Research Publications (Food Safety)

Foodborne diseases have a considerable negative impact on socioeconomic development globally and are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Among the foodborne bacterial pathogens, Campylobacter spp. is recognized as the leading cause of foodborne illness.

Vibrio vulnificus is a free-living marine bacterium associated with the contamination of fish and shellfish—the most consumed seafood in Asia. Owing to its potentially lethal clinical consequences, the consumption of seafood contaminated with V. vulnificus has become a growing public health concern. This systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression aimed to integrate data on the prevalence of seafood-borne V.

Introduction

Salmonella is a major foodborne pathogen worldwide that causes severe morbidity and mortality. It is mainly caused by consuming contaminated food, with retail food considered the primary source.

Methods

Reducing the colonization of Salmonella in turkeys is critical to mitigating the risk of its contamination at later stages of production. Given the increased susceptibility of newly hatched poults to Salmonella colonization, it is crucial to implement interventions that target potential transmission routes, including drinking water.

This study aimed to assess two homogenization methods to recover norovirus from Minas artisanal cheese (MAC) made with raw bovine milk obtained from four microregions of the Minas Gerais state, Brazil, with different ripening times and geographical and abiotic characteristics. For this purpose, 33 fiscal samples were artificially contaminated with norovirus GI and GII, and Mengovirus (MgV), used as an internal process control (IPC).

In this research, a straightforward sample treatment for multiresidue pesticide evaluation of onion samples was developed using the solid-phase extraction/quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and secure (SPE/QuEChERS) method. The suggested technique is based on acetonitrile liquid-liquid partitioning, then follows dispersive solid-phase extraction with ZrO2 particles for extract purification. ZrO2 is synthesized via co precipitation and analyzed via XRD, FTIR, and SEM.

In this study, the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs L21, AgNPs L22) produced using aqueous extracts of the Laser trilobum harvested in 2021 and 2022 was optimized. The experimental design and optimization of antimicrobial activity were performed using the response surface method (RSM).

Bacteria have the potential to adhere to abiotic surfaces, which has an undesirable effect in the food industry because they can survive for sustained periods through biofilm formation.

DepA, a pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent enzyme isolated from Devosia mutans 17-2-E-8, exhibits versatility in oxidizing deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives. This study explored DepA’s substrate specificity and enzyme kinetics, focusing on DON and 15-acetyl-DON. Besides efficiently oxidizing DON, DepA also transforms 15-acetyl-DON into 15-acetyl-3-keto-DON, as identified via LC-MS/MS and NMR analysis.

Ensuring food safety measures are essential to minimize the risk of foodborne diseases linked to raw food products. Here, we investigated the efficacy of an innovative approach for the control of Salmonella Typhimurium found in fresh produces. Plasma activated water (PAW) and bacteriophages are emerging effective and valuable alternative methods for microbiological decontamination.

Preliminary investigation showed a notable disparity in the browning of Golden Nectarine (GN) and Chun Xue (CX) during postharvest storage and pulping. Elucidating these underlying mechanisms might bring novel avenues for browning inhibition. To achieve this objective, GN and CX were stored at 25°C and 90 ± 5% relative humidity for 6 days, and then the biochemical changes were investigated.

Salmonella is one of the most important zoonotic pathogens and is mostly transmitted through food of animal origin. Application of bacteriophages is a promising tool to biocontrol Salmonella on both food and food contact surfaces. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a six-phage cocktail for the reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis and a mixture of five major Salmonella serotypes (S.

Consumption of raw and undercooked meat is considered as an important source of Toxoplasma gondii infections. However, most non-heated meat products contain salt and additives, which affect T. gondii viability. It was our aim to develop an in vitro method to substitute the mouse bioassay for determining the effect of salting on T. gondii viability. Two sheep were experimentally infected by oral inoculation with 6.5 × 104 oocysts.

The objective of the experiment was to evaluate a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NaturSafe, Dimond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) on performance, plasma metabolites, rumen parameters, and fecal pathogen shedding in feedlot steers. Crossbred steers (n = 61; 271 ± 48.1 kg) were sourced from 3 different research units at Oklahoma State University and assigned to 1 of 3 experimental treatments in a randomized complete block design.

Sustainability is a ‘buzzword’ often used within and outside of the agriculture industry. Southeastern beef cow-calf and stocker operations often utilize management practices which embody the core definition of sustainability to improve land resource, economic, and social viability. In forage-based production systems, year-round management practices are generally viewed by the scientific community in terms of production and economic responses.

Cotton serves as a vital economic driver within the agricultural sector of Mississippi. The seeds of cotton are rich in fat and protein content, making them a cost-effective alternative to soybean meal and other expensive protein sources. Additionally, cottonseed is the primary source of gossypol, a phenolic compound with significant potential for natural parasite control.

The study determined the occurrence and molecular characteristics of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes in Salmonella strains from chickens sampled at the informal market in Gauteng province, South Africa. Human consumers of chickens contaminated with virulent and AMR gene‐carrying Salmonella pose a risk of salmonellosis with therapeutic implications in South Africa.

Citrus fruits are typically waxed before packaging to prevent water loss and extend shelf-life. The survival of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella was evaluated in 15 different commercial finishing waxes used for fresh citrus in California. Survival of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella in citrus finishing waxes depended on wax type. Over 24 h at 4 and 22 °C, populations of L.

Background The consumption of foods containing amphenicols, a type of antibiotic, is a major concern for human health. A stable and accurate detection method can provide technical support for food-safety monitoring. Objective An effective and efficient method was established for determining amphenicols in animal-derived foods through the simultaneous use of solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).

Nisin (Ni) is a polypeptide bacteriocin produced by lactic streptococci (probiotics) that can inhibit the majority of gram-positive bacteria, and improve the growth performance of broilers, and exert antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the potential preventive effect of Nisin on necrotic enteritis induced by Clostridium perfringens (Cp) challenge.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of an adsorbent material based on powdered alfalfa leaves added in the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated diet of turkey poults on production parameters, blood cell count, serum biochemistry, liver enzymes, and liver histology.

Transgenic insect-resistant maize has been assessed thoroughly in the field but not in storage. The effects of several transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize hybrids on the interactions between stored-grain insects (Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella, or maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais) and the storage fungus Aspergillus flavus were evaluated in this study under laboratory conditions.

The skin of fish contains a diverse microbiota that has symbiotic functions with the host, facilitating pathogen exclusion, immune system priming, and nutrient degradation. The composition of fish skin microbiomes varies across species and in response to a variety of stressors, however, there has been no systematic analysis across these studies to evaluate how these factors shape fish skin microbiomes.

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) have fused molecular imprinting technology with magnetic separation technology, emerging as an innovative material capable of recognizing specific molecules and efficiently separating target substances. Their application to the extraction and purification of mycotoxins has great potential, due to the toxicity and economic impact of these contaminants.

A recent study published data on the growth performance, relative weights of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, liver histology, serum biochemistry, and hematological parameters for turkey poults fed an experimental diet contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and humic acids (HA) extracted from vermicompost.