International journal of food microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Evaluation of commercially available produce antimicrobial washes to improve the quality and microbial safety of fresh produce","authors":"Hansel A. Mina ,&nbsp;David A. Buckley ,&nbsp;Jack Burnett ,&nbsp;Amanda J. Deering","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111318","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111318","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite ongoing efforts to mitigate foodborne pathogen contamination, outbreaks associated with the consumption of fresh produce persist. This research evaluated the efficacy of three sanitizers in reducing various microorganisms on the surfaces of fresh cucumbers, broccoli, and lettuce under retail crisping conditions. Specifically, this study examined the ability of peracetic acid (PAA; 80 mg/L), hypochlorous acid (FAC; 50 mg/L free available chlorine), and accelerated hydrogen peroxide (AHP; 500 mg/L) to reduce pathogens (0.79–2.41 log CFU/g) and natural microbiota, including aerobic bacteria (0.54–2.55 log CFU/g) and yeasts and molds (0.34–1.58 log CFU/g), when applied for 1 min at both 5 and 25 °C. Results showed that all antimicrobial washes significantly reduced pathogens at both temperatures (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Cucumbers treated with the washing solutions exhibited a greater reduction in <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 (up to 3.72 log CFU/g), <em>S. typhimurium</em> (up to 2.07 log CFU/g), and aerobic bacteria (up to 2.55 log CFU/g) compared to broccoli and lettuce (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). This study also investigated the sanitizers' ability to prevent cross-contamination during the retail crisping process of lettuce heads (contact time: 1.5, 3, and 5 min). PAA and FAC significantly reduced cross-contamination with <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 and <em>S. typhimurium</em> after 3 min of immersion. PAA also significantly reduced L. <em>monocytogenes</em> cross-contamination in batch 2 after 3 min of contact time (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). In contrast, immersion of lettuce heads in water alone (WTC) was ineffective at reducing foodborne pathogens and cross-contamination risks. Highlighting the significance of postharvest antimicrobial washes in reducing the contamination and cross-contamination of fresh produce with foodborne pathogens at the retail level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111318"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144290862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Streptomyces olivoreticuli ZZ-21 act as a potential biocontrol strain against pepper anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum scovillei","authors":"Jie Zhong,&nbsp;Xin Yi Bai,&nbsp;Xiao Gang Li,&nbsp;Jun Zi Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Colletotrichum scovillei</em> is a pathogen that causes anthracnose, resulting in significant postharvest losses in pepper fruit. Biocontrol using antagonistic microbes is a promising solution for sustainable disease management. We previously identified <em>Streptomyces olivoreticuli</em> ZZ-21, which has broad-spectrum antifungal activity. In this study, we evaluated the antagonistic ability of ZZ-21 specifically against <em>C. scovillei</em> in both in vitro and pepper fruit assays, as well as the possible mechanisms involved. Dual culture assays revealed that strain ZZ-21 achieved 86.25 % mycelial inhibition rate against <em>C. scovillei</em>. Pepper fruit trials indicated that the culture filtrate of ZZ-21 significantly reduced both the incidence and lesion size of anthracnose caused by <em>C. scovillei</em>, while maintaining fruit quality. The efficacy of control was dependent on the concentrations of the ZZ-21 culture filtrate, with a 100 % control efficiency observed in the treatment utilizing 100 % culture filtrate. Moreover, the ZZ-21 culture filtrate obviously inhibited spore germination and damaged the cell membrane permeability of <em>C. scovillei</em>, while also inducing plant resistance by enhancing the activities of defense-related enzymes. The primary inhibitory substances were included in proteins and n-butyl alcohol crude extracts of the ZZ-21 culture filtrate, which exhibited EC₅₀ values of 56.88 ± 0.82 μg/mL and 65.37 ± 0.36 μg/mL, respectively. These substances were analyzed using LC-MS and were thought to contribute to the broad-spectrum antifungal activity of ZZ-21. Hence, strain ZZ-21 is a potent biocontrol agent for controlling anthracnose in pepper caused by <em>C. scovillei</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111319"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144289187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diverse Acinetobacter in retail meat: a hidden vector of novel species and antimicrobial resistance genes, including plasmid-borne blaOXA-58, mcr-4.3 and tet(X3)","authors":"Alba Puente ,&nbsp;José F. Cobo-Díaz ,&nbsp;Márcia Oliveira ,&nbsp;Rebeca Cordero-García ,&nbsp;Filipa Grosso ,&nbsp;Francesco Asnicar ,&nbsp;Nicola Segata ,&nbsp;Yara El dessouky ,&nbsp;Mercedes López ,&nbsp;Miguel Prieto ,&nbsp;Luísa Peixe ,&nbsp;Avelino Alvarez-Ordóñez","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Acinetobacter</em> species, particularly <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em>, are recognized pathogens in clinical settings, yet their presence in food systems, including fresh meat remains underexplored. This comprehensive study investigated the prevalence, diversity, concentration, and antimicrobial resistance of <em>Acinetobacter</em> spp. in 100 fresh meat samples from diverse animal sources across various packaging conditions.</div><div><em>Acinetobacter</em> isolates were initially characterized by MALDI-TOF MS, with comprehensive genomic characterization through whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 116 representative isolates. Taxonomic refinement was performed using GTDB-Tk, core-genome, <em>rpoB</em> gene and Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) phylogenomic approaches. Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), and their plasmidic locations, were identified, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were determined for 33 <em>A. baumannii</em> isolates.</div><div><em>Acinetobacter</em> spp. were detected in 74 % of samples, with turkey meat showing the highest occurrence. The counts of this bacterium ranged from &lt; 0.23 to 3.13 log₁₀ CFU/g. A total of 20 know species and 2 putative novel <em>Acinetobacter</em> species were identified by genomic analysis. Moreover, 16 novel <em>A. baumannii</em> sequence types (STs) were identified. ARG profiling revealed a complex resistome, including plasmid-located ARGs spanning multiple antibiotic classes. Critical findings include the presence of plasmid-borne <em>bla</em>_{<em>OXA-58</em>}, <em>mcr-4.3</em>, and <em>tet(X3)</em> genes.</div><div>This study expands our understanding of <em>Acinetobacter</em> spp. diversity and reveals fresh meat as a significant vector for this genus, including species associated with human infections. Moreover, the detection of diverse resistance genes, including some associated with plasmids and conferring resistance to critically important antibiotics, underscores the potential public health implications of meat as a transmission pathway for these bacteria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111313"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144262939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deciphering the biocontrol ability of Bacillus velezensis strains against phytopathogenic fungi in grapes by in situ and in silico approaches","authors":"Márcia Gabriela D'Elia Bellos ,&nbsp;Flávio Fonseca Veras ,&nbsp;Vanessa Teixeira da Rosa ,&nbsp;Rafaela Diogo Silveira ,&nbsp;Evelise Bach ,&nbsp;Adriano Brandelli ,&nbsp;Juliane Elisa Welke","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Bacillus</em> species are promising biocontrol agents to confront the emergence of resistance to commonly used fungicides in agriculture. Control of <em>Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum</em>, and <em>Aspergillus</em> spp. is a great challenge, as these fungi negatively affect the quality and productivity of grapes. Furthermore, some <em>Aspergillus</em> species produce mycotoxins, which are regulated for grape products due to their toxic potential. In this study, four <em>Bacillus velezensis</em> strains were tested for controlling the growth of <em>B. cinerea</em>, <em>C. acutatum</em>, <em>Aspergillus niger</em>, <em>Aspergillus westerdijkiae</em> and <em>Aspergillus flavus</em> following <em>in situ</em> tests<em>.</em> Furthermore, an <em>in silico</em> approach was carried out to find genes associated with the antifungal activity of these strains. <em>B. velezensis</em> P1, P7, P11 and P45 demonstrated antifungal potential by inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination, while also preventing the formation of reproductive structures in all fungi. The treatment of grapes with cell suspensions at 1.0 × 10⁹ CFU/mL reduced the fungal colony count by at least 1 log CFU/g or caused complete inhibition, depending on the strain and fungus. Even when total suppression of fungal growth was not achieved, the biosynthesis pathways of ochratoxins and aflatoxins were disrupted. Co-inoculation of strains P1:P45 and P11:P45 was successfully proposed to ensure the absence of fungi in grapes. Genome analysis revealed six gene clusters associated with the production of antifungal compounds by <em>Bacillus</em> strains, such as fengycin, iturin/bacillomycin, surfactin, bacillaene, bacilysin, and bacillibactin. Therefore, these bacteria are promising in the biological control of fungi that cause severe damage in grape quality, reinforcing their potential as sustainable alternatives to chemical fungicides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111317"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144262940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrahigh pressure treatment of Actinidia arguta turbid juice: Kinetics of microbial inactivation and assessment of bioactive ingredient availability","authors":"Lina Chen,&nbsp;Tienan Wang,&nbsp;Yuhan Sui,&nbsp;Mengjuan Gong,&nbsp;Meijia Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mathematical models can be used to predict the kinetics of microbial inactivation in <em>Actinidia arguta</em> juice (AAJ) during ultra-high pressure (UHP) treatment. The inactivation of <em>E. coli</em>, <em>S. aureus</em> and <em>S. cerevisiae</em> by UHP was investigated. The pressure levels ranged from 100 to 500 MPa and the treatment time was 0–10 min. Cell morphology, intracellular protein content and cell membrane structure of UHP-treated microorganisms were evaluated. In addition, the effect of UHP treatment on the bioacceptability of AAJ was explored by an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal test. The maximum reduction of <em>E. coli</em> (5.14 lg), <em>S. aureus</em> (3.12 lg) and <em>S. cerevisiae</em> (3.94 lg) was achieved at 500 MPa/10 min. The coefficient of determination (0.957–0.999), root mean square error (0.010–0.343), coefficient of precision (1.033–1.213), and coefficient of deviation (0.876–1.068) indicated the satisfactory performance of the Weibull and Log-logistic model. The correlation coefficients of the predicted values of the Weibull model with the measured values (0.9938–0.9967) was higher than that of the Log-logistic model (0.9795–0.9909) and was considered to be the appropriate model. The UHP treatment increased (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) the content of total phenols, total flavonoids, total sugars, and ascorbic acid in the juice. At the end of the simulated digestion, UHP-treated AAJ retained a higher content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). The potential application of UHP in improving the nutritional value and health functions of different foods can be further explored in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111316"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptation of bacterial starter cultures from dairy to plant-based substrates: challenges and opportunities","authors":"Katherine Lavelle,&nbsp;Jennifer Mahony,&nbsp;Douwe van Sinderen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global market for <u>p</u>lant-<u>b</u>ased <u>m</u>ilk <u>a</u>lternatives (PBMA) is expanding with an increasing demand for sustainable plant-based products which offer similar nutritional and organoleptic properties to that of their dairy counterparts. These PBMAs are largely derived from legumes, seeds, nuts, cereals and pseudocereals. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are central to food fermentations wherein their metabolic activities contribute to the preservation, safety and organoleptic properties of a product. The biological pathways which underpin dairy fermentations have long been elucidated and exploited. However, it is now evident that many of the biotechnological traits which drive dairy fermentations, in particular casein hydrolysis and lactose utilisation, are not directly transferable to PMBA-substrates. Therefore, knowledge of the carbohydrate and protein composition and their metabolism by the applied starter cultures is required for the development of high quality fermented PBMA dairy analogues. Here, we review the fundamental traits that lactic acid bacteria should possess for the fermentation of varied PBMA substrates, with a particular focus on carbohydrate utilisation and protease activity. Firstly, we consider the genetic limitations of those dairy-adapted and industrialised starter strains which may prevent their successful application to PBMA fermentations. Secondly, we consider the genetic and bio-functional activities of both plant-associated and non-starter LAB and reveal their potential as starter cultures for the emerging PBMA fermentation industry.</div><div>By understanding the genetic and metabolic requirements food producers will be afforded the opportunity to design the next generation of defined, rotational starter sets, which harbour the bio-specific traits required for the fermentation of PBMA substrates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111304"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The putative Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor GerA in Aspergillus flavus regulates growth, development, and aflatoxin synthesis","authors":"Jia Xu ,&nbsp;Junhe Ren ,&nbsp;Yanyan Zhang,&nbsp;Zhuoyu Han,&nbsp;Qing Kong","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Aspergillus flavus</em> is a saprophytic fungus that infects seed crops before and after harvest, producing potent carcinogens known as aflatoxins. Consequently, the urgent need arises to develop control strategies to mitigate the adverse effects associated with <em>A. flavus</em>. The Ras homologue family member GTPases (Rho GTPases) play a crucial role in regulating the developmental and pathogenic processes of filamentous fungi by controlling various signal transduction pathways. Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) activate Rho GTPases and regulate their conformational conversion from GDP to GTP. In a previous study, a Rho GEF GerA that is closely regulated by the global regulator VeA under different culture conditions was identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing (ChIP-seq), which contains a characteristic Dbl homology (DH) domain. GerA exhibits a high degree of conservation within <em>Aspergillus</em> species but lacks homologues in <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em>. The generation of the Δ<em>gerA</em> mutant using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tools significantly impacted the synthesis of AFs, reproductive processes, and pathogenicity in <em>A. flavus</em>. Notably, the Δ<em>gerA</em> mutant exhibited polarity loss and impaired septation. Combined with yeast two-hybrid analysis, there is speculation that GerA may function as a Rho4 GEF. The significant involvement of <em>gerA</em> in the morphological development and secondary metabolism of <em>A. flavus</em> highlights its potential as a target for control measures. Moreover, this study establishes a basis for further investigating the roles of other Rho GEFs in filamentous fungi.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111302"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Two novel Vibrio parahaemolyticus phages (vB_VpaS_1601 and vB_VpaP_1701) can serve as potential biocontrol agents against Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in seafood","authors":"Zhenxiang Tao ,&nbsp;Yue Sun ,&nbsp;Mengxiao Zhou ,&nbsp;Tengteng Li ,&nbsp;Weiqing Lan ,&nbsp;Yong Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111303","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111303","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</em> poses a serious threat to the aquaculture industry and human health. Two novel phages (vB_VpaS_1601 and vB_VpaP_1701) were isolated from oysters. Phage vB_VpaS_1601 and phage vB_VpaP_1701 exhibited short latent periods and high burst sizes. In addition, both phages showed stability across a broad range of temperature and pH conditions. Genomic analyses revealed that phage vB_VpaS_1601 is a novel genus of the <em>Caudoviricetes</em> class, and vB_VpaP_1701 is a new species of the <em>Maculvirus</em> genus, <em>Autographiviridae</em> family. Both single phage and phage cocktail can inhibit <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> proliferation, with phage cocktail (MOI = 1) can completely inhibit the growth of <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> within 12 h. The phages reduced biofilm formation by 53.57 % (vB_VpaS_1601) and 64.88 % (vB_VpaP_1701), while the cocktail achieved 46 %–78 % inhibition. Phage cocktail can reduce <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> by 1.53–2.74 log CFU/cm³ in salmon and 1.56–2.91 log CFU/cm³ in oysters. These results indicated that vB_VpaS_1601 and vB_VpaP_1701 have potential as antibacterial agents for controlling <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> in seafood products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111303"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144223400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detection of Fusarium spp. and T-2 and HT-2 toxins contamination in oats using visible and near-infrared spectroscopy","authors":"Irene Teixido-Orries ,&nbsp;Lexuan Yang ,&nbsp;Francisco Molino ,&nbsp;Angel Medina ,&nbsp;Sonia Marín ,&nbsp;Carol Verheecke-Vaessen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111301","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111301","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Fusarium langsethiae</em> (FL) is one of the major contaminants in oats in the United Kingdom (UK) and is a significant producer of T-2 and HT-2 toxins, among the most prevalent mycotoxins in oats. Visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) (350–2500 nm) spectroscopy was explored as a non-invasive, rapid method for detecting FL, <em>Fusarium</em> species that produce T-2 and HT-2 toxins, and T-2 and HT-2 toxins content. Oat grains were artificially inoculated with FL and other <em>Fusarium</em> species under controlled water activity (a_w) conditions (0.98, 0.90, and 0.80). FL was found to be particularly responsible for producing T-2 and HT-2 toxins. Classification models were developed to distinguish oat grains based on the presence of FL. The best performance was achieved with all the Vis-NIR spectra, with a classification accuracy of 76.2 %. The Vis region (350–995 nm) emerged as the most important range for classification. Additionally, oat grains were classified by T-2 and HT-2 toxin content, distinguishing oats above and below the European Union (EU) threshold with 93.3 % accuracy. For mycotoxin quantification, the best performance was obtained using the Vis region with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.875. Key wavelengths such as 464, 568, 575 and 636 nm were relevant for toxin detection. The NIR region (1005–1795 nm) also played a significant role in the models. This study shows that Vis-NIR spectroscopy is a promising, non-destructive tool for detecting <em>Fusarium</em> and type A trichothecenes in oats, though further research is needed to improve model robustness and support food safety monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"441 ","pages":"Article 111301"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144223399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamic changes in fungal composition during the processing of Hainan areca nut and effects of water activity on dominant mold species","authors":"Menjun Zhu ,&nbsp;Juanjuan Li ,&nbsp;Xinjing Li ,&nbsp;Yishun Yao ,&nbsp;Xing Xu ,&nbsp;Khizar Hayat ,&nbsp;Fengwei Tian ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Zhang ,&nbsp;Chi-Tang Ho","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111300","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111300","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Areca nut, one of the most historically representative chewing products in China, faces challenges from harmful microbial growth that causes both product safety and quality problems. To elucidate the mechanism underlying these microbial threats and develop targeted control strategies, this study analyzed dynamic microbial profiles of Hainan areca nuts during the processing stages. Alpha diversity analysis and total fungal counts (TFC) of Hainan areca nuts were monitored during different processing stages. A significant increase in TFC (1.725 ± 0.046 Lg CFU/g) and diversity of fungal species was observed in the finished product (FP), which might be attributed to manual operation and environmental exposure during the final processing stages. Ten strains of mold with the highest TFC were isolated and further screened on the areca nut powder culture medium. Two dominant mold species were isolated and identified by phylogenetic analysis, and were demonstrated to be <em>Aspergillus ruber</em> and <em>Aspergillus ochraceus</em>. Growth curves under varying water activities (A_w) indicated that the grows of two dominant mold species were inhibited at A_w of 0.798 and 0.815, respectively. Reinoculation of these species in areca nut products (A_w 0.80) further demonstrated that reduced A_w significantly suppressed their growth rates. These results may critically contribute to the prediction and extension of the shelf-life of areca nut products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111300"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144195080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}