Category Archives: Food Microbiology Research

Research – Enhancement of Thermal Inactivation of Cronobacter sakazakii in Apple Juice at 58 ºC by Inclusion of Butyl Para-Hydroxybenzoate and Malic Acid.

Posted on August 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

After studies with powdered infant formula indicated that the enhancement of thermal inactivation of Cronobacter sakazakii by butyl para-hydroxybenzoate (BPB) was blocked by the presence of high protein levels, we hypothesized that BPB would retain its synergistic activity in foods with a limited protein content and lipid content. This hypothesis was explored by examining the ability of BPB to enhance the thermal inactivation of Cronobacter sakazakii 607 at 58 °C in commercial apple juice, including examining the effects of pH and the possible synergistic effects with malic acid. Apple juice was adjusted to designated pH values between 3.2 and 9.0, supplemented with selected levels of BPB (≤125 ppm), inoculated with early stationary phase C. sakazakii 607, and thermally treated (58 °C) for 15 min using submerged coil apparatus. The same methods were used to study the enhancement of thermal inactivation by malic acid. Samples were plated on Tryptic Soy Agar for recovery and enumeration. Survival curves were plotted, and D-values were calculated and compared using ANOVA. Our results indicated BPB significantly enhanced thermal inactivation in a concentration dependent manner, with D-values of a few seconds at the original pH (3.8). The enhancement of thermal inactivation was pH dependent over the range of pH 3.4 to 9.0. Malic acid enhanced thermal inactivation as the pH was decreased from 3.8 to 3.2. The study supports the hypothesis that BPB can enhance the thermal inactivation of C. sakazakii in low protein foods.

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

Research – E. coli O104:H4 is similar to the 2011 outbreak strain found in Europe

Posted on August 22, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A type of E. coli similar to what caused a large outbreak in 2011 has recently been detected in Europe, according to researchers.

Two cases of Shiga toxin-producing Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) O104:H4 were reported in the Netherlands in 2019 and 2020 and in one food isolate from 2017. There was also a patient from Austria in 2021.

In 2011, a huge outbreak caused by STEC O104:H4 occurred in Europe, mainly Germany and France, that was associated with sprouts grown from fenugreek seeds from Egypt. The outbreak resulted in more than 4,000 infections and 54 deaths from 16 countries, including six cases in the United States.

After this outbreak, only a few sporadic infections with EAEC O104:H4 were reported, most related to travel to Turkey or North Africa, said the study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

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Posted in E.coli O104, 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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Food Poisoning and Plant-Based Meat

Posted on August 22, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

With an ever expanding market of plant-based meats, many consumers are beginning to choose plant-based meat options over animal meat. The growing market is partially attributed to an increasing number of vegetarians and vegans, while others are eating more plant-based meat due to environmental or health concerns. For some, eating a diet of plant-based meat rather than animal meat may be considered healthier; however, there are potentially harmful misconceptions about plant-based meat, specifically surrounding food safety.

There are consumers who falsely assume that because plant-based meat comes from plants, it does not need to be cooked properly like raw animal meat. Although some plants can be eaten raw, the USDA warns that plant-based meat products must be fully cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid growth of foodborne bacteria and pathogens.

One microbiologist and lead scientist of Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS), Anna Porto-Fett, advises consumers to handle raw plant-based meats with the same caution applied to “for example, raw ground beef.”

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

Research – Pulsed light technology effectively kills harmful pathogens in new study

Posted on August 22, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily

Novel food decontamination method inactivates pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella

A light-based, food sanitization technique successfully eliminated multiple harmful pathogens in a new study. The pulsed light technique shows promise as an effective alternative to the chemical, heat and water-based antimicrobial technologies commonly used in the food industry — and could be applicable more generally in sanitized environments such as hospitals, water treatment facilities and pharmaceutical plants, according to the researchers.

