Microbial Safety and Quality of Dairy Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Dairy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 17044

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Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cordoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: microbial risk assessment; predictive modelling; food safety; sustainable food packaging; preservation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This research topic will highlight the current knowledge on the microbial quality and safety of dairy foods. In particular we welcome research papers, case reports and reviews relevant but not limited to the composition, dynamics and role of microbial communities in dairy productions using omics approaches, quantitative microbial risk assessment, study and improvement (biopreservation technologies, isolation and use of autochthonous probiotic microorganisms, etc.) of microbial food quality and safety, molecular (genomic) characterization of emerging (opportunistic) dairy-borne pathogenic, probiotic, and alterative microorganisms and the relevant risk (benefit) assessment.

Dr. Vincenzina Fusco
Dr. Francesca Fanelli
Prof. Dr. Fernando Perez-Rodriguez
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • probiotic bacteria
  • opportunistic pathogenic bacteria
  • dairy products
  • food omics
  • food safety
  • genomics
  • food quality
  • microbial risk assessment
  • sampling plan
  • food fermentation
  • microbial dynamics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2374 KiB  
Article
Autochthonous and Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria Employed for Production of “Advanced Traditional Cheeses”
by Vincenzina Fusco, Grazia Marina Quero, Palmiro Poltronieri, Maria Morea and Federico Baruzzi
Foods 2019, 8(9), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8090412 - 13 Sep 2019
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4929
Abstract
Microbial characterization of two Italian traditional cheeses, Giuncata and Caciotta Leccese, was carried out, with the aim to isolate autochthonous bacterial strains to be used as starters to improve and standardize the quality of these cheeses. More than 400 bacterial isolates were found, [...] Read more.
Microbial characterization of two Italian traditional cheeses, Giuncata and Caciotta Leccese, was carried out, with the aim to isolate autochthonous bacterial strains to be used as starters to improve and standardize the quality of these cheeses. More than 400 bacterial isolates were found, using PCR-based identification, to belong to 12 species of the Streptococcus, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, and Leuconostoc genera. The dominant strains were screened for antagonistic activity against pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and exopolysaccharide production, acidification, and proteolytic activity. Since Streptococcus macedonicus was found to be the most prevalent lactic acid bacteria species present in milk and in both types of cheese, the best performing strain of this species was successfully used, alone or in combination with a selected autochthonous Lactococcus lactis strain, in pilot-scale productions of Giuncata and Caciotta Leccese cheeses, respectively. The combined inoculums of selected autochthonous strains positively influenced the sensory characteristics of both Giuncata and Caciotta cheeses. Finally, the selected autochthonous cultures were enriched with a potentially probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain and successfully used in pilot-scale productions of these traditional cheeses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the use of an autochthonous S. macedonicus strain as a starter for the production of cheeses with added probiotics. In addition, the identification of the probiotic strain in the feces of healthy volunteers fed with the advanced traditional cheese proved its effectiveness as a carrier for the delivery of probiotics to the human body. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Safety and Quality of Dairy Foods)
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Review

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32 pages, 1214 KiB  
Review
Antibiotic Resistant Pseudomonas Spp. Spoilers in Fresh Dairy Products: An Underestimated Risk and the Control Strategies
by Laura Quintieri, Francesca Fanelli and Leonardo Caputo
Foods 2019, 8(9), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8090372 - 1 Sep 2019
Cited by 65 | Viewed by 11435
Abstract
Microbial multidrug resistance (MDR) is a growing threat to public health mostly because it makes the fight against microorganisms that cause lethal infections ever less effective. Thus, the surveillance on MDR microorganisms has recently been strengthened, taking into account the control of antibiotic [...] Read more.
Microbial multidrug resistance (MDR) is a growing threat to public health mostly because it makes the fight against microorganisms that cause lethal infections ever less effective. Thus, the surveillance on MDR microorganisms has recently been strengthened, taking into account the control of antibiotic abuse as well as the mechanisms underlying the transfer of antibiotic genes (ARGs) among microbiota naturally occurring in the environment. Indeed, ARGs are not only confined to pathogenic bacteria, whose diffusion in the clinical field has aroused serious concerns, but are widespread in saprophytic bacterial communities such as those dominating the food industry. In particular, fresh dairy products can be considered a reservoir of Pseudomonas spp. resistome, potentially transmittable to consumers. Milk and fresh dairy cheeses products represent one of a few “hubs” where commensal or opportunistic pseudomonads frequently cohabit together with food microbiota and hazard pathogens even across their manufacturing processes. Pseudomonas spp., widely studied for food spoilage effects, are instead underestimated for their possible impact on human health. Recent evidences have highlighted that non-pathogenic pseudomonads strains (P. fluorescens, P. putida) are associated with some human diseases, but are still poorly considered in comparison to the pathogen P. aeruginosa. In addition, the presence of ARGs, that can be acquired and transmitted by horizontal genetic transfer, further increases their risk and the need to be deeper investigated. Therefore, this review, starting from the general aspects related to the physiological traits of these spoilage microorganisms from fresh dairy products, aims to shed light on the resistome of cheese-related pseudomonads and their genomic background, current methods and advances in the prediction tools for MDR detection based on genomic sequences, possible implications for human health, and the affordable strategies to counteract MDR spread. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Safety and Quality of Dairy Foods)
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