Category Archives: Research

Research – Livestock to Human Transmission of MRSA Confirmed

Posted on March 30, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety NewsStaphylococcus

Using whole genome sequencing, scientists have found conclusive evidence that a type of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that caused human infections in Denmark came from livestock – adding to concerns that food animals are a significant MRSA reservoir for human infections.

While previous research has suggested that MRSA transfers from animals to humans, including a U.S. study last year that looked at “pig-MRSA,” the study published this week in EMBO Molecular Medicine provides the strongest evidence to date that this phenomenon is occurring and provides fodder to those advocating for greater limits on antibiotics in agriculture.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, MRSA, Pathogen, Research, Staphylococcus aureus, Toxin

Tagged , , , ,

Research – Poultry Probiotic – Fresh Fruit Bacterial Loading

Posted on March 28, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct 
A strain of probiotic bacteria that can fight harmful bacterial infections in poultry has the ability to change its coat, according to new findings from the Institute of Food Research

Science Direct

Fresh fruit and vegetables carry an abundance of bacteria on their surfaces, not all of which cause disease. In the first study to assess the variety of these non-pathogenic bacteria, scientists report that these surface bacteria vary depending on the type of produce and cultivation practices.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Testing, Methods, Microbiology, Research

Tagged , , ,

European Research – Afaltoxins – Cereals and Cereal Derived Products

Posted on March 28, 2013 by | Leave a comment

EFSA efsa

An ad-hoc request was received from the European Commission to provide data on levels of aflatoxins

(sum of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2) in food samples of cereals and cereal-derived products from the

EFSA chemical occurrence database.

A total of 2183 food samples collected between 2007 and 2012, and with analytical data on the four

aflatoxins of interest, were available in the database. Among the samples, 1341 corresponded to

cereals and their milling products and 842 to processed cereal products. Rice (636 samples) and

breakfast cereals (346 samples) were the categories with the highest number of samples reported.

Some 1964 samples (90%) did not report quantified values for any of the four aflatoxins.

For cereals and their milling products, the maximum mean value at Lower Bound (LB) was found in

samples of unspecified grain milling products (2.21 μg/kg) while the maximum mean value at Upper

Bound (UB) was found in oat milling products (2.60 μg/kg). For processed cereal products the

maximum mean value at the LB was found in fine bakery wares (0.45 μg/kg), while the maximum

mean value at the UB was found in raw pasta (1.87 μg/kg).

Leave a comment

Posted in Aflatoxin, EFSA, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Pathogen, Research

Tagged , , , ,

USA Research – Microbiology of RTE Foods In University Canteens – Control of Pathogens on Fresh Cut Fruit

Posted on March 27, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct –

During a 10-year inspection survey (2001–2010), a microbiological study of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and ready-to-bake frozen pastries from 15 canteens of the university campus was undertaken to determine their microbiological quality. The cumulative study revealed that the aerobic colony counts for the RTE product groups were as follows: from 106 to 108 CFU/g for 50% of sandwiches; under the detection limit (<10 CFU/g) for 88.6% of oven baked pastries; <105 CFU/g for 86.5% of desserts oven baked; from 103 to 109 CFU/g for desserts with dairy cream. The highest mean Enterobacteriaceae counts were recorded for desserts with dairy cream. The highest percentages of foodborne pathogens were: 20% Listeria monocytogenes and 12.5% Staphylococcus aureus in desserts with dairy cream; 17.5% Salmonella spp. and 8.5% presumptive Escherichia coli O157 in sandwiches; 14.6% Bacillus cereus in oven baked pastries. Aerobic colony counts were in the range 107–108 CFU/g for 48.8% of frozen pastries; whereas Enterobacteriaceae counts between 103 and 104 CFU/g were detected in 35.3%. Foodborne pathogens prevalences for frozen pastries were as follows: B. cereus, 31.8%; Salmonella spp., 28.6%; presumptive E. coli O157, 25%; S. aureus, 8.7%; L. monocytogenes, 8.7%. Improved sanitary conditions in the processing plants and precautionary measures are necessary for consumer protection.

Science Direct

The consumption of fresh-cut fruit has substantially risen over the last few years, leading to an increase in the number of outbreaks associated with fruit. Moreover, consumers are currently demanding wholesome, fresh-like, safe foods without added chemicals. As a response, the aim of this study was to determine if the naturally occurring microorganisms on fruit are “competitive with” or “antagonistic to” potentially encountered pathogens. Of the 97 and 107 isolates tested by co-inoculation with Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Listeria innocua on fresh-cut apple and peach, respectively, and stored at 20 °C, seven showed a strong antagonistic capacity (more than 1-log unit reduction). One of the isolates, CPA-7, achieved the best reduction values (from 2.8 to 5.9-log units) and was the only isolate able to inhibit E. coli O157:H7 at refrigeration temperatures on both fruits. Therefore, CPA-7 was selected for further assays. Dose-response assays showed that CPA-7 should be present in at least the same amount as the pathogen to adequately reduce the numbers of the pathogen. From the results obtained in in vitro assays, competition seemed to be CPA-7’s mode of action against E. coli O157:H7. The CPA-7 strain was identified as Pseudomonas graminis. Thus, the results support the potential use of CPA-7 as a bioprotective agent against foodborne pathogens in minimally processed fruit.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, E.coli, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Pseudomonas, Research, Salmonella

