Research Publications (Food Safety)

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is closely associated with the occurrence of puerperal metritis in dairy cows. E. coli carries some the virulence and multi-drug resistant genes, which pose a serious threat to the health of postpartum cows. In this study, E. coli was isolated and identified from the uterine contents of postpartum cows with puerperal metritis in the Ningxia region of China, and its phylogenetic subgroups were determined. Meanwhile, virulence and drug resistance genes carried by E.

The development of a simple, rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for detecting Escherichia coli O157:H7 in complex matrices is critical for ensuring food safety. In this study, a fluorescent biosensor employing aptamer (Apt) -functionalized magnetic beads and cascade strand displacement amplification (SDA) was devised for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in milk samples. E.

Sous-vide cooking is a growing trend among retailers and consumers. Foodborne pathogens may survive the cooking if non-validated parameters are used or if pathogens have enhanced thermal resistance. Pathogen inactivation from sous-vide cooking was determined when introduced directly to beef products or via contaminated spices, and with or without a finishing step.

Integrating animals into a farm supports a closed or semi-closed production system where nutrients are recycled and off-farm inputs are reduced. In comparison to other livestock, chickens can be a low-investment option for animal-crop integration of small-scale, diversified, vegetable farms.

by Ian S. Hines, Tom Jurkiw, Emily Nguyen, Martine Ferguson, Sultana Solaiman, Elizabeth Reed, Maria Hoffmann, Jie Zheng Foodborne outbreaks associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) contaminated wheat flour have been an increasing food safety concern in recent decades. However, there is little literature aimed at investigating the impact of different flour types on the persistence of STEC during storage and thermal inactivation.

The objective of the experiment was to evaluate a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NaturSafe, Dimond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) on performance, plasma metabolites, rumen parameters, and fecal pathogen shedding in feedlot steers. Crossbred steers (n = 61; 271 ± 48.1 kg) were sourced from 3 different research units at Oklahoma State University and assigned to 1 of 3 experimental treatments in a randomized complete block design.

In this study, a type of luminescent porous coordination network-224 (PCN-224) in alkaline conditions was synthesized with the dramatic fluorescence enhancement by 20.4 times, which was explained by the fact that the decrease of Zr4+ content in alkaline conditions resulted in the partial recovery of the electron cloud density of 4,4′,4′′,4′′′-(Porphine-5,10,15,20-tetrayl) tetrakis(benzoic acid) (TCPP).

Foodborne illness linked to fruit and vegetables poses a major challenge to public health and horticulture production. Processed lettuce has been implicated in recurrent outbreaks of pathogenic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection. We hypothesized that plant defenses elicited by mechanical injury may effect STEC inhibition in cut leaves.

This study aimed to develop antimicrobial sachets by encapsulating Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZMEO) within halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) at different mass ratios (3:1, 2:1, and 1:1) and incorporating them into bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) films at two concentrations (10 % and 20 %) for cheese applications.

Abstract BACKGROUND Bacterial contamination of produce is a concern in indoor farming due to close plant spacing, recycling irrigation, warm temperatures, and high relative humidity during production. Cultivars that inherently resist contamination and photo‐sanitization using ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the production phase can reduce bacterial contamination. However, there is limited information to support their use in indoor farming.

Over 20% of E. coli O157 illnesses and over 5% of Salmonella illnesses are estimated to be attributable to beef consumption in the United States. Irradiating ground beef is one possible method to reduce disease burden. We simulated the effect of ground beef irradiation on illnesses, hospitalizations, deaths, and direct healthcare costs from ground beef-associated E.

Meat production is a complex system, continually receiving animals, water, air, and workers, all of which serve as carriers of bacteria. Selective pressures involved in different meat processing stages such as antimicrobial interventions and low temperatures, may promote the accumulation of certain residential microbiota in meat cutting facilities. Bacteria including human pathogens from all these sources can contaminate meat surfaces.

Introduction Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is one of the notorious foodborne pathogens causing high mortality through the consumption of contaminated food items. The food safety risk from STEC pathogens could escalate when a group of bacterial cells aggregates to form a biofilm. Bacterial biofilm can diminish the effects of various antimicrobial interventions and enhance the pathogenicity of the pathogens.

