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Alegbeleye O, Rhee MS. Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in fresh vegetables and vegetable salad products: An update on influencing intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2024; 23:e13423. [PMID: 39169547 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.13423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
The ability of foodborne pathogens to grow in food products increases the associated food safety risks. Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a highly adaptable pathogen that can survive and grow under a wide range of environmental circumstances, including otherwise inhibitory conditions, such as restrictive cold temperatures. It can also survive long periods under adverse environmental conditions. This review examines the experimental evidence available for the survival and growth of Lm on fresh vegetables and ready-to-eat vegetable salads. Published data indicate that, depending on certain intrinsic (e.g., nutrient composition) and extrinsic factors (e.g., storage temperature, packaging atmosphere), Lm can survive on and in a wide variety of vegetables and fresh-cut minimally processed vegetable salads. Studies have shown that temperature, modified atmosphere packaging, relative humidity, pH, water activity, background microbiota of vegetables, microbial strain peculiarities, and nutrient type and availability can significantly impact the fate of Lm in vegetables and vegetable salads. The influence of these factors can either promote its growth or decline. For example, some studies have shown that background microbiota inhibit the growth of Lm in vegetables and minimally processed vegetable salads, but others have reported a promoting, neutral, or insignificant effect on the growth of Lm. A review of relevant literature also indicated that the impact of most influencing factors is related to or interacts with other intrinsic or extrinsic factors. This literature synthesis contributes to the body of knowledge on possible strategies for improving food safety measures to minimize the risk of Lm-associated foodborne outbreaks involving vegetables and vegetable salads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwadara Alegbeleye
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Engineering, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Min Suk Rhee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
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2
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Dixon MH, Nellore D, Zaacks SC, Barak JD. Time of arrival during plant disease progression and humidity additively influence Salmonella enterica colonization of lettuce. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024:e0131124. [PMID: 39207142 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01311-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The interplay between plant hosts, phytopathogenic bacteria, and enteric human pathogens in the phyllosphere has consequences for human health. Salmonella enterica has been known to take advantage of phytobacterial infection to increase its success on plants, but there is little knowledge of additional factors that may influence the relationship between enteric pathogens and plant disease. In this study, we investigated the role of humidity and the extent of plant disease progression on S. enterica colonization of plants. We found that high humidity was necessary for the replication of S. enterica on diseased lettuce, but not required for S. enterica ingress into the UV-protected apoplast. Additionally, the Xanthomonas hortorum pv. vitians (hereafter, X. vitians)-infected lettuce host was found to be a relatively hostile environment for S. enterica when it arrived prior to the development of watersoaking or following necrosis onset, supporting the existence of an ideal window during X. vitians infection progress that maximizes S. enterica survival. In vitro growth studies in sucrose media suggest that X. vitians may allow S. enterica to benefit from cross-feeding during plant infection. Overall, this study emphasizes the role of phytobacterial disease as a driver of S. enterica success in the phyllosphere, demonstrates how the time of arrival during disease progress can influence S. enterica's fate in the apoplast, and highlights the potential for humidity to transform an infected apoplast into a growth-promoting environment for bacterial colonizers. IMPORTANCE Bacterial leaf spot of lettuce caused by Xanthomonas hortorum pv. vitians is a common threat to leafy green production. The global impact caused by phytopathogens, including X. vitians, is likely to increase with climate change. We found that even under a scenario where increased humidity did not enhance plant disease, high humidity had a substantial effect on facilitating Salmonella enterica growth on Xanthomonas-infected plants. High humidity climates may directly contribute to the survival of human enteric pathogens in crop fields or indirectly affect bacterial survival via changes to the phyllosphere brought on by phytopathogen disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan H Dixon
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Dharshita Nellore
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sonia C Zaacks
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jeri D Barak
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Kaur A, Yemmireddy V. Effect of Different Pre-Growth Temperatures on the Survival Kinetics of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in Fresh-Cut Salad during Refrigerated Storage. Foods 2023; 12:4287. [PMID: 38231743 DOI: 10.3390/foods12234287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The effect of the pre-growth temperature of bacterial cultures on their subsequent survival kinetics in fresh-cut produce during refrigerated storage was investigated in this study. Three-strain cocktails of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica, cultured at different growth temperatures (4, 21, and 37 °C) were inoculated on fresh-cut mixed salad and on individual produce in the mixed salad. The inoculated samples were stored at 4 °C and 80 ± 2% relative humidity (RH) for up to 72 h and the growth, survival, or death kinetics were determined at regular intervals. The results indicate that depending upon the type of pathogen tested, the pre-growth temperature(s) and the type of produce showed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on the survival kinetics. Among the tested produce, mixed salad showed the highest reduction in L. monocytogenes pre-grown at 37 °C (1.33 log CFU/g) followed by red cabbage (0.56 log CFU/g), iceberg lettuce (0.52 log CFU/g), and carrot (-0.62 log CFU/g), after 72 h, respectively. In the case of Salmonella, carrot showed the highest reduction (1.07 log CFU/g for 37 °C pre-grown culture) followed by mixed salad (0.78 log CFU/g for 37 °C pre-grown culture), cabbage (0.76 log CFU/g for 21 °C pre-grown culture), and lettuce (0.65 log CFU/g for 4 °C pre-grown culture), respectively. Among the tested ComBase predictive models, the Baranyi-Roberts model better fitted the experimental data. These findings indicate that the appropriate selection of pre-growth environmental conditions is critical to better understand the kinetics of foodborne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avninder Kaur
- School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W University Dr, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA
| | - Veerachandra Yemmireddy
- School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W University Dr, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA
- School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W University Dr, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA
