Research Publications (Food Safety)

Manothermosonication (MTS) is a potential alternative to traditional thermal pasteurisation of liquid whole egg (LWE), aiming at a lower thermal load than in the thermal treatment, and thus may less affect the food quality while delivering microbiological safety.

This study, for the first time, systematically investigated 1) the direct and indirect-cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment on the inactivation of Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) in different matrices under different working conditions, 2) assessed the inactivation effect in peppercorns using kinetic models, and 3) studied the impact of CAP on food quality, including color, flavor and bioactive compounds.

This study investigated the effectiveness of plasma-activated organic acid (PAOA) on pork loin's bactericidal impact and quality. Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes were used to inoculate the pork loins, revealing that PAOA achieved approximately 1.0 log CUF/g greater reduction than plasma-activated water.

Effects of in-package atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (CP) treatment on the antimicrobial efficacy of malic acid-incorporated whey protein isolate (MA–WPI) coating and MA diffusion in MA–WPI-coated skinless chicken breast processed meat (CBPM) were evaluated. MA–WPI coating followed by CP treatment (MA–WPI + CP) inactivated Salmonella (5.6 log CFU/g) in CBPM by 1.8 log CFU/g.

Salmonella enteritidis (SE) accounts for more than 70% of Salmonella spp. infections in humans with a primary source being chicken eggs, that can result from post-lay SE cross-contamination of the shell from contaminated equipment or the environment.

The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harbors numerous defensive mechanisms to impede pathogen colonization, including gastric acidity and bile acids in the small intestine.

The infection of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) in food can cause huge economic and health costs, and liposomes based on biological switch is a promising antibacterial strategy. In this study, a bio-responsive composite liposome was designed with silk fibroin and L-fucose (FLPs) based on the chemotaxis and protease of C. jejuni, and Litsea cubeba essential oil as antibacterial agent.

Aflatoxins pose a threat to humans and animals and are not easily degraded. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) can effectively decontaminate aflatoxins in foods. In this study, a Reactive Molecular Dynamics (RMD) simulation was carried out to examine the interactions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in CAP and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1).

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of electron-beam generated X-ray irradiation on the postharvest storage quality and antioxidant capacity of Agaricus bisporus.

Patulin (PAT) contamination caused by Penicillium expansum growth in postharvest fruit brings safety problems. This study investigated the inhibitory effect and mechanism of curcumin (CUR)-based photodynamic inactivation (PDI) on PAT secreted by P. expansum in vitro using a multifunctional light source instrument.

Thymus zygis is an aromatic plant used in folk medicine. This work aimed to evaluate the anti-Listeria monocytogenes activity of T. zygis essential oil (EO), whose thymol is its major compound.

Pulsed light (PL) was used to remove Ochratoxin A (OTA) from clear grape juice in this study. Firstly, the factors of OTA degraded by PL were explored, and the OTA degradation rate was 95.29% after optimization by response surface methodology. Dose-response curves were most suitable for kinetic fitting of OTA degradation by PL treatment (R2 = 0.9937).

In the present study, we assessed the bactericidal effect of a combination of blue light (BL) and riboflavin (Rb) and elucidated the bacterial inactivation mechanism. Higher Rb concentrations (0.005–50 μM) resulted in greater inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium suspended in phosphate buffer saline (PBS).

The major safety risk of peanuts is contamination with aflatoxin. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been demonstrated to inactivate fungi effectively. In this study, a novel CAP device with a rotary jet system was used to inactivate the existing A. flavus and A. niger on peanuts.

Cooling deviations and temperature abuse are two main reasons leading to the risk of Clostridium botulinum outgrowth in cooked pork. The aim of this research was to create a model that could be used to estimate C. botulinum growth from spores in cooked pork at temperatures similar to those used to chill cooked pork in processing facilities and food establishments. A cocktail of proteolytic C.

This study investigated the persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on the surface of leafy greens, and penetration into intercellular spaces through stomatal pores. This was done by determining the role of leafy green-mimicking microgrooves (normal and fully open stomata and micro-sized crevices) and the roles of pore size and orientation on proliferation of E. coli. Microgroove-embedded microfluidics were fabricated using soft-lithography.

The effect of high pressure processing (HPP) compared to Holder pasteurization (HoP) (62.5 °C, 30 min), on the inactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and hepatitis

In this study, the antibacterial activities of thyme essential oil nanoemulsions (TEON) prepared by ultrasonication (US) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) were evaluated via minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), 

Although irradiation has been used to destroy bacteria and molds in spices globally, a new technology is needed to alleviate public fears of irradiation, the high cost of irradiated food, and environmental contamination at the irradiation facility.

Author(s): Yeon Ho Kim, Chanjae Lee, Sung-Jae Lee, Ki Sun Yoon

Author(s): Qiao He, Lianjiao Zhang, Zhehao Yang, Tian Ding, Xingqian Ye, Donghong Liu, Mingming Guo

Author(s): Michael A. Pitino, Sharon Unger, Alexander Gill, Allison J. McGeer, Alain Doyen, Yves Pouliot, Richard P. Bazinet, Akash Kothari, Tony Mazzulli, Debbie Stone, Deborah L. O'Connor

Author(s): Jin Hong Mok, Ye Niu, Ahmed Yousef, Yi Zhao, Sudhir K. Sastry

Author(s): Ki Ho Baek, Ye Seul Heo, Dong Gyun Yim, Yee Eun Lee, Taemin Kang, Hyun-Jun Kim, Cheorun Jo

Author(s): Juzhong Tan, MukundV. Karwe