Journal of food protection最新文献

{"title":"A Machine–Learning Approach Reveals That Bacterial Spore Levels in Organic Bulk Tank Milk are Dependent on Farm Characteristics and Meteorological Factors","authors":"Chenhao Qian,&nbsp;Renee T. Lee,&nbsp;Rachel L. Weachock,&nbsp;Martin Wiedmann,&nbsp;Nicole H. Martin","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100477","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100477","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bacterial spores in raw milk can lead to quality issues in milk and milk-derived products. As these spores originate from farm environments, it is important to understand the contributions of farm-level factors to spore levels. This study aimed to investigate the impact of farm management practices and meteorological factors on levels of different spore types in organic raw milk using machine learning models. Raw milk from certified organic dairy farms (<em>n</em> = 102) located across 11 states was collected 6 times over a year and tested for standard plate count, psychrotolerant spore count, mesophilic spore count, thermophilic spore count, and butyric acid bacteria. At each sampling date, a survey about farm management practices was collected and meteorological factors were obtained on the date of sampling as well as 1, 2, and 3 days prior. The dataset was stratified separately based on the use of a parlor for milking, number of years since organic certification, and pasture time into subdatasets to address confounders. We constructed random forest regression models to predict log₁₀ mesophilic spore count, log₁₀ thermophilic spore count, and log₁₀ butyric acid bacteria’s most probable number as well as a random forest classification model to classify the presence of psychrotolerant spores in each raw milk sample. The summary statistics showed that spore levels vary considerably between certified organic farms but were only slightly higher than those from conventional farms in previous longitudinal studies. The variable importance plots from the models suggest that herd size, certification year, employee-related variables, clipping and flaming udders are important for the spore levels in organic raw milk. The small effects of these variables as shown in partial dependence plots suggest a need for individualized risk-based approach to manage spore levels. Incorporating novel data streams has the potential to enhance the performance of the model as a real-time monitoring tool.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 5","pages":"Article 100477"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143585961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploration of Shrimp and Their Environments for the Detection of Antibiotic Resistance Genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Spectrophotometry of Shrimp Muscles for Heavy Metals and Their Human Health Risk Assessment in Bangladesh","authors":"M. Sohidullah ,&nbsp;Md. Hamidur Rahman ,&nbsp;Abu Sayeed ,&nbsp;Sadia Rahman ,&nbsp;Linta Yesmin ,&nbsp;Md. Imran Chowdhury ,&nbsp;Md. Jannat Hossain ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ashiqul Alam ,&nbsp;Md. Salauddin ,&nbsp;Md. Habibur Rahman ,&nbsp;Md. Tazinur Rahman ,&nbsp;Sayeed Khaled Sabbir","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100475","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100475","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through deteriorating the quality of shrimp, <em>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</em> and heavy metals have become threatened to food safety. The study was conducted to explore shrimp and their environments for antibiotic resistance genes of <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> and perform spectrophotometry of shrimp muscles for heavy metals and their human health risk assessment. In total, 130 samples (shrimp, water, and sediment) were aseptically collected from 27 ponds in four areas of Khulna and Satkhira districts where the number of water and sediments was corresponded to the number of ponds and the number of shrimps differed from pond to pond. <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> were detected by cultural, staining, biochemical, and molecular techniques targeting <em>groEL</em>, <em>tetA</em>, <em>tetB</em>, <em>tetC</em>, and <em>bla</em>_TEM genes. Disc diffusion assay and bivariate analysis were performed for investigating antibiotic resistance profiles of <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em>. Cadmium, chromium, lead, zinc, and iron were measured by AAS (atomic absorption spectrometry) in