Abstract
The foodborne pathogens cause serious public health problems in each country. In this regard, microbiological investigation is included in food safety management of the food chain. Molecular methods and mostly polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are considered highly sensitive, specific and rapid methods for pathogens detection from raw material and food. This study describes the using of specially designed and highly specific primers for PCR to identify 5 common and especially dangerous causeve agents of food poisoning and disease and to determine their level of distribution in food of animal and plant origin. The studies included the identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Cronobacter spp. (E. sakazakii) from raw milk, Shiga toxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli (STEC) from beef and swine carcasses, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens from various types of plant and animal raw materials and products of its processing - fruits, vegetables, berries, dried and preserved products, food concentrates, half-canned food. A total of 397 food samples were investigated to detect these pathogens using classical bacteriological methods and PCR. It was found that the distribution of foodborne pathogens in the studied products of animal and plant origin was as follows: Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Cronobacterspp. (E. sakazakii) in raw cow milk in 6.5% and 19.4% of cases, respectively; shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from beef and pork carcasses in 8.1% and 5.7%; Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens from different types of plant and animal raw materials and their processing products averages 27.5 % and 7.7 %, respectively. The advantages of molecular biological methods to which the PCR method relates, include their speed, as well as the specificity of identification of microorganisms by the features of genetic regions of genes that carry information about their pathogenicity factors. It has been found that the rate of detection of these pathogens when using the PCR method in comparison with classical methods increases at least 5-9 times. This data will be useful for assessing microbiological risk and will help authorities develop strategies to reduce consumer health risks.
Highlights
Formulation of the problemFood safety in present-day conditions is important all over the world, as it concerns public health
Highly sensitive, specific, and rapid methods of detecting and controlling foodborne pathogens as potential health hazards are of so great practical importance [3,4,5]
It is important to know that more than 80% of foodborne pathogens are dangerous anthropozoonotic microorganisms. They can get into raw meat and milk during slaughter and milking, or into products made from them during technological processing, or can contaminate raw vegetables, fruit, and berries when soil is fertilised with animal manure [10,12]
Summary
Berhilevych O, Pylypenko L, Kasianchuk V, Ilyeva A, Shubin Р. Using the PCR method to identify foodborne pathogens and determine their prevalence in Ukrainian food products of animal and plant origin. Using the PCR method to identify foodborne pathogens and determine their prevalence in Ukrainian food products of animal and plant origin / Berhilevych O. et al // Food science and technology. O. Berhilevych, Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, Professor L. V. Kasianchuk, Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, Professor A. PhD student Department of Public Health, Sumy State University, Medical Institute Sanatorna St., 31, Sumy, Ukraine, 40018 2 Department of Biochemistry, microbiology and nutrition physiology, 3Department of Bioengineering and Water Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies Kanatna Str., 112, Odessa, Ukraine, 65039
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