Research Publications (Food Safety)

Background Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a significant cause of foodborne illness causing various gastrointestinal diseases including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the most severe form, which can lead to kidney failure or even death. Objective Here, we report the development of recombinase aided amplification (RAA)-exo-probe assays targeting the stx1 and stx2 genes for the rapid detection of STEC in food samples.

A sensitive and accurate analytical method was developed and validated to detect bambermycin, a commonly used antibiotic in animal feed and livestock. The presence of bambermycin residues in food products can pose health risks to consumers, emphasizing the need for a sensitive and accurate analytical method.

Microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE) is an important technique in analytical chemistry. It offers several advantages over traditional extraction methods, such as improved extraction efficiency, shorter extraction times, reduced solvent consumption, and enhanced analyte recovery.

Abstract BACKGROUND Non‐fried shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) crisps fabricated by explosion puffing drying (EPD) are receiving worldwide attention due to its crispness, convenience, nutrition and health functions. The quality of mushroom crisps varies with storage time of fresh L. edodes. Therefore, the effect of postharvest storage time (ranging 0 – 14 d) of fresh L. edodes on quality characteristics of EPD processed mushroom crisps were evaluated.

Abstract Background Corn, being an important grain, is prone to contamination by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and AFB1‐contaminated corn severely endangers the health of humans and livestock. Trametes versicolor, a fungus that can grow in corn, possesses the ability to directly degrade AFB1 through its laccase. This study aimed to optimize the fermentation conditions for T. versicolor to degrade AFB1 in corn and investigate the effect of T.

To investigate the contamination status, serotype distribution, and drug resistance of Salmonella in poultry sold in Jiading District, Shanghai.

Better control of Salmonella in chicken has been a public health priority at the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) in the U.S. and public health agencies worldwide. Testing for Salmonella in chicken carcasses and enforcement of a standard has been a central feature of the FSIS Salmonella-control program.

The use of yeasts as a feed supplement for cattle can promote animal development and performance. However, for the positive results to be consistent, strains with probiotic properties must be selected. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify yeasts present in the bovine feces and evaluate their probiotic potential together with strains previously isolated from the rumen (preliminary study).

This paper presents a new analytical procedure based on combination of homogeneous liquid–liquid extraction (HLLE) and vortex-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (VA-DLLME) for the accurate and reliable determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in dried fruit samples.

Wheat, the raw material for flour milling, can be contaminated with enteric pathogens, leading to outbreaks linked to flour. In previous lab-scale studies, vacuum steam treatment was able to reduce Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 and Shiga-toxin producing E.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species, is widely found in wheat and other cereals all around the world.

Introduction Aflatoxin (AFL), a secondary metabolite produced from filamentous fungi, contaminates corn, posing significant health and safety hazards for humans and livestock through toxigenic and carcinogenic effects. Corn is widely used as an essential commodity for food, feed, fuel, and export markets; therefore, AFL mitigation is necessary to ensure food and feed safety within the United States (US) and elsewhere in the world.

Peas are among the most popular leguminous plants, consumed by both humans and animals in large quantities.

Aim: The current research aims to design effective strategies to enhance the body's immune system against pathogenic bacteria. Methods: Skin commensals were isolated, identified and cultured in fish collagen peptides (FCPs). Results: After culturing in FCP, the skin commensals were used in a dose-dependent manner for Staphylococcus aureus in a dual-culture test, which showed significant growth inhibition of the pathogenic bacteria, which conclu

Culture-independent metagenomic sequencing of enriched agricultural water could expedite the detection and virulotyping of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). We previously determined the limits of a complete, closed metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) assembly and of a complete, fragmented MAG assembly for O157:H7 in enriched agricultural water using long reads (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford), which were 107 and 105 CFU/ml, respectively.

In aquatic ecosystems, arsenate (As(V)) and lead (Pb(II)) frequently coexist but their joint toxicity on microalgae remains unknown. In this study, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was exposed to various levels of combined As(V) and Pb(II) treatments. The cell growth, respiration, pigment synthesis, polysaccharides and protein secretion as well as As speciation of C. reinhardtii were analyzed.

Hepatitis E caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV) is considered an emerging foodborne zoonosis in industrialized, non-endemic countries. Domestic pigs and wild boars are considered the main reservoir of HEV. However, HEV can also infect an ever-expanding host range of animals, but they exact role in transmitting the virus to other species or humans is mostly unknown.

This study focuses on the characterization of STEC‐specific bacteriophages isolated from cow manure samples and examines their prevalence with STEC bacterial hosts. The findings indicate that the most common bacteriophages were specific to O26, and the presence of bacteriophages may have contributed to the diversity of their STEC host populations in the natural environment.

Coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis negatively impact poultry production, making challenge model repeatability important for evaluating mitigation strategies.

Aflatoxins are among the most important mycotoxins due to their widespread occurrence and adverse impacts on humans and animals. These toxins and/or their metabolites cannot be destroyed with cooking or boiling methods. Therefore, consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food may lead to impaired growth, compromised immunity, stomach and liver cancer, and acute toxicity. These adverse effects along with food wastage might have detrimental consequences on a country's economy.

The contamination of ready to eat foods (RTE) products due to Listeria monocytogenes could compromise the products safety becoming a great risk for the consumers. The high presence of L. monocytogenes in RTE products has been described worldwide, but few data are available about these products from African countries. The aims of this study were to report the presence of L.

Listeria monocytogenes causes foodborne listeriosis, which is an important food safety and public health problem. Monitoring them in the food chain using simple and affordable methods is of paramount importance to avoid untoward consequences.

The potential of using commercial peroxyacetic acid (PAA) for Vibrio parahaemolyticus sanitization was evaluated. Commercial PAA of 0.005 % (v/v, PAA: 2.24 mg/L, hydrogen peroxide: 11.79 mg/L) resulted in a planktonic cell reduction of >7.00 log10 CFU/mL when initial V. parahaemolyticus cells averaged 7.64 log10 CFU/mL.

Much research has been conducted regarding the impact of diet on the gut microbiota. However, the effects of dietary habits such as intermittent fasting are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of intermittent fasting during Ramadan on the gut microbiota. The study was conducted on 12 healthy adult individuals who practiced fasting 17 h per day for 29 consecutive days during the month of Ramadan.

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) give rise to resistance against penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics in multiple bacterial species. The present study was conducted to map genetic determinants and related attributes of ESBL-producing bacteria in three wild aquatic bird species and chickens at the “Trimmu Barrage” in district Jhang, Punjab province, Pakistan.