Research Publications (Food Safety)

Plastics provide tremendous societal benefits and are an indispensable part of our lives. However, fragmented plastics or those intentionally manufactured in small sizes (microplastics or nanoplastics) are of concern because they can infiltrate soils and enter the human food chain through trophic transfer. The pathophysiological impacts of micro/nanoplastics in humans are not characterized but their effects in terrestrial mammals may help elucidate their potential effects in human beings.

Black yeasts are a functional group that has caused spoilage in cold-filled and hot-filled beverages as well as other water activity (a w )-controlled food products. We established quantitative thermoresistance parameters for the inactivation of 12 Aureobasidium and Exophiala isolates through isothermal experiments and a challenge study. Culture age (2-day vs. 28-day) variably affected the thermoresisitance among the black yeast strains.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contamination levels of some classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in free-range hen eggs and to estimate the related human dietary exposure in a Site of National Interest (SNI), characterized by a serious state of environmental pollution (Bussi sul Tirino area, central Italy).

Growth on solid media as sessile cells is believed to increase the desiccation tolerance of Salmonella enterica . However, the reasons behind increased resistance have not been well explored. In addition, the same effect has not been examined for other foodborne pathogens such as pathogenic Escherichia coli or Listeria monocytogenes . The purpose of this research was two-fold: first, to determine the role of oxygenation during growth on the desiccation resistance of S. enterica , E.

Pseudomonas fluorescens is a specific spoilage microorganism of refrigerated marine fish, which possesses strong adaptability to low temperature. Cold shock proteins (CSPs) play an important role in bacterial cold adaptation. In this study, the CSP genes were obtained from the genome of P. fluorescens PF08 by search the conserved domain of CSPs through HMMER software, and their physicochemical property, structure and function were analyzed by bioinformatics.

Leafy greens contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have continued to cause foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years and present a threat to public health. An important component of foodborne illness outbreak investigations is determining the source of the outbreak vehicle through traceback investigations.

The growth and hemolysin production of two V.   alginolyticus  strains (HY9901 and ATCC17749T) at 30 °C in briny tilapia, shrimp, scallop, oyster, pork, chicken, freshwater fish and egg fried rice were investigated. Bacterial counts were enumerated by plate counting. Hemolysin production was evaluated by blood agar and hemolytic titer tests. The two V.

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) has long been studied as an aqueous sanitizer to enhance microbial safety of fresh produce. Recently, we demonstrated that cold plasma-activated H 2 O 2 aerosols, hereafter referred to as ionized hydrogen peroxide (iHP), reduced populations of Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli by up to 5.5 logs on surfaces of various produce items. However, the amount and fate of H 2 O 2 residue left on fresh produce after treatments have not been evaluated.

Here, a Bacillus strain, UTK D1-0055, is described that was isolated from a laboratory environment. It was of interest as it demonstrated antilisterial activity. The genome was sequenced, which identified the strain as Bacillus altitudinis, and a high-quality complete annotated genome was produced. Additionally, the taxonomy of this and related species was evaluated, including B. aerophilus, B. pumilus, B. safensis, B. stratosphericus, and B.

Dried parsley is regularly contaminated with foodborne pathogens, especially Salmonella (S.) spp. Application of contaminated ingredients in ready-to-eat dishes without further thermal treatment represents a considerable health risk. This study examines the suitability of pulsed light as a novel decontamination method of Salmonella spp.

Recently, ready-to-eat vegetable salads have gained popularity worldwide. However, the microbial safety of ready-to-eat salads is a health concern, primarily due to Salmonella enteritidis contamination during the growing, harvesting, processing, and handling of produce. This study aimed to develop a bacteriophage-based strategy to control S. enteritidis growth in mixed-ingredient salads.

Bacillus cereus, which causes foodborne disease, is detected using selective media. However, competing flora is the most common factor preventing the correct enumeration of B. cereus on selective agars. In this study, we aimed to improve the selectivity of mannitol-yolk-polymyxin B agar (MYPA) and its modified version containing trimethoprim (mMYPA) developed in our previous study by supplementation with ceftazidime (16 μg/mL).

