Category Archives: Research

UK – Estimating deaths from foodborne disease in the UK for 11 key pathogens

Posted on January 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

NCBI

Objective

To estimate the number of deaths from foodborne disease in the UK from 11 key pathogens.

Design

Four different models were developed using data from a range of sources. These included enhanced surveillance, outbreaks, death certificates and hospital episode statistics data. For each model, median estimates were produced with 95% credible intervals (CrI). The results from the different models were compared.

Results

The estimates for foodborne deaths for each pathogen from the different models were consistent, with CrIs largely overlapping. Based on the preferred model for each pathogen, foodborne norovirus is estimated to cause 56 deaths per year (95% CrI 32 to 92), foodborne Salmonella 33 deaths (95% CrI 7 to 159), foodborne Listeria monocytogenes 26 deaths (95% CrI 24 to 28), foodborne Clostridium perfringens 25 deaths (95% CrI 1 to 163) and foodborne Campylobacter 21 deaths (95% CrI 8 to 47). The considerable overlap in the CrIs means it is not possible to make any firm conclusions on ranking. Most of these deaths occur in those aged over 75 years. Foodborne deaths from Shigella, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, adenovirus, astrovirus and rotavirus are all rare.

Conclusions

We estimate that there are 180 deaths per year in the UK (95% CrI 113 to 359) caused by foodborne disease based on these 11 pathogens. While this is a small fraction of the estimated 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness per year it still illustrates the potential severity of these illnesses demonstrating the importance in continuing efforts to reduce these infections.

Keywords: infectious disease, Campylobacter, Salmonella

Summary box

What is already known about this subject?

  • Foodborne disease is a common illness in the UK.

  • Previous research has estimated that there are 566 000 cases, 74 000 general practitioner presentations and 7600 hospital admissions related to foodborne disease from 13 known pathogens in UK; no estimate was made for deaths.

  • Campylobacter and norovirus are the most common foodborne pathogens in the UK.

  • Other common foodborne pathogens include Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella.

What are the new findings?

  • This study provides updated estimates of deaths for each of the 11 key foodborne pathogens considered; in total, these 11 pathogens cause 180 deaths per year in the UK (95% credible interval (CrI) 113 to 359).

  • Among them, Campylobacter, C. perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and norovirus pathogens are responsible for over 98% of these deaths.

  • Ranking between these five is difficult due to overlapping CrIs.

How might it impact on clinical practice in the foreseeable future?

  • This highlights the potential severity of Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, C. perfringens, Campylobacter and norovirus, particularly in comparison with other infectious intestinal diseases that have a food source.

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Posted in Adenovirus, Astrovirus, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Clostridium perfringens, Cryptosporidium, Death, food contamination, food death, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Food Virus, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Giardia, Illness, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research, Rotavirus, Salmonella, Shigella

Research – Probabilistic modelling of Escherichia coli concentration in raw milk under hot weather conditions

Posted on January 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Abstract

Climate change is one of the threats to the dairy supply chain as it may affect the microbiological quality of raw milk. In this context, a probabilistic model was developed to quantify the concentration of Escherichia coli in raw milk and explore what may happen to France under climate change conditions. It included four modules: initial contamination, packaging, retailing, and consumer refrigeration.

The model was built in R using the 2nd order Monte Carlo mc2d package to propagate the uncertainty and analysed its impact independently of the variability. The initial microbial counts were obtained from a dairy farm located in Saudi Arabia to reflect the impact of hot weather conditions. This country was taken as representative of what might happen in Europe and therefore in France in the future due to climate change. A large dataset containing 622 data points was analysed. They were fitted by a Normal probability distribution using the fitdistrplus package. The microbial growth was determined across various scenarios of time and temperature storage reflecting the raw milk supply-chain in France. Existing growth rate data from literature and ComBase were analysed by the Ratkowsky secondary model. Results were interpreted using the nlstools package.

