Research Publications (Food Safety)

Commercial application of infrared (IR) heat has been hampered by a lack of readily available data adaptable to high‐throughput (HT) drying requirements in the grain processing industry. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a continuous flow IR heating system to simultaneously dry and decontaminate corn over various drying bed thicknesses (1.5, 2.7, and 4.5 cm).

A plant‐derived phenolic compound, namely 3‐p‐trans‐coumaroyl‐2‐hydroxyquinic acid (CHQA), has recently been reported to exhibit antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, the combined transcriptomic and proteomic analyses was used to elucidate the molecular mechanism of CHQA against S. aureus. The results showed that subinhibitory concentration of CHQA induced wide and significant changes in S.

This study validated a typical batch commercial flour tortilla cooking process against Salmonella contamination. Tortilla dough prepared from flour inoculated with a 7‐serovar Salmonella cocktail was pressed in a dough press (preset at 200 °F [93.3°C]) for 3 s, then heated on a griddle (preheated to 221.1°C [430 °F]) for 30, 45 or 60 s on each side, followed by ~8 min of ambient air cooling. The maximum internal temperature of tortillas during cooking was >97°C for all cooking times.

A fast, portable, nondestructive, and simple‐to‐operate method for determination of water cane shoot quality via an electronic nose (E‐nose) system is presented. The responses of E‐nose sensors to cane shoot samples during storage time are measured.

Clitoria ternatea petals are commonly used in health drinks and natural food colorants due to their antioxidant and antibacterial effects, as well as preventing cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the extract of Clitoria ternatea petals obtained under different temperature conditions was analyzed for their antioxidant components (polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins) and their antioxidant capacity (DPPH free‐radical scavenging rate).

In the present study, predominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from oat sourdough. Then, the isolates were screened based on their in vitro antifungal activity. Subsequently, biotechnological capabilities of the selected LAB were evaluated in wheat bread supplemented with controlled fermented oat containing the isolate. Pediococcus pentosaceus was molecular identified as predominant antifungal isolate.

Ginger is a condiment vegetable and widely cultivated in many countries for its important role as spice and medicinal herb in international trade. However, the quality of fresh ginger will reduce after harvest and during storage. In the present study, edible coatings were developed based on konjac glucomannan (KGM) and sodium alginate (SA), incorporating with allicin and in situ SiOx. The coatings were characterized, and the effects of the coatings on the quality of ginger were evaluated.

Edible films containing natural antimicrobials, like natamycin and nisin, constitute an emerging technology that provides an additional stress factor for food preservation. However, it has been observed that edible films based only on tapioca starch present several failures, such as poor mechanical properties and low hydrophobicity. Pumpkin and oat bran are ingredients that provide multiple health benefits.

Contaminated salted shellfish were a suspected cause of the 2019 hepatitis A outbreak in Korea; however, no virus was detected in the shellfish by the virus detection tests used. In this study, we investigated the shortcomings of these detection tests for identifying hepatitis A virus in salted shellfish to serve as a guide for improvement of these tests. Salted shellfish were washed and desalted before collecting the mid‐guts for testing.

Schematic representation of test system for transfer of L. monocytogenes associated with soil particles to spinach leaves in the presence of antimicrobial agents. Abstract Sporadic contamination of produce with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a recurrent problem. Ways for contamination to occur include transfer of the pathogen to produce from processing surfaces or soil particles to which it has become attached.

A total of ciprofloxacin‐resistant Escherichia coli isolates were obtained from 41.7% of bulk tank milk samples in Turkey. Furthermore, all isolates were characterized by PFGE, phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance profile and virulence gene content. Majority of isolates displayed different banding pattern and resistance to non‐quinolone antibiotics was commonly observed.

Impact of COVID‐19 on food safety and security of the food supply chain. Viral icons represent the aggregate accumulation of viral particles in discreet links in the supply chain. The red arrows indicate parts of the food supply chain experience food loss and waste, which ultimately impact food and economic security. Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic has ushered in a new era of food safety. To date, there is no evidence to suggest that consuming food is associated with COVID‐19.