Tagged , ,

Research – Pathogen Tracking Data Base – Clostridium perfringens spores

Posted on March 27, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct –

Investigation of foodborne diseases requires the capture and analysis of time-sensitive information on microbial pathogens that is derived from multiple analytical methods and sources. The web-based Pathogen-annotated Tracking Resource Network (PATRN) system (www.patrn.net) was developed to address the data aggregation, analysis, and communication needs important to the global food safety community for the investigation of foodborne disease. PATRN incorporates a standard vocabulary for describing isolate metadata and provides a representational schema for a prototypic data exchange standard using a novel data loading wizard for aggregation of assay and attribution information. PATRN currently houses expert-curated, high-quality “foundational datasets” consisting of published experimental results from conventional assays and next generation analysis platforms for isolates of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio and Cronobacter species. A suite of computational tools for data mining, clustering, and graphical representation is available. Within PATRN, the public curated data repository is complemented by a secure private workspace for user-driven analyses, and for sharing data among collaborators. To demonstrate the data curation, loading wizard features, and analytical capabilities of PATRN, three use-case scenarios are presented. Use-case scenario one is a comparison of the distribution and prevalence of plasmid-encoded virulence factor genes among 249 Cronobacter strains with similar attributes to that of nine Cronobacter isolates from recent cases obtained between March and October, 2010–2011. To highlight PATRN’s data management and trend finding tools, analysis of datasets, stored in PATRN as part of an ongoing surveillance project to identify the predominant molecular serogroups among Cronobacter sakazakii isolates observed in the USA is shown. Use-case scenario two demonstrates the secure workspace available for private users to upload and analyze sensitive data, and for collating cross-platform datasets to identify and validate congruent datapoints. SNP datasets from WGS assemblies and pan-genome microarrays are analyzed in a combinatorial fashion to determine relatedness of 33 Salmonella enterica strains to six strains collected as part of an outbreak investigation. Use-case scenario three utilizes published surveillance results that describe the incidence and sources of O157:H7 E. coli isolates associated with a produce pre-harvest surveillance study that occurred during 2002–2006. In summary, PATRN is a web-based integrated platform containing tools for the management, analysis and visualization of data about foodborne pathogens.

Science Direct –

The contamination of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens spores on food contact surfaces posses a serious concern to food industry due to their high resistance to various preservation methods typically applied to control foodborne pathogens. In this study, we aimed to develop an strategy to inactivate C. perfringens spores on stainless steel (SS) surfaces by inducing spore germination and killing of germinated spores with commonly used disinfectants. The mixture of l-Asparagine and KCl (AK) induced maximum spore germination for all tested C. perfringens food poisoning (FP) and non-foodborne (NFB) isolates. Incubation temperature had a major impact on C. perfringens spore germination, with 40 °C induced higher germination than room temperature (RT) (20 ± 2 °C). In spore suspension, the implementation of AK-induced germination step prior to treatment with disinfectants significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced the inactivation of spores of FP strain SM101. However, under similar conditions, no significant spore inactivation was observed with NFB strain NB16. Interestingly, while the spores of FP isolates were able to germinate with AK upon their adhesion to SS chips, no significant germination was observed with spores of NFB isolates. Consequently, the incorporation of AK-induced germination step prior to decontamination of SS chips with disinfectants significantly (p < 0.05) inactivated the spores of FP isolates. Collectively, our current results showed that triggering spore germination considerably increased sporicidal activity of the commonly used disinfectants against C. perfringens FP spores attached to SS chips. These findings should help in developing an effective strategy to inactivate C. perfringens spores adhered to food contact surfaces.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium perfringens, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Spores

Tagged , , , ,

Research – Norovirus Shedding

Posted on March 19, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Journals OnlineNorovirus

Norovirus is a common cause of gastroenteritis in all ages. Typical infections cause viral shedding periods of days to weeks, but some individuals can shed for months or years. Most norovirus risk models do not include these long-shedding individuals, and may therefore underestimate risk. We reviewed the literature for norovirus-shedding duration data and stratified these data into two distributions: regular shedding (mean 14–16 days) and long shedding (mean 105–136 days). These distributions were used to inform a norovirus transmission model that predicts the impact of long shedders. Our transmission model predicts that this subpopulation increases the outbreak potential (measured by the reproductive number) by 50–80%, the probability of an outbreak by 33%, the severity of transmission (measured by the attack rate) by 20%, and transmission duration by 100%. Characterizing and understanding shedding duration heterogeneity can provide insights into community transmission that can be useful in mitigating norovirus risk.

