Research Publications (Food Safety)

The accidental consumption of diarrhetic shellfish poisons can cause food poisoning. Okadaic acid (OA) is among the major diarrhetic shellfish poisons; however, current assays and techniques for OA detection have certain limitations. Therefore, in this study, a rapid and quantitative immunochromatographic assay for the detection of OA in shellfish was established using lanthanide fluorescent microspheres (LFM). Lanthanide fluorescent nanospheres were used to label OA monoclonal antibodies.

Salmonella Typhimurium 53647 was inactivated with selected radio frequency processes in in-shell eggs. The combination of hot air (HA), hot water immersion (HW), and hot water spray (HWS) were evaluated alone (56.7 °C) and in combination with radio frequency (40.68 MHz, 35 W, 4.5 min). Microbial inactivation did not follow first-order kinetics in any treatments.

The frequent occurrence of ochratoxins in food and herbs poses a considerable threat to consumer and animal health. Here, we generated a broad-specificity monoclonal antibody against three ochratoxins. Concentrations for 50% inhibition (IC50) for OTA, OTB, and OTC were 0.37, 0.23, and 2.24 ng/mL, respectively.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is widely distributed in the environment, which can easily lead to food contamination. Thus, it is essential to develop rapid and on-site detection of S. aureus. In the present study, an intuitive colorimetric method based on phage display technology (PDT), immunomagnetic separation (IMS), and polymerase spiral reaction (PSR) was successfully established for S. aureus detection.

Campylobacter coli is the second most incriminated species of Campylobacter in cases of human campylobacteriosis, often isolated from chicken meat. Brazil is the largest exporter of chicken meat in the world, which makes the characterization of Brazilian isolates crucial for the establishment of control measures. Eighty-three C.

Due to the rich source of compounds, milk and dairy products are an excellent environment for the growth of many groups of microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus. The presence of pathogens in raw materials can threaten the dairy industry around the world.

A novel charge neutralization strategy with positively charged SYBR Green I was used for the convenient detection of fumonisin B1. In the absence of the fumonisin B1, the aggregation of gold nanoparticles would appear in less than 2 min. In the presence of the fumonisin B1, the positive charge of SYBR Green I was neutralized by the negatively charged fumonisin B1. As a result, the aggregation of gold nanoparticles could not be achieved.

This work investigated the antibacterial activity and mechanism of canthin-6-one (CAN) on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). CAN could inhibit the growth of S. aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 16 μg/mL, exhibiting weak trends in resistance, good biosafety and acceptable stability. Furthermore, 5.30 log-units of S. aureus in beef soup were reduced after treated by 32 μg/mL of CAN at 37 oC for 3 days.

In the present study, the distribution of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was investigated in fresh-cut lettuce by simulating a commercial process at a pilot plant scale with different initial inoculum levels. A deterministic approach was used to derive a potential Food Safety Objective (FSO) for the studied pathogen. The experimental outcomes, together with literature data, were used to develop a probabilistic exposure model for E.

Lettuce or radish sprouts carrying Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium or Listeria monocytogenes were treated individually or in combination with thymol, acetic acid (AA), and/or ultrasound (US) at 23 ± 2 °C for 10 min. Approximately 0.17–1.71, 0.47–3.19, or 0.85–3.91 log-reductions against S.

This study was carried out to detect pesticide residues in tropical fruits. QuEChERS method was validated to determine 301 different pesticides in high water content commodities and high acid content commodities by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Matrix effects were determined for all pesticides in banana, blueberry, lime, mango, and pineapple.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of synthetic organic compounds consisting of chlorine atoms on two coupled biphenyl rings, have been declared class A carcinogens by the World Health Organization. Here, we report a new method for the determination of PCBs content in chicken.