Contamination with potentially pathogenic microorganisms may occur at all stages of the food chain. We conducted a representative cross-sectional survey of 1008 consumers aged 16 years and older in Germany via an online panel; the aim was to assess the perception of consumers regarding the influence of aspects of meat production on the safety and quality of meat.

The increase in fat-related diseases and chemical hazards produced during the frying process poses a major threat to human health. Coating has been used as a practical method to reduce the oil content and chemical hazard of fried foods. Methyl cellulose (MC) and soy protein isolate (SPI) were used as coating materials to pretreat Chinese fried dough cake (CFDC) before frying.

This study investigated the effects of in-feed encapsulated cinnamaldehyde (CIN) and citral (CIT) alone or in combination (CIN+CIT) on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes and genotypes of E. coli isolated from feces of 6-, 16-, 23- and 27-days old broiler chickens. The five dietary treatments including the basal diet (control; NC), the basal diet supplemented with 55 ppm bacitracin (BAC), 100 ppm encapsulated CIN, CIT, or CIN+CIT.

This study investigated the effects of the physiological state, desiccation-adaptation, and storage of powdered infant formula (PIF) on Salmonella survival and their desiccation stress-related gene expression. PIF was inoculated with S . Typhimurium in the biofilm state on beads and in the planktonic state on nitrocellulose filters and stored at 25°C for up to 270 days.

A new coronavirus strain known as SARS-CoV-2 has spread throughout the world. This virus is the causative agent for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and spreads primarily through human-to-human transmission via infected droplets and aerosols generated by infected persons. While COVID-19 is a respiratory virus, the potential for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via food is considered theoretically possible and remains a concern for Canadian consumers.

Consumption of seaweeds, often categorized as a superfood, is becoming popular in western countries. Algae can be marketed fresh, but are usually sold dehydrated to ensure longer shelf life. The consumption, often as ready to eat, open up possible risks for public health because of foodborne pathogens that can contaminate the raw material during harvesting or manipulation.

Proteus mirabilis is abundantly found in soil and water, and although it is part of the normal human intestinal flora, it has been known to cause serious infections in humans and a common pathogen responsible for complicated urinary tract infections. It is also commonly associated with multidrug resistance. In the current study, analysis of 1093 different samples from foods of animal origin and intestinal samples confirmed 232 P. mirabilis isolates by PCR.

This study establishes a rapid and accurate method to identify aflatoxin contamination in peanut oil. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, combined with either partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) or a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm, were used to construct discriminative models for distinguishing between uncontaminated and aflatoxin-contaminated peanut oil.

Salmonellosis occurs frequently worldwide, causing serious threats to public health safety. The abuse of antibiotics is increasing the antibiotic resistance in bacteria, thereby making the prevention and control of Salmonella more difficult. A phage can help control the spread of bacteria. In this study, S55, a lytic phage, was isolated from faecal samples obtained from poultry farms using Salmonella Pullorum ( S . Pullorum) as the host bacterium.

Foodborne disease outbreaks continue to be a major public health and food safety concern. Ensuring the safety of food prior to retail distribution by testing products promptly can protect consumers from foodborne diseases. F ast, sensitive, and accurate detection tools are in great demand.

At present, SARS-CoV-2 has not been shown to be transmitted through food, even so the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how consumers view food and food safety. This study assessed consumer food safety practices during the COVID-19 pandemic using (1) surveys and (2) online focus group discussions. From April to August 2020, five waves of surveys were distributed to an online U.S. consumer panel and screened to include only primary food preparers and grocery shoppers.

Campylobacter is the leading cause of human bacterial diarrhoeal disease worldwide, with poultry meat products accounting for the majority of human cases. Recent surveys by the Food Standards Agency estimate the Campylobacter prevalence in fresh UK retail chicken to be 41.2%.

In this study, to investigate the pathogenic characteristics of the isolates, the pathogenic gene ( tdh gene) was identified, and adherence and cytotoxicity assays were performed. Furthermore, genome sequences of the seafood isolates were analyzed using the Illumina Hi-seq 2500 platform. The isolated strains were then mapped by comparing the genomes to the reference genome, and variations in the nucleotide sequences and amino acids were identified with the CLC Genomics Workbench program.