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Food Safety Studies
Study shows Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) results in improved food safety for consumers
30 Jan. 2012
GFSI [edited] [BITES]
http://www.myforumupload.com/ftpaccess/foodsafety/GFSI_Press_Release_30_01_12.pdf
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), managed by The Consumer Goods Forum, announced today that a recent study conducted by the University of Arkansas shows that food manufacturers who achieve certification on one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) internationally recognized benchmarked schemes strengthen their food safety programs resulting in safer food for consumers.
30 Jan. 2012
GFSI [edited] [BITES]
http://www.myforumupload.com/ftpaccess/foodsafety/GFSI_Press_Release_30_01_12.pdf
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), managed by The Consumer Goods Forum, announced today that a recent study conducted by the University of Arkansas shows that food manufacturers who achieve certification on one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) internationally recognized benchmarked schemes strengthen their food safety programs resulting in safer food for consumers.
FAO Report- Climate Change: Implications for Food Safety
Jan. 2012
The paper aims to identify potential impacts of anticipated changes in climate on food safetyand their control at all stages of the food chain. The purpose is to raise awareness of the issueand to facilitate international cooperation in better understanding the changing food safetysituation and in developing and implementing strategies to address them. While this paper takes a broad look at a number of food safety issues and considers possibleimplications of climate change – it does not provide exhaustive treatment of the topic. Thefood safety issues covered include: agents of food-borne disease with specific considerationof zoonotic diseases, mycotoxin contamination, biotoxins in fishery products andenvironmental contaminants with significance to the food chain. The paper also highlights theneed for adequate attention to food safety in ensuring preparedness for effective managementof emergency situations arising from extreme weather events. There is much uncertaintyabout possible food safety implications of climate change. This paper discusses someexpected effects that are supported by data; it also considers other issues that are largelyspeculative.
World's largest food safety lab opens doors in FRANCE
28 Sept. 2011
Worldcrunch [edited] [BITES]
http://www.worldcrunch.com/worlds-largest-food-safety-lab-opens-doors-france/3843
The E. coli crisis that killed 52 people in Germany last spring has now been followed by a deadly outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe in the United States that has killed 13 people so far. The risks of tainted food – and the ability to rapidly and accurately identify the source of contamination – is a hot topic. It is timely that the world’s largest independent laboratory specializing in microbial testing of foods will be located in the western French city of Nantes. The new lab specializes in the analysis of bacteria found in foods, including listeria, salmonella, E. coli, and staphylococci. The new lab unit will culture more than 10,000 petri dishes with microbes daily, offering its clients a choice of three different types of methods. The challenge of locating the exact origin of contaminated food was highlighted during the E. coli crisis that broke out in northern Germany in May. With growing global trade, the risk of food contamination with emerging microbiological pathogens increases, threatening not only public health, but also the food industry’s bottom line.
28 Sept. 2011
Worldcrunch [edited] [BITES]
http://www.worldcrunch.com/worlds-largest-food-safety-lab-opens-doors-france/3843
The E. coli crisis that killed 52 people in Germany last spring has now been followed by a deadly outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe in the United States that has killed 13 people so far. The risks of tainted food – and the ability to rapidly and accurately identify the source of contamination – is a hot topic. It is timely that the world’s largest independent laboratory specializing in microbial testing of foods will be located in the western French city of Nantes. The new lab specializes in the analysis of bacteria found in foods, including listeria, salmonella, E. coli, and staphylococci. The new lab unit will culture more than 10,000 petri dishes with microbes daily, offering its clients a choice of three different types of methods. The challenge of locating the exact origin of contaminated food was highlighted during the E. coli crisis that broke out in northern Germany in May. With growing global trade, the risk of food contamination with emerging microbiological pathogens increases, threatening not only public health, but also the food industry’s bottom line.
Emerging antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strain sparks concern
4 Aug. 2011
CIDRAP [edited] [CAHFS DailyNews]
An international team of researchers report that a strain of Salmonella that is resistant to important antibiotics has spread from Africa to Europe in recent years and has been detected in samples of imported spices in the United States. The study was triggered by the detection of ciprofloxacin-resistant Salmonella Kentucky infections in 17 French travelers who had visited eastern or northeastern Africa between 2002 and 2005. The researchers gathered Salmonella surveillance data from France, England and Wales, Denmark, and the United States. The current emergence of this strain highlights the need to set up a global integrated national surveillance system.
4 Aug. 2011
CIDRAP [edited] [CAHFS DailyNews]
An international team of researchers report that a strain of Salmonella that is resistant to important antibiotics has spread from Africa to Europe in recent years and has been detected in samples of imported spices in the United States. The study was triggered by the detection of ciprofloxacin-resistant Salmonella Kentucky infections in 17 French travelers who had visited eastern or northeastern Africa between 2002 and 2005. The researchers gathered Salmonella surveillance data from France, England and Wales, Denmark, and the United States. The current emergence of this strain highlights the need to set up a global integrated national surveillance system.
Cutting food waste to feed the world
11 May 2011
FAO [edited] [CAHFS-DailyNews]
Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year (approximately 1.3 billion tones) gets lost or wasted, according to a Food and Agriculture Organization study. The document, “Global Food Losses and Food Waste” was commissioned by FAO from the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology for Save Food! The report distinguishes between food loss and food waste.
Toxoplasma in animals, food, and humans: An old parasite of new concern
12 April 2011
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease [edited] [BITES]
All hosts, including humans, can be infected by any one of the three forms of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that correspond to three morphological stages: tachyzoite, bradyzoite, and sporozoite form. Awareness needs to be increased that toxoplasmosis can induce clinical disease not only in immunocompromised patients or through congenital infections, but also in healthy patients. The review article aims to illustrate why toxoplasmosis should be regarded as a public health issue and how veterinary practitioners can contribute in controlling the infection.
Japan and South Korea- Water Safety Concerns
12 April 2011
BusinessWeek.com [edited] [CAHFS-DailyNews]
In South Korea, the carcasses of 9.7 million cattle, pigs and poultry were buried in mass graves across the frozen countryside after outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and bird- flu last winter. According to the Deputy Director of the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service graves were dug near rivers and on mountain slopes, and typically lined with sheets of vinyl. South Korea is monitoring more than 4,000 burial sites after repairing 417 to ensure pollutants are kept out of the water supply. About 3,000 tests from wells near animal graves have not revealed any groundwater contamination; however health officials are concerned this will change once the ground thaws.
In Tokyo, Japan there are concerns about radiation contamination in tap water from the damaged nuclear power plant. It has been reported that levels of iodine-131 found in Tokyo’s tap water on March 22 and March 23 exceeded the recommended limit for infants.