The application of bacteriophage P100 to reduce incidence of Listeria sp. in ready‐to‐eat (RTE) food production environments was investigated. Data indicate the application of Listeria specific phage P100 in RTE food production environments can reduce incidence and be considered an additional intervention strategy for controlling this pathogen on NFCS.

This study evaluated the effect of lactic acid stress on E. coli O26 biofilm formation at different temperatures. The strain 126Z with strong capacity and strain G13Z2 with medium capacity were selected for biofilm formation experiment in acidic TSB (pH 4.0 and 5.0, adjusted with lactic acid) at 15°C and 25°C, respectively. The effect of temperature on biofilm formation of different capacity strains was related to the pH value.

A strip test for the detection of all serotypes of Vibrio cholerae was developed. Detection limit of the bacterium in seafood samples was 107 CFU/ml. The sensitivity could be improved to 1 CFU/ml after pre‐incubation in APW for 24 h. Due to its simplicity and rapidity, the sample could be directly tested at point of care.

The incidence of foodborne diseases has continuingly increased over the years and resulted in public health problem globally. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) is a human pathogen that causes diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis. E. coli O157:H7 can be found in various foods. It is important to detect this foodborne pathogen to provide safe food supply.

This study evaluated the effects of sialic acid (SA) combined with Lactobacillus on the adhesion of S. aureus by three ways: competition, exclusion and displacement. It was found that 260 μg/ml SA combined with L. plantarum had the higher inhibition effect in the competition assays. As shown in the figure, compared with the control group (Figure A), after adding 260 μg/ml SA and L. plantarum Z‐4 (Figure B), the number of fluorescently labeled S.

The scattering experiment is shown in Figure 1. The aptamer of Listeria monocytogenes is fixed on the bare electrode surface and its complementary DNA sequence (DNA1) labeled with bipyridyl ruthenium is self‐assembled to the electrode surface through base complementary pairing, which keeps the strongest electrochemical luminescence signal.

Pathogenic bacterial contamination is a serious problem for the food industry and in public health. Rapid, accurate and affordable testing for pathogenic bacterial strains is desirable. In this study, a competition visual antigen macroarray (CVAM) for rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) has been developed. This array was able to utilize an HRP‐labeled anti‐E. coli O157:H7 MAb at a concentration of 1:20000 while having a similar sensitivity of 10 5 CFU/ml for E.

A novel, label‐free, bidirectional lateral flow immunoassay strip that detected E. coli O157:H7 in food was developed, and it has good specificity, sensitivity, stability, and practicality. The low‐cost and low‐difficulty development of the strip rapid detection technology, which requires neither nano‐labeling materials nor heavily relies on antibodies, may be easier to realize commercialization.

Ohmic heating has long been used to inactivate pathogens in food products. Several research investigations on the use of ohmic heating technology in the inactivation of microbial hazards in food products are discussed in this review. These studies are discussed under the following sub‐headings: (a) inactivation of microbiological hazards, (b) in combination treatments with other sanitizing technologies, and (c) mathematical modeling, all of which are of long‐standing interest.

Self‐reported knowledge and practices of hospital food handlers’ reached satisfactory levels, however foodservices' hygienic‐sanitary conditions and microbiological analysis of food handling surfaces were inadequate. The results showed a need for motivating hospital food handlers to practice the safe handling knowledge that they have demonstrated in theory.

Rapidity, sensitivity, and selectivity of the methods have been compared. Regulations of detection methods have been covered. Limitations and further studies have been suggested. Abstract The rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of foodborne pathogens is important to ensure food safety. Culture medium‐based methods for bacteria detection have long been used since Robert Koch's first finding.

The research showed that ruminant animal is the primary factor contributing to the prevalence of the STEC‐infecting phages on the organic farm in this study. Among environmental factors, high rain precipitation is likely to facilitate phage distribution in the surrounding environment of the farm. Most importantly, the presence of these phages has a negative correlation with their STEC hosts.

Fast detection for heavy metal in vegetables is one of the most important steps to ensure the food safety. A novel method to identify lead pollution levels of lettuce based on hyperspectral image technology was proposed in this study. Firstly, hyperspectral images of lettuce samples cultivated under four lead stress levels (0 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L and 200 mg/L) were collected using hyperspectral image system.