Category Archives: Research

Research – Common ways to cook chicken at home may not ensure safety from pathogens

Posted on May 4, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily

For home cooks, widespread techniques for judging doneness of chicken may not ensure that pathogens are reduced to safe levels. Solveig Langsrud of the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on April 29, 2020.

Chicken can harbor the bacterial pathogens Salmonella and Campylobacter. High temperatures can kill these microbes, but enough may survive to cause illness if meat is undercooked. Recommendations for monitoring doneness vary widely, and the prevalence and safety of methods commonly used by home cooks have been unclear.

To help clarify consumers’ chicken cooking practices, Lansgrud and colleagues surveyed 3,969 private households across five European countries (France, Norway, Portugal, Romania, and the U.K.) on their personal chicken cooking practices. They also interviewed and observed chicken cooking practices in 75 additional households in the same countries.

Leave a comment

Posted in Campylobacter, Food Microbiology Research, Research, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken, Uncategorized

USA – Preliminary Incidence and Trends of Infections with Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2016–2019

Posted on May 3, 2020 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Summary

What is already known about this topic?

The incidence of most infections transmitted commonly through food has not declined for many years.

What is added by this report?

Incidence of infections caused by Listeria, Salmonella, and Shigella remained unchanged, and those caused by all other pathogens reported to FoodNet increased during 2019. Infections caused by Salmonella serotype Enteritidis, did not decline; however, serotype Typhimurium infections continued to decline.

What are the implications for public health practice?

New strategies that target particular serotypes and more widespread implementation of known prevention measures are needed to reduce Salmonella illnesses. Reductions in Salmonella serotype Typhimurium suggest that targeted interventions (e.g., vaccinating chickens and other food animals) might decrease human infections. Isolates are needed to subtype bacteria so that sources of illnesses can be determined.

Leave a comment

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

Research- Data shows connection between unpasteurized milk and infections

Posted on May 3, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News 

After reviewing details of brucellosis illnesses from recent years, including a 19-state outbreak, researchers are saying their findings show a link between raw milk and such infections.

Although the researchers did not name the dairy farm associated with the multistate  outbreak, the CDC and the FDA investigated the those illnesses, which occurred during the period reviewed by the research team and were connected to raw milk from Miller’s Biodiversity Farm in Pennsylvania.

Information about the researchers’ work was published recently in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which is posted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group of researchers, made up of people from the CDC and a number of states’ agencies, says additional study is needed regarding the emerging health dangers of consuming raw milk.

Leave a comment

Posted in Brucellosis, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Raw Milk, Research, Uncategorized

Infographics: Estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases

Posted on May 3, 2020 by | Leave a comment

WHO

   

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food death, 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 Poisoning Death, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, Research, Uncategorized

Research – Offspring may inherit legacy of their father’s Toxoplasma infection

Posted on May 2, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily Toxoplas

Australian researchers have revealed for the first time that males infected with the Toxoplasma parasite can impact their offspring’s brain health and behaviour.

Studying mice infected with the common parasite Toxoplasma, the team discovered that sperm of infected fathers carried an altered ‘epigenetic’ signature which impacted the brains of resulting offspring. Molecules in the sperm called ‘small RNA’ appeared to influence the offspring’s brain development and behaviour.

‘Intergenerational inheritance’ of similar epigenetic changes from men exposed to extreme trauma has been well documented. This latest research, published in Cell Reports, has raised the question of whether Toxoplasma infections — or even possibly other infections — in men before conception could impact the health of subsequent generations.

The research was led by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers Dr Shiraz Tyebji and Associate Professor Chris Tonkin, in collaboration with Professor Anthony Hannan at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, Uncategorized

Research – Increased thermal tolerance in Cronobacter sakazakii strains in reconstituted milk powder due to cross protection by physiological stresses

