An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 26 - 50 of 680

  1. Emulsifying salts and P2O5 content as promising strategies to control Bacillus cereus growth during storage of processed cheese

    • International Journal of Dairy Technology
    • The inhibition of Bacillus cereus in processed cheese (PC) was evaluated and the data showed the inhibitory potential of emulsifying salts with higher P2O5 content. The type of emulsifying salt, the PC processing method and the PC storage temperature influenced bacterial growth. Bacillus contamination in processed cheese (PC) has been reported and can lead to substantial economic consequences.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  2. Feeding laying hens with lactobacilli improves internal egg quality and animal health

    • World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • Feeding animals with lactobacilli strains is a biotechnological strategy to improve production, food quality, and animal health. Thus, this study aimed to select new lactic acid bacteria (LAB) able to improve laying hens health and egg production.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  3. Rapid and accurate quantification of viable Bacillus cereus in foods with a Propidium monoazide (PMA) - Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) - Flow cytometry (FCM) method

    • LWT
    • Fluorescence-labeled antibodies and viability indicators are routinely employed in conjunction with flow cytometry (FCM) to rapidly quantify viable target bacteria, ensuring food safety. However, the specific detection of Bacillus cereus, a prominent bacterium causing food poisoning, proves challenging because of its close phylogenetic relationship with other Bacillus species.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  4. A foodborne outbreak linked to Bacillus cereus at two middle schools in a rural area of Chongqing, China, 2021

    • PLOS ONE
    • by Tingting Li, Qinpei Zou, Cheng Chen, Qin Li, Shuquan Luo, Zhifeng Li, Chuan Yang, Di Yang, Zhi Huang, Huadong Zhang, Wenge Tang, Li Qi Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) is a common cause of foodborne illness. An outbreak of acute gastrointestinal illness occurred at two middle schools in a rural region of Chongqing, China, in 2021. This study aimed to elucidate the outbreak’s characteristics, identify risk factors, and determine the source of contamination.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  5. Brewers spent grain drying: Drying kinetics, moisture sorption isotherms, bioactive compounds stability and Bacillus cereus lethality during thermal treatment.

    • Journal of Food Engineering
    • The most abundant by-product of the brewing industry is beer bagasse (BSG); its high moisture content requires a rapid drying process to stabilize the product. The objective of this work was to carry out the analysis and mathematical modeling of the drying process of thin layer bagasse at temperatures above 60 °C in order to establish adequate processing conditions that assure its safe use and storage as a functional ingredient.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  6. Study of chemical constituents, antioxidants and antimicrobial activities of Tamarindus indica L. seed

    • Journal of Food Science
    • Abstract The fruits of Tamarindus indica L. are consumed worldwide, with various parts of the plant being used for medicinal purposes. The residues (pericarp and seeds) generated during cellulose processing are of significant value as they contain bioactive compounds with diverse biological activities.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
      • Salmonella
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  7. Isolation and characterization of a novel phage vB_BceS_LY1 and its application to control newly isolated Bacillus cereus in milk and rice

    • LWT
    • Bacillus cereus is important foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning and other non-gastrointestinal infections, which could cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Phages have antibacterial potential to control this pathogen, especially antibiotic resistant ones.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  8. Validation of the CompactDry “Nissui” BC for Enumeration of Bacillus cereus in a Variety of Foods: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 092201

    • Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL
    • Background The CompactDry “Nissui” BC is a ready-to-use dry media sheet using a chromogenic medium with selective agents for the detection and enumeration of Bacillus cereus in products after incubation at 30 ± 1°C for 24 ± 2 h. Objective The CompactDry “Nissui” BC method was validated to achieve AOAC Performance Tested MethodsSM certification.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  9. A wound inducible chalcone synthase gene from Dysoxylum gotadhora (DbCHS) regulates flavonoid biosynthesis

    • Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants
    • Chalcone synthase (CHS) is a type III polyketide synthase and a key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway that generates precursors for flavonoid biosynthesis. The tree species D. gotadhora is known for having an abundance of rohitukine, which has anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects. In this study, we used the leaves of D. gotadhora to clone CHS gene (DbCHS). The 1188-bp open reading frame (ORF) was part of the 1373-bp full-length DbCHS clone.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  10. Influence of Cocoa Hybrids on Volatile Compounds of Fermented Beans, Microbial Diversity during Fermentation and Sensory Characteristics and Acceptance of Chocolates

    • Journal of Food Quality
    • Abstract Microbial diversity, final concentration of volatiles compounds during fermentation and the characterization and acceptability of chocolates of three cocoa hybrids (PH 9, PH 15 and PH 16) were evaluated. Hanseniaspora uvarum, Pichia kluyveri, Pichia caribbica and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were the predominant yeasts in the three fermentations.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  11. Engineered lytic phage of Bacillus cereus and its application in milk

    • International Journal of Food Microbiology
    • Phages have been approved for use in the food industry to control bacterial contamination in some countries. However, their broader adoption is hindered by some limitations. For instance, the persistence of infectious phages in the food industry can lead to the emergence of resistant bacteria, which negatively impacts the long-term effectiveness of phages. Additionally, the narrow host range of phages limits their effectiveness against various strains.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  12. Rhizosphere microbiomes of resurrection plants Ramonda serbica and R. nathaliae: comparative analysis and search for bacteria mitigating drought stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

    • World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • Rhizosphere microbial communities play an important role in maintaining the health and productivity of the plant host. The rhizobacteria Pseudomonas putida P2 of Ramonda serbica and Bacillus cereus P5 of R. nathaliae were selected for treatment of the Belija wheat cultivar because of their plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  13. Novel next generation sequencing panel method for the multiple detection and identification of foodborne pathogens in agricultural wastewater