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

Research – 10 Deadly Food Poisoning Outbreaks in US History

Posted on August 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

Over the years, the United States has seen several foodborne illness outbreaks, some of which have been more lethal than others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that contaminated food causes approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths yearly. The number of cases is usually higher during an outbreak than in a normal year. Foodborne illness outbreaks typically occur when multiple people contract a similar illness after consuming a common food, and analysis of the food implicates it as the source of the disease.

In the early 1920s, the Public Health Service was responsible for reporting foodborne illness outbreaks in the US. In 1961, the CDC, then known as the Communicable Disease Center, took over the role, and in 2011, it began publishing annual summaries of food poisoning outbreaks online.

Check the link above for the top ten.

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Research – Lag between Campylobacter cases in broilers and humans

Posted on August 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Poultry World

A Swedish study of human cases of campylobacteriosis and the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in broilers has found a 2-week time lag, suggesting transmission through handling and consumption of fresh chicken meat.

The study, published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, looked at cases between 2009 and 2019, exploring the relationship between the proportion of Campylobacter-positive broiler batches and the number of reported domestic cases in Sweden in humans.

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Posted in Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Retailer Campylobacter Survey

Research – Pooled prevalence and genetic diversity of norovirus in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Posted on August 20, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Virology J

Food Borne Illness - Norovirus -CDC Photo

Abstract

Background

Noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups globally. The problem is magnified in developing countries including Africa. These viruses are highly prevalent with high genetic diversity and fast evolution rates. With this dynamicity, there are no recent review in the past five years in Africa. Therefore, this review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence and genetic diversity of noroviruses in Africa and tried to address the change in the prevalence and genetic diverisity the virus has been observed in Africa and in the world.

Methods

Twenty-one studies for the pooled prevalence, and 11 out of the 21 studies for genetic characterization of norovirus were included. Studies conducted since 2006, among symptomatic cases of all age groups in Africa, conducted with any study design, used molecular diagnostic methods and reported since 2015, were included and considered for the main meta-analysis. PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched to obtain the studies. The quality the studies was assessed using the JBI assessment tool. Data from studies reporting both asymptomatic and symptomatic cases, that did not meet the inclusion criteria were reviewed and included as discussion points. Data was entered to excel and imported to STATA 2011 to compute the prevalence and genetic diversity. Heterogeneity was checked using I2 test statistics followed by subgroup and sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and eggers test that was followed by trim and fill analysis.

Result

The pooled prevalence of norovirus was 20.2% (95% CI: 15.91, 24.4). The highest (36.3%) prevalence was reported in Ghana. Genogroup II noroviruses were dominant and reported as 89.5% (95% CI: 87.8, 96). The highest and lowest prevalence of this genogroup were reported in Ethiopia (98.3%), and in Burkina Faso (72.4%), respectively. Diversified genotypes had been identified with an overall prevalence of GII. 4 NoV (50.8%) which was followed by GII.6, GII.17, GI.3 and GII.2 with a pooled prevalence of 7.7, 5.1, 4.6, and 4.2%, respectively.

Conclusion

The overall pooled prevalence of norovirus was high in Africa with the dominance of genogroup II and GII.4 genotype. This prevalence is comparable with some reviews done in the same time frame around the world. However, in Africa, an in increasing trained of pooled prevalence had been reported through time. Likewise, a variable distribution of non-GII.4 norovirus genotypes were reported as compared to those studies done in the world of the same time frame, and those previous reviews done in Africa. Therefore, continuous surveillance is required in Africa to support future interventions and vaccine programs.

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Norovirus, Research, Virus

Resaerch- Evaluation of Various Lactic Acid Bacteria and Generic E. coli as Potential Non-pathogenic Surrogates for In-Plant Validation of Biltong Dried Beef Processing

Posted on August 20, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Validation studies conducted within a food processing facility using surrogate organisms could better represent the manufacturing process than controlled laboratory studies with pathogenic bacteria on precision equipment in a BSL-2 lab. The objectives of this project were to examine potential surrogate bacteria during biltong processing, conduct biltong surrogate validation lethality studies, and measure critical factors and intrinsic parameters during processing. Beef pieces (1.9 cm × 5.1 cm × 7.6 cm) were inoculated with four-strain mixtures of Carnobacterium divergens/C. gallinarum, Pediococcus acidilactici/P. pentosaceous, and Biotype 1 E. coli ATCC BAA (-1427, -1428, -1429, and -1430), as well as a two-strain mixture of Latilactobacillus sakei and other commercially available individual bacterial cultures (P. acidilactici Saga200/Kerry Foods; Enterococcus faecium 201224-016/Vivolac Cultures). Inoculated beef was vacuum-tumbled in marinade and dried in a humidity-controlled oven for 8–10 days (24.9 °C; 55% relative humidity). Microbial enumeration of surviving surrogate bacteria and evaluation of intrinsic factors (water activity, pH, and salt concentration) were performed post inoculation, post marination, and after 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days of drying. Trials were performed in duplicate replication with triplicate samples per sampling time and analyzed by one-way RM-ANOVA. Trials conducted with E. faecium, Pediococcus spp., and L. sakei never demonstrated more than 2 log reduction during the biltong process. However, Carnobacterium achieved a >5 log (5.85 log) reduction over a drying period of 8 days and aligned with the reductions observed in previous trials with pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and S. aureus) in biltong validation studies. Studies comparing resuspended freeze-dried or frozen cells vs. freshly grown cells for beef inoculation showed no significant differences during biltong processing. Carnobacterium spp. would be an effective nonpathogenic in-plant surrogate to monitor microbial safety that mimics the response of pathogenic bacteria to validate biltong processing within a manufacturer’s own facility. View Full-Text

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Enterococcus, Enterococcus faecium, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, lactic acid bacteria, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed – Salmonella – Poultry Meal – Feed Materials

Posted on August 19, 2022 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Salmonella in poultry meal from the United Kingdom in Netherlands and Belgium

RASFF

Salmonella Isangi in feed materials from Germany in Norway

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

Denmark – Outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis in Denmark

Posted on August 18, 2022 by | Leave a comment

SSI

Since 31 March 2022, 21 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis have been registered at the Statens Serum Institut. In the current outbreak, the source of infection remains unknown, but an investigation is underway.

Last edited on August 16, 2022

About the disease outbreak

Between 31 March 2022 and 30 July 2022, 21 people have been registered at the Statens Serum Institut who have been infected with the same type of Salmonella Enteritidis (figure 1). Among the sick are 15 men and 6 women. The patients are between 8-59 years old (median age is 28 years). The patients primarily live in the Capital Region and Zealand Region (table 1).

The Statens Serum Institut is working together with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Norwegian Food Institute DTU on this outbreak to identify the source of infection.

Number of cases of Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type 11 per week, 2022, (n = 21)

Table 1. Patients with Salmonella Enteritidis in Denmark, March to July 2022, per region (n=21)

Region  Number of patients
 The capital   13
 Zealand   5
 Central Jutland   2
 Southern Denmark   1
 Northern Jutland   0
 Total  21

The outbreak strain

The bacteria is of the type Salmonella Enteritidis. When whole-genome sequencing of the bacteria isolated from the patients shows that they are very closely related and belong to sequence type 11.

General about salmonella infection

Salmonella is found in animals and can infect humans through food contaminated with the bacteria. Salmonella is a frequent and well-known cause of bacterial intestinal infections in Denmark. There are more than 2,500 different types of salmonella.

Incubation period

The time that passes from being infected to getting symptoms varies from 6-72 hours. Usually 12-36 hours before symptoms appear.

Symptoms

Infection with salmonella typically causes general malaise, diarrhoea, stomach ache, possibly nausea, vomiting and/or fever. The infection is often accompanied by joint pain, muscle pain and headache. Plenty of fluids are important to prevent and treat dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting. In the event of severe diarrheal disease, a doctor should be consulted.

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