Italian Journal of Food Safety最新文献

{"title":"Re-determination of the primary shelf-life of food products: what are the guarantees for the consumer?","authors":"Massimo Renato Micheli,&nbsp;Leonardo Carosielli,&nbsp;Chiara Guarnieri,&nbsp;Alfonso Rosamilia","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11325","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11325","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Except in rare cases, the determination of the shelf-life of food products is left up to the food business operator. The extension of this period, which for years has been the subject of debate among the various actors in the food chain, has become a topic of fundamental importance also following the recent economic/financial, environmental, and health crises, which have had an inevitable impact on consumption and food waste. While there is no requirement to indicate durability for some categories of food products, for example, those not directly intended for consumers, this debate has raised questions and perplexities about the potential re-evaluation of the origin conditions established by the manufacturer, particularly when it comes to maintaining the guarantees for the consumer in terms of health and hygiene. In addition, the increasing consumer demand for accurate information has prompted the European authorities to request a public consultation on the actual understanding and perception of the mandatory terms on labels such as <i>use by</i> or <i>date of minimum durability</i> of a food, provided for by Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, often not correctly understood, which can assume great significance in the application of rules to reduce food waste. In this regard, it is useful to remember that the recent measures adopted by the European Union legislator, together with the case law of recent years, have led the judges of merit to comply with the principles and requirements of food safety laid down since 2002 in Regulation (EC) No. 178, thus paying greater attention to the analysis, assessment, and management of the risk of the entire production chain. The purpose of this work is to provide technical-legal elements to encourage a possible extension of the shelf-life of food products while ensuring the safety of consumers.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 2","pages":"11325"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/4e/d3/ijfs-12-2-11325.PMC10316245.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9803137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preliminary survey on the occurrence of microplastics in bivalve mollusks marketed in Apulian fish markets.","authors":"Nicoletta Cristiana Quaglia,&nbsp;Flavia Capuozzo,&nbsp;Edmondo Ceci,&nbsp;Stefania Cometa,&nbsp;Angela Di Pinto,&nbsp;Anna Mottola,&nbsp;Roberta Piredda,&nbsp;Angela Dambrosio","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10906","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10906","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microplastics (MPs) are a relevant threat to food safety because they are ingested by humans through various foods. Bivalves are at high risk of microplastic contamination due to their filter-feeding mechanism and pose a risk to consumers as they are ingested whole. In this work, microplastics were detected, quantified, identified, and classified in samples of mussels (<i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>) and oysters (<i>Crassostrea gigas</i>) marketed in the Apulia region. The total number of plastic debris was 789 particles in the mussel samples and 270 particles in the oyster samples, with size ranging from 10 to 7350 μm. Fragments with size within the category of 5-500 μm were the predominant findings in both species, with blue as the predominant color in mussels and transparent in oysters; most of the debris was polyamide and nylon polymers in the mussels and chlorinated polypropylene in the oysters. These results show that mussel and oyster samples purchased at fish markets are contaminated with microplastics. The sources may be diverse and further studies are needed to assess the impact of the marketing stage on microplastic contamination in bivalves to better define the human risk assessment associated with microplastic exposure from bivalves consumption.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 2","pages":"10906"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/0e/b3/ijfs-12-2-10906.PMC10316275.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9805462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Quality Index Method-based evaluation of sensory quality of red mullet (<i>Mullus barbatus</i>) and its shelf-life determination.","authors":"Carlotta Lauteri,&nbsp;Gianluigi Ferri,&nbsp;Luca Pennisi","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Every day the consumer must choose a food product rather than others based on its quality; for fishery products the main quality parameter is freshness. Implementation of the Quality Index Method (QIM) in the fish industry provides information on fish quality; therefore, it is important for effective quality and process management in the production of high-quality fish products. The present study aims to validate the shelflife study of fresh red mullet (<i>Mullus barbatus</i>) stored in ice previously presented by Özyurt in 2009 through Torry scheme in cooked filet and microbiological evaluation. Next, this revised scheme was applied to determine the shelf-life. It included seven descriptors and varies from 0 to 15 points. The use of a modified QIM scheme showed a good correlation between the quality index and days of storage time, with a R² value of 0.9698. In fact, all the subjects examined reached the end of their commercial life, or the day of sensory rejection, in 9-10 days with a Quality Index of 13.83.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"10927"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/2b/51/ijfs-12-1-10927.PMC10102959.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retrospective study on the prevalence of <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> in food collected in Umbria region (central Italy).","authors":"Sara Primavilla,&nbsp;Silvana Farneti,&nbsp;Rossana Roila,&nbsp;Raffaella Branciari,&nbsp;Caterina Altissimi,&nbsp;Andrea Valiani,&nbsp;David Ranucci","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10996","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10996","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> represents one of the main foodborne pathogens in Europe and the evaluation of possible sources of contamination and its prevalence in food is of considerable interest for risk analysis approach. The results of the search for <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> in food samples taken in Umbria region (central Italy) were evaluated during the years 2015-2018. Different types of foods were considered, both ready-to-eat (meat products, dairy products, and raw vegetables) and meat preparations to be eaten after cooking. Samples were assayed by molecular screening for the species indicator gene <i>ompF</i>. Screening positives were subjected to isolation and characterization by searching for specific virulence marker genes, including the <i>ail</i> gene responsible for invasiveness and the <i>ystB</i> gene for the production of enterotoxin. The total prevalence of positive samples for <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> was 16.86% with a higher percentage of positive samples in meat preparations (19.35%), followed by ready-to-eat vegetables (11.76%). Poultry meat samples had a higher prevalence than pork and beef samples. Neither positive samples were found in meat products and dairy, nor seasonality in positivity was observed. All isolated strains of <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> were biotype 1A, with absence of the <i>ail</i> virulence gene but presence of <i>ystB</i> gene. Since the strains isolated from human patients appear to be primarily biotypes that possess the <i>ail</i> marker, future investigations would be needed regarding the real role of biotype 1A in human disease. In this context, attention should certainly be paid to ready-to-eat vegetables and to careful cooking of meat preparations.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"10996"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/a1/d4/ijfs-12-1-10996.PMC10102966.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of osmotic stress on <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> ATCC 7644: persistent cells and heat resistance.","authors":"Luca Nalbone,&nbsp;Giorgia Sorrentino,&nbsp;Filippo Giarratana,&nbsp;Aurelian Schiopu-Mariean,&nbsp;Graziella Ziino,&nbsp;Alessandro Giuffrida","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10880","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10880","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Persistent bacteria are a microbial subpopulation that, exposed to bactericidal treatment, is killed at a slower rate than the rest of the population they are part of. They can be triggered either following stress or stochastically without external signals. The hallmark of persistent bacteria is the biphasic killing curve, a sign that, within a microbial population, two subpopulations are inactivated at a different rate. Furthermore, when plated into a fresh medium and in the absence of stressors, persistent bacteria typically remain in the lag phase longer before resuming active replication. This study aims to evaluate <i>in vitro</i> whether the formation of persistent cells in a strain of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> can be triggered by exposure to osmotic stress and if this phenomenon can increase heat resistance in the bacterial population. In a first experiment, the lag time distribution of a <i>L. monocytogenes</i> strain grown in a 6% NaCl broth was evaluated using the software ScanLag. A stationary phase broth culture was inoculated on agar plates placed on an office scanner inside an incubator at 37°C. The plates were scanned every 20' for 4 days and the acquired images were automatically elaborated with the aid of MatLab software in order to evaluate the appearance times of every single colony. The experiment was also carried out on a control culture obtained by growing the strain in the broth without salt. In a second experiment, the same broth cultures, after proper dilutions to rebalance NaCl concentration, were subjected to a heat treatment at 51°C and the death curves obtained were parameterized using the GinaFit system. Results showed that the lag phase of 31.40% of the salt culture colonies was long enough to suppose the formation of persistent bacteria. Analyses of the thermal survival curves showed that the <i>shoulder</i> and <i>tail</i> model was the one that best represented the inactivation trend of the salt culture, unlike the control culture, whose trend was essentially linear. Results of the present study show how exposure to salt could induce the formation of persistent bacteria in a <i>L. monocytogenes</i> strain. The last raises concerns as persistent cells may not only be undetected with common analytical techniques but they even show a greater heat resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"10880"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/4f/6a/ijfs-12-1-10880.PMC10102965.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9372109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food safety culture in food companies: evaluation of the perception of food safety culture in three Tuscan food companies.","authors":"Francesca Marconi,&nbsp;Martina Sartoni,&nbsp;Roberta Nuvoloni,&nbsp;Beatrice Torracca,&nbsp;Matteo Gagliardi,&nbsp;Giulia Zappalà,&nbsp;Alessandra Guidi,&nbsp;Francesca Pedonese","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2021/382 (European Commission, 2021), amending the Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 (European Commission, 2004), introduced the obligation for companies to establish and maintain a food safety culture (FSC). The methodology to evaluate, implement, and enhance the level of FSC is up to the individual companies. This study aimed to investigate the perception of FSC among the employees of 3 Tuscan medium-sized enterprises in the food sector, producing cured meat (A), dairy products (B), and frozen fish products (C). The survey was conducted through the development and administration of a questionnaire based on a 5 points Likert scale, referring to different aspects of FSC, organized in 6 sections with 5-6 statements each and subjected to a percentage of employees between 76 and 85%, classified also by the length of service (≤3 and >3 years). For all the companies, the minimum median and mode value for scores obtained by the different sections was 4, and the minimum median and mode value for the single statement was 3 (A, B; except for a bimodal value 2-4) and 4 (C). The section <i>awareness and perception of risk</i> showed the highest mean scores in all companies. As for the length of service, senior employees gave lower scores than junior ones in all sections in B and 3 sections in C. Overall, the results of the questionnaires showed a good perception of FSC, even though it was possible to identify some partial weaknesses.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"11012"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/df/bf/ijfs-12-1-11012.PMC10102961.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation on the microbiological hazards in an artisanal salami produced in Northern Italy and its production environment in different seasonal periods.","authors":"Lucia Gambi,&nbsp;Cecilia Crippa,&nbsp;Alex Lucchi,&nbsp;Gerardo Manfreda,&nbsp;Alessandra de Cesare,&nbsp;Frédérique Pasquali","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10831","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10831","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the present study, the occurrence of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Salmonella spp</i>. and <i>Escherichia coli</i> VTEC was investigated in two batches of artisanal Italian salami tested in winter and summer. Moreover, enumerations of total bacterial count, lactic acid bacteria and <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i> were performed as well as monitoring of water activity and pH. Samples were taken from raw materials, production process environment, semi-finished product and finished products. The results revealed an overall increase of total bacterial count and lactic acid bacteria during the ripening period, along with a decrease of <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i>, pH and water activity. No significant difference was observed between the two batches. The enterobacterial load appeared to decrease during the maturation period mainly due to a decrease in pH and water activity below the limits that allow the growth of these bacteria. <i>E. coli</i> VTEC, <i>Salmonella</i> spp. or <i>L. monocytogenes</i> were not detected in both winter and summer batches. However, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> was detected in both summer and winter products. Except for one isolate, no biological hazards were detected in the finished salami, proving the efficacy of the ripening period in controlling the occurrence of microbiological hazard in ripened salami. Further studies are required to assess the virulence potential of the <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> isolates.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"10831"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/f0/39/ijfs-12-1-10831.PMC10102968.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of essential oils against dual-species biofilm of <i>Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> in a Ricotta-based model system.","authors":"Francesca Maggio,&nbsp;Annalisa Serio,&nbsp;Chiara Rossi,&nbsp;Chiara Purgatorio,&nbsp;Francesco Buccioni,&nbsp;Clemencia Chaves-López,&nbsp;Antonello Paparella","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biofilms represent an evolutionary form of life, which translates from life in free-living cells to a community lifestyle. In natural habitats, biofilms are a multispecies complex, where synergies or antagonisms can be established. For example, <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> and <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> are associated with a dual-species biofilm that is widespread in dairy plants. In food plants, multiple strategies are devised to control biofilms, including natural compounds such as essential oils (EOs). In this respect, this study evaluated the effectiveness of <i>Thymbra capitata</i> (L.) Cav. (TEO) and <i>Cinnamomum zeylanicum</i> (CEO) against a dual-species biofilm of <i>L. monocytogenes</i> and <i>P. fluorescens</i>, mimicking dairy process conditions. Based on Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations results, the EOs concentration (10 μL/mL) was chosen for the antibiofilm assay at 12°C on polystyrene (PS), and stainless-steel surfaces for 168 h, using a Ricotta-based model system as culture medium. Biofilm biomass was assessed by crystal violet staining, and the planktonic and sessile cells were quantified in terms of Log CFU/cm². Results showed that CEO displayed the greatest antibiofilm activity, reducing significantly (P<0.05) <i>P. fluorescens</i> and <i>L. monocytogenes</i> sessile cells of about 2.5 and 2.8 Log CFU/cm² after 72 h, respectively. However, <i>L. monocytogenes</i> gained the protection of <i>P. fluorescens</i>, evading CEO treatment and showing a minimal sessile cell reduction of 0.7 Log CFU/cm² after 72 h. Considering the outcome of this study, CEO might have promising perspectives for applications in dairy facilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"11048"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/db/c7/ijfs-12-1-11048.PMC10102963.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of commercial protective cultures in portioned sheep milk cheeses to control <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>.","authors":"Rita Sanna,&nbsp;Francesca Piras,&nbsp;Giuliana Siddi,&nbsp;Maria Pina Meloni,&nbsp;Mariella Demontis,&nbsp;Vincenzo Spanu,&nbsp;Gavino Nieddu,&nbsp;Mario Cuccu,&nbsp;Enrico Pietro Luigi De Santis,&nbsp;Christian Scarano","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10484","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10484","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The main objective of this study was to innovate soft and semi-cooked sheep milk cheese production processes with the use of a commercial protective culture able to control <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> growth. A freeze-dried commercial culture of <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> was tested in DS cheese and PS cheese, two types of pasteurized sheep milk, raw-paste cheeses aged for no less than 20 and 30 days respectively. In the first step, <i>in vitro</i> tests were conducted to identify the most suitable matrix for the growth of <i>L. plantarum</i> in order to create a subculture that could be used at industrial cheese-making plants. During the second phase of the study, <i>L. plantarum</i> culture was introduced in the manufacturing process of the cheeses in a production plant. Finally, a challenge test was conducted on portioned DS and PS cheeses in order to evaluate the activity of the protective culture against <i>L. monocytogenes</i>: the cheeses were portioned, experimentally contaminated with <i>L. monocytogenes</i> strains, vacuum packed and stored at +4°C (correct storage conditions) and at +10°C (thermal abuse). Cheeses were analysed at the end of the shelf-life to evaluate the presence and growth of <i>L. monocytogenes</i>, to enumerate lactic acid bacteria and determine chemicalphysical features. The results confirmed that protective cultures are a useful technological innovation to control <i>L. monocytogenes</i> growth during cheese storage without altering composition, microflora and chemical- physical characteristics of the product. However, the use of protective cultures should be applied as an integration of risk control measures and not as a substitute for preventive actions.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"10484"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/1e/0f/ijfs-12-1-10484.PMC10102964.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retrospective analysis of Vibrio spp. isolated from marketed crustaceans using multilocus sequence analysis.","authors":"Mohammad Shamsur Rahman,&nbsp;Sarah Currò,&nbsp;Lisa Carraro,&nbsp;Barbara Cardazzo,&nbsp;Stefania Balzan,&nbsp;Enrico Novelli,&nbsp;Federico Fontana,&nbsp;Greta Caburlotto,&nbsp;Amedeo Manfrin,&nbsp;Luca Fasolato","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genus <i>Vibrio</i> includes bacteria with different morphological and metabolic characteristics responsible for different human and animal diseases. An accurate identification is essential to assess the risks in regard to aquatic organisms and consequently to public health. The Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) scheme developed on the basis of 4 housekeeping genes (<i>gyr</i>B, <i>pyr</i>H, <i>rec</i>A and <i>atp</i>A) was applied to identify 92 <i>Vibrio</i> strains isolated from crustaceans in 2011. Concatenated sequences were used for the phylogenetic and population analyses and the results were compared with those from biochemical identification tests. From the phylogenetic analysis, 10 clusters and 4 singletons emerged, whereas the population analysis highlighted 12 subpopulations that were well supported by phylogeny with few exceptions. The retrospective analysis allowed correct re-attribution of isolated species, indicating how, for some pathogens, there may be an overestimation of phenotypic identification (<i>e.g</i>. <i>V. parahaemolyticus</i>). Use of the PubMLST <i>Vibrio</i> database highlighted a possible genetic link between Sequence Type (ST) 529 and ST195 (<i>V. alginolyticus</i>) isolated from a human case in Norway during 2018. In addition to the identification of major risk groups of <i>V. cholerae</i>, <i>V. vulnificus</i> and <i>V. parahaemolyticus</i>, MLSA could be a valid support for species considered a minor risk, such as <i>V. alginolyticus</i>, <i>V. mimicus</i> and <i>V. fluvialis</i>. Due to the increased incidence of vibriosis in Europe, the application of different tools will also have to be considered to investigate the possible epidemiological links of the various species in the perspective of <i>Open Science</i> to protect the consumer.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"11045"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/81/21/ijfs-12-1-11045.PMC10102960.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9321854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}