Category Archives: Uncategorized

Research – Evaluation of weakly acidic electrolyzed water and modified atmosphere packaging on the shelf life and quality of farmed puffer fish (Takifugu obscurus ) during cold storage

Posted on June 28, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

The combined effect of weakly acidic electrolyzed water (WAEW) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) treatments on the quality of puffer fish (Takifugu obscurus ) during cold storage was studied on aspects of microbiological activity, texture, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), trimethylamine (TMA), free amino acids (FAAs), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), ATP‐related compounds and K value, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and organoleptic properties. As a result, significantly (p  < .05) higher inhibitory effects on total viable counts (TVC), H2S‐producing bacteria (including Shewanella putrefaciens ), Pseudomonas spp., and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were observed in WAEW‐treated puffer fish packaged in 60%CO2/5%O2/35%N2 atmosphere than that in air package and vacuum package with/without WAEW‐treated samples. In addition, chemical results showed that WAEW together with MAP treatments were highly efficient in maintaining lower TVB‐N, TMA, and TBARS values in refrigerated puffer fish. Moreover, the presence of WAEW combined with MAP treatments showed positive effects on retarding the relative content of fishy flavor compounds, such as 1‐octen‐3‐ol, 1‐penten‐3‐ol, hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, decanal, (E )‐2‐octenal, and 2,3‐butanedione. As a whole, the combined effect of WAEW and MAP on refrigerated puffer fish is advisable to maintain better quality and extend the shelf life.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Technology, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Research, Shewanella, Technology, Uncategorized

Research – Effects of oilseed substrates (ground nyjer and flax seeds) on the growth and Ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus carbonarius

Posted on June 28, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Aspergillus carbonarius is one of the major Ochratoxin A (OTA) producing fungus. Nyjer and flax seeds are important oilseeds that are used for both human and animal consumption, but they are highly susceptible to fungal growth and mycotoxin contamination. The objectives of this study were to determine the growth and OTA production by A. carbonarius on ground nyjer and flax seeds with water activity levels ranging from 0.82 to 0.98 aw at three incubation temperatures (20, 30, 37°C). It was found that A. carbonarius was not able to grow on the two types of oilseeds with 0.82 or 0.86 aw. Also, the fungus was not able to grow on flax seeds with high water activity (0.98 aw). The OTA was only detected on flax seed samples with 0.94 aw at 20°C. On nyjer seeds, the highest concentration of OTA (271 μg/kg) was detected from samples with 0.98 aw incubated at 20°C for 5 days, while on flax seeds the highest OTA (146 μg/kg) was found on the seed samples with 0.94 aw incubated at 20°C for 15 days. Linear regression models also indicated that 0.98 aw was optimal for both fungal growth and OTA production on nyjer seeds. Overall, ground nyjer seed is better than flax seed to support growth and OTA production by A. carbonarius .

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Ochratoxin, Research, Uncategorized

Research – Effects of post‐packaging pasteurization process on microbial, chemical, and sensory qualities of ready‐to‐eat cured vacuum‐packed Turkey breast

Posted on June 27, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Ready‐to‐eat (RTE) cured vacuum‐packed turkey breast was pasteurized (80°C, 5.5 min) and stored at 8°C (like supermarkets refrigerator temperature). After 42 days (current shelf life of this product), in control group (RTE cured vacuum‐packed turkey breast), the number of mesophilic, anaerobic, lactic acid bacteria, mold and yeast, coliform, and psychrotrophic increased 5.82, 6.85, 5.85, 4.75, 1.49, and 5.57 log CFU/g, respectively. However, in the pasteurized samples, the number of mesophilic, anaerobic, and lactic acid bacteria increased 1.86, 2.12, and 2.28 log CFU/g, respectively, and mold and yeast, coliform, and psychrotrophic bacteria were under the detection limit. The effects of post‐packaging pasteurization on the reduction of total mesophilic, anaerobic and lactic acid bacteria counts on Day 42 of storage was 7.04 ± 0.33, 4.73 ± 0.11, and 5.58 ± 0.11 log CFU/g, respectively. Sensory quality of treated samples was significantly better than the control’s (p  < .05). Post‐packaging pasteurization (PPP) significantly inhibited the reduction in the pH and the increase in TVB‐N, TBARS, titratable acidity, and drip loss (p  < .05). This study shows the effectiveness of PPP on microbial, chemical, and sensory quality of cured vacuum‐packed turkey breast during cold storage.

