Research Publications (Food Safety)

by Amy G. Wilson, David R. Lapen, Jennifer F. Provencher, Scott Wilson Macroecological approaches can provide valuable insight into the epidemiology of globally distributed, multi-host pathogens. Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan that infects any warm-blooded animal, including humans, in almost every habitat worldwide.

Introduction

This study examines the optimum conversion of Wuzhishan pig manure by Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) at various phases of development, as well as the impact of gut microbiota on conversion efficiency.

Method and results

HMOs (Human milk oligosaccharide) has an impact on maternal and infant health. Colostrum samples of 70 breastfeeding women in China were collected and recorded clinical characteristics. The major oligosaccharides and microbiota were quantitated in colostrum. The concentration of fucosylated HMOs in primipara was higher than that of multipara (p = 0.030). The concentration of N-acetylated HMOs in vaginal delivery milk was less than that of cesarean (p = 0.038).

Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are the most important food borne pathogen transmitting from animal meat and meat products. Therefore, it is vital to design an accurate and specific diagnostic tool for identifying those food-borne pathogens in animal meat and meat products. In the current study, E. coli, methicillin-resistant and sensitive S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA) were simultaneously detected using a developed triplex PCR-based technique.

Foodborne disease outbreaks linked to consumption of vegetables have been often attributed to human enteric viruses, such as Norovirus (NoV), Hepatitis A virus (HAV), and Rotavirus (RoV).

In agriculture, there is a constant search for increased productivity, which leads to increased use of fungicides, insecticides, and inoculants, among other products to perform seed treatment before planting. After treatment, the machines and equipment are sanitized, generating a liquid residue with potentially negative environmental impacts.

Fish is a nutritionally rich product; however, it is easily contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms, such as Salmonella spp. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the best concentration of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), exposure time, and water temperature that allow the most effective antimicrobial effect on the viable population of Salmonella spp.

In July 2021, Public Health Wales received two notifications of salmonella gastroenteritis. Both cases has attended the same barbecue to celebrate Eid al–Adha, two days earlier. Additional cases attending the same barbecue were found and an outbreak investigation was initiated. The barbecue was attended by a North African community’s social network. On same day, smaller lunches were held in three homes in the social network. Many people attended both a lunch and the barbecue.

Egg washing guidelines vary across countries; however, since 2020, Korea has required that all eggs produced from farms with more than 10,000 laying hens must be washed through egg grading and packing (GP) plant. This study investigated the prevalence and characterization of non-typhoidal Salmonella in eggs after washing at GP plants.

Bacillus cereus is a food-borne pathogen that can produce cereulide in the growth period, which causes food poisoning symptoms. Due to its resistance to heat, extreme pH, and proteolytic enzymes, cereulide poses a serious threat to food safety. Temperature, pH, and aw can influence cereulide production, but there is still a lack of research with multi-environmental impacts.

Abstract Coccidiosis is an important disease in juvenile fish because of severe intestinal injury during infection. We first reported the mixed infection of intestinal coccidia and its association with health status and pathological findings in juvenile Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) cultured in Thailand. Two groups of Asian seabass, 60‐day fish and 90‐day fish, were sampled to investigate prevalence and coccidian infection intensity using morphological characterization and PCR.

Modern requirements for ‘green label’ meat products have led to the design of novel antimicrobial innovations which prioritise quality, safety and longevity. Plasma-functionalised water (PFW), ultraviolet light and natural antimicrobial compositions have been investigated and optimised for control of foodborne pathogens like Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Microbiology Resource Announcements, Ahead of Print. Here, we report the draft genomes of 10 Campylobacter strains isolated from the cecal contents of market-age broiler chickens naturally colonized with Campylobacter. Through a comprehensive analysis of these draft genomes, we have unveiled their core genetic elements and several antimicrobial resistance genes.

In the field of chemical engineering and water treatment, the study of viruses, included surrogates, is well documented. Often, surrogates are used to study viruses and their behavior because they can be produced in larger quantities in safer conditions and are easier to handle. In fact, surrogates allow studying microorganisms which are non-infectious to humans but share some properties similar to pathogenic viruses: structure, composition, morphology, and size.

Our research results have revealed the molecular mechanisms and processes of how the dominant bacterial community in paddy soils, represented by Sphingomonas sp. strain PAH02, responds to the co‐pollution of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through self‐adaptive cell surface hydrophobicity. We identified key responsive genes and proteins and emphasized that strain PAH02 is a shared core of the microbial community and participates in biogeochemical cycles in paddy soils.

Fungal growth is one of the most common and serious problems faced during food storage. Aspergillus flavus is one of the major storage fungi producing aflatoxins, which are highly toxic and carcinogenic and pose a marked hazard t

This study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors of Campylobacter in South Korean broilers using a random-effects meta-analysis. Subsequently, to facilitate the design of preventive measures, the prevalence estimate from the meta-analysis was incorporated into a stochastic risk assessment model to quantify the Campylobacter contamination levels on broiler carcasses.

The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) and chemometrics for classification of individual wheat kernels according to their deoxynivalenol (DON) level.

The term “Fusarium Head Blight” (FHB) resistance supposedly covers common resistances to different Fusarium spp. without any generally accepted evidence. For food safety, all should be considered with their toxins, except for deoxynivalenol (DON). Disease index (DI), scabby kernels (FDK), and DON steadily result from FHB, and even the genetic regulation of Fusarium spp. may differ; therefore, multitoxin contamination is common.

Nanopolystyrene (NP) and cadmium (Cd) are ubiquitous contaminants in aquatic systems. The present study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of exposure to ambient concentrations of NP and/or Cd on the intestinal tract of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis).

This paper presents the results of two proficiency testing (PT) rounds conducted by the Export Inspection Agency (EIA) Chennai laboratory in 2021 for food testing laboratories in India. The PT program was designed in accordance with ISO/TS 22117, a standard for proficiency testing in food microbiology, and targeted Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp as the organisms of focus.

Abstract Background Consumption of pork and pork products is a major source of human infection with Salmonella. Salmonella is typically subclinical in pigs, making it difficult to identify infected pigs. Therefore, effective surveillance of Salmonella in pigs critically relies on good knowledge on how well the diagnostic tests used perform.

Milk powder is a convenient, shelf-stable food ingredient used in a variety of food products. However, pathogenic bacteria can be present and survive during prolonged storage, leading to outbreaks of foodborne diseases and product recalls. Radio frequency (RF) heating is a processing technology suitable for bulk treatment of milk powder, aiming at microbial inactivation.

The application of antimicrobial treatments to beef trimmings prior to grinding for the reduction of microbial contamination in ground beef has increased recently. However, raw single-ingredient meat products are not permitted by Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) to retain more than 0.49% water resulting from post-evisceration processing. The effectiveness of antimicrobials with the limited water retention is not well documented.

A genomic cluster of Salmonella Braenderup ST22, a serovar of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica which causes symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, was notified by Danish authorities to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on 3 May 2021.