Category Archives: Research

Research –

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in six Americans gets food poisoning each year. Additionally, virus infection risks from consumption of raw oysters in the U.S. are estimated to cost around $200 million a year.

To address the issue of health risk from eating raw oysters, Texas A&M University graduate student Chandni Praveen, along with Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist Dr. Suresh Pillai and a team of researchers from other agencies and institutions, studied how electron-beam pasteurization of raw oysters may reduce the possibility of food poisoning through virus.

Other entities involved in the study included the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and University of Texas School of Public Health-El Paso regional campus.

Pillai said that the study showed if a serving size of 12 raw oysters were contaminated with approximately 100 hepatitis A and human noroviruses, an e-beam dose of 5 kGy (kilograys) would achieve a 91 percent reduction of hepatitis A infection risks and a 26 percent reduction of norovirus infection risks. A kilogray is a unit of absorbed energy from ionizing radiation.

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

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Research – Foodborne Illness Outbreaks from Microbial Contaminants in Spices, 1973-2010

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | 2 comments

Science Direct

This review identified fourteen reported illness outbreaks attributed to consumption of pathogen-contaminated spice during the period 1973-2010. Countries reporting outbreaks included Canada, Denmark, England and Wales, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Serbia, and the United States. Together, these outbreaks resulted in 1946 reported human illnesses, 128 hospitalizations and two deaths. Infants/children were the primary population segments impacted by 36% (5/14) of spice-attributed outbreaks. Four outbreaks were associated with multiple organisms. Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica was identified as the causative agent in 71% (10/14) of outbreaks, accounting for 87% of reported illnesses. Bacillus spp. was identified as the causative agent in 29% (4/10) of outbreaks, accounting for 13% of illnesses. 71% (10/14) of outbreaks were associated with spices classified as fruits or seeds of the source plant. Consumption of ready-to-eat foods prepared with spices applied after the final food manufacturing pathogen reduction step accounted for 70% of illnesses. Pathogen growth in spiced food is suspected to have played a role in some outbreaks, but it was not likely a contributing factor in three of the larger Salmonella outbreaks, which involved low-moisture foods. Root causes of spice contamination included contributions from both early and late stages of the farm-to-table continuum.

 

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

Research – Antibiotic-Free Turkey Less Likely to Harbor Resistant Bacteria

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Ground turkey from birds raised without antibiotics is less likely to be contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria than conventional ground turkey, according to a new study published by Consumer Reports today.

The group tested 257 samples of raw ground turkey meat and patties, purchased from major retailers nationwide, for Enterococcus, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter and then looked at what portion of these bacteria were resistant to antibiotics. They found high levels of bacteria overall – 90 percent of samples tested positive for one of the five – and more than half were resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics. But the bugs found in products labeled “no antibiotics,” “organic,” or “raised without antibiotics” were resistant to fewer antibiotics than their conventional counterparts.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli, Enterococcus, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus

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Research – Food Safety – Irradiation

Posted on April 29, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Iotron Industries – CanadaIotron

When electron beam technology is used to process food, it is called food irradiation. Food Irradiation, like pasteurization, can prevent countless infections because it destroys the pathogens than cause the illness.

Food borne illness is one of the most common preventable public health problems in the world today. Several measures can be taken in processing plants to help mitigate the problems, but none have the potential to be more effective than irradiation processing. Common pathogens such as e.coli and salmonella are easily destroyed when irradiated.

Today, 38 countries, including the United States, have approved the use of irradiation processing for a wide variety of food items. Test market studies have shown that the general public accepts irradiated items and actually prefers them over non-irradiated items when educational materials are available at point of purchase.

Media scrutiny about e.coli outbreaks and salmonella poisonings are becoming a common occurrence. People are becoming more aware of these very real concerns. In time, the general public will readily accept this valuable technology. With all the endorsements and proof that irradiated foods are 100% safe to consume, how could they not?

In today’s world, we have the proven technology that is capable of eliminating common food borne diseases.

These diseases cause sickness and death to countless numbers of people the world over.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Irradiation, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

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Europe – Norovirus Ongoing Outbreak in Frozen Berries Report -Hepatitis A

Posted on April 26, 2013 by | Leave a comment

EurosurvaillanceClose up 3d render of an influenza-like virus isolated on white

A food-borne outbreak of hepatitis A in Denmark was notified to other countries on 1 March 2013. A case–control study identified frozen berries eaten in smoothies as potential vehicle. In the following weeks, Finland, Norway and Sweden also identified an increased number of hepatitis A patients without travel history. Most cases reported having eaten frozen berries at the time of exposure. By 17 April, 71 cases were notified in the four countries. No specific type of berry, brand or origin of berries has yet been identified.

