Journal of food protection最新文献

{"title":"Behavior of Inoculated Staphylococcus aureus During the Rearing of Protaetia brevitarsis Larvae on Fermented Oak Sawdust as a Food Product","authors":"K.M. Park ,&nbsp;S.Y. Kim ,&nbsp;Y.S. Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100588","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing use of edible insects as alternative protein sources underscores the need to ensure their microbiological safety. This study evaluated the fate of <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> during the rearing of <em>Protaetia brevitarsis</em> larvae on oak sawdust substrate inoculated with high (7 log) and low (3 log) levels of the bacterium. In the substrate, <em>S. aureus</em> declined rapidly and fell below the detection limit (&lt;1 log CFU/g) within five days, regardless of the initial level. Similarly, in larvae, <em>S. aureus</em> was detected until day 2 but not thereafter. In fasted larvae, <em>S. aureus</em> became undetectable from day 2, suggesting fasting may facilitate its elimination. Aerobic bacteria and coliforms were also monitored. In the substrate, total aerobic counts ranged from 8.0 to 8.3 log CFU/g at day 0, remained stable until day 10, and then decreased to 7.6 log CFU/g. In larvae, aerobic counts stayed around 7.2 log CFU/g until day 5 and then slightly increased. Coliform levels in larvae were 1–3 log CFU/g lower (3.2–5.0 log) than in substrate (5.0–8.0 log CFU/g) at day 5, but differences became negligible by day 10. These findings suggest that while externally introduced <em>S. aureus</em> may not persist during rearing, aerobic bacteria and coliforms remain as dominant microbial groups. Thus, postharvest processing such as drying, freezing, or heat treatment is necessary to ensure the microbial safety of <em>P. brevitarsis</em> larvae for human consumption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 10","pages":"Article 100588"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144753457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thematic Analysis of Produce Packinghouse Sanitation: Challenges and Recommendations Based on Operator and Educator Insights","authors":"Allyson N. Hamilton ,&nbsp;Sahaana Chandran ,&nbsp;Kristen E. Gibson ,&nbsp;Juan Moreira","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ensuring food safety in produce packinghouses is vital for preventing foodborne illnesses and safeguarding public health. This study identifies cleaning and sanitation challenges within packinghouse environments through thematic analysis of interviews with produce safety educators (<em>N</em> = 21) and packinghouse operators (<em>N</em> = 15). Key challenges include resource limitations, knowledge gaps, outdated equipment, language barriers, and reluctance to invest in change. Small-scale growers often struggle with access to essential tools and supplies, while others may lack foundational knowledge regarding proper cleaning and sanitizing techniques. High employee turnover further complicates consistent training efforts. Language barriers hinder effective communication, particularly among non-English speaking workers and growers. In addition, reluctance or even the inability to invest in change can obstruct the adoption of improved practices. The study highlights specific contamination risks linked with common food-contact surfaces, such as wood, plastic, and stainless steel along with foam rollers, brushes, and rubber surfaces. Cleaning practices vary significantly, ranging from power washing and alcohol wipes to scrubbing with dish soap and steam cleaning. Sanitizers including chlorine, quaternary ammonium compounds, and peroxyacetic acid are frequently employed. Verification of cleaning effectiveness often relies on visual inspection rather than standardized methods such as environmental monitoring or Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) testing. Recommendations based on these findings include developing clear, accessible training materials, enhancing communication for consistent messaging regarding cleaning and sanitation practices, and investing in research for more effective cleaning technologies and durable food-contact surfaces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100587"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144753458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reduction of Enteric Pathogens in Bottled Water Using Residual Ozone","authors":"William Ryan Schwaner ,&nbsp;Sanjay Kumar ,&nbsp;Harshavardhan Thippareddi","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100585","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100585","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ozone is an effective and safe disinfectant used globally in the bottled water industry. Ozone infusion at a high level helps maintain a residual level (0.1–0.4 mg/L) at the time