Category Archives: Research

Research – Resistant Salmonella infections linked to worse outcomes

Posted on October 19, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CIDRAP

kswfoodworld Salmonella

Infections caused by Salmonella with any antibiotic resistance are associated with more severe clinical outcomes, including hospitalization and death, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Using epidemiologic data from the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) and antimicrobial resistance data from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), researchers from the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases examined outcomes in patients with nontyphoidal Salmonella infections from 2004 through 2018. They compared outcomes for resistant Salmonella infections with those caused by non-resistant Salmonella before and after adjusting for age, state, race/ethnicity, international travel, outbreak association, and isolate serotype or source.

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Posted in Animal Feed, Antibacterial, Antibiotic Resistance, antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, CDC, Food Microbiology Research, Research, Salmonella

Research – Natural Antimicrobials: A Reservoir to Contrast Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on October 19, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Natural environments possess a reservoir of compounds exerting antimicrobial activity that are forms of defence for some organisms against others. Recently, they have become more and more attractive in the food sector due to the increasing demand for natural compounds that have the capacity to protect food from pathogenic microorganisms. Among foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes can contaminate food during production, distribution, or storage, and its presence is especially detected in fresh, raw food and ready-to-eat products. The interest in this microorganism is related to listeriosis, a severe disease with a high mortality rate that can occur after its ingestion. Starting from this premise, the present review aims to investigate plant extract and fermented plant matrices, as well as the compounds or mixtures of compounds produced during microbial fermentation processes that have anti-listeria activity.

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Posted in antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, Food Microbiology Research, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Research

France Two people in deadly Botulism outbreak remain in hospital

Posted on October 18, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

According to researchers, at least two patients in a botulism outbreak in France remain in hospital.

The study covered eight individuals from four countries admitted to the intensive care unit at Bordeaux University Hospital, where six required invasive mechanical ventilation. Cases reported consuming locally produced canned sardines at a Tchin Tchin Wine Bar restaurant.

As of Oct. 12, six of them had been discharged, but two people still needed mechanical ventilation, according to the study published in the journal Eurosurveillance.

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Posted in Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Poisoning, Research

Research – Economic costs related to foodborne disease in Burkina Faso and Ethiopia in 2017

Posted on October 15, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Frontiers In

Introduction: Foodborne diseases (FBD) are a significant problem in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa. Country-specific estimates of the economic costs related to FBD caused by different hazards in different food products can inform decision makers about this problem’s magnitude. This aids policy makers in prioritising actions to mitigate risks and prevent illness. Although estimates exist for many high-income countries, they are lacking for African countries.

Results: Mean economic costs related to FBD caused by NTS, CAMP and ETEC in 2017 were estimated at 391 million constant 2017 international dollars in Burkina Faso and 723 million in Ethiopia. These represent 3.0% of gross national income in Burkina Faso and 0.9% in Ethiopia. Lost productivity contributed 70%, WTP to reduce risk of death 30%, and WTP to reduce risk of pain and suffering 1-2%. NTS caused the highest costs, followed by ETEC and CAMP. Chicken meat caused 9-12 times higher costs than tomatoes. Children under five years (14.6-17.1% of populations) bore 20-75% of the costs. Due to uncertainty in disease burden and economic data, costs could be four times higher than mean estimates.

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Posted in Food Microbiology Research, Research

Research – Salmonella in animals and feed in Great Britain2022

Posted on October 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Gov UK

This publication presents data on Salmonella reports from livestock species in Great
Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) collected and collated by the Animal and Plant
Health Agency (APHA) during 2022 and also provides data from previous years for
comparative purposes.
The data in the first 12 chapters cover reports of Salmonella in livestock, with separate
chapters for the main species, reports of Salmonella in dogs, reports of Salmonella in
wildlife and reports of Salmonella in animal feedingstuffs. The 13th chapter covers the
antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella (England and Wales only).
Since 1993, the date of a Salmonella incident has been recorded as the date it was
reported to an Officer of the Minister. Under the present system, any Salmonella reports
that are confirmed or identified after the publication of the annual report will be
incorporated into the revised tables that appear in the following year’s publication. This
may result in the number of incidents and isolations differing from that previously given for
a particular year. The most recent version of the report should therefore always be used
when comparing data from year to year.
Revisions in the way that data have been compiled and presented since 1993 mean that,
with the exception of the tables on Salmonella in animal feedingstuffs, data in this report
cannot be compared directly with information published prior to 1993. A more detailed
comparison can be generated, if required, for any Salmonella serovar, or phage type in the
case of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium. Requests for such data should be made to the
Department of Epidemiological Sciences, APHA Weybridge (email address:
Foodbornezoonoses@apha.gov.uk), who will be happy to assist with requests.
Care should be taken when comparing data from one year to another as an increase or
decrease in the number of isolations and incidents does not necessarily indicate a similar
change in prevalence. This is because the total number of samples examined and their
distribution are often not known.

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Posted in Animal Feed, Animal Feed Salmonella, Animal Feed Testing, Food Microbiology Research, Pet Food, Pet Food Salmonella, Pet Food Testing, Research

Research – Pathogenic E. coli in the Food Chain across the Arab Countries: A Descriptive Review

Posted on October 12, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Foodborne bacterial infections caused by pathogens are a widespread problem in the Middle East, leading to significant economic losses and negative impacts on public health. This review aims to offer insights into the recent literature regarding the occurrence of harmful E. coli bacteria in the food supply of Arab countries. Additionally, it aims to summarize existing information on health issues and the state of resistance to antibiotics. The reviewed evidence highlights a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the extent to which harmful E. coli genes are present in the food supply of Arab countries. Efforts to identify the source of harmful E. coli in the Arab world through molecular characterization are limited. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have conducted few surveys specifically targeting harmful E. coli in the food supply. Despite having qualitative data that indicate the presence or absence of harmful E. coli, there is a noticeable absence of quantitative data regarding the actual numbers of harmful E. coli in chicken meat supplies across all Arab countries. While reports about harmful E. coli in animal-derived foods are common, especially in North African Arab countries, the literature emphasized in this review underscores the ongoing challenge that harmful E. coli pose to food safety and public health in Arab countries.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbial Spoilage, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research

Ghana – Over 40% of grains contain unacceptable levels of Aflatoxin contamination

Posted on October 12, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Ghana Web

See  the link above for the full story

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Aflatoxin B1, Aspergillus Toxin, Food Microbiology Research, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Pet Food Aflatoxin, Research, Toxin, Uncategorized

SALMONELLA MODULATES METABOLISM DURING GROWTH UNDER CONDITIONS THAT INDUCE EXPRESSION OF VIRULENCE GENES.

Posted on October 10, 2023 by | Leave a comment

SBGR Web

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is a facultative pathogen that uses complex mechanisms to invade and proliferate within mammalian host cells. To investigate possible contributions of metabolic processes to virulence in S. Typhimurium grown under conditions known to induce expression of virulence genes, we used a metabolomics-driven systems biology approach coupled with genome-scale modeling. First, we identified distinct metabolite profiles associated with bacteria grown in either rich or virulence-inducing media and report the most comprehensive coverage of the S. Typhimurium metabolome to date. Second, we applied an omics-informed genome-scale modeling analysis of the functional consequences of adaptive alterations in S. Typhimurium metabolism during growth under our conditions. Modeling efforts highlighted a decreased cellular capability to both produce and utilize intracellular amino acids during stationary phase culture in virulence conditions, despite significant abundance increases for these molecules as observed by our metabolomics measurements. Furthermore, analyses of omics data in the context of the metabolic model indicated rewiring of the metabolic network to support pathways associated with virulence. For example, cellular concentrations of polyamines were perturbed, as well as the predicted capacity for secretion and uptake.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Salmonella, virulence

Research – ‘Overlooked’ problem of bacteria in fast-food soda fountains. How risky is that drink?

Posted on October 10, 2023 by | Leave a comment

USA Today

Scientists in Southern California are asking the kind of questions that make soda drinkers uneasy after a recent study that found fast-food soda fountains were serving up high levels of bacteria along with self-serve drinks.

Researchers from Loma Linda University found bacteria levels that surpassed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations for drinking water at fast-food restaurants in the eastern Coachella Valley, where largely low-income, Latino farmworker families have struggled with accessing potable water.

The study, published in August in the journal Drinking Water, found more than 40% of water samples from fast-food soda fountains had coliforms present, an indicator of contamination. The study calls into question the sanitation and maintenance of water from soda fountains, which rely on government and manufacturer standards.

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Posted in Coliforms, Contaminated water, E.coli, Food Microbiology Research, Research, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Why Are Cantaloupes Prone to Salmonella Contamination?

Posted on October 9, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Very Well Health

Cantaloupes could be contaminated with Salmonella while they’re growing, or during harvest and handling, according to Teresa Bergholz, PhD, an associate professor of food science and human nutrition at Michigan State University.

Melons are grown close to the ground, and it’s possible that cantaloupes are exposed to bacteria from soil, animals, or the water used for irrigation.

“The ‘netted’ surface of the cantaloupe can facilitate microbes attaching to the surface, and can make it more difficult to remove microbes once they are present,” Bergholz told Verywell in an email.

Bergholz added that contaminated cantaloupes could also come in contact with other cantaloupes during processing and spread the pathogen further.

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Posted in Food Microbiology Research, Research, Salmonella