Reduce Foodborne Illness Research Articles

Validation of the AtlasTMCampylobacter Detection Assay: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 032101.

Campylobacter spp. are a major causal agent for diarrheal illness in humans. Detection of Campylobacter spp. in food is critical to reduce foodborne illness, and to provide safe foods. The aim was to evaluate the Atlas Campylobacter Detection Assay for AOAC Performance Tested MethodsSM certification for detecting C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari in foods after 12 h enrichment. The Atlas Campylobacter Detection Assay was compared to the ISO 10272-1:2017 reference culture method for chicken carcass rinse, turkey carcass sponge, raw ground poultry, raw ground pork, and ready-to-eat (RTE) meats. Inclusivity, exclusivity, product consistency, product stability, and robustness studies were also performed. An independent laboratory evaluated the performance of the Atlas Campylobacter Detection Assay method on chicken carcass rinse. No significant differences were observed between the Atlas Campylobacter Detection Assay and the reference ISO method in spiked food matrixes. The Atlas Campylobacter Detection Assay detected all 50 inclusive organisms and none of the 30 exclusive organisms. Product consistency and stability studies showed no statistical differences between lots or over the term of the shelf-life using accelerated method study. Finally, the robustness study showed no statistical difference between different sample volumes, enrichment times, and storage time after sample transfer. The results of this study indicate that the Atlas Campylobacter Detection Assay is comparable to ISO 10272-1:2017 for detecting Campylobacter in chicken carcass rinse, turkey carcass sponge, raw ground poultry, raw ground pork, and RTE meats. The Atlas Campylobacter Detection Assay is a rapid, accurate molecular method able to detect C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari in in chicken carcass rinse, turkey carcass sponge, raw ground poultry, raw ground pork, and RTE meats within 12-18 h.

Rapid identification of a subset of foodborne bacteria in live-cell assays.

The detection and identification of microbial pathogens in meat and fresh produce play an essential role in food safety for reducing foodborne illnesses every year. A new approach based on targeting a specific sequence of the 16S rRNA region for each bacterium is proposed and validated. The probe complex consists of a C60, a conjugated RNA detector which targets a specific 16S rRNA sequence, and a complementary fluorescent reporter. The RNA detectors were designed by integrating NIH nucleotideand Vienna RNA Webservice databases, and their specificities were validated by the RDP database. Probe complexes were synthesized for identifying E. coli K12, E. coli O157: H7, S. enterica, Y. enterocolitica, C. perfringens, and L. monocytogenes. First, under controlled conditions of known bacterial mixtures, the efficiency and crosstalk for identifying the foodborne bacteria were quantified to be above 94% and below 5%, respectively. Second, experiments were designed by inoculating meat products by known numbers of bacteria and measuring the limit of detection. In one experiment, 225g of autoclaved ground chicken was inoculated with 9 E. coli O157:H7, where 6.8 ± 1.2 bacteria with 95% confidence interval were recovered. Third, by positionally printing probe complexes in microwells, specific microorganisms were identified with only one fluorophore. The proposed protocol is a cell-based system, can identify live bacteria in 15min, requires no amplification, and has the potential to open new surveillance opportunities.Key points• The identification of foodborne bacteria is enabled in live-cell assays.• The limit of detection for 100g of fresh chicken breast inoculated with 4 bacteria is 2.7 ± 1.4 with 95% confidence interval.• The identification of five bacteria in a coded microwell chip is enabled with only one fluorophore.

Investigating the effects of explanatory-based food safety training: A model of domain knowledge theory perspective

Abstract Food safety training is essential to reducing foodborne illness; however, limited research has investigated the effects of food safety training content on training effectiveness. Therefore, drawing on the model of domain learning theory, the current study examined the influence of explanatory-based training (EBT; i.e., microbiology and epidemiology knowledge introduction) on the effectiveness of food handlers’ training. Adopting a longitudinal between-subject experimental design and multilevel linear modeling, the study showed that food handlers attending EBT demonstrated significant progress in food safety knowledge acquisition and reported high generalization ability, while only food handlers with high levels of mastery goal-orientation showed increased motivation to learn food safety after attending EBT. Additionally, food safety domain knowledge mediates the relationship between EBT and food handlers’ training effectiveness. This study provides theoretical and practical contributions to food safety training literature by explaining the underlying mechanism that operates between domain knowledge and food safety training effectiveness.

Prediction of Salmonella inactivation in sliced tomato subject to high pressure processing and trans-cinnamaldehyde treatment using selective and non-selective growth media for survival evaluations

High pressure processing (HPP) is an effective non-thermal food operation means to reduce foodborne illness risks. Trans-cinnamaldehyde (TC) is a GRAS compound widely used in food applications for flavoring and recently found the potential to enhance microbial inactivation with HPP. For the first time, this study investigated combination effects of relatively low hydrostatic pressure level (i.e. 150, 200 and 250 MPa), operation time (i.e. 4, 8 and 12 min) and TC concentration (i.e. 200, 400 and 600 ppm) on Salmonella inactivation in sliced tomato by using both selective (i.e. XLT4 agar plates) and non-selective (i.e. Aerobic Petrifilms™) growth media for microbial survival evaluations. Linear and dimensionless non-linear regression models were developed, evaluated and validated for providing comparative information for descriptions and predictions of the inactivation effects. The results showed that a strong synergistic inactivation effect between hydrostatic pressure and TC was observed, which could explain for the great inactivation effects of the combination treatments (maximum reduction > 6 log CFU/g). The inactivation of Salmonella in XLT4 agar plate counts was significantly larger (up to 1.96 log CFU/g) than in Aerobic Petrifilm™ counts (p < 0.05), suggesting using non-selective growth media could be a more conservative choice than selective growth media, ensuring a higher microbial safety level. According to the novel 4-dimensional response surface plots of developed models, hydrostatic pressure level played the most important role in the inactivation. This study provides valuable reference information to the current HPP manufacturers dealing with tomato products.

An overview of the use of placards and the potential benefits for British Columbians

Background: Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) are responsible for assessing the risk that food establishments pose to the public through regular inspections. The results of these inspections are then posted online for the public to view in British Columbia (BC). However, cities such as Toronto and New York City, have adopted the use of placards that are visibly placed at each food establishment, as well as posting the results online. The purpose of the placards is to provide a quick method for the public to ascertain the safety of food establishments. The use of placards has been shown to increase the compliance of food operators, as well as play a role in reducing foodborne illnesses. The purpose of this study was to determine if British Columbians would like to have the results of health inspections displayed on a placard in food establishments, in addition to them being posted online. Methods: An online, self-administered survey was created on SurveyMonkey Canada and distributed to residents of BC through Facebook and Reddit. The survey took approximately five minutes to complete and responses were collected over a nine-day period. The data was then analyzed using NCSS software. Results: From the 176 respondents, it was determined that approximately 44% of people knew about health inspection reports being posted online in BC, however, only 33% of people have visited health authority websites to view the inspections. 93% of the respondents would like to see a placard system implemented in BC. Furthermore, 72% of respondents would like to see a letter grade ranking of placards as opposed to a more general “Pass”, Conditional Pass” or “Closed” system. Results indicated a statistically significant association between the desire for a placard system and selecting a restaurant to eat at (p=0.000). Whether or not one views an online inspection report had no bearing on whether a placard system was desired. (p = 0.231). There is no association between age of BC residents and the preference for placards in BC (p = 0.618). However, there was an association between the age of respondents and knowledge of online reports of health inspections (p = 0.008), indicating that younger people are less likely to know about online health inspections that older populations. Conclusion: The results of this research study indicated that residents of BC overwhelmingly support the use of placards. BC residents would also like to see a letter grade placard system implemented. Although BC residents would like to see placards in food establishments, further research is required to assess what food operators, as well as other EHOs, think about implementing a placard system in place in food establishments.&#x0D;

Multisite survey of bacterial contamination in ready-to-eat meat products throughout the cooking and selling processes in urban supermarket, Nanjing, China.

