Category Archives: Food Technology

Research : Inhibitory Effect of Cinnamon Powder on Pathogen Growth in Laboratory Media

Posted on January 3, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ingentaconnect

Abstract:

There has been an increasing interest in the use of natural plant materials as alternative food preservatives. We examined the antimicrobial effects of natural plant materials used as additives against foodborne pathogens in laboratory media and Sulgidduk, oriental-style rice cakes. Cinnamon, mugwort, and garlic powder solutions (3%) were tested for their antimicrobial activities against pathogens in laboratory media. Sulgidduk prepared with different amounts of cinnamon powder (1, 3, and 6%) was inoculated with a Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus cereus cocktail. The samples were air or vacuum packaged and stored at 22 ± 1°C for 72 h, and microbial growth was determined. Cinnamon powder showed more inhibitory properties against pathogens such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, S. aureus, and B. cereus than did mugwort or garlic powder. The populations of S. aureus and B. cereus in Sulgidduk containing cinnamon powder were significantly lower than in the control during storage time. Different packaging methods did not result in a significant difference in pathogen growth. In a sensory evaluation, Sulgidduk containing 1 and 3% cinnamon powder did not significantly differ from the control sample in any of the attributes tested other than flavor. These results indicate that natural plant materials such as cinnamon powder could be used as food additives to improve the microbiological stability of rice cakes.

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Posted in Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, E.coli, Food Technology, Food Testing, Methods, Microbiology, Research, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus

Research – Hot Water and Chlorine Treatments – Bean Sprout

Posted on December 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Science DirectEurofins

Abstract

The majority of bean sprout-related outbreaks have been associated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella, and an effective method to inactivate these organisms on seeds prior to sprouting is important to avoid foodborne pathogen diseases. We have previously tested treatment with a combination of hot water and chlorine, and a high bactericidal effect without decreases in the germination ratio was observed on mung bean seeds produced in China. To evaluate the versatility of this treatment, the present study confirmed whether our disinfection treatment can be applied to mung bean seeds produced in another country (Myanmar). A more than 5.0 log CFU/g reduction of E. coli O157:H7 was achieved when the mung bean seeds were treated with hot water at 85 °C for 10–40 s, followed by soaking in a 2000 ppm chlorine solution for 2 h; the hot water treatment at 85 °C for 40 s followed by the chlorine treatment completely eliminated E. coli O157:H7 from the mung bean seeds. Additionally, a more than 5.0 log CFU/g reduction was obtained for Salmonella after the hot water treatment at 85 °C followed by the chlorine treatment. These treatments did not significantly affect the viability and germination of the mung bean seeds, and a sufficient yield for commercial uses was obtained.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Hygiene, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

USA – Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Database 1984 – 2012

Posted on December 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Marler Clark

Welcome to outbreakdatabase.com, a searchable database of illness outbreaks caused by one or more of the following

  1. consumption of contaminated foods or beverages,
  2. exposure to animals,
  3. exposure to contaminated recreational water,
  4. person-to-person contact with someone whose illness initiated from animal exposure or consumption of contaminated foods and beverages.

The database describes outbreaks occurring since 1984.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines an outbreak as “two or more ill persons linked to a common source” and this serves as the basis of outbreakdatabase.com. To be included in outbreakdatabase.com, the outbreak must have supporting documentation from public health agencies, journal articles, media reports, etc. Names of stores, brands, restaurants, or other sources are listed if they have been publicly identified previously.

The database is a work in progress. It will continually be updated and revised. Significant effort has been made to ensure the data are accurate. We welcome contributions, corrections, comments, etc. Please use the contact form for comments.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Spoilage, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, Research

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Research – Listeria Effect of Reduced Salt and Organinc Acids and Salt Derivatives

Posted on December 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online Library

Abstract:  Reducing sodium in food could have an effect on food safety. The objective was to determine differences in growth of Listeria monocytogenes in meat and poultry systems with salt substitutes. For phase 1, fresh ground beef, pork, and turkey with NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, MgCl2, sea salt, or replacement salt added at 2.0% were inoculated with L. monocytogenes to determine growth/survival during 5 d at 4 °C to simulate a pre-blend process. L. monocytogenes populations significantly decreased (0.41 log CFU/g) during the storage time in beef, but no differences (P > 0.05) were observed over time in pork or turkey. Salt type did not affect (P > 0.05) L. monocytogenes populations during pre-blend storage. MgCl2 and NaCl allowed significant growth of aerobic populations during storage. For phase 2, emulsified beef and pork products were processed with 2% NaCl, KCl, sea salt, or a NaCl/KCl blend and post-process surface-inoculated with L. monocytogenes to determine growth/survival at 4 °C for 28 d. Pork products showed significantly greater L. monocytogenes population growth at all sampling times (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d) than beef products, but salt type had no effect on L. monocytogenes populations with sampling times pooled for data analysis. Although salt types had no impact on L. monocytogenes populations in preblend and emulsified meat products, pork and turkey preblends and emulsified pork had greater L. monocytogenes populations compared with beef products. These studies demonstrate that sodium may not affect the safety of preblends and emulsified meat and poultry products.

Practical Application:  odium reduction in food is an important topic because of sodium’s unfavorable health effects. This research shows that reducing sodium in pre-blends and emulsified meat and poultry products would have no effect on Listeria monocytogenes populations, but replacement of NaCl with MgCl2 may affect growth of aerobic populations.

Mary Ann Liebert

Abstract

This article reports on the antilisterial properties of selected organic acids and salt derivatives in order to suggest possible alternatives in food preservation and pathogen control in the poultry meat processing industry. The susceptibility of two Listeria monocytogenes isolates was assessed against five organic acids (lactic, acetic, malic, citric, and propionic) and two acid-salt derivatives (sorbic acid [potassium salt] and benzoic acid [sodium salt]) across a series of pH environments. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the acids were tested against the two strains by means of an agar-dilution method. In general, strain CC60 was found to be more resistant than strain CC77 to both organic acids and salts. At pH values of 7 and above, high MIC levels (low susceptibility) were noted for potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, and lactic acids, whereas susceptibility at lower pH increased reaching pH5 where the isolates were susceptible to all the organic acids tested. A small increase in pH notably reduced antimicrobial activity against the organisms. At pH 7, the isolates just about lost susceptibility to benzoic, lactic, malic, and sorbic acids. Although the activity of the majority of acids was linked to pH, some acids were not as closely related (e.g., potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, and citric acid), and this suggests that the type of organic acids plays a role in inhibition. The relatively high MICs reported for compounds that are conventionally used as preservatives against Listeria spp. raise concern. The results furthermore suggest that the type of organic acid used to set pH, and not only pH alone, plays a role in determining inhibition. It was confirmed that a “one size fits all” approach to preservation is not always effective. Furthermore, the need for microbiological data to the subspecies level to inform the selection of preservatives was highlighted.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria welshimeri, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

Research – Grape Seed Extract Effect on Virus and E.coli on Fresh Cut Lettuce

Posted on December 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Grape seed extract (GSE) is reported to have antibacterial properties with few current studies on antiviral activity. Recently, we reported the effects of GSE against foodborne viral surrogates in vitro. This study evaluated the application of GSE (commercial Gravinol-S) against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and human norovirus surrogates, feline calicivirus (FCV-F9) and murine norovirus (MNV-1), on model produce. Washed and air-dried lettuce (3 × 3 cm2) and jalapeno peppers (25–30 g) were inoculated with FCV-F9, MNV-1, or HAV at high (∼7 log10 PFU/ml) or low (∼5 log10 PFU/ml) titers, and treated with 0.25, 0.5, 1 mg/ml GSE or water for 30 s to 5 min. Treatments were stopped/diluted with cell-culture media containing 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum and evaluated using plaque assays. At high titers, FCV-F9 was reduced by 2.33, 2.58, and 2.71 log10 PFU on lettuce; and 2.20, 2.74, and 3.05 log10 PFU on peppers after 1 min using 0.25, 0.50, and 1 mg/ml GSE, respectively. Low FCV-F9 titers could not be detected after 1 min at all three GSE concentrations. Low titer MNV-1 was reduced by 0.2–0.3 log10 PFU on lettuce and 0.8 log10 PFU on peppers, without reduction of high titer. GSE at 0.25–1 mg/ml after 1 min caused 0.7–1.1 and 1–1.3 log10 PFU reduction for high and low HAV titers, respectively on both commodities. Instrumental color analysis showed no significant differences between treated and untreated produce. GSE shows potential for foodborne viral reduction on produce as part of hurdle technologies.

Direct Science

Fresh-cut iceberg lettuce inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 was submitted to chlorine washing (150 mg/mL) and modified atmosphere packaging on laboratory scale. Populations of E. coli O157:H7 were assessed in fresh-cut lettuce stored at 4, 8, 13 and 16 °C using 6–8 replicates in each analysis point in order to capture experimental variability. The pathogen was able to grow at temperatures ≥8 °C, although at low temperatures, growth data presented a high variability between replicates. Indeed, at 8 °C after 15 days, some replicates did not show growth while other replicates did present an increase. A growth primary model was fitted to the raw growth data to estimate lag time and maximum growth rate. The prediction and confidence bands for the fitted growth models were estimated based on Monte-Carlo method. The estimated maximum growth rates (log cfu/day) corresponded to 0.14 (95% CI: 0.06–0.31), 0.55 (95% CI: 0.17–1.20) and 1.43 (95% CI: 0.82–2.15) for 8, 13 and 16 °C, respectively. A square-root secondary model was satisfactorily derived from the estimated growth rates (R2 > 0.80; Bf = 0.97; Af = 1.46). Predictive models and data obtained in this study are intended to improve quantitative risk assessment studies for E. coli O157:H7 in leafy green products.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Hygiene, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Research, STEC

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UK – Norovirus Cruise Ship

Posted on December 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

News TankORIANA

The ‘Norovirus’ winter vomiting bug has reportedly scarred the luxury cruise ship, Oriana, with at least 150 of the almost 2000 holidaymakers journeying on P&O’s Oriana falling ill because of the Norovirus. Passengers on board the luxury cruise ship have described Oriana as a ‘plague ship’ and ‘a nightmare,’ with one passenger accusing the crew members of neglecting the suffering of those passengers tormented by the Norovirus winter vomiting bug.

One passenger has penned his review of Oriana on a travel website under the user name, Gibbons, describing how corridors and lavatories on board the luxury cruise liner smelt strongly of sick. The passenger further reviewed that the Norovirus outbreak on Oriana has made him wish that he had never booked a seat in Oriana in the first place.

The media reports over the Norovirus outbreak in Oriana have suggested that there is a possibility of a riot on the luxury cruise ship because the captain and the crew of Oriana are allegedly refusing to heed the concerns of the passengers troubled by the winter vomiting bug.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen

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Canada – Recall Mould Mycotoxin Patulin

Posted on December 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIACIFA

Reference Number: 7623 Recalling Firm: CIDRERIE MICHEL JODOIN Date of Recall: 12/3/2012 Recall Classification: 3 Distribution : Quebec Extent of the Product Distribution : Retail

Product List

Brand Name Common Name Size Codes(s) on Product UPC Reason for Recall:
VISTA BELLA MICHEL JODOIN SPARKLING APPLE MUST NO ALCOHOL 750 mL LOT 1112 6 09780 01127 7 Chemical – Toxin – Patulin

If you require additional information about an individual recall, please contact us.

Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by a variety of molds, in particular, Aspergillus and Penicillium. It is commonly found in rotting apples, and the amount of patulin in apple products is generally viewed as a measure of the quality of the apples used in production. It is not a particularly potent toxin, but a number of studies have shown that it is genotoxic, which has led to some theories that claim that it may be a carcinogen, though animal studies have remained inconclusive.Patulin is also an antibiotic.Several countries have instituted patulin restrictions in apple products. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum concentration of 50 µg/L in apple juice.

In European Union, the limit is set to 50 micrograms per kilogram (µg/kg) in both apple juice and cider, and to half of that concentration, 25 µg/kg in solid apple products and 10 µg/kg in products for infants and young children. These limits came into force on 1 November 2003.

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Posted in Aflatoxin, CFIA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Moulds, Pathogen, Patulin, Recall, Toxin

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Research – Inhibition of Clostridium and Detection of Enterotoxigenic Staph.

Posted on November 22, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Abstract:  Inhibition of Clostridium perfringens spore germination and outgrowth in reduced sodium roast beef by a blend of buffered lemon juice concentrate and vinegar (MoStatin LV1) during abusive exponential cooling was evaluated. Roast beef containing salt (NaCl; 1%, 1.5%, or 2%, w/w), blend of sodium pyro- and poly-phosphates (0.3%), and MoStatin LV1 (0%, 2%, or 2.5%) was inoculated with a 3-strain C. perfringens spore cocktail to achieve final spore population of 2.5 to 3.0 log CFU/g. The inoculated products were heat treated and cooled exponentially from 54.4 to 4.4 °C within 6.5, 9, 12, 15, 18, or 21 h. Cooling of roast beef (2.0% NaCl) within 6.5 and 9 h resulted in <1.0 log CFU/g increase in C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth, whereas reducing the salt concentration to 1.5% and 1.0% resulted in >1.0 log CFU/g increase for cooling times longer than 9 h (1.1 and 2.2 log CFU/g, respectively). Incorporation of MoStatin LV1 into the roast beef formulation minimized the C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth to <1.0 log CFU/g, regardless of the salt concentration and the cooling time.

Practical Application:  Cooked, ready-to-eat meat products should be cooled rapidly to reduce the risk of Clostridium perfringens spore germination and outgrowth. Meat processors are reducing the sodium chloride content of the processed meats as a consequence of the dietary recommendations. Sodium chloride reduces the risk of C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth in meat products. Antimicrobials that contribute minimally to the sodium content of the product should be incorporated into processed meats to assure food safety. Buffered lemon juice and vinegar can be incorporated into meat product formulations to reduce the risk of C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth during abusive cooling.

Wiley Online

Abstract:  The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in 122 samples, including 60 raw milk, 32 white cheese, 10 kashar cheese, 10 butter, and 10 ice cream samples obtained from Samsun province, Turkey. In this study, S. aureus was detected in 64 samples, including raw milk (45/60; 75%), white cheese (12/32; 37.5%), kashar cheese (3/10; 30%), butter (3/10; 30%), and ice cream (1/10; 10%) samples. A total of 81 isolates were identified as S. aureus by PCR with the presence of 16S rRNA and nuc genes. The presence of genes encoding the staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) SEA, SEB, SEC, and SED was detected by multiplex PCR. According to the analysis, seven isolates from the raw milk samples (7/51; 13.7%) were enterotoxigenic; five of them produced SEA (5/7; 71.4%), one produced SEB (1/7; 14.2%), and one produced SEA+SEB (1/7; 14.2%). Four isolates from the white cheese samples (4/21; 19%) produced the SEA (1/4; 25%), SEC (1/4; 25%), SED (1/4; 25%), and SEA+SED (1/4; 25%) toxins. Two isolates from the kashar cheese samples (2/4; 50%) were found to be enterotoxigenic; one produced SEA (1/2; 50%) and the other produced SED (1/2; 50%). One isolate from the butter samples (1/4; 25%) showed enterotoxigenic character (SEB, 1/1; 100%). The products were found to be potentially hazardous to public health because of the fact that levels of contamination were higher than 105–106 cfu/g ml in 39% (25/64, 17 raw milk, 7 white cheese, and 1 butter) of the analyzed samples.

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Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium perfringens, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Staphylococcus aureus, Toxin

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Research – Norovirus and Cleaning

Posted on November 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HACCPEUORPA

Noroviruses are a group of viruses that are the most common cause of gastroenteritis (stomach bugs). They are very contagious and can spread easily from person to person. People exposed to the virus usually develop symptoms of illness within 24 to 48 hours, but symptoms can occur as early as 12 hours after exposure.

Common-sense based disinfection guidelines to control norovirus contamination have been developed, but now, for the first time, a Dutch team has come up with science-based guidelines.

In the study the researchers first determined how low the concentration of virions needed to go for transmission to become unlikely. They then tested different methods of cleaning hard surfaces, by using water, soap, or chlorine bleach solutions to determine the best method, or combination of methods for achieving a sufficiently low concentration to prevent virus transmission from hard surfaces, such as your kitchen counters.

The researchers prescribe a two-step process: wipe with a wet cloth, and then disinfect with chlorine. Their prescription is directed at hospitals, schools, restaurants, and other food-handling establishments. In most cases, a 250 ppm solution of chlorine is sufficient, but for high levels of contamination, they recommend 1,000 ppm. To achieve 1,000 ppm, one Suma Tab D4 tablet must be dissolved in 1.5 liters of water (about a quart and a half).

Norovirus is no more resistant to cleaning and disinfection than other pathogens. The virus’ efficiency in causing outbreaks “is more likely due to their extremely low infectious dose,” resulting in the requirement of a very low level of residual contamination in order to prevent further transmission. Fortunately, reducing the level of residual contamination to that low level is not that difficult and can be achieved without extreme measures.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hygiene, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Virus

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Belgian – Research – Grape Seed Extract Reduces the Infectivity of Norovirus

Posted on November 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HACCPEUROPA – Full Article

Norovirus causes more than half of all food-borne illnesses in the United States, and is the second greatest source of reported food borne illness outbreaks in the European Union. A norovirus is a small virus that contains RNA and is surrounded by a protein coating. By sequencing the RNA, scientists have discovered that there are many different types of norovirus. Originally, strains were named based on the city in which they were first identified. Thus, one common strain used to be called Norwalk virus. Based on genetic typing, we now know that there are at least 25 different strains of norovirus that affect humans.

A recent study found that grape seed extract could reduce the infectivity of Norovirus surrogates.

Researchers from Ghent University, Belgium have shown that grape seed extract does so by denaturing the capsid protein, which is the coat of the virus, thereby disabling the virus.

In the study, the researchers observed that under treatment with grape seed extract, at low doses, the spherically-shaped murine (mouse) norovirus-1 coat proteins clumped, and showed obvious deformation and inflation. At higher doses, the researchers saw no coat proteins, only protein debris. This provides evidence that grape seed extract could effectively damage the norovirus capsid protein, which could reduce viral binding ability and infectivity accordingly.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Research

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