Category Archives: Food Microbiology Research

Research – Potential Risk of Three Zoonotic Protozoa (Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Toxoplasma gondii) Transmission from Fish Consumption

Posted on December 22, 2020 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

In recent decades, worldwide fish consumption has increased notably worldwide. Despite the health benefits of fish consumption, it also can suppose a risk because of fishborne diseases, including parasitic infections. Global changes are leading to the emergence of parasites in new locations and to the appearance of new sources of transmission. That is the case of the zoonotic protozoa Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Toxoplasma gondii; all of them reach aquatic environments and have been found in shellfish. Similarly, these protozoa can be present in other aquatic animals, such as fish. The present review gives an overview on these three zoonotic protozoa in order to understand their potential presence in fish and to comprehensively revise all the evidences of fish as a new potential source of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Toxoplasma gondii transmission. All of them have been found in both marine and freshwater fishes. Until now, it has not been possible to demonstrate that fish are natural hosts for these protozoa; otherwise, they would merely act as mechanical transporters. Nevertheless, even if fish only accumulate and transport these protozoa, they could be a “new” source of infection for people. View Full-Text

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Posted in Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Giardia, Research, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, Zoonosis

Research – Special Issue: Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

Posted on December 22, 2020 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Globally, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important cause of diarrheal disease, most notably hemorrhagic colitis, and post-diarrheal sequela, such as hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) [1]. Cattle are a major reservoir of STEC, with approximately half of the cases in humans attributable to foodborne exposure [2]. Prevention of human illness has mainly been through food safety measures [2]. Despite extensive research, no other generally accepted and effective preventive measures or therapies for STEC infections in human patients are available [3]. Many questions remain about STEC virulence factors, pathogenesis, detection, and other aspects that necessitate a continuation of basic and applied research on a wide front. This Special Issue includes 14 papers (nine articles, two communications, one review, one comment, and one reply) that collectively provide novel information on the epidemiology [4,5,6,7], virulence factors [7,8,9,10], and pathogenesis [11,12,13] of STEC, and the molecular structure or toxicity [14,15,16] and immunodetection [17] of Shiga toxin.

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, E.coli, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology Research, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Pathogen, pathogenic, STEC, STEC E.coli

India – FSSAI issues new manual for analysing aflatoxin in food

Posted on December 21, 2020 by | Leave a comment

FNB News

The apex food regulator, FSSAI, has issued a revised manual for methods of analysis of mycotoxins including aflatoxin in food. FSSAI has stated that the manual shall be used by the laboratories with immediate effect and this manual shall supersede the earlier manual on mycotoxins.

According to the FSSAI all food samples suspected of being contaminated with mycotoxins must be handled with extreme care, as aflatoxins are potent carcinogenic substances.

The manual talks about personal safety precautions, precautions during analysis  and handling of glassware for aflatoxin analysis.

Currently, the regulatory limits for mycotoxins in food as defined by the FSSAI include 15 microgram per kg in cereals, and cereal products, pulses, nuts and nuts for further processing. For Aflatoxins  the limit is prescribed at 10 microgram  per kg for ready to eat products, and dried figs, while 30 microgram per kg for spices and for oilseeds for further processing, the limit is set at 15 microgram per kg.

Similarly, the limit of Aflatoxin M1 in milk is 0.5 microgram per kg, Ochratoxin A in wheat, barley and rye is at 20 microgram per kg, and for Patulin, the limit is 50mcrogram per kg in apple juice and apple juice ingredients in other beverages.

Further, the limit for Deoxynivalenol  in wheat is fixed at 1000ppm.

Mycotoxins—toxic secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi—are biological in origin. Only a few of the thousands of mycotoxins present significant food safety challenges to the farm-to-fork food continuum. The natural fungal flora associated with food safety is dominated by three genres: Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium.

Aflatoxins are highly toxic secondary metabolites and aflatoxin-producing fungi can contaminate crops in the field, at harvest, and during storage. Some of the more common crops susceptible to contamination with aflatoxins are cereals (e.g. maize, rice and wheat). The husk of these cereals are often used as animal feed.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) Deoxynivalenol (DON) also known as vomitoxin is a trichothecene mycotoxin mainly produced by Fusarium fungi (Fusarium molds). This plant pathogens can cause scab mainly in wheat and barley etc., and damages cereals the most widely by contamination in the field. The main commodities affected are cereals such as wheat, rice, barley, oats and maize etc.

Patulin is a mycotoxin that is produced by certain species of Penicillium, Apergillus, and Byssochylamys molds that may grow on a variety of foods including fruit, grains, and cheese  while Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a naturally occurring foodborne mycotoxin found in a wide variety of agricultural commodities worldwide, ranging from cereal grains to dried fruits to wine and coffee.

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Posted in Aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol, DON, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Food Toxin, Fumonsins, Fusarium Toxin, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Patulin, Research

Research – Sporadic Pediatric Norovirus Cases May Predict Broader Outbreaks

Posted on December 21, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Contagion Live

Norovirus Food Safety kswfoodworld

Seasonal increases in sporadic pediatric cases of norovirus gastroenteritis correlate with norovirus outbreaks among older populations, a new study found.

