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  1. Home
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  3. Research Publications (Food Safety)

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 1 - 25 of 429

  1. 269 Evaluation of changes in the activity of group-housed nursery pigs exposed to an endotoxin challenge using the NUtrack Livestock Monitoring System

    • Journal of Animal Science

    • The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in activity of group-housed, newly weaned, Duroc-sired crossbred commercial pigs exposed to a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. At weaning, pigs [n = 192, body weight (BW) = 5.73 ± 1.8 kg] were stratified by sex, litter, and weaning weight and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups (16 pigs/pen, 4 pens/treatment).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  2. 79 Microbiological effects of control measures during pork production

    • Journal of Animal Science

    • The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 and efficacy of control measures at a pork processing facility. Outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 associated with pork, though not common globally, have been reported multiple times in recent years in Alberta. Sampling at a commercial facility processing hogs was carried out at monthly intervals for 11 mo.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  3. 500 Effect of different iron sources on growth performance, gut health, and microbiota in nursery pigs

    • Journal of Animal Science

    • This study evaluated the effect of different iron sources, including iron polysaccharide complexes (SQM iron) and ferrous sulfate (FS) on growth performance, gut health, pathogenic bacteria load, colon fecal microbiota, and fecal iron concentration in nursery pigs. Nursery pigs (n = 320, TN70 cross, Topigs Norsvin Canada) weaned at 21 ± 2 d were randomly assigned to four treatments arranged in 2 x 2 factorial, with the factors being sanitation conditions (clean vs.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Campylobacter
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  4. PSV-5 Characterizing the activity of bovine Lactobacillus strains against the top 7 Shiga-toxin Producing Escherichia coli strains

    • Journal of Animal Science

    • Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC), specifically serogroups O26, O45, O111, O103, O121, O145, and O157 (Top 7), pose significant health risks. Cattle are the primary reservoir of STEC, and effective intervention remains elusive. The identification of Lactobacillus spp. with antimicrobial activity as direct-fed microbials (DFMs) presents a potential strategy for pathogen reduction.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7

  5. Effects of X‐ray irradiation on pathogen inactivation, quality changes, and hydrocarbon profiles of pork cutlets

    • International Journal of Food Science & Technology

    • This study investigated the effects of X‐ray irradiation on pathogen inactivation, quality changes, and hydrocarbon profiles of pork cutlets. Summary Pork cutlets are susceptible to cross‐contamination with foodborne pathogens during processing. Food irradiation effectively improves food hygiene by eliminating microbes.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Staphylococcus aureus

  6. An outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 associated with contaminated lettuce and the cascading risks from climate change, the United Kingdom, August to September 2022

    • Eurosurveillance

    • Shiga-toxin producing (STEC) O157 is a food-borne pathogen which causes gastrointestinal illness in humans. Ruminants are considered the main reservoir of infection, and STEC exceedance has been associated with heavy rainfall. In September 2022, a large outbreak of STEC O157:H7 was identified in the United Kingdom (UK). A national-level investigation was undertaken to identify the source of the outbreak and inform risk mitigation strategies.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7

  7. Efficacy and antibacterial mechanism of high‐frequency ultrasound combined with sodium hypochlorite against E. coli O157:H7

    • Journal of Food Process Engineering

    • HFUS + NaClO exhibited a significant synergistic bactericidal effect. HFUS caused pores on the cell membrane and increased the oxidative activity of the solution. Oxidative damage caused by combined treatments mainly occurred intracellularly. The alterations in cell structure and intracellular contents were investigated.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7

  8. Alginate coatings applied on apple cubes as a vehicle for Lacticaseibacillus casei: probiotic viability and overall quality of a new functional product

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

    • Abstract BACKGROUND Worldwide, vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, as well as food allergies and intolerance (e.g. lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy) demand the development of alternatives to dairy‐based probiotic foods. In the present study, probiotic Lacticaseibacillus casei CECT 9104 was added to alginate‐based edible coatings enriched with inulin and oligofructose and applied to fresh‐cut apple.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7

  9. Occurrence, serotypes and virulence characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from dairy cattle in South Africa

    • World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

    • Shiga toxin-producing and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli are foodborne pathogens commonly associated with diarrheal disease in humans. This study investigated the presence of STEC and EPEC in 771 dairy cattle fecal samples which were collected from 5 abattoirs and 9 dairy farms in South Africa. STEC and EPEC were detected, isolated and identified using culture and PCR.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  10. Sample Type and Processing Plant Differences in the Proportion of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 and Non-O157 Serogroups in Feces and on Hides of Cull Dairy Cattle at Slaughter

    • Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  11. Lettuce Genotype-Dependent Effects of Temperature on Escherichia coli O157:H7 Persistence and Plant Head Growth

    • Journal of Food Protection
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  12. Evaluating the Effect of Temperature and Pooling in Detection and Isolation of the Major Non-O157 Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli Serogroups from Meat Samples with the Use of Alternative and Standard Methods

    • Food Analytical Methods

    • Pathogenic Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are an important cause of foodborne illness. The detection of STEC in finished products and during the manufacturing process has an important role as part of verification plans, to confirm that practices and procedures described in the food safety program are successfully applied to control STEC.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  13. Effects of at-home-preparation on the risk of foodborne illness in Japan: Analysis of quantitative microbial risk assessment of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter jeju

    • Microbial Risk Analysis
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Campylobacter
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella

  14. Comparative analysis of rice bran and sesame protein hydrolysates in inhibiting foodborne pathogens: efficacy against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes

    • International Journal of Food Science & Technology

    • The antibacterial potential of RBPH‐B and RBPH‐C, along with their fractions, is effective against Listeria monocytogenes. Conversely, both SPH‐B and SPH‐C, and their fractions, exhibit pronounced antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes. Notably, the peptide fraction smaller than 10 kDa (SPH‐B‐F3), manifests the highest antimicrobial activities against both bacterial strains.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes

  15. Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with school field trips at a farm animal exhibit—Tennessee, September–October 2023

    • Zoonoses and Public Health

    • Abstract Aims In October 2023, the Tennessee Department of Health identified an outbreak of Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 infections among elementary school students who attended school field trips to the same farm animal exhibit. Our aim was to determine STEC source and prevent additional illnesses by initiating epidemiologic, laboratory and environmental investigations.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7

  16. Triplex immunomagnetic separation combined with loop-mediated isothermal amplification on a microfluidic chip for simultaneous visual detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus in mil

    • Food Control

    • Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, and Staphylococcus aureus are widely present in food and can cause serious and large-scale cases of illness worldwide every year. Herein, we developed a triplex immunomagnetic separation (IMS) combined with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) on a microfluidic chip (triplex IMS-mLAMP) for the simultaneous detection of these three important foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Salmonella
      • Staphylococcus aureus

  17. Inactivation of Escherichia coli on Romaine Lettuce Using a Gas‐Phase Hydroxyl‐Radical Process: From Laboratory Scale to Commercial Processing

    • Journal of Food Processing and Preservation

    • The following reports on the efficacy of a gas‐phase hydroxyl radical‐based process for decontaminating shredded lettuce on a laboratory and simulated commercial scale. The process is based on the ultraviolet light at 254 nm UV‐C‐mediated degradation of hydrogen peroxide mist and ozone gas to generate antimicrobial hydroxyl radicals. Escherichia coli K12 was applied as a surrogate for E.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Produce Safety
      • Post Harvest

  18. Microbiological quality and safety of non‐treated fresh and squeezed juices from supermarkets in Lleida, Spain

    • International Journal of Food Science & Technology

    • The microbial quality and safety on two types of unpasteurised juices in Lleida was evaluated. No Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes, or E. coli were detected. Summary The growing consumption of untreated juices has increased the outbreaks related to Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Although these pathogens are not in favourable conditions in fruit juices, cases of survival in acidic environments have been reported in fruit and vegetable juices.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella

  19. Population characteristics of pathogenic Escherichia coli in puerperal metritis of dairy cows in Ningxia region of China: a systemic taxa distribution of virulence factors and drug resistance genes

    • Frontiers in Microbiology

    • Escherichia coli (E. coli) is closely associated with the occurrence of puerperal metritis in dairy cows. E. coli carries some the virulence and multi-drug resistant genes, which pose a serious threat to the health of postpartum cows. In this study, E. coli was isolated and identified from the uterine contents of postpartum cows with puerperal metritis in the Ningxia region of China, and its phylogenetic subgroups were determined. Meanwhile, virulence and drug resistance genes carried by E.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  20. Label-free and sensitive fluorescent detection of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in milk based on cascade strand displacement amplification and G-quadruplex-thioflavin T

    • Food Control

    • The development of a simple, rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for detecting Escherichia coli O157:H7 in complex matrices is critical for ensuring food safety. In this study, a fluorescent biosensor employing aptamer (Apt) -functionalized magnetic beads and cascade strand displacement amplification (SDA) was devised for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in milk samples. E.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  21. Evaluating the Safety of Sous-Vide Cooking for Beef Products Inoculated with Single Strains of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157

    • Journal of Food Protection

    • Sous-vide cooking is a growing trend among retailers and consumers. Foodborne pathogens may survive the cooking if non-validated parameters are used or if pathogens have enhanced thermal resistance. Pathogen inactivation from sous-vide cooking was determined when introduced directly to beef products or via contaminated spices, and with or without a finishing step.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Salmonella

  22. Integrating pastured meat chickens into organic vegetable production increased nitrogen and microbial biomass with variability in presence of E. coli and Salmonella spp

    • Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems

    • Integrating animals into a farm supports a closed or semi-closed production system where nutrients are recycled and off-farm inputs are reduced. In comparison to other livestock, chickens can be a low-investment option for animal-crop integration of small-scale, diversified, vegetable farms.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Salmonella

  23. Persistence comparison of two Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serovars during long-term storage and thermal inactivation in various wheat flours

    • PLOS ONE

    • by Ian S. Hines, Tom Jurkiw, Emily Nguyen, Martine Ferguson, Sultana Solaiman, Elizabeth Reed, Maria Hoffmann, Jie Zheng Foodborne outbreaks associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) contaminated wheat flour have been an increasing food safety concern in recent decades. However, there is little literature aimed at investigating the impact of different flour types on the persistence of STEC during storage and thermal inactivation.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

  24. 85 Evaluation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product on performance, plasma metabolites, rumen parameters, and fecal pathogen shedding in feedlot steers

    • Journal of Animal Science

    • The objective of the experiment was to evaluate a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NaturSafe, Dimond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) on performance, plasma metabolites, rumen parameters, and fecal pathogen shedding in feedlot steers. Crossbred steers (n = 61; 271 ± 48.1 kg) were sourced from 3 different research units at Oklahoma State University and assigned to 1 of 3 experimental treatments in a randomized complete block design.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Salmonella

  25. Dramatic fluorescence enhancement of PCN-224 and its application in “turn off” immunoassay for sensitive detection of E. coli O157:H7 in milk

    • Food Chemistry

    • In this study, a type of luminescent porous coordination network-224 (PCN-224) in alkaline conditions was synthesized with the dramatic fluorescence enhancement by 20.4 times, which was explained by the fact that the decrease of Zr4+ content in alkaline conditions resulted in the partial recovery of the electron cloud density of 4,4′,4′′,4′′′-(Porphine-5,10,15,20-tetrayl) tetrakis(benzoic acid) (TCPP).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli