Review
Food Science & Technology
Anna Townsend, Laura K. Strawn, Benjamin J. Chapman, Laurel L. Dunn
Summary: Listeria species and L. monocytogenes were detected in every stage of the fresh produce supply chain, with the highest prevalence observed in natural environments and outdoor production. Data gaps were identified for future research on produce safety, particularly in the transportation and distribution center environment.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Tianmei Sun, Yangtai Liu, Xiaojie Qin, Zafeiro Aspridou, Jiaming Zheng, Xiang Wang, Zhuosi Li, Qingli Dong
Summary: This study evaluated the prevalence and epidemiology of Salmonella contamination in raw poultry meat commercialized in China. Different prevalence levels were found among different categories of poultry meat, with chilled poultry meat being more susceptible to cross-contamination. Higher prevalence levels of Salmonella in raw poultry meat were identified in Shaanxi, Henan, Sichuan, and Beijing regions.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Aricia Possas, Fernando Perez-Rodriguez, Fatih Tarlak, Rosa Maria Garcia-Gimeno
Summary: This study evaluated the efficacy of electrolyzed water (EW) in inactivating Listeria monocytogenes on stainless steel surfaces. The results showed that slightly acidic EW (SAEW) had higher bactericidal effects than neutral EW (NEW) due to a synergistic effect of acidic pH, higher oxidation-reduction potential, and effective chlorine form. Survival data was modeled using the Weibull model, producing suitable survival models for optimizing EW as a sanitizer in the food industry.
JOURNAL OF FOOD ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Danhong Li, Shoukui He, Rui Dong, Yan Cui, Xianming Shi
Summary: Salmonella Enteritidis can adapt to sublethal sodium hypochlorite conditions and trigger stress resistance mechanisms. Proteomic analysis revealed significant differential abundance of 492 proteins in response to this treatment, with proteins related to flagellar assembly, two-component system, and phosphotransferase system being less abundant, while those associated with ABC transporters being generally more abundant.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hiroki Abe, Kohei Takeoka, Yuto Fuchisawa, Kento Koyama, Shigenobu Koseki
Summary: The development and validation of a novel mechanistic dose-response model for Campylobacter jejuni in this study provides insights into the dynamics of infection probability, considering factors such as food types and host age. The predictive framework demonstrates high accuracy in estimating dose for a certain infection probability compared to previously reported relationships, showing the importance of food type and host age in dose-response dynamics.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Aurelie Lotoux, Eliane Milohanic, Helene Bierne
Summary: The VBNC state of bacteria, particularly in the case of Lm pathogens, has important implications for environmental, agricultural, and food industry settings, as well as potential risks in the host. The hypothesis that VBNC forms contribute to adaptation, persistence, and transmission of Lm between different ecological niches is put forth.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Zichao Wang, Qi Sun, Huiru Zhang, Jiaqi Wang, Qianzhen Fu, Hanzhen Qiao, Qi Wang
Summary: Polysaccharides, natural macromolecular polymers, have various antibacterial mechanisms against foodborne pathogens, mainly achieved by damaging cellular structure and inhibiting bioenergetics metabolism. Further research is needed to explore new antibacterial mechanisms and strategies for enhancing antibacterial activity of polysaccharides.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Catia Pacifico, Marc M. S. M. Woesten, Friederike Hilbert
Summary: Campylobacter (C.) spp. are significant foodborne, bacterial, and zoonotic pathogens globally. It is crucial to monitor the resistance of foodborne bacterial pathogens as a part of the One Health approach to control antimicrobial resistance. The discovery and functionality of new resistance genes are important for improving screening methods using whole genome sequencing (WGS). The tet(O)_3 gene, similar to tet(O) in Streptococcus pneumoniae, has been identified in C. jejuni isolates, conferring tetracycline resistance below the epidemiological cut-off value. These isolates also possess other resistance genes, such as fluoroquinolone resistance and a multidrug efflux pump.
Review
Microbiology
Liang Wang, Wei Liu, Jia-Wei Tang, Jun-Jiao Wang, Qing-Hua Liu, Peng-Bo Wen, Meng-Meng Wang, Ya-Cheng Pan, Bing Gu, Xiao Zhang
Summary: The rapid identification of bacterial pathogens and profiling of antibiotic resistance are crucial for precise treatment of infectious diseases. Various accurate, reliable, and time-efficient conventional and molecular methods have been developed for in vitro diagnostics.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Tsegabirhan Kifleyohannes, John James Debenham, Lucy J. Robertson
Summary: The study in rural Ethiopia found contamination of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in fresh produce, with some samples having high numbers of Giardia cysts. Access to clean water sources may be important in reducing the occurrence of these pathogens. Further investigation into the factors influencing the circulation of these parasites in communities and environments is warranted given their public health and veterinary burden.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Simone Schill, Beatrix Stessl, Nadia Meier, Alexander Tichy, Martin Wagner, Martina Ludewig
Summary: The study revealed that the majority of mushrooms had good microbiological and sensory quality on the day of purchase, but deteriorated after storage. Pseudomonas and Ewingella were the most common species identified. Longer transport distances had a significant impact on the quality of mushrooms.
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
Chemistry, Applied
Jessica S. Pizzo, Jesui V. Visentainer, Andre L. B. R. da Silva, Camila Rodrigues
Summary: Growers commonly use chemical sanitizers to wash fresh produce during postharvest handling, but this poses risks to both the washing systems and workers' health. Essential oils such as thyme, oregano, cinnamon, and clove have been studied as potential alternatives to chemical sanitizers for produce washing. The combination of essential oils and surfactants can enhance the antimicrobial activity of emulsions, but further research is needed to evaluate the effect of different chemical components of essential oils and preparations. Overcoming challenges such as high levels of essential oils needed, unwanted impact on produce quality, and poor solubility in aqueous solutions should also be addressed.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Weiqiao Yang, Zhihang Zhang, Kuanbo Liu, Wenjuan Wang, Wenting Peng, Hang Ma, Qian Wang, Xianai Shi, Hui Sun, Xiaoliang Duan
Summary: This study developed a new approach for efficient elimination of foodborne pathogens by fabricating Fe3O4-Chitosan (CS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibrous films with improved antibacterial and mechanical properties. The films with smooth and bead-free nanofibrous structures showed enhanced bacterial attachment and inactivation efficiency with Fe3O4 loading, particularly against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphyloccus aureus (S. aureus). The films also exhibited increased tensile strength and elongation at break, indicating improved mechanical properties. The findings suggest a promising strategy for effective foodborne pathogens elimination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jingzhang Feng, Devin Daeschel, Damion Dooley, Emma Griffiths, Marc Allard, Ruth Timme, Yi Chen, Abigail B. B. Snyder
Summary: The regular analysis of whole-genome sequence data is crucial for detecting outbreaks of infectious diseases, but the metadata in existing databases are often incomplete and of poor quality. We generated large-scale, open-source DNA sequence databases by collecting microbial pathogens from built environments. To analyze these data for public health surveillance, the complex metadata associated with the swab site locations need to be digitized. Through content analysis, we identified 5 informational facets described by 338 unique terms and developed a schema that has been integrated into a publicly available pathogen metadata standard.