Category Archives: Research

Research – Salmonella in animals and feed in Great Britain 2021

Posted on September 29, 2022 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 2021 and also provides data from previous years for comparative purposes.
The data in the first 12 chapters cover reports of Salmonella in animals, with separate chapters for the main livestock species, reports of Salmonella in dogs, reports of Salmonella in wildlife and reports of Salmonella in animal feeding stuffs.
The 13th chapter covers antimicrobial resistance data for 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/ or 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 feeding stuffs, 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 who will be happy to assist with requests at Foodbornezoonoses@apha.gov.uk. 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.

Leave a comment

Posted in Animal by Products, Animal Feed, Animal Feed Salmonella, Animal Feed Testing, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Pet Food, Pet Food Salmonella, Pet Food Testing, Research

Research-Sources and trends of human Salmonellosis in Europe, 2015-2019: an analysis of outbreak data

Posted on September 29, 2022 by | Leave a comment

asca

Study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology. The aim of this study was to determine the main food sources and recent trends of  Salmonella outbreaks in Europe. Data from outbreaks in 34 European countries during the 2015-2019 period are taken into account. 

In general, the most important food source of the salmonellosis outbreaks were eggs, pork series and meat products in general. While eggs were the most important source of infection in all regions, pork was the second most common source in Northern and Western Europe, and meat products (in general) in Eastern and Southern Europe. 

There were 939 outbreaks caused by Salmonella enteritidis , 130 by Salmonella typhimurium and its monophasic variant, 107 by other known serotypes, and 332 by other unknown types.

Complex food categories such as baked goods, buffet meals, mixed foods, sweets and chocolate, canned food products, and beverages were grouped as unknown sources in the analysis because it was not possible to identify the exact components responsible for the infection.

In total, 1,508 salmonella outbreaks were included in the analysis. Of these, 1,040 were caused by simple foods and 468 by unknown food sources. Most of the outbreaks were reported in Eastern Europe, followed by Southern, Western and Northern Europe.

Outbreaks caused by S. enteritidis (SE) and other known serotypes (other than SE and S. typhimurium and its monophasic variant [STM]) were attributed primarily to eggs, whereas outbreaks caused by STM were primarily attributed to the Pork Meat. In general, there was a significant increase in the number of reported outbreaks between 2015 and 2019, mainly due to the increase in outbreaks in Eastern Europe while, in Northern and Southern Europe, outbreaks caused by SE decreased significantly between the years 2015 and 2019. Outbreaks related to the consumption of cheese and fish are steadily declining.

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Research, Salmonella

UK – AMR in Campylobacter in UK chicken over the last 20 years

Posted on September 28, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FSA

Campylobacter kswfoodworld

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a report analysing 20 years of data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Campylobacter from retail chicken in the UK.

The study aimed to assess any trends during this 20-year period and provides a baseline against which to evaluate future, hoped-for reductions in AMR.

AMR is when bacteria adapt to become resistant to the killing effects of antimicrobials, such as antibiotics. This resistance subsequently makes such infections in humans more difficult to treat using drugs.  AMR can develop in any bacteria, including Campylobacter. Campylobacter is the main cause of bacterial food poisoning in the developed world and it is estimated that there are in excess of half a million cases annually in the UK.

The FSA’s Science lead in Microbiological Risk Assessment, Dr Paul Cook, said:

“While the data shows a marked increase in AMR in Campylobacter to certain antimicrobials, it is encouraging that there has been no significant increase in resistance since 2014.

“Any increase of AMR in Campylobacter is a concern and continued surveillance is essential. We will continue to carry out AMR surveillance in chicken and other meats and to monitor any long-term trends in resistance, while promoting good food hygiene practice to reduce exposure to AMR bacteria and protect consumer safety.”

Since its formation in 2000, the FSA has commissioned several UK-wide retail surveys and sampling studies that involved testing for Campylobacter in chicken. A significant proportion of the Campylobacter isolates detected were further tested to assess resistance to a range of antimicrobials.

Key findings from this report vary between the five main types of antimicrobial drugs included in the study. Resistance to quinolones (ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid) and tetracycline was common in the most prevalent types of Campylobacter from chicken (Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli). In comparison, resistance to erythromycin and streptomycin was much rarer in the Campylobacter isolates examined.  Gentamicin resistance was very rare.

There are effective ways for consumers to reduce exposure to AMR bacteria. This includes cleaning surfaces properly, cooking food thoroughly, chilling food at the correct temperature and handling food hygienically so it doesn’t cross contaminate other foods or surfaces. For any fruit or vegetables consumed raw, make sure they are washed thoroughly or peeled as this will help to remove any visible dirt or bacterial contamination.

For more information on AMR, including an ‘FSA Explains’ video, visit our dedicated AMR webpage. The research report is available on our research pages.