The mean E. coli initial concentration in raw milk was estimated to be 1.31 [1.27; 1.35] log CFU/ mL and was found to increase at the end of the supply chain as a function of various time and temperature conditions. The estimations varied from 1.73 [1.42; 2.28] log CFU/mL after 12 h, 2.11 [1.46; 3.22] log CFU/mL after 36 h, and 2.41 [1.69;3.86] log CFU/mL after 60 h of consumer storage. The number of milk packages exceeding the 2-log French hygiene criterion for E. coli increased from 10% [8;12%] to 53% [27;77%] during consumer storage. In addition, the most significant factors contributing to the uncertainty of the model outputs were identified by running a sensitivity analysis. The results showed that the uncertainty around the Ratkowsky model parameters contributed the most to the uncertainty of E. coli concentration estimates.

Overall, the model and its outputs provide an insight on the possible microbial raw milk quality in the future in France due to higher temperatures conditions driven by climate change.

Graphical abstract

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Posted in Climate change, E.coli, Food Microbiology Research, Raw Milk, raw milk cheese, Research

Research – Controlling Listeria monocytogenes Growth and Biofilm Formation using Flavonoids

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Journal of Food Protection

The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of natural plant-derivate (flavonoid compounds) products to reduce and/or inhibit the biofilm-forming ability of Listeria monocytogenes. A collection of 500 synthetic and natural flavonoids were tested on strains of L. monocytogenes for their antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity. L. monocytogenes biofilm inhibition by flavonoid compounds was tested on i) stainless steel coupons using crystal violet staining and ii) glass slides using confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM) imaging. The flavonoids were tested against a L. monocytogenes cocktail of 5 strains at a concentration of 100 µM to determine their effect on planktonic growth. A total of 17 flavonoids were chosen for further study due to their ability to significantly reduce the growth of L. monocytogenes in BHI broth, while 2 flavonoids were chosen because they actually increased growth. A lower concentration of flavonoid compounds (50 µM) was selected to investigate their effects on L. monocytogenes biofilm formation using i) stainless steel coupons to quantify biomass and ii) glass coupons to observe the biofilm architecture. The 19 flavonoids showed various levels of L. monocytogenes growth inhibition, ranging from 2% to 100%, as compared to the respective positive and negative controls on stainless steel, after 48 h of incubation at 22 o C. In addition, in comparison to the control, most of the 19 flavonoids significantly (p ≤ 0.05) inhibited biofilm formation, with at least one of the L. monocytogenes strains or at one of the tested temperatures. In fact, when grown in BHI broth with 50 µM of the 19 selected flavonoid compounds for 48 h at 22 o C, there were visible reductions in L. monocytogenes biofilm formation on the glass coupons. Overall, we found multiple flavonoid compounds to be promising anti-biofilm and antimicrobial agents against L. monocytogenes .

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Posted in Biofilm, Decontamination Microbial, Flavanoid, 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, Research, Technology

Hong Kong – Roving Exhibitions on Food Safety in 2022

Posted on January 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CFS

Roving Exhibitions on Food Safety in 2022

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) holds a series of exhibitions in major shopping centres of public and private housing estates across the territory every year.  Panels covering different topics such as food safety and nutrition, and educational videos are shown to enhance public knowledge on how to make safe and suitable food choices.

TWO roving exhibitions will be held in the following venues in January 2022. Details are as follows:

Date Time Venue Theme
5/1 10am – 4pm Yeung Uk Road Market Enhance Food Traceability, Strengthen Food Safety; Pesticide Residues; Trans Fats
27/1 10am – 4pm Yee On Street Market Nutrition Labelling; Enhance Food Traceability, Strengthen Food Safety; Ciguatoxins

New arrangements of the exhibitions will be announced regularly and members of the public are welcome to visit the CFS website.  For any enquiries, please contact our Communication Resource Unit at 2381 6096.

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Posted in Center for Food Safety, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, food safety training, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research

CPS – Funded Projects 2022 – Superheated Steam – Process Surface Decontamination

Posted on January 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CPS

Practical application of superheated steam to harvesting, processing, and produce packing tools and equipment

Pathogens can contaminate environmental surfaces in produce handling operations. The industry uses sanitation programs to clean these surfaces and prevent product contamination. Highly effective sanitation procedures reduce the likelihood that pathogens will cross-contaminate products. In facilities that do not use water in their sanitation programs, tools like brushes and rags are used to clean. No-rinse sanitizers are sometimes used as well, but they cannot be used in organic operations. Superheated steam is a novel surface sanitizer that can kill pathogens on environmental surfaces. It is sometimes referred to as “dry steam” because it does not leave moisture or condensation on surfaces, making it a viable option for dry produce facilities. This project is designed to evaluate superheated steam use under industry relevant conditions. We will not only determine how well it works, but we will assess other key performance indicators including cost, range of appropriate applications, and the effect of extended use on equipment wear-and-tear and change to ambient relative humidity. This project will provide industry with the tools to comprehensively assess tradeoffs in superheated steam implementation. These resources will help improve the design of sanitation programs and enhance control over pathogen cross-contamination.

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

France- Large drop but France still records more than 1,000 outbreaks in 2020

Posted on January 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

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The number of outbreaks fell by more than 40 percent in France in 2020, largely because of COVID-19 measures, according to new numbers from the French public health agency.

Overall, 1,010 outbreaks were declared in 2020 affecting 6,814 people. Of these, 396 went to hospitals and nine died. Officials are compiling outbreak numbers for 2021.

In 2020, outbreaks went down by 43 percent from 1,783 in 2019 when 15,641 people were sickened, according to Sante publique France.

The drop in outbreaks is greater for those linked to commercial and catering settings but can be seen, to a lesser extent, for domestic outbreaks. The decrease is more marked during times of lockdown because of the pandemic but can also be noted outside these periods when social distancing measures, working from home and closure of restaurants were in place.

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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, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Research

Scotland FSS – Annual Report – Food Safety

Posted on January 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FSS

FSS has continued to develop its surveillance capability to improve the targeting of food sampling activities and interventions. This includes the provision of funding for LAs to sample in priority areas identified through horizon scanning, and evidence gathered through research, surveys and incidents. As part of its programme of work to ensure preparedness for the potential consequences of EU Exit, FSS has also utilised a range of datasets to improve its understanding of key import and export markets in Scotland, and distribution chains used to transport foods into the country.

During 2020/21, there was a large reduction (72%) in the total number of samples taken compared with the previous year. This is the most significant decrease in sampling activity recorded since the 2015 baseline. It is indicative of the impact of COVID-19 on Local Authority activities during the year as they were only able to do limited sampling, either because they couldn’t access food businesses premises (as they were closed or for health and safety purposes) or because of having to divert resources elsewhere to deal with other priorities.