Ireland- Queen's University leads €3 million food safety project
23 March 2011
Queen’s University Belfast [edited] [BITES]
A €3 million (euros) research project to improve the safety of animal feeds and the entire European animal-based food chain, has been launched at Queen's University Belfast. The global QSAFFE project (Quality and Safety of Feeds and Food for Europe) will deliver better ways to ensure the quality and safety of animal feeds in Europe. It is led by Queen's Centre for Assured, Safe and Traceable Food (ASSET) and involves 11 partners from six countries (UK, Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic, Germany and China).
Moderate to severe flu pandemic could taint drinking water
02 March 2011
Eurekalert.org [edited] [CAHFS DailyNews]
Existing plans for antiviral and antibiotic use during a severe influenza pandemic could reduce wastewater treatment efficiency prior to discharge into receiving rivers, resulting in water quality deterioration at drinking water abstraction points. Conclusions are published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, which reports on a study designed to assess the ecotoxicologic risks of a pandemic influenza medical response. A team of UK, US, Italian, and Dutch researchers coupled a global spatial epidemic model that simulates the quantities of antiviral and antibiotic drugs used during a flu pandemic of varying severity with a water-quality model applied to the River Thames in southern England. They used the combined results to predict environmental drug concentrations then applied an additional model to assess environmental toxicity in wastewater treatment plants and rivers. The team concluded that a pandemic such as 2009 H1N1 would affect environmental drug levels negligibly. But they found that in a more severe pandemic, 80% to 100% of treatment plants would exceed the threshold for microbial growth inhibition, potentially reducing their capacity to treat wastewater. In addition, they predicted that 5% to 40% of the Thames would exceed key thresholds for environmental toxicity, which could then contaminate drinking water.
From barnyard to food table: The omnipresence of Hepatitis E virus and risk for zoonotic infection and food safety
11 Feb. 2011
Virus Research [edited] [BITES]
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important but understudied pathogen. The mechanisms of HEV replication and pathogenesis are poorly understood, and a vaccine against HEV is not yet available. The identification and characterization of a number of animal strains of HEV from pigs, chickens, rabbits, rats, mongoose, deer, and possibly cattle and sheep have significantly broadened the host range and diversity of HEV. The demonstrated ability of cross-species infection by some animal strains of HEV raises public health concerns for zoonotic HEV infection. Pigs are a recognized reservoir for HEV, and pig handlers are at increased risk of zoonotic HEV infection. Sporadic cases of hepatitis E have been definitively linked to the consumption of raw or undercooked animal meats such as pig livers, sausages, and deer meats. The animal strains of HEV pose not only a zoonotic risk but also food and environmental safety concerns.
Weighing the benefits & risks of food: Introducing the BRAFO study
31 Dec. 2010
EUFIC [edited] [BITES]
How do you weigh the benefits and risks of food? Optimal nutrition plays an important role in disease prevention making the analysis of the benefits and risks of food imperative for public health. There exists a need for a common strategy for the assessment of food benefits and risks. Introducing BRAFO – Benefit-Risk Analysis of Foods – a European Commission Specific Support Action to investigate the benefit-risk analysis of foods. Coordinated by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe and funded by the European Commission, BRAFO seeks to develop a common framework for comparing health benefits and risks of food and food components (i.e., specific nutrients or chemicals). One of the goals is to create a stronger scientific base for communication of benefits and risks to policy makers, including appropriate expression of uncertainty throughout the European Union (EU).
New prion discovery reveals drug target for mad cow disease and related illnesses
1 Dec. 2010
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology [edited] [BITES]
New research suggests that plasminogen, which helps break down blood clots, puts rogue prion proteins into overdrive, causing devastating brain diseases. The new report found that a protein our body uses to break up blood clots speeds up the progress of prion diseases. This substance, called plasminogen, is a new drug target for prion diseases in both humans and animals. According to the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prion diseases are a related group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. The diseases are characterized by certain misshapen protein molecules that appear in brain tissue. Normal forms of these prion protein molecules reside on the surface of many types of cells, including brain cells, but scientists do not understand what normal prion protein does. On the other hand, scientists believe that abnormal prion protein, which clumps together and accumulates in brain tissue, is the likely cause of the brain damage that occurs. Scientists do not have a good understanding of what causes the normal prion protein to take on the misshapen abnormal form. These proteins may be spread through certain types of contact with infected tissue, body fluids, and possibly, contaminated medical instruments.
More countries taking action to safeguard animal genetic diversity
29 Nov. 2010
FAO [edited] [CAHFS]
A growing number of countries are taking steps to catalogue, conserve and better manage the genetic diversity of livestock in order to help safeguard the resilience of the world's food production systems, according to an informal FAO survey. The signs of progress come three years after 191 countries adopted the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources following an FAO warning that one livestock breed had been lost per month during the 2000-2007 period and that 20% of all livestock breeds were at risk of extinction. Ten countries report that they have established and are implementing national strategies for managing animal genetic resources.
Cockroaches: A contributing factor to foodborne disease
31 Oct. 2010
Quality Assurance & Food Safety [BITES]
Salmonella has been implicated in food recalls from peanut butter to dog food and, most recently, eggs. While the root cause of the recalls is often unsanitary conditions, such conditions and pests go hand in hand. In food and beverage processing plants, rodents tend to be the primary pest both introduced and controlled—sometimes to the neglect of other potential pest problems. According to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln publication cockroaches have been found to be the cause of life-threatening Salmonella food poisoning. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has published a white paper titled, ‘Pest Management in the Wake of the Peanut Corporation of America Salmonella Outbreak,’ including reference to conducive cockroach conditions at PCA at the time of the 2009 recall. Like all pests, and other living creatures, cockroaches seek three things for survival: food, water and shelter. And with the haven that a food or beverage plant provides for all of these, a cockroach will take any opportunity to enter and make your plant its home and your food area its literal stomping grounds.
The safe use of wastewater in agriculture offers multiple benefits
06 September 2010
FAO [edited] [bites]
Recycling urban wastewater and using it to grow food crops can help mitigate water scarcity problems and reduce water pollution, but the practice is not being as widely implemented as it should, according to a new FAO report. Use of reclaimed wastewater in agriculture has been reported in around 50 countries on what amounts to 10 percent of the world's irrigated land, according to "The Wealth of Waste: The Economics of Wastewater Use in Agriculture," published at the start of World Water Week. While on a global scale only a small proportion of treated wastewater is used for agriculture, the practice is winning increased attention worldwide and in a few countries with a high proportion of reclaimed water is used in irrigation.
Non-O157 shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in foods
08 September 2010
Journal of Food Protection [edited] [BITES]
Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains have been linked to outbreaks and sporadic cases of illness worldwide. Illnesses linked to STEC serotypes other than O157:H7 appear to be on the rise worldwide, indicating that some of these organisms may be emerging pathogens. As more laboratories are testing for these organisms in clinical samples, more cases are uncovered. Results from several studies suggest that control measures for O157 may be effective for non-O157 STEC. More research is needed to uncover unique characteristics and resistances of non-O157 STEC strains if they exist.
Fluoroquinoline resistance in Campylobacter
01 Jun 2010 11 May 2011
FAO [edited] [CAHFS-DailyNews]
Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year (approximately 1.3 billion tones) gets lost or wasted, according to a Food and Agriculture Organization study. The document, “Global Food Losses and Food Waste” was commissioned by FAO from the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology for Save Food! The report distinguishes between food loss and food waste.
Toxoplasma in animals, food, and humans: An old parasite of new concern
12 April 2011
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease [edited] [BITES]
All hosts, including humans, can be infected by any one of the three forms of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that correspond to three morphological stages: tachyzoite, bradyzoite, and sporozoite form. Awareness needs to be increased that toxoplasmosis can induce clinical disease not only in immunocompromised patients or through congenital infections, but also in healthy patients. The review article aims to illustrate why toxoplasmosis should be regarded as a public health issue and how veterinary practitioners can contribute in controlling the infection.
Japan and South Korea- Water Safety Concerns
12 April 2011
BusinessWeek.com [edited] [CAHFS-DailyNews]
In South Korea, the carcasses of 9.7 million cattle, pigs and poultry were buried in mass graves across the frozen countryside after outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and bird- flu last winter. According to the Deputy Director of the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service graves were dug near rivers and on mountain slopes, and typically lined with sheets of vinyl. South Korea is monitoring more than 4,000 burial sites after repairing 417 to ensure pollutants are kept out of the water supply. About 3,000 tests from wells near animal graves have not revealed any groundwater contamination; however health officials are concerned this will change once the ground thaws.
In Tokyo, Japan there are concerns about radiation contamination in tap water from the damaged nuclear power plant. It has been reported that levels of iodine-131 found in Tokyo’s tap water on March 22 and March 23 exceeded the recommended limit for infants.
Ireland- Queen's University leads €3 million food safety project
23 March 2011
Queen’s University Belfast [edited] [BITES]
A €3 million (euros) research project to improve the safety of animal feeds and the entire European animal-based food chain, has been launched at Queen's University Belfast. The global QSAFFE project (Quality and Safety of Feeds and Food for Europe) will deliver better ways to ensure the quality and safety of animal feeds in Europe. It is led by Queen's Centre for Assured, Safe and Traceable Food (ASSET) and involves 11 partners from six countries (UK, Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic, Germany and China).
Moderate to severe flu pandemic could taint drinking water
02 March 2011
Eurekalert.org [edited] [CAHFS DailyNews]
Existing plans for antiviral and antibiotic use during a severe influenza pandemic could reduce wastewater treatment efficiency prior to discharge into receiving rivers, resulting in water quality deterioration at drinking water abstraction points. Conclusions are published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, which reports on a study designed to assess the ecotoxicologic risks of a pandemic influenza medical response. A team of UK, US, Italian, and Dutch researchers coupled a global spatial epidemic model that simulates the quantities of antiviral and antibiotic drugs used during a flu pandemic of varying severity with a water-quality model applied to the River Thames in southern England. They used the combined results to predict environmental drug concentrations then applied an additional model to assess environmental toxicity in wastewater treatment plants and rivers. The team concluded that a pandemic such as 2009 H1N1 would affect environmental drug levels negligibly. But they found that in a more severe pandemic, 80% to 100% of treatment plants would exceed the threshold for microbial growth inhibition, potentially reducing their capacity to treat wastewater. In addition, they predicted that 5% to 40% of the Thames would exceed key thresholds for environmental toxicity, which could then contaminate drinking water.
From barnyard to food table: The omnipresence of Hepatitis E virus and risk for zoonotic infection and food safety
11 Feb. 2011
Virus Research [edited] [BITES]
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important but understudied pathogen. The mechanisms of HEV replication and pathogenesis are poorly understood, and a vaccine against HEV is not yet available. The identification and characterization of a number of animal strains of HEV from pigs, chickens, rabbits, rats, mongoose, deer, and possibly cattle and sheep have significantly broadened the host range and diversity of HEV. The demonstrated ability of cross-species infection by some animal strains of HEV raises public health concerns for zoonotic HEV infection. Pigs are a recognized reservoir for HEV, and pig handlers are at increased risk of zoonotic HEV infection. Sporadic cases of hepatitis E have been definitively linked to the consumption of raw or undercooked animal meats such as pig livers, sausages, and deer meats. The animal strains of HEV pose not only a zoonotic risk but also food and environmental safety concerns.
Weighing the benefits & risks of food: Introducing the BRAFO study
31 Dec. 2010
EUFIC [edited] [BITES]
How do you weigh the benefits and risks of food? Optimal nutrition plays an important role in disease prevention making the analysis of the benefits and risks of food imperative for public health. There exists a need for a common strategy for the assessment of food benefits and risks. Introducing BRAFO – Benefit-Risk Analysis of Foods – a European Commission Specific Support Action to investigate the benefit-risk analysis of foods. Coordinated by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe and funded by the European Commission, BRAFO seeks to develop a common framework for comparing health benefits and risks of food and food components (i.e., specific nutrients or chemicals). One of the goals is to create a stronger scientific base for communication of benefits and risks to policy makers, including appropriate expression of uncertainty throughout the European Union (EU).
New prion discovery reveals drug target for mad cow disease and related illnesses
1 Dec. 2010
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology [edited] [BITES]
New research suggests that plasminogen, which helps break down blood clots, puts rogue prion proteins into overdrive, causing devastating brain diseases. The new report found that a protein our body uses to break up blood clots speeds up the progress of prion diseases. This substance, called plasminogen, is a new drug target for prion diseases in both humans and animals. According to the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prion diseases are a related group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. The diseases are characterized by certain misshapen protein molecules that appear in brain tissue. Normal forms of these prion protein molecules reside on the surface of many types of cells, including brain cells, but scientists do not understand what normal prion protein does. On the other hand, scientists believe that abnormal prion protein, which clumps together and accumulates in brain tissue, is the likely cause of the brain damage that occurs. Scientists do not have a good understanding of what causes the normal prion protein to take on the misshapen abnormal form. These proteins may be spread through certain types of contact with infected tissue, body fluids, and possibly, contaminated medical instruments.