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Bolten S, Belias A, Weigand KA, Pajor M, Qian C, Ivanek R, Wiedmann M. Population dynamics of Listeria spp., Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli on fresh produce: A scoping review. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2023; 22:4537-4572. [PMID: 37942966 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.13233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Collation of the current scope of literature related to population dynamics (i.e., growth, die-off, survival) of foodborne pathogens on fresh produce can aid in informing future research directions and help stakeholders identify relevant research literature. A scoping review was conducted to gather and synthesize literature that investigates population dynamics of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Listeria spp., Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli on whole unprocessed fresh produce (defined as produce not having undergone chopping, cutting, homogenization, irradiation, or pasteurization). Literature sources were identified using an exhaustive search of research and industry reports published prior to September 23, 2021, followed by screening for relevance based on strict, a priori eligibility criteria. A total of 277 studies that met all eligibility criteria were subjected to an in-depth qualitative review of various factors (e.g., produce commodities, study settings, inoculation methodologies) that affect population dynamics. Included studies represent investigations of population dynamics on produce before (i.e., pre-harvest; n = 143) and after (i.e., post-harvest; n = 144) harvest. Several knowledge gaps were identified, including the limited representation of (i) pre-harvest studies that investigated population dynamics of Listeria spp. on produce (n = 13, 9% of pre-harvest studies), (ii) pre-harvest studies that were carried out on non-sprouts produce types grown using hydroponic cultivation practices (n = 7, 5% of pre-harvest studies), and (iii) post-harvest studies that reported the relative humidity conditions under which experiments were carried out (n = 56, 39% of post-harvest studies). These and other knowledge gaps summarized in this scoping review represent areas of research that can be investigated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Bolten
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Alexandra Belias
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Kelly A Weigand
- Cary Veterinary Medical Library, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Flower-Sprecher Veterinary Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Magdalena Pajor
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Chenhao Qian
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Renata Ivanek
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Brandl MT, Ivanek R, Allende A, Munther DS. Predictive Population Dynamics of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica on Plants: a Mechanistic Mathematical Model Based on Weather Parameters and Bacterial State. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0070023. [PMID: 37347166 PMCID: PMC10370311 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00700-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Weather affects key aspects of bacterial behavior on plants but has not been extensively investigated as a tool to assess risk of crop contamination with human foodborne pathogens. A novel mechanistic model informed by weather factors and bacterial state was developed to predict population dynamics on leafy vegetables and tested against published data tracking Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EcO157) and Salmonella enterica populations on lettuce and cilantro plants. The model utilizes temperature, radiation, and dew point depression to characterize pathogen growth and decay rates. Additionally, the model incorporates the population level effect of bacterial physiological state dynamics in the phyllosphere in terms of the duration and frequency of specific weather parameters. The model accurately predicted EcO157 and S. enterica population sizes on lettuce and cilantro leaves in the laboratory under various conditions of temperature, relative humidity, light intensity, and cycles of leaf wetness and dryness. Importantly, the model successfully predicted EcO157 population dynamics on 4-week-old romaine lettuce plants under variable weather conditions in nearly all field trials. Prediction of initial EcO157 population decay rates after inoculation of 6-week-old romaine plants in the same field study was better than that of long-term survival. This suggests that future augmentation of the model should consider plant age and species morphology by including additional physical parameters. Our results highlight the potential of a comprehensive weather-based model in predicting contamination risk in the field. Such a modeling approach would additionally be valuable for timing field sampling in quality control to ensure the microbial safety of produce. IMPORTANCE Fruits and vegetables are important sources of foodborne disease. Novel approaches to improve the microbial safety of produce are greatly lacking. Given that bacterial behavior on plant surfaces is highly dependent on weather factors, risk assessment informed by meteorological data may be an effective tool to integrate into strategies to prevent crop contamination. A mathematical model was developed to predict the population trends of pathogenic E. coli and S. enterica, two major causal agents of foodborne disease associated with produce, on leaves. Our model is based on weather parameters and rates of switching between the active (growing) and inactive (nongrowing) bacterial state resulting from prevailing environmental conditions on leaf surfaces. We demonstrate that the model has the ability to accurately predict dynamics of enteric pathogens on leaves and, notably, sizes of populations of pathogenic E. coli over time after inoculation onto the leaves of young lettuce plants in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T. Brandl
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Albany, California, USA
| | - Renata Ivanek
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Ana Allende
- Research Group of Microbiology and Quality of Fruit and Vegetables, Food Science and Technology Department, CEBAS-CSIC, Murcia, Spain
| | - Daniel S. Munther
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Cuggino SG, Posada-Izquierdo G, Bascón Villegas I, Theumer MG, Pérez-Rodríguez F. Effects of chlorine and peroxyacetic acid wash treatments on growth kinetics of Salmonella in fresh-cut lettuce. Food Res Int 2023; 167:112451. [PMID: 37087200 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Fresh-cut produces are often consumed uncooked, thus proper sanitation is essential for preventing cross contamination. The reduction and subsequent growth of Salmonella enterica sv Thompson were studied in pre-cut iceberg lettuce washed with simulated wash water (SWW), sodium hypochlorite (SH, free chlorine 25 mg/L), and peroxyacetic acid (PAA, 80 mg/L) and stored for 9 days under modified atmosphere at 9, 13, and 18 °C. Differences in reduction between SH and PAA were non-existent. Overall, visual quality, dehydration, leaf edge and superficial browning and aroma during storage at 9 °C were similar among treatments, but negative effects increased with temperature. These results demonstrated that PAA can be used as an effective alternative to chlorine for the disinfection of Salmonella spp. in fresh-cut lettuce. The growth of Salmonella enterica sv Thompson was successfully described with the Baranyi and Roberts growth model in the studied storage temperature range, and after treatment with SWW, chlorine, and PAA. Subsequently, predictive secondary models were used to describe the relationship between growth rates and temperature based on the models' family described by Bělehrádek. Interestingly, the exposure to disinfectants biased growth kinetics of Salmonella during storage. Below 12 °C, growth rates in lettuce treated with disinfectant (0.010-0.011 log CFU/h at 9 °C) were lower than those in lettuce washed with water (0.016 log CFU/h at 9 °C); whereas at higher temperatures, the effect was the opposite. Thus, in this case, the growth rate values registered at 18 °C for lettuce treated with disinfectant were 0.048-0.054 log CFU/h compared to a value of 0.038 log CFU/h for lettuce treated with only water. The data and models developed in this study will be crucial to describing the wash-related dynamics of Salmonella in a risk assessment framework applied to fresh-cut produce, providing more complete and accurate risk estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Griselda Cuggino
- Departamento de Fundamentación Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba X5000HUA, Argentina
| | - Guiomar Posada-Izquierdo
- Department of Food Science and Technology, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, CeiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain.
| | - Isabel Bascón Villegas
- Department of Food Science and Technology, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, CeiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Martin Gustavo Theumer
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba X5000HUA, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro de investigaciones en bioquímica clínica e inmunología (CIBICI), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Fernando Pérez-Rodríguez
- Department of Food Science and Technology, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, CeiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
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Esmael A, Al-Hindi RR, Albiheyri RS, Alharbi MG, Filimban AAR, Alseghayer MS, Almaneea AM, Alhadlaq MA, Ayubu J, Teklemariam AD. Fresh Produce as a Potential Vector and Reservoir for Human Bacterial Pathogens: Revealing the Ambiguity of Interaction and Transmission. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11030753. [PMID: 36985326 PMCID: PMC10056104 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The consumer demand for fresh produce (vegetables and fruits) has considerably increased since the 1980s for more nutritious foods and healthier life practices, particularly in developed countries. Currently, several foodborne outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce. The global rise in fresh produce associated with human infections may be due to the use of wastewater or any contaminated water for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, the firm attachment of the foodborne pathogens on the plant surface, and the internalization of these agents deep inside the tissue of the plant, poor disinfection practices and human consumption of raw fresh produce. Several investigations have been established related to the human microbial pathogens (HMPs) interaction, their internalization, and survival on/within plant tissue. Previous studies have displayed that HMPs are comprised of several cellular constituents to attach and adapt to the plant’s intracellular niches. In addition, there are several plant-associated factors, such as surface morphology, nutrient content, and plant–HMP interactions, that determine the internalization and subsequent transmission to humans. Based on documented findings, the internalized HMPs are not susceptible to sanitation or decontaminants applied on the surface of the fresh produce. Therefore, the contamination of fresh produce by HMPs could pose significant food safety hazards. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the interaction between fresh produce and HMPs and reveals the ambiguity of interaction and transmission of the agents to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Esmael
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
- Correspondence: (A.E.); (R.R.A.)
| | - Rashad R. Al-Hindi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: (A.E.); (R.R.A.)
| | - Raed S. Albiheyri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona G. Alharbi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amani A. R. Filimban
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mazen S. Alseghayer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Monitoring and Risk Assessment Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz M. Almaneea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Monitoring and Risk Assessment Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia
| | - Meshari Ahmed Alhadlaq
- Molecular Biology Section, Reference Laboratory for Microbiology Department, Research and Laboratories Sector, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jumaa Ayubu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Addisu D. Teklemariam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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Microbial Load of Fresh Blueberries Harvested by Different Methods. Foods 2023; 12:foods12051047. [PMID: 36900562 PMCID: PMC10000651 DOI: 10.3390/foods12051047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, more and more growers are transitioning to the use of over-the-row machine harvesters for harvesting fresh market blueberries. This study assessed the microbial load of fresh blueberries harvested by different methods. Samples (n = 336) of 'Draper' and 'Liberty' northern highbush blueberries, which were harvested using a conventional over-the-row machine harvester, a modified machine harvester prototype, ungloved but sanitized hands, and hands wearing sterile gloves were collected from a blueberry farm near Lynden, WA, in the Pacific Northwest at 9 am, 12 noon, and 3 pm on four different harvest days during the 2019 harvest season. Eight replicates of each sample were collected at each sampling point and evaluated for the populations of total aerobes (TA), total yeasts and molds (YM), and total coliforms (TC), as well as for the incidence of fecal coliforms and enterococci. The harvest method was a significant factor (p < 0.05) influencing the TA and TC counts, the harvest time was a significant factor influencing the YM counts, while the blueberry cultivar was an insignificant (p > 0.05) factor for all three indicator microorganisms. These results suggest that effective harvester cleaning methods should be developed to prevent fresh blueberry contamination by microorganisms. This research will likely benefit blueberry and other fresh fruit producers.