The study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, analyzed seasonal patterns and genotypic characteristics of norovirus cases between December 2012 and June 2016 in middle Tennessee.

“Sporadic case surveillance and outbreaks followed very similar patterns geographically and temporally,” John R. Dunn, DVM, PhD, state epidemiologist with the Tennessee Department of Health, told Contagion®. “These commonalities in the different surveillance systems indicate that opportunities may exist to slow or prevent outbreaks when sporadic cases start to increase in the community.”

During the study period, 755 pediatric sporadic norovirus cases and 45 outbreaks involving 1924 people were reported.

The mean age of sporadic pediatric cases was 2.9 years, 81.3% were among children younger than 5, and 30% reported attending childcare facilities.

Among 740 outbreak cases with reported ages, 61.6% were in people older than 50, and 42% of outbreaks occurred in long-term care facilities. Childcare facilities and restaurants each accounted for 8.9% of outbreaks. Person-to-person transmission was reported in 80% of outbreaks and 8.9% were reported as foodborne transmission.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Research, Virus

Research – Catalan – The control of Listeria monocytogenes in the kitchens of at-risk communities

Posted on December 21, 2020 by | Leave a comment

ACSA

Requirements  to help ensure the safety microbiological food , especially of Listeria monocytogenes in the kitchens serving food to communities as residential geriatric and hospitals .

The  Listeriosis is an infection opportunistic that affects most frequently the population risk as elderly , pregnant women and people with the system immune depressed. Although little frequent, the listeriosis can be a serious illness in the groups of population vulnerable , which may require hospitalization in a proportion high case. Listeria monocytogenes is a hazard that requires special attention and control in the centers and establishments that supply food for risk groups .

Document in Catalan.

PDF

Author / s
Catalan Agency for Food Safety
pages27
Year2020

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes

Research – Prevalence, Concentration, and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Salmonella Isolated from Florida Poultry Litter

Posted on December 20, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

ABSTRACT

For over a decade, Salmonella contamination has increasingly led to outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with fresh produce. The use of untreated animal manures, or biological soil amendments of animal origin, to amend agricultural soils holds a risk of contamination from foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence, concentration, serotypes, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Salmonella in poultry litter from Florida farms. Litter pH, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus (P2O5), total potassium (K2O), moisture content, total solids, total ash, organic matter, and aerobic plate count (APC) were also measured. Litter samples (n = 54) were collected from 18 broiler farms across three seasons (spring, summer, and winter). Salmonella concentrations were enumerated using a most-probable-number (MPN) method, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed. The prevalence of Salmonella in litter samples was 61.1%, with a geometric mean of 0.21 ± 20.7 MPN/g. Across all seasons, Salmonella concentrations were not influenced by the chemical, physical, or microbial properties measured. Recovered Salmonella isolates (n = 290) were grouped into serogroups O:4 (43.1%), O:7 (26.9%), O:8 (11.0%), O:1,3,10,19 (7.9%), and O:9,46 (7.2%). Serotyping Salmonella isolates (n = 47) resulted in 12 serotypes, with the most common being Typhimurium (27.7%), Kentucky (17.0%), Enteritidis (14.9%), and Mbandaka (14.9%). Antimicrobial resistance to tetracycline (29.8%), sulfisoxazole (23.4%), and streptomycin (14.9%) was observed. No isolates were resistant to more than two antimicrobial agents. This study provides valuable information for future risk assessments for the use of poultry litter as an untreated biological soil amendment of animal origin.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Prevalence and concentration of Salmonella in Florida poultry litter were examined.
  • Serovars Typhimurium, Kentucky, Enteritidis, and Mbandaka were most common.
  • Antimicrobial resistance to tetracycline, sulfisoxazole, and streptomycin was seen.
  • Multidrug-resistant Salmonella isolates were not observed.

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Posted in Antibacterial, Antibiotic Resistance, antimicrobial resistance, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Research, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

Research – Botulism outbreak after the consumption of vegetarian pâté in the south of Viet Nam

Posted on December 20, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Welcome Open Research

kswfoodworld

Botulism is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. Here we reported a case series of six patients who presented with botulism following ingestion of commercially made pâté. The key features of presentation were acute onset of bilateral cranial nerve palsies and symmetrical descending weakness in the absence of fever resulting in the need for mechanical ventilation in all six patients. The clinical diagnosis of botulism was confirmed through the identification of C. botulinum from the suspected food source.  Given that botulinum antitoxin was not available in Vietnam at the time, and their severe status, all patients received a trial of plasma exchange therapy, but no clear benefit was seen.
Due to its rarity, diagnosing botulism is a challenge, demanding high clinical suspicion. Successful outcomes depend upon early recognition and rapid initiation of specific treatment with botulinum antitoxin. There is a need to improve global access to antitoxin.  These cases, the first in Viet Nam, serve as a reminder of the need to maintain the highest possible food hygiene and preservation practices.

