Category Archives: Research

Hungary – Hungary seeks data on consumers’ habits with frozen vegetables

Posted on March 11, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Link to Portal

Hungary’s food agency has launched a survey to find out more on people’s habits related to quick-frozen vegetables.

The National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) said it would provide the authority with a picture of the risks at the consumer level for the product category.

An online questionnaire can be completed until March 31 and covers consumer preferences for frozen vegetables and whether they follow the instructions on the label. There are also questions on Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli.

Past outbreak
From 2015 to 2018, an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes caused by contamination of frozen corn produced in Hungary by Greenyard affected five countries in Europe as well as Australia with 54 confirmed patients and 10 deaths.

Despite the contamination, illnesses could have been prevented or reduced if people had been aware of the food safety risks and how to avoid them, according to Nébih.

To identify the hazards and reduce the risks, the agency is going to assess domestic consumer habits.

The questionnaire seeks answers to what Hungarian consumers think about quick-frozen products, how often they eat them and their preparation habits. The survey also looks at whether people are aware of food safety risks during purchase, transport, home storage and preparation and their knowledge about refrigerator and freezer temperatures as well as thawing and refreezing.

Based on the results, Nébih will put together a guide for consumers highlighting the most important findings. The agency will also give advice on how to minimize the food safety risks associated with quick-frozen vegetables in households.

Fagyasztott zöldségek vásárlásáról és fogyasztásáról gyűjt információkat a Nébih

Új kutatást indít a Nemzeti Élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági Hivatal (Nébih) a magyar lakosság gyorsfagyasztott zöldségekhez kapcsolódó vásárlási, felhasználási és fogyasztási szokásainak megismerése érdekében. A március 31-ig kitölthető online kérdőív többek között arra is kitér, hogy a fogyasztók mennyire kedvelik a fagyasztott zöldségeket, milyen ételekhez vásárolják őket, vagy, hogy figyelembe veszik-e a jelölésen szereplő felhasználási utasításokat. A kutatás segítségével a hatóság átfogó képet kaphat arról, milyen valós kockázatok merülnek fel fogyasztói szinten e termékkategóriával kapcsolatban.
Néhány éve az EU-ban lezajlott egy több országot is érintő, gyorsfagyasztott zöldségekhez kapcsolódó Listeria monocytogenes járvány. Az élelmiszerbiztonsági pandémiában bizonyítottan 46 személy betegedett meg és szorult kórházi kezelésre, valamint 5 haláleset is történt. Szomorú tény, hogy a szennyezés ellenére a megbetegedések megelőzhetők lettek volna, ha a fogyasztók tisztában vannak az élelmiszerbiztonsági kockázatokkal és azok elkerülésének módjával.
A veszélyforrás azonosítása és csökkentése érdekében a Nébih szeretné felmérni a hazai fogyasztói szokásokat. A hivatal https://portal.nebih.gov.hu/felmeres linken elérhető online kérdőíve többek között arra keresi a választ, hogy a magyar fogyasztók mit gondolnak a gyorsfagyasztott termékekről, miket részesítenek előnyben, vannak-e általános és speciális elkészítési szokásaik, továbbá elolvassák-e, betartják-e a jelölésen szereplő utasításokat. A felmérés arra is kitér, hogy a fogyasztók tisztában vannak-e az élelmiszerbiztonsági kockázatokkal a vásárlás, a szállítás, az otthoni tárolás és az előkészítés során.
A kérdőív segítségével a hatóság átfogó képet kaphat arról, hogy melyek a legjelentősebb kockázatok fogyasztói szinten e termékkategóriában. Az eredmények alapján a Nébih egy lakosságnak szóló tájékoztatót is összeállít a későbbiekben, kiemelve a felmérés szerinti kritikus pontokat. Az útmutatóban a hatóság azt is bemutatja majd, hogyan lehet a háztartásokban a gyorsfagyasztott zöldségekhez kapcsolódó élelmiszerbiztonsági kockázatokat a minimumra csökkenteni.
Az adatgyűjtés 2022. március 31-ig tart. A kérdőív kitöltése 10-15 percet vesz igénybe. A felmérés az alábbi linken elérhető: https://portal.nebih.gov.hu/felmeres

2022. március 4.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Research

Research – The Importance of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O145:NM[H28]/H28 Infections in Argentina, 1998–2020

Posted on March 9, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is known as a pathogen associated with food-borne diseases. The STEC O145 serogroup has been related with acute watery diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Argentina has the highest rate of HUS worldwide with 70% of the cases associated with STEC infections. We aimed to describe the epidemiology and genetic diversity of STEC O145 strains isolated across Argentina between 1998–2020. The strains isolated from 543 cases of human disease and four cattle, were pheno-genotipically characterized. Sequencing of five strains was performed. The strains were serotyped as O145:NM[H28]/H28, O145:H25, and O145:HNT, and mainly characterized as O145:NM[H28]/stx2a/eae/ehxA (98.1%). The results obtained by sequencing were consistent with those obtained by traditional methods and additional genes involved in different mechanisms of the pathogen were observed. In this study, we confirmed that STEC O145 strains are the second serogroup after O157 and represent 20.3% of HUS cases in Argentina. The frequency of STEC O145 and other significant serogroups is of utmost importance for public health in the country. This study encourages the improvement of the surveillance system to prevent severe cases of human disease. View Full-Text

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Posted in Antimicrobials, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O145, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome, HUS, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Fruit Juice Spoilage by Alicyclobacillus: Detection and Control Methods—A Comprehensive Review

Posted on March 8, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Fruit juices have an important place in humans’ healthy diet. They are considered to be shelf stable products due to their low pH that prevents the growth of most bacteria. However thermo-acidophilic endospore forming bacteria of the genus Alicyclobacillus have the potential to cause spoilage of commercially pasteurized fruit juices. The flat sour type spoilage, with absence of gas production but presence of chemical taint compounds (mostly guaiacol) and the ability of Alicyclobacillus spores to survive after pasteurization and germinate under favorable conditions make them a major concern for the fruit juice industry worldwide. Their special characteristics and presence in the fruit juice industry has resulted in the development of many isolation and identification methods based on cell detection (plating methods, ELISA, flow cytometry), nucleic acid analysis (PCR, RAPD-PCR, ERIC-PCR, DGGE-PCR, RT-PCR, RFLP-PCR, IMS-PCR, qPCR, and 16S rRNA sequencing) and measurement of their metabolites (HPLC, GC, GC-MS, GC-O, GC-SPME, Electronic nose, and FTIR). Early detection is a big challenge that can reduce economic loss in the industry while the development of control methods targeting the inactivation of Alicyclobacillus is of paramount importance as well. This review includes a discussion of the various chemical (oxidants, natural compounds of microbial, animal and plant origin), physical (thermal pasteurization), and non-thermal (High Hydrostatic Pressure, High Pressure Homogenization, ultrasound, microwaves, UV-C light, irradiation, ohmic heating and Pulse Electric Field) treatments to control Alicyclobacillus growth in order to ensure the quality and the extended shelf life of fruit juices.

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

Research – Antimicrobial effect of chitosan and extracellular metabolites of Pediococcus pentosaceus CM175 against Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7

Posted on March 8, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Foodborne illness outbreaks caused by consuming cantaloupe melon contaminated with Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are recurrent. The objective of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of the combination of chitosan (Q) and extracellular metabolites of Pediococcus pentosaceus CM175 (EmPp) on the surface of cantaloupe against E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium. The minimum inhibitory and bactericide concentrations (MIC and MBC) of Q and EmPp were determined by the method of microdilution in broth and viability in plate, respectively. The antimicrobial effect derived from the combination of Q and EmPp was evaluated using the chessboard technique. The antimicrobial activity of the different treatments in cantaloupe was performed employing plate counting. The viability and membrane integrity of S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 after treatments application were observed by fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that MIC and MBC of Q against S. Typhimurium were 0.1% and 0.7%, respectively; 0.004% and 0.03% for E. coli O157:H7, respectively; for EmPp, MIC was 8.0% and MBC was 10% for both bacteria. The combination of 0.1% Q and 6.6% EmPp against S. Typhimurium and 0.01% Q and 5.0% EmPp against E. coli O157:H7 showed an additive effect. The highest reductions of S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 in cantaloupe were exerted by the combinations of 0.1% Q with 6.6% EmPp and 0.01% Q with 5.0% EmPp, respectively. These results show that combination of Q and EmPp could be an effective and promising alternative against the tested pathogens.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella

Research – Rainfall strongly affects infectious Vibrio bacteria in Ala Wai Canal

Posted on March 8, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily

Food Illness

Study authors Olivia Nigro, then a graduate student in the oceanography at UHM and now an assistant professor at HPU, and Grieg Steward, professor in the UHM School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), first assessed Vibrio in 2006 when Oliver Johnson died from a V. vulnificus infection after having cuts and scrapes exposed to Ala Wai Harbor water.

“His exposure occurred after many days of heavy rainfall, which, given our results, suggests this may have been an exacerbating factor,” said Steward. “At the time, we realized there was almost no data on the ecology of V. vulnificus in the canal, or in Hawai’i generally, and remarkably, very little in tropical waters anywhere.”

After a quick pilot study in 2006 that showed the bacteria are present in high, but not unexpected numbers, the team geared up for a year-long study in 2008-2009 with better methods to understand the variability in abundance over a seasonal cycle.

At higher latitudes, the abundance of V. vulnificus shows a very strong seasonal cycle — nearly disappearing in winter when temperatures are cold. In Hawai’i, temperatures are warm year-round, so freshwater input becomes a more important control.

“V. vulnificus occurs naturally in warm, brackish waters,” said Nigro. “So we expect to find this bacterium anywhere that temperatures are warm and freshwater and seawater mix in about equal proportions. When conditions are right, the Ala Wai Canal can be a great incubator for this bacterium!”

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Posted in Contaminated water, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Vibrio, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Estonia – Imported chicken linked to Campylobacter cases in Estonia

Posted on March 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

CDC Campy

Since 2005 campylobacteriosis has been the most commonly reported gastrointestinal infection in humans in the European Union with more than 200,000 cases annually. Also Campylobacter is one of the most frequent cause of food-borne outbreaks with 319 outbreaks reported to EFSA, involving 1,254 cases of disease and 125 hospitalizations in EU in 2019. Importantly poultry meat is one of the most common source for the sporadic Campylobacter infections and for strong-evidence campylobacteriosis food-borne outbreaks in EU.

 In present study, 429 fresh broiler chicken meat samples of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian origin were collected from Estonian retail level and analyzed on a monthly basis between September 2018 and October 2019. Campylobacter spp. were isolated in 141 (32.9%) of 429 broiler chicken meat samples. Altogether 3 (1.8%), 49 (36.8%), and 89 (66.9%) of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian origin broiler chicken meat samples were positive for Campylobacter spp. Among Campylobacter-positive samples, 62 (14.5%) contained Campylobacter spp. below 100 CFU/g and in 28 (6.5%) samples the count of Campylobacter spp. exceeded 1,000 CFU/g. A high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in fresh broiler chicken meat of Lithuanian and Latvian origin in Estonian retail was observed. Additionally, 22 different multilocus sequence types were identified among 55 genotyped isolates of broiler chicken meat and human origin, of which 45 were Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) and 10 were Campylobacter coli (C. coli). The most prevalent multilocus sequence types among C. jejuni was ST2229 and among C. coli ST832, ST872. C. jejuni genotypes found in both broiler chicken meat and human origin samples were ST122, ST464, ST7355, and ST9882, which indicates that imported fresh broiler chicken meat is likely the cause of human campylobacteriosis in Estonia.

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Posted in campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, MLST, Research

Research – Hygiene indicators and Salmonella sp. on swine carcass surfaces from two slaughterhouses in northern Portugal.

Posted on March 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

The monitorization of carcass surfaces contamination along the slaughter lines enables the verification of the slaughter operations hygiene and the good manufacturing practices. Pork meat is a common source of human non-typhoidal salmonellosis, one of the most frequently reported foodborne illnesses worldwide. This study aimed to gather data on microbial loads in carcass surfaces in two slaughterhouses, before and after evisceration. Salmonella enterica search was made after evisceration, due to the frequent reference to pork as being a common carrier of this microorganism. The contamination of carcass surfaces was evaluated by delimitation of surface area with sterilized templates (100 cm2), and sampled by gauze swabs. Enumeration of total aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia coli was performed. The detection of Salmonella was performed for carcass surfaces after evisceration, and from animal liver and floor drains (environmental). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed for mesophilic microorganisms, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli counts on the external surfaces, with higher counts after evisceration. The neck and abdominal area presented higher levels for mesophilic microorganisms, Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli, and a high prevalence of Salmonella. Salmonella was detected only in one of the studied slaughterhouses; 19 out of 259 analysed carcass samples were positive for Salmonella (7.3%). Salmonella was also detected in two livers and in two floor drains. A collection of 52 Salmonella isolates (44 from carcasses, 5 from livers, 3 from drains) was gathered. Three serovars of Salmonella were identified (Typhimurium 4,5:i- , Wernigerone and Derby), and 53.8% of isolates were multidrug-resistant. The results demonstrate the need for continuous improvement of slaughtering operations and good manufacturing practices, to ensure food safety of pork produced in Portugal.

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Posted in Carcass, Drug Resistance, drug resistant, E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae, escherichia coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Multi Drug Resistant, Research, Salmonella

Research – Rising Incidence of Legionnaires’ Disease and Associated Epidemiologic Patterns, United States, 1992–2018

Posted on March 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

Reported Legionnaires’ disease (LD) cases began increasing in the United States in 2003 after relatively stable numbers for >10 years; reasons for the rise are unclear. We compared epidemiologic patterns associated with cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before and during the rise. The age-standardized average incidence was 0.48 cases/100,000 population during 1992–2002 compared with 2.71 cases/100,000 in 2018. Reported LD incidence increased in nearly every demographic, but increases tended to be larger in demographic groups with higher incidence. During both periods, the largest number of cases occurred among White persons, but the highest incidence was in Black or African American persons. Incidence and increases in incidence were generally largest in the East North Central, Middle Atlantic, and New England divisions. Seasonality was more pronounced during 2003–2018, especially in the Northeast and Midwest. Rising incidence was most notably associated with increasing racial disparities, geographic focus, and seasonality.

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Posted in Contaminated water, Cooling Towers, Food Microbiology Research, Legionella, Legionnaires’ disease, Research, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Microbial Diversity and Safety in Fermented Beverages

Posted on March 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

For thousands of years, humans have exploited the natural process of fermentation of various foods to preserve them, and to enjoy the changes in the sensory characteristics that could be produced. Recently, the world of fermented beverages has gone through a rapid transformation linked to deep changes in consumer preferences, consumption habits, climate, new regulations and entry of emerging countries, accompanied by safety concerns and an important reduction in economic resources available to people. As with all food handling and preparation, we need to be sure the fermented food produced is safe. Fermentation is a complex biological process where microbial diversity takes place and the environment created inside of the fermented food provides the conditions to reduce the risk of pathogenic bacteria growth, thus providing safe food. In addition, food manufacturers fermenting food carefully control their processing and must comply with the National Food Standards Codes. Although these products have a generally good food safety record, sometimes inadequate manufacturing practices or the presence of acidophilic pathogens could compromise food safety. In fact, fermented beverages may adversely become contaminated with pathogens or microbial toxins and thereby transform into vehicles that can transmit diseases to the consumers. Moreover, many microorganisms can deteriorate the physical-chemical and sensory properties as well as the flavor of the final products. In this editorial, we present an overview of a review and six original research papers published in the Special Issue “Fermentation Process and Microbial Safety of Beverages” of the Beverages journal.

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Posted in Aspergillus, Bacillus, escherichia coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Lactobacillus, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Yeasts

Research – Distribution and Characteristics of Listeria spp. in Pigs and Pork Production Chains in Germany

Posted on March 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can cause disease, mainly in elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised persons through consumption of contaminated food, including pork products. It is widespread in the environment and can also be found in asymptomatic carrier animals, for example, in different tissues of pigs. To learn more about their nature, 16 Listeria spp. isolates found in tonsils and intestinal content of pigs and 13 isolates from the slaughterhouse environment were characterized using next-generation sequencing (NGS). A wide distribution of clonal complexes was observed in pigs, as well as in the pork production chain, suggesting multiple sources of entry. Hypervirulent clones were found in pig tonsils, showing the potential risk of pigs as source of isolates causing human disease. The presence of closely related isolates along the production chain suggests a cross-contamination in the slaughterhouse or recontamination from the same source, strengthening the importance of efficient cleaning and disinfection procedures. The phenotypical antimicrobial resistance status of L. monocytogenes isolates was examined via broth microdilution and revealed a low resistance level. Nevertheless, genotypical resistance data suggested multiple resistances in some non-pathogenic L. innocua isolates from pig samples, which might pose a risk of spreading resistances to pathogenic species. View Full-Text

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Posted in antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research