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Brandl MT, Ivanek R, Zekaj N, Belias A, Wiedmann M, Suslow TV, Allende A, Munther DS. Weather stressors correlate with Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica persister formation rates in the phyllosphere: a mathematical modeling study. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:91. [PMID: 37938340 PMCID: PMC9723732 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00170-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Enteric pathogens can enter a persister state in which they survive exposure to antibiotics and physicochemical stresses. Subpopulations of such phenotypic dormant variants have been detected in vivo and in planta in the laboratory, but their formation in the natural environment remains largely unexplored. We applied a mathematical model predicting the switch rate to persister cell in the phyllosphere to identify weather-related stressors associated with E. coli and S. enterica persister formation on plants based on their population dynamics in published field studies from the USA and Spain. Model outputs accurately depicted the bi-phasic decay of bacterial population sizes measured in the lettuce and spinach phyllosphere in these studies. Predicted E. coli persister switch rate on leaves was positively and negatively correlated with solar radiation intensity and wind velocity, respectively. Likewise, predicted S. enterica persister switch rate correlated positively with solar radiation intensity; however, a negative correlation was observed with air temperature, relative humidity, and dew point, factors involved in water deposition onto the phylloplane. These findings suggest that specific environmental factors may enrich for dormant bacterial cells on plants. Our model quantifiably links persister cell subpopulations in the plant habitat with broader physical conditions, spanning processes at different granular scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T Brandl
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA, 94710, USA.
| | - Renata Ivanek
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Nerion Zekaj
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA
| | - Alexandra Belias
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Trevor V Suslow
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Ana Allende
- Research Group of Microbiology and Quality of Fruit and Vegetables, Food Science and Technology Department, CEBAS-CSIS, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Murcia, E-30100, Spain
| | - Daniel S Munther
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA.
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Grivokostopoulos NC, Makariti IP, Tsadaris S, Skandamis PN. Impact of population density and stress adaptation on the internalization of Salmonella in leafy greens. Food Microbiol 2022; 106:104053. [PMID: 35690446 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2022.104053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Salmonella enterica is capable of entering the interior of leafy greens and establishing in the apoplastic area, a phenomenon known as internalization. The ability of internalized bacteria to evade common disinfection practices poses a well-established risk. Our aim was to study the effect of: i) inoculum size and ii) prior adaptation of Salmonella to sublethal stresses, on the internalization of the pathogen in four leafy vegetables. Spinach, lettuce, arugula and chicory were inoculated, by immersion for 2 min at room temperature with: i) Salmonella Enteritidis at 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 log CFU/mL and ii) non-adapted or adapted S. Enteritidis to acid (in TSB with 1% glucose, incubated for 24 h at 37 °C), cold (in TSB for 7 days at 4 °C), starvation (0.85% NaCl of pH 6.6, 48 h at 37 °C) or desiccation (1.5 h at 42 °C, 4 days at 21 °C) stress at appx 3.5 log CFU/mL). Inoculated leafy greens were subsequently stored at 5 °C and 20 °C for 2 h and 48 h (n = 2 × 2). Population of internalized Salmonella, after surface decontamination with 1% w/v AgNO3, was assessed on selective media. Even the lowest initial bacterial inoculum was adequate for internalization of Salmonella to occur in leafy vegetables. Non-adapted Salmonella inoculum of 7.0 (maximum) and 3.0 log CFU/mL (lowest inoculation level tested) after short storage (2 h) resulted in 3.7-4.3 and 1.3-1.5 log CFU/g internalized bacterial population, respectively. Colonization (including both attachment and internalization processes), as well as internalization process, were positively correlated to initial inoculum level. These processes reached a different plateau beyond which, no further increase in internalization was observed. Adaptation of the pathogen to mild stresses enhanced internalization (P < 0.05), with desiccation- and acid-adapted Salmonella demonstrating the highest internalization capacity, regardless of the vegetable and storage temperature. These findings could contribute to further elucidation of colonization capacity of Salmonella in leafy vegetables and assist in selecting the proper conditions that contribute to the prevention of fresh produce contamination with Salmonella.
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Affiliation(s)
- N C Grivokostopoulos
- Laboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens, Greece
| | - I P Makariti
- Laboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens, Greece
| | - S Tsadaris
- Laboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens, Greece
| | - P N Skandamis
- Laboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens, Greece.