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Posted in botulism, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Research

Research – Enabling cost-effective screening for antimicrobials against Listeria monocytogenes in ham

Posted on December 20, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products, such as deli ham, can support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes (LM) which can cause severe illness in immunocompromised individuals. The objectives of this study were to validate a miniature ham model (MHM) against the ham slice method and screen antimicrobial combinations to control LM on ham using response surface methodology (RSM) as a time- and cost-effective high-throughput screening tool. The effect of nisin (Ni), potassium lactate sodium acetate (PLSDA), lauric arginate (LAG), lytic bacteriophage (P100), and Ɛ-polylysine (EPL) added alone, or in combination, was determined on the MHM over 12 days of storage. Results showed the MHM accurately mimics the ham slice method since no statistical differences were found (p=0.526) in the change of LM cell counts in MHM and slice counts after 12 days of storage at 4°C for treated and untreated hams. The MHM was then used to screen antimicrobial combinations using an on-face design and three center points in a central composite design. The RSM was tested using a cocktail of five LM strains isolated from foodborne disease outbreaks. Three levels of the above mentioned antimicrobials were used in combination for a total of 28 runs performed in triplicate. The change of LM cell counts were determined after 12 days of storage at 4°C. All tested antimicrobials were effective on reducing LM cell counts on ham when added alone. A significant antagonistic interaction (p=0.002) was identified by the RSM between LAG and P100, where this antimicrobial combination caused a 2.2 logCFU/g change of LM cell counts after 12 days of storage. Two  interactions, between Ni and EPL (p=0.058), and Ni and P100 (p=0.068), showed possible synergistic effects against LM on the MHM. Other interactions were clearly non-significant, suggesting additive effects. In future work, the developed MHM in combination with RSM can be used as a high-throughput method to analyze novel antimicrobial treatments against LM

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research

Research – Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates from Local and Imported Retail Chicken Carcasses

Posted on December 19, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

ABSTRACT

The spread of antibiotic resistance among bacterial strains has been associated with consumption of food contaminated with both pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli isolates in local and imported retail raw chicken meat in Qatar. A total of 270 locally produced (chilled) and imported (chilled or frozen) whole chicken carcasses were obtained from three Hypermarket stores in Qatar. The 216 E. coli isolates recovered from the chicken samples were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing with the disk diffusion method. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production was evaluated with the double disk synergy test. Isolates harboring colistin resistance were identified with a multiplex PCR assay and DNA sequencing. Nearly 89% (192) of the 216 isolates were resistant to at least one of the 18 antibiotics tested. Isolates from local and imported chicken carcasses had relatively higher resistance to sulfamethoxazole (62% of isolates), tetracycline (59.7%), ampicillin and trimethoprim (52.3% each), ciprofloxacin (47.7%), cephalothin (45.4%), and colistin (31.9%). Less resistance was found to amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (6%), ceftriaxone (5.1%), nitrofurantoin (4.2%), piperacillin-tazobactam (4.2%), cefepime (2.3%), meropenem (1.4%), ertapenem (0.9%), and amikacin (0.9%). Nine isolates (4.2%) were ESBL producers, and 137 (63.4%) were multidrug resistant. The percentages of multidrug-resistant, ESBL-producing, and colistin resistant isolates were significantly higher among isolates from local chilled than from imported chilled and frozen chicken samples. Our findings indicate the high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in chicken meat sold at retail in Qatar.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • A high prevalence of antibiotic resistant E. coli was found in retail chicken in Qatar.
  • Multidrug resistance was observed in 63.4% of the E. coli isolates.
  • Colistin resistance was observed in 31.9% of the E. coli isolates.
  • Contamination of chicken meat with antibiotic-resistant E. coli is a public health concern.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, antimicrobial resistance, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research

Research – Innovative Antimicrobial Chitosan/ZnO/Ag NPs/Citronella Essential Oil Nanocomposite—Potential Coating for Grapes – Antimicrobial

Posted on December 19, 2020 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

New packaging materials based on biopolymers are gaining increasing attention due to many advantages like biodegradability or existence of renewable sources. Grouping more antimicrobials agents in the same packaging can create a synergic effect, resulting in either a better antimicrobial activity against a wider spectrum of spoilage agents or a lower required quantity of antimicrobials. In the present work, we obtained a biodegradable antimicrobial film that can be used as packaging material for food. Films based on chitosan as biodegradable polymer, with ZnO and Ag nanoparticles as filler/antimicrobial agents were fabricated by a casting method. The nanoparticles were loaded with citronella essential oil (CEO) in order to enhance the antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposite films. The tests made on Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains indicated a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, with inhibition diameters of over 30 mm for bacterial strains and over 20 mm for fungal strains. The synergic effect was evidenced by comparing the antimicrobial results with chitosan/ZnO/CEO or chitosan/Ag/CEO simple films. According to the literature and our preliminary studies, these formulations are suitable as coating for fruits. The obtained nanocomposite films presented lower water vapor permeability values when compared with the chitosan control film. The samples were characterized by SEM, fluorescence and UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and microscopy, and thermal analysis.

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Posted in Antibacterial, antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Research, Technology