It is clear there has been a decrease in the reporting of most of the five key pathogens during COVID-19.The reasons behind this change haven’t yet been fully established, but may reflect under reporting due to restrictions on GP appointments and people not wanting to present to the NHS with mild cases of vomiting and diarrhoea during the pandemic. Alternatively, there may actually be a true reduction in these illnesses due to COVID-19 restrictions on overseas travel, eating out and social interactions, and also improvements in hand hygiene which can be a key factor in preventing the transmission of food poisoning.
We are working with PHS to try to understand the reasons behind the reported rates of food poisoning to identify any positive behaviour changes during this period that we should continue to communicate to the Scottish population. Campylobacter continues to be the biggest cause of bacterial foodborne illness with direct healthcare costs estimated at around £3 million each year in Scotland. Chicken remains the main source of campylobacter infection in Scotland.
The industry has made significant progress in controlling contamination from the farm through to retail. However, our surveillance has indicated that there is still scope to reduce the risks of transmission through the handling of raw chicken both in retail settings and in the home. Research we have conducted with PHS has also shown that in Scotland, campylobacter infection has the most serious consequences for older people and those living in more deprived areas. Over the coming year, we will use this evidence to tailor our guidance and advice to areas of risk; helping businesses and consumers to adopt the controls and good hygiene practices which are effective in tackling campylobacter.
Following a successful partnership with researchers and industry we published, in November 2020, our report on the Risk of Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) contamination in wild venison. The aims of the report were to map the venison industry in Scotland, assess STEC prevalence in wild deer faeces, and review cross-contamination risks in the slaughter and processing stages of wild deer. The findings of the project have identified key recommendations for hygiene practices from cull to final product to be included in guidance for the sector.
In October 2020 we presented a paper to the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) on STEC research in Scotland, showcasing the research and evidence gathering undertaken by FSS which allowed us to link up with other research efforts across the UK and beyond. We completed a survey of the microbiological quality of beef mince on retail sale in Scotland that will be published in June 2021. The results show that the levels of pathogens present in retail mince beef were in line with other European surveys, and there were no antimicrobial resistance (AMR) “results of concern” (i.e. resistance to multiple classes or critically important antibiotics). In 2020 FSS began work with the Scottish Salmonella Reference Laboratory to undertake genomic sequencing of part of its historical archive of Salmonella samples.
Around 500 samples from veterinary and food isolates are being sequenced and the work is due to be completed in summer 2022. The results of this study will be used in a number of ways, such as supporting risk assessment (for example there have been a number of high profile Salmonella outbreaks in recent years, particularly associated with frozen reconstituted chicken products), and also to increase our understanding of how AMR is distributed amongst historical isolates.
Scientific advice and collaboration During 2020-21 we have been working to update our online tools, with current evidence, to support food businesses in controlling the microbiological risks in the production of smoked fish and fresh produce. The updated tools, to be relaunched in summer 2021 will provide a new generic web tool platform that can be populated with content for any industry. FSS have worked with a number of institutions to produce industry guidance to support the safe manufacture of food. In April 2020 the IFST Handbook of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (“Red Book”) was published; this book was co-authored by FSS science staff. We also have a number of further collaborations such as with Campden BRI to develop other pieces of guidance, particularly in the control of Listeria monocytogenes.
Throughout this year, we have also worked collaboratively across Scottish Government and other partners on the work to support Scotland’s waste reduction strategy, and programmes of work aimed at understanding and controlling antimicrobial resistance in Scotland.1.Food is Safe

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

UK – Retailer’s Campylobacter results above FSA limit

Posted on January 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Marks and Spencer has again recorded the highest Campylobacter in chicken results in updated quarterly figures from the United Kingdom.

Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial food poisoning in the UK and the dose needed to make people sick can be as low as a few hundred cells. Marks and Spencer is the only retailer to publish data showing the percentage of chickens contaminated at 100 to 1,000 CFU/g and at under 100 CFU/g.

Contamination figures published by the retailer went down as the quarter went on. The latest data covers July to September 2021 for nine retailers on Campylobacter in fresh, shop-bought, UK-produced chickens.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) maximum level is 7 percent of birds with more than 1,000 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) of Campylobacter. Marks and Spencer results were also above this limit in May and June 2021.

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Posted in Campylobacter, 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, Research, Retailer Campylobacter Survey

CPS – Research Project Funding 2022 – Bulb Onions

Posted on January 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CPS

Assessing the potential for production practices to impact dry bulb onion safety

In 2020, the dry bulb onion industry faced their first significant outbreak of foodborne illness when red onions grown in California were epidemiologically linked to >1,000 cases of salmonellosis. Since then, industry and food safety experts have been scratching their heads to figure out how this could have happened. After review of outbreak data and consultation with various stakeholders, we have identified a small number of practices with the potential to contribute to a large-scale contamination event, through water or agricultural input contamination. We have designed field trials to determine the risks of using contaminated water source or other agricultural input when 1) applying crop protection sprays (pesticides and/or clay) and 2) during irrigation (overhead vs. drip). Our primary goal is to collect evidence demonstrating risks of these practices and to communicate our findings to relevant stakeholders to reduce the potential for outbreak like this from recurring in the future. We will share our findings via a broad outreach strategy that communicates with industry throughout the two-year study. Outreach activities culminate with the development and delivery of a workshop and best practices guide that enables growers to better understand risks and implement changes to minimize the likelihood of crop contamination.

CPS

Strategic approaches to mitigate Salmonella contamination of bulb onions

The proposal aims to address the recent multi-state Salmonella outbreak associated with red onion, resulting in nationwide recalls of onions and associated products. The outbreak highlights the pathogen’s ability to persist and survive on bulb onions during production, handling, or storage, causing significant concern to the onion produce industry. Although Salmonella’s persistence on other farm produce is documented, there is a general lack of knowledge on Salmonella’s behavior on bulb onions. We propose developing an onion-specific risk reduction plan by investigating Salmonella’s survival and growth on onion bulbs using different genetic backgrounds, nutritional compositions influenced by agronomic practices, seasons, and managed stress environments. Additionally, to understand the potential to serve as a transient host for transmission, we will investigate the effects of genetic, nutritional, and physiochemical characters on Salmonella survival and growth. This project will provide the industry with tools (1) to identify factors in the onion production and supply chain that may allow a Salmonella to persist, (2) identify varieties and agronomic practices that would minimize or eliminate its persistence, and (3) to help the produce industry in developing guidelines to manage risks of Salmonella in onions effectively.

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Posted in 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, Salmonella, Salmonella in Onions, Salmonella Oranienburg

Research – Best Practice for the Control of Human Pathogenic Microorganisms in Plant Production Systems

Posted on January 4, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Teagasc

There is an increased emphasis on and observance of food-borne diseases associated with fresh produce, due in part to changes in the processing, agronomy and distribution of fresh produce but also in the increasing trend for the consumption of minimally processed and raw, ready-to-eat crops. A recent meeting of European experts and commercial growers, assembled under the HuPlant Cost Action assessed the current European situation in relation to the safety of horticultural produce under the themes of
(1) protecting fresh produce from microbial pathogens,
(2) control strategies and sampling and
(3) risk assessment and risk based sampling.
The following report details the discussions and observations which emanated from that meeting, including a list of recommendations, aimed at
(1) Growers,
(2) Regulators and Advisors and
(3) Scientists.
For growers recommendations include reinforcement through clear communication on the need to prevent initial contamination of produce through the adoption of good microbiological safety practice, utilising on farm risk assessments and a focus on avoidance of initial contamination rather than a reliance on decontamination efforts.
This can be achieved through approaches such as the adoption and incorporation of good agricultural practice and good hygiene into standard operating procedures on farm. Recommendations to regulators and advisors include balancing communication messages to growers, indicating what is required of them, but also equally, clearly explaining why it is necessary.
Additionally it was felt that additional supports and materials could be made available to growers, particularly to smaller growers, to assist in the training of staff on the importance of biological safety practice, particularly in sectors where staff turnover may be high and differences in the native languages spoken.
Finally recommendations to scientists include a greater emphasis on knowledge transfer and also to, where possible focus knowledge transfer efforts into developing clear recommendations which growers can implement. The interaction between the plant microbiome, potential pathogens, environmental conditions and agricultural practices requires a greater level of attention and research to aid in predict the risk of human pathogen establishment.
Overall it was recognised that through increased interaction and information exchange between stakeholders will enable better understanding of the issues and opportunities faced by the horticultural sector and the co-creation of advice through participation of all stakeholders can assist in reducing the risk of contamination of horticultural produce.

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