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Katsini L, Bhonsale S, Akkermans S, Roufou S, Griffin S, Valdramidis V, Misiou O, Koutsoumanis K, Muñoz López CA, Polanska M, Van Impe JF. Quantitative methods to predict the effect of climate change on microbial food safety: A needs analysis. Trends Food Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2021.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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12
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Synthesis of hygroscopic sodium alginate-modified graphene oxide: Kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic study. Eur Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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13
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Thaotumpitak V, Sripradite J, Atwill ER, Tepaamorndech S, Jeamsripong S. Bacterial pathogens and factors associated with Salmonella contamination in hybrid red tilapia ( Oreochromis spp.) cultivated in a cage culture system. FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/fqsafe/fyac036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Microbial food safety in cultured tilapia remains a challenge to public health worldwide, due in part to intensive aquaculture leading to poor water quality and high organic matter deposition. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of indicator and potential pathogenic bacteria in hybrid red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) and their cultivation water and to identify environmental parameters and other bacterial contaminants associated with Salmonella contamination. A total of 120 fish were sampled, which were partitioned into fish carcasses (n=120), muscle (n=120), intestine (n=120), liver and kidney (n=120), and cultivation water (n=120) from three commercial farms in western Thailand from October 2019 to November 2020. The prevalence of fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli in these 600 samples was 74.8% and 56.7%, respectively. The prevalence of Salmonella, Vibrio cholerae, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Vibrio vulnificus was 32.0%, 17.5%, 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively. None of the samples tested positive for S. agalactiae. Cultivation water exhibited a high prevalence for Salmonella (58.3%). Among fish samples, Salmonella had the highest prevalence at 25.4%, which was mainly from fish intestine. There was a significant association of Salmonella with the presence of fecal coliforms, E. coli, V. cholerae, and V. vulnificus. The predominant serovars of Salmonella included Saintpaul, Neukoelln, Escanaba, and Papuana. Grazing ducks that were raised in proximity to these cultured tilapia shared the same isolates of Salmonella based on the similarity of their rep-PCR DNA fingerprints, suggesting that ducks may function as either a biological reservoir for tilapia or at minimum participate in the environmental replication of this strain of Salmonella. Taken together, the results suggest that the environment used for tilapia aquaculture may be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria; therefore, food safety precautions are needed during processing, transportation, cooking, and consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varangkana Thaotumpitak
- Research Unit in Microbial Food Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jarukorn Sripradite
- Department of Social and Applied Science, College of Industrial Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Edward R Atwill
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Surapun Tepaamorndech
- Functional Ingredients and Food Innovation Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Pathum Thani, Thailand
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Saharuetai Jeamsripong
- Research Unit in Microbial Food Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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14
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Fate of Salmonella spp. in fresh-cut papaya (Carica papaya L.) at different storage temperature and relative humidity. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2021.111810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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15
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Silvetti T, Pedroni M, Brasca M, Vassallo E, Cocetta G, Ferrante A, De Noni I, Piazza L, Morandi S. Assessment of Possible Application of an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet for Shelf Life Extension of Fresh-Cut Salad. Foods 2021; 10:foods10030513. [PMID: 33804422 PMCID: PMC8001164 DOI: 10.3390/foods10030513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Ready-to-eat salads are very perishable with quality losses within 6–7 days, and the extension of their shelf life is still a challenge. In this work, an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) was applied for the surface decontamination of fresh-cut lettuce baby leaves. The APPJ antimicrobial efficiency on the natural microbiota and its impact on some physicochemical attributes of lettuce were evaluated as a function of the treatment duration (0–30 s). Then, the influence of plasma treatment on the salad shelf life was studied, following the growth of aerobic mesophilic bacteria in both untreated and plasma-treated samples during 9 days of storage at 4 °C, together with the plasma-induced changes in physicochemical parameters of lettuce leaves. The APPJ induced a fast (15 s) microbial decontamination (1.3 log10 CFU/g) of the salad surface. Exposure time and salad-plasma plume distance were the parameters that substantially affected the microbial inactivation. APPJ treatment retarded bacterial growth during the refrigerated storage, as plasma-treated samples were noticeably less contaminated than the non-treated ones in the first 3–4 days. No significant effect were observed on electrolyte leakage, pH, and dry matter content in both the set up phase and the shelf life study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Silvetti
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (T.S.); (I.D.N.)
- National Research Council, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Matteo Pedroni
- National Research Council, Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Via R. Cozzi 53, 20125 Milan, Italy; (M.P.); (E.V.)
| | - Milena Brasca
- National Research Council, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Espedito Vassallo
- National Research Council, Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Via R. Cozzi 53, 20125 Milan, Italy; (M.P.); (E.V.)
| | - Giacomo Cocetta
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Antonio Ferrante
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Ivano De Noni
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (T.S.); (I.D.N.)
| | - Laura Piazza
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20131 Milan, Italy;
| | - Stefano Morandi
- National Research Council, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy;
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16
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Zhao X, da Silva MBR, Van der Linden I, Franco BDGM, Uyttendaele M. Behavior of the Biological Control Agent Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. aizawai ABTS-1857 and Salmonella enterica on Spinach Plants and Cut Leaves. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:626029. [PMID: 33613492 PMCID: PMC7886684 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.626029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fresh produce has been identified as an important vehicle for the transmission of foodborne pathogens. This study evaluated the behavior of vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus thuringiensis, one of the main biological control agents (BCAs) used in the world, and Salmonella enterica on spinach plants (pre-harvest) and spinach cut leaves (post-harvest) at 12°C, experimentally inoculated as single or co-cultures. The results evidenced that spray-inoculated commercial BCA containing Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. aizawai ABTS-1857 (BTa ABTS-1857) spores persisted well on spinach leaves in both pre- and post-harvest simulations. However, when BTa ABTS-1857 vegetative cells were spray-inoculated, more than 2 log reductions in the counts of B. thuringiensis were observed during 20 days pre- and 5 days post-harvest simulations, respectively. The counts of S. Montevideo on the spinach cut leaves during post-harvest storage at 12°C for 5 days remained unchanged, whereas 1 log reduction was noted during pre-harvest. Moreover, during pre-harvest simulation, when co-inoculated with BTa ABTS-1857 vegetative cells or spores, additional 0.5 or 1.0 log reductions were detected on the counts of S. Montevideo in the spinach leaves on the 10th day. These results were obtained under laboratory conditions, and further findings in longitudinal studies from farm (in the agricultural field) to retail (end of shelf life) will contribute to understanding of the role of B. thuringiensis as a BCA on growth/survival of Salmonella spp. in fresh produce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingchen Zhao
- Food Microbiology and Food Preservation Research Unit, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marcelo Belchior Rosendo da Silva
- FoRC - Food Research Center, Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Inge Van der Linden
- Food Microbiology and Food Preservation Research Unit, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bernadette D G M Franco
- FoRC - Food Research Center, Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mieke Uyttendaele
- Food Microbiology and Food Preservation Research Unit, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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17
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Feliciano RJ, Boué G, Membré JM. Overview of the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Microbial Safety of the Dairy Industry. Foods 2020; 9:E1794. [PMID: 33287137 PMCID: PMC7761758 DOI: 10.3390/foods9121794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is expected to affect many different sectors across the food supply chain. The current review paper presents an overview of the effects of climate change on the microbial safety of the dairy supply chain and suggest potential mitigation strategies to limit the impact. Raw milk, the common raw material of dairy products, is vulnerable to climate change, influenced by changes in average temperature and amount of precipitation. This would induce changes in the microbial profile and heat stress in lactating cows, increasing susceptibility to microbial infection and higher levels of microbial contamination. Moreover, climate change affects the entire dairy supply chain and necessitates adaptation of all the current food safety management programs. In particular, the review of current prerequisite programs might be needed as well as revisiting the current microbial specifications of the receiving dairy products and the introduction of new pretreatments with stringent processing regimes. The effects on microbial changes during distribution and consumer handling also would need to be quantified through the use of predictive models. The development of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) models, considering the whole farm-to-fork chain to evaluate risk mitigation strategies, will be a key step to prioritize actions towards a climate change-resilient dairy industry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeanne-Marie Membré
- Secalim UMR1014, INRAE, Oniris Chantrerie, CS 40706, CEDEX 3, 44307 Nantes, France; (R.J.F.); (G.B.)
