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Microbial Contaminants (microbial + contaminant)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Chemistry	50%

Selected Abstracts

EFFECTIVENESS OF CHLORINE AND NISIN-EDTA TREATMENTS OF WHOLE MELONS AND FRESH-CUT PIECES FOR REDUCING NATIVE MICROFLORA AND EXTENDING SHELF-LIFE,

JOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 4 2002
DIKE O. UKUKU
ABSTRACT Efficacy of nisin-EDTA treatments as a sanitizing treatment for reducing native microflora of whole melons and extending shelf-life of fresh-cut pieces was compared to chlorine treatments. Whole cantaloupe and honeydew melons were washed with water, nisin (10 ,g/mL)-EDTA (0.02 M), or 200 ppm chlorine for 5 min at , 20C before fresh-cut preparation and storage at 5C for 15 days with periodic microbiological sampling. In addition, some fresh-cut pieces were washed with 10 ,g/mL nisin-EDTA or 50 ppm chlorine for 1 min before storage. Changes in appearance, odor, overall acceptability and the shelf-life of the minimally processed fresh-cut melons were investigated. Preliminary studies indicated that water washes, EDTA (0.002 to 0.2 M) or nisin (5 to 10 ,g/mL) were not effective in reducing the microflora of whole melon when used individually. Nisin-EDTA and chlorine treatments were significantly (P < 0.05) more effective in reducing native microflora than water washes. Nisin-EDTA treatments were significantly (P < 0.05) more effective than chlorine in reducing populations of yeast and mold and Pseudomonas spp. on whole melon surfaces but were not as effective as chlorine treatments for reducing aerobic mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and total gram-negative bacteria. Microbial contaminants on fresh-cut pieces washed with 50 ppm chlorine or nisin-EDTA were further reduced. However, microbial populations increased throughout refrigerated storage irrespective of treatments. Odor, appearance, and overall acceptability ratings for cantaloupe and honeydew fresh-cut pieces treated with nisin-EDTA or chlorine were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from each other throughout the storage period (15 to 21 days). However, both treatments led to significantly (P < 0.05) improved ratings compared to the controls for the fresh-cut pieces at 9 to 12 days of storage and thereafter. The results of this study suggest that treatments with nisin-EDTA before and after fresh-cut processing would improve the quality and extend the shelf-life of fresh-cut melon. [source]

Microbial contaminants in food: a big issue for a working group of the MoniQA NoE project

QUALITY ASSURANCE & SAFETY OF CROPS & FOOD, Issue 2 2009
A. Hoehl
Abstract Introduction The MoniQA Network of Excellence is an EC funded project working towards the harmonization of analytical methods for monitoring food quality and safety along the food supply chain. This paper summarises both the structure and tasks of the working group on microbial contaminants within the MoniQA NoE and specifically focuses on harmonisation strategies important in the microbiological analysis of food. Objectives There is a need for rapid microbiological methods in order to quickly and efficiently identify harmful pathogens in food sources. However, one of the major problems encountered with many new methods is their market acceptance, as they have to pass extensive validation/standardisation studies before they can be declared as official standard methods. Methods The working group on microbiological contaminants aims to contribute towards speeding up these prerequisites by collecting information on food law, quality assurance, quality control, sampling, economic impact, measurement uncertainty, validation protocols, official standard methods and alternative methods. Results The present report provides an overview of currently existing methodologies and regulations and addresses issues concerning harmonisation needs. One of the deliverables of the working group is the development of extended fact sheets and reviews based on relevant ,hot' topics and methods. The selection of food borne analytes for these fact sheets have been selected based on global, local and individual parameters. The working group has identified 5 groups of stakeholders (governmental bodies, standardisation/validation organisations, test kit/equipment manufacturers, food industry and consumers). Conclusion Current challenges of food microbiology are driven by new analytical methods, changes in the food market and altered consumer desires. The MoniQA NoE is contributing in overcoming these risks and challenges by providing a profound platform on microbiological rapid methods in food analysis to all stakeholders and it is expected that strong interaction within the network and beyond will foster harmonization. [source]

AQUEOUS GARLIC EXTRACT AND MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF REFRIGERATED POULTRY MEAT

JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 2 2005
KEILY ALVES DE MOURA OLIVEIRA
ABSTRACT The antibacterial effect of garlic extract (5, 10 and 15%) was investigated on poultry carcasses obtained from a slaughterhouse, stored under refrigeration, and evaluated at selected time intervals. The effect of the garlic extract on the microbial contaminants of the poultry carcass surface , Salmonella, strict and facultative aerobic, mesophilic, and total and fecal coliforms , was evaluated. The garlic extract exhibited a concentration-dependent reduction of microbial contamination. Garlic extract concentrations of 10 and 15% were the most effective. The bacteriostatic action of garlic extract against mesophilic microbiota can be observed until the third storage day. The count of total and fecal coliforms remained low during the storage period. Chicken feed was the apparent source of Salmonella contamination, and the aqueous garlic extract was not effective against Salmonella. [source]

ENUMERATION OF AEROMONAS FOR VERIFICATION OF THE HYGIENIC ADEQUACY OF SWINE CARCASS DRESSING PROCESSES,

JOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 1 2000
SHEW-LING YU
ABSTRACT Populations of Aeromonas spp. and aerobic bacteria from dehairing equipment and from carcasses passing through different processing steps in a swine slaughtering plant were evaluated to identify the hygienic risks of each operation. Sponge samples were taken from the scraper flails in dehairing machines and the surface of the shackling table at pre- and post-operation times, with 20 samples from each location being collected at each time. Increased post-operation levels of Aeromonas spp. indicated a buildup and possible spread of these bacteria to carcasses. The belly skins of 40 dehaired carcasses were each sampled at five points along the process line which were after the shackling, after the final singeing, after the final polishing, after the final wash and after chilling. The levels of microbial contaminants on carcasses varied at each processing step. The heaviest contamination of carcasses with Aeromonas (1.88 log CFU/cm2) and aerobic bacteria (2.66 log CFU/cm2) occurred after shackling. Counts were reduced at other steps as a result of singeing, washing and chilling operations. However, singed carcasses were recontaminated with Aeromonas and aerobic bacteria during the polishing operation. Aeromonas hydrophila were the most prominent motile aeromonads (74.1%) recovered at the plant. The findings for Aeromonas spp. were similar to those for aerobic bacteria (r2= 0.9995) which suggested that Aeromonas spp. are appropriate indicators for assessing carcass dressing processes. [source]

Microbial contaminants in food: a big issue for a working group of the MoniQA NoE project

Promotion of stem cell proliferation by vegetable peptone

CELL PROLIFERATION, Issue 5 2009
J. Lee
Objectives:, Technical limitations and evolution of therapeutic applications for cell culture-derived products have accelerated elimination of animal-derived constituents from such products to minimize inadvertent introduction of microbial contaminants, such as fungi, bacteria or viruses. The study described here was conducted to investigate the proliferative effect of vegetable peptone on adult stem cells in the absence of serum, and its possible mechanisms of action. Materials and methods:, Cell viability and proliferation were determined using the MTT assay and Click-iTÔ EdU flow cytometry, respectively. In addition, changes in expression of cytokine genes were analysed using MILLIPLEXÔ human cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results:, Viability of cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (CB-MSC) and adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSC) increased significantly when treated with the peptone. In addition, median value of the group treated with peptone shifted to the right when compared to the untreated control group. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of the cytokines revealed that production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-,1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) increased significantly in response to treatment with our vegetable peptone in both CB-MSCs and ADSCs. Conclusions:, Our findings revealed that the vegetable peptone promotes proliferation of CB-MSCs and ADSCs. In addition, results of this study suggest that induction of stem cell proliferation by vegetable peptone is likely to be related to its induction of VEGF, TGF-,1, and IL-6 expression. [source]