ObjectiveReady‐to‐eat (RTE) meat is a kind of popular instant food easily contaminated by microbes, which is one of the causes of foodborne diseases. This study analyzes the possible sources of RTE food bacterial contamination during processing and subsequent selling.MethodSamples of eight kinds of RTE meat were collected from four supermarkets in Nanjing, China. The knives, chopping boards, trays(containers of food), clamps, air, water, and hands of the sales staff were sampled, and the enumeration of aerobic plate count and total coliforms and pathogenic bacteria was performed.ResultsThe survey revealed that poor hygienic levels was the causes that RTE meat products were contaminated by bacteria at different levels. With regard to pathogen, the incidences of Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were 4.2% and 2.1%, respectively. These results also revealed that the bacterial contamination of RTE food was caused by the air, as well as clamps, chopping boards, knives, trays, and hands of the operators. The total number of aerobic colonies were positively correlated with the amount of RTE food in one pot (r = .87728, p = .0217), and negatively correlated with the maximum temperature in the center of the meat (r = −.81633, p = .0475).ConclusionThe high number of bacteria in RTE foods indicates potential food safety risks and the need to improve the health of supermarket sales staff. The most important thing is to determine how to raise hygiene awareness of employees through food safety education. Meanwhile, a comprehensive set of regulations on hand cleaning and disinfection should be developed to facilitate public health and reduce foodborne illness caused by the consumption of RTE food.

Employees’ knowledge, attitude and practice of food additives; impacts of an educational intervention

Purpose Understanding consumers’ food safety practices are helpful in reducing foodborne illnesses. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of education on knowledge, attitude and practices toward food additives. Design/methodology/approach This interventional study was performed by random sampling of 826 employees in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences from January 2018 to March 2019. The knowledge, attitude and practices of the employees toward food additives were assessed by a self-administered and structured questionnaire. Two-month education was conducted visually by using pamphlets, posters and leaflets. Descriptive statistics and paired t-test were done by SPSS24 at significant levels of p &lt; 0.05. Findings The results showed that the respondents were very concerned about preservatives, colorants, and artificial sweeteners in foods. Before the education, the percentages collected for the knowledge, attitude and practice were 79.0, 48.9 and 46.7, respectively. Overall, knowledge scores were improved from 79.0 to 88.9 per cent when the education was offered. Safety attitude scores significantly increased, with a 50 per cent difference between the pre and post values. A significant difference was observed in the percentage of knowledge, attitude and practice of the employers before and after education (p &lt; 0.05). Almost half of the respondents chose leaflets and pamphlets as a preferable tool for learning. Originality/value Education may be needed for improving knowledge and attitude about food additives. It also helped the respondents to select healthier food. This study suggests more communication programs regarding food safety issues.

History, development, and current status of food safety systems worldwide.

Immediately following the 1993 Jack-in-the-Box outbreak caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7, the United States began to look for a more robust regulatory food safety system than previously employed. In the same time frame in the United Kingdom, an outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) eroded public trust in the food safety systems of Western Europe. As a result, there was increased interest in implementing the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system worldwide. Although the ideas incorporated into HACCP principles were developed decades earlier, the 1990s saw a focus on implementation of the system throughout developed food production systems based on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)’s seven principles which were subsequently mostly adapted by Codex Alimentarious. During this period of time, there were increased governments and private companies that required HACCP implementation. In the United States alone, HACCP was estimated to reduce foodborne illness by 20% during the 7 yr after its implementation. During HACCP adoption, many food retail and foodservice purchasers also developed additional unique specifications that suppliers had to adhere to in order to market their products, the idea being to improve consumer confidence in food safety management systems. This resulted in creation of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) system for benchmarking additional voluntary food safety management standards against preferred methods for reducing foodborne illnesses (first in Europe, and later adopted in the United States and globally) which reduced redundancy and helped us to bring global consistency to food safety. Although developed countries now mostly all adhere to core HACCP principles of food safety, ideas dealing with traceability, vulnerability to food fraud, and intentional adulteration are now being considered to further bolster food safety. On the other hand, developing countries appear to have had varied success in implementing similar food safety management systems, and many countries still struggle with high numbers of foodborne illnesses. At the broadest level, the HACCP system is a preventive-based method for assuring food product safety. Biological, physical, and chemical hazards can be prevented, reduced, or eliminated through this system. In addition to the management of hazards, record keeping demonstrating adherence to HACCP is included in the system.