of bottling, thus can ensure 4 log microbial reductions. This study validated the efficacy of residual ozone against <em>Escherichia coli</em> O157:H7, non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing <em>E. coli</em> (STEC; O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145), and <em>Salmonella</em> Typhimurium. A pilot-scale ozone system infused 0.5 L polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles with ozonated water (0.1–0.4 mg/L). Pathogens were inoculated into samples (∼6 or 4 log CFU/mL) immediately after ozonation treatment, followed by incubation at 25 °C for 5–180 min. Additional trials evaluated the isolated effect of pH (5.0, 7.0, and 9.0) and total dissolved solids (TDS; 5, 50, and 500 mg/L) at a fixed ozone concentration (0.1 mg/L ozone) and contact time (30 min). Posttreatment samples were neutralized (0.1% sodium thiosulfate), filtered, and plated on Petri films for enumeration (35 °C, 48 h). Neutralization (0.1% sodium thiosulfate) was validated to have no antimicrobial effect in controls. All pathogens exhibited ≥4 log reductions across ozone concentrations (0.1–0.4 mg/L), contact times (≥5 min), and inoculum levels (6 or 4 log CFU/mL). Extended contact (30–180 min) did not enhance reduction. However, at 500 mg/L TDS, reductions fell below 4 logs: <em>Salmonella</em> (2.60 log ± 1.24), <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 (1.72 log ± 1.10), and non-O157 STEC (2.74 log ± 1.45). Similarly, pH 5.0 and 9.0 resulted in &lt;4 log reductions. While residual ozone effectively achieves microbial safety benchmarks, elevated TDS and nonneutral pH significantly impair efficacy. These findings underscore the necessity of monitoring water quality parameters to optimize ozone disinfection in bottled water facilities, ensuring consistent compliance with food safety standards.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100585"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144718020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Probiotics and Prebiotics in Foodborne Illness: Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Directions","authors":"Louise Iara Gomes de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Ana Rita Ribeiro de Araujo ,&nbsp;Tatiana Colombo Pimentel ,&nbsp;Vittorio Capozzi ,&nbsp;Taliana Kenia Alves Bezerra ,&nbsp;Marciane Magnani","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100584","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100584","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Foodborne diseases (FBDs) represent a global public health concern, with millions of reported annual cases resulting in significant outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths. In this context, probiotics and prebiotics emerge among the promising alternatives to antibiotics. This mini-review aims to analyze the available evidence, mechanisms, and perspectives on the possible role of probiotics and prebiotics in preventing or treating FBDs. Probiotics have demonstrated effectiveness against various pathogens by producing antimicrobial substances such as fatty acids, organic acids, volatile compounds, and bacteriocins, resulting in immune system regulation, reducing the viable number of these microorganisms, and eliminating or neutralizing their toxins. Furthermore, they may offer health benefits through the positive modulation of the gut microbiota, strengthening immunity, and reducing pathogen colonization. Prebiotics, in turn, act as substrates promoting the growth of probiotics and increasing the production of desired metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs support probiotics in competing with pathogens, particularly for adhesion sites on intestinal cells. Prebiotics can also have direct antimicrobial action, controlling pathogen adhesion and modulating the immune system by stimulating cytokine production and improving intestinal barrier integrity. Although previous reviews have discussed the general benefits of probiotics and prebiotics, this mini-review offers a more in-depth analysis of their beneficial effects against FBDs. It also explores the isolated and combined potential of probiotics and prebiotics as therapeutic alternatives and adjuvants to classical antibiotic therapies in preventing and controlling foodborne diseases, pointing out the mechanisms that could help to improve global public health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100584"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144698725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Benchmarking Metagenomic Pipelines for the Detection of Foodborne Pathogens in Simulated Microbial Communities","authors":"Madhusudan Timilsina ,&nbsp;Dhiraj Chundru ,&nbsp;Abani K. Pradhan ,&nbsp;Ryan Andrew Blaustein ,&nbsp;Mostafa