Research Publications (Food Safety)

Brucellaceae are a group of pathogenic intracellular bacteria with the ability to modulate the host response, both at the individual cell level and systemically. One of the hallmarks of the virulence process is the capacity of the bacteria to downregulate the adaptive and acquired host immune response through a plethora of virulence factors that directly impact several key signaling cascades.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that infects the placenta and can cause pregnancy complications. Listeriosis usually occurs as a sporadic infection, but large outbreaks are also reported. Virulence from clinical isolates is rarely analyzed due to the large number of animals required, but this knowledge could help guide the response to an outbreak.

Campylobacter spp. are foodborne and waterborne pathogens. While rather accurate estimates for these pathogens are available in industrialized countries, a lack of diagnostic capacity in developing countries limits accurate assessments of prevalence in many regions. Proficiency in the identification and susceptibility testing of these organisms is critical for surveillance and control efforts.

Epidemiological and microbiological data on Vibrio cholerae strains isolated between April 2004 and March 2018 (n = 836) and held at the Public Health England culture archive were reviewed. The traditional biochemical species identification and serological typing results were compared with the genome-derived species identification and serotype for a subset of isolates (n = 152).

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) via next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies is a powerful tool for determining the relatedness of bacterial isolates in foodborne illness detection and outbreak investigations. WGS has been applied to national outbreaks (for example, Listeria monocytogenes); however, WGS has rarely been used in smaller local outbreaks.

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2018

Food Science and Human Wellness

Author(s): Jianjian Huang, Changjun Liu, Yanbo Wang, Chong Wang, Menghua Xie, Yi Qian, Linglin Fu

Learn-Han Lee, Nurul-Syakima Ab Mutalib, Jodi Woan-Fei Law, Sunny Hei Wong, Vengadesh Letchumanan

Ensuring food safety requires a rapid and reliable method for detecting food-borne pathogens. Mass spectrometry has been demonstrated as a powerful tool to classify pure bacterial species. However, matrix interference from food backgrounds may lead to false results because of the suppression of microbial signals. It is useful to develop a method for bacterial enrichment and marker identification in food samples.

Prasanth Manohar, Ashok J. Tamhankar, Cecilia StalsLundborg, Nachimuthu Ramesh

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2018 Food BioscienceAuthor(s): Sittichoke Sinthusamran, Soottawat Benjakul, Kongkarn Kijroongrojana, Thummanoon Prodpran, Tri Winarni AgustiniAbstractThe yield of lipids extracted from the lipid-containing solid residue (LSR) obtained from the protein hydrolysis of shrimp cephalothorax using ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), and their chemical compositions were determined.

Publication date: Available online 22 October 2018

Source: LWT

Author(s): Matthew J. Moriarty, Kenneth Semmens, Gary K. Bissonnette, Jacek Jaczynski

Publication date: Available online 23 October 2018

Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies

Author(s): Ya Su, Min Zhang, Benu Adhikari, Arun S. Mujumdar, Weiming Zhang

Characterization of 7 Bacillus cereus strains obtained from an extended shelf-life (ESL) milk processing plant on the following points: ESL milk during shelf life, pasteurized milk, raw milk, and filler nozzles after cleaning in place, was performed using rpoB partial sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The objective of the study was to determine relatedness among B. cereus isolates from several sampling points along an ESL processing plant with the aim of source tracking.

Shigella spp. are Gram-negative intracellular pathogenic bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae and can cause bacterial dysentery, a severe diarrheal disease. The pathophysiological impact of the Gra...

Shilpa Gadwal, Tanya L. Johnson, Henriette Remmer, Maria Sandkvist

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView.

A major public health issue, Toxoplasma gondii infection can affect humans mainly via the consumption of animal products from certain species, including small ruminants. Therefore, a regular monitoring of the infection in ovine and caprine populations is advisable for the control of human and animal toxoplasmosis.

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView.

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView.

Lorena Hormeño, María Ugarte-Ruiz, Gonzalo Palomo, Carmen Borge, Diego Florez-Cuadrado, Santiago Vadillo, Segundo Píriz, Lucas Domínguez, Maria J. Campos, Alberto Quesada

Toxins, Vol. 10, Pages 422: Detection of Shiga Toxin 2 Produced by Escherichia coli in Foods Using a Novel AlphaLISA

Toxins doi: 10.3390/toxins10110422

Authors:
Cheryl M. Armstrong
Leah E. Ruth
Joseph A. Capobianco
Terence P. Strobaugh
Fernando M. Rubio
Andrew G. Gehring

Toxins, Vol. 10, Pages 423: The Acute Toxicity of Tetrodotoxin and Tetrodotoxin–Saxitoxin Mixtures to Mice by Various Routes of Administration

Toxins doi: 10.3390/toxins10110423

Authors:
Sarah C. Finch
Michael J. Boundy
D. Tim Harwood

Rinsing dried tea leaves before brewing is a traditional way of preparing rolled oolong tea in China. This study analyzes how rinsing green, black, and oolong tea before brewing affects the levels of pesticide residues in the tea infusion.

African sausages are local popular delicacies in Kenya. Demand for these sausages has resulted in this delicacy’s vendors being on the increase. However, health risk posed to unsuspecting consumers of African sausages sold in informal, unhygienic make shift road-side kiosks in major cities of Kenya is largely unknown. A descriptive study was designed to isolate, characterize and quantify bacteria from African sausages sold in Nairobi County.

The histidine ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is among the best-studied type I ABC import systems. The transporter consists of two transmembrane subunits, HisQ and HisM, and a homodimer of the nucleotide-binding subunit, HisP. Substrates are delivered by two periplasmic solute binding proteins, HisJ and LAO, with preferences for histidine and lysine, arginine, ornithine, respectively.