Research Publications (Food Safety)

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are a major cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis in all age groups worldwide. HuNoVs can be detected in vitro using molecular assays such as RT-PCR and RT-qPCR. However, these molec...

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

by Wirittamulla Gamage Maheshika Kumudunie, Lakmini Inoka Wijesooriya, Yasanandana Supunsiri Wijayasinghe

Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. This study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of C. burnetii among apparently healthy pregnant, parturient, and postparturient dogs and cats to highlight their role in the transmission of such disease to humans.

Author(s): Andrea R. McWhorter, Samiullah Khan, Margaret Sexton, Talia S. Moyle, Kapil K. Chousalkar

Author(s): Wen-Li Seow, Nor Ainy Mahyudin, Syafinaz Amin-Nordin, Son Radu, Noor Azira Abdul-Mutalib

Author(s): Huan Wang, Qi Han, Yongjie Chen, Guanghui Hu, Houjuan Xing

Author(s): Yao Lu, Junru Wu, Wenduo Gu, Zhijun Huang, Zhihao Shu, Miao Huang, Jingyuan Chen, Mengli Zhou, Yuanyuan Bai, Xiang Chen, Yi Xiao, Minxue Shen, Dan Luo, Qihong Deng, Liyuan Chai, Meian He, Jicheng Gong, Hong Yuan, Qingbo Xu, Jingjing Cai

Luo Han Guo fruit extract (Siraitia grosvenorii), mainly composed of mogroside V (50%), could be considered a suitable alternative to free sugars; however, its commercial applications are limited by its unpleasant off-notes.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a widely distributed mycotoxin that frequently occurs in various foodstuffs, and poses a health risk to human and animals. Biodegradation of DON to less- or non-toxic substances using naturally existing microorganisms is considered the best approach for DON detoxification. Although various microorganisms capable of detoxifying DON have been reported; however, such studies on probiotic strains are scarce.

This paper presents the effect of polyphenols on microorganisms inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract (mainly bacteria belonging to the Lactobacillus genus) and pathogenic microorganisms classified as the most common food contaminants. Plant secondary metabolites have the ability to modulate the growth of many microorganisms.

Salted duck eggs as a convenient food are very popular in China and Southeast Asia. Generally, they are produced by traditional curing methods. Here we used traditional methods to profile the bacterial community of salted duck eggs purchased from markets to systematically investigate their microbiological safety. 77 bacteria belonging to 14 genera were isolated. Bacillus related to flavor formation of salted duck eggs were the dominant genus.

This study aims to explore the spatial and temporal patterns in biomarker responses during early spring and late summer in Mytilus galloprovincialis using samples from two Adriatic Sea ecosystems between 2009 and 2012. The condition index was higher in September at all sampling sites and suggests that mussels can store energy during summer for wintertime spawning and survival through the winter.

A simple methodology for the simultaneous determination of 67 pesticides, 25 veterinary drugs, and aflatoxin M1 in raw milk was developed and validated. After evaluating different combinations of sample preparation protocols, an extraction with acetonitrile:water (2:1) with QuEChERS citrate buffer salts and a combination of RP-C18 and anhydrous magnesium sulfate for the dispersive clean-up, using gas and liquid chromatography couples to mass spectrometry for determination, was selected.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing economic activities worldwide; shrimp production by aquaculture is around 70% or more of the total consumed. The development of this activity is inducing great benefits in the production of food and jobs; however, shrimp aquaculture is also generating; (1) ecological imbalance by pelagic species overexploitation to produce fish ingredients, (2) bays contamination by inappropriate waste management and (3) pathogens proliferation by antibiotics abuse.

The 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered carcinogenic and mutagenic for humans and are emitted by anthropogenic sources mainly in urban areas. For this purpose, the carcinogenic risk in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre/RS (RMPA), Brazil, was investigated due to its demographic density (421.8 inhabitants/km2), industrialization, and high flow of vehicles.

In nature, the bioaccumulative potent neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) is produced from inorganic mercury (Hg) predominantly by anaerobic microorganisms. Hg-contaminated soils are a potential source of MeHg due to microbial activity. We examine streambank soils collected from the contaminated East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) in Tennessee, USA, where seasonal variations in MeHg levels have been observed throughout the year, suggesting active microbial Hg methylation.

This paper reviews the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in insects, rodents, and pets. Insects (e.g., houseflies, cockroaches), rodents (rats, mice), and pets (dogs, cats) act as reservoirs of AMR for first-line and last-resort antimicrobial agents. AMR proliferates in insects, rodents, and pets, and their skin and gut systems.

This review considers how research in China has progressed our understanding and subsequent improved control of Cronobacter. This emergent bacterial pathogen is associated with neonatal infections through the ingestion of contaminated prepared feed. The review includes large‐scale surveys of various sources of the organism, including infant formula production facilities. The analysis of over 20,000 samples is presented.

The objective of this survey was to estimate the prevalence, contamination level, and genetic diversity of Salmonella in selected raw, shelled tree nuts (Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts) at retail markets in the United States. A total of 3,374 samples of eight tree nuts were collected from different types of retail stores and markets nationwide between September 2015 and March 2017.

BACKGROUND The greatest hurdle to commercial marketing of fresh‐cut fruits and vegetables is limited shelf‐life due to microbial hazards and quality deterioration. Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is an emerging non‐thermal technology with significant potential to improve the safety and storability of fresh products.

This study shows that in some low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), flour fortification would, in theory, increase calcium intake without posing the risk of excess of calcium intake in the population. However, in two LMICs, flour intake was so low that the impact on calcium intake was negligible, and fortification of other widely consumed foods should be considered.

The antibacterial effect of volatile compounds in millets and cereal by‐products was investigated. Hexane extracts of rice bran (RB), corn cob (CC), green (GM), and yellow millets (YM) showed antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli ATCC 35150, Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579, Helicobacter pylori MH179991, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 13150 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 2.5 to 5 mg/ml.