Ghanem","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100583","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100583","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Foodborne pathogens pose a significant public health threat worldwide, despite modern advances in food safety. While molecular detection of pathogens in complex food matrices has gained attention to support tracking and preventing outbreaks, thorough benchmarking is needed to optimize workflows for specific scenarios. This study evaluated the performance of four metagenomic classification tools: Kraken2, Kraken2/Bracken, MetaPhlAn4, and Centrifuge, for estimating pathogen presence and abundance in simulated microbial communities representing three food products. Specifically, we evaluated workflow performance in predicting varying levels of <em>Campylobacter jejuni</em>, <em>Cronobacter sakazakii</em>, and <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> in metagenomes of chicken meat, dried food, and milk products. Metagenomes were simulated to include the respective pathogen at defined relative abundance levels (0%-control, 0.01%, 0.1%, 1%, and 30%) within the respective food microbiome. Performance evaluations demonstrated that Kraken2/Bracken achieved the highest classification accuracy, with consistently higher F1-scores across all food metagenomes, whereas Centrifuge exhibited the weakest performance. MetaPhlAn4 also performed well, particularly in predicting <em>C. sakazakii</em> in dried food metagenomes, but was limited in detecting pathogens at the lowest abundance level (0.01%). Overall, Kraken2/Bracken and Kraken2 exhibited the broadest detection range, correctly identifying pathogen sequence reads down to the 0.01% level, whereas MetaPhlAn4 and Centrifuge had higher limits of detection. Our results highlight Kraken2/Bracken as an effective tool for pathogen detection, with MetaPhlAn4 serving as a valuable alternative depending on pathogen prevalence. These findings provide crucial insights for selecting metagenomic tools for applications in food safety and pathogen surveillance applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100583"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144667780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a Synthetic Medium to Investigate the Role of Buffer Capacity and Metabolites on the Fermentation Chemistry of Cucumber Juice","authors":"Allison Anthony ,&nbsp;Caitlin Skinner ,&nbsp;Neeraj Katare ,&nbsp;David Guydan ,&nbsp;Suzanne Johanningsmeier ,&nbsp;Fred Breidt","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100580","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100580","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to investigate the role of buffer capacity in the fermentation biochemistry of a model cucumber fermentation system. To this end, synthetic media were prepared that had similar fermentation properties to cucumber juice (CJ). While synthetic media are commonly used, matching the buffer capacity of a natural microbial fermentation with a synthetic medium has not been attempted. Buffer modeling technology has recently been shown to be an effective means to link pH and weak acid concentration in acid and acidified foods. Our hypothesis was that an artificial cucumber juice medium (ACJ) with similar buffering and nutrients to CJ would result in similar metabolite and pH changes during fermentation by <em>Lactiplantibacillus pentosus</em> LA445 (a commercial cucumber fermentation isolate). ACJ formulations (<em>N</em> = 27) were prepared based on the composition of 10 independent CJ preparations. Selected ACJ formulations that had similar buffer capacities to CJ preparations in the pH 2–7 range were fermented under anaerobic conditions. Malic acid was found to be the principal buffer in this pH range, and the initial concentration correlated with sugar utilization and final medium pH. The data showed that media with similar buffer capacity resulted in similar sugar utilization (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05) following 72 h of fermentation. The data indicate that artificial media developed with buffer modeling technology may be useful for the study of a variety of food and other fermentations to control pH evolution and acid production, which influence quality and safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100580"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144667782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CDC Directed Funding Improves Foodborne Outbreak Reporting in U.S. States, 2009–2022","authors":"Madhura S. Vachon ,&nbsp;Alexandra R. Edmundson ,&nbsp;Alice E. White ,&nbsp;Thuy N. Kim ,&nbsp;Hillary A. Booth ,&nbsp;Melanie J. Firestone ,&nbsp;Elaine J. Scallan Walter ,&nbsp;Craig W. Hedberg","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) cooperative agreements, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has funded three programs focused on enhancing foodborne