As of 17 April 2013, 36 cases, of whom 15 were confirmed, have been identified in Finland, Norway and Sweden, giving a total of 71 cases in the four countries (Table 1). Finland and Norway have reported confirmed cases with sequence 1 and 2. In Sweden, two of the eight confirmed cases have an HAV IB sequence with 2% difference to sequence 1 and 1% difference to sequence 2 (called sequence 3).
The overall median age for cases and the median age for confirmed cases is 25 years (range: 3–78 years); 43 cases are female. In Norway and Sweden (but not Finland), more women are affected than men. The distribution of cases by month and HAV sequence type is shown in Figure 1. As of 17 April 2013, Sweden is the only country with cases with symptom onset in April. An increased number of travel-related hepatitis A patients in the same time period (Table 1) may be explained in part by patients infected in Egypt [1].

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Virus

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Research – Frogs and Bacterial Antimicorbial Resistance

Posted on April 26, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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Skin secretions found in Australian frogs may hold the key to designing powerful new antibiotics that are not prone to bacterial resistance in humans, say researchers.

Antimicrobial peptides (small proteins) found in skin secretions are used by frogs to help fight bacterial infections.

Scientists working at the University of Melbourne and at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) are studying this naturally occurring process at the atomic level and hope it could lead to an alternative to commonly used antibiotics for fighting hospital-acquired infections like Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

Using a time-of-flight neutron reflectometer housed at ANSTO’s OPAL reactor named Platypus, Post Doctoral Research Fellow Dr Anton Le Brun and a research team from Melbourne University led by Professor Frances Separovic are observing the action of antimicrobial peptides from  Australian tree frogs in model bacterial membranes.

Most antimicrobial peptides attack the semi-permeable barrier (the membrane) of cells making it difficult for bacteria to develop resistance.

Using Platypus offers the team a chance to see exactly how the peptides bind to the membrane and once they are bound, where they are located in the membrane.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Food Micro Blog, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Poisoning, Research

Research – Nanoparticles to Kill Listeria

Posted on April 25, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The Packerlisteria-hp

A study by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute used enzymes attached to food-safe silica nanoparticles to create a coating that kills listeria.

The method aims at an alternative to chemical or antibiotic decontamination of various foods during handling and packaging.

The findings were published in April in Scientific Reports.

The coating killed listeria within a few minutes of contact without affecting other bacteria.

The cell lytic enzymes can also be attached to starch nanoparticles used in food packaging, according to the researchers. On meat, for example, edible starch is often sprayed into packaging as a powder layer.

“Stable enzyme-based coatings or sprays could be used in food supply infrastructure — from picking equipment to packaging to preparation — to kill listeria before anyone has a chance to get sick from it,” Rensselaer Polytechnic chemical and biological engineering professor Ravi Kane said in a news release. “We can adapt this technology for all different kinds of harmful or deadly bacteria.”

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria welshimeri, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

Research – China Shellfish – Virus – Fresh Cut Salad Quality – Seasonal Campylobacter – Salmonella Control

Posted on April 24, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Prevalence of Human Enteric Viruses and a Potential Indicator of Contamination in Shellfish in China.

Science Direct

Influence of working conditions and practices on fresh-cut lettuce salads quality

Cambridge Journals

Identifying the seasonal origins of human campylobacteriosis

University of Cambridge

Researchers plan to use data collected to develop vaccines to control Salmonella in animals and humans

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella, Virus

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Research – IFR – Contact Killing of Salmonella Typhimurium by Human Faecal Bacteria

Posted on April 24, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Institute of Food Research

Dr Carmen Pin, and PhD student Gaspar Avendaño-Perez at the Institute of Food Research, which is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, have recently found a novel mode of interaction between Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen, and the gut bacteria that leads to the inactivation of Salmonella. This interaction relies on Salmonella and the gut bacteria being in close proximity, or through cell to cell contact. This new way of interaction between the “good” and the” bad” bacteria may contribute to prevent intestinal colonization and infection by foodborne pathogens.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

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USA – CDC – Food Safety Progress Report

Posted on April 19, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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Food Safety News

Infection rates of the foodborne pathogens Campylobacter and Vibrio parahaemolyticus rose in 2012, while other major pathogens generally maintained rates similar to recent years, according to the nation’s annual “food safety progress report” published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, CDC, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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