Research Publications (Food Safety)

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne microorganism that causes listeriosis in humans and can even lead to death, especially among older adults, pregnant women, and infants. Ready-to-eat salad is a high-risk food associated with listeriosis in humans because of the minimal processing involved in its preparation. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a bacteriophage cocktail as a biocontrol agent against L. monocytogenes in celery and enoki mushroom.

Our recent study on Listeria monocytogenes prevalence and persistence in 30 retail produce environments across seven U.S. states revealed that some produce departments harbored persistent L. monocytogenes isolates.

The physicochemical quality and the effectiveness of antimicrobial activity against Salmonella and phage stability of dip-coated strawberries were investigated in this study by using bacteriophage cocktail with four different biopolymers for a period of 5 day at +4°Ϲ. The biopolymers used in this study were whey protein concentrate (WPC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), chitosan (CH), and sodium alginate (SA).

As a specialty food that is medicinal and edible, Anoectochilus roxburghii contains many active ingredients. Herein, optimal conditions to preserve A. roxburghii samples and obtain high physiological activity have been studied. The contents of polysaccharides, kinsenoside, and flavonoids of A.

Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are common etiological agents of food borne illnesses and outbreaks, most often caused by consuming contaminated beef products, followed by raw vegetables and dairy products. Patients infected with E. coli O157 are more likely hospitalized than patients infected with non-O157 STEC, making E. coli O157 an important target for microbiological interventions.

This work demonstrated an ultrasensitive and simple microfluidic immunosensor for point-of-care test of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) based on the stir bar enrichment and DNAzyme-assisted click reaction. Initially, S. aureus was enriched by the 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid-functionalized stir bar. The yolk antibody (immunoglobulin Y) and copper-labeled polydopamine nanoparticles were then specifically conjugated with the captured target.

In this work, the inhibition of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) - CRISPR associated protein (Cas) trans-cleavage by Pb2+-induced G-quadruplex has been firstly explored to detect Pb2+ in tea beverage and milk. In absence of Pb2+, the Na+-induced G-quadruplex can be cleaved by CRISPR-Cas12a.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses great threats to human health. In this research, we found that the newly discovered bacteriocin plantaricin GZ1–27 could efficiently inhibit the MRSA, with a MIC of 32 μg/mL. Comprehensive investigations were carried out by analysis of K+ leakage, propidium iodide assay, and cell ultra-structure analysis with scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.

The purpose of this experiment is to explore the effects of dietary supplementation of benzoic acid, Enterococcus faecium, and essential oil complex (BEC) on coccidia and Clostridium perfringens challenge in laying hens.

While the interaction of cells such as macrophages and hepatic stellate cells is known to be involved in the generation of fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the mechanism remains unclear.

ABSTRACT Core samples from bioretention cell media as well as surface stormwater sediment samples from seven urban areas were collected to assess the potential for biotransformation activity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The presence of putative organohalide-respiring bacteria in these samples was studied. Based on extracted DNA, Dehalobacter, Dehalogenimonas and Dehalococcoides were detected.

The presence of gas-producing clostridia in ewe’s milk can lead to the occurrence of late-blowing defects in cheeses. However, data on this aspect are limited. In the present study, using the most probable number (MPN) method, clostridial spores were enumerated in 527 ewe’s milk samples collected in the Grosseto Province (Tuscany, Italy) from autumn 2014 to summer 2015.

This study aimed to develop a mathematical model for the survival of Clostridium perfringens in hamburgers and sandwiches and to evaluate their microbial risk. The primary model was developed in hamburgers using 4 strains of C. perfringens at 5, 10, 15, 25 and 37 °C, and the kinetic parameters of the primary model were fitted well with the Weibull model (R2 ≥ 0.95).

This study evaluated the microbiological contamination of fresh-cut produce in Korea. A total of 108 fresh-cut vegetables and fruits were surveyed for the aerobic mesophilic (AM) count, aerobic psychrophilic (AP) count, total coliform, generic Escherichia coli, yeast and mold, and foodborne pathogens. AM counts ranged from 1.00 to 7.36 log CFU/g, and AP counts showed very similar results as AM counts. For total coliform and generic E.

This study aimed to evaluate the virucidal effect and potential use as a disinfectant of undiluted and diluted slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on human noroviruses (HuNoVs) using the in vitro suspension test and in food test. The oxidization reduction potential of SAEW gradually decreased with the increase in distilled water volume.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) and citrinin (CIT) are nephrotoxins found co-occurring in various human/animal food/feed and recognized as a health threat. However, most studies investigate individual effects and neglect their combined nephrotoxic effects in mammals. Previous studies have indicated that organic anion/cation transporters (OATs/OCTs) localized in renal proximal tubules mediate the transport of OTA and CIT.

Recreational cannabis is being legalized in more and more countries, and methods for the determination of contaminants, thereunder mycotoxins, start to emerge in scientific literature. On the other hand, cannabis continues being available on the illegal market without any quality control at all. Today, no information about mycotoxin contamination of illegal cannabis is available in literature.

In Côte d'Ivoire as elsewhere in Africa, attiéké plays an important role in feeding the population. The objective of the work is to conduct a study on the sanitary quality of the attiéké garba sold in Daloa. Fifty (50) samples of attiéké garba were collected by purchase from various high-traffic outlets in different districts of Daloa town. Samples are collected in the morning around 10 a.m. every 2 days at a rate of 10 per site.

Sea cucumbers are marine organisms with uses in food, cosmetics, and medicine. This study aimed to identify Indonesian sea cucumbers with high antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Twenty-one sea cucumber species were used for this study. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazine assay.

Essential factor influencing the growth of plants is quality and type of light, development, and accumulation of phytochemicals, especially those grown in controlled conditions. Light is essential source for photosynthesis in higher plants, whereas light signalling is important in plant morphogenesis. The development of LED technologies enables for the optimization of photosynthetic processes and the regulation of plant physiology through the manipulation of light parameters.

International Journal of Dairy Technology, Volume 74, Issue 4, Page 681-688, November 2021. Accurate and reliable determination of aflatoxins in food is important for human health. There is no standard method for the determination of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in cheese, a more complex matrix, compared with milk.

International Journal of Dairy Technology, Volume 74, Issue 4, Page 709-714, November 2021. The effectiveness of size-fractionated raw bentonite to reduce the excretion rate of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk from dairy cows receiving aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was investigated.

International Journal of Dairy Technology, Volume 74, Issue 4, Page 737-746, November 2021. The aim of this study was to evaluate non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs) and the health risk from butter samples using the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) modified method and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

International Journal of Dairy Technology, EarlyView. The current study aimed to determine the levels of Aflatoxin M1 in traditional Taizi cheese and commercial cheeses utilised in Yemen. A total of 273 cheese samples were collected from supermarkets and analysed for AFM1 contamination by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. Aim Bacteria naturally produce membrane vesicles (MVs), which have been shown to contribute to the spread of multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDR) by delivering antibiotic-resistant substances to antibiotic-susceptible bacteria.