Leave a comment

Posted in antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, fsa, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Retailer Campylobacter Survey

Research – Fighting Foodborne Pathogens with Natural Antimicrobials

Posted on September 27, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Mirage News

The food industry has now started exploring natural alternatives for preserving food to reduce the dependency on chemical preservatives, some of which are linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome. Specifically, natural antimicrobials produced by plants and microorganisms like bacteria and fungi can kill food-borne pathogens like Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulinum and also food spoilage bacteria like Brochothrix thermosphacta, Lactobacillus spp., Bacillus spp. and Weissella spp., among others. Foodborne pathogens and spoilage microbes pose a serious health concern for consumers and destroy the appearance, texture and sensory characteristics of the food, affecting the food industry and consumers alike.

Leave a comment

Posted in Antibacterial, antifungal, Antimicrobials, Bacillus, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Clostridium botulinum, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research

Research – Inhibitory Effect against Listeria monocytogenes of Carbon Nanoparticles Loaded with Copper as Precursors of Food Active Packaging

Posted on September 26, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Human listeriosis is a serious foodborne disease of which outbreaks are occurring increasingly frequently in Europe. Around the world, different legal requirements exist to guarantee food safety. Nanomaterials are increasingly used in the food industry as inhibitors of pathogens, and carbon nanomaterials are among the most promising. In the present study, novel carbon nanoparticles loaded with copper (CNP-Cu) were prepared, and their antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes was assessed. CNPs of two sizes were synthesized and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) and electron microscopy (EM). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CNP-Cu was determined in accordance with the available standard. To get insights into its mechanism of action, the release of copper ions into a cell media was assessed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission (ICP-OE), and the ability of loaded CNPs to generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by EPR spectroscopy. Finally, the extent of release of copper in a food simulant was assessed. The results demonstrated the antimicrobial effectiveness of CNP-Cu, with growth inhibition up to 85% and a release of copper that was more pronounced in an acidic food simulant. Overall, the results indicate CNP-Cu as a promising agent for the design of active food packaging which is able to improve food shelf-life.

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Technology, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Shelf Life, Technology

Research – Project seeks to grow knowledge of Listeria in dairy sites

Posted on September 25, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

An ongoing project is identifying the bacteria present in dairy processing environments to evaluate the impact on Listeria monocytogenes.

Teagasc in Ireland and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in Austria are collecting samples from dairy processing plants and characterizing the microorganisms, with the aim being to prevent the presence of harmful pathogens.

The LmRNA project is gaining an understanding of Listeria monocytogenes’ response to dairy environment conditions. Mock communities of microorganisms are being created in the laboratory to mimic what is found in dairy environments. The role of other microorganisms is being investigated to determine their impact on Listeria monocytogenes.

A food processing environment is not sterile and the presence of some microorganisms in cheese production can be desired. During dairy processing, milk components may adsorb to surfaces enhancing attachment and biofilm formation.

Leave a comment

Posted in Biofilm, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Research

Research – Sources and trends of human salmonellosis in Europe, 2015–2019: An analysis of outbreak data

Posted on September 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Highlights

•

Salmonella outbreaks in Europe provide a picture of the most important sources at exposure level.

•

Relative importance of different food sources by year, European region and serotype is determined.

•

Eggs continue to be the most important food source of salmonellosis outbreaks in Europe.

•

Reported Salmonella outbreaks increased significantly in Eastern European countries.

Abstract

Salmonella remains a major cause of foodborne outbreaks in Europe despite the implementation of harmonized control programmes. Outbreak data are observed at the public health endpoint and provide a picture of the most important sources of human salmonellosis at the level of exposure. To prioritize interventions, it is important to keep abreast of the sources and trends of salmonellosis outbreaks. The objective of this study was to determine the main food sources and recent trends of Salmonella outbreaks in Europe. Salmonella outbreak data from 34 European countries in 2015–2019 were obtained from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). For the source attribution analysis, implicated foods were categorized according to EFSA’s zoonosis catalogue classification scheme. An established probabilistic source attribution model was applied using the information on the implicated foods, overall and by region and serotype. To assess significant trends in outbreak occurrence, overall and by region and serotype, mixed-effects Poisson models were used. Overall, the most important food source of salmonellosis outbreaks was eggs (33 %, 95 % Uncertainty Interval [UI]: 31–36 %), followed by pork (7 %, 95 % UI: 6–8 %), and (general) meat products (6 %, 95 % UI: 5–8 %). While eggs were the most important food source in all regions, pork was the second most common food source in Northern and Western Europe, and (general) meat products in Eastern and Southern Europe. Outbreaks caused by S. Enteritidis (SE) and other known serotypes (other than SE and S. Typhimurium and its monophasic variant [STM]) were mostly attributed to eggs (37 %, 95 % UI: 34–41 % and 17 %, 95 % UI: 11–25 %, respectively), whereas outbreaks caused by STM were mainly attributed to pork (34 %, 95 % UI: 27–42 %). Overall, there was a significant increase in the number of outbreaks reported between 2015 and 2019, by 5 % on average per year (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR]: 1.05, 95 % Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.01–1.09). This was driven by a significantly increased number of outbreaks in Eastern Europe, particularly those caused by SE (IRR: 1.15, 95 % CI: 1.09–1.22), whereas in Northern and Southern Europe, outbreaks caused by SE decreased significantly from 2015 to 2019 (IRR: 0.72, 95 % CI: 0.61–0.85; IRR: 0.70, 95 % CI: 0.62–0.79, respectively). Regional, temporal and serotype-associated differences in the relative contributions of the different sources were also observed.

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Research, Salmonella, Salmonella in Eggs

Research – Listeria monocytogenes survives better at lower storage temperatures in regular and low-salt soft and cured cheeses

Posted on September 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Highlights

•

Salt reduction did not affect the behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes in soft cheeses.

•

The pathogen showed greater survival capacity at 4 °C than at 22 °C in both types of cheeses.

•

The prevalence of the serovar 1/2c strain increased over storage time in soft cheeses.

Abstract

The behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes was investigated in soft pasteurized milk cheese elaborated with different salt concentrations (1.17 and 0.30% w/w) and in cured raw sheep milk cheese over storage up to 189 days at different isothermal conditions. Commercial 25-g cheese samples were inoculated with a 4-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes (serovars 4b, 1/2a, 1/2b and 1/2c) at approximately 104 CFU/g. The inoculated samples were stored at 4 and 22 °C and withdrawn at proper intervals for L. monocytogenes enumeration. The prevalence of the different serovar strains of L. monocytogenes was characterized on soft cheese samples over storage at 4 °C using multiplex PCR. Salt reduction did not affect the survival of L. monocytogenes in soft cheeses and a maximum of 1-log reduction was observed in both regular and low-salt cheeses after 189 days of storage at 4 °C. The pathogen showed greater survival capacity in both soft and cured cheeses during storage at 4 °C compared to the storage at 22 °C, where more than 2.5 log reductions were computed. The fate of L. monocytogenes was described through a Weibull model fitted to survival data. The time required for a first tenfold reduction of the L. monocytogenes population (δ) at 4 °C is around 150 days in soft and 72 days in cured cheeses. At 22 °C, the estimated δ values are at least 60% lower in both cheese types. Among the four L. monocytogenes serovars present in the inoculated cocktail, the serovar 4b strain was the most sensitive to refrigerated storage, while the prevalence of serovar 1/2c strain increased over time in soft cheeses. Overall, the data obtained in this study help to deepen knowledge into factors affecting L. monocytogenes behaviour on cheeses and evidenced the variability between serovars in terms of survival capacity, which may be considered when performing microbial risk assessments.

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research

Research -Universities offer resources to help with safe at-home food preservation

Posted on September 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

With the beginning of fall yesterday, people will be collecting the rest of their gardens’ fruits and vegetables for canning. The benefits of home food preservation include building a reserve of dehydrated and canned food to eat during the winter and that will stay safe during a power outage.

However, home food preservation is not without risk. One of the greatest risks of improper canning is botulism, a potentially deadly illness.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is a great resource for current research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation. Their website provides detailed instructions on how to can, freeze, dry, cure and smoke, ferment, pickle, make jam and jelly and more.

The Center was established with funding from the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES-USDA) to address food safety concerns for those who practice and teach home food preservation and processing methods.

If you haven’t done home canning before or it has been a while since you last canned food the National Center for Home Food Preservation is a great place to start learning how to do it safely. Their website can be found here.

Leave a comment

Posted in Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research

Kenya – How Safe Is That Plate Of Meat You Consume?

Posted on September 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Kenya News

A significant portion of beef, goat meat and other meat products sold in butcheries and eateries in Nakuru is contaminated with a toxic cocktail of bacteria, a new report by researchers based at Egerton University has revealed.

The study which evaluated microbiological safety of meat and ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products in urban and peri-urban parts of the county, indicates that the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (abbreviated as E. coli) salmonella spp and Shigella bacteria is worrying and efforts have to be put in place to cut on their levels.

Staphylococcus aureus was the most isolated negative bacteria in 87 beef and goat meat and other meat products samples, with a prevalence of 100 per cent, followed by Shigella spp in 81 samples (93 percent).

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen known to cause bloodstream infections, pneumonia, bone and joint infections and soft tissue infections, while infection with some strains of Shigella spp can result in diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and stomach cramps.

The report compiled by lead investigators Dr. Hillary Odeckh Indago, Prof. Joseph Wafula Matofari and Dr. John Masani Nduko further notes that all the 15 samples of water randomly collected from the butcheries and eateries tested positive for E. coli, salmonella spp and Shigella bacteria.

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Salmonella, Shigatoxin, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus