Category Archives: Food Microbiology Research

Tools to Enumerate and Predict Distribution Patterns of Environmental Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Posted on October 7, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) are water- and foodborne bacteria that can cause several distinct human diseases, collectively called vibriosis. The success of oyster aquaculture is negatively impacted by high Vibrio abundances. Myriad environmental factors affect the distribution of pathogenic Vibrio, including temperature, salinity, eutrophication, extreme weather events, and plankton loads, including harmful algal blooms. In this paper, we synthesize the current understanding of ecological drivers of Vv and Vp and provide a summary of various tools used to enumerate Vv and Vp in a variety of environments and environmental samples. We also highlight the limitations and benefits of each of the measurement tools and propose example alternative tools for more specific enumeration of pathogenic Vv and Vp. Improvement of molecular methods can tighten better predictive models that are potentially important for mitigation in more controlled environments such as aquaculture.

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Posted in Food Microbiology Research, Research, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus

Sweden – Norovirus behind most outbreaks and illnesses in Sweden

Posted on October 6, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Food Borne Illness - Norovirus -CDC Photo

Norovirus caused the most outbreaks and illnesses in 2022, according to the Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket).

Overall, there were 337 reports of suspected or confirmed foodborne illnesses to the agency with 2,261 cases of illness. In 303 events, two or more people were infected from the same source. This is up from 251 outbreaks with 1,467 patients in 2021.

In 2022, the number of food poisonings returned to the level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in outbreaks and illnesses began in late 2021, when several restrictions imposed during the pandemic were lifted.

The number of incidents peaked during the last six months of 2022. This was because of four large outbreaks with more than 100 patients during September and December.

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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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Norovirus, outbreak

RASFF Alert- Microbial and Chemical spoilage of food for special medical purpos

Posted on October 6, 2023 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Microbial and Chemical spoilage of food for special medical purposes from the UK in Malta

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Posted in Food Chemistry, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Spoilage, microbial contamination, RASFF

RASFF Alerts – Listeria monocytogenes – Tahini – Beef Kebab

Posted on October 6, 2023 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Listeria monocytogenes in Tahini from the Netherlands in Belgium

RASFF

Listeria monocytogenes in beef kebab from Poland in Sweden

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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 Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, RASFF

Research – Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Non-Hemolytic L. monocytogenes Isolated from Food and Processing Environments

Posted on October 5, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Increasingly, Listeria monocytogenes (LM) with atypical phenotypic and genotypic characteristics are being isolated from food, causing problems with their classification and testing.
From 2495 soil, food, and swab samples from the food industry, 262 LM isolates were found. A total of 30 isolates were isolated, mainly from soil and plant food, and were classified as atypical LM (aLM) because they lacked the ability to move (30/11.4%) and perform hemolysis (25/9.5%). The isolation environment affected aLM incidence, cell size, sugar fermentation capacity, antibiotic sensitivity, and the number of virulence genes.
Therefore, despite several characteristics differentiating all aLMs/non-hemolytic isolates from reference LMs, the remaining phenotypic characteristics were specific to each aLM isolate (like a fingerprint). The aLM/non-hemolytic isolates, particularly those from the soil and meat industries, showed more variability in their sugar fermentation capacity and were less sensitive to antibiotics than LMs. As many as 11 (36.7%) aLM isolates had resistance to four different antibiotics or simultaneously to two antibiotics. The aLM isolates possessed 3–7 of the 12 virulence genes: prfA and hly in all aLMs, while iap was not present.
Only five (16.7%) isolates were classified into serogroups 1/2c-3c or 4a-4c. The aLM/non-hemolytic isolates differed by many traits from L. immobilis and atypical L. innocua. The reference method of reviving and isolating LM required optimization of aLM. Statistical analyses of clustering, correlation, and PCA showed similarities and differences between LM and aLM/non-hemolytic isolates due to individual phenotypic traits and genes.
Correlations were found between biochemical traits, antibiotic resistance, and virulence genes. The increase in the incidence of atypical non-hemolytic LM may pose a risk to humans, as they may not be detected by ISO methods and have greater antibiotic resistance than LM. aLM from LM can be distinguished based on lack of hemolysis, motility, growth at 4 °C, ability to ferment D-arabitol, and lack of six specific genes.

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Posted in Food Microbiology Research, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Research

Research – EU audits investigate Egypt and India’s Aflatoxin problem

Posted on October 5, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The European Commission’s health and safety unit has published findings from two assessments looking at controls on aflatoxins in nuts in Egypt and India.

A DG Sante audit in Egypt in September 2022 was due to continuing Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications for aflatoxins in peanuts. There were 41 in 2021 and at least 34 in 2022. A few operators are behind the majority of rejections, said auditors. Local officials said the rise in alerts was related to increased exports.

Each consignment of peanuts originating in or coming from Egypt must be accompanied by a health certificate and results of official sampling and analysis verifying compliance with EU aflatoxin limits. Imports are also subject to checks at a frequency of 30 percent.

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Aspergillus Toxin, Food Microbiology Research, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Research

Research – Combining High-Pressure Processing and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide for Inactivation of Listeria innocua

Posted on October 5, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

The effect of high-pressure treatment with supercritical CO2 on the inactivation of Listeria innocua in a fish soup was investigated. The soup was inoculated with L. innocua, packaged in modified atmosphere with 50:50 or 95:5 CO2:N2, high-pressure processed (300, 350, 400 and 600 MPa, 2 min) under subcritical (T < 304 K) or supercritical conditions (T > 304 K) and stored at 4 °C for up to 53 days. Treatment at 400 and 600 MPa had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on L. innocua under both supercritical and subcritical conditions. In contrast, pressurization at 350 MPa and supercritical conditions were needed to significantly (p < 0.05) inactive L. innocua. Increased levels of CO2 in the headspace significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the bacterial load during processing, and supercritical conditions had a significant (p < 0.01) interaction with both CO2 levels and pressure. Increased storage time gave significantly increased levels of L. innocua at 400 and 600 MPa. In addition, high levels of CO2 significantly decreased (p < 0.001) growth. However, 350 MPa under supercritical conditions seemed to set the L. innocua in a permanent lag phase, with slow and steadily decreasing numbers of bacteria during storage. All the design variables resulted in significant inactivation of L. innocua, and supercritical conditions combined with high levels of CO2 inhibited the recovery of L. innocua to a large degree.

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

France – Smoked trout from the Pyrenees with Île de Ré salt (210g) – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on October 3, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Gov france

  • Product category Food
  • Product subcategory Fishing and aquaculture products
  • Product brand name House Peneau
  • Model names or references Pyrenees smoked trout 210g
  • Product identification
    GTIN Batch Date
    3389400343571 230341 Use-by date 10/26/2023
  • Packaging Under a vacuum
  • Start/end date of marketing From 09/14/2023 to 10/26/2023
  • Storage temperature Product to keep in the refrigerator
  • Health mark FR 17.421.007
  • Further information Check the batch number entered on the traceability label stuck to the back of the product
  • Geographical sales area Whole France
  • Distributors Crossroads

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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 Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria France, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria Smoked Fish

England and Wales – Listeriosis in England and Wales: summary for 2020

Posted on October 3, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Gov UK

Main points for 2020

This report summarises the number, demographics and clinical outcomes of confirmed cases of listeriosis in England and Wales in 2020:

A total 124 cases of listeriosis were reported in England and Wales.

Incidence rates of listeriosis were highest in people aged 80 years and over.

Overall, the crude incidence of listeriosis was lower in men than women, but reported cases among men aged 60 to 69 were 4 times higher than in women aged 60 to 69.

Pregnancy associated infections accounted for a fifth of all reported cases and, a 34.8% of pregnancy-associated cases resulted in stillbirth or miscarriage.

Among non-pregnancy associated cases of listeriosis, death was reported for 29 cases (29.3%), of whom 17 (17.2%) were known to have listeriosis recorded as a cause of death on the death certificate.

Incidence of listeriosis varied geographically, with the lowest incidence in the North West (0.15 per 100,000 population) and the highest in the East Midlands (0.27 per 100,0000 population).

There were 2 listeriosis outbreaks investigated in England, including a national outbreak associated with smoked salmon.

Listeriosis is a foodborne disease caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. These bacteria are widely distributed in the environment and infection usually occurs after consumption of contaminated raw, chilled, or ready-to-eat foods, and can cause sporadic infection and outbreaks of disease. People with listeriosis have been reported to develop symptoms between 1 to 70 days after consuming food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Compared to other foodborne pathogens, infections in humans are relatively rare, with 2,621 confirmed cases of listeriosis reported across 28 EU member states in 2019, and a median of 160 cases in England and Wales each year (2010 to 2019). However, listeriosis can cause severe clinical outcomes in vulnerable groups, including those aged over 60 years, pregnant women and their unborn or newborn babies, and people with impaired immunity. In these groups, listeriosis can present as infection of the bloodstream or brain. Due to the severity of infection and high case fatality rate, listeriosis is an important public health concern.

National surveillance of listeriosis in England and Wales has been undertaken since 1992. This report summarises the number, demographics and clinical outcomes of confirmed cases of listeriosis in England and Wales reported in 2020.

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria Smoked Fish, listeriosis, outbreak, Research

USA – Patient count more than doubles in Salmonella outbreak linked to taqueria

Posted on October 3, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Chicago’s Department of Public Health has confirmed 55 Salmonella infections stemming from the outbreak at an Avondale taqueria, Carniceria Guanajuato, up from 20 last week.

At least 17 people have been hospitalized as of Sept. 30.

An investigation into the source of the bacteria is ongoing. The restaurant remains closed as owners work with public officials to bring the eatery up to safety standards.

Carniceria Guanajuato was inspected Sept. 8 after reports of food poisoning. City health inspectors found raw beef and raw shelled eggs stored above ready-to-eat lettuce and improper storage of hot and cold foods, among other violations.

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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