Microbiological Safety of Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2019) | Viewed by 35056

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor

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Guest Editor
Department of Sciences of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Foggia (Foggia, Italy), Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: food microbiology; food biotechnology; lactic acid bacteria; fermentation; food pathogens; antimicrobial activity; biofortification
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The maintenance and improvement of the “Safety of Foods” represent a field of continuous efforts for enterprises, consumers, governments, public and private agencies, and scientists. The understanding of microbiological hazards and the management of microbiological risks represent subjects of crucial relevance to assure food safety and to pursue zero-risk food supply.

Original and review papers dealing with all aspects of the “Microbiological Safety of Foods” are welcome for inclusion in this Special Issue of Foods. We report on exemplificative areas: Pathogen detection and occurrence in foods; pathogen contamination and limitation in foods; understanding of pathogen adaptation to food matrices and food processing conditions; antimicrobial activity and biocontrol in food chains; study, limitation and degradation of microbial metabolites toxic to humans; safety of food fermentations; emerging microbiological risks and food safety; innovative approaches in microbiological risk management in foods; and sustainable solutions to reduce microbial risks in the food chains

Dr. Vittorio Capozzi
Dr. Pasquale Russo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Food safety
  • Food pathogens
  • Microbiological control
  • Biocontrol
  • Antimicrobial activity
  • Emerging risks
  • Food control

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 164 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial: Microbiological Safety of Foods
by Pasquale Russo and Vittorio Capozzi
Foods 2021, 10(1), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010053 - 28 Dec 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2030
Abstract
The management of food safety represents a global and transdisciplinary issue of great relevance for human health and crucial economic sectors [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiological Safety of Foods)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