P2 - Boosting Farmer Sales Through Point of Purchase Home Food Preservation Education

Objective: The Point of Purchase (POP) Home Food Preservation Education project sought to increase sales and farm profitability by increasing consumer literacy and influencing POP consumer behaviors to preserve (e.g. freeze, can, dry) produce to increase local food access. Target Audience: Consumers at farmers' markets, Pick Your Own farms and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shareholders. Theory, Prior Research, Rationale: An electronic retrospective behavior survey was administered to participating consumers to assess their pre and post behaviors related to volume purchased and food preservation methods used as a result of “nudge” marketing and POP education. Description: Through trained Master Food Preserver volunteers and staff, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension partnered with two Pick Your Own farms, two CSA farms and three farmers' markets to offer “nudge” marketing and food preservation educational displays as an intervention to influence consumers' (n = 1,000) behaviors to: purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables to preserve, use the latest methods of food preservation to reduce foodborne illness risk, and increase farm profitability and sustainability. Evaluation: Analysis of the retrospective behavior survey indicated that 45% of consumers purchased more produce (strawberries, tomatoes, greens, green beans and apples) to preserve than they had in past growing seasons. Consumers identified freezing foods to prevent food waste as the biggest change in their food preservation behavior. Consumers also indicated greater adherence to USDA food preservation recommendations for acidification and proper processing. Conclusions and Implications: Economic sustainability of farms is a daily issue faced by farmers. Profitable farms are sustainable farms. Consumers and their purchasing power hold the key to directly impact the profit base for farmers. Our research documents positive shifts in consumer behaviors as a result of our POP intervention that ultimately impacts farm sustainability and profitability in Maine and Maine's local food system. Funding: Maine Food and Ag Center.

Factors affecting the parasitic contamination of edible locally produced dry season leafy vegetables cultivated in south east Enugu, Nigeria

Background/Aim: Outbreaks of human infections associated with consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables have occurred with increased frequency during the past decade. This study evaluated parasitic contamination of locally produced dry season vegetables cultivated in Enugu metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria. Materials/Method: Vegetables, water and soil samples selected from vegetable farms were investigated. A total of 160 vegetable samples, 15 soil samples and 15 water samples were investigated. The samples were washed separately in saline and the resulting solution was subjected to standard sedimentation and flotation techniques. Physiochemical analysis of soil and water samples was done using the standard DREM technique. Furthermore, the water samples were investigated for C. parvum using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique. Results: Parasitic contamination of the different vegetables were Teifeairia occidentalis 242 (18.1%), Amaranthus hybridus 193 (15.1%), Cucurbita maxima 192 (15.0%), Solanum species 191 (14.9%), Ocimum grattisimum 136 (10.6%), Solanun nigrum 114 (8.9%), Gongronema latifolium 101 (7.9%), Talinum triangulare 73 (5.7%) and Murraya koenigii 39 (3.0%).The parasites identified included; Ascaris lumbricoides , Taenia spp, Fasciola hepatica , Schistosoma spp, Trichuris spp, Enterobius vermicularis , Toxocara .spp, Giardia lamblia , Entamoeba spp and Cryptosporidium parvum . Entamoeba species was the highest contaminating parasite 529 (41.3%) while Schistosoma haematobium was the least,14 (1.1%). Physiochemical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between parasite load in water and total suspended solutes (TSS) (r = 0.59, p = 0.021) and turbidity ( r = 0.55, p = 0.032) and also a strong positive correlation between parasite load in the soil and organic matter (OM), (r = 0.71, p = 0.003) and silt (r = 0.63, p = 0.011). Conclusion: These vegetables should be considered as potential sources of parasitic infections, especially when they are not properly cooked (the type called ‘Half Done’) or consumed raw like the local salad (abacha) because of the high risk of parasitic infections such as giardiasis, amoebiasis, enterobiasis, cyptosporidiosis, ascariasis, etc. Public enlightenment is necessary to enhance the adoption of effective food safety approaches by agronomic practices of vegetable farmers which will in turn reduce foodborne illnesses. Keywords: Parasite, contamination, vegetables, Enugu