More countries taking action to safeguard animal genetic diversity
29 Nov. 2010
FAO [edited] [CAHFS]
A growing number of countries are taking steps to catalogue, conserve and better manage the genetic diversity of livestock in order to help safeguard the resilience of the world's food production systems, according to an informal FAO survey. The signs of progress come three years after 191 countries adopted the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources following an FAO warning that one livestock breed had been lost per month during the 2000-2007 period and that 20% of all livestock breeds were at risk of extinction. Ten countries report that they have established and are implementing national strategies for managing animal genetic resources.
Cockroaches: A contributing factor to foodborne disease
31 Oct. 2010
Quality Assurance & Food Safety [BITES]
Salmonella has been implicated in food recalls from peanut butter to dog food and, most recently, eggs. While the root cause of the recalls is often unsanitary conditions, such conditions and pests go hand in hand. In food and beverage processing plants, rodents tend to be the primary pest both introduced and controlled—sometimes to the neglect of other potential pest problems. According to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln publication cockroaches have been found to be the cause of life-threatening Salmonella food poisoning. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has published a white paper titled, ‘Pest Management in the Wake of the Peanut Corporation of America Salmonella Outbreak,’ including reference to conducive cockroach conditions at PCA at the time of the 2009 recall. Like all pests, and other living creatures, cockroaches seek three things for survival: food, water and shelter. And with the haven that a food or beverage plant provides for all of these, a cockroach will take any opportunity to enter and make your plant its home and your food area its literal stomping grounds.
The safe use of wastewater in agriculture offers multiple benefits
06 September 2010
FAO [edited] [bites]
Recycling urban wastewater and using it to grow food crops can help mitigate water scarcity problems and reduce water pollution, but the practice is not being as widely implemented as it should, according to a new FAO report. Use of reclaimed wastewater in agriculture has been reported in around 50 countries on what amounts to 10 percent of the world's irrigated land, according to "The Wealth of Waste: The Economics of Wastewater Use in Agriculture," published at the start of World Water Week. While on a global scale only a small proportion of treated wastewater is used for agriculture, the practice is winning increased attention worldwide and in a few countries with a high proportion of reclaimed water is used in irrigation.
Non-O157 shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in foods
08 September 2010
Journal of Food Protection [edited] [BITES]
Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains have been linked to outbreaks and sporadic cases of illness worldwide. Illnesses linked to STEC serotypes other than O157:H7 appear to be on the rise worldwide, indicating that some of these organisms may be emerging pathogens. As more laboratories are testing for these organisms in clinical samples, more cases are uncovered. Results from several studies suggest that control measures for O157 may be effective for non-O157 STEC. More research is needed to uncover unique characteristics and resistances of non-O157 STEC strains if they exist.
Fluoroquinoline resistance in Campylobacter
Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 73, Number 6, pp. 1141-1152(12) [edited][FSNet]
Campylobacter is a commensal in poultry, and therefore, poultry and poultry products are major sources of Campylobacter infections in humans. Fluoroquinolones inhibit the growth of Campylobacter and other microorganisms by binding to bacterial DNA gyrase and DNA topoisomerase IV. These enzymes are associated with bacterial transcription, replication, and chromosome condensation and segregation. Selection pressure in the presence of fluoroquinolones rapidly leads to resistance in Campylobacter, due to the selection for mutations in DNA gyrase. Fluoroquinolone-resistant campylobacters have been found in poultry feces and carcasses, and in retail poultry meat products in most areas of the world. In addition, other food animals and the meat products from those animals have been shown contaminated with fluoroquinolone-resistant campylobacters. Even the removal of fluoroquinolones from use in treating animal diseases has not entirely eliminated the presence of resistant Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from animals and animal products. Human exposure to Campylobacter infection could be reduced by using strategies that decrease colonization of chickens by the pathogen.
01 Jun 2010
Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 73, Number 6, pp. 1023-1029(7)
[edited][FSNet]
Numerous field studies have revealed that irrigation water can contaminate the surface of plants; however, the occurrence of pathogen internalization is unclear. This study was conducted to determine the sites of Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination and its survival when the bacteria were applied through spray irrigation water to either field-grown spinach or lettuce. To differentiate internalized and surface populations, leaves were treated with a surface disinfectant wash before the tissue was ground for analysis of E. coli O157:H7 by direct plate count or enrichment culture. Irrigation water containing E. coli O157:H7 at 102, 104, or 106 CFU/ml was applied to spinach 48 and 69 days after transplantation of seedlings into fields. E. coli O157:H7 was initially detected after application on the surface of plants dosed at 104 CFU/ml (4 of 20 samples) and both on the surface (17 of 20 samples) and internally (5 of 20 samples) of plants dosed at 106 CFU/ml. Seven days postspraying, all spinach leaves tested negative for surface or internal contamination. In a subsequent study, irrigation water containing E. coli O157:H7 at 108 CFU/ml was sprayed onto either the abaxial (lower) or adaxial (upper) side of leaves of field-grown lettuce under sunny or shaded conditions. E. coli O157:H7 was detectable on the leaf surface 27 days postspraying, but survival was higher on leaves sprayed on the abaxial side than on leaves sprayed on the adaxial side. Internalization of E. coli O157:H7 into lettuce leaves also occurred with greater persistence in leaves sprayed on the abaxial side (up to 14 days) than in leaves sprayed on the adaxial side (2 days).
26 May 2010
Epidemiology [edited][FSNet]
Secondary transmission after point-source outbreaks is an integral feature of the epidemiology of gastrointestinal pathogens such as norovirus. The household is an important site of these secondary cases. It can become the source of further community transmission as well as new point-source outbreaks. Consequently, time-series data from exposed households provide information for risk assessment and intervention.
Maximum likelihood techniques such as these can be used to estimate transmission parameters under conditions of unobserved states and missing household size data, and to aid in the understanding of secondary risks associated with point-source outbreaks.