shrimp. Among 39 isolates (23 from shrimp, 7 from water, 9 from sediment), real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) detected 20 of 27 as positive for <em>groEL</em>, 12 of 20 for <em>tetA</em>, 13 for <em>tetB</em>, 12 for <em>tetC</em>, and 1 for <em>bla</em>_TEM. <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> were highly resistant to tetracycline and ampicillin. Bivariate analysis revealed a significant correlation between the antibiotics. A total of 51.28% of isolates were MDR (multidrug resistant), and the MAR (multiple antibiotic resistance) indices ranged from 0.08 to 0.6. The highest average concentration for Cd was in Debhata, Pb in Dumuria, Cr in Kaliganj, Zn and Fe in Satkhira Sadar. THQ (target hazard quotients) of &gt;1 for Fe in all sampling sites showed a higher level of HI (hazard index). No determined TR (target cancer risk) value exceeded the recommended value (&lt;10⁻⁴). The study emphasizes the significance of adopting extensive surveillance and monitoring of a large number of shrimp farms for effective antibiotic management and sustainable shrimp production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 4","pages":"Article 100475"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143537195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Systematic Review on Preharvest Interventions Used to Control Salmonella in Poultry Rearing in the United States","authors":"Bashiru C. Bakin ,&nbsp;Kathryn Stolte-Carroll ,&nbsp;Jessica Sigman ,&nbsp;Stephanie M. Ritchie ,&nbsp;Glenn E. Tillman ,&nbsp;Iva Bilanovic ,&nbsp;Barbara B. Kowalcyk","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100474","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100474","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Preharvest interventions can play an important role in reducing <em>Salmonella</em> prevalence and levels entering poultry slaughter and processing establishments. Currently, there is no systematic literature review of preharvest interventions that control <em>Salmonella</em> in poultry in the United States (U.S.). The objective herein was to synthesize literature published on the effectiveness of preharvest interventions in U.S. poultry production. Utilizing the <em>Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews</em> guidelines, a literature search was conducted. Experimental studies published from 1995 to 2022 assessing preharvest interventions to control <em>Salmonella</em> in U.S. poultry farms were included in the review if they reported prevalence or levels of <em>Salmonella</em>. Data were extracted from each article by two reviewers. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize key study parameters, (e.g., study design, study location, poultry type, <em>Salmonella</em> serotypes, type of intervention) and effectiveness of intervention. A total of 12,403 publications were identified, and 234 publications were included in the final review. The most evaluated interventions were feed/water additives (51.50%), competitive exclusion culture (10.30%), vaccination/immunization (7.88%), chemical treatments/compounds (5.45%), and probiotic culture (4.85%). Most studies focused on broiler chicken (78.20%) compared to turkey and investigated <em>Salmonella</em> Typhimurium (37.60%), <em>S.</em> Enteritidis (29.10%), and <em>S.</em> Heidelberg (8.48%). Overall, the effectiveness of evaluated interventions varied, though one should consider differences may be due to study design, sample sizes, and duration of interventions. This review improves our understanding of the breadth of preharvest interventions and their effectiveness against <em>Salmonella</em> in poultry and can be used to inform food safety policies and practices around poultry to protect public health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 4","pages":"Article 100474"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143537213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inactivation Kinetics of Alicylobacillus acidoterrestris Spores and Determination of Spore Germicidal Fluences Under UV-C Treatment","authors":"Quail Das ,&nbsp;Laura Arvaj ,&nbsp;Alysha Cooper ,&nbsp;Zeny Feng ,&nbsp;Michael Sasges ,&nbsp;Ankit Patras ,&nbsp;Cezar M. Khursigara ,&nbsp;Sampathkumar Balamurugan","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100473","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100473","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study is to measure the UV-C inactivation kinetics and determine the fluences required for incremental inactivation of <em>Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris</em> (AAT). Spores from five strains of AAT (ATCC 49025, DSM 2498, VF, SAC, and WAC) were suspended in clear phosphate−buffered saline (PBS) and individually treated with UV-C doses up to 100 mJ/cm². A collimated beam device emitting UV-C at 254 nm (from a monochromatic low-pressure mercury lamp [LPM]) and at 268 nm (from UV light-emitting diodes [UV-LEDs]) was used for UV treatments. The log reduction from each treatment was plotted against the UV-C fluence. Curve fitting using the GInaFiT tool for Excel was attempted using both linear and nonlinear regression models. The goodness-of-fit and model performances, assessed using Akaike’s Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion, revealed that the Weibull model provided a better fit for the inactivation data and was thus used to determine UV-C doses required for 1-log inactivation and incremental log inactivation. Similar AAT spore inactivation efficacy was observed at both 254 and 268 nm. A UV-C dose of 100 mJ/cm² at 254 nm inactivated &gt;4-log CFU/mL, while at 268 nm, a 3.7–5.08-log CFU/mL reduction was observed for AAT strains ATCC 49025, DSM 2498, WAC, and VF. Among the five strains of AAT tested, spores of WAC demonstrated greater resistance, requiring UV-C doses of 2.76 mJ/cm² and 100 mJ/cm² for 1-log (D₁₀-value) and 4-log inactivation at 254 nm, and 5.89 mJ/cm² and &gt;100 mJ/cm² at 268 nm. In contrast, spores of SAC showed greater sensitivity, with UV-C doses of 1.87 mJ/cm² and 47.92 mJ/cm² required for 1-log and 4-log inactivation at 254 nm, and 6.20 mJ/cm² and 44.61 mJ/cm² at 268 nm. This study lays the foundation for designing a successful UV-based nonthermal pasteurization system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 4","pages":"Article 100473"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143537200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sanitation Interventions for Reducing Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella on Canvas and Cordura® Harvest Bags","authors":"Cyril A. Etaka ,&nbsp;Daniel L. Weller ,&nbsp;Alexis M. Hamilton ,&nbsp;Faith Critzer ,&nbsp;Laura K. Strawn","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100472","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100472","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food contact surfaces, including harvest bags, are potential vectors for cross-contamination in produce operations, yet recommendations for their sanitation are limited. This study evaluated the efficacy of wet- and dry-based sanitizers in reducing <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> and <em>Salmonella</em> on two harvest bag materials, canvas, and Cordura®. Coupons (25 cm²) were inoculated with 5-strain cocktails of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> or <em>Salmonella</em> (∼7 log CFU/coupon) before treatment. Treatments included chlorine (200 ppm; pH 7), peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 200 ppm), isopropyl alcohol with quaternary ammonium compounds (IPAQuats; ready-to-use), steam, and water. Sanitizers were applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions for a 1-minute contact time. After treatment, pathogen concentrations were enumerated on selective (Modified Oxford, Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate) and non-selective (Tryptic Soy Agar) media. Duplicate experiments were conducted with five replicates per treatment (<em>n</em> = 10) and pathogen reductions were evaluated using log-linear mixed-effects models. IPAQuats observed the highest reductions with <em>L. monocytogenes</em> reductions of 5.16 ± 0.93 log CFU/coupon and 6.01 ± 0.49 log CFU/coupon, and <em>Salmonella</em> reductions of 4.61 ± 1.03 log CFU/coupon and 5.90 ± 0.57 log CFU/coupon on canvas and Cordura®, respectively. PAA resulted in <em>L. monocytogenes</em> reductions of 2.63 ± 0.56 and 3.92 ± 0.81 log CFU/coupon and <em>Salmonella</em> reductions of 3.68 ± 0.79 and 3.21 ± 1.14 log CFU/coupon on canvas and Cordura®, respectively. Chlorine and steam were less effective with reductions of &lt;3 log CFU/coupon for both pathogens and materials. While no difference in <em>L. monocytogenes</em> reduction was observed between materials by treatment, <em>Salmonella</em> reductions on Cordura® were significantly higher than reductions on canvas after treatments with IPAQuats (1.62 log CFU/coupon; 95% CI = 1.19, 2.05) and steam (0.84 log CFU/coupon; 95% CI = 0.42, 1.28). Results provide recommendations for produce growers on effective sanitation of harvest bags.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 5","pages":"Article 100472"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143531390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Material Type and Relative Humidity on the Survival of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica on Harvest Bags","authors":"Cyril A. Etaka ,&nbsp;Daniel L. Weller ,&nbsp;Tuan Le ,&nbsp;Alexis Hamilton ,&nbsp;Faith J. Critzer ,&nbsp;Laura K. Strawn","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100471","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100471","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Harvest bags, if not properly cleaned and sanitized, can serve as sources of microbial contamination, making it vital to understand pathogen survival on these surfaces to inform sanitation best practices. The study objective was to assess the survival of generic <em>Escherichia coli</em>, <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em>, and <em>Salmonella enterica</em> on harvest bag materials: 100% canvas, nylon, and Cordura. Coupons from each material were inoculated with rifampicin-resistant strains of <em>E. coli</em> or rifampicin-resistant 5-strain cocktails of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> or <em>S. enterica</em> at ca. 7.3 ± 0.1 log CFU/coupon. Coupons were air-dried until the inoculum was visibly dry and held at 22°C under different relative humidity (RH) conditions: 30 or 80% RH for <em>E. coli</em> (90 d) and 55% RH for <em>L. monocytogenes</em> and <em>S. enterica</em> (21 d). <em>E. coli</em> concentration was enumerated at 12 time-points: 0, 1.5, 4, and 8 h, and 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, and 90 d post-inoculation. <em>L. monocytogenes</em> and <em>S. enterica</em> levels were enumerated at 10 time-points: 0, 1, 4, and 8 h, and 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 21 d. Coupons were massaged for 60 s with 20 mL of 0.1% peptone and plated in duplicate on selective and non-selective media in triplicate experiments with triplicate replicates (<em>n</em> = 9). Models were fitted to describe bacterial die-off in log CFU/coupon over time. <em>E. coli</em> exhibited a triphasic die-off with a faster rate of die-off on nylon surfaces. <em>S. enterica</em> demonstrated greater die-off on Cordura compared to canvas, and <em>L. monocytogenes</em> followed a biphasic die-off, with no significant difference in survival across the materials. Findings indicate <em>E. coli</em> survival was influenced by RH, time, and material, with the fastest die-off on nylon materials. <em>S. enterica</em> die-off was influenced by material and time with a faster die-off on Cordura. <em>L. monocytogenes</em> exhibited similar die-off on canvas and Cordura. Sanitization of harvest bags is recommended to reduce contamination risks as pathogen survival can be influenced by bag material and environmental conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 5","pages":"Article 100471"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143523649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbiological Testing Results of Boneless and Ground Beef Purchased for the National School Lunch Program, School Years 2019–2022","authors":"William A. Stone ,&nbsp;Stephen J. Whisenant ,&nbsp;Angelia Gale ,&nbsp;Glenn E. Tillman ,&nbsp;Amos Hardy ,&nbsp;Carl M. Schroeder ,&nbsp;Darin R. Doerscher","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100469","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100469","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases beef for the National School Lunch Program and other federal nutrition assistance programs. For beef to be delivered to foodservice facilities raw, each ca. 900 kg lot of boneless beef raw material and each ca. 4,500 kg sublot of resultant ground beef is tested for standard plate count organisms (SPCs), coliforms, generic <em>Escherichia coli</em>, <em>Salmonella</em>, and <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7. Additionally, one of every 10 lots of boneless beef, randomly selected, is tested for Shiga toxin-producing non-O157 <em>E. coli</em> (STEC) O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. For beef that will be cooked using a validated lethality step at a federally inspected establishment prior to delivery, each lot of boneless beef and each sublot of ground beef is tested for SPCs, coliforms, and generic <em>E. coli</em> only. Any lot or sublot exceeding predefined critical limits (CLs) of 100,000 CFU g⁻¹ for SPCs, 1,000 CFU g⁻¹ for coliforms, or 500 CFU g⁻¹ for generic <em>E. coli</em>, or containing <em>Salmonella</em> or STEC (O157:H7 or non-O157), is rejected for purchase. For school years 2019 through 2022 (July 2018 through June 2022), 199,955,763 kg of boneless beef and 176,852,781 kg of ground beef were produced for AMS. For boneless beef, 198 (0.09%), 344 (0.16%), and 169 (0.08%) of 218,349 lots exceeded CLs for SPCs, coliforms, and generic <em>E. coli</em>, respectively; 1,678 (1.44%) and 144 (0.12%) of 116,873 lots tested for pathogens were positive for <em>Salmonella</em> and <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7, respectively; and 20 (0.16%) of 12,133 lots tested were positive for non-O157 STEC. For ground beef, 46 (0.11%), 40 (0.09%), and 15 (0.03%) of 43,346 sublots exceeded CLs for SPCs, coliforms, and generic <em>E. coli</em>, respectively; and 260 (1.34%) and 8 (0.04%) of 19,444 sublots were positive for <em>Salmonella</em> and <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done on 1,770 <em>Salmonella</em> isolates, 112 <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 isolates, and 14 non-O157 STEC isolates. Resistance to ≥1 antimicrobial was observed for 726 (41.02%) <em>Salmonella</em> isolates, 27 (24.11%) <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 isolates, and 1 (7.14%) non-O157 isolates. All lots and sublots found to exceed indicator organism CLs or to contain pathogens were rejected for purchase and diverted from federal nutrition assistance programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 4","pages":"Article 100469"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143468236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An outbreak of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli Serotype O145:H28 Associated with Domestic Travel and Consumption of Unpasteurized Cheese, UK, 2023","authors":"Orlagh I. Quinn ,&nbsp;Claire Jenkins ,&nbsp;David R. Greig ,&nbsp;Susan Neale ,&nbsp;Frieda Jorgensen ,&nbsp;Yanshi ,&nbsp;Thomas Inns ,&nbsp;Lesley Allison ,&nbsp;Lynda Browning ,&nbsp;Amy Douglas ,&nbsp;Sooria Balasegram","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100470","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100470","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Unpasteurized dairy products carry an inherent risk of being contaminated with STEC and/or other zoonotic gastrointestinal pathogens. In November 2023, a genetically linked and geographically dispersed outbreak of 36 cases of Shiga toxin-producing <em>Escherichia coli</em> (STEC) O145:H28 was detected by the foodborne gastrointestinal pathogens surveillance systems at the UK Health Security Agency, using whole genome sequencing. Reported symptoms included diarrhoea (81%), bloody diarrhoea (65%), vomiting (84%), and 47% of cases were admitted to hospital. A review of the completed enhanced surveillance questionnaires (<em>n</em> = 29) revealed 18 cases reporting travelling first class on trains operated by the same company prior to onset of symptoms, of which 16/18 consumed the same meal which included an unpasteurized cheese. Microbiological testing of the cheese products did not detect the outbreak strain; however, STEC O145:H28 was detected in two bovine fecal samples collected at the dairy farm where the unpasteurized cheese was produced. Analysis of the genome sequencing data confirmed that the 36 human STEC O145 isolates and the two bovine STEC O145 isolates fell within the same 5 SNP single linkage cluster. These findings indicated that the cattle were the likely source of the human infections, via the consumption of contaminated unpasteurized cheese. The food business operator voluntarily recalled the implicated product from sale. Vulnerable groups, such as those who are very young, elderly, pregnant, or immunocompromised, should avoid consuming raw drinking milk and cheeses. Due to advances in clinical molecular diagnostics and enhanced epidemiological surveillance, notifications of foodborne outbreaks of STEC other than serogroups O157 are increasing in the UK. Further improvements in microbiological methods for detecting STEC on the farm and in food are essential for the presale identification of contaminated food items and to reduce the risks to public health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 4","pages":"Article 100470"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143468232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel Species-Specific Primers Enable Accurate Detection and Quantification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa via qPCR","authors":"Chaerin Kim ,&nbsp;Ravi Jothi ,&nbsp;Kwang-Kyo Oh,&nbsp;Dong Suk