Explaining Unobserved Heterogeneity of Food Safety Behavioral Intention: A Sequential Mixed Method Approach

In 2015, 902 foodborne illness outbreaks were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resulting in 15,202 illnesses, 950 hospitalizations, and 15 deaths. Previous literature from both survey and observational studies have reported low conformity with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code guidelines. To effectively reduce foodborne illnesses, foodservice managers and food handlers must perform proper food safety behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to identify and explain the unobserved cognitive processes within food safety behavioral intention. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was utilized. First, a systematic review and meta-analyses of the existing literature were conducted to quantify statistical power better and summarize the effect sizes with conflicting studies. Then, an in-depth qualitative study was conducted to help explain the statistical results. Using existing observed cognitive variables grounded by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the key idea is that the qualitative inquiry was built on the quantitative results. Thus, the syntheses of both studies help explained the unobserved heterogeneity information. Study 1 included a total of 1,550 studies for screening with 46 records meeting the inclusion criteria for analyses. The overall random effect size (r) was 0.282 (p < 0.001) providing collective evidence that the TPB constructs predict food safety behavioral intention. Subjective norms were noted as the most influencial variable to food safety behavioral intention. Studies with employee motivational constructs tend to show the most positive effect on food safety intention relationships. However, the Theory of Planned Behavior model only explained a combined 22% of total true effect variance. Thus, a considerable amount of the variance (78%) within food safety behavioral intention is still unexplained. Study 2 used an online questionnaire to measure individual-level norms. Open-ended questions (14) helped create qualitative narrative texts for analyses and establishing a demographic profile of the participants. A total of 104 responses from foodservice and restaurant employees were documented for coding. Most participants were female, with a mean age of 36 with an average of about 11 years of foodservice industry experiences. The results indicated that employees are usually not influenced of other managers or coworker’s approval or disapproval of their behavior. Rather, their behavior is guided by an innate motivation for moral consideration and ethical reasoning. The data further indicated that participants experience injunctive (subjective) norms, but more from a retrospective formation, rather than a forward-looking expectance regarding food safety practices. Intrinsic motivation should be an important antecedent to form normative beliefs of food safety-related behaviors. The findings of the study results challenge the previous understanding of path directions regarding normative pressure. Limitations and future studies related to maximize food safety behavioral intentions were discussed.

How Scheduling Can Bias Quality Assessment: Evidence from Food-Safety Inspections

Accuracy and consistency are critical for inspections to be an effective, fair, and useful tool for assessing risks, quality, and suppliers—and for making decisions based on those assessments. We examine how inspector schedules could introduce bias that erodes inspection quality by altering inspector stringency. Our analysis of thousands of food-safety inspections reveals that inspectors are affected by the inspection outcomes at their prior-inspected establishment (outcome effects), citing more violations after they inspect establishments that exhibited worse compliance levels or trends. Moreover, consistent with negativity bias, the effect is stronger after observing compliance deterioration than improvement. Inspection results are also affected by when the inspection occurs within an inspector’s day (daily schedule effects): Inspectors cite fewer violations after spending more time conducting inspections throughout the day and when inspections risk prolonging their typical workday. Overall, our findings suggest that currently unreported violations would be cited if the outcome effects—which increase scrutiny—were triggered more often and if the daily schedule effects—which erode scrutiny—were reduced. For example, our estimates indicate that if outcome effects were doubled and daily schedule effects were fully mitigated, 11% more violations would be detected, enabling remedial actions that could substantially reduce foodborne illnesses and hospitalizations. Understanding and addressing these inspection biases can help managers and policymakers improve not only food safety but also process quality, environmental practices, occupational safety, and working conditions.This paper was accepted by Serguei Netessine, operations management.

Assessing the Quality of Quality Assessment: The Role of Scheduling

Accuracy and consistency are critical for inspections to be an effective, fair, and useful tool for assessing risks, quality, and suppliers — and for making decisions based on those assessments. We examine how inspector schedules could introduce bias that erodes inspection quality by altering inspector stringency. Our analysis of thousands of food safety inspections reveals that inspectors are affected by the inspection outcomes at their prior inspected establishment (outcome effects), citing more violations after they inspect establishments that exhibited worse compliance levels or trends. Moreover, consistent with negativity bias, the effect is stronger after observing compliance deterioration than improvement. Inspection results are also affected by when the inspection occurs within an inspector’s day (daily schedule effects): inspectors cite fewer violations after spending more time conducting inspections throughout the day, and when inspections risk prolonging their typical workday. Overall, our findings suggest that currently unreported violations would be cited if the outcome effects — which increase scrutiny — were triggered more often and if the daily schedule effects — which erode scrutiny — were reduced. For example, our estimates indicate that if outcome effects were doubled and daily schedule effects were fully mitigated, 11% more violations would be detected, enabling remedial actions that could substantially reduce foodborne illnesses and hospitalizations. Understanding and addressing these inspection biases can help managers and policymakers improve not only food safety but also process quality, environmental practices, occupational safety, working conditions, and infrastructure.

Escherichia coli removal from model substrates: Underlying mechanism based on nanofluid structural forces.

Understanding the interactions between bacteria and solid surfaces that result in bacterial adhesion and removal is of immense importance for reducing foodborne illness outbreaks. A nanofluid formulation comprised of a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micellar aqueous solution in the presence of an organic acid (as a pH controller) was used to test the E. coli K12 removal from two substrates, polyvinylchloride (PVC) and partially hydrophobic glass. We investigated the bacterial removal efficacy based on the combined effect of the nanofluid's structural forces and bacterial isoelectric point. To quantify the bacteria-PVC coverage, we used fluorescence microscope. The Langmuir isotherm at the low volume fraction was applied to estimate the adsorption energy of E. coli K12. We obtained a value of about 2.5±0.2kT. This value compared favorably with the value of 2.1kT reported previously for E. coli NCTC 9002 (Vanloosdrecht et al., 1989). We applied the dynamic light scattering method to estimate the radius of the gyration of E. coli K12. The radius of the gyration was used to estimate the limit of surface area covered by the bacterium and compared it to the surface area measured from the image taken with fluorescence microscope. We found that they are in good agreement with each other. We modeled the nanofluid oscillatory structural energy against the E. coli K12 adsorption energy by applying the statistical mechanics approach. Based on the model prediction, the oscillatory interaction energy was estimated at the vertex between a bacterium and the substrate (i.e., the wedge film's interaction energy at one particle layer). The evaluated film's repulsive energy due to the oscillatory structural forces (OSF) was about 15.6±4.4kT of the 0.02M SMNF (the SDS micellar nanofluid formulation) and several times higher than the bacterial adsorption energy, 2.5±0.2kT. The OSF of the 0.06M SMNF was measured by AFM (the oscillatory decay force curve). The period and number of oscillations versus distance was annualized and used to obtain information for the effective size of the nanoparticles and nanofluid's effective volume fraction. These findings suggest that the OSF is capable of bacteria/microorganism removal from contaminated substrates.

Australian Food Safety Policy Changes from a "Command and Control" to an "Outcomes-Based" Approach: Reflection on the Effectiveness of Its Implementation.

Foodborne illness is a global public health burden. Over the past decade in Australia, despite advances in microbiological detection and control methods, there has been an increase in the incidence of foodborne illness. Therefore improvements in the regulation and implementation of food safety policy are crucial for protecting public health. In 2000, Australia established a national food safety regulatory system, which included the adoption of a mandatory set of food safety standards. These were in line with international standards and moved away from a “command and control” regulatory approach to an “outcomes-based” approach using risk assessment. The aim was to achieve national consistency and reduce foodborne illness without unnecessarily burdening businesses. Evidence demonstrates that a risk based approach provides better protection for consumers; however, sixteen years after the adoption of the new approach, the rates of food borne illness are still increasing. Currently, food businesses are responsible for producing safe food and regulatory bodies are responsible for ensuring legislative controls are met. Therefore there is co-regulatory responsibility and liability and implementation strategies need to reflect this. This analysis explores the challenges facing food regulation in Australia and explores the rationale and evidence in support of this new regulatory approach.

RT-qPCR Analysis of 15 Genes Encoding Putative Surface Proteins Involved in Adherence of Listeria monocytogenes.

L. monocytogenes adherence to food-associated abiotic surfaces and the development of biofilms as one of the underlying reasons for the contamination of ready-to-eat products is well known. The over-expression of internalins that improves adherence has been noted in cells growing as attached cells or at elevated incubation temperatures. However, the role of other internalin-independent surface proteins as adhesins has been uncharacterized to date. Using two strains each of weakly- and strongly-adherent L. monocytogenes as platforms for temperature-dependent adherence assays and targeted mRNA analyses, these observations (i.e., sessile- and/or temperature-dependent gene expression) were further investigated. Microplate fluorescence assays of both surface-adherent strains exhibited significant (P < 0.05) adherence at higher incubation temperature (42 °C). Of the 15 genes selected for RT-qPCR, at least ten gene transcripts recovered from cells (weakly-adherent strain CW35, strongly-adherent strain 99-38) subject to various growth conditions were over expressed [planktonic/30 °C (10), sessile/30 °C (12), planktonic/42 °C (10)] compared to their internal control (16SrRNA transcripts). Of four genes overexpressed in all three conditions tested, three and one were implicated as virulence factors and unknown function, respectively. PCR analysis of six unexpressed genes revealed that CW35 possessed an altered genome. The results suggest the presence of other internalin-independent adhesins (induced by growth temperature and/or substratum) and that a group of suspect protein members are worthy of further analysis for their potential role as surface adhesins. Analysis of the molecular basis of adherence properties of isolates of L. monocytogenes from food-associated facilities may help identify sanitation regimens to prevent cell attachment and biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces that could play a role in reducing foodborne illness resulting from Listeria biofilms.

Recipe Modification Improves Food Safety Practices during Cooking of Poultry

Many consumers do not practice proper food safety behaviors when preparing food in the home. Several approaches have been taken to improve food safety behaviors among consumers, but there still is a deficit in actual practice of these behaviors. The objective of this study was to assess whether the introduction of food safety instructions in recipes for chicken breasts and ground turkey patties would improve consumers' food safety behaviors during preparation. In total, 155 consumers in two locations (Manhattan, KS, and Nashville, TN) were asked to prepare a baked chicken breast and a ground turkey patty following recipes that either did or did not contain food safety instructions. They were observed to track hand washing and thermometer use. Participants who received recipes with food safety instructions (n = 73) demonstrated significantly improved food safety preparation behaviors compared with those who did not have food safety instructions in the recipe (n = 82). In addition, the majority of consumers stated that they thought the recipes with instructions were easy to use and that they would be likely to use similar recipes at home. This study demonstrates that recipes could be a good source of food safety information for consumers and that they have the potential to improve behaviors to reduce foodborne illness.

Food Safety Knowledge and Psychosocial Indicators in Relation to Garden and Personal Behaviors in Early Childcare Educators

Early childcare (ECC) educators play an important role in reducing foodborne illness risks in children who participate in farm-to-preschool programs (F2P). To inform F2P development, the purpose of this project was to determine food safety (FS) knowledge and behaviors of ECC educators, and to examine knowledge and FS attitudes modeled on social cognitive theory (SCT) in relation to FS behaviors. Online and paper surveys were sent to a random sample of 600 ECC centers in MA and NH, with oversampling of CACFP participants. Farm and garden and FS-related knowledge, psychosocial attitudes, and practices were assessed using a 47-item survey. A FS knowledge score was created by summing correct responses to five knowledge questions. Personal FS and garden-related behavior scores were created by summing the values for six and four questions, respectively. Psychosocial factors were grouped based on constructs of SCT. Psychosocial indicators and FS knowledge scores were related to behavior scores using linear regression and Pearson’s correlation coefficient where appropriate. Educators’ (n=118) FS knowledge was moderate, and was associated with personal FS behaviors (p=0.0003) but not garden-related behaviors. Self-efficacy and self-regulation tended to be associated with garden-related behaviors. Observational learning (p=0.001) and an overall psychosocial score (p=0.05) were associated with garden-related behaviors. Following recommended FS practices is an essential part of farm-to-preschool programs. Findings indicate that a F2P training program would benefit from a theory-driven FS curriculum which focuses on improving knowledge while addressing psychosocial factors including self-regulation, self-efficacy, and observational learning.

