Research Publications (Food Safety)

This research study was based on ultraviolet (UVC) light and a combination of UVC-ozone treatments that have recently received attention from the beef processing industry as antimicrobial interventions that leave no chemical residues on products. The objectives were to evaluate effectiveness of UVC and UVC in combination with gaseous ozone treatments for inactivation of pathogenic bacteria on fresh beef and the impact on fresh beef quality.

Older adults are at higher risk of invasive listeriosis compared with the general population.  Some foods are more likely than others to be contaminated with or contain high levels of Listeria monocytogenes .

Antimicrobial seed treatments recommended by Canadian guidance for sprouted vegetable production (2,000 ppm hypochlorite for 15-20 minutes or 6-10% hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes at room temperature) are not fully compliant with organic production principles. We investigated the effect of a sequential treatment consisting of a 10 min soak at 50 0 C in water followed by exposure to a 2.0% H 2 O 2 + 0.1% AcOH sanitizing solution against E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes and S.

The microbiological quality of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods from school cafeterias in Chongqing, China, was evaluated in comparison to a guideline published by a provincial health commission.

We evaluated high pressure processing to lower levels of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated into samples of plant or beef burgers. Multi-strain cocktails of STEC and L. monocytogenes were separately inoculated (ca. 7.0 log CFU/g) into plant burgers or ground beef. Refrigerated (i.e., 4°C) or frozen (i.e., -20°C) samples (25-g each) were subsequently exposed to 350 MPa for up to 9 or 18 min or 600 MPa for up to 4.5 or 12 min, respectively.

Canadian First Nations communities rely on traditional preservation methods such as  the smoking, drying, and canning of fish and game meats, to ensure long-term food security. Unlike commercial food production, there are no recognized official standards for these methods, thus rendering their efficacy in producing microbiologically safe foods relatively unknown.

The documented survival of pathogenic bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes (LM), shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Salmonella during the manufacture and aging of some cheeses highlights the need for additional interventions to enhance food safety. Unfortunately, few interventions are compliant with the Standards of Identity for cheese. Protective bacterial cultures (PC) represent actionable, natural interventions.

Listeria monocytogenes is a potential hazard for food safety and therefore public health. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of L. monocytogenes in Polish ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products in retail. Among the 184 439 food samples collected within the framework of national official control and monitoring program only 0.3% were  positive for L. monocytogenes.

Process control validations require knowledge of the resistance of the pathogen(s) of concern to the target treatment, and, in some cases, the relative resistance of surrogate organisms.

In situ generation of chlorine dioxide to reduce microbial populations on produce surfaces has been shown to be effective on produce models. This study examined the treatment for decontamination of bacterial pathogens on whole cantaloupes and sprout seeds.

Listeria monocytogenes has emerged as a food safety concern for several produce commodities. Although L. monocytogenes contamination can occur throughout the supply chain, contamination from the packinghouse environment represents a particular challenge and has been linked to outbreaks and recalls. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, persistence, and diversity of L. monocytogenes and other species of Listeria in produce packinghouses.

Cheeses made with unpasteurized milk are a safety concern due to possible contamination with foodborne pathogens. Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 have been implicated in several outbreaks and recalls linked to Gouda cheese made with unpasteurized milk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Code of Federal Regulations requires cheeses made with unpasteurized milk to be aged at a minimum of 1.7°C for at least 60 days before entering interstate commerce.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of simultaneous UV-A and UV-B irradiation (UV-A+B) for inactivating Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes in both phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and apple juice. A cocktail of the three pathogens was inoculated into PBS and apple juice, and then the suspensions were irradiated with UV lamps of 356 nm (UV-A) and 307 nm (UV-B).

Listeria monocytogenes is a hardy psychrotrophic pathogen that has been linked to several cheese-related outbreaks in the United States, including a recent outbreak in which a fresh cheese (queso fresco) was implicated. The purpose of this study was to develop primary, secondary, and tertiary predictive models for the growth of L. monocytogenes in queso fresco and to validate these models using nonisothermal time and temperature profiles. A mixture of five strains of L.