Spread Of Foodborne Disease Research Articles

Food Safety Knowledge Among Tourism Faculty Undergraduates in Slovenia: Can Social Media Leverage Educational Gaps?

Education on food safety is vital, especially for future tourism managers undergoing training at universities. This study aims to assess the food safety knowledge of student seniors in the two Slovenian public tourism faculties, compare it with previous European and Southeast European studies, and explore the impact of social media use on food safety knowledge among tourism students. The research method utilised a questionnaire-based approach that surveyed three academic years of students until 2023/2024 from the two Slovenian public tourism faculties. Data analysis involved descriptive and bivariate statistics. The research reveals a notable scarcity of studies investigating students’ food safety knowledge within the EU. The results indicate that the average food safety knowledge score among Slovenian tourism undergraduates was 52.6%, raising serious concerns as it is lower than such scores reported in similar studies outside the EU, in Serbia and in Turkey. Slovenian tourism undergraduates demonstrated low elementary knowledge about personal hygiene and the spread of foodborne diseases. Curricula analysis showed the absence of mandatory hygiene and food safety courses at Slovenian tourism faculties, and most students (64%) recognised the need for food safety knowledge education. The findings suggest that neither students’ work experience in the hospitality industry during their studies (compulsory education at the workplace should be provided for all persons involved in food processing) nor following the food safety information on social media could compensate for the lack of formal education. This study underscores the urgency of introducing a comprehensive food safety curriculum in Slovenian tourism faculties to ensure future managers are equipped with essential food safety knowledge.

Modelling the dynamics of online food delivery services on the spread of food-borne diseases

Modelling the dynamics of online food delivery services on the spread of food-borne diseases

Assessment of alimentary-caused biological risk factors according to the parameters of stability in the external environment

In recent years, the food safety of the population has been of increasing interest to the State System of Biological Safety of the Russian Federation. The article assesses the stability in the external environment of alimentary-conditioned biological risk factors. Diet-related biological risk factors play a key role in the spread of foodborne diseases in humans and animals.

Socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on foodborne illnesses in the United States

Foodborne diseases continue to impact human health and the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the food system from production to consumption. This project aims to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spread of foodborne diseases and the factors that may have contributed, including environmental, behavioral, political, and socioeconomic. Data for this study were collected from The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) for 2015-2020. FoodNet personnel located at state health departments regularly contact the clinical laboratories in Connecticut (CT), Georgia (GA), Maryland (MD), Minnesota (MN), New Mexico (NM), Oregon (OR), Tennessee (TN), and selected counties in California (CA), Colorado (CO), and New York (NY). Data were analyzed using SAS to determine the changes in rates of foodborne pathogens reported in FoodNet before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the ten reporting states. Results of the study showed a significant decline in the incidences of foodborne diseases ranging between 25% and 60%. A geographical variation was also observed between California and states with the highest decline rate of foodborne illnesses. Policies and restrictions, in addition to environmental and behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, may have reduced rates of foodborne diseases.

Eterična ulja za bezbednost hrane - formulisanje dezinfekcionih proizvoda u obliku raspršivača, jednostavnih za upotrebu, namenjenih korišćenju u raznim fazama pripreme hrane

Motivated by combat against the spread of foodborne diseases, the formulations of simple and easy-to-use spray disinfectants containing Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Ocimum gratissimum essential oils were studied. Central composite experimental design was used in the development of stable products with optimal essential oil content for antimicrobial efficacy. It also allowed minimizing the alcohol content which was used to ensure miscibility between the essential oils and the aqueous phase. Trans-cinnamaldehyde was the major compound in the C. zeylanicum essential oil. Its low toxicity allowed the formulation of a risk-free product despite the great variability in the chemical composition of the essential oil. Cooked food coated with a spray containing 1% of this essential oil, in combination with Thymus vulgaris tincture, could be preserved for 3 days without refrigeration. Eugenol was the major component of O. gratissimum essential oil, followed by 1,8cineole and methylchavicol. Sprays containing 1.5% of this essential oil were effective against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Xanthan gum proved to be a good essential oil-trapping agent under accelerated ageing conditions at 45 °C.

Impact of different marketing conditions on the bacteriological quality of meat products

Animal foods, such as meat and meat products, are among the main sources of infection and spread of Foodborne Diseases, where marketing conditions are an important factor to be evaluated. Forty-eight samples of meat products sold under outdoor fairs, butcher shops and supermarkets were collected. The presence of microorganisms indicating hygienic and sanitary quality (fecal coliforms and Clostridium perfringens) was investigated, as well as the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results showed a high presence of C. perfringens in 83.33% of the samples, fecal coliforms in 73% and P. aeruginosa in 100% of meat products, in all commercial points. As for marketing conditions, the difference in the food contamination index was significant (p ≤ 0.05) only for C. perfringens (X2 (2) = 8.5; p= 0.0143), where meat sold in fairs were more susceptible to contamination by C. perfringens than meats sold in supermarkets. The meat products analyzed did not show quality from a bacteriological point of view, given the high presence of fecal coliforms, P. aeruginosa and C. perfringens, leading to question mainly the form of trade that can generate unsafe products for consumption.

Simultaneous Detection of Five Foodborne Pathogens Using a Mini Automatic Nucleic Acid Extractor Combined with Recombinase Polymerase Amplification and Lateral Flow Immunoassay.

In recent years, foodborne disease outbreaks have caused huge losses to the economy and have had severe impacts on public health. The accuracy and variety of detection techniques is crucial to controlling the outbreak and spread of foodborne diseases. The need for instruments increases the difficulty of field detection, while manually-handled samples are subject to user error and subjective interpretation. Here, we use a mini automatic nucleic acid extractor combined with recombinant polymerase amplification (RPA) and lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for simultaneous quantitative detection of five major foodborne pathogens. The pre-treatment device using the magnetic bead method allows for nucleic acid extraction of the reagent tank without manual operation, which is highly efficient and stable for preventing aerosol contamination. The nuc gene of Staphylococcus aureus, the toxR gene of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, the rfbE gene of Escherichia coli O157:H7, the hlyA gene of Listeria monocytogenes, and the fimY gene of Salmonella enterica were used as target fragments. The labeled antibody concentration is optimized on the LFIA to find the equilibrium point for the binding capacity of the five chemical markers and to efficiently and accurately visualize the bands. The RPA assay shows an optimal performance at 37 °C for 15 min. The optimized RPA-LFIA detection limit can reach 101 CFU/mL. There was no cross-reactivity among forty-eight strains. Furthermore, the average recoveries in spiked food samples were 90.5–104.5%. In summary, the RPA-LFIA established in this study can detect five pathogenic bacteria simultaneously with little dependence on laboratory equipment, and it has promising prospects for screening in low-resource areas.

Evaluation of Soil Streptomyces Isolates from North-Western Ethiopia as Potential Inhibitors against Spoilage and Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens

The outbreak and spread of foodborne diseases is a serious concern for global healthcare and security. Finding novel antimicrobial agents with diverse mechanisms of action against the current spoilage and foodborne bacterial pathogens is a central strategy to overcome the problems of antibiotic resistance. Soil actinomycetes are the major antimicrobial producers with great biopreservative and medical value. This study was aimed at isolating Streptomyces from soil samples of northwestern Ethiopia against spoilage and foodborne bacterial pathogens. Thirty-six soil samples were collected at a depth of 5–10 cm in the rhizosphere and agricultural soils of soybean. A total of 118 actinomycete strains were isolated and screened primarily using the perpendicular streak plate method against 3 Gram-positive and 3 Gram-negative bacterial strains. Out of 118 isolates, 36/118 (30.50%) were active against at least two of the tested bacteria, of which 8 isolates were selected for their wide-spectrum antibacterial activities. During the disc diffusion assay, the eight in vitro ethyl acetate extract antibacterial activities range from 7 to 24 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values range from 0.10 to 0.25 μg/mL and 0.15 to 0.40 μg/mL, respectively. Following the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular characteristics, eight potent isolates were identified as follows: Streptomyces fasciculus, Streptomyces roseochromogenes, Streptomyces ruber, Streptomyces glaucus, Streptomyces griseus, Streptomyces cellulosae, Streptomyces griseoflavus, and Streptomyces xanthophaeus. After the treatment of potent Streptomyces cell-free culture supernatant with proteinase K, papain, α-amylase, and lysozyme enzymes, their antagonistic effects were also observed. Most Streptomyces cell-free culture supernatant antibacterial activity was highly resistant to heat, acidity, organic solvents, and additives. Thus, the results of this investigation revealed that soil actinomycetes could be a valuable source for novel antibacterial agents applicable in food biopreservation and the treatment of spoilage and foodborne bacterial pathogens.

Electrochemical Biosensing Interface Based on Carbon Dots-Fe3O4 Nanomaterial for the Determination of Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 can cause many food safety incidents, which seriously affect human health and economic development. Therefore, the sensitive, accurate, and rapid determination of E. coli O157:H7 is of great significance for preventing the outbreak and spread of foodborne diseases. In this study, a carbon dots-Fe3O4 nanomaterial (CDs-Fe3O4)-based sensitive electrochemical biosensor for E. coli O157:H7 detection was developed. The CDs have good electrical conductivity, and the surface of carbon dots contains abundant carboxyl groups, which can be used to immobilize probe DNA. Meanwhile, the CDs can be used as a reducing agent to prepare CDs-Fe3O4 nanomaterial. The Fe3O4 nanomaterial can improve the performance of the electrochemical biosensor; it also can realize the recovery of CDs-Fe3O4 due to its magnetism. As expected, the electrochemical biosensor has excellent specificity of E. coli O157:H7 among other bacteria. The electrochemical biosensor also exhibited good performance for detecting E. coli O157:H7 with the detection range of 10–108 CFU/ml, and the detection limit of this electrochemical biosensor was 6.88 CFU/ml (3S/N). Furthermore, this electrochemical biosensor was successfully used for monitoring E. coli O157:H7 in milk and water samples, indicating that this electrochemical biosensor has good application prospect. More importantly, this research can provide a new idea for the detection of other bacteria and viruses.

Application of Whole-Genome Sequences and Machine Learning in Source Attribution of Salmonella Typhimurium.

Prevention of the emergence and spread of foodborne diseases is an important prerequisite for the improvement of public health. Source attribution models link sporadic human cases of a specific illness to food sources and animal reservoirs. With the next generation sequencing technology, it is possible to develop novel source attribution models. We investigated the potential of machine learning to predict the animal reservoir from which a bacterial strain isolated from a human salmonellosis case originated based on whole‐genome sequencing. Machine learning methods recognize patterns in large and complex data sets and use this knowledge to build models. The model learns patterns associated with genetic variations in bacteria isolated from the different animal reservoirs. We selected different machine learning algorithms to predict sources of human salmonellosis cases and trained the model with Danish Salmonella Typhimurium isolates sampled from broilers (n = 34), cattle (n = 2), ducks (n = 11), layers (n = 4), and pigs (n = 159). Using cgMLST as input features, the model yielded an average accuracy of 0.783 (95% CI: 0.77–0.80) in the source prediction for the random forest and 0.933 (95% CI: 0.92–0.94) for the logit boost algorithm. Logit boost algorithm was most accurate (valid accuracy: 92%, CI: 0.8706–0.9579) and predicted the origin of 81% of the domestic sporadic human salmonellosis cases. The most important source was Danish produced pigs (53%) followed by imported pigs (16%), imported broilers (6%), imported ducks (2%), Danish produced layers (2%), Danish produced cattle and imported cattle (<1%) while 18% was not predicted. Machine learning has potential for improving source attribution modeling based on sequence data. Results of such models can inform risk managers to identify and prioritize food safety interventions.