Food processing lines, especially in dairies, offer various microenvironments in which multiple microorganisms can multiply and form biofilms. Thus, efficient industrial procedures, such as the clean-in-place (CIP) process, are essential, as well as optimizing the use of economic and environmental resources associated with the hygiene process.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan with a wide range of hosts and cosmopolitan distribution. Due to its impact on human and animal health, as well as related economic losses, T. gondii is considered as one of the most significant foodborne pathogens nowadays. Consumption of raw or undercooked meat is a well known risk factor for human infection. However, there is no legislation regarding control of T.

Inspired by the super-binding capacity of pyrophosphate (ppi) and copper ion (Cu2+), an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) triggered ratiometric fluorescence immunoassay was established for detection of zearalenone (ZEN). In the assay, ALP-antibody acted as a bridge connecting ZEN concentration and ratiometric fluorescence signals. Due to the super-binding ability of ppi and Cu2+, Cu2+ was immobilized to form ppi-Cu2+ complex and lost its oxidation activity.

Sensitive and specific detection of Salmonella is highly desirable to guarantee food safety and prevent food-borne disease outbreaks. Herein, we proposed a ratiometric electrochemical biosensor based on the combination of SRCA and CRISPR/Cas12a system for ultrasensitive and specific detection of Salmonella. Signal amplification is accomplished by reasonably integrating rapid SRCA amplification and the trans-cleavage capabilities of Cas12a.

Zearalenone (ZEN), one of the most hazardous mycotoxins commonly present in food, causes severe safety risks to human health. In this work, the ZEN detoxification potential of dye-decolorizing peroxidase BsDyP from Bacillus subtilis 168 was investigated by a combined computational and experimental study. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation suggested that BsDyP could allow the binding of ZEN at the γ-edge of heme and surface exposed redox-active Tyr335 residue.

Transmission of foodborne pathogens by plants, especially shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, has become a public health concern for ready-to-eat products. Due to the patchy distribution of foodborne pathogens on commodities, random sampling before processing and following packaging cannot reliably exclude presence of pathogenic microbes. Robust, cost-effective, and reliable methods for monitoring pathogenic E.

The consumption of agri-foods contaminated with mycotoxins poses a serious threat to human health. In this study, we evaluated the presence of total aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in various agri-food products of national and imported origin in Chile that are consumed daily.

Novel artilysins by the fusions of phage lysin Lysqdvp001 (Lys) with outer membrane (OM) destabilizing peptides against Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) were designed and developed assisted by molecular docking. Eleven designed artilysins with predicted high affinity to lipopolysaccharide lipid-A (LPSA) of bacterial OM were selected, and eight designed artilysins after cloning and expression showed abilities to hydrolyze V.

Cooked battered products like nuggets and sausages are famous street foods in Malaysia. However, these foods lack prevalence data for the non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium (NTS) contaminations, thus leading to concern over foodborne outbreaks. Therefore, the present work aimed to examine the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant NTS in battered foods, and investigate their survival under simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and microwave heating.

A colorimetric biosensor based on a novel metal-organic framework (MOF) composed of Zirconium (Zr) and Praseodymium (Pr) is presented as a nanozyme to detect Salmonella Typhimurium (S. typhimurium). The ZrPr-MOF poses extreme peroxidase-mimic activity, and it interacts with an aptamer. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the intense blue color is observed via the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by ZrPr-MOF.

Aflatoxins, the mycotoxins produced as secondary metabolites by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, are the most common known food contaminants implicated with liver cancer and lethal aflatoxicosis outbreaks. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of total aflatoxins in stored maize, maize flour, and stiff porridge consumed in schools in Dodoma Region.

The contamination of patulin is widely present in apple, hawthorn, pear, and their products. Many patulin detoxification methods have already been reported, among which enzymes are considered as one of the most promising degradation methods. However, in the reports available so far, patulin-degrading enzymes have rarely been separated and produced, making their application limited.

National and international food and feed safety authorities are shifting from routine-to risk-based monitoring. Risk-based monitoring requires flexibility in the scope of analytes, matrices, and sampling. Also, risk-based monitoring implies a desire for retrospective analysis using different scope(s) to follow trends, identify new food safety threats, and monitor the effectiveness of policy interventions.