Research Publications (Food Safety)

A study was conducted to evaluate a new organic produce wash composed of a combination of organic acids and hydrogen peroxide, in the form of a mixed peroxyacid solution, against foodborne pathogens.  The mixed peroxyacid, composed of lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide and one or more fruit acids, was challenged against Salmonella enterica, E.

This study aimed to develop a combination of immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and real-time PCR (qPCR) techniques to detect and analyze Salmonella spp. (SAL), Listeria monocytogenes (LM), and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157: H7) in meat samples quickly and accurately. Bacteria-specific immunomagnetic beads (IMBs) were prepared from carboxyl magnetic beads and affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies using a novel magnetic bead activator.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 2, Page 1467-1478, February 2022. Aims The biological events occurring during human digestion help to understand the mechanisms underlying the dose–response relationships of enteric bacterial pathogens.

Leafy green vegetables are a common source of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157) foodborne illness outbreaks. Ruminant animals, primarily cattle, are the major reservoir of STEC O157. Epidemiological, traceback and field investigations were conducted to identify potential outbreak sources. Product and environmental samples were tested for STEC.

Foodborne diseases affect an estimated 600 million people worldwide annually, with the majority of these illnesses caused by Norovirus, Vibrio, Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. To elicit infections in humans, bacterial pathogens express a combination of virulence factors and toxins.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are foodborne pathogens that cause hemolytic uremic syndrome and fatal infant diarrhea, respectively, but the characterization of these bacteria from imported food in China are unknown.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes proximal tubular defects in the kidney. However, factors altered by Shiga toxin (Stx) within the proximal tubules are yet to be shown. We determined Stx receptor Gb3 in murine and human kidneys and confirmed the receptor expression in the proximal tubules. Stx2-injected mouse kidney tissues and Stx2-treated human primary renal proximal tubular epithelial cell (RPTEC) were collected and microarray analysis was performed.

The objective of this study was to develop a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to evaluate potential risk mitigation strategies to reduce the probability of acquiring hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) associated with beef consumption in Argentina. Five scenarios were simulated to evaluate the effect of interventions on the probability of acquiring HUS from Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)-contaminated ground beef and commercial hamburger consumption.

The aim of this work was to reinforce actions tending to reduce Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in beef products from an Argentinean commercial abattoir implementing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) practices. An environmental stx map was built with 421 environmental samples from the slaughter, quartering, cool chamber and deboning sectors (February-May 2013). For stx determination, 125 carcass and 572 anatomical cut samples were used.

Journal of Food Science, EarlyView. Hummus is a popular dip in the Middle East region prepared by mixing the boiled chickpeas with tahini and other ingredients, and because its consumption has increased world-wide some notoriety has developed following an increase in the incidence of hummus-related illness outbreaks and recalls.

Currently, no specific therapeutics are available for foodborne Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections that cause severe gastroenteritis and life-threatening complications of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). As STEC attachment to intestinal epithelium might increase the host absorption of Shiga toxins and severity of the disease, we were inspired to develop a bispecific neutralizer capable of blocking its Shiga toxin and adhesin intimin simultaneously.

Journal of Food Science, EarlyView. Abstract The study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of 0.5 or 1% (w/w) chitosan and 1% (w/w) garlic against Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes in hummus dip stored at 4, 10, or 25°C for 28, 21, or 7 days, respectively.

Resistance to antibiotics is one of the most critical health problems in the world. Therefore, finding new treatment methods to be used as alternatives to antibiotics has become a priority for researchers. Similar to phages, certain products containing antimicrobial components, such as molasses, are widely used to eliminate resistant bacteria.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have more than 470 serotypes. The well-known STEC O157:H7 serotype is a leading cause of STEC infections in humans. However, the incidence of non-O157:H7 STEC serotypes associated with foodborne outbreaks and human infections has increased in recent years. Current detection and serotyping assays are focusing on O157 and top six (“Big six”) non-O157 STEC serogroups.

Journal of Food Safety, Volume 41, Issue 6, December 2021.

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView. Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli are well tolerant of freezing.

Journal of Food Quality, Volume 39, Issue 6, Page 766-772, December 2016.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 1, Page 290-297, January 2022. Aims In this study, the efficacy of using vacuumed hydrogen peroxide vapour (VHPV) to inactivate foodborne pathogens in whole dried black pepper (Piper nigrum) and powdered dried red pepper (Capsicum annuum) was evaluated. Methods and Results Black and red pepper inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium were su

Healthy cattle are considered the main reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, so in some places in the world, products derived from beef are the most common source for disease outbreaks caused by these bacteria. Therefore, in order to guarantee that the beef produced by our slaughterhouses is safe, there is a need for continuous monitoring of these bacteria.

Escherichia coli O157:H7, the causative agent of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans, generates a effective harm to community health because of its high pathogenicity. A real-time recombinase-aided amplification (rRAA) is an emerging method for nucleic acid detection.

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView. Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli are well tolerant of freezing.

Resistance to antibiotics is one of the most critical health problems in the world. Therefore, finding new treatment methods to be used as alternatives to antibiotics has become a priority for researchers. Similar to phages, certain products containing antimicrobial components, such as molasses, are widely used to eliminate resistant bacteria.

The most commonly reported serotype of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is O157:H7. This pathogen presents a threat to public health and is a cause of foodborne illness worldwide. The efficient and sensitive detection of E. coli O157:H7 remains a challenge for food safety. In this report, we developed a sensitive and specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction coupled with a lateral flow (LF) assay to rapidly detect E. coli O157:H7.

Background. Gastroenteritis due to foodborne disease is a leading cause of death in developing countries. In Nigeria, there is an increasing demand for beef.

The human zoonotic pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 is defined by its extensive prophage repertoire including those that encode Shiga toxin, the factor responsible for inducing life-threatening pathology in humans.