An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 51 - 75 of 2815

  1. Unlocking the hidden threat: impacts of surface defects on the efficacy of sanitizers against Listeria monocytogenes biofilms on food-contact surfaces in tree fruit packing facilities

    • Journal of Food Protection
    • Food-contact surfaces showing signs of wear pose a substantial risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination and may serve as persistent sources of cross-contamination in fresh produce packinghouses. This study offers a comprehensive exploration into the influence of surface defects on the efficacies of commonly used sanitizers against L.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  2. Chemical Analysis and Investigation of Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Prangos trifida (Apiaceae)

    • Antibiotics
    • Plants of the genus Prangos are intensively investigated as potential new sources of bioactive isolated products. In this work, the chemical composition of volatile constituents (essential oils and headspace volatiles) and dichloromethane extracts, as well as antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of essential oils and MFDEs (methanol fractions of dichloromethane extracts) of Prangos trifida from Serbia, were investigated.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  3. Antimicrobial mechanism of recombinant enterocin CHQS on Listeriamonocytogenes and its application on pasteurized milk

    • Food Control
    • Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial pathogen that seriously threatens dairy product safety and human health, hence effective and available antibacterial agents are urgently needed.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  4. Rapid Discrimination of Pork Contaminated with Different Pathogens by Using SERS

    • Food Analytical Methods
    • Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes are three of the most common foodborne pathogens found in pork. SERS technology enables the rapid acquisition of molecular information by harnessing the synergistic effect of Raman scattering and enhanced substrate surface plasmonics. However, because of the similar chemical composition between bacteria and between pathogens and pork, it is difficult to discriminate pork contaminated with different pathogens.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
  5. Foodborne Pathogen Dynamics in Meat and Meat Analogues Analysed Using Traditional Microbiology and Metagenomic Sequencing

    • Antibiotics
    • Meat analogues play an increasing role in meeting global nutritional needs. However, while it is well known that meat possesses inherent characteristics that create favourable conditions for the growth of various pathogenic bacteria, much less is known about meat analogues.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Cronobacter
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
  6. Control of Listeria monocytogenes in food industry by a combination treatment of natural aromatic compound with Listeria-specific bacteriophage cocktail

    • Food Research International
    • Most Listeria monocytogenes found in the food industry are listeriosis-causing pathogens and possess the ability to form biofilms on food and food contact materials (FCMs). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the combination treatment of natural aromatic compounds (thymol, eugenol, carvacrol, and citral) with a Listeria-specific phage cocktail in mitigating the threat posed by L.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  7. Cocoa Bean Shell Wastes for the Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles with Antimicrobial Activity Against Foodborne Pathogens

    • Food and Bioprocess Technology
    • The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles offers a non-toxic, eco-friendly, economical, and efficient solution against various microorganisms. The study aimed to investigate the utilization of cocoa bean shells for the production of silver nanoparticles through green synthesis, besides its characterization and evaluation against foodborne pathogens.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Cronobacter
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  8. Listeria monocytogenes, a silent foodborne pathogen in Ecuador

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can produce serious, even fatal, infections. Among other foods, it can be found in unpasteurized dairy and ready-to-eat products. Surveillance of L. monocytogenes is of great interest since sources of infection are difficult to determine due to the long incubation period, and because the symptoms of listeriosis are similar to other diseases. We performed a genomic study of L.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  9. A review of the literature of Listeria monocytogenes in Africa highlights breast milk as an overlooked human source

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • According to the latest WHO estimates (2015) of the global burden of foodborne diseases, Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for one of the most serious foodborne infections and commonly results in severe clinical outcomes. The 2013 French MONALISA prospective cohort identified that women born in Africa has a 3-fold increase in the risk of maternal neonatal listeriosis. One of the largest L. monocytogenes outbreaks occurred in South Africa in 2017–2018 with over 1,000 cases.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  10. Availability and Use of Alternative Methods for the Detection and/or Confirmation of Listeria monocytogenes in the Frame of Official Controls in Europe: an overview

    • Food Analytical Methods
    • Listeriosis remains one of the most severe foodborne diseases in terms of fatality rate. Listeria monocytogenes can grow under stressful conditions and contaminate various food categories. Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 modified on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs includes both qualitative and quantitative food safety criteria on L. monocytogenes and mentions EN ISO 11290–1 Standard as the reference detection method for the qualitative criteria.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  11. The European Union One Health 2022 Zoonoses Report

    • EFSA Journal
    • Abstract This report by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of the zoonoses monitoring and surveillance activities carried out in 2022 in 27 Member States (MSs), the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and 11 non‐MSs. Key statistics on zoonoses and zoonotic agents in humans, food, animals and feed are provided and interpreted historically.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Campylobacter
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Viruses
      • Norovirus
  12. Foodborne pathogen inactivation in fruit juices utilizing commercial scale high-pressure processing: Effects of acidulants and pH

    • Food Science and Technology International
    • The effects of juice pH, type of acidulant, and post-treatment refrigeration on the high-pressure processing (HPP) inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes in acid beverages were evaluated. Inoculated apple, orange, and grape juices (at their original pH and adjusted to pH 4.00, 4.50, and 5.00) were treated at 550 MPa for 1 min at 5 °C.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
  13. Suppression of pathogens in properly refrigerated raw milk

