Research Publications (Food Safety)

In 1991, 1999 and 2006, randomly selected individuals from the Danish Central Personal Register provided a serum sample. From individuals aged 30 years and above, 500 samples from each year were analysed for Campylobacter IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies using a direct ELISA method.

Publication date: March 2016
, Volume 61

Author(s): Andreia Duarte, Ângelo Luís, Mónica Oleastro, Fernanda C. Domingues

Online Ahead of Print.

Volume 61, Issue 10, Page 701-721, October 2015.

Flagellation in polar flagellates is one of the rare biosynthetic processes known to be numerically regulated in bacteria. Polar flagellates must spatially and numerically regulate flagellar biogenesis to create flagellation patterns for each species that are ideal for motility. FlhG ATPases numerically regulate polar flagellar biogenesis, yet FlhG orthologs are diverse in motif composition.

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) faeces have been shown to contain pathogenic protozoa and bacteria in numerous studies over the past 15 years. Further, increases in both the Canada geese populations and their ideal habitat requirements in the United States (US) translate to a greater presence of these human pathogens in public areas, such as recreational freshwater beaches.

Publication date: February 2016
, Volume 53, Part B
Author(s): Ar’Quette Grant, Fawzy Hashem, Salina Parveen

This study investigated the hypothesis that dietary fats rich in lauric (C12) and myristic acid (C14) increase broiler performance and that the underlying mechanism involves antimicrobial effects on gut bacteria and changes in gut morphology. One hundred eighty 1-day-old Cobb-500 broilers were allotted to 3 groups.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding dietary fiber on cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration and cecal microbiota of broiler and laying-hen chicks. The lower fiber diet was based on corn-soybean meal (SBM) and the higher fiber diet was formulated using corn-SBM-dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and wheat bran to contain 60.0 g/kg of both DDGS and wheat bran from 1 to 12 d and 80.0 g/kg of both DDGS and wheat bran from 13 to 21 d.

A study was conducted to evaluate a high pressure spray (HPS) with water as an alternative to trimming to remove gastrointestinal contamination on poultry carcasses and improve microbiological quality. The study was conducted under commercial conditions in 5 slaughter plants with one plant presenting approximately 5% of carcasses with visible gastrointestinal contamination (VGC), and the others showing approximately 12% of VGC.

Within the European activities for the ‘Monitoring and Collection of Information on Zoonoses’, annually EFSA publishes a European report, including information related to the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in Germany. Spatial epidemiology becomes here a fundamental tool for the generation of these reports, including the representation of prevalence as an essential element.

Mohammed, Hussni O. et al. Escherichia coli O157:H7, non-O157 E. coli, and Campylobacter spp. are among the top-ranked pathogens that threaten the safety of food supply systems around the world. The associated risks and predisposing factors were investigated in a dynamic animal population using a repeat-cross-sectional study design.

Sensing potential nitrogen-containing respiratory substrates such as nitrate, nitrite, hydroxylamine, nitric oxide (NO) or nitrous oxide (N2O) in the environment and subsequent up-regulation of corresponding catabolic enzymes is essential for many microbial cells. The molecular mechanisms of such adaptive responses are, however, highly diverse in different species.

Banya Banowary, Van Tuan Dang, Subir Sarker, Joanne H. Connolly, Jeremy Chenu, Peter Groves, Michelle Ayton, Shane Raidal, Aruna Devi, Thiru Vanniasinkam, Seyed A. Ghorashi

Multicellular biofilms are an ancient bacterial adaptation that offers a protective environment for survival in hostile habitats. In microaerophilic organisms like Campylobacter, biofilms play a key role in transmission to humans as the bacteria are exposed to atmospheric oxygen concentrations when leaving the reservoir host gut.

Publication date: 23 December 2015
, Volume 215
Author(s): Ewa Pacholewicz, Apostolos Liakopoulos, Arno Swart, Betty Gortemaker, Cindy Dierikx, Arie Havelaar, Heike Schmitt

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2015

Author(s): Chen Zhang, Peihua Niu, Yanying Hong, Ji Wang, Jingyun Zhang, Xuejun Ma

Teramura, Hajime et al. The presence of expanded-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Escherichia coli is a common problem in the isolation of Campylobacter from poultry samples using conventional cefoperazone-based selective media. A novel chromogenic medium (CM-HT), based on modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar (mCCDA), has been developed as a solution for improved Campylobacter detection from poultry samples.

Marinades containing polyphosphates have been previously implicated in the enhanced survival of Campylobacter spp. in poultry product exudates. The enhanced Campylobacter survival has been attributed primarily to the ability of some polyphosphates to change the pH of the exudate to one more amenable to Campylobacter.

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is a leading cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Previous research has shown that circadian rhythm plays a critical role in host response to C. jejuni colonization. The CLOCK gene is one of the core genes regulating circadian rhythms and shows significant expression on 7 d post-C. jejuni inoculation. The objective of this study was to investigate temporal and spatial expression of chicken CLOCK gene post-C. jejuni inoculation.

Maja Šikić Pogačar, Anja Klančnik, Franz Bucar, Tomaž Langerholc, Sonja Smole Možina

Aims
The aim of this study was to cost-effectively improve detection of foodborne pathogens in PCR inhibitory samples through the use of alternative DNA polymerases.

Campylobacter occur in fresh retail poultry products as a result of their colonization of the gastro-intestinal tract of chickens during growth. Feed additives could be used for suppression of Campylobacter levels in the chickens prior to slaughter. To address this opportunity, feed manufacturers are targeting natural antimicrobials from plant material as new forms of consumer-accepted feed additives.

Campylobacter is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness worldwide and is associated with consumption of poultry products. One potential strategy to reduce Campylobacter colonization in poultry is the use of probiotics. In an attempt to reduce Campylobacter in poultry, we isolated 117 GRAS (generally recognized as safe) bacterial isolates from the ceca of healthy birds and evaluated their efficacy against Campylobacter, using a soft agar overlay technique.

Campylobacter have been found in lymphoid tissue of poultry, but the location in these tissues has not been determined. The objective of this study was to determine if Campylobacter are on the outside or on the inside of the spleen. For external (ES) spleen sampling 2 days post-inoculation, each spleen was rinsed with 3 mL of Bolton's enrichment broth (BEB). For internal (IS) spleen sampling, each rinsed spleen was submerged into 70% ethanol for 10 s, removed and submerged into 0.85% saline.