Posted on May 2, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online 

Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii) is an opportunistic, neonatal, and food borne pathogen primarily associated with the contamination of powdered infant formula (PIF). The pathogen is reported to overcome the food safety barriers such as increased acidity, heat treatment, and so on. This study evaluates the thermal tolerance of C. sakazakii strains independently at 52, 55, and 58°C in reconstituted PIF after exposure to physiological stresses: refrigeration (4°C for 24 hr), starvation (37°C for 48 hr), and desiccation (25°C for 4 days). The Log10 CFU/ml and D‐values indicated that survival rate of all the strains decreased significantly (p < .05) after desiccation as compared to those of the control condition (without stress exposure). However, cold stress increased the thermal tolerance of all strains at all temperatures (52, 55, and 58°C) as indicated by increased D‐values. Among the tested strains, C. sakazakii strain N15 was found to be the most resistant to thermal treatment after each stress exposure as depicted by principal component analysis (PCA). No apparent correlation between thermal tolerance and starvation stress was observed. The findings indicate that prior exposure to stress conditions may induce cross protection to thermal treatment in C. sakazakii.

Leave a comment

Posted in Cronobacter sakazakii, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Uncategorized

Research – Report says U.S. is failing food safety 101; incidence of illnesses still increasing

Posted on May 1, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Attempts to reduce food poisoning are failing as the U.S. incidence of foodborne illnesses continues to increase. Infections from five of eight pathogens tracked by the CDC are on the rise.

Initial analysis of data comparing the period from 2016-2018 with numbers for 2019 (see table below) shows that the federal government’s Healthy People 2020 targets for reducing foodborne illness will not be met, according to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bad news could be softened if businesses would adopt proven food safety measures, according to the research team.

“. . . progress in controlling major foodborne pathogens in the United States has stalled,” according to the report. “To better protect the public and achieve forthcoming Healthy People 2030 foodborne disease reduction goals, more widespread implementation of known prevention measures and new strategies that target particular pathogens and serotypes are needed.”

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Testing, Research, Uncategorized

Research – New insight into bacterial structure to help fight against superbugs

Posted on April 30, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have produced the first high-resolution images of the structure of the cell wall of bacteria, in a study that could further understanding of antimicrobial resistance.

The research, published in Nature, revealed a new and unexpected structure of the outer bacterial layers of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.

The findings set a new framework for understanding how bacteria grow and how antibiotics work, overturning previous theories about the structure of the outer bacterial layers.

The images give unprecedented insight into the composition of the bacterial cell wall and will inform new approaches to developing antibiotics in order to combat antibiotic resistance. There are no other examples of studies of the cell wall in any organism at comparable resolution, down to the molecular scale.

Laia Pasquina Lemonche, a PhD Researcher from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, said: “Many antibiotics work by inhibiting the bacteria’s production of a cell wall, a strong but permeable skin around the bacteria which is critical for its survival.

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Uncategorized

Europe – Shiga toxin/verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC) infection – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2018

Posted on April 30, 2020 by | Leave a comment

ECDC

Executive summary

  • For 2018, 30 EU/EEA countries reported 8 658 confirmed cases of infection with Shigatoxin/verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC).
  • The overall notification rate was 2.4 cases per 100 000 population.
  • After a stable period from 2014 to 2017, the notification rate increased by 41% in 2018.
  • The highest notification rates were reported in Denmark, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Sweden.
  • The highest rate of confirmed cases was observed in 0–4-year-old children (11.5 cases per 100 000 population).

Download

Thumbnail
Shiga toxin/verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC) infection – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2018 – EN – [PDF-680.76 KB]

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food death, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Research, Shigatoxin, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized, VTEC

Research – Slovenian study reveals low levels of C. difficile in food

Posted on April 30, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News Clost

Researchers in Slovenia have described results from a long-term, national Clostridioides difficile food surveillance project. Positive results were found in meat, fresh produce and poultry.

The three-year period of testing revealed a low proportion of Clostridioides — formerly Clostridium — difficile contaminated food and high genotype variability. As the risk of infection associated with Clostridioides difficile contaminated food is unknown, no measures were recommended for positive results.

Because of an increasing association between Clostridioides difficile and food, in 2015, the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection (UVHVVR) included it in national food surveillance. In Slovenia, the number of cases increased from 316 in 2013 to 665 in 2017.

Retail minced meat and meat preparations such as beef, pork and poultry were sampled from 2015 to 2017. They were collected at food markets and grocery stores in all Slovenian regions. Selected raw retail vegetables, leaf salads and root vegetables, and ready-to-eat salads were sampled during 2016 and 2017 and seafood only in 2017.

Leave a comment

Posted in Clostridium difficile, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Uncategorized