Research Publications (Food Safety)

Jarquin, Claudia et al. The objective of this study was to determine Salmonella numbers on retail raw chicken carcasses in Guatemala and to phenotypically characterize the isolates (serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility). In total, 300 chicken carcasses were collected from seven departments in Guatemala. Salmonella numbers were determined using the most-probable-number method following the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service protocol.

Ryan, Gina et al. Assays for detection of foodborne pathogens are generally initially evaluated for performance in validation studies carried out according to guidelines provided by validation schemes (e.g., AOAC International or the International Organization for Standardization). End users often perform additional validation studies to evaluate the performance of assays in specific matrices (e.g., specific foods or raw material streams of interest) and with specific pathogen strains.

Erickson, Marilyn C. et al. Consumers are being advised to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables to reduce their risk of chronic disease. However, to achieve that goal, consumers must be able to implement protocols in their kitchens to reduce their risk of consuming contaminated produce.

Foodborne Pathogens and Disease Sep 2015, Vol. 12, No. 9: 795-799.

Publication date: Available online 29 August 2015

Author(s): C.F. Magistrali, L. Cucco, G. Pezzotti, S. Farneti, V. Cambiotti, S. Catania, P. Prati, M. Fabbi, S. Lollai, P. Mangili, C. Sebastiani, L. Bano, A.M. Dionisi, I. Luzzi

Two of the primary virulence regulators of Vibrio cholerae, ToxR and TcpP, function together with cognate effector proteins. ToxR undergoes regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) during late stationary phase in response to nutrient limitation at alkaline pH, however, the specific function of its cognate ToxS remains unresolved.

Rice false smut is an emerging and economically-important rice disease caused by infection by the fungal pathogen Villosiclava virens. Ustiloxin B is an antimitotic cyclopeptide mycotoxin isolated from the rice false smut balls that formed in the pathogen-infected rice spikelets. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) designated as mAb 1B5A10 was generated with ustiloxin B—ovalbumin conjugate.

In this studyfermentation of Allium chinense bulbs was carried out with Lactobacillus plantarum ZDY 2013. A decrease in pH from 6.8 to 3.5 and a stable lactic acid bacteria population were observed during 7-d fermentation. The total phenolic content increased by 2.7-fold in the aqueous and ethanol extracts of A. chinense bulbs after fermentation.

Susann K. J. Ludwig, Christian Tokarski, Stefan N. Lang, Leendert A. van Ginkel, Hongying Zhu, Aydogan Ozcan, Michel W. F. Nielen

Xiaoxiao Wang, Shelan Liu, Haiyan Mao, Zhao Yu, Enfu Chen, Chengliang Chai

Background

The mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) is frequently contaminating animal feeds including feed used in aquaculture. In the present study, the effects of dietary exposure to ZEN on carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were investigated. ZEN at three different concentrations (low dose: 332 µg kg−1, medium dose: 621 µg kg−1 and high dose: 797 µg kg−1 final feed, respectively) was administered to juvenile carp for four weeks.

Pufferfish poisoning has not been well documented in the South Pacific, although fish and other seafood are sources of protein in these island nations. In this study, tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its analogues in each organ of the pufferfish Arothron hispidus and A. nigropunctatus collected in the Solomon Islands were investigated using high resolution LC-MS. The toxin profiles of the same two species of pufferfish from Okinawa, Japan were also examined for comparison.

Research has shown success using clay-based binders to adsorb aflatoxin in animal feeds; however, no adsorbent has been approved for the prevention or treatment of aflatoxicosis. In this study, growth and relative organ weights were evaluated along with a residue analysis for aflatoxin B1 in liver tissue collected from broiler chickens consuming dietary aflatoxin (0, 600, 1200, and 1800 µg/kg) both with and without 0.2% of a calcium bentonite clay additive (TX4).

The present study evaluated the effects of carvacrol and thymol against Salmonella spp. biofilm on polypropylene. The efficacy of the compounds was assessed by quantifying Salmonella spp. cells during and after biofilm formation on polypropylene and performing scanning electron microscopy. During biofilm formation, carvacrol and thymol, at subinhibitory concentrations, reduced bacterial counts about 1–2 log, while established Salmonella spp.

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is a severe, newly emergent penaeid shrimp disease caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus that has already led to tremendous losses in the cultured shrimp industry. Until now, its disease-causing mechanism has remained unclear. Here we show that an AHPND-causing strain of V. parahaemolyticus contains a 70-kbp...

The cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum threatens food and feed production worldwide. It reduces the yield and poisons the remaining kernels with mycotoxins, notably deoxynivalenol (DON). We analyzed the importance of gamma-aminobutanoic acid (GABA) metabolism for the life cycle of this fungal pathogen. GABA metabolism in F. graminearum is partially regulated by the global nitrogen regulator AreA.

Publication date: February 2016
, Volume 53, Part B
Author(s): Eun-Jeong Hong, Dong-Hyun Kang

Elizabeth B. Norton, Luis M. Branco, John D. Clements

Publication date: January 2016
Source:LWT - Food Science and Technology, Volume 65
Author(s): Dongying Hu, Haixia Wang, Lijuan Wang

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of nisin with lauryl arginine ester (LAE) or their combination by 1: 3 (w/w) on cheese preservation. The study was carried out against the most common foodborne pathogens in recombined feta cheese (RFC) and processed cheese spread (PCS).

Publication date: February 2016
, Volume 60
Author(s): Yeon-Sik Bong, Jong-Sik Ryu, Seung-Hyun Choi, Mi-Ran La, Kwang-Sik Lee

Publication date: February 2016
, Volume 60
Author(s): L. Bayés-García, A. Tres, S. Vichi, T. Calvet, M.A. Cuevas-Diarte, R. Codony, J. Boatella, J. Caixach, S. Ueno, F. Guardiola

Publication date: February 2016
, Volume 60
Author(s): Johannes Hell, Michael Prückler, Lukas Danner, Ute Henniges, Silvia Apprich, Thomas Rosenau, Wolfgang Kneifel, Stefan Böhmdorfer

Publication date: February 2016
, Volume 60
Author(s): Tom Grunert, Roger Stephan, Monika Ehling-Schulz, Sophia Johler

Publication date: February 2016
, Volume 60
Author(s): Rui Yu, Qiang Liu, Jingshuang Liu, Qicun Wang, Yang Wang