Category Archives: Research

Research – EPA Approves First Antimicrobial Treatment of Foodborne Pathogens in Preharvest Agricultural Water

Posted on November 9, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety.com

The first-ever registration of an antimicrobial treatment for foodborne pathogens in preharvest agricultural water has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), setting a new precedent for preharvest agricultural water treatments specifically intended to reduce the presence of pathogens that affect food safety.

The successful registration of SANIDATE 12.0 is the result of a collaborative effort between EPA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop and refine an efficacy protocol to support such registrations. Using the revised efficacy protocol, the University of Arizona and industry members worked together to register SANIDATE 12.0 for use against foodborne pathogens like Escherichia coli and Salmonella in preharvest agricultural water, and to provide feedback on the protocol that informed updates regarding testing parameters and to clarify the protocol for future users.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Technology, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Technology

Research – Antibacterial Activity of Phloretin Against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Its Application in Seafood

Posted on November 7, 2024 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Although phloretin is widely utilized in the food industry as an additive, its effects on foodborne pathogens remain insufficiently investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of phloretin (PHL) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) and to elucidate the potential mechanisms of action. After PHL treatment, alterations in the cell morphology, cell microstructure, and intracellular contents of V. parahaemolyticus were assessed. Scanning electron microscopy revealed substantial damage to cell integrity, subsequent to PHL treatment. A notable reduction in intracellular components, including proteins, ATP, and DNA, was observed in samples treated with PHL. PHL was shown to inhibit the activities of ATPase, β-galactosidase, and respiratory chain dehydrogenase in V. parahaemolyticus. Furthermore, it was demonstrated to elevate the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and promote cell death. After being applied to sea bass, shrimp, and oysters, PHL effectively inactivated V. parahaemolyticus in these seafoods. These findings demonstrate that PHL has potential for application in seafood to control V. parahaemolyticus.

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Posted in Bio-Preservative, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, phloretin, Research, Technology, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans

Research -Authorities find source of STEC – E. coli outbreak in Iceland

Posted on November 4, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Health officials in Iceland have found the source of a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreak that sickened more than 20 children.

Officials found the handling of ground meat during cooking at a kindergarten was insufficient.

Affected children are from the Mánagarði kindergarten in the Vesturbær district of Reykjavík. More than 100 children attend the center. Landlaeknir (The Directorate of Health) reported that 23 pupils have fallen ill and two are in the intensive care unit.

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Posted in E.coli, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research -Recent advances in the preservation effects of spice essential oils on fruits and vegetables

Posted on November 3, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Abstract

Spice essential oils (SEOs) are currently a prominent area of investigation in food preservation due to their natural, effective, and environmentally friendly properties. This review discussed the latest research progress concerning the application of SEO in fruits and vegetables preservation. The article commenced with an overview of the sources of SEOs and their main components, explored their bioactivities, antimicrobial mechanisms, and the microencapsulation and nanotechnology utilizing spice essential oils. Further research explored the applications of SEOs in culinary, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture, and food industries, with a focus on evaluating their effectiveness in extending the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, it discusses limitations such as intense aroma and toxicity concerns, while also outlining prospects for future research and applications in the food sector. Overall, SEOs offer promising avenues for effectively prolonging the storage period of post-harvested fruits and vegetables while maintaining their quality attributes.

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Posted in antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, essential oils, Food Microbiology Research, Research

Research – Vibrio parahaemolyticus Foodborne Illness Associated with Oysters, Australia, 2021–2022

Posted on November 3, 2024 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

The bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus is ubiquitous in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world and causes infections in humans resulting from water exposure and from ingestion of contaminated raw or undercooked seafood, such as oysters. We describe a nationwide outbreak of enteric infections caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Australia during September 2021–January 2022. A total of 268 persons were linked with the outbreak, 97% of whom reported consuming Australia-grown oysters. Cases were reported from all states and territories of Australia. The outbreak comprised 2 distinct strains of V. parahaemolyticus, sequence types 417 and 50. We traced oysters with V. parahaemolyticus proliferation back to a common growing region within the state of South Australia. The outbreak prompted a national recall of oysters and subsequent improvements in postharvest processing of the shellfish.

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

Research – Outbreak of Listeriosis Likely Associated with Baker’s Yeast Products, Switzerland, 2022–2024

Posted on November 2, 2024 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

We traced back a nationwide outbreak of human listeriosis in Switzerland to a persisting production line contamination of a factory producing baker’s yeast with Listeria monocytogenes serotype 1/2a sequence type 3141. We used whole-genome sequencing to match clinical isolates to isolates from product samples.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Microbiology Research, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, listeriosis, outbreak, Research

Research – Effects of Combined Cold Plasma and Organic Acid-Based Sanitizer Treatments Against Salmonella enterica on Tomato Surfaces