    • PLOS ONE
    • by M. E. Coleman, T. P. Oscar, T. L. Negley, M. M. Stephenson Conflicting claims exist regarding pathogen growth in raw milk. A small pilot study was designed to provide definitive data on trends for pathogen growth and decline in raw bovine milk hygienically produced for direct human consumption. An independent laboratory conducted the study, monitoring growth and decline of pathogens inoculated into raw milk.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Campylobacter
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
  14. Tracking the Contamination sources of Microbial Population and Characterizing Listeria monocytogenes in a Chicken Slaughterhouse by Using Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Listeria monocytogenes is the etiologic agent of listeriosis, a foodborne disease that poses a threat to public health globally. Chicken meat exhibits heightened susceptibility to L. monocytogenes contamination during butchery. The persistence of this pathogen in the slaughterhouse environment enables recurring contamination of meat products. This study aimed at identifying the sources and transmission routes of L.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  15. Prolonging broccoli shelf life through controlled release of plai essential oil using palm wood sachet as a novel absorbent material with reusable properties

    • Journal of Food Science
    • Abstract Palm wood powder derived from palm wood waste was utilized as a novel absorbent material. The investigation involved exploring its pore structure and size to achieve the controlled release of bioactive compounds from plai oil, providing protection against pathogenic bacteria and thereby extending the shelf life of broccoli. The palm wood sachet was prepared before being placed into the broccoli bag.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  16. Genotypic diversity and antagonistic activities of enterococci isolated from pastırma

    • Journal of Food Science and Technology
    • The biodiversity of enterococci from pastırma (a traditional Turkish dry-cured meat product) by genotypic identification and the antagonistic activities of strains were investigated. Pastırma samples taken from 20 different small-scale factories were subjected to microbiological and physicochemical analysis. A hundred enterococci isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  17. Listeria monocytogenes prevalence and genomic diversity along the pig and pork production chain

    • Food Microbiology
    • The facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is the causative agent of listeriosis, a severe invasive illness. This ubiquitous species is widely distributed in the environment, but infection occurs almost exclusively through ingestion of contaminated food. The pork production sector has been heavily affected by a series of L. monocytogenes-related foodborne outbreaks in the past around the world.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  18. Genomic analysis of Listeria monocytogenes CC7 associated with clinical infections and persistence in the food industry

    • International Journal of Food Microbiology
    • Listeria monocytogenes clonal complex 7 (CC7), belonging to lineage II, is the most common subtype among clinical listeriosis isolates in Norway, and is also commonly found in Norwegian food industry and outdoor environments. In the present study, the relative prevalence of CCs among clinical isolates of L. monocytogenes in European countries during 2010–2015 was determined.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  19. Diverse Listeria monocytogenes in-house clones are present in a dynamic frozen vegetable processing environment

    • International Journal of Food Microbiology
    • Listeria (L.monocytogenes is of global concern for food safety as the listeriosis-causing pathogen is widely distributed in the food processing environments, where it can survive for a long time. Frozen vegetables contaminated with L. monocytogenes were recently identified as the source of two large listeriosis outbreaks in the EU and US.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  20. Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes by hydrogen peroxide addition in commercial cheese brines

    • Journal of Food Protection
    • Commercial cheese brines are used repeatedly over extended periods, potentially for years, and can be a reservoir for salt-tolerant pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes. The objective of this study was to determine the inactivation of L. monocytogenes in cheese brines treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (0, 50, and 100 ppm) at holding temperatures representing manufacturing conditions.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  21. Innovative Combined Technology with Encapsulated EVOO and Infrared Processing Against Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in Breaded Poultry Products

    • Food and Bioprocess Technology
    • The high Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes risk in poultry products reinforces the urgent need for new technologies with high antimicrobial effects. In that sense, a combined technology consisting of encapsulated extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) during chicken nugget breading combined with infrared processing was hereby studied at three levels (experiments). The high in vitro EVOO antimicrobial activity (up to 74%), which was 1.2-fold higher against L.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
  22. Microbiological hazards associated with the use of water in the post‐harvest handling and processing operations of fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables and herbs (ffFVHs). Part 1 (outbreak data analysis, literature review and stakeholder questionnaire)

    • EFSA Journal
    • Abstract The contamination of water used in post‐harvest handling and processing operations of fresh and frozen fruit, vegetables and herbs (ffFVHs) is a global concern. The most relevant microbial hazards associated with this water are: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., human pathogenic Escherichia coli and enteric viruses, which have been linked to multiple outbreaks associated with ffFVHs in the European Union (EU). Contamination (i.e.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
  23. Prior freezing impact on the growth kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes in hot dog sausages

    • Food Control
    • Listeria monocytogenes adapts to low-temperature environments and grows rapidly at room temperature. This bacterium is associated with several foodborne outbreaks due to cold chain breaks, particularly ready-to-eat foods such as sausages. The present study evaluated how frozen storage (-10 °C) for 30 and 90 days of hot dog sausages influences the bacterial growth kinetics between 7 and 30 °C under isothermal conditions. L.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  24. Comparison of Listeria monocytogenes alternative detection methods for food microbiology official controls in Europe

    • International Journal of Food Microbiology
    • Listeriosis remains one of the most severe foodborne diseases regarding mortality rate. L. monocytogenes can grow under stressful conditions and contaminate various food categories. Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 modified on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs includes either qualitative or quantitative food safety criteria on L. monocytogenes and mentions EN ISO 11290-1 Standard as the reference detection method.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  25. Genetic and Phenotypic Diversity of Listeria monocytogenes in Pig Slaughterhouses in Korea

    • Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
    • Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that has variable subtypes associated with human listeriosis and occurs in food and processing environments. This study was conducted to provide the genetic and phenotypic characterization of L. monocytogenes in pig carcasses and environments of slaughterhouses in Korea. A total of 22 L.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes