Research Publications (Food Safety)

by Evelien Dierick, Chana Callens, Yehudi Bloch, Savvas N. Savvides, Sarah Hark, Stefan Pelzer, Richard Ducatelle, Filip Van Immerseel, Evy Goossens

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization classifies probiotics as live microorganisms that have health benefits when fed to animals. While the original purpose of probiotic use in beef cattle was to enhance rumen health and to establish a healthy gastrointestinal tract microflora in young calves, probiotic use in finishing cattle has been steadily increasing.

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a critical disease affecting broiler health, with Clostridium perfringens as its primary pathogen. Polygonum hydropiper compound extract (PHCE), formulated based on traditional Chinese veterinary principles, contains primarily flavonoids with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. However, PHCE’s efficacy against Clostridium perfringens-induced NE and its underlying mechanism remain unclear.

This study investigated the sanitary quality of digestates resulting from the mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) of urban and agricultural organic wastes (OWs). 40 sanitary indicators, including pathogenic bacteria, antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factor genes, and mobile genetic elements were evaluated using real-time PCR and/or droplet digital PCR. 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 13 pharmaceutical products (PHPs) were also measured.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of sodium nitrite (NaNO2, 100–200 ppm), sodium erythorbate (SE, 0–547 ppm), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP, 0–0.5 %), and sodium chloride (NaCl, 2–3 %) on growth of C. perfringens using a solid growth medium and to develop a growth/no-growth boundary (critical control surface, or CCS) to prevent its growth in cooked cured meat under the optimal temperature condition.

The present work assessed the impacts of nisin (200 mg/kg) and nisin-nanoparticles (NNPs; 200 mg/kg) in combination with propolis ethanolic extract (PEE; 1% and 3%) on quality and stability of sausage during refrigerated period. The treated meat batters were mechanically stuffed into polyamide casings, packaged in vacuum conditions and analyzed at days 1, 15, 30 and 45.

The 2021 FSIS Stabilization Guidelines for Meat and Poultry Products (Appendix B) Option 1.2 limits Phase 1 cooling from 48.8-26.7°C in uncured meats to 1 hour. However, this time restriction is impractical to achieve in large diameter whole muscle products.

Clostridium perfringens spores, which are extremely resistant and difficult to kill, can easily cause food spoilage and foodborne diseases. In this study, the effect of simultaneous ultrasound and heat (thermosonication, TS) treatment for C. perfringens spore inactivation was investigated. The TS treatment at 26.67 W/mL and 80 °C or 90 °C for 30 min resulted in 5.77 and 5.89 log inactivation of C. perfringens spores, respectively.

Clostridium perfringens, a common environmental bacterium, is responsible for a variety of serious illnesses including food poisoning, digestive disorders, and soft tissue infections. Mastitis in lactating cattle...

This study evaluated the effects of a sulfate polysaccharide extracted from marine algae product on performance, intestinal lesion scores, and mRNA abundance of various tight junction proteins and immune response genes.

Several feed supplements have received interest for their potential to increase growth performance and health post weaning, including alternatives to high levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) such as short- and medium-chain fatty acids (SCFA, MCFA), and phytogenics. The objective of this study is to observe the growth performance and intestinal health effects from the supplementation of SCFA with and without the addition of MCFA and phytogenics.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of Scutellaria baicalensis and Lonicerae Flos (SL) extract on the growth performance and intestinal health of yellow-feather broilers following a Clostridium perfringens challenge.

Clostridium perfringens has been implicated in food poisoning outbreaks linked to cooked cured meat. Although there are regulatory requirements to prevent its growth during meat production, additional control measures may reduce the C. perfringens risk. This study examined the effect of sodium chloride (salt) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) on the growth probability of C. perfringens in a cooked cured meat.

This study investigated the cross-contamination dynamics of biofilms preformed on stainless steel (SS) coupons on chicken skin and chicken meat by modeling surface-to-food transfer by contact and surface-to-food transfer in fluids. Additionally, mono-, dual-, and multi-species biofilms were examined to understand the effects of environmental conditions on biofilm-forming abilities.

Nisin (Ni) is a polypeptide bacteriocin produced by lactic streptococci (probiotics) that can inhibit the majority of gram-positive bacteria, and improve the growth performance of broilers, and exert antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the potential preventive effect of Nisin on necrotic enteritis induced by Clostridium perfringens (Cp) challenge.

Necrotic enteritis is a devastating disease to poultry caused by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens. As a novel approach to combating poultry necrotic enteritis, we identified and characterized several hundred single domain antibody fragments (or nanobodies) capable of binding either the NetB toxin or the collagen-binding adhesin (CnaA) of C. perfringens.

This study aimed to elucidate the distribution, transmission, and cross-contamination of Clostridium perfringens during the breeding and milking process from dairy farms. The prevalence of 22.3% (301/1351) yielded 494 C. perfringens isolates; all isolates were type A, except for one type D, and 69.8% (345/494) of the isolates carried atyp. cpb2 and only 0.6% (3/494) of the isolates carried cons. cpb2. C.

This study investigated the effects of the multi-probiotics consisting of Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium butyricum with varying doses (0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2%) on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, and cecal microbes of male broiler chickens. Seven hundred and twenty Ross 308, 1-day-old male broiler chicks were distributed into four dietary groups.

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a poultry intestinal disease caused by virulent strains of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens).

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a predisposing factor for necrotic enteritis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a DON and Clostridium perfringens (CP) challenge on the intestinal morphology, morphometry, oxidative stress, and immune response of broilers. Additionally, we evaluated the potential of a Lactobacillus spp. mixture as an approach to mitigate the damage induced by the challenge.

Alterations in intestinal microbiota can modulate the developing avian intestinal immune system and, subsequently, may impact on resistance to enteric pathogens. The aim was to demonstrate that early life exposure to Lactococcus lactis, could affect either susceptibility or resistance of broilers to necrotic enteritis (NE). L. lactis NZ9000 (rL.