Park","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100467","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100467","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa,</em> a notable pathogen in nosocomial infections, also emerges as a significant and often underestimated foodborne pathogen, frequently identified in diverse food categories, including meat, milk, fruits, vegetables, and water. Its resilience, virulence, and ability to form biofilms necessitate the development of novel methods for early detection of its presence in food products. This study aims to identify, design, and validate specific genetic markers for <em>P. aeruginosa</em> detection through quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis. In this study, 816 publicly available genome sequences of <em>P. aeruginosa</em> strains were compared to identify a conserved and specific gene encoding a hypothetical protein (WP_003109295.1) in <em>P. aeruginosa</em> DSM 50071. Primers targeting this gene region were designed and validated for their ability to detect <em>P. aeruginosa</em> using qPCR, demonstrating a high level of sensitivity and specificity for <em>P. aeruginosa</em> among various <em>Pseudomonas</em> species. Further validation through standard curve analysis using three different templates such as cloned DNA, genomic DNA, and cell suspension confirmed the exceptional sensitivity and specificity of the designed primers in quantifying <em>P. aeruginosa</em> via qPCR. Additionally, the on-site application of these primers was validated on <em>P. aeruginosa</em>-inoculated carrot samples, highlighting their reliability and accuracy. The proposed direct qPCR method offers substantial advantages for the rapid, simple, and specific detection of <em>P. aeruginosa</em>, enhancing the efficiency of diagnostic and monitoring processes for this pathogen in food and vegetable distribution systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 4","pages":"Article 100467"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143433288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biofilm-forming Abilities of Salmonella Serovars Isolated From Clinically Ill Livestock at 48 and 168 h","authors":"Samantha R. Locke ,&nbsp;Poonam G. Vinayamohan ,&nbsp;Dubraska Diaz-Campos ,&nbsp;Gregory Habing","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100466","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100466","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Little is known regarding the biofilm-forming capabilities of a somewhat distinct population of <em>Salmonellae</em> present on-farm and responsible for illnesses in livestock and humans. Evaluation of cleaning and disinfection in preharvest environments has found little success in eradicating <em>Salmonella</em> biofilms to date. Disrupting the environmental survival of <em>Salmonella</em> via biofilm removal will be critical to reducing carriage in livestock reservoirs and the risk of foodborne illness. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the biofilm-forming abilities of <em>Salmonellae</em> relevant to livestock and human health. Eighty-one isolates from 8 serovars (<em>S</em>. Typhimurium, Heidelberg, Montevideo, Agona, Newport, Dublin, 4,[5],12:i:-, Enteritidis) were sourced from poultry and clinically ill cattle, swine, and equine. We hypothesized that biofilm production rate would vary significantly between serovars, and biofilm density would increase from 48 to 168 hrs. Isolates were grown in 24-well microplates in tryptone soy broth at ambient temperature, with media refreshed every 48 h. Biofilm density was quantified using crystal violet assays. Strong biofilm formers comprised 84% (68/81) of isolates tested, while 5.9% (4/81) were considered weak. Biofilm density was significantly greater at 168 h versus 48 h for all serovars except Dublin. Additionally, biofilm growth rate varied by serovar. Differences in biofilm-associated genes were evaluated, and only the detection of <em>csrB</em> was significantly associated with the categorization of biofilm producers. Results suggest inconsistent cleaning likely allows for the establishment of biofilms in on-farm environments. Further, some serovars may pose a greater risk for rapid biofilm establishment. This study provides data necessary to inform the development of evidence-based cleaning and disinfection protocols effective against the most prolific biofilm-forming strains of virulent <em>Salmonella.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 4","pages":"Article 100466"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143425584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}