuous monitoring and implementation of the currently available regional surveillance system is required.

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Posted in Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

Research – Advances in science and risk assessment tools for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus associated with seafood: meeting report

Posted on January 1, 2023 by | Leave a comment

WHO

Globally, the Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus represent important human pathogens associated with the consumption of seafood. In response to the requests for scientific advice from Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), risk assessments for the pathogens V. vulnificus, V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus and guidance on methods for the detection of Vibrio spp. with seafood have been conducted and published previously by JEMRA. In order to provide an update on the state-of-the-art advice regarding risk assessment for V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in seafood, an expert meeting was convened.

Several critical developments in the last decade were subsequently noted by the expert working group: 1) The emergence of highly pathogenic strains; 2) In response to climate change, there has been a significant geographical spread regarding when and where these seafood-associated Vibrio infections; 3) Demographic considerations are very important; 4) A range of new approaches for best practice; and 5) A range of new methods, such as those utilising genomics and satellite imagery. This report describes the output of that expert meeting.

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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, Vibrio, Vibrio albensis, Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio cholera, vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus

Research – Listeria monocytogenes—How This Pathogen Uses Its Virulence Mechanisms to Infect the Hosts

Posted on December 31, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Listeriosis is a serious food-borne illness, especially in susceptible populations, including children, pregnant women, and elderlies. The disease can occur in two forms: non-invasive febrile gastroenteritis and severe invasive listeriosis with septicemia, meningoencephalitis, perinatal infections, and abortion. Expression of each symptom depends on various bacterial virulence factors, immunological status of the infected person, and the number of ingested bacteria. Internalins, mainly InlA and InlB, invasins (invasin A, LAP), and other surface adhesion proteins (InlP1, InlP4) are responsible for epithelial cell binding, whereas internalin C (InlC) and actin assembly-inducing protein (ActA) are involved in cell-to-cell bacterial spread. L. monocytogenes is able to disseminate through the blood and invade diverse host organs. In persons with impaired immunity, the elderly, and pregnant women, the pathogen can also cross the blood–brain and placental barriers, which results in the invasion of the central nervous system and fetus infection, respectively. The aim of this comprehensive review is to summarize the current knowledge on the epidemiology of listeriosis and L. monocytogenes virulence mechanisms that are involved in host infection, with a special focus on their molecular and cellular aspects. We believe that all this information is crucial for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes infection.

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

Research – Variability in Cold Tolerance of Food and Clinical Listeria monocytogenes Isolates

Posted on December 30, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of strain variability amongst food and clinical Listeria monocytogenes isolates growing at low temperatures (4 and 7 °C) in both laboratory media and real food matrices. Isolates (n = 150) grown in laboratory media demonstrated a large variation in growth profiles measured using optical density.
Overall, it was noted that clinical isolates exhibited a significantly higher growth rate (p ≤ 0.05) at 7 °C than the other isolates. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests of isolates grouped using Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) revealed that clonal complex 18 (CC18) isolates were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) faster growing at 4 °C than other CC-type isolates while CC101, CC18, CC8, CC37 and CC14 were faster growing than other CC types at 7 °C. Euclidean distance and Ward method-based hierarchical clustering of mean growth rates classified 33.33% of isolates as faster growing.
Fast and slow growing representative isolates were selected from the cluster analysis and growth rates were determined using plate count data in laboratory media and model food matrices. In agreement with the optical density experiments, CC18 isolates were faster and CC121 isolates were slower than other CC types in laboratory media, UHT milk and fish pie. The same trend was observed in chocolate milk but the differences were not statistically significant. Moreover, pan-genome analysis (Scoary) of isolate genome sequences only identified six genes of unknown function associated with increased cold tolerance while failing to identify any known cold tolerance genes. Overall, an association that was consistent in laboratory media and real food matrices was demonstrated between isolate CC type and increased cold tolerance.

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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

Research – Inhibition of Aflatoxin Production by Citrinin and Non-Enzymatic Formation of a Novel Citrinin-Kojic Acid Adduct

Posted on December 29, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Screening for microorganisms that inhibit aflatoxin production from environments showed that Penicillium citrinum inhibited aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus. The inhibitory substance in the culture medium of P. citrinum was confirmed to be citrinin (CTN). RT-PCR analyses showed that CTN did not inhibit expressions of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes (aflR, pksL1, and fas-1) of A. parasiticus, whereas feeding experiments using A. parasiticus showed that CTN inhibited the in vivo conversion of dihydrosterigmatocystin to AFB2·AFG2. These results suggest that CTN inhibits a certain post-transcriptional step in aflatoxin biosynthesis. CTN in the culture medium of A. parasiticus was found to be decreased or lost with time, suggesting that a certain metabolite produced by A. parasiticus is the cause of the CTN decrease; we then purified, characterized, and then analyzed the substance. Physico-chemical analyses confirmed that the metabolite causing a decrease in CTN fluorescence was kojic acid (KA) and the resulting product was identified as a novel substance: (1R,3S,4R)-3,4-dihydro-6,8-dihydroxy-1-(3-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-yl)-3,4,5-trimethyl-1H-isochromene-7-carboxylic acid, which was named “CTN-KA adduct”. Our examination of the metabolites’ toxicities revealed that unlike CTN, the CTN-KA adduct did not inhibit aflatoxin production by A. parasiticus. These results indicate that CTN’s toxicity was alleviated with KA by converting CTN to the CTN-KA adduct.

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Aflatoxin B1, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Penicillium spp