13 Apr 2010
Poultry Science, 89, 1070-1084
M. T. Guerin, C. Sir, J. M. Sargeant, L. Waddell et al. [edited][FSNet]
A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the change in prevalence ofCampylobacteron chicken carcasses during processing. A structured literature search of 8 electronic databases using the key words for "Campylobacter," "chicken," and "processing" identified 1,734 unique citations. Abstracts were screened for relevance by two independent reviewers. Thirty-two studies described prevalence at more than one stage during processing and were included in this review. Of the studies that described the prevalence ofCampylobacteron carcasses before and after specific stages of processing, the chilling stage had the greatest number of studies (9), followed by washing (6), defeathering (4), scalding (2), and evisceration (1). Studies that sampled before and after scalding or chilling, or both, showed that the prevalence ofCampylobactergenerally decreased immediately after the stage (scalding: 20.0 to 40.0% decrease; chilling: 100.0% decrease to 26.6% increase). The prevalence of Campylobacter increased after defeathering (10.0 to 72.0%) and evisceration (15.0%). The prevalence after washing was inconsistent among studies (23.0% decrease to 13.3% increase). Eleven studies reported the concentration of Campylobacter, as well as, or instead of, the prevalence. Studies that sampled before and after specific stages of processing showed that the concentration of Campylobacter decreased after scalding, evisceration, washing, and chilling and increased after defeathering. This understanding should help researchers and program developers identify the most likely points in processing to implement effective control efforts. For example, if contamination will occur during defeathering and likely during evisceration, critical control points postevisceration are likely to have a greater effect on the end product going to the consumer.
History and future of food irradiation
10 Apr 2010
Trends in Food Science & Technology [edited][FSNet]
Treatment of food by specific ionizing radiations to improve microbiological safety and storability is one of the most extensively studied technology of the century. However, much of the research has been carried out in laboratories and it is still relatively underutilized commercially. Its application potential is very diverse, from inhibition of sprouting of tubers and bulbs to production of commercially sterile food products. The safety of consumption and wholesomeness of irradiated food have been extensively studied in international cooperations. Numerous international expert groups set up jointly by the FAO, the IAEA and the WHO, or the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission concluded that foods irradiated with appropriate technologies are both safe and nutritionally adequate. A Codex General Standard for Irradiated Foods and a Recommended International Code of Practice for Radiation Processing of Food have been developed. Specific applications of food irradiation are approved by national legislations in over 55 countries worldwide. Commercial use of irradiation, however, is still limited. In spite of pioneering past RΔactivities in Europe and North-America, the utilization of the process growing faster and increasingly, mainly for sanitary purposes, in fast-developing countries in the (South-East) Asian region and some Latin-American countries. Progress in the European Union is decidedly slower. In the EU, food irradiation is regulated since 1999 by a General Directive, but its implementing directive, the Community-list of EU-approved irradiated foods contains only a single class of items: ”dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings”. This slow progress is mainly due to psychological and political factors, misinformation created by various activist groups, and the reluctance to implement the process by the industry is discouraged by such forces. The future of food irradiation will depend on an informed public and better understanding of the role the process can play in the control of food-borne pathogens.
A model for setting performance objectives for Salmonella in the broiler supply chain
08 Apr 2010
Risk Analysis [edited][FSNet]
A stochastic model for setting performance objectives for Salmonella in the broiler supply chain was developed. The goal of this study was to develop a model by which performance objectives for Salmonella prevalence at various points in the production chain can be determined, based on a preset final performance objective at the end of the processing line. The transmission of Salmonella through the broiler production chain was modeled. The prevalence at flock level was calculated from the measured prevalence at sample level. The transmission model is based on data on the occurrence of Salmonella collected in the Dutch broiler production chain during several years. The developed model can be used by policymakers and industry to determine economically and politically acceptable performance objectives for various points of the production chain and to draw conclusions about which interventions are most appropriate.
The effects of risk-reducing strategies on consumer perceived risk and on purchase likelihood: a modelling approach
21 Mar 2010
British Food Journal, Volume 112, Issue 3, Pages 306 – 322 [edited][FSNet]
Ruth Yeung, Wallace Yee, Joe Morris
Consumer perception of risk and its impacts on purchasing behaviour are critical aspects of food safety. Consumer risk management strategies influence, and respond to, the risk management strategies adopted by the food industry. This research, using poultry product as the focus, aimed to identify the consumer risk-reducing strategies and their impact on perception of food safety-related risk and then on purchase behaviour.
The research reveals brand, information and quality assurance as influential risk-reducing strategies to reduce consumer perception of food safety risk and subsequently to facilitate purchase likelihood during a period concerned about microbiological contamination in chicken meat.
The results provide guidance of both proactive and remedial actions that the food industry can follow and also help to evaluate the effectiveness of its marketing activities.
Pathogenic microorganism survival in dulce de leche
13 Mar 2010
Food Control [edited][FSNet]
Denise Hentges, Daiani Teixeira da Silva, Priscila Alves Dias, et al.
In order to evaluate the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium, L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus in dulce de leche, aliquots of this sweet were experimentally contaminated with these pathogenic microorganisms at 103 (C1) and 101 (C2) bacterial cells per g, and later analysed to evaluate microorganism viability after storage for 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 days. Salmonella and L. monocytogenes were recovered from all aliquots. E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus were recovered from all aliquots at C1 concentration, and up to the 5th and 10th day, respectively, at C2 concentration. Relevant public-health danger pathogenic microorganisms were found to survive up to 30 days in dulce de leche.
Global sensitivity analysis applied to a contamination assessment model of Listeria monocytogenes in cold smoked salmon at consumption
13 Mar 2010
Risk Analysis [edited][FSNet]
Mariem Ellouze, Jean-Pierre Gauchi, and Jean-Christophe Augustin
In this study, a variance-based global sensitivity analysis method was first applied to a contamination assessment model of Listeria monocytogenes in cold smoked vacuum packed salmon at consumption. The impact of the choice of the modeling approach (populational or cellular) of the primary and secondary models as well as the effect of their associated input factors on the final contamination level was investigated. Results provided a subset of important factors, including the food water activity, its storage temperature, and duration in the domestic refrigerator. A refined sensitivity analysis was then performed to rank the important factors, tested over narrower ranges of variation corresponding to their current distributions, using three techniques: ANOVA, Spearman correlation coefficient, and partial least squares regression. Finally, the refined sensitivity analysis was used to rank the important factors.
Reduction of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in poultry skin by fruit extracts
03 Mar 2010
Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 73, Number 3, pp. 477-482(6) [edited][FSNet]
Campylobacter spp. are a major cause of foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis in humans, and current methods to control Campylobacter contamination in foods are not completely successful. Plants are a promising source of antimicrobial agents, particularly given the growing interest in “all natural” foods. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of extracts from 28 edible plants against Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli was evaluated in vitro and in a poultry skin model. Nine of 28 extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity in a diffusion assay, and MBCs were determined for the three most active extracts, i.e., lime, plum, and sour orange peel (MBCs of 2 to 3 mg/ml). Mixtures of the lime, plum, and sour orange peel extracts were applied to chicken skin inoculated with 105 CFU of Campylobacter to test for synergistic or antagonist effects. After incubation (48 h at 4°C) with any extract mixture, no Campylobacter CFUs were detectable. These active extracts from edible fruits are simple to prepare and are alternatives to reduce or eliminate Campylobacter contamination of chicken products.
Survival characteristics of Cronobacter spp. in model bovine gut and in the environment
08 Feb 2010
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. doi:10.1089/fpd.2009.0449 [edited][FSNet]
Catherine Molloy, Claire Cagney, Séamus Fanning, Geraldine Duffy
Cronobacter spp. (formally Enterobacter sakazakii) have been linked to illness in infants from contaminated powdered infant formula. The source of the pathogen remains unclear, and it is believed that farm environments and cattle could play a role in the transmission of Cronobacter spp. The aim of this study was to establish if the organism would survive passage through a model of the bovine rumen and abomasum and in bovine feces in the farm environment. Models of the bovine abomasum and rumen were inoculated with Cronobacter strains, and survival was examined over time in these environments. Fecal samples were inoculated with Cronobacter , and survival on soil and in containers stored outdoors was examined over time. The results showed no significant changes in the number of Cronobacter in rumen fluid over a 24-h period. Cronobacter were undetectable after 30 min of incubation in the model abomasum. The pathogen survived 105 days in sealed containers and was detectable after 112 days in soil. This study indicated that Cronobacter spp. are unlikely to be shed in bovine feces as supported by previous surveillance studies; however, the study did show that the organism survives well in the farm environment.
Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 73, Number 6, pp. 1023-1029(7)
[edited][FSNet]
Numerous field studies have revealed that irrigation water can contaminate the surface of plants; however, the occurrence of pathogen internalization is unclear. This study was conducted to determine the sites of Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination and its survival when the bacteria were applied through spray irrigation water to either field-grown spinach or lettuce. To differentiate internalized and surface populations, leaves were treated with a surface disinfectant wash before the tissue was ground for analysis of E. coli O157:H7 by direct plate count or enrichment culture. Irrigation water containing E. coli O157:H7 at 102, 104, or 106 CFU/ml was applied to spinach 48 and 69 days after transplantation of seedlings into fields. E. coli O157:H7 was initially detected after application on the surface of plants dosed at 104 CFU/ml (4 of 20 samples) and both on the surface (17 of 20 samples) and internally (5 of 20 samples) of plants dosed at 106 CFU/ml. Seven days postspraying, all spinach leaves tested negative for surface or internal contamination. In a subsequent study, irrigation water containing E. coli O157:H7 at 108 CFU/ml was sprayed onto either the abaxial (lower) or adaxial (upper) side of leaves of field-grown lettuce under sunny or shaded conditions. E. coli O157:H7 was detectable on the leaf surface 27 days postspraying, but survival was higher on leaves sprayed on the abaxial side than on leaves sprayed on the adaxial side. Internalization of E. coli O157:H7 into lettuce leaves also occurred with greater persistence in leaves sprayed on the abaxial side (up to 14 days) than in leaves sprayed on the adaxial side (2 days).
28 May 2010
BMC Microbiology 2010, 10:155 [edited][FSNet]
Vibrio choleraegains natural competence upon growth on chitin. This allows the organism to take up free DNA from the environment and to incorporate it into its genome by homologous recombination.
Making use of this developmental program in order to use it as a tool to genetically manipulateV. choleraeand potentially also othersVibriospecies was envisaged. Therefore, researchers re-investigated the experimental design for natural transformation ofV. choleraeand tested different donor DNA fragments with respect to their source (genomic versus PCR-derived), quantity, and homologous flanking regions. Furthermore, researchers simplified the procedure in terms of the chitin source used as inducer of natural competence and the composition of the growth medium.
Researchers of the current study recommend a standard protocol to genetically manipulateV. choleraeusing commercially available sources of chitin and minimal medium, respectively, as well as PCR-derived donor DNA as transforming material.
BMC Microbiology 2010, 10:155 [edited][FSNet]
Vibrio choleraegains natural competence upon growth on chitin. This allows the organism to take up free DNA from the environment and to incorporate it into its genome by homologous recombination.
Making use of this developmental program in order to use it as a tool to genetically manipulateV. choleraeand potentially also othersVibriospecies was envisaged. Therefore, researchers re-investigated the experimental design for natural transformation ofV. choleraeand tested different donor DNA fragments with respect to their source (genomic versus PCR-derived), quantity, and homologous flanking regions. Furthermore, researchers simplified the procedure in terms of the chitin source used as inducer of natural competence and the composition of the growth medium.
Researchers of the current study recommend a standard protocol to genetically manipulateV. choleraeusing commercially available sources of chitin and minimal medium, respectively, as well as PCR-derived donor DNA as transforming material.
Epidemiology [edited][FSNet]
Secondary transmission after point-source outbreaks is an integral feature of the epidemiology of gastrointestinal pathogens such as norovirus. The household is an important site of these secondary cases. It can become the source of further community transmission as well as new point-source outbreaks. Consequently, time-series data from exposed households provide information for risk assessment and intervention.
Maximum likelihood techniques such as these can be used to estimate transmission parameters under conditions of unobserved states and missing household size data, and to aid in the understanding of secondary risks associated with point-source outbreaks.
15 May 2010
International Journal of Hospitality Management
Ungku Zainal Abidina Ungku Fatimaha, Huey Chern Booa et al. [edited][FSNet]
Food safety is important to today's food industry operators as consumers have become increasingly concerned about risks related to food. Unlike foodservice operators or health
inspectors, consumers can only rely on the visible cues, particularly those associated with food hygiene to judge the level of food safety in eating establishments. The researchers aimed to bridge the gap by exploring the topic from the consumer perspective. Results indicate that foodservice hygiene is one of the top three considerations when consumers select a dining place. Results of confirmatory factor analysis reveal a four-factor model encompasses staff and handling, food and location, premise and practices, and scent aspects.
inspectors, consumers can only rely on the visible cues, particularly those associated with food hygiene to judge the level of food safety in eating establishments. The researchers aimed to bridge the gap by exploring the topic from the consumer perspective. Results indicate that foodservice hygiene is one of the top three considerations when consumers select a dining place. Results of confirmatory factor analysis reveal a four-factor model encompasses staff and handling, food and location, premise and practices, and scent aspects.
