Article
Food Science & Technology
Han Du, Xiaoman Wang, Qingli Yang, Wei Wu
Summary: Quantum dots show great potential in detecting foodborne pathogens, providing rapid and sensitive monitoring of target bacteria. Compared to other methods, quantum dots are more cost-effective, and detection strategies associated with smartphones help achieve new breakthroughs.
TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rubait Rahman, Robert L. Scharff, Felicia Wu
Summary: This study estimated the economic burden of foodborne illnesses associated with flour and flour-based food products in the United States from 2001 to 2021. The reported cases were 752, with 223 hospitalizations, but the actual number of cases could be as high as 19,440 annually. The pathogens involved were Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and E. coli O121. The average annual economic losses, including healthy years of life lost, were estimated to be $108 million and $258 million using two alternative models.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Emma Dester, Evangelyn Alocilja
Summary: Rapid and accurate detection of foodborne pathogens is crucial in preventing foodborne illnesses. This review highlights the potential of using glycan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as a rapid and cost-effective solution for concentrating bacteria directly from foods. The review provides background information on MNPs, synthesis of glycan-coated particles, and analyzes existing research on the extraction of bacteria from food matrices. Comparisons are made between glycan-coated MNPs and immunomagnetic separation technique, indicating that glycan-coated MNPs are a highly cost-effective method for rapid food pathogen extraction and concentration. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanism and optimize its extraction capabilities.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Emma Dester, Kaily Kao, Evangelyn C. Alocilja
Summary: In this study, a gold nanoparticle biosensor was developed for rapid detection of foodborne pathogen E. coli O157. The results demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity of the biosensor, with detection possible in as little as 30 minutes.
Review
Microbiology
Samantha Gartley, Brienna Anderson-Coughlin, Manan Sharma, Kalmia E. Kniel
Summary: As the population grows, growers may need to rely on a variety of water sources to meet the increasing demand. However, these sources may be contaminated with microbial pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes. Understanding the pathogen's survival duration in specific water sources is crucial for understanding its impact on produce outbreaks and consumer health.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Erin Jenkins, Ifueko Gardenhire, Brooke M. Whitney, Krystalyn B. Martin, Colin Schwensohn, Laura Gieraltowski, Molly M. Leeper, Vivien McCurdy, Monica McClure, Allison Wellman, Arthur Pightling, Michelle Smith, Angela Swinford, Lisa Hainstock, Alvin J. Crosby, Michael C. Bazaco, Stelios Viazis
Summary: In 2020, there was an outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections in the United States linked to melons from southwest Indiana, resulting in 80 ill persons and 18 hospitalizations reported across 15 states. The investigation was unable to determine whether the vehicle for the infections was cantaloupe alone or both cantaloupe and watermelons. This outbreak highlights the need for further efforts to identify the source and extent of environmental contamination in the melon growing region and promote farm practices to reduce pathogen contamination of melons.
Article
Horticulture
Yi Su, Wei-Yea Hsu, Tung-Shi Huang, Amarat Simonne
Summary: Consumer demand for a healthier lifestyle has led to an increase in the consumption of fresh produce and herbs as flavoring agents, with a preference for locally produced items. The study found that cilantro had the highest APC among tested produce, while national chains had lower APC levels compared to farmers' markets and locally owned grocery stores. No human pathogens were detected in any of the tested produce samples.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jiang Chen, Xialidan Alifu, Xiaojuan Qi, Ronghua Zhang, Lili Chen, Jikai Wang, Yunxian Yu
Summary: We conducted a survey and surveillance to determine the burden of foodborne gastroenteritis caused by non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica and Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in Zhejiang province, China. Through a model, we estimated the annual incidence and found that AGI caused by these two pathogens constitutes a substantial burden in the Zhejiang population. The estimations can serve as a strategic framework for policy and intervention.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Han Chen, Juan C. Archila-Godinez, Leah Klinestiver, Lia Rosa, Tressie Barrett, Virgilia Zabala, Yaohua Feng
Summary: Foodborne illnesses are more likely to occur in low-income families due to limited food safety knowledge, lack of proper tools, and limited access to safe foods. This study showcases a dialogue-based food safety education program developed for low-income consumers and explores participants' reflections through class discussions and take-home tasks. The findings provide insights for researchers, educators, and government agencies in implementing dialogue-based education programs and developing next-generation food safety education programs.
Article
Immunology
Curtis L. Fritz, Alyssa Nguyen, Duc J. Vugia
Summary: Brucellosis remains a serious health threat in California, particularly for Latinos, with incidence rates significantly higher in older men. The majority of cases are attributed to consumption of unpasteurized dairy products from countries like Mexico. Efforts are needed to raise awareness and prevent the risk associated with importing and consuming these products.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Corliss A. O'Bryan, Steven C. Ricke, John A. Marcy
Summary: Non typhoidal Salmonella spp. are a major cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., with about 20% of cases associated with poultry and poultry products. Industry efforts to reduce the incidence of Salmonella have been successful, but there has not been a corresponding decrease in illnesses from contaminated poultry. Improvement opportunities include emerging detection technologies, consumer education, and other food safety measures.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Chelsie Boodoo, Emma Dester, Jeswin David, Vedi Patel, K. C. Rabin, Evangelyn C. Alocilja
Summary: This study developed a method to extract Staphylococcus aureus from food samples using glycan-coated magnetic nanoparticles, and designed a cost-effective multi-probe genomic biosensor to rapidly detect the nuc gene of S. aureus in different food matrices.
Article
Business, Finance
Xin Liu, Chengxi Yin, Weinan Zheng
Summary: The study examines the impact of goodwill on asset pricing, particularly in the context of mergers and acquisitions. The results show that the ratio of goodwill to sales strongly and negatively predicts U.S. stock returns, especially for firms involved in cross-industry M&As and those led by overconfident CEOs. This predictor remains significant even after controlling for common factors, indicating that goodwill-to-sales contains valuable information on firm value that the stock market may underreact to due to the difficulty in evaluating the fair value of goodwill.
JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL MARKETS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
L. C. Richardson, D. Cole, R. M. Hoekstra, A. Rajasingham, S. D. Johnson, B. B. Bruce
Summary: This study compared the distribution of foods implicated in outbreaks with the distribution of foods consumed by the U.S. population, finding that certain food categories are more likely to cause outbreaks, such as meat, poultry, and eggs, while others are less likely, such as pasteurized dairy and fruits. These findings may help inform food safety interventions and recommendations.
JOURNAL OF FOOD PROTECTION
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
V. L. Almli, M. Galler, T. Moretro, S. Langsrud, M. O. Gaarder, O. Ueland
Summary: Food poisoning poses threats to health and economy globally, with an estimated 600 million cases annually. Risk behaviors in Norwegian cabin kitchens were assessed in relation to cabin infrastructure and compared with home practices. Information campaigns on reducing the risk of foodborne illness in cabin environments are necessary.
