Research Publications (Food Safety)

The continual emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the slow development of new antibiotics has driven the resurgent interest in the potential application of bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents in different medical and industrial sectors. In the present study, the potential of combining phage biocontrol and a natural plant compound (carvacrol) in controlling Escherichia coli on fresh-cut mixed vegetable was evaluated.

Abstract Background Paralytic shellfish poisoning caused by human consumption of shellfish fed on toxic algae is a public health hazard. It is imperative to implement shellfish monitoring programs to minimize the possibility of shellfish contaminated by paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) reaching the marketplace. Results A rapid detection method for PST in mussels using near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology has been proposed.

Organic acids and essential oils are commonly used in the poultry industry as antimicrobials and for their beneficial effects on gut health, growth performance, and meat quality. A common postharvest storage fungal colonist, Aspergillus flavus, contaminates corn, the primary component of poultry feed, with the highly detrimental mycotoxin, aflatoxin.

Fluorescence-labeled antibodies and viability indicators are routinely employed in conjunction with flow cytometry (FCM) to rapidly quantify viable target bacteria, ensuring food safety. However, the specific detection of Bacillus cereus, a prominent bacterium causing food poisoning, proves challenging because of its close phylogenetic relationship with other Bacillus species.

Food and feed contamination with mycotoxins is a major public health concern. Humans and animals are exposed to these toxins by consuming contaminated products throughout their lives. In this study, a method based on dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME), followed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FLD), was validated for the determination of aflatoxins (AFs) M1, B1, B2, G1, G2, zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA).

Seasonal variation in the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter species in the Ethiopian dairy value chain was investigated. Dairy food samples (456) were collected in the dry and wet seasons in three regions of Ethiopia. Campylobacter species were detected in 20% of samples collected in the wet season. The overall prevalence did not differ significantly between the wet and dry seasons.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a trichothecene mycotoxin, is one of the most prevalent mycotoxins globally, primarily produced by Fusarium species. DON exposure could cause a range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, growth retardation, immunosuppression, and intestinal flora disorders in both humans and animals. Recently, ozone degradation technology has been applied for DON control. However, the safety of the contaminated grain after degradation was often ignored.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of mycotoxin mitigation product containing yeast extract on intestinal health and growth of newly weaned pigs under chronic dietary challenges of fumonisin and aflatoxin. Newly weaned pigs (n = 48; 21 days old; 6.4 ± 0.3 kg BW) were allotted to 4 treatments based on randomized complete block design with initial BW and sex as blocks and fed for 32 d in 3 phases (P1/2/3 for 11/11/10 days, respectively).

Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium infections in pigs are major source associated with enteric disease such as post-weaning diarrhea. Lactic acid bacteria, one of the most essential probiotics, can colonize the digestive tract and increase nutritional digestion and maintain the stability of the intestinal flora. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Pediococcus pentosaceus in weaned piglets challenged with pathogen bacteria.

Mycotoxins in feed are known to negatively affect growth and other physiological processes in pigs. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of feeding diets with varying levels of mycotoxins and boron (a nutrient reported to mitigate some aspects of mycotoxicosis). Screenings from the 2020 crop year corn contained mycotoxin levels of 23,038 ppb total fumonisin, 1,446 ppb zearalenone, and 5,032 ppb total deoxynivalenol (DON)l.

The effects of feeding corn fines (screenings) containing mycotoxin levels at greater than the FDA cautionary levels were evaluated using crossbred pigs [n = 150, 90 barrows and 60 gilts; mean initial body weight (BW) = 6.42 ± 0.06 kg; n =] that were blocked by BW and sex, randomly allotted within block to 6 dietary treatments, and housed 5 pigs/pen resulting in a total of 5 replicates.

This study evaluated effects of an algae-clay-based mycotoxin decontaminant on levels of zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON) and their derivatives in the colostrum, milk, and serum of sows, as well as in the serum of weaned piglets after maternal mycotoxin exposure from the last week of gestation to weaning (26 days).

Supplementing tryptophan (Trp), threonine (Thr), and methionine (Met) above the requirements might support immune system energetic and protein costs during a sanitary challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between protein deposition (PD) and immune response in challenged pigs.

Early-life microbiome establishment and colonization is essential for gut development, nutrient digestion and metabolism, and modulation of the immune system. Microbial colonization of the infant digestive tract begins at birth, and as such, maternal microbiota has an important influence on the early-life establishment and colonization of the infant gut microbiota.

The objectives were to evaluate the effects of Corynebacterium glutamicum cell mass (CGCM) supplementation, replacing blood plasma in diets, on the gene expressions of biomarkers associated with peptidoglycan and their correlation with intestinal health in nursery pigs. Weaned pigs (n = 32) were allotted to 4 dietary treatments based on the randomized complete block design with initial BW as blocks.

Gastrointestinal immunity and antioxidant defenses may be bolstered in young animals through prenatal immune system stimulation (PIS), but this is largely uninvestigated in swine. The objective of this experiment was to determine if a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administered to late-gestating sows would alter the immune response and oxidative status of subsequent offspring.

Among the major sources of methane production, ruminants account for a considerable fraction of the anthropogenic methane produced. Thus, minimizing methane emission in intensive and extensive cattle production systems while maintaining/increasing performance of animals will have a significant impact on the environment and will help develop a sustainable carbon-based market system.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a specialty energy source, which comprises of 28% fat and 55% corn-syrup solids (Solu-E; International Ingredient Corporation, Fenton, MO) on growth performance and fecal microbiota population of nursery pigs. Two hundred and eighty-eight (initial body weight = 5.91 kg) mixed gender pigs were assigned to 4 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with body weight as a blocking factor.

Changes occurred in the last two pandemic years that resulted in tremendous pressures on feedstuff supply. In Canada, causes for reduced cereal, pulse, and oilseed grain supply included a failed crop harvest in Western Canada in 2021 and increased demand for plant protein for food ingredients and for plant oils for cooking and renewable diesel added further pressure.

Staphylococcus is a very prevalent etiologic agent of bovine mastitis, and antibiotic resistance contributes to the successful colonization and dissemination of these bacteria in different environments and hosts on dairy farms. This study aimed to identify the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genotypes and phenotypes of Staphylococcus spp. isolates from different sources on dairy farms and their relationship with the use of antibiotics.

This study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils (AITC, carvacrol, eugenol, and thymol) in combination with Salmonella phage-encoding endolysin (LysPB32) against Salmonella Typhimurium KCCM 40253 in vitro and in cooked ground beef. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of AITC, carvacrol, eugenol, and thymol against S.

Previous research has demonstrated that lead (Pb2+, for the remainder of the paper referred to as Pb) and other heavy metals are present in table eggs from backyard birds. While the source of Pb exposure is unknown, exposure to the environment via the foraging behavior of backyard poultry is likely a significant factor.

For the purpose of assessing human health exposure, it is necessary to characterize the toxins present in a given area and their potential impact on commercial species.

The capacity for biofilm formation andslime production, the enterotoxigenic potential and the molecular typing of 20 Staphylococcus aureus isolated from minas frescal and Porungo cheeses was evaluated. Profiles obtained by Rep-PCR enabled the isolates to be grouped into two major subgroups. All S. aureus isolates were capable of forming biofilms, with the majority falling under the category of strong biofilm formers.

Mycotoxins present a significant health concern within the animal-feed industry, with profound implications for the pig-farming sector.