Research Publications (Food Safety)

Veal cutlets were surface inoculated with ca. 6.6 cfu/g of an eight-strain rifampicin-resistant cocktail of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) (O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O104:H4, O111:H-, O121:H19, O145:NM and O157:H7). Cutlets were mechanically tenderized and cordon bleu was prepared by adding slices of ham and cheese between two cutlets prior to batter/breading and cooking. Fully assembled cordon bleu were cooked in preheated (191.5C) extra virgin olive oil (45 mL) on a griddle.

Publication date: September 2015
, Volume 55
Author(s): Steffen Mueller , Sara M. Handy , Jonathan R. Deeds , Gideon O. George , Wendy J. Broadhead , Sian E. Pugh , Stephen D. Garrett

Publication date: 2 June 2015
, Volume 202
Author(s): Gulsun Akdemir Evrendilek

Sejeong Kim, Heeyoung Lee, Soomin Lee, Yohan Yoon, Kyoung-Hee Choi

Andrea Hodgson, Eric M. Wier, Kai Fu, Xin Sun, Hongbing Yu, Wenxin Zheng, Ho Pan Sham, Kaitlin Johnson, Scott Bailey, Bruce A. Vallance, Fengyi Wan

We developed a simple and cheap assay for quantitatively detecting ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine. A DNA aptamer available in literature was used as recognition probe in its molecular beacon form, i.e., with a fluorescence-quenching pair at the stem ends. Our aptabeacon could adopt a conformation allowing OTA binding, causing a fluorescence rise due to the increased distance between fluorophore and quencher. We used real-time PCR equipment for capturing the signal.

Keila Martin-Betancor, Ismael Rodea-Palomares, Angeles Muñoz Martin, Francisco Leganes and Francisca FERNÁNDEZ-PIÑAS A self-luminescent bioreporter strain of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 was constructed by fusing the promoter region of the smt locus (encoding the transcriptional repressor SmtB and the metallothionein SmtA) to luxCDABE from Photorhabdus luminescens; the sensor smtB gene controlling the expression of smtA was cloned in the same vector.

Publication date: Available online 6 March 2015

Author(s): Qiaoyang Teng , Weixia Shen , Dawei Yan , Liping Yan , Xuesong Li , Guoxin Li , Jianmei Yang , Zejun Li

Katie S. Viljoen, Amirtha Dakshinamurthy, Paul Goldberg, Jonathan M. Blackburn

Removal of imidacloprid and acetamiprid in tea infusions by microfiltration membrane using dead-end model was investigated in the present study. The results showed that microfiltration significantly promoted the removal of both pesticides (P < 0.05) in tea infusions. Furthermore, the extent of removal was strongly influenced by the pore size of membrane, operational pressure and the concentrations of tea infusions.

Publication date: September 2015
, Volume 55
Author(s): Arantxa Muñoz , Nazaret Dominguez-Gasca , Concepción Jimenez-Lopez , Alejandro B. Rodriguez-Navarro

Electron-beam (eBeam) irradiation technology has a variety of applications in modern society. The underlying hypothesis was that eBeam-inactivated Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) cells can serve as a vaccine to control SE colonization and shedding in poultry birds. An eBeam dose of 2.5 kGy (kilograys) was used to inactivate a high-titer (108 colony-forming units [CFU]) preparation of SE cells.

The discovery of novel Clostridium perfringens toxins NetB and TpeL has initiated questions regarding their role in the pathogenesis of disease. However, data showing the prevalence of these genes in C. perfringens populations are limited to certain geographical areas. If netB and tpeL are important virulence factors for disease worldwide, one would expect to find these genes in isolates from other regions as well. To address this hypothesis, C.

Salmonellosis affects humans more frequently than any other foodborne disease, and it causes severe economic losses in the poultry industry. A cross-sectional study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in laying hen farms in the Tolima region of Colombia. Fifteen egg-laying hen farms were sampled, and a total of 589 samples were cultured to isolate Salmonella spp. A total of 14 isolates of Salmonella spp.

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, subtype H5N8, were observed in two different flocks of local broiler breeder farms and a commercial layer farm in South Korea. Clinically, the cases were characterized by a gradual increase in mortality, slow transmission, and unrecognizable clinical signs of HPAI. Gross observations in both cases included hemorrhagic or necrotic lesions in internal organs, such as serosal and mucosal membranes, spleen, and pancreas.

During the artificial insemination process, turkey breeder hens may become infected with influenza virus acquired from humans. The virus has been shown, through experimental infection, to localize in the reproductive tract, with limited dissemination in other tissues. A limited number of hens were used during these studies, and the overall flock morbidity, mortality, and fecundity were not able to be determined.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is a highly contagious disease in young chickens which can result in high morbidity and mortality and also in great economic losses. The main target for the virus is the lymphoid tissue with a special predilection for the bursa of Fabricius. Several vaccines are available to control the disease. Intermediate plus vaccines are used in chickens with high maternal antibody titers which face high infection pressure.

To prove the hypothesis that the physical form of diet affects the outcome of an artificial infection with Salmonella Enteritidis in broilers, 7-day-old birds were allotted to one of four groups and fed botanically, and nearly also chemically identical diets, differing in grinding and further compaction.

Avian influenza (AI) viruses cause disease in domestic and wild bird species. Although these viruses have been reported to occur in poultry in Uganda, risk factors for their introduction and spread were largely unknown. We investigated the seroprevalence and risk factors for exposure of free-range poultry to AI viruses in Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the country. A structured questionnaire was administered to 664 respondents, and 1342 sera were collected from poultry.

Publication date: September 2015
, Volume 55
Author(s): Rajesh K. Bhoge , Rashmi Chhabra , Gurinderjit Randhawa , Muthukrishnan Sathiyabama , Monika Singh

Publication date: September 2015
, Volume 55
Author(s): Lorena Pulleiro-Potel , Elena Barcala , Elvira Mayo-Hernández , Pilar Muñoz

Publication date: September 2015
, Volume 55
Author(s): Outi Priha , Mari Raulio , Kevin Cooke , Leanne Fisher , Claire Hill , Silja Hylkinen , Peter Kelly , Parnia Navabpour , Soheyla Ostovarpour , Kaisa Tapani , Carin Tattershall , Anna-Kaisa Vehviläinen , Joanna Verran , Erna Storgårds

Publication date: 2 June 2015
, Volume 202
Author(s): Juan S. Aguirre , Gonzalo García de Fernando , Eva Hierro , Xavier F. Hospital , Juan A. Ordóñez , Manuela Fernández

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a widely distributed mycotoxin produced by certain species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, has been identified as a carcinogenic, hepatotoxic, teratogenic, nephrotoxic and immunotoxic toxin. To reduce the risk of OTA contamination, a rapid, inexpensive, suitable and on-site assay for its detection is required.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Over the past 10 years, food safety incidents have occurred frequently in China. Food safety issues in the dairy sector have increasingly gained the attention of the Chinese government and the public. The objective of this research is to explore consumption changes of dairy products of different income groups after these dairy safety incidents.