Poultry Science, 89, 1070-1084
M. T. Guerin, C. Sir, J. M. Sargeant, L. Waddell et al. [edited][FSNet]
A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the change in prevalence ofCampylobacteron chicken carcasses during processing. A structured literature search of 8 electronic databases using the key words for "Campylobacter," "chicken," and "processing" identified 1,734 unique citations. Abstracts were screened for relevance by two independent reviewers. Thirty-two studies described prevalence at more than one stage during processing and were included in this review. Of the studies that described the prevalence ofCampylobacteron carcasses before and after specific stages of processing, the chilling stage had the greatest number of studies (9), followed by washing (6), defeathering (4), scalding (2), and evisceration (1). Studies that sampled before and after scalding or chilling, or both, showed that the prevalence ofCampylobactergenerally decreased immediately after the stage (scalding: 20.0 to 40.0% decrease; chilling: 100.0% decrease to 26.6% increase). The prevalence of Campylobacter increased after defeathering (10.0 to 72.0%) and evisceration (15.0%). The prevalence after washing was inconsistent among studies (23.0% decrease to 13.3% increase). Eleven studies reported the concentration of Campylobacter, as well as, or instead of, the prevalence. Studies that sampled before and after specific stages of processing showed that the concentration of Campylobacter decreased after scalding, evisceration, washing, and chilling and increased after defeathering. This understanding should help researchers and program developers identify the most likely points in processing to implement effective control efforts. For example, if contamination will occur during defeathering and likely during evisceration, critical control points postevisceration are likely to have a greater effect on the end product going to the consumer.
History and future of food irradiation
10 Apr 2010
Trends in Food Science & Technology [edited][FSNet]
Treatment of food by specific ionizing radiations to improve microbiological safety and storability is one of the most extensively studied technology of the century. However, much of the research has been carried out in laboratories and it is still relatively underutilized commercially. Its application potential is very diverse, from inhibition of sprouting of tubers and bulbs to production of commercially sterile food products. The safety of consumption and wholesomeness of irradiated food have been extensively studied in international cooperations. Numerous international expert groups set up jointly by the FAO, the IAEA and the WHO, or the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission concluded that foods irradiated with appropriate technologies are both safe and nutritionally adequate. A Codex General Standard for Irradiated Foods and a Recommended International Code of Practice for Radiation Processing of Food have been developed. Specific applications of food irradiation are approved by national legislations in over 55 countries worldwide. Commercial use of irradiation, however, is still limited. In spite of pioneering past RΔactivities in Europe and North-America, the utilization of the process growing faster and increasingly, mainly for sanitary purposes, in fast-developing countries in the (South-East) Asian region and some Latin-American countries. Progress in the European Union is decidedly slower. In the EU, food irradiation is regulated since 1999 by a General Directive, but its implementing directive, the Community-list of EU-approved irradiated foods contains only a single class of items: ”dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings”. This slow progress is mainly due to psychological and political factors, misinformation created by various activist groups, and the reluctance to implement the process by the industry is discouraged by such forces. The future of food irradiation will depend on an informed public and better understanding of the role the process can play in the control of food-borne pathogens.
A model for setting performance objectives for Salmonella in the broiler supply chain
08 Apr 2010
Risk Analysis [edited][FSNet]
A stochastic model for setting performance objectives for Salmonella in the broiler supply chain was developed. The goal of this study was to develop a model by which performance objectives for Salmonella prevalence at various points in the production chain can be determined, based on a preset final performance objective at the end of the processing line. The transmission of Salmonella through the broiler production chain was modeled. The prevalence at flock level was calculated from the measured prevalence at sample level. The transmission model is based on data on the occurrence of Salmonella collected in the Dutch broiler production chain during several years. The developed model can be used by policymakers and industry to determine economically and politically acceptable performance objectives for various points of the production chain and to draw conclusions about which interventions are most appropriate.
The effects of risk-reducing strategies on consumer perceived risk and on purchase likelihood: a modelling approach
21 Mar 2010
British Food Journal, Volume 112, Issue 3, Pages 306 – 322 [edited][FSNet]
Ruth Yeung, Wallace Yee, Joe Morris
Consumer perception of risk and its impacts on purchasing behaviour are critical aspects of food safety. Consumer risk management strategies influence, and respond to, the risk management strategies adopted by the food industry. This research, using poultry product as the focus, aimed to identify the consumer risk-reducing strategies and their impact on perception of food safety-related risk and then on purchase behaviour.
The research reveals brand, information and quality assurance as influential risk-reducing strategies to reduce consumer perception of food safety risk and subsequently to facilitate purchase likelihood during a period concerned about microbiological contamination in chicken meat.
The results provide guidance of both proactive and remedial actions that the food industry can follow and also help to evaluate the effectiveness of its marketing activities.
13 Mar 2010
Food Control [edited][FSNet]
Denise Hentges, Daiani Teixeira da Silva, Priscila Alves Dias, et al.
In order to evaluate the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium, L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus in dulce de leche, aliquots of this sweet were experimentally contaminated with these pathogenic microorganisms at 103 (C1) and 101 (C2) bacterial cells per g, and later analysed to evaluate microorganism viability after storage for 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 days. Salmonella and L. monocytogenes were recovered from all aliquots. E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus were recovered from all aliquots at C1 concentration, and up to the 5th and 10th day, respectively, at C2 concentration. Relevant public-health danger pathogenic microorganisms were found to survive up to 30 days in dulce de leche.
Global sensitivity analysis applied to a contamination assessment model of Listeria monocytogenes in cold smoked salmon at consumption
13 Mar 2010
Risk Analysis [edited][FSNet]
Mariem Ellouze, Jean-Pierre Gauchi, and Jean-Christophe Augustin
In this study, a variance-based global sensitivity analysis method was first applied to a contamination assessment model of Listeria monocytogenes in cold smoked vacuum packed salmon at consumption. The impact of the choice of the modeling approach (populational or cellular) of the primary and secondary models as well as the effect of their associated input factors on the final contamination level was investigated. Results provided a subset of important factors, including the food water activity, its storage temperature, and duration in the domestic refrigerator. A refined sensitivity analysis was then performed to rank the important factors, tested over narrower ranges of variation corresponding to their current distributions, using three techniques: ANOVA, Spearman correlation coefficient, and partial least squares regression. Finally, the refined sensitivity analysis was used to rank the important factors.