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Detecting and identifying the origins of foodborne pathogen outbreaks is a challenging. The Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) panel method offers a potential solution by enabling efficient screening and identification of various bacteria in one reaction.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Vibrio
      • Yersinia
  14. Effect of probiotic Bacillus cereus DM423 on the flavor formation of fermented sausage

    • Food Research International
    • Insufficient protein and fat hydrolysis capacity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) limit the flavor formation of fermented sausageBacillus is known for its substantial expression of proteases and lipases.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  15. Biocontrol of Bacillus cereus by Lactobacillus planetarium in Kareish cheese and yogurt

    • LWT
    • This study aims to biocontrol of Bacillus cereus by Lactobacillus planetarium in Kareish cheese and yogurts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), antioxidant potentials, total flavonoids content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC) of L. planetarium were also estimated. Results showed that incidence of B. cereus in Kareish cheese and yogurt was 16 and 4%, respectively.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  16. Phyto-Inhibitory and Antimicrobial Activity of Brown Propolis from Romania

    • Antibiotics
    • The objective of this paper was to study the phyto-inhibitory and antimicrobial activity of brown propolis collected from the counties of four regions in Romania. The main physico-chemical and functional properties of 16 samples of propolis from different landforms of geographical regions were determined.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  17. Distribution of cereulide-producing Bacillus cereus in raw milk in Hokkaido, Japan, and evaluation of cereulide production

    • International Dairy Journal
    • It is important to understand the distribution of strains of Bacillus cereus that produce the emetic toxin, cereulide, in raw milk, and to evaluate their impact on the safety of milk and dairy products. The distribution of cereulide-producing B. cereus was investigated for isolates from raw milk in Hokkaido, Japan, and the ability of strains to produce cereulide in milk was also studied.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  18. First insights into antimicrobial resistance, toxigenic profiles, and genetic diversity in Bacillus cereus isolated from Chinese sausages

    • LWT
    • Bacillus cereus is a common food-borne bacterial pathogen. This study was to designed the prevalence of B. cereus in Chinese sausages and evaluate its genetic diversity, toxigenic profiles, and antimicrobial resistance. Using bacteriological and biochemical detection tests, B. cereus was isolated from 12.63% (N = 49) of the total 388 samples. However, only 37 of the 49 isolates were simultaneously classified as the strictly B.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  19. Phosphorus mining activities alter endophytic bacterial communities and metabolic functions of surrounding vegetables and crops

    • Plant and Soil
    • The goal was to evaluate the effect of phosphorus mining on the endophytic bacterial community of surrounding crops and vegetables and screen beneficial bacteria. [Methods] 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess endophytic bacterial diversity, community, and metabolic function variations in surrounding plants, including Glycine max, Triticum aestivum, and Lactuca sativa.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  20. Inactivation of Bacillus cereus endospores on black pepper by pulsed superheated steam system

    • Food Research International
    • In this study, a superheated steam (SHS) system was constructed to inactivate Bacillus cereus endospores on the surface of black pepper, and continuous and pulsed treatment was applied to compare sporicidal effects. Additionally, inactivation mechanisms were analyzed to investigate the differences between pulsed and continuous SHS treatments.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  21. Bacillus cereus B8W8 an effective bacterial antagonist against major postharvest fungal pathogens of fruit

    • Postharvest Biology and Technology
    • The antifungal activity of Bacillus cereus (B8W8) was investigated against major post-harvest fungal pathogens affecting citrus and apples fruits namely Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium italicum, Geotrichum citri-aurantii, Penicillium expansumBotrytis cinerea, Monilinia laxa and Monilinia fructigena.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  22. Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Efficacy of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) Essential Oil against Foodborne Illness Pathogens, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Typhimurium and Bacillus cereus

    • Antibiotics
    • Nowadays, the wide spread of foodborne illness and the growing concerns about the use of synthetic food additives have shifted the focus of researchers towards essential oils (EOs) as possible antimicrobials and preservatives of natural origin.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
      • Salmonella
  23. Pre-Treatment of Exopolymeric Substances from Bacillus cereus for Metal Removal as a Novel Strategy to Enhance Metal Biosorption

    • Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
    • This study investigated several pre-treatments as strategies to increase the efficacy of the removal of metals when using exopolymeric substances (EPS) produced by Bacillus cereus. The pre-treatments used include heat (autoclaving, boiling) and chemical agents (sulphuric acid, sodium hydroxide, and methanol).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  24. Comparative genomics of Bacillus cereus sensu lato spp. biocontrol strains in correlation to in-vitro phenotypes and plant pathogen antagonistic capacity

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Bacillus cereus sensu lato (Bcsl) strains are widely explored due to their capacity to antagonize a broad range of plant pathogens. These include B. cereus sp. UW85, whose antagonistic capacity is attributed to the secondary metabolite Zwittermicin A (ZwA).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  25. Identification of a novel cyclomaltodextrinase annotated as a neopullulanase in the genome of Bacillus cereus

    • Archives of Microbiology
    • Bacillus cereus is a rod-shaped, gram-positive, motile, and β-hemolytic soil bacterium. B. cereus is an opportunistic pathogen, often responsible for human foodborne illness that is caused by ingestion of starchy foods with symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. Among the numerous amylolytic enzymes in the genome of the pathogen, the one annotated as a putative neopullulanase (NPase) was cloned and its biochemical properties were characterized in this study.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus