Risk Of Foodborne Disease Research Articles

Food Safety Knowledge and Hygienic Practices among Different Groups of Restaurants in Muscat, Oman.

Food safety is vital to human beings as well as to the food industry. Therefore, knowledge and hygiene practice of food safety among food handlers are particularly important. Evaluation of food safety knowledge and hygienic practices among 18 restaurants in three different regions (i.e., districts) in the Governorate of Muscat was performed. In order to determine the quality level of restaurants, grouping (i.e., Region 1, Region 2, and Region 3; e.g., Group I, Group II, and Group III) was adopted from the regulations and assigned by the municipality based on the number of complaints against the restaurants. A questionnaire was designed to assess the knowledge of hygiene, food poisoning, food handling, cooking, and local regulations/rules of the food handlers in selected restaurants. The food handlers in the Region 1 restaurants showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) overall knowledge (58.6%) in food safety as compared to Region 2 (52.1%) and Region 3 (53.2%). Overall knowledge of food handlers in Group I restaurants was significantly higher (p < 0.05) (64.4%) as compared to Group II (53.1%) and Group III (48.1%). The hygiene practices in Group I restaurants were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in Groups II and III. A small but significant inverse association (r2 = −0.38) between total knowledge scores and hygiene practices was found. In conclusion, higher knowledge in the field is associated with better hygiene practices, and these are more likely to prevent food poisoning originating from restaurants. We recommend implementing specialized education courses and workshops for the food handlers as a requirement before embarking on service to decrease the risks of foodborne diseases.

Avaliação das boas práticas em restaurantes do município de Joinville, Santa Catarina

Introdução: O aumento da alimentação fora de casa tem relação direta com a expansão dos serviços de alimentação. Por conta dessa expansão, tornam-se necessários estudos que avaliem as condições higiênico-sanitárias e de boas práticas nos estabelecimentos. Objetivo: Avaliar as boas práticas de manipulação de alimentos em restaurantes de Joinville-SC. Método: Coleta de dados realizada por meio da aplicação da lista de verificação de boas práticas para serviços de alimentação (checklist), integrante da Resolução Normativa nº 3 da Diretoria de Vigilância Sanitária do Estado de Santa Catarina, em conformidade com a RDC n° 216/2004 da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária. Resultados: Aplicou-se a checklist em 30 restaurantes, sendo que apenas um foi classificado como plenamente satisfatório, com índice de adequação de 81,8%; dois foram classificados como satisfatórios, com média de 53,0% de conformidades; e os demais 27 estabelecimentos obtiveram índice de adequação inferior a 50,0%, sendo classificados como insatisfatórios. Conclusão: Considerando os resultados, se faz necessário adotar medidas operacionais e corretivas para controle dos pontos críticos. Estas devem ser realizadas e reforçadas pelos nutricionistas que atuam em restaurantes, com o objetivo de reduzir as não conformidades e, consequentemente, os riscos de doenças transmitidas por alimentos.

Microbiological quality and safety of minimally processed parsley (Petroselinum crispum) sold in food markets, southeastern Brazil.

This study evaluated the microbiological quality and safety of minimally processed parsley sold in southeastern Brazilian food markets. One hundred samples were submitted to the enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae by plating on MacConkey agar. Colonies of Enterobacteriaceae were randomly selected and identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Samples were also tested for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella sp. The mean count of Enterobacteriaceae was 6·0±1·0 log CFU per gram, while 18 genera (including 30 species) of bacteria belonging to this family were identified. Salmonella and L. monocytogenes were not detected, while L. innocua was found in two samples and L. fleischmannii was found in one sample. Moreover generic Escherichia coli was found in three samples, all from different brands of minimally processed parsley. Even though microbial pathogens were not isolated, a variety of indicator micro-organisms were identified, including vegetable spoilers and species capable of causing human opportunistic infections. These results suggest hygienic failures and/or lack of temperature control during processing and storage of these ready-to-eat products. This study highlights the need for control measures during the production chain of minimally processed parsley in order to reduce microbial contamination and the risks of foodborne diseases.

Fish-borne methicillin resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus carrying atypical staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) elements

Prevalence of staphylococci in fish and fish products pose high risk of foodborne diseases. As far as Staphylococcus haemolyticus as a reservoir of methicillin resistance is considered, main objective of the present study was to surveil the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus (MRSH) in fishes and its genotypic characterization. 79 fish samples were collected from retail markets in three pre-decided sites in Assam. The collected fish samples were subjected to microbial analysis and as result 13 MRSH could be isolated. Susceptibility of the isolates towards various classes of antibiotics was assessed by employing BD Phoenix M50 system. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for the molecular detection of methicillin-resistance determinant. Molecular typing of the isolates was attempted by recruiting staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Out of 79 fish samples collected from retail markets in Assam, 13 tested positive for MRSH. These isolates showed varying levels of resistance to different classes of antibiotics such as cephalosporin (100%), lincosamide (30.76%), macrolides (30.76%), aminoglycoside (53.85%), quinolones (38.46%) and sulfonamides (61.54%). BD Phoenix M50 instrument recognized a few isolates as inducible macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (iMLSb) phenotype (30.76%). Remarkably, all the isolates were reported as multi-drug resistant (MDR) as they showed resistant to ≥3 classes of antibiotics. All the studied isolates were positive for mecA gene and carrying multiple SCCmec elements. PFGE cluster analysis grouped the isolates into two major clusters and seven individual lineages. In short, the current study documented the incidence of multi-drug resistant, multiple SCCmec elements carrying S. haemolyticus in fishes. Considering the fact that S. haemolyticus contributes greatly in the dissemination of methicillin resistance owing to their extreme genome plasticity, the present study admonition the necessity of continuous monitoring the S. haemolyticus contamination in food. The study also discussed role of prudent hygienic practices in flattening the AMR curves.

Food Safety Considerations Related to the Consumption and Handling of Game Meat in North America.

Emerging foodborne pathogens present a threat to public health. It is now recognized that several foodborne pathogens originate from wildlife as demonstrated by recent global disease outbreaks. Zoonotic spillover events are closely related to the ubiquity of parasitic, bacterial, and viral pathogens present within human and animal populations and their surrounding environment. Foodborne diseases have economic and international trade impacts, incentivizing effective wildlife disease management. In North America, there are no food safety standards for handling and consumption of free-ranging game meat. Game meat consumption continues to rise in North America; however, this growing practice could place recreational hunters and game meat consumers at increased risk of foodborne diseases. Recreational hunters should follow effective game meat food hygiene practices from harvest to storage and consumption. Here, we provide a synthesis review that evaluates the ecological and epidemiological drivers of foodborne disease risk in North American hunter populations that are associated with the harvest and consumption of terrestrial mammal game meat. We anticipate this work could serve as a foundation of preventive measures that mitigate foodborne disease transmission between free-ranging mammalian and human populations.

Modelling and magnitude estimation of cross-contamination in the kitchen for quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA).

In the kitchen of the consumer, two main transmission routes are relevant for quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA): the cross‐contamination route, where a pathogen on a food product may evade heating by transmission via hands, kitchen utensils and other surfaces, e.g. to non‐contaminated products to be consumed raw; and the heating route, where pathogens remain on the food product and are for the most part inactivated through heating. This project was undertaken to model and estimate the magnitude of cross‐contamination in the domestic environment. Scientific information from the relevant literature was collected and analyzed, to define the cross‐contamination routes, to describe the variability sources and to extract and harmonise the transfer fractions to be included as model parameters. The model was used to estimate the relative impact of the cross‐contamination routes for different scenarios. In addition, the effectiveness of several interventions in reducing the risk of food‐borne diseases due to cross‐contamination was investigated. The outputs of the model showed that the cutting board route presents a higher impact compared to other routes and replacement of the kitchen utensils is more effective than other interventions investigated; the transfer to other surfaces and objects, which can house bacteria in the environment, is also described. Laboratory cross‐contamination trials have been performed to estimate bacterial transfer via cutting, from the external surface of the meat to the cutting surfaces and to the knife. The results, obtained from the laboratory trials, show magnitudes of and differences in the bacterial transfer fraction to the knife and the cutting surface in relation to which side of the meat is contaminated. Despite the complexity of factors which influence bacterial transfer, the combination of laboratory work with mathematical modelling enhanced scientific understanding and appreciation of the uncertainty of the estimates. QMRA methodology results in magnitude estimation of cross‐contamination in the kitchen and evaluation of intervention strategies.

