Research Publications (Food Safety)

The first step in quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is to determine distribution of pathogen contamination among servings of the food at some point in the farm-to-table chain. In the present study, distribution of Salmonella contamination among servings of chicken liver for use in QMRA was determined at meal preparation.

The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) is a global network of national food safety authorities from 190 countries, managed jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which aims to facilitate the rapid exchange of information during food safety incidents.

In recent years, science and technology have developed to a considerable level. However, food contamination by food-borne pathogens is still widespread in many countries around the world, and food safety is a major global public health issue. Therefore, novel preservatives that can guarantee safer food are high in demand. Contrary to artificial food preservatives, tea polyphenols (TP) are getting wide attention as food additives for being "green", "safe" and "healthy".

The U.S. is one of the largest catfish producers in the world. Louisiana is the leading producer of wild-caught catfish. Historically, the FDA inspected all seafood products; however, in 2008, congress moved the Siluriformes Order fish inspection to the USDA/FSIS. Full enforcement of the rule began on September 1, 2017.

Salmonella is a common cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. and often is attributed to chicken products. Previous studies have associated Salmonella contamination with meat processing facility characteristics such as the number of establishment employees (i.e., HACCP size). An evaluation of risk factors for Salmonella contamination in U.S. poultry has not been performed since implementation of the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) in 2014.

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium associated with RTE meat products sold at the retail level.

Listeriosis, a foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes , has relatively low incidence, but a substantial mortality rate, particularly in immunocompromised populations. Because of the known risk of L. monocytogenes and other pathogens in produce, immunocompromised individuals are often placed on neutropenic diets that exclude fresh produce. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate several kitchen-scale treatments as potential interventions to reduce L.

Environmental and health advocates are increasingly promoting food donations to reduce landfilled food waste and feed hungry people. Share tables are locations where students can put unwanted school food or beverage items, allowing their uneaten food items to be “shared” with other students and providing food donation opportunities for the 4.9 billion lunches served annually in the U.S. National School Lunch Program.

Plasma-activated water (PAW) is a new sanitizer, which has received great attention for application in food industries. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of PAW on the inactivation of Shewanella putrefaciens and quality attributes of Yellow River carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) fillets. The carp fillet samples were immersed in sterile deionized water (SDW) or PAW120 (plasma discharge on the deionized water surface for 120 s) for 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0 min, respectively.

Little is known about the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria in veal meat in the United States.  We estimated the prevalence of bacterial contamination and AMR in various veal meats collected during the 2018 U.S.

This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of two sanitizing agents (chlorine and PAA) in reducing (both spoilage and pathogenic) microorganisms and in reducing disinfection by-products ( DBPs) in the washing stage of three types of minimally processed vegetables: Iceberg lettuce, carrots and baby leaves. These fresh-cut products are consumed uncooked and, hence, a proper sanitation is essential in preventing food-borne illness outbreaks.

Traditional microbiological testing methods are slow, and many molecular-based techniques rely on culture-based enrichment to overcome low limits of detection. Recent advancements in sequencing technologies may make it possible to utilize machine learning (ML) to identify patterns in microbiome data to potentially predict the presence or absence of pathogens.

New Zealand (NZ) has a high rate of reported campylobacteriosis cases. Cross-contamination in home kitchens during poultry handling is considered to be the main factor in campylobacteriosis transmission. The main aim of this study was to measure NZ consumers' food safety awareness and self-reported food safety practices associated with handling raw poultry. This study will contribute to the existing knowledge to explain the reasons behind the increase of campylobacteriosis incidents.

Food labeling is one approach to encourage safe, healthy, and sustainable dietary practices. Consumer buy and pay preferences to specially labeled food products (e.g., USDA Organic, Raised Without Antibiotics, and Locally Raised) may promote the adoption of associated production practices by food producers.

Histamine is a biogenic amine and a food safety hazard, and it is the only biogenic amine regulated by statute or HACCP Guidance. This paper reviews the regulations for histamine levels in fish in countries around the world, including maximum limits or levels and sampling procedures in different fish preparations. The maximum histamine levels, sampling plans, and fish products are listed.

Edible insects are a novel food in most countries; their popularity is growing because of their high protein/low fat content, ease of cultivation, and small environmental impact. To our knowledge, this is the first report that addresses both microbiological and chemical hazards in edible insects. Samples were collected from retail stores or purchase through e-commerce. A total of 51 samples of dried whole insects or insect powders were tested for generic Escherichia coli ( E.

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the presence, seasonal distribution and biomolecular characterization of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in samples of bivalve molluscs ( Mytilus galloprovincialis, Crassostrea gigas, Ruditapes decussatus, Venus verrucosa and Solen vagina ) and gastropod molluscs (Murex brandaris) harvested and marketed in Sardinia (Italy) between 2017 and 2018. A total of 444 samples were submitted to qualitative determination of Vibrio spp., V.

This study isolated Bacillus cereus from soft soybean curds and developed a dynamic model to describe the kinetic behavior of B. cereus isolates during transfer and storage. B. cereus were first isolated from soft soybean curds. A mixture of B. cereus isolates was then inoculated in soft soybean curd and the bacterial cell counts were enumerated during storage at 10-30°C. The B.

Essential foods of a daily meal have been reported to comprise of numerous kinds of biogenic amines (BAs) at different levels. BAs have a variety of toxicological impacts on human health, and they have been connected to multiple outbreaks of foodborne disease. They also are known to cause cancer based on their ability to react with nitrite salts resulting in the production of a carcinogenic organic compound (i.e. nitrosamines).

Science-based guidance employed at eight small and very small state and federally inspected ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry processors across Michigan was assessed. Data was collected to determine the current level of sanitary control methods used for reducing Listeria in the processing environment and compared interactions with the facility microbial results. A checklist was created to assess the current recommended sanitary control methods from the U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S.

Kefir is an acidic-alcoholic fermented milk that can provide probiotic benefits such as intestinal microecological balance regulation, antibacterial activity, and anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, Lactobacillus fermentum grx08 isolated from longevous people was used to further improve the health properties of kefir. L. fermentum grx08 and kefir grains obtained from Xinjiang, China were mixed at ratios of 1:1, 5:1 and 25:1 as starters.

Recent revisions to USDA FSIS compliance and safe harbor guidelines for ready-to-eat meat and poultry products addressed process humidity requirements. Given the lack of prior data for impingement-cooked products, this project aimed to evaluate the impact of process humidity on Salmonella lethality at the product core and surface, and compliance of the results with USDA FSIS lethality performance standards.

In this study, we compared the efficiency of culture-based methods with or without membrane filtration, real-time PCR and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) for the detection of Campylobacter in fresh produce. Alfalfa sprouts, clover sprouts, coleslaw, and lettuce salad spiked with Campylobacter jejuni ( C.

Plastics provide tremendous societal benefits and are an indispensable part of our lives. However, fragmented plastics or those intentionally manufactured in small sizes (microplastics or nanoplastics) are of concern because they can infiltrate soils and enter the human food chain through trophic transfer. The pathophysiological impacts of micro/nanoplastics in humans are not characterized but their effects in terrestrial mammals may help elucidate their potential effects in human beings.

Black yeasts are a functional group that has caused spoilage in cold-filled and hot-filled beverages as well as other water activity (a w )-controlled food products. We established quantitative thermoresistance parameters for the inactivation of 12 Aureobasidium and Exophiala isolates through isothermal experiments and a challenge study. Culture age (2-day vs. 28-day) variably affected the thermoresisitance among the black yeast strains.