FOOD SAFETY KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES AMONG FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE STUDENTS IN ABEOKUTA

Improper practices, poor attitudes and lack of knowledge by food handlers are contributing factors for the spread of foodborne diseases. Food safety knowledge is an important factor in improving food safety practices and subsequently food safety attitude. This study is aimed at exploring the food safety knowledge, practice and attitude of FUNAAB students. A self completed questionnaire was answered by randomly selected 270 students from each of the nine (9) colleges in the university and analyzed using SPSS software. The study revealed that almost all of the students had a high level of food safety awareness but the knowledge was not to large extent translated into practice. Majority of the students also had good food safety attitudes as many of them are willing to change their food handling behav-iour when they know they are incorrect (94.8%). The study further revealed similar level of food safety knowledge between the male and female. Despite the level of students’ knowledge, their choice of eating place on campus was determined by the price of the food. This study therefore concluded that good knowledge of food safety does not determine students’ safe handling practices and choice of eating place.Keywords: Food safety

Microbiological contamination of the hands of food handlers as indicator of hand washing efficacy in some convenience food industries in South Africa

Hands of ready-to-eat food service employees have been shown to be vectors in the spread of foodborne disease, mainly because of poor personal hygiene and accounting for approximately 97% of food borne illnesses in food service establishments and homes. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of hand washing practices and sanitation before commencing work among food handlers in the convenient food industry in Gauteng, South Africa.A total of 230 samples were collected, involving 100% of the food handlers, in 8 selected convenient food outlets with their main focus on preparing ready-to-eat foods. The workers' cleaned and disinfected dominant hands were sampled for Total Plate Count (TPC), Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Bacteria were isolated and counted using standard methods.The highest bacterial count from the hand samples was 7.4 x 10(3) cfu.cm(-2) and the lowest showed no detectable growth. Although hands with a count of 0 cfu.cm(-2) were found in all of the plants, the results indicated that all the plants exceeded the legal limit for food surfaces or hands of < 100 cfu.cm(-2) when the average bacterial counts on hands were compared. Sixty percent of the TPC analysed exceeded the legal limit and only 18% of the food handlers had no bacteria detectable on their hands. One sample tested positive for E. coli and S. aureus could not be detected on the hands of any of the food handlers.The study revealed that hand hygiene is unsatisfactory and may have serious implications for public health due to contamination of food from food handlers' hands. This therefore underlined the importance of further training to improve food handlers' knowledge of good hand washing practices.

ASSESSMENT OF THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE TOWARDS FOOD POISONING OF FOOD HANDLERS IN SOME EGYPTIAN WORKSITES

Introduction: Food handlers represent an occupational group which plays a major role in the spread of food borne diseases. The risk of food getting contaminated depends largely on the knowledge and practice of proper food hygiene measures among food handlers. Aim of work: To assess the knowledge and practice of food handlers towards food hygiene in addition to identifying the frequency of workers with positive nail culture. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study including 140 subjects such that 54 worked in the kitchens of Ain Shams University Hospitals and 86 from 16 fast food restaurants were included in the study. Questionnaire and nail swabs for culture were done after obtaining their consent. Results: The study showed that the mean knowledge score was 76.6 ± 19.6 and the mean practice score was 68.1 ± 22.4. Knowledge questions related to the correct method of thawing food and the right place for vegetables and meat in the refrigerator showed less than 50% correct answers. Practice questions related to not keeping food at room temperature for more than 4 hours and not to continue working if having flu or hand lesions should total correct answers less than 50%. (40.7%) of those who agreed to give nail swabs showed positive culture with CoNS being the most frequently discovered pathogen. Conclusion: food handlers are an occupational group who need careful supervision and training courses on food hygiene and how to carry on their tasks safely without harming themselves or others.

Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 11. Use of antiseptics and sanitizers in community settings and issues of hand hygiene compliance in health care and food industries.