illness outbreak detection and response at the state level—the Foodborne Diseases Centers for Outbreak Response Enhancement (FoodCORE), the Integrated Food Safety Centers of Excellence (Food Safety CoE), and OutbreakNet Enhanced (OBNE). Data from the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS) were used to assess the effect of ELC-funded foodborne programs on single-state foodborne illness outbreak reporting from 2009 to 2022. Based on 2022 program status, participation in these programs was associated with higher rates of reporting compared to states not enrolled in any ELC programs. Average foodborne outbreak reporting rates per million population were 1.54 for states enrolled in No Programs, 2.40 for OBNE states, 3.75 for FoodCORE states, and 4.16 for Food Safety CoE states. For <em>Salmonella</em>, Shiga toxin-producing <em>E. coli,</em> and <em>Listeria</em> (SSL) outbreaks, average reporting rates per million population were 0.37 for states enrolled in No Programs, 0.46 for OBNE states, and 0.69 for FoodCORE and 0.67 for Food Safety CoE states. Overall ELC funding was associated with increased outbreak reporting rates. A one-dollar increase in average ELC funding was associated with an estimated 0.88 (95% CI 0.69, 1.07) unit increase in the single-state foodborne outbreak reporting rate and an estimated 0.14 (95% CI 0.09, 0.19) unit increase in the SSL outbreak reporting rate. Federal support for public health surveillance improves the detection and reporting of foodborne illness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100581"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144667781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Salmonella enterica Surrogate for Future Validation Studies for Nonfat Dried Milk and Low-Moisture Food Environments","authors":"Kavita Patil ,&nbsp;Manita Adhikari ,&nbsp;Peter Rubinelli ,&nbsp;Jennifer C. Acuff","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100578","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Low-moisture food persistent bacterial populations (LMF PBPs) may be responsible for pathogen harborage in LMF processing environments, resulting in outbreaks and recalls. To address this issue, industry requires a surrogate to understand the survivability of LMF PBP and perform in-plant validation studies to reduce the level of this pathogen to an acceptable level. Hygienic controls for the LMF industry must be tailored to different equipment, environments, and food types. In-plant validations with a surrogate would assist with evaluating the efficacy of sanitation protocols that eliminate LMF PBPs and harborage. This study explored surrogates for <em>Salmonella</em> LMF PBP to provide tools for challenge studies to eliminate LMF PBPs from stainless-steel surfaces. Three surrogates (<em>Escherichia coli</em> MP 26, <em>Enterococcus faecium</em>, <em>Pediococcus acidilactici</em>) were evaluated for similarity to a <em>Salmonella</em> LMF PBP in nonfat dried milk (NFDM) formed on stainless steel coupons stored at 30% or 70% relative humidity (RH) at 25 °C. Coupons were prepared with a previously established method to form an LMF PBP (0.5 g of NFDM, 0.4 mL culture). Microbial survival was enumerated at intervals (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days) using standard plating techniques. An ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD tests were used to compare log reductions to identify suitable surrogates. <em>E. faecium</em> exhibited higher survival trends that were most similar to <em>Salmonella</em>, with no significant differences in log reductions (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). In contrast, <em>E. coli</em> surrogate panel and <em>P. acidilactici</em> showed significantly greater reductions, making them unsuitable surrogate candidates for <em>Salmonella</em>. Matrices and RH interactions influenced survival, but <em>E. faecium</em> consistently mirrored <em>Salmonella</em> behavior. <em>E. faecium</em> was similar but hardier than <em>Salmonella</em> LMF PBPs and could be used in processing environments for challenging and validating sanitation protocols.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100578"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144600665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenge Testing to Determine Growth of Listeria monocytogenes on Fresh Enoki Mushrooms at 4 °C and 10 °C Storage Temperatures","authors":"Jacqueline P. Upham ,&nbsp;J. Austin Markell","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent listeriosis outbreaks and recalls related to high prevalence and counts of <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> in enoki mushrooms imported from South Korea and China represent a current food safety concern. Unlike domestically produced mushrooms, imported products are often packaged without free air exchange and