Research Publications (Food Safety)

Fatty acid amides of palmitic (PAPY), lauric (LAPY), myristic (MYPY), and decanoic (DEPY) acids inhibited bacteria. Significant inhibition of Listeria and other bacteria increased at higher amide concentrations (10,000–20,000 ppm). LAPY reduced Listeria growth by 1.55 to >5.0 Logs in co‐inoculation assays and by 0.51 to >3.00 Log CFU/g on produce. Abstract Foodborne pathogens are a persistent threat to food and consumer safety.

This study evaluated the combined antibacterial effect of 460 nm LED illumination and chitosan on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes on fresh-cut melon surface and its impact on the quality of melon at a total dose of 2.4 kJ/cm2 at 4 and 10 °C.

The purpose was to create a novel composite food preservative for fresh-cut lettuce using flavonoids and chitosan from sea buckthorn leaves (SBL). Sea buckthorn leaves were extracted with ethanol as the extraction solvent and ultrasonic-assisted extraction to obtain flavonoid from sea buckthorn leaf crude (FSL), and then the FSL was secondarily purified with AB-8 resin and polyamide resin to obtain flavonoid from sea buckthorn leaf purified (FSL-1).

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Ahead of Print. The contamination of ready-to-eat produce with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) can often be traced back to environmental sources in processing facilities and packinghouses. To provide an improved understanding of Listeria sources and transmission in produce operations, we performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of LM (n = 169) and other Listeria spp.

Twenty types of fruits and vegetables representing a broad range of fresh produce categories were assessed for the growth potential and growth kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes under conditions reflecting commercial practices for storage and distribution and conditions reflecting sustained temperature abuse. Whole and fresh-cut produce was obtained from various commercial sources and inoculated with L.

In this study, we evaluated the microbial contamination status of cold dishes consumed by residents of Jilin Province and investigated to determine the incidence of four pathogenic bacteria in cold dishes. A total of 300 samples of cold dishes including meat, vegetable and mixed products, were collected from three different purchasing places: supermarkets, farmers' markets and mobile vendors.

Recent apple-related recall and outbreak events have exposed a need for better food safety controls along the supply chain. Following harvest apples can be stored under a controlled atmosphere for up to one year after harvest before packing and distribution, making the crop susceptible to many opportunities for contamination that increase the quantity of postharvest losses. Botrytis cinerea (BC) and Penicillium expansum (PE) cause significant rot-associated losses to the apple industry.

In the present study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of passion fruit peel extract (PPE) against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. The application of PPE using an electrostatic spraying system for the disinfection of fresh-cut Lollo Rossa and beetroot leaves was also examined and compared with conventional PPE washing.

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a persistent public health concern in the United States and is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness. Cross-contamination of L. monocytogenes is common in delis (between contaminated and uncontaminated equipment, food and hands) and likely plays a role in the associated with retail deli meats. In 2012, EHS-Net conducted a study to describe deli characteristics related to cross-contamination with L. monocytogenes.

Lactic acid bacteria can be considered as natural biopreservative and good biotechnological alternative to food safety. In this study, the antilisterial compounds produced by Enterococcus isolates from the Patagonian environment and their effectiveness for the control of Listeria monocytogenes in a food model were studied.

The present study aimed to examine the efficiency of ethanolic extract of Capsicum annuum L (CAE) in improving the shelf life and quality of fresh‐cut C. annuum (FCCa). The uniformly sliced FCCa were prewashed with sodium hypochlorite solution (NaOCl) and then treated with 10% of CAE. The foodborne pathogens of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica were patched on the surface of FCCa and stored at 15°C and 4°C for 12 days.

Microorganisms play a crucial and unique role in fish and fish product safety. The presence of human pathogens and the formation of histamine caused by spoilage bacteria make the control of both pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms critical for fish product safety.

The survival and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes was assessed during storage on three low-moisture foods (LMFs), chocolate liquor, corn flakes and shelled, dry-roasted pistachios (a w 0.18, 0.27, 0.20). The LMFs were inoculated with a 4-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes at 8 log CFU/g, dried, equilibrated and then stored at 4°C, 25–81% relative humidity (RH) and 23°C, 30–35% RH for at least 336 days. At 4°C, L. monocytogenes remained stable on the LMFs for at least 336 days.

Fresh‐cut apples were dip‐coated in antimicrobial/antibrowning solutions. The developed solutions had the dual effectiveness of both controlling browning and reducing pathogenic bacterial populations, which maintained the fresh‐like appearance and texture of apple slices for 35 days and reduced populations of Salmonella to undetectable levels (<1 log) without growth throughout the storage at 4°C.