12 pages, 275 KiB  
Article
Prevalence and Toxicity Characterization of Bacillus cereus in Food Products from Poland
by Anna Berthold-Pluta, Antoni Pluta, Monika Garbowska and Ilona Stefańska
Foods 2019, 8(7), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8070269 - 19 Jul 2019
Cited by 75 | Viewed by 8645
Abstract
The prevalence of Bacillus cereus in a total of 585 samples of food products (herbs and spices, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, infant formulas, pasteurized milk, fresh acid and acid/rennet cheeses, mold cheeses and ripening rennet cheeses) marketed in Poland was investigated. The potential [...] Read more.
The prevalence of Bacillus cereus in a total of 585 samples of food products (herbs and spices, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, infant formulas, pasteurized milk, fresh acid and acid/rennet cheeses, mold cheeses and ripening rennet cheeses) marketed in Poland was investigated. The potential of 1022 selected isolates of B. cereus to hydrolyze casein, starch and tributyrin, to ferment lactose, to grow at 7 °C/10 days, to produce Nhe and Hbl toxin and to possess the ces gene was verified. B. cereus was found in 38.8% of the analyzed samples, reaching levels from 0.3 to 3.8 log CFU g−1 or mL−1. From the 1022 isolates, 48.8%, 36.0%, 98.9%, 80.0% and 25.0% were capable of fermenting lactose, producing amylase, protease, lipase and growing at 7 °C/10 days, respectively, indicating spoilage potentiality. The occurrence of toxigenic B. cereus strains in all tested market products, both of plant (55.8% Hbl(+), 70.7% Nhe(+) and 1.7% ces(+) isolates) and animal origin (84.9% Hbl(+), 82.7% Nhe(+) and 0.9% ces(+) isolates) indicates the possible risk of foodborne infections/intoxications that occur as a result of the possibility of the development of B. cereus in favorable conditions and consumption of these products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiological Safety of Foods)
13 pages, 630 KiB  
Article
Identification of Safety and Quality Parameters for Preparation of Jellyfish Based Novel Food Products
by Gianluca Bleve, Francesca Anna Ramires, Antonia Gallo and Antonella Leone
Foods 2019, 8(7), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8070263 - 17 Jul 2019
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 6660
Abstract
Edible jellyfish are mainly consumed and marketed in Southeastern Countries, generally produced by a multi-phase drying process, using mixtures of salt and alum. Recently, jellyfish have become very attractive also for Western food markets. They are novel food in Europe and no recognized [...] Read more.
Edible jellyfish are mainly consumed and marketed in Southeastern Countries, generally produced by a multi-phase drying process, using mixtures of salt and alum. Recently, jellyfish have become very attractive also for Western food markets. They are novel food in Europe and no recognized handling/processing steps have been set up yet. Moreover, no specific food safety and quality parameters are available. In this study, we identified a set of safety and quality parameters for jellyfish, based on standards and process hygiene criteria used in Europe for other products. These assays were tested on three different jellyfish preparations that can be used as raw materials for subsequent food processing. All jellyfish samples revealed the absence of pathogens (Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes), Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp., even if a limited presence of Staphylococci was observed. No biogenic amine histamine was detected and negligible levels of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) were revealed. Total bacterium, yeast and mold counts were negligible or undetectable by conventional accredited methods, and conversely the results were higher when optimized saline conditions were used. This study, for the first time, established a set of quality and safety parameters necessary for first-operations and subsequent processing of jellyfish as novel food. Highlights: Jellyfish can represent a novel food in Europe. Identification of safety and quality parameters for jellyfish food products. Saline conditions are essential for improving safety and quality assessment of jellyfish as food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiological Safety of Foods)
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17 pages, 2168 KiB  
Article
Olive Leaves Extract from Algerian Oleaster (Olea europaea var. sylvestris) on Microbiological Safety and Shelf-life Stability of Raw Halal Minced Beef during Display
by Djamel Djenane, Diego Gómez, Javier Yangüela, Pedro Roncalés and Agustín Ariño
Foods 2019, 8(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8010010 - 26 Dec 2018
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6475
Abstract
Oleaster (wild olive tree) by-products represent a renewable and low-cost source of biopolyphenols. Leaf extracts (sylv.OLE) of Algerian oleaster, locally called a’hachad (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris), were applied at 1 and 5% (v/w) to raw Halal minced beef (HMB) [...] Read more.
Oleaster (wild olive tree) by-products represent a renewable and low-cost source of biopolyphenols. Leaf extracts (sylv.OLE) of Algerian oleaster, locally called a’hachad (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris), were applied at 1 and 5% (v/w) to raw Halal minced beef (HMB) in order to test its safety and shelf-life prolongation during retail/display. The total phenolic compound content in the extract was 198.7 ± 3.6 mg gallic acid equivalent. Ten compounds were identified in the sylv.OLE by High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Diode Array Detector (HPLC/DAD), of which oleuropein was the most abundant (43.25%). Samples treated with 5% sylv.OLE had significantly higher antimicrobial and antioxidant effects than those treated with 1% extract (p < 0.05). The addition of sylv.OLE reduced psychrotrophic counts as well as the level of pathogens (Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7). A thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) value of 2.42 ± 0.11 was reached throughout six days of retail/display in control samples, while the addition of 5% sylv.OLE reduced TBARS value by 58% (p < 0.05). The presence of sylv.OLE at the tested concentrations did not negatively influence the overall acceptability and bitterness of HMB. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiological Safety of Foods)
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13 pages, 982 KiB  
Article
Effects of Water Quality and Post-Harvest Handling on Microbiological Contamination of Lettuce at Urban and Peri-Urban Locations of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
by Juliane Dao, Kathrin Stenchly, Oumar Traoré, Philip Amoah and Andreas Buerkert
Foods 2018, 7(12), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7120206 - 16 Dec 2018
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5871
Abstract
Vegetable production in urban gardens of Ouagadougou contributes to food security, but water for irrigation is often of low quality. This is particularly acute if irrigation water is taken from wastewater polluted channels. This study aimed at (i) verifying to what degree irrigation [...] Read more.
Vegetable production in urban gardens of Ouagadougou contributes to food security, but water for irrigation is often of low quality. This is particularly acute if irrigation water is taken from wastewater polluted channels. This study aimed at (i) verifying to what degree irrigation water quality is correlated with contamination of lettuce with Escherichia coli, total coliforms, and Salmonella spp., and (ii) assessing effects of post-harvest handling on pathogen development during the trade chain. We tested pathogen removal efficiency on lettuce by applying post-harvest washing. Irrigation water of production areas in Ouagadougou (n = 10) showed a mean E. coli load of 2.1 × 105 CFU 100 mL−1. In 60% of the cases, irrigation water did not meet the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) for safe irrigation water, and in 30% of the cases, irrigation water was contaminated with Salmonella spp. Loads of total coliforms on lettuce leaves ranged from 2.9 × 103 CFU g−1 to 1.3 × 106 CFU g−1, while E. coli averaged 1.1 × 102 CFU g−1. Results on post-harvest handling revealed that microbial loads increased along the trade chain. Overall, half of all lettuce samples (n = 60) were tested positively for Salmonella spp. The experiment showed that appropriate post-harvest handling could prevent the increase of total coliforms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiological Safety of Foods)
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6 pages, 559 KiB  
Article
Tracing of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination Routes in Fermented Sausage Production Chain by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Typing
by Valerij Pažin, Dean Jankuloski, Lidija Kozačinski, Vesna Dobranić, Bela Njari, Željka Cvrtila, José Manuel Lorenzo and Nevijo Zdolec
Foods 2018, 7(12), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7120198 - 4 Dec 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4218
Abstract
In this study, the presence of Listeria monocytogenes was assessed along the production process of fermented sausages in a small-scale facility. Following the isolation of the pathogen from the final product (ISO 11290-1), retrospective sampling was performed during the production of a new [...] Read more.
In this study, the presence of Listeria monocytogenes was assessed along the production process of fermented sausages in a small-scale facility. Following the isolation of the pathogen from the final product (ISO 11290-1), retrospective sampling was performed during the production of a new batch of sausages, including raw materials, casings, additives, sausage mixtures, sausages during fermentation, and environmental samples. L. monocytogenes was recovered from the following sampling points: the defrosting room and the cuttering, mixing, stuffing, and fermentation phases. Ten strains were isolated, molecularly confirmed as L. monocytogenes by means of a molecular detection system, and subjected to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing. On the basis of an unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram from Ascl pulsotypes, the strains were indistinguishable (no band difference). The same pulsotypes of strains present in both batches of sausages, as well as in environmental samples, indicated the persistence of L. monocytogenes in the sausage production unit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiological Safety of Foods)
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