Reduction of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in poultry skin by fruit extracts
03 Mar 2010
Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 73, Number 3, pp. 477-482(6) [edited][FSNet]
Campylobacter spp. are a major cause of foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis in humans, and current methods to control Campylobacter contamination in foods are not completely successful. Plants are a promising source of antimicrobial agents, particularly given the growing interest in “all natural” foods. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of extracts from 28 edible plants against Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli was evaluated in vitro and in a poultry skin model. Nine of 28 extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity in a diffusion assay, and MBCs were determined for the three most active extracts, i.e., lime, plum, and sour orange peel (MBCs of 2 to 3 mg/ml). Mixtures of the lime, plum, and sour orange peel extracts were applied to chicken skin inoculated with 105 CFU of Campylobacter to test for synergistic or antagonist effects. After incubation (48 h at 4°C) with any extract mixture, no Campylobacter CFUs were detectable. These active extracts from edible fruits are simple to prepare and are alternatives to reduce or eliminate Campylobacter contamination of chicken products.
Survival characteristics of Cronobacter spp. in model bovine gut and in the environment
08 Feb 2010
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. doi:10.1089/fpd.2009.0449 [edited][FSNet]
Catherine Molloy, Claire Cagney, Séamus Fanning, Geraldine Duffy
Cronobacter spp. (formally Enterobacter sakazakii) have been linked to illness in infants from contaminated powdered infant formula. The source of the pathogen remains unclear, and it is believed that farm environments and cattle could play a role in the transmission of Cronobacter spp. The aim of this study was to establish if the organism would survive passage through a model of the bovine rumen and abomasum and in bovine feces in the farm environment. Models of the bovine abomasum and rumen were inoculated with Cronobacter strains, and survival was examined over time in these environments. Fecal samples were inoculated with Cronobacter , and survival on soil and in containers stored outdoors was examined over time. The results showed no significant changes in the number of Cronobacter in rumen fluid over a 24-h period. Cronobacter were undetectable after 30 min of incubation in the model abomasum. The pathogen survived 105 days in sealed containers and was detectable after 112 days in soil. This study indicated that Cronobacter spp. are unlikely to be shed in bovine feces as supported by previous surveillance studies; however, the study did show that the organism survives well in the farm environment.
02 Feb 2010
Food Control [edited][FSNet]
Although cooking with wine and consumption of wine as a warm beverage is widespread, antibacterial effects of thermally treated wine have not been studied. Researchers examined in vitro antibacterial activity of wine heated at 75 and 125°C for 45 min against Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Escherichia coli. Their effects were compared with intact red wine, dealcoholized wine (DW) and dealcoholized wine reconstituted (RDW) with water to the initial volume. Samples were also analysed for their phenolics content, antioxidant capacity, resveratrol and ethanol content and pH. Total phenolics concentration and related antioxidative activity followed changes in samples volume, regardless of treatment type, while pH of all samples remained stable and ranged from 3.09-3.24. The order of the antibacterial activity of wine samples was: intact wine > heated at 75°C > heated at 125°C > DW > RDW. Antibacterial activity of the samples could not be related to their content of resveratrol as a single phenolics compound, antioxidative capacity or pH. Thermally treated wine under conditions applicable to food processing in everyday life, may be effective antibacterials in spite of significant heat-induced changes in their physical-chemical composition.
Foodborne diseases- the challenges of 20 years ago still persist while new ones continue to emerge 22 Jan 2010
International Journal of Food Microbiology [edited][FSNet]
Diane G. Newell, Marion Koopmans, Linda Verhoef et al.
The burden of diseases caused by food-borne pathogens remains largely unknown. Importantly data indicating trends in food-borne infectious intestinal disease is limited to a few industrialised countries, and even fewer pathogens. It has been predicted that the importance of diarrhoeal disease, mainly due to contaminated food and water, as a cause of death will decline worldwide. Evidence for such a downward trend is limited. This prediction presumes that improvements in the production and retail of microbiologically safe food will be sustained in the developed world and moreover, will be rolled out to those countries of the developing world increasingly producing food for a global market. In this review, researchers present evidence to indicate that the microbiological safety of food remains a dynamic situation heavily influenced by multiple factors along the food chain from farm to fork. Sustaining food safety standards will depend on constant vigilance maintained by monitoring and surveillance but, with the rising importance of other food-related issues, such as food security, obesity and climate change, competition for resources in the future to enable this may be fierce. In addition the pathogen populations relevant to food safety are not static. Food is an excellent vehicle by which many pathogens (bacterial, viruses/prions and parasites) can reach an appropriate colonisation site in a new host. Although food production practices change, the well-recognised food-borne pathogens, such as Salmonella spp and E. coli, seem able to evolve to exploit novel opportunities, for example fresh produce, and even generate new public health challenges, for example antimicrobial resistance. In addition, previously unknown food-borne pathogens, many of which are zoonotic, are constantly emerging. Current understanding of the trends in food-borne diseases for bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens has been reviewed. The bacterial pathogens are exemplified by those well-recognized by policy makers; i.e. Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Antimicrobial resistance in several bacterial food-borne pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella and Vibrio spp, methicillin resistant Staphylcoccus aureas, E. coli and Enterococci) has been discussed as a separate topic because of its relative importance to policy issues. Awareness and surveillance of viral food-borne pathogens is generally poor but emphasis is placed on Norovirus, Hepatitis A, rotaviruses and newly emerging viruses such as SARS. Many food-borne parasitic pathogens are known (for example Ascaris, Cryptosporidia and Trichinella) but few of these are effectively monitored in foods, livestock and wildlife and their epidemiology through the food-chain is poorly understood. It is clear that one overall challenge is the generation and maintenance of constructive dialogue and collaboration between public health, veterinary and food safety experts, bringing together multidisciplinary skills and multi-pathogen expertise. Such collaboration is essential to monitor changing trends in the well-recognised diseases and detect emerging pathogens. It will also be necessary understand the multiple interactions these pathogens have with their environments during transmission along the food chain in order to develop effective prevention and control strategies.
14 Jan 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
Powdered infant formula (PIF) is a generic term used to cover a range of breast milk fortifiers and substitutes. These are not manufactured as sterile products, but are intended to conform to appropriate microbiological specifications. For PIF in international trade these were recently revised by Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC 2008). Previous FAO/WHO 2004 and 2006 expert meetings on the microbiological risk assessment of powdered infant formulas have recommended the reconstitution of PIF with water no less than 70°C, and used within 2 hours. The use of high reconstitution temperature is considered to reduce the viable count of Cronobacter spp. and Salmonella serovars and a short storage period would limit the growth of any survivors, and therefore this practice would reduce the risk of neonatal infection through the ingestion of contaminated infant formula. However it is apparent that various preparation practices are used by caregivers. This report considers the risk associated with bacterial survival and subsequent multiplication following reconstitution.
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