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hand Washing, Hygiene, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Research

Tagged , ,

Research – Contaminated Sponges in Kitchens

Posted on March 18, 2013 by | Leave a comment

JDCStaphylococcus

Introduction: Contaminated sponges might lead to cross-contamination in kitchens since they can transfer microorganisms to surfaces where microorganisms can survive for hours or days and contaminate food. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the transfer and the survival of bacteria from kitchen sponges to surfaces of AISI 316 stainless steel and polyethylene.

Methodology: Twenty-four sponges were collected from industrial kitchens in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and aseptically split into two equal parts. One part was subjected to enumeration of heterotrophic microorganisms, faecal coliforms, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and search detection of Salmonella enterica. The other part was rubbed on surfaces of AISI 316 stainless steel (12 sponges) or polyethylene (12 sponges). The transfer and survival of microorganisms was quantified by swab collection and pour-plate method using plate count agar.

Results: All sponges were contaminated by heterotrophic microorganisms (average of 6.8 log CFU/sponge) and 83.3% with faecal coliforms (average of 5 log CFU/sponge). None of the sponges were contaminated by S. enterica and/or coagulase-positive Staphylococcus. The average transfer of microorganisms varied between 3.3 and 5.5 log CFU/cm2 for stainless steel and from 3.5 to 5.6 log CFU/cm2 for polyethylene. Although the survival rate decreased over time, more than 1 log CFU/cm2 of heterotrophic microorganisms survived after 24 hours on both surfaces.

Conclusions: The sponges used in food services were significantly contaminated and could transfer large amounts of microorganisms to surfaces of AISI 316 stainless steel and polyethylene.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Food Micro Blog, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

Tagged ,

Research – Poultry Control of Salmonella

Posted on March 14, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Wiley OnlineSalm

Salmonella Enteritidis is one of the most prevalent foodborne pathogen, its main reservoir being considered the shell egg. As the concerns related to the increasing human salmonellosis cases grow, the need for an application of preventive methods either at the farm level or during the processing steps is crucial for a better control of the foodborne outbreaks due to the consumption of this specific food product. This review focuses on the application of preventive methods at the farm level, on preharvest step, in order to reduce the risk of shell eggs contamination with Salmonella, especially S. Enteritidis, through a better control of the laying hens’ infection with this pathogen. As postharvest methods, a 1st approach is the egg storage conditions and the prevention of Salmonella spp. growth and multiplication. In addition, shell eggs may be subjected to eggshell decontamination, to reduce the risk of foodborne outbreaks. Several of these latter mentioned methods are already authorized to be put in place in different countries, as it is the case in the United States of America and Canada. Their efficacy has been proven and their use is regarded by some as mandatory for ensuring shell eggs safety for the consumers.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

Tagged , , , ,

UK -HPA -Burger Vans – Ecoli Contamination

Posted on March 14, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ITV News

HPA Report

Research from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that food, water, chopping boards, cleaning cloths and security wristbands sampled from mobile and outdoor food vendors were contaminated with a range of bacteria including E.coli.

The bacteria, which originates from human or animal faeces is usually an indicator of either poor hygiene, undercooking or cross-contamination in the kitchen.

The events where samples were taken included 50 concerts or music festivals, 20 sports events, 39 carnivals, fetes and fairs and 44 ‘other’ events.

8% of food samples were of an unsatisfactory quality with a further 1% containing potentially hazardous levels of bacteria.

Water samples tested revealed that 27% contained unacceptable levels of coliform bacteria which can be found in the environment in soil, water and on plants and may also be a sign of faecal contamination.

E.coli and/or enterococci bacteria (of faecal origin) were found in 8%.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hand Washing, HPA, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

Tagged , , , ,

Research – Antibiotic-Resistant Strain of E. Coli Increasing Among Older Adults and Residents of Nursing Homes

Posted on March 14, 2013 by | 1 comment

Science DirectEcoli Istock

Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) continues to proliferate, driven largely by expansion of a strain of E. coli know as sequence type ST131. A new study points to hospitals and long-term care facilities (LTCF) as settings in which this antibiotic-resistant strain is increasingly found.

The study is published in the April issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

E. coli is the most common gram-negative pathogen, causing both gastrointestinal disease and extraintestinal infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream, urinary tract, abdominal, and wound infections. Strains of E. coli that are resistant to single or multiple classes of antibiotics are becoming more prevalent. E. coli ST131 is commonly associated with fluoroquinolone resistance.

“The expansion of E. coli strain ST131 is recognized as a pandemic, but has received comparatively little attention in the United States,” said Ritu Banerjee, lead investigator of the study. “Alarmingly, the pace of new antibiotic development has not kept up with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli, making development of strategies to halt further emergence and spread of these strains a public health priority.”

1 Comment

Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, E.coli, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research