Genipin cross-linked antimicrobial nanocomposite films and gamma irradiation to prevent the surface growth of bacteria in fresh meats

Abstract A 125 μg/mL of nisin and 30 mM of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) were immobilized on the surface of the nanocrystal (CNC)/chitosan nanocomposite films by using genipin as a cross-linking agent. The effect of low-dose gamma irradiation on the antimicrobial activity of the films was tested in vitro against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. The genipin cross-linked films prepared by irradiating at 1.5 kGy demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity against both the bacteria at the end of 35 days of storage at 37 °C showing an inhibition zone of 27.1 mm for E. coli and 27.7 mm for L. monocytogenes as compared to 23.4 mm and 23.8 mm for the same respective bacteria at day 1. The films restricted the growth of psychrotrophs, mesophiles and Lactobacillus spp. (LAB) in fresh pork loin meats and increased the microbiological shelf-life of meat sample by more than 5 weeks. The films also reduced the count of E. coli and L. monocytogenes in meat samples by 4.4 and 5.7 log CFU/g, respectively, after 35 days of storage. Industrial relevance Foodborne diseases are responsible for 9.4 million illnesses, 55,961 hospitalization and 1,391 deaths each year in the United States. In the context of a constantly growing population and globalization of markets, and the increase of the demand for ready to eat foods without synthetic additives, the development of new technologies to prevent food contamination and to reduce foodborne illnesses is important. The development of antimicrobial packaging containing natural antimicrobials has been proposed as a novel technology to assure food safety. This technology is gaining interest from researchers and industries due to its potential to prevent the surface growth of pathogenic bacteria in meat products. The limit of the use of natural polymers, in order to reduce the packaging wastes, is their high water permeability and low resistance. The use of nanocellulose can permit to reinforce film and can improve their physico-chemical properties. We have developed a novel biopolymeric matrix reinforced with a nanofiber. The nanofiber is non-toxic, natural and obtainable from renewable sources. Chitosan, is also obtained from renewable sources, non-toxic, biodegradable, has biocompatible properties, and found application in several fields including food packaging.

An Economic Evaluation of PulseNet: A Network for Foodborne Disease Surveillance.

The PulseNet surveillance system is a molecular subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories designed to identify and facilitate investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks. This study estimates health and economic impacts associated with PulseNet. The staggered adoption of PulseNet across the states offers a natural experiment to evaluate its effectiveness, which is measured as reduction of reported illnesses due to improved information, enhanced industry accountability, and more-rapid recalls. Economic impacts attributable to PulseNet include medical costs and productivity losses averted due to reduced illness. Program costs are also reported. Better information and accountability from enhanced surveillance is associated with large reductions of reported illnesses. Data collected between 1994 and 2009 were assembled and analyzed between 2010 and 2015. Conservatively, accounting for underreporting and underdiagnosis, 266,522 illnesses from Salmonella, 9,489 illnesses from Escherichia coli (E. coli), and 56 illnesses due to Listeria monocytogenes are avoided annually. This reduces medical and productivity costs by $507 million. Additionally, direct effects from improved recalls reduce illnesses from E. coli by 2,819 and Salmonella by 16,994, leading to $37 million in costs averted. Annual costs to public health agencies are $7.3 million. The PulseNet system makes possible the identification of food safety risks by detecting widespread or non-focal outbreaks. This gives stakeholders information for informed decision making and provides a powerful incentive for industry. Furthermore, PulseNet enhances the focus of regulatory agencies and limits the impact of outbreaks. The health and economic benefits from PulseNet and the foodborne disease surveillance system are substantial.