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Posted in Coliforms, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, lactic acid bacteria, microbial contamination, Microbiology, mold, Moulds, Research, Uncategorized, Yeasts

Research – Antibacterial activities of Camellia sinensis plant extracts against uropathogenic E. coli in vitro and in vivo

Posted on June 27, 2020 by | Leave a comment

AJ

This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Camellia sinensis (Green tea) against Escherichia coli implicated in urinary tract infections. Antibacterial activities of these plant extracts were tested against 10 multi-drug resistant E. coli isolates obtained from clinical specimens of UTI patients. Forty-five (45) Wister albino rats were used for this study and exactly 0.1 ml of standardized (0.5 McFarland’s) E. coli suspension was each inoculated into the 45 rats through intra-urethral route and observed after 48 h. This was followed by oral administration of different concentrations of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of C. sinensis, and ciprofloxacin antibiotic for 14 days. Phytochemical screening of extracts showed the presence of bioactive components. Results revealed that methanol extract was better than ethyl acetate extract of C. sinensis in the treatment of UTI caused by E. coli. Body weight, white blood cell count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate level returned to normal values after treatment with methanol extract of C. sinensis at 200 mg/kg body weight when compared to ethyl acetate extract of C. sinensis. This study has shown that C. sinensis possess bioactive ingredients with antimicrobial activities. Information from this study adds to the current information on the potential health benefits of green tea. Thus, further studies on other plant products should be explored so as to understand their potential health benefits and as alternative therapeutics in the treatment of bacterial infections.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Technology, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Research, Uncategorized

Research – Fate of Salmonella enterica and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli on Vegetable Seeds Contaminated by Direct Contact with Artificially Inoculated Soil during Germination

Posted on June 26, 2020 by | Leave a comment

JFP

ABSTRACT

Contaminated vegetable seeds have been identified as a potential source of foodborne bacterial pathogens. This study was undertaken to observe the behavior of Salmonella and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) on vegetable seeds, contaminated by direct contact with artificially inoculated soil, during germination. Sterile sandy soil inoculated with lyophilized cells of four individual strains of Salmonella or EHEC (three O157:H7 strains and one O104:H4 strain) was mixed with sanitized seeds (2 g) of alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato at 20°C for 1 h. The contaminated seeds were germinated on 1% water agar at 25°C for 9 days in the dark. Populations of Salmonella and EHEC on various tissues (seed coat, root, cotyledon, and stem, etc.) of sprouts and seedlings were determined every other day over the germination period. Overall, 70.4 and 72.4% of collected tissue samples (n = 544) tested positive for Salmonella and EHEC, respectively. In general, the mean populations of Salmonella and EHEC on sprout and seedling tissues increased with the prolongation of germination time. Seed coats had the highest bacterial counts (4.00 to 4.06 log CFU/0.01 g), followed by the root (3.36 to 3.38 log CFU/0.01 g), cotyledon (3.13 to 3.38 log CFU/0.01 g), and stem tissues (2.67 to 2.84 log CFU/0.01 g). On average, tissue sections of fenugreek sprouts and lettuce seedlings had significantly higher (P < 0.05) numbers of Salmonella and EHEC cells than that of alfalfa sprouts and tomato seedlings. Data suggest that the growth and dissemination of Salmonella and EHEC cells on alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato sprout and seedling tissues are influenced by the type of vegetable seeds and sprout and seedling tissues involved. The study provides useful information on the fate of two important foodborne bacterial pathogens on selected vegetable seeds, contaminated by direct contact with inoculated soil, during the germination process.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Vegetable seeds were contaminated via contact with pathogen-bearing sandy soil.
  • Pathogens on contaminated seeds were recovered from tissues of sprouts and seedlings.
  • Tomato and alfalfa tissues had lower pathogen counts than fenugreek and lettuce tissues.
  • Seed coats had higher pathogen counts than the root and cotyledon tissues.
  • Stem tissues had lower Salmonella/EHEC counts compared with all other tissues.