Posted on November 2, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

ABSTRACT

Incidence of foodborne illness due to bacterial contamination of fresh produce continue to exist despite continuous research on processing interventions to mitigate the problem. In this study, we combined atmospheric cold plasma treatments with an antimicrobial solution containing specific organic acids generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA and tested its antimicrobial efficacy against Salmonella enterica inoculated on tomato surfaces. Tomato surfaces were inoculated with at 5.6 log CFU/g of Salmonella by spotting 0.1 mL of 7 log CFU/ml Salmonella onto the tomato stem scars, and by dipping whole tomatoes into a solution of 7 log CFU/ml Salmonella for 3 min to achieve 4.1 log CFU/g. Antimicrobial efficacy of the organic acid-based sanitizer + cold plasma treatments for 30, 60, 120, 180, and 360 s, were investigated, and significant bacterial inactivation was achieved above 120 s treatments. At 120 s, surviving populations of aerobic mesophilic bacteria recovered on the tomatoes surfaces averaged < 2 logs/g while yeast and mold survival averaged < 1 CFU/g. Treatment combination with this organic acid-based sanitizer + cold plasma for 120 s resulted in a 4.9 log reduction of Salmonella on the stem scar area and a 3.9 log reduction on the smooth peel surface. Similarly, populations of aerobic mesophilic bacteria recovered on treated tomato surfaces averaged < 0.3 log CFU/g. The results of this study indicate that combining an organic acid-based sanitizer with cold plasma treatments for ≥ 120 s can inactivates significant populations of Salmonella to enhance the microbial safety of tomato surfaces designated for fresh-cut salad.

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Posted in Cold Atmospheric Plasma, Cold Plasma, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Research, Salmonella, Technology

Research – Open Access Bacillus cereus Cocktail Secondary Growth Model for the Food Industry

Posted on October 30, 2024 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

A cost-effective algorithm is presented, using a virtual dataset of growth rates from a cocktail of Bacillus cereus strains, for developing an open access, extended-range secondary growth model. Extended-range growth models can span the range of processing conditions typically used in food manufacturing and are therefore more relevant for industry. The open access extended-range secondary growth model for a cocktail of B. cereus strains was created using publicly available data, and the methodology can be adapted for modelling growth of other pathogens. An extended-range model can help manage B. cereus hazards in novel food categories with non-traditional formulations as estimations of B. cereus risks in these foods become more precise. This open access model, however, needs to be validated using data from B. cereus strain cocktails isolated from production facilities. Once validated, these independent factor models are valuable tools, in a pathogen decision support platform, which are tuned to local production environments. Such a platform can address the needs of current and future food product portfolios, effectively mitigating risks associated with B. cereus and other relevant pathogens.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Food Microbiology Research, Research

Research – Vibrio parahaemolyticus Foodborne Illness Associated with Oysters, Australia, 2021–2022

Posted on October 30, 2024 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

The bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus is ubiquitous in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world and causes infections in humans resulting from water exposure and from ingestion of contaminated raw or undercooked seafood, such as oysters. We describe a nationwide outbreak of enteric infections caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Australia during September 2021–January 2022. A total of 268 persons were linked with the outbreak, 97% of whom reported consuming Australia-grown oysters. Cases were reported from all states and territories of Australia. The outbreak comprised 2 distinct strains of V. parahaemolyticus, sequence types 417 and 50. We traced oysters with V. parahaemolyticus proliferation back to a common growing region within the state of South Australia. The outbreak prompted a national recall of oysters and subsequent improvements in postharvest processing of the shellfish.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Research, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Research – Investigating the Potential of L(+)-Lactic Acid as a Green Inhibitor and Eradicator of a Dual-Species Campylobacter spp. Biofilm Formed on Food Processing Model Surfaces

Posted on October 30, 2024 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Campylobacter spp. are prevalent foodborne bacterial enteric pathogens. Their inclusion in biofilms on abiotic surfaces is considered a strategy that facilitates their extraintestinal survival. Organic acid (OA) treatments could be used in a green approach to decontaminate various surfaces. This work aimed to evaluate the inhibitory and eradicative effects of L(+)-lactic acid (LA), a naturally occurring OA, on a dual-species biofilm formed on two food processing model surfaces (polystyrene and stainless steel) by three selected foodborne Campylobacter spp. isolates (two C. jejuni and one C. coli). The influence of aerobiosis conditions (microaerophilic, aerobic and CO2 enriched) on the resistance of the established biofilms to the acid was also tested. In parallel, the predominant metabolites contained in the planktonic media of biofilm monocultures and mixed-culture biofilm were comparatively analyzed by an untargeted metabolomics approach. Results revealed that LA inhibited mixed-culture biofilm formation by more than 2 logs (>99%) on both surfaces when this was applied at its highest tested concentration (4096 μg/mL; 0.34% v/v). However, all the preformed mixed-culture biofilms (ca. 106−7 CFU/cm2) could not be eradicated even when the acid was used at concentrations exceeding 5% v/v, denoting their extremely high recalcitrance which was still influenced by the abiotic substratum, and the biofilm-forming aerobiosis conditions. The metabolic analysis revealed a strain-specific metabolite production which might also be related to the strain-specific biofilm-forming and resistance behaviors and resulted in the distinct clustering of the different samples. Overall, the current findings provide important information on the effectiveness of LA against biofilm campylobacteria and may assist in mitigating their risk in the food chain.

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Posted in Biofilm, Campylobacter, Food Microbiology Research, Research, Technology