Research Publications (Food Safety)

Campylobacter spp. and Arcobacter butzleri are foodborne pathogens associated with the consumption of contaminated raw chicken meat. At the industry level, the combination of new and common antimicrobials could be used as an strategy to control the presence of pathogens in chicken carcasses. The objective of this study was to determine the bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect of a mixture of chlorine (Cl) and sodium gallate (SG) on a mixture of two Campylobacter species (C. jejuni and C.

The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes lives as a saprophyte in nature and can adhere to and grows on surfaces as diverse as leaves, sediment, and stainless steel. To discern the mechanisms used by L. monocytogenes for attachment and growth on various surfaces, we studied interactions between the pathogen on lettuce and stainless steel. A panel of 24 strains (23 of Listeria monocytogenes and 1 L.

During the 2014–2018 seasons, we conducted a longitudinal study involving enteric virus surveillance in bivalves, including natural oysters and clams harvested in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Some norovirus (NoV) contaminations were detected in natural oysters, while no enteric virus was found in clams. NoV detected in oysters were of the genotypes GII.4 and GII.6, which are closely related genetically to the NoV strains prevalent in humans.

Refugee camps provide basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, and medical treatment for displaced persons. Unsanitary conditions in refugee camps due to overcrowding, poor sanitation systems, lack of clean water, minimal ways to cook and store food can lead to an increased risk of foodborne illness. This article reviews the limited literature on the epidemiology of foodborne illness in refugee camps, effective risk mitigation strategies and opportunities for future research.

Salmonella enterica has been increasingly linked to outbreaks involving consumption of fresh produce. While several studies have identified genes whose products are involved in mediating S. enterica -plant interactions, the use of varying experimental approaches, serovars and plant types have generated variable and conflicting data.

Foodborne disease outbreak investigations identify foods responsible for illnesses. However, it is not known the degree to which foods implicated in outbreaks reflect the distribution of food consumption in the U.S. population or the risk associated with their consumption. To examine this, we compared the distribution of foods in 24 categories implicated in outbreaks to the distribution of foods consumed by the U.S. population.

As part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) activities, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) collected cecal samples from food animal slaughter facilities throughout the country between 2014 and 2018. Of the 26,780 cecal samples from cattle, swine, chicken and turkey , 6,350 (23.71%) tested positive for Salmonella .

Butter adulteration practices and their health risks were assessed along the supply chains in the central highlands and south-western midlands of Ethiopia. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 1101 respondents. Based on the result of the cross-sectional study, fatty acid profiles of butter samples collected from retailers’ shops were investigated to determine the extent of adulteration and understand the risks of food safety.

Vegetables in Cambodia are commonly sold in informal markets lacking food safety standards and controls. Currently, data on microbial contamination of vegetables in Cambodian informal markets are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate Salmonella enterica and indicator organisms (generic Escherichia coli and coliforms) on the surface of fresh vegetables sold in informal markets in Cambodia.

In the fight against the spread of antibiotic resistance (ABR), authorities usually require that strains “intentionally added into the food chain” be tested for their antibiotic susceptibility. This applies to strains used in starter or adjunct cultures for the production of fermented foods, such as many strains of Pediococcus pentosaceus . The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends testing strains for their antibiotic susceptibility based on both genomic and phenotypic approaches.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products, such as deli ham, can support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes (LM) which can cause severe illness in immunocompromised individuals. The objectives of this study were to validate a miniature ham model (MHM) against the ham slice method and screen antimicrobial combinations to control LM on ham using response surface methodology (RSM) as a time- and cost-effective high-throughput screening tool.

Antibiotics used during food-animal production account for approximately 77% of U.S. antimicrobial consumption by mass. Ground beef products labeled as raised without antibiotics (RWA) are perceived to harbor lower antimicrobial resistance (AMR) levels than conventional (CONV) products with no label claims regarding antimicrobial use. Retail ground beef samples were obtained from 6 U. S. cities. Samples with a RWA or USDA Organic claim ( N = 299) were assigned to the RWA production system.

Once pathogens are internalized in fresh produce, they pose a challenging food safety issue since they are not effectively inactivated by conventional rinsing or sanitization.

Environmental monitoring for Listeria monocytogenes in food processing environments is key for ensuring the safety of ready-to-eat foods. For sampling, swabs are often hydrated with a wetting or transport medium which may contain neutralizers and other ingredients. After swabbing the environment, the swabs may then be transported or shipped cold to an off-site laboratory for testing, ideally within 48 h.

This study investigated the presence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) for the first time in two types of unpasteurized fresh cheese produced in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. We tested for this pathogen along with the others to broaden the study of microbiological quality in a total of 60 samples of cheese, 30 fresh and 30 adobera, which were collected from six artisanal cheese factories (ACF).

Biopreservatives are clean-label ingredients used to control pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in ready-to-eat foods including cheese. The efficacies of six commercial biopreservatives in controlling L.

A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of seven decontamination processes in reducing the pesticide mixture load of six insecticides (quinalphos, profenophos, ethion, lambda- cyhalothrin, imidacloprid and acetamiprid) from chilli alongwith one control treatment where the pesticide residues were extracted without following any decontamination procedure.

Suboptimal food worker health and hygiene has been a common contributing factor in foodborne disease outbreaks for many years. Despite clear FDA Model Food Code recommendations for hand washing and glove use, food worker compliance with handwashing recommendations has remained poor for more than 20 years.

Fresh and fresh-cut tomatoes are high in phytonutrients. But the illness outbreaks associated with contaminated tomatoes have significantly impacted public health and the industry’s economic well-being. Scientific information is critically needed to develop an effective, practical food safety standard to reduce pathogen contamination.

From planting to distribution stages, fresh produce can be contaminated by humans, water, animals, soil, equipment and the environment. Produce growers play an essential role in managing and minimizing on-farm food safety risks. Due to an increase in public awareness about produce safety, farmer food safety education has become an important research and extension topic.

Outbreaks and recalls associated with microbial contamination of powdered foods have raised concern for the safety of the spray drying process and its products. However, little research on the fate of bacteria during the spray drying process has been done, leaving much unknown about the risks of contamination in spray dryers.

Beef slaughter establishments employ many different interventions to help minimize occurrence of pathogens in their products. This study explored the effectiveness of various common interventions on microbial load using the results of the Beef-Veal Carcass Baseline Survey conducted in 2014–2015. For that baseline, FSIS analyzed swab samples taken from 1,135 carcasses at 139 establishments.

Consumption of animal-derived meat products is suspected as an important exposure route to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as the presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) along the beef supply chain is well-documented.

Foodborne diseases (FBDs) are burdening countries worldwide. Several countries have successfully implemented policies that establish innovative systems for the inspection and grading of food service establishments (FSEs), which greatly contributes to a reduction in FBDs. China’s government has also responded by developing policies to protect consumers’ food safety, including the routine inspection policy and the risk-based grading policy.

The topic of food safety continues to receive increased attention and has ramifications on various human, environmental, policy, and economic levels worldwide. By garnering feedback from 30 food industry experts, this study was undertaken to identify the most critical issues facing the food industry in relation to food safety.