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Posted in Campylobacter, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, EHEC, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Research – A bacterium that causes food-borne illness grows flagella under stressful conditions

Posted on June 26, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Massive Science CDC E.coli

Micro-organisms, especially bacteria, play essential roles in our bodies, especially in our guts. Some bacteria are beneficial, and some like E.coli are harmful. Another Escherichia strain (in the same genus as E. coli) named Escherichia albertii is also pathogenic to humans, causing diarrhea and food-borne illnesses.  E. albertii was identified for the first time during an illness outbreak in Bangladesh.

Pathogenic bacteria like E. albertii are very motile, meaning they move around a lot. They are able to do this using hair-like structures called flagella. E. albertii was originally described as non-hairy bacterium and thus far has been considered to be a non-motile pathogenic micro-organism.

 

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Posted in E.albertii, E.coli, Escherichia albertii, Food Microbiology Research, Food Pathogen, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research, Uncategorized

Research -Exposure Assessment of Multiple Mycotoxins in Black and White Sesame Seeds Consumed in Thailand

Posted on June 26, 2020 by | Leave a comment

JFP

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of 16 well-recognized and emerging mycotoxins in black and white sesame seed samples sold in Thailand and to evaluate possible health risks to consumers. Samples were extracted and cleaned with a modified QuEChERS procedure. Multiple mycotoxins in sesame seed samples were analyzed with a validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method. The risk of mycotoxin exposure via dietary intake of sesame seeds was evaluated based on the hazard quotient, margin of exposure (MOE), and quantitative liver cancer risk established by European Food Safety Authority, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Health Organization. Of the 200 samples, 21.5% were contaminated with mycotoxins, 19.5% were contaminated with a single mycotoxin, and 2% were contaminated with multiple mycotoxins. Although 9% of total samples were contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs), only one black sesame seed sample and one white sesame seed sample were above the regulatory limits for the European Union (2 μg/kg). The MOE values derived from consumption of black and white sesame seeds were generally <10,000, especially in the group consuming the most. The number of liver cancer cases over a lifetime associated with AFB1 exposure based on the upper bound values for the group consuming high level of black and white sesame seeds (97.5 percentile) was estimated at more than 1 case per one million persons. Therefore, a potential risk to consumer health exists through the consumption of black and white sesame seeds and subsequent exposure to AFB1. However, further evaluation with larger sample sizes is necessary for more accurate calculations. Continuous monitoring of mycotoxin contamination in sesame seeds with risk assessments is recommended.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Beauvericin, sterigmatocystin, and aflatoxins are frequently found in sesame seed samples.
  • Mycotoxin contamination in most samples was below European Union stipulations.
  • A potential risk to consumer health exists through consumption of sesame seeds.
  • Evaluation of mycotoxin contamination is important to maintain consumer safety.

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Toxin, Fusarium Toxin, microbial contamination, Microbiology, mold, Mould Toxin, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Research, Uncategorized

RASFF Alerts – Listeria monocytogenes – Chilled Smoked Salmon – Chilled Roasted Cooked Smoked Pork Belly

Posted on June 26, 2020 by | Leave a comment

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RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (up to 200 CFU/g) in chilled smoked salmon from Serbia, with raw material from Norway, via Slovenia in Croatia

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (120 CFU/g) in chilled smoked salmon from Serbia in Slovenia

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (<10 CFU/g) in chilled roasted cooked smoked pork belly from Belgium in France

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, RASFF, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert – Deoxynivalenol – DON – Wheat Flour

Posted on June 26, 2020 by | Leave a comment

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RASFF – deoxynivalenol (DON) (1063.39 µg/kg – ppb) in wheat flour from Ukraine in Slovakia

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Posted in deoxynivalenol, DON, Food Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Toxin, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert – Foodborne Outbreak – Chilled Smoked Trout Fillets – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on June 26, 2020 by | Leave a comment

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RASFF – foodborne outbreak suspected to be caused by and Listeria monocytogenes (presence) in chilled smoked trout fillets from the Netherlands in the Netherlands

 

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, RASFF, Uncategorized