The application of antimicrobial treatments to beef trimmings prior to grinding for the reduction of microbial contamination in ground beef has increased recently. However, raw single-ingredient meat products are not permitted by Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) to retain more than 0.49% water resulting from post-evisceration processing. The effectiveness of antimicrobials with the limited water retention is not well documented.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) can be life-threatening and lead to major outbreaks. The prevention of STEC-related infections can be provided by control measures at all stages of the food chain. The growth performance of E. coli O157:H7 at different temperatures in raw ground beef spiked with cocktail inoculum was investigated using machine learning (ML) models to address this problem.

Antimicrobial properties of biochar have been attributed to its ability to inactivate foodborne pathogens in soil, to varying degrees. High concentrations of biochar have reduced E. coli O157:H7 in soil and dairy manure compost, based on alkaline pH. Preliminary studies evaluating 31 different biochars determined that two slow pyrolysis biochars (paper biochar and walnut hull cyclone biochar) were the most effective at inactivating E. coli in soil.

Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus are common foodborne pathogens. We determined the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in feces and milk and the prevalence of S. aureus in milk from dairy cattle and camels in the Borana pastoral community in the Southern Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Paired individual cow composite (pooled from all quarters in equal proportions) milk and fecal samples were collected from cows (n = 154) and camels (n = 158).

Regardless of temperature, more viable O157:H7 cells were transferred from moist biofilms on TPU surfaces to beef. At 25°C, biofilm formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Comamonas korensis exhibited the lowest O157:H7 transfer to beef. At 10°C, none of the multispecies biofilms affected the number of O157:H7 transfers to beef. Through enrichment, Escherichia coli O157:H7 was recovered from multispecies biofilms.

The effects of juice pH, type of acidulant, and post-treatment refrigeration on the high-pressure processing (HPP) inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes in acid beverages were evaluated. Inoculated apple, orange, and grape juices (at their original pH and adjusted to pH 4.00, 4.50, and 5.00) were treated at 550 MPa for 1 min at 5 °C.

Abstract The prevention and control of bacterial contamination on ready‐to‐eat (RTE) fresh produce is an essential task to ensure food safety. Therefore, the development of novel and effective decontamination technologies to ensure microbiological safety of fruits and vegetables has gained considerable attention and new sanitisation methods are needed.

Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium are the main pathogens of diarrhea in weaned piglets. The prevention of bacterial diarrhea in weaned piglets by phage is rarely reported. We conducted this study to evaluate the preventive effect of phages on mixed Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium infections in weaned piglets.

Burkina, a traditional fermented dairy product, is consumed in most parts of West Africa, including Ghana. Studies on the microflora of Burkina have indicated the presence of Escherichia coli and other pathogenic organisms. Thus, predicting the survival of E. coli in the product will inform the best manufacturing and handling practices. This study investigated the combined effect of storage temperature and time on the survival of acid-adapted and acid-non-adapted E. coli O157:H7 in Burkina.

O26 is the commonest non-O157 Shiga toxin (stx)-producing Escherichia coli serogroup reported in human infections worldwide. Ruminants, particularly cattle, are the primary reservoir source for human infection. In this study, we compared the whole genomes and virulence profiles of O26:H11 strains (n = 99) isolated from Scottish cattle with strains from human infections (n = 96) held by the Scottish Escherichia coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, isolated between 2002 and 2020.

Minas frescal cheese (MFC) is a potential vehicle for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7. The effect of electron beam irradiation on the control of STEC O157:H7 in artificially contaminated MFC (5 log cfu g-1) was evaluated. Samples were irradiated at doses of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 kGy and evaluated for 40 days at 4 °C. Shelf life extension and the stability of the lipid fraction of the cheeses were also evaluated.

Gastrointestinal immunity and antioxidant defenses may be bolstered in young animals through prenatal immune system stimulation (PIS), but this is largely uninvestigated in swine. The objective of this experiment was to determine if a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administered to late-gestating sows would alter the immune response and oxidative status of subsequent offspring.