A surveillance of food borne disease outbreaks in India: 2009–2018

Knowledge about distribution of food-borne outbreaks and implicated food-vehicles helps in mitigating the risk of food-borne diseases and is critical for designing strategies to control them. In this study data from Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) and Open Government Data Platform India (OGDPI) on food-borne outbreaks for the period 2008–2018 was consolidated and analysed. The modelling methods of Gaussian distribution model (GAM) and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) were used to probe influence of climatic factors (temperature and rainfall) on food-borne outbreaks. Data analysis showed that states of West Bengal (31.22), Karnataka (29.11) and Gujarat (22.67) reported maximum average outbreaks and contributed to 31.5% illnesses and 8.7% deaths. Amongst 19.6% of outbreaks, grains and beans were found to be food-vehicle causing maximum outbreaks (32.7%), while chemically contaminated food caused maximal deaths (70%). Weak correlations of climatic factors with outbreaks resulted in poor performance of ARIMA models. GAM model was validated and predicted 356 outbreaks for the year 2020, late-April to mid-July being most prevalent months. The analysis also revealed inclination of current surveillance program towards chemically contaminated food that resulted in maximal deaths (70%), while biological agents were observed to be under-reported. Despite the limitations, available data shows that food-borne disease outbreaks remain a public health concern in India. Therefore, it is imperative for India to strengthen its disease surveillance program by undertaking capacity-building initiatives at state/local health-care levels and connecting causative agents of outbreaks. This would help in efficient implementation of risk assessment and risk management strategies.

Hydrolytic bacteria associated with natural helminth infection in the midgut of Red Sea marbled spinefoot rabbit fish Siganus rivulatus

Fish infected with intestinal helminths or pathogenic bacteria can pose a serious risk of foodborne disease, threatening human and animal health, and require high attention. The current study investigates the diversity and composition of the microbiota in the midgut of rabbit fish Siganus rivulatus naturally infected with helminths. Six species of helminth parasites, including the digeneans Hexangium sigani and Gyliauchen volubilis, the acanthocephalans Sclerocollum rubrimaris and Neorhadinorhynchus macrospinosus, and the nematodes Procammalanus elatensis, and Ascaridoid larvae were recorded in the fish intestine. P. elatensis had the highest prevalence, occurring in 65% of infected fish; 72.2% of infected fish had concurrent infection with two or more helminth species. The total count of aerobic bacteria ranged from 1 to 305 colony-forming units (CFU)/g midgut contents. Four hydrolytic bacteria were recovered from the infected samples: Escherichia coli (ASU 31), Bacillus cereus (ASU 36) MN955553, Bacillus thuringiensis (ASU 34) MN955550, and Novosphingobium aromaticivorans (ASU 35) MN955552, which were identified using 16S rRNA genes. Bacterial richness was significantly correlated with concurrent parasitic infection and high content of extracellular hydrolytic amylases, proteases, cellulases, and lipases. The present results showed that the composition of the microbiota was affected by natural helminth infections in Siganus rivulatus, and the significant interaction between parasitic load and intestinal pathogenic bacteria, which may be primary in fish diseases etiology.

Occurrence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Ready-to-Eat Raw Fish from Japanese Cuisine Restaurants in Salvador, Brazil

The presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains in food products is a major issue for food safety. The present study was conducted to evaluate the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance profile of S. aureus, focusing on MRSA isolates, in ready-to-eat sashimi from Japanese restaurants in Salvador, Brazil. A total of 127 sashimi samples were collected directly from the take-out service in 16 restaurants. The staphylococcal isolates were identified morphologically and biochemically with standard laboratory procedures. S. aureus isolates were tested with a disk diffusion assay against seven antibiotics, and the cefoxitin and oxacillin were used to identify MRSA strains. Isolates with the MRSA phenotype were confirmed with a PCR assay. S. aureus was found in 73% of the sashimi samples, including sashimi from tuna (75.5% of samples) and salmon (72.5% of samples). Among those positive samples, 37% were contaminated with MRSA strains, found among 38.8% of salmon sashimi and 34.0% of tuna sashimi. Penicillin resistance was the most common type of antimicrobial resistance, found in 65.5% of the sashimi samples, followed by resistance to tetracycline (22.5%), erythromycin (16.0%), and ciprofloxacin (3.2%). Only two S. aureus isolates collected from different fish samples and restaurants had presumed resistance to vancomycin. The high prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA in these sashimi samples indicates a potential risk for foodborne disease, especially MRSA, spreading in the community.

Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, PFGE and MLST characterization of Salmonella in swine mesenteric lymph nodes

This study evaluated 250 animals from 25 different processing lots, processed in four slaughterhouses in São Paulo state, Brazil for the presence of Salmonella in the mesenteric lymph nodes (10 g sample of each animal) and characterized the antibiotics resistance profile, the Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis – PFGE and Multi Locus Sequence Typing – MLST profiles of selected strains. The pathogen was present in 36.4% (n = 91, CL 95% 30.4–43.4) of samples and 72% (n = 18, CL 95% 50.6–87.9%) of the analyzed lots. The main serovars were S. Typhimurium (n = 23), Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica 1.4,5,12:i:- (n = 17), followed by S. Infantis (n = 12) and S. Havana (n = 11). Twenty-eight strains (30%) were classified as other serovars. Sixty-eight percent of the strains were resistant to Streptomycin and tetracycline, followed by ampicillin and sulphonamides (62.6%), chloramphenicol (56.0%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (41.8%) and nalidixic acid (40.7%). The antibiotics with lower resistance rates were cephalothin and aztreonam (both with 3.3% resistant), and ceftriaxone and cefepime (both with 7.7%). Multidrug-resistant strains (MDR) accounted for 70.3% of the isolates. Eight strains were submitted to MLST: four S. Typhimurium and one S.1.4,5,12:i:-, all belonging to the ST 19, two Salmonella Infantis, belonging to the ST 32 and one S. Derby, belonging to ST 40. Twenty-one isolates with different antibiotics resistance profiles from the most prevalent serovars were selected for PFGE analysis. Serovar S. Typhimurium (n = 11) revealed 4 pulsotypes and 1 cluster and S. 1.4,5,12:i:- (n = 10) revealed 5 pulsotypes and 4 clusters. The high prevalence of the pathogen, with its high rates of antibiotics resistance and belonging to genetic groups that are often associated with disease in humans, shows that the production chain of pork is a potential source of infection in salmonellosis cases. Therefore, effective preventive measures for pathogen control are needed to reduce the risk of foodborne diseases.

Development of a Label-Free LSPR-Apta Sensor for Staphylococcus aureus Detection.

The risk of foodborne diseases has increased over the last years. We have developed a simple, portable, and label-free optical sensor via aptamer recognition of Staphylococcus aureus at nanostructured plasmonic elements. The developed aptamers conjugated to a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensing device were applied in both pure culture and artificially contaminated milk samples enabling a limit of detection of 103 CFU/mL for S. aureus in milk. There was no need for a pre-enrichment step, and the total analysis time decreased from 30 min to 120 s. Finite-difference time-domain was used to simulate the experimentally measured optical responses for a range of different sensor designs (100 and 200 nm disks), addressing the role of the near field and intrinsic refractive index sensitivity. A comparison of the aptamer to antibody-based recognition approaches showed that the thickness of the sensing layer was critical with a significantly larger response for the thinner aptamer layer. Comparison of differently sized metal nanostructures showed a significantly higher sensitivity for 200 nm diameter compared to 100 nm diameter disk structures resulting from both increases in bulk refractive index sensitivity and the extent to which the local field extends out from the metal surface. These findings confirmed that the developed gold nanodisk-based LSPR sensing chips could facilitate sensitive detection of S. aureus in food samples.

A qualitative risk assessment approach to microbial foodborne hazards in Brazilian intensive pork production: A step towards risk prioritization

The application of biosecurity measures in pig farms has prompted a shift in epidemiological reality, altering the risk profile attributed to the consumption of pork. The inspection of pig carcasses in Brazil is based on incisions and palpations to seek lesions mainly related to classic zoonotic diseases. We describe the use of a qualitative risk assessment from the farm to the table to characterize the risk of foodborne disease caused by biological hazards to humans due to the consumption of pork. The model was adapted from the Codex Alimentarius and comprises four steps: (I) hazard identification, (II) hazard characterization, (III) exposure assessment, and (IV) risk characterization. The exposure assessment step considers the release of hazards at a pre-harvest level (i.e., swine in herds) and the amplification or reduction of the release during the procedure to obtain pork from a carcass. Risk characterization is classified into five levels, from very low to very high. No hazard had very high risk, Salmonella sp. [nontyphoidal] had high risk, no hazard had moderate risk, seven hazards had low risk, and other hazards had very low risk. When the initial release was increased, the risk for hazards with higher adverse effects (e.g. C. botulinum, B. suis, and E. coli [STEC]) increased to very high or high. The uncertainty was very high for seven hazards and very low for three. These findings can help the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture discuss changes in the routine inspection of the carcasses of pigs raised in industrial systems in Brazil.

Food safety culture in food services with different degrees of risk for foodborne diseases in Brazil

Food safety culture may establish the right environment for adequate food handling and management, reducing violations of food safety regulation, especially those related to foodborne disease outbreaks. This study aimed to evaluate differences among elements of food safety culture in food services at low or high-risk for foodborne diseases. This study was conducted with 63 managers and 333 food handlers from 32 food services located in the metropolitan region of Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The following elements of food safety culture (considering the technical-managerial and human routes) were evaluated: management systems, style, and process; leadership; organizational commitment; food safety climate (communication; self-commitment; management and coworker support; environment support; risk judgment; normative beliefs and work pressure); and risk perceptions. In the technical-managerial route, restaurants were categorized as low- or high foodborne disease risk restaurants. For the evaluation of food safety management systems, a validated checklist was used. In the human route, food safety climate analysis was performed by evaluating five elements applied exclusively to food handlers. High-risk restaurants presented a higher percentage of violation in most aspects related to food safety regulation and physical structure. Leadership and knowledge of low-risk restaurants' managers presented a higher level when compared to high-risk restaurants’ managers, showing that in the first group managers acted as mediators of safe practices. Food handlers from low-risk restaurants presented higher scores in food safety knowledge, organizational commitment, and food safety climate when compared to food handlers from high-risk restaurants. In restaurants with lower risk for foodborne diseases, the elements of food safety culture were better evaluated, indicating fewer violations of food safety regulation. In these restaurants, a consistent food safety climate was perceived within the technical-managerial route. This result shows that fewer violations of food safety legislation, especially those involving high-risk foodborne disease, were a positive outcome of an improved FS-culture. In this sense, it is possible to improve food safety by applying, evolving and maturing the concepts of FS-culture in restaurants in Brazil.

Work Conditions, Social Incorporations, and Foodborne Diseases Risk: Reflections About the (Non)Compliance of Food Safety Practices.

The number of foodborne diseases has increased in all continents, and efforts must be made to control this urgent and expressive public health problem. This article aims to present and discuss situations related to the compliance and noncompliance of food safety practices (FSPs) in light of Bourdieu's social theory. This qualitative study was conducted in commercial restaurants in two cities in São Paulo, Brazil. Participant observation was used in the restaurants, and notes referring to the kitchen workers and their bosses' work processes were registered in field journals. Thematic type content analysis was used to determine the meaning cores of field journals. It was found that aspects inherent to convenience and haste at work, deficient infrastructure, lack of employees, negative boss examples, exposure to noise, and body pain experienced by workers can contribute to noncompliance of FSPs and consolidate in the habitus and practical sense some dispositions that can increase the risk of foodborne diseases. This study highlights the necessity of creating environments that address food safety, which means being able to perform a service properly.

Sokak gıdalarının güvenliği için risk faktörlerinin değerlendirilmesi

Street foods are accepted and consumed by societies as they are cheap, nutritious, delicious, suitable for all tastes, authentic, cultural and as well as easy to access. All or part of the various processes applied in a wide variety of street foods is carried out in fixed, semi-fixed or mobile service areas. Microbiological and chemical contamination of foods that are sold on the streets and whose traceability cannot be established poses a risk to consumers. This study explores the safety and hygiene status of street foods within the scope of their conditions. Deficiencies in sales areas, goods and equipment used, hygiene problems of street vendors, poor quality raw materials, and troubles in transportation, storage, preparation, processing, and service of food were determined as the main risk factors for the quality and safety of street foods. Developing remedial actions through assessments and arrangements to be made for street foods and setting up an environment for establishing a food safety system based on hygiene and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point will significantly reduce the risk of foodborne disease. At this point, active cooperation of all stakeholders is proposed to ensure that related regulations are made and spread to the floor. Thus, the production and sale of safe foods in the streets will be an important step in the protection of public health.

Occurrence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli in Minimally-processed and Frozen Fruit Pulps

Fruits and fruit pulps are widely consumed worldwide due to their nutrients, flavors and varieties. However, these products become contaminated with pathogens during harvest or production, which are risks to consumers. This study analyzed the microbiological quality of frozen fruit pulps and minimally processed fruits sold in supermarkets and the presence Salmonella sp. and pathogenic Escherichia coli. Almost all frozen fruit pulps samples were adequate to consume, only one samples of unpasteurized mango pulp was positive for E. coli carrier of est1b gene that codify thermostable toxin of Enterotoxigenic E. coli. Minimally processed fruits presented high yeast and mold counts in 36.25% (29/80) of the samples and 27.6% (22/80) had thermotolerant coliforms. In addition, one sample of grated coconut had E. coli and one sample of melon honeydew had Salmonella sp. E. coli O157:H7 was absent in all samples of minimally processed fruits. E. coli showed greater resistance to ampicillin and chloramphenicol. Multidrug resistance was observed in 14.3% (2/14) of E. coli isolates. Only one strain of Salmonella sp. was resistant to antibiotic sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. Therefore, the enforcement of pasteurization in the fruit pulp processing, as well hygienic-sanitary control in lead up of minimally-processed fruits and temperature control in storage are recommended to minimize the risk of foodborne disease.

Detection of Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli on Chicken Meat at Tamiang Layang Market

Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are the two most important pathogens because they are indicators of food safety and sanitation indicators because they can potentially pose a high risk of foodborne disease. This study aims to look at the prevalence of Salmonella sp. and E. coli in the Tamiang Layang Market as supervision of food safety. A total of 6 chicken breast samples were taken at all chicken traders in the Tamiang Layang market. Testing the presence of Salmonella sp. and E. coli using MC-Media Pad. The existence of Salmonella sp. and E. coli in chicken meat at the Tamiang Layang market were 66.6% and 83.3%. The need to improve the hygiene and sanitation of chicken traders.

Bacteriological Status of Street Foods in Different University Premises of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Street food contamination is common and has a potential health hazards throughout the world. These categories of foods are very popular among the students of Academic Institutions (Universities) of Dhaka city, Bangladesh for their appealing look and reasonable cost. This study was conducted to determine the presence of E. coli, Shigella sp. and Vibrio sp. in the street foods. Two hundred and forty-two food samples were collected from 20 University premises of Dhaka city. Biochemical tests were performed on suspected colonies for the identification of the relevant bacteria obtained from the samples. E. coli, Vibrio sp., and Shigella sp. were identified in 18% samples, where E. coli was found in 12%, Vibrio sp. was identified in 5%, and Shigella sp. in &lt;1.0% food sample studied. The samples from which E. coli and food borne pathogens were obtained were considered unsatisfactory for human consumption.Presence of enteric bacteria in street foods indicates that the students of different Universities in Dhaka city might be at high risk of food borne disease&#x0D; Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 36 Number 1 June 2019, pp 45-47

Evaluation of Hygienic Quality of Food Served in Universities Canteens of Northem Portugal.

Mass catering services have increased in the last years since people need to eat out mainly by work or study reasons. Microbiological quality of foodstuffs (n = 156) was evaluated in 20 food establishment (cafes and canteens) of two universities of northern Portugal. Overall, data revealed a high level of microbiological quality of foods served. No safety risks for consumers were detected since Clostridium spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were not detected. Among food types, hot meals displayed better microbiological results than cold foods (p < 0.05) as expected. Regarding hot meals, no differences were observed among different types (p > 0.05). Among cold meals, salads displayed the highest microbiological counts for hygiene indicators as well for food foodborne pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus. Although the risk of foodborne disease is scarce since counts were low. In cafes' meals, higher counts were observed than in canteens' meals which indicates that monitoring measures should be improved to avoid potential foodborne outbreaks related to the ready-to-eat products (salads, sandwiches and pastry). Results could be used as microbiological guidelines for canteens. Results indicated that proper food handling and adequate conservation of fresh foods along the food chain is essential in mass catering services to guarantee the food safety.

Detection and Quantification of Total and Pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Anadara subcrenata in the Zhoushan Archipelago

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Anadara subcrenata sampled from aquafarms and retail markets in the Zhoushan islands during June 2013 to March 2015, using the most probable number-polymerase chain reaction (MPN-PCR) method. Total V. parahaemolyticus was detected in 265 (83.86%) samples with the density 0.3 to 2400 MPN/g. In total, 30.70% and 17.41% of the samples exceeded 100 MPN/g and 1,000 MPN/g, respectively. Both highest positive rate (98.99%) and highest prevalence (median = 210.0 MPN/g) were recorded in summer. Samples from aquafarms had a higher positive rate and median than those from retail markets. Pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus was detected both in aquafarms and retail markets in all seasons but not in winter. Among the 265 tlh-positive samples, 20 (7.55%) of the samples harbored tdh, and 5 (1.89%) of the samples harbored both tdh and trh. These results indicate that the Zhoushan archipelago is severely contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus in Anadara subcrenata; these results are applicable in risk assessment and to control the risk of food-borne disease caused by V. parahaemolyticus.