are associated with a longer shelf life. The present study used challenge tests to investigate the potential for harvested enoki mushrooms stored under refrigeration to support the growth of <em>L. monocytogenes,</em> to better inform food safety regulators of the risk associated with low levels of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> on enoki mushrooms ready for retail. Counts of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> rose significantly on enoki mushroom portions from 30 to 1,000 CFU/g within 4 days at 10 °C (<em>n</em> = 202) and 9 days at 4 °C (<em>n</em> = 138). Curve fitting into the Baranyi growth model indicated a 100-fold increase in 3.7 days (10 °C) and 8.8 days (4 °C). Additional factors examined in the study included the effect of the presence of residual mushroom growth substrate and <em>Listeria innocua</em> as enoki background microbiota. <em>L. innocua</em> was associated with significantly (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) lower maximum levels of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> during challenge tests at 10 °C. High prevalence of <em>L. innocua</em> was observed on imported enoki (15 of 18 lots) and is of concern as this species shares environmental niches with <em>L. monocytogenes</em> and thus a risk factor; monitoring for it should be promoted. <em>L. monocytogenes</em> growth on enokis was accelerated when residual enoki growth substrate was present, with a significant (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) impact on <em>L. monocytogenes</em> levels by Day 2 at 10 °C and Day 3 at 4 °C, which prompts consideration for removing substrate before packaging. Finally, small-scale sampling suggests a lack of consistency in baseline contamination of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> among individual packages of the same lot, of interest with regards to sampling approaches for imported enoki mushrooms prior to retail.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100577"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144567516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Ultraviolet Water Treatment on Survival and Growth of Escherichia coli in Recirculating Hydroponic Systems","authors":"Markanna Moore ,&nbsp;Teng Yang ,&nbsp;Majid Jaberi Douraki ,&nbsp;Cary Rivard ,&nbsp;Eleni Pliakoni ,&nbsp;Londa Nwadike ,&nbsp;Manreet Bhullar","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100575","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100575","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydroponic nutrient solution can serve as a distribution mechanism for human pathogens to spread throughout an indoor farm since many hydroponic farms do not include water treatment during the crop growth period. Contamination can be introduced to recirculating nutrient solution through various routes, including growing media and worker contact. In leafy green production, it is common for nutrient solution to inadvertently contact produce during harvest or packaging. Therefore, it is critical that such water be free of human pathogens. Ultraviolet (UV) treatment of water could reduce contamination in nutrient solution without disrupting production or introducing new chemical inputs to the nutrient solution.</div><div>This study investigated the survival of generic <em>Escherichia coli</em> (<em>E. coli</em>) in hydroponic systems and assessed the efficacy of a 254 nm UV-C light treatment for <em>E. coli</em> reduction. Romaine lettuce was grown in hydroponic systems for six weeks. <em>E. coli</em> was inoculated into hydroponic nutrient solution at 6.02 average log CFU/mL UV-C treatments of water were performed biweekly. Hydroponic controls grew plants but received no UV-C treatment, and nonhydroponic controls neither grew plants nor received treatment. The efficacy of the treatment was assessed in terms of bacterial reduction in log CFU/mL.</div><div>The UV-C treatments resulted in significant (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) reductions of 1.4–1.5 log₁₀ CFU/mL of <em>E. coli</em> in the nutrient solution. However, the <em>E. coli</em> population declined naturally over the weeks following the inoculation, independent of the UV-C treatment. Survival of <em>E. coli</em> beyond one week is limited in the nutrient solution. Still, UV-C treatment has the potential to be used as a preventative safeguard for the microbial safety of the hydroponic production system by reducing contamination within the nutrient solution during crop growth. This can help maintain the safety of hydroponically grown fresh produce and reduce the likelihood of future outbreaks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of food protection","volume":"88 9","pages":"Article 100575"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144564771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}