Research Publications (Food Safety)

Despite recent advances in Salmonella-sprout research, little is known about the relationship between Salmonella and the sprout microbiome during sprouting. Sprout spent irrigation water (SSIW) provides an informative representation of the total microbiome of this primarily aquaponic crop.

This review considers how research in China has progressed our understanding and subsequent improved control of Cronobacter. This emergent bacterial pathogen is associated with neonatal infections through the ingestion of contaminated prepared feed. The review includes large‐scale surveys of various sources of the organism, including infant formula production facilities. The analysis of over 20,000 samples is presented.

Author(s): Ju Liu, Guoyang Xie, Qin Xiong, Taobo Liang, Hengyi Xu

Author(s): Na Ling, Xin Wang, Dengyu Liu, Yizhong Shen, Danfeng Zhang, Dexin Ou, Hongying Fan, Juan Wang, Yu Ding, Jumei Zhang, Qingping Wu, Yingwang Ye

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the inactivation efficacy of a 405-nm light-emitting diode (LED) against Cronobacter sakazakii biofilm formed on stainless steel and to determine the sensitivity change of illuminated biofilm to food industrial disinfectants.

Author(s): Yifang Cao, Donggen Zhou, Xiaowei Zhang, Xinglong Xiao, Yigang Yu, Xiaofeng Li

ABSTRACT While high temperature heat treatments can efficiently reduce pathogen levels, they also affect the quality and nutritional profile of foods, as well as increase the cost of processing. The food additive butyl para-hydroxybenzoate (BPB) was investigated for its potential to synergistically enhance the thermal inactivation at mild heating temperatures (54 – 58 ºC).

The sequencing and bioinformatics analyses of isolates Cr150, Cr170, and Cr611 from powdered infant formula indicate that the three strains represent new members in the Cronobacter muytjensii, Cronobacter turicensis, and Cronobacter sakazakii groups, respectively.

ABSTRACT Aims The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of Cronobacter strains isolated from foods (n=50) and clinical samples (n=6) in Brazil and genotype selected strains (n=18) using multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST). Methods and Results The cytotoxic activity of C. sakazakii (n=29), C. dublinensis (n=13), C. malonaticus (n=6), C. turicensis (n=6), and C. muytjensii (n=2) was screened using Vero, RK13, Hep2c, NCTC clone 929, and BHK‐21 cell lines.

Cronobacter species are opportunistic pathogens capable of causing life-threatening infections in humans, with serious complications arising in neonates, infants, immuno-compromised individuals, and elderly adults. The genus is comprised of seven species: Cronobacter sakazakii, Cronobacter malonaticus, Cronobacter turicensis, Cronobacter muytjensii, Cronobacter dublinensis, Cronobacter universalis, and Cronobacter condimenti.

Author(s): Heather Craven, Catherine McAuley, Murray Hannah, Lesley Duffy, Narelle Fegan, Stephen Forsythe

The study reports protective role of potential probiotic cultures against infection by biofilm forming Cronobacter sakazakii in Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Among the fifteen indigenous potential probiotics, the cell free supernatant of Lactobacillus gastricus BTM7 possessed highest antimicrobial action and biofilm inhibition against C. sakazakii.

Author(s): Chengsi Li, Haiyan Zeng, Jumei Zhang, Dandan Luo, Moutong Chen, Tao Lei, Xiaojuan Yang, Haoming Wu, Shuzhen Cai, Yingwang Ye, Yu Ding, Juan Wang, Qingping Wu

Author(s): Gabriela Guimarães Carvalho, Aline Parolin Calarga, Josie Roberta Teodoro, Murilo Mariz Queiroz, Carlos A. Astudillo-Trujillo, Carlos Emilio Levy, Marcelo Brocchi, Dirce Yorika Kabuki

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the antibacterial activity and possible mechanism of action of Amaranthus tricolor crude extract (ATCE) against Cronobacter sakazakii isolated from powdered infant formula (PIF). The antibacterial activity of ATCE was assessed by measuring the diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).

Author(s): Chunxia Li, Xiaodong Sun, Bing Niu, Yuan Jiang, Jielin Yang, Qin Chen

Author(s): Jingfeng Zhang, Li Wang, Lei Shi, Xun Chen, Chuxin Chen, Zicheng Hong, Yong Cao, Lichao Zhao

This study investigated antimicrobial efficacy of trans‐cinnamaldehyde (TC) and chitosan (CH) along with high pressure processing (HPP) against Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formula. All treatments exhibited varying degrees of C. sakazakii reductions up to undetectable levels. Remarkable deformation and damage in C. sakazakii cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy after the appliation of HPP and bioacive cmpounds.

Lateral‐flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) was performed on pastry samples incubated for different time‐periods and the degree of coliform contamination evaluated. Pastries contaminated with ~5.0 log10 (cfu/g) coliforms showed LFIA positivity by 3 hr culture, whereas pastries contaminated with 2.0 log10 (cfu/g) coliforms showed LFIA positivity by 9 hr culture.

Author(s): Dongjie Chen, Justin R. Wiertzema, Peng Peng, Yanling Cheng, Yunpu Wang, Juer Liu, Yiwei Ma, Wes Mosher, Myungwoo Kang, Min Min, Paul Chen, David J. Baumler, Chi Chen, Laurence Lee, Zata Vickers, Joellen Feirtag, Roger Ruan

Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen that could cause meningitis and necrotizing enterocolitis. Several Gram-negative bacteria use the PmrA/PmrB system to sense and adapt to environmental change by resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides of host immune systems. The PmrA/PmrB two-component system regulates several genes to modify LPS structure in the bacterial outer membrane. The role of PmrA/PmrB of C. sakazakii has been studied within the current study.

Two medicinal plants, African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa) and Lonicera japonica, traditionally used in West Africa and China were investigated against four spoilage microorganisms: Bacillus subtilis, Cronobacter dublinensis, Pantoea agglomerans, and Bacillus sp., isolated from mulberry fruit. The aqueous extract of the P.

Cronobacter sakazakii is foodborne pathogen that causes serious illnesses such as necrotizing enterocolitis, meningitis and septicemia in infants. However, the virulence determinants and mechanisms of pathogenicity of these species remain unclear. In this study, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on 34 C.

Author(s): Rajni Chauhan, Niharika Singh, Gaurav Kumar Pal, Gunjan Goel