Hand washing with soap is a practice that has long been recognized as a major barrier to the spread of disease in food production, preparation, and service and in health care settings, including hospitals, child care centers, and elder care facilities. Many of these settings present multiple opportunities for spread of pathogens within at-risk populations, and extra vigilance must be applied. Unfortunately, hand hygiene is not always carried out effectively, and both enteric and respiratory diseases are easily spread in these environments. Where water is limited or frequent hand hygiene is required on a daily basis, such as for many patients in hospitals and astronauts in space travel, instant sanitizers or sanitary wipes are thought to be an effective way of preventing contamination and spread of organisms among coworkers and others. Most concerns regarding compliance are associated with the health care field, but the food industry also must be considered. Specific reasons for not washing hands at appropriate times are laziness, time pressure, inadequate facilities and supplies, lack of accountability, and lack of involvement by companies, managers, and workers in supporting proper hand washing. To facilitate improvements in hand hygiene, measurement of compliant and noncompliant actions is necessary before implementing any procedural changes. Training alone is not sufficient for long-lasting improvement. Multiactivity strategies also must include modification of the organization culture to encourage safe hygienic practices, motivation of employees willing to use peer pressure on noncompliant coworkers, a reward and/or penalty system, and an operational design that facilitates regular hand hygiene.

Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 9. Washing and drying of hands to reduce microbial contamination.

During various daily activities at home and work, hands quickly become contaminated. Some activities increase the risk of finger contamination by pathogens more than others, such as the use of toilet paper to clean up following a diarrheal episode, changing the diaper of a sick infant, blowing a nose, or touching raw food materials. Many foodborne outbreak investigation reports have identified the hands of food workers as the source of pathogens in the implicated food. The most convenient and efficient way of removing pathogens from hands is through hand washing. Important components of hand washing are potable water for rinsing and soaps to loosen microbes from the skin. Hand washing should occur after any activity that soils hands and certainly before preparing, serving, or eating food. Antimicrobial soaps are marginally more effective than plain soaps, but constant use results in a buildup of the antimicrobial compound on the skin. The time taken to wash hands and the degree of friction generated during lathering are more important than water temperature for removing soil and microorganisms. However, excessive washing and scrubbing can cause skin damage and infections. Drying hands with a towel removes pathogens first by friction during rubbing with the drying material and then by wicking away the moisture into that material. Paper rather than cloth towels should be encouraged, although single-use cloth towels are present in the washrooms of higher class hotels and restaurants. Warm air dryers remove moisture and any surface microorganisms loosened by washing from hands by evaporation while the hands are rubbed together vigorously; however, these dryers take too long for efficient use. The newer dryers with high-speed air blades can achieve dryness in 10 to 15 s without hand rubbing.

Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 8. Gloves as barriers to prevent contamination of food by workers.

The role played by food workers and other individuals in the contamination of food has been identified as an important contributing factor leading to foodborne outbreaks. To prevent direct bare hand contact with food and food surfaces, many jurisdictions have made glove use compulsory for food production and preparation. When properly used, gloves can substantially reduce opportunities for food contamination. However, gloves have limitations and may become a source of contamination if they are punctured or improperly used. Experiments conducted in clinical and dental settings have revealed pinhole leaks in gloves. Although such loss of glove integrity can lead to contamination of foods and surfaces, in the food industry improper use of gloves is more likely than leakage to lead to food contamination and outbreaks. Wearing jewelry (e.g., rings) and artificial nails is discouraged because these items can puncture gloves and allow accumulation of microbial populations under them. Occlusion of the skin during long-term glove use in food operations creates the warm, moist conditions necessary for microbial proliferation and can increase pathogen transfer onto foods through leaks or exposed skin or during glove removal. The most important issue is that glove use can create a false sense of security, resulting in more high-risk behaviors that can lead to cross-contamination when employees are not adequately trained.

Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 7. Barriers to reduce contamination of food by workers.

Contamination of food and individuals by food workers has been identified as an important contributing factor during foodborne illness investigations. Physical and chemical barriers to prevent microbial contamination of food are hurdles that block or reduce the transfer of pathogens to the food surface from the hands of a food worker, from other foods, or from the environment. In food service operations, direct contact of food by hands should be prevented by the use of barriers, especially when gloves are not worn. Although these barriers have been used for decades in food processing and food service operations, their effectiveness is sometimes questioned or their use may be ignored. Physical barriers include properly engineered building walls and doors to minimize the flow of outside particles and pests to food storage and food preparation areas; food shields to prevent aerosol contamination of displayed food by customers and workers; work clothing designated strictly for work (clothing worn outdoors can carry undesirable microorganisms, including pathogens from infected family members, into the work environment); and utensils such as spoons, tongs, and deli papers to prevent direct contact between hands and the food being prepared or served. Money and ready-to-eat foods should be handled as two separate operations, preferably by two workers. Chemical barriers include sanitizing solutions used to remove microorganisms (including pathogens) from objects or materials used during food production and preparation and to launder uniforms, work clothes, and soiled linens. However, laundering as normally practiced may not effectively eliminate viral pathogens.

Foodborne and Waterborne Disease in Canada - 1977 Annual Summary

Data on foodborne disease in Canada in 1977 were compared with data for 1976. A total of 777 incidents, comprising 660 outbreaks and 117 single cases, causing illness in 4810 persons was reported for 1977. The number of incidents and cases decreased by 9.7% and 10.4%, respectively, from 1976 to 1977. Unlike previous years, Salmonella spp. were responsible for more incidents (32) and cases (763) than any other agent. Other incidents were caused by Staphylococcus aureus (23), Clostridium perfringens (14), suspect mold and yeast (13), Bacillus spp. (11), Clostridium botulinum (5), Shigella sonnei (1) and suspect Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1). Three incidents of trichinosis, and two each of mushroom and paralytic shellfish poisoning occurred. Chemicals implicated in causing illness included tin, rancid compounds and extraneous matter. The deaths of two persons were attributed to foodborne disease. About 32% of incidents and 48% of cases were associated with meat and poultry. Bakery products, vegetables, fruits and Chinese food continued to play a prominent role in the spread of foodborne disease, as in previous years. Mishandling of food took place mainly in foodservice establishments (31.0% of incidents, 60.2% of cases) and homes (15.1% of incidents, 9.2% of cases). However, mishandling by the manufacturer caused some problems, including salmonellosis from cakes made with cracked eggs and staphylococcal intoxication from cheese prepared from a contaminated starter culture. More than 61% of reported foodborne disease incidents occurred in Ontario and over 16% in British Columbia, but the number of incidents per 100,000 population was highest in Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Relatively few illnesses resulted from the ingestion of water and none through contact with water with a total of 9 incidents and 305 cases. Narrative reports of foodborne and waterborne incidents are presented.

Foodborne and Waterborne Disease in Canada - 1976 Annual Summary

Data on foodborne disease in Canada in 1976 were compared with data for 1975. A total of 858 incidents, comprising 752 outbreaks and 106 single cases, causing illness in 5367 persons were reported for 1976. The number of outbreaks increased by 5.9% over those for 1975, but the total number of cases decreased by 24.5%. As for previous years, Staphylococcus aureus was responsible for more incidents (27) than any other agent. Other incidents were caused by Salmonella spp. (25), Clostridium perfringens (19) suspect mold and yeast (17), Bacillus spp. (10), Clostridium botulinum (4) and suspect Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4). Seven incidents of trichinosis occurred. Chemicals implicated in causing illness included metals, rancid compounds, a pesticide and solvents. The deaths of five persons were attributed to foodborne disease. About 35% of incidents and 41% of cases were associated with meat and poultry. Bakery products, vegetables, fruits and Chinese food continued to play a prominent role in the spread of foodborne disease, as in previous years. Mishandling of food took place mainly in foodservice establishments (18.9% of incidents, 52.7% of cases) or homes (10.5% of incidents, 6.8% of cases). However, mishandling by the manufacturer caused some problems, including three separate incidents involving fermented sausages. More than 60% of reported foodborne disease incidents occurred in Ontario and the number of incidents per 100,000 population was highest in Ontario and British Columbia. Narrative reports of foodborne outbreaks are presented. Relatively few illnesses resulted from consumption of, or contact with, water; a total of 9 incidents and 1476 cases occurred from ingestion of water and a further three incidents were recorded as a result of penetration of the skin by swimmers' itch parasite (many hundreds of cases) and invasion of wounds in swimmers by Vibrio parahaemolyticus.