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18
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Rodrigues Marques Ferreira ÍH, de Souza Pedrosa GT, Jung J, Ferreira de Melo AN, Campagnollo FB, Schaffner DW, Magnani M. Modeling Salmonella enterica fate in fresh-cut pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) during storage as a function of temperature and relative humidity. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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19
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Belias AM, Sbodio A, Truchado P, Weller D, Pinzon J, Skots M, Allende A, Munther D, Suslow T, Wiedmann M, Ivanek R. Effect of Weather on the Die-Off of Escherichia coli and Attenuated Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium on Preharvest Leafy Greens following Irrigation with Contaminated Water. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:e00899-20. [PMID: 32591379 PMCID: PMC7440809 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00899-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) includes a time-to-harvest interval following the application of noncompliant water to preharvest produce to allow for microbial die-off. However, additional scientific evidence is needed to support this rule. This study aimed to determine the impact of weather on the die-off rate of Escherichia coli and Salmonella on spinach and lettuce under field conditions. Standardized, replicated field trials were conducted in California, New York, and Spain over 2 years. Baby spinach and lettuce were grown and inoculated with an ∼104-CFU/ml cocktail of E. coli and attenuated Salmonella Leaf samples were collected at 7 time points (0 to 96 h) following inoculation; E. coli and Salmonella were enumerated. The associations of die-off with study design factors (location, produce type, and bacteria) and weather were assessed using log-linear and biphasic segmented log-linear regression. A segmented log-linear model best fit die-off on inoculated leaves in most cases, with a greater variation in the segment 1 die-off rate across trials (-0.46 [95% confidence interval {95% CI}, -0.52, -0.41] to -6.99 [95% CI, -7.38, -6.59] log10 die-off/day) than in the segment 2 die-off rate (0.28 [95% CI, -0.20, 0.77] to -1.00 [95% CI, -1.16, -0.85] log10 die-off/day). A lower relative humidity was associated with a faster segment 1 die-off and an earlier breakpoint (the time when segment 1 die-off rate switches to the segment 2 rate). Relative humidity was also found to be associated with whether die-off would comply with FSMA's specified die-off rate of -0.5 log10 die-off/day.IMPORTANCE The log-linear die-off rate proposed by FSMA is not always appropriate, as the die-off rates of foodborne bacterial pathogens and specified agricultural water quality indicator organisms appear to commonly follow a biphasic pattern with an initial rapid decline followed by a period of tailing. While we observed substantial variation in the net culturable population levels of Salmonella and E. coli at each time point, die-off rate and FSMA compliance (i.e., at least a 2 log10 die-off over 4 days) appear to be impacted by produce type, bacteria, and weather; die-off on lettuce tended to be faster than that on spinach, die-off of E. coli tended to be faster than that of attenuated Salmonella, and die-off tended to become faster as relative humidity decreased. Thus, the use of a single die-off rate for estimating time-to-harvest intervals across different weather conditions, produce types, and bacteria should be revised.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adrian Sbodio
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Pilar Truchado
- Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Murcia, Spain
| | - Daniel Weller
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Janneth Pinzon
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Mariya Skots
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Ana Allende
- Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Murcia, Spain
| | - Daniel Munther
- Department of Mathematics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Trevor Suslow
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
- Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Renata Ivanek
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, New York, USA
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20
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Melotto M, Brandl MT, Jacob C, Jay-Russell MT, Micallef SA, Warburton ML, Van Deynze A. Breeding Crops for Enhanced Food Safety. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:428. [PMID: 32351531 PMCID: PMC7176021 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
An increasing global population demands a continuous supply of nutritious and safe food. Edible products can be contaminated with biological (e.g., bacteria, virus, protozoa), chemical (e.g., heavy metals, mycotoxins), and physical hazards during production, storage, transport, processing, and/or meal preparation. The substantial impact of foodborne disease outbreaks on public health and the economy has led to multidisciplinary research aimed to understand the biology underlying the different contamination processes and how to mitigate food hazards. Here we review the knowledge, opportunities, and challenges of plant breeding as a tool to enhance the food safety of plant-based food products. First, we discuss the significant effect of plant genotypic and phenotypic variation in the contamination of plants by heavy metals, mycotoxin-producing fungi, and human pathogenic bacteria. In addition, we discuss the various factors (i.e., temperature, relative humidity, soil, microbiota, cultural practices, and plant developmental stage) that can influence the interaction between plant genetic diversity and contaminant. This exposes the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to understand plant genotype × environment × microbe × management interactions. Moreover, we show that the numerous possibilities of crop/hazard combinations make the definition and identification of high-risk pairs, such as Salmonella-tomato and Escherichia coli-lettuce, imperative for breeding programs geared toward improving microbial safety of produce. Finally, we discuss research on developing effective assays and approaches for selecting desirable breeding germplasm. Overall, it is recognized that although breeding programs for some human pathogen/toxin systems are ongoing (e.g., Fusarium in wheat), it would be premature to start breeding when targets and testing systems are not well defined. Nevertheless, current research is paving the way toward this goal and this review highlights advances in the field and critical points for the success of this initiative that were discussed during the Breeding Crops for Enhanced Food Safety workshop held 5-6 June 2019 at University of California, Davis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maeli Melotto
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Maeli Melotto,
| | - Maria T. Brandl
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Produce Safety and Microbiology Research, Albany, CA, United States
| | - Cristián Jacob
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Michele T. Jay-Russell
- Western Center for Food Safety, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Shirley A. Micallef
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Marilyn L. Warburton
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Corn Host Plant Research Resistance Unit Mississippi State, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Allen Van Deynze
- Plant Breeding Center, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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21
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Erickson MC, Liao JY, Payton AS, Cook PW, Ortega YR. Survival and internalization of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 sprayed onto different cabbage cultivars during cultivation in growth chambers. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2019; 99:3530-3537. [PMID: 30624787 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.9573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cabbage may become contaminated with enteric pathogens during cultivation. Using multiple cabbage cultivars at two maturity stages (small plants or plants with small heads) in growth chamber studies, the fate (internalization or surface survival) of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (0157) were examined in conjunction with any potential relationships to the plant's antimicrobial content. RESULTS Internalized Salmonella was detected in cabbage within 24 h with prevalence ranging from 62% (16 of 26) for the 'Super Red 80' cultivar to 92% (24 of 26) for the 'Red Dynasty' cultivar. Surface survival of pathogens on small cabbage plants over nine days was significantly affected by cultivar with both pathogens surviving the most on the 'Farao' cultivar and Salmonella and O157 surviving the least on the 'Super Red 80' and 'Capture' cultivars, respectively (P < 0.05). Survival of O157 was slightly higher on cabbage heads for O157 than small plants suggesting that the maturity stage may affect this pathogen's fate. An inverse relationship existed between antimicrobial levels and the pathogen's surface survival on cabbage heads (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The fate of pathogens varied with the cabbage cultivar in growth chamber studies highlighting the potential to explore cultivar in field studies to reduce the risk of microbiological contamination in this crop. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn C Erickson
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA
| | - Jye-Yin Liao
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA
| | - Alison S Payton
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA
| | - Peter W Cook
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA
| | - Ynes R Ortega
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA
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22
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Erickson MC, Liao JY, Payton AS, Cook PW, Adhikari K, Wang S, Bautista J, Pérez JCD. Efficacy of Acetic Acid or Chitosan for Reducing the Prevalence of Salmonella- and Escherichia coli O157:H7-Contaminated Leafy Green Plants in Field Systems. J Food Prot 2019; 82:854-861. [PMID: 31013166 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-18-347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Outbreaks associated with fresh-cut leafy greens continue to occur despite efforts to implement horticultural practices that minimize introduction of enteric pathogens to the crop. The experimental trials in this study were designed to examine the efficacy of an acetic acid (AA)- and chitosan-based spray treatment, applied 1 day prior to harvest, for reducing the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) and Salmonella in field-grown leafy greens contaminated at levels detectable only through enrichment culture. Responses to the treatment solution were variable and depended on the type of leafy green (leafy lettuce, spinach, or cabbage), cultivar, pathogen, and AA concentration (0.3 to 0.7%). No significant differences in E. coli O157 prevalence were found for untreated and treated cabbage heads and spinach plants (P > 0.05). In contrast, treatment significantly affected Salmonella on 'Bravo F1' green cabbage and '7-Green' spinach (P < 0.05), with odds ratios of 2.2 and 3.3 for finding the pathogen on untreated versus treated greens, respectively. Salmonella was also 7.1 times more likely to be found on an untreated lettuce plant than on a lettuce plant sprayed with a 0.7% AA treatment solution (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.1 to 12.2; P < 0.0001). In studies addressing the efficacy of chitosan (0.1 or 0.3%), this chemical failed to reduce the prevalence of either pathogen on lettuce (P > 0.05). Similarly, spraying with 0.3% AA did not affect the prevalence of Salmonella on lettuce plants (P > 0.05); however, treatment solutions with 0.4% AA reduced the likelihood of detecting Salmonella in treated versus untreated plants by 6.6 times (95% CI, 2.1 to 20.9; P = 0.0007). After the lettuce was harvested and hand washed, consumers failed to distinguish either visually or organoleptically between untreated lettuce and lettuce sprayed with an acetic acid solution (P > 0.05). These results indicate that acetic acid could be used to reduce the microbiological risk of preharvest leafy greens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn C Erickson
- 1 Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797
| | - Jye-Yin Liao
- 1 Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797
| | - Alison S Payton
- 1 Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797
| | - Peter W Cook
- 1 Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797
| | - Koushik Adhikari
- 2 Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797
| | - Shangci Wang
- 2 Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797
| | - Jesus Bautista
- 3 Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Road, Tifton, Georgia 31793-5766, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Díaz Pérez
- 3 Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Road, Tifton, Georgia 31793-5766, USA
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23
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Kroupitski Y, Gollop R, Belausov E, Pinto R, Sela Saldinger S. Salmonella enterica Growth Conditions Influence Lettuce Leaf Internalization. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:639. [PMID: 31057491 PMCID: PMC6482241 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pathogens on plants (HPOP) have evolved complex interactions with their plant host. Stomatal internalization is one such mode of interaction, where bacteria are attracted to stomata and penetrate into the substomatal cavity by a process mediated by chemotaxis. Internalization enables HPOP to evade the hostile environment of the leaf surface and find a protected, nutrient-rich niche within the leaf. Numerous studies have documented attachment and entry of the foodborne pathogens, Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli into stomata. Internalization, however, varies considerably among different pathogens and in different plants, and both bacterial and plant’s factors were reported to influence HPOP attachment and internalization. Here we have studied the effect of laboratory growth conditions, on the internalization of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STm) into lettuce leaf. We have further tested the potential involvement of universal stress-proteins in leaf internalization. We found that STm grown in Luria Bertani broth devoid of NaCl (LBNS), or in diluted LB (0.5×LB) internalized lettuce leaf better (62 ± 5% and 59 ± 7%, respectively) compared to bacteria grown in LB (15 ± 7%). Growth under non-aerated conditions also enhanced STm internalization compared to growth under aerated conditions. Growth temperature of 25 and 37°C did not affect STm internalization, however, growth at 42°C, significantly augmented leaf internalization. Since, the tested growth conditions represent moderate stresses, we further investigated the involvement of five universal-stress genes in STm leaf internalization following growth in LBNS medium. Knockout mutations in ydaA, yecG, ybdQ, and uspAB, but not in ynaF, significantly reduced STm internalization compared to the wild-type (wt) strain, without affecting bacterial attachment and motility. Transduction of the mutations back to the parent strain confirmed the linkage between the mutations and the internalization phenotype. These findings support a specific role of the universal-stress genes in leaf internalization. The present study highlights the complexity of bacterial internalization process and may provide partial explanation for the variable, sometimes-contrasting results reported in the literature regarding stomatal internalization by HPOP. Characterization of the regulatory networks that mediate the involvement of usp genes and the tested growth factors in STm internalization should contribute to our understanding of human pathogens-plant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Kroupitski
- Microbial Food-Safety Research Unit, Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Rachel Gollop
- Microbial Food-Safety Research Unit, Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Eduard Belausov
- Confocal Microscopy Unit, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Riky Pinto
- Microbial Food-Safety Research Unit, Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Shlomo Sela Saldinger
- Microbial Food-Safety Research Unit, Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
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Erickson MC, Liao JY, Payton AS, Cook PW, Den Bakker HC, Bautista J, Pérez JCD. Pre-harvest internalization and surface survival of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 sprayed onto different lettuce cultivars under field and growth chamber conditions. Int J Food Microbiol 2019; 291:197-204. [PMID: 30551016 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Plant genotype has been advocated to have an important role in the fate of enteric pathogens residing in lettuce foliage. This study was therefore undertaken under the premise that different pathogen responses could occur in lettuce cultivars with cultivar selection being one of several hurdles in an overall strategy for controlling foodborne pathogens on field-grown produce. Up to eight lettuce cultivars ('Gabriella', 'Green Star', 'Muir', 'New Red Fire', 'Coastal Star', 'Starfighter', 'Tropicana', and 'Two Star') were examined in these experiments in which the plants were subjected to spray contamination of their foliage with pathogens. In an experiment that addressed internalization of Salmonella, cultivar was determined to be a significant variable (P < 0.05) with 'Gabriella' and 'Muir' being the least and most likely to exhibit internalization of this pathogen, respectively. Furthermore, antimicrobials (total phenols and antioxidant capacity chemicals) could be part of the plant's defenses to resist internalization as there was an inverse relationship between the prevalence of internalization at 1 h and the levels of these antimicrobials (r = -0.75 to -0.80, P = 0.0312 to 0.0165). Internalized cells appeared to be transient residents in that across all cultivars, plants sampled 1 h after being sprayed were 3.5 times more likely to be positive for Salmonella than plants analyzed 24 h after spraying (95% CI from 1.5 to 8.2, P = 0.0035). The fate of surface-resident Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 was addressed in subsequent growth chamber and field experiments. In the growth chamber study, no effect of cultivar was manifested on the fate of either pathogen when plants were sampled up to 12 days after spray contamination of their foliage. However, in the field study, five days after spraying the plants, Salmonella contamination was significantly affected by cultivar (P < 0.05) and the following order of prevalence of contamination was observed: 'Muir' < 'Gabriella' < 'Green Star' = 'New Red Fire' < 'Coastal Star'. Nine days after spray contamination of plants in the field, no effect of cultivar was exhibited due primarily to the low prevalence of contamination observed for Salmonella (8 of 300 plant samples positive by enrichment culture) and E. coli O157 (4 of 300 plant samples positive by enrichment culture). Given the narrow window of time during which cultivar differences were documented, it is unlikely that cultivar selection could serve as a viable option for reducing the microbiological risk associated with lettuce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn C Erickson
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment St., Griffin, GA 30223-1797, USA.
| | - Jye-Yin Liao
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment St., Griffin, GA 30223-1797, USA
| | - Alison S Payton
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment St., Griffin, GA 30223-1797, USA
| | - Peter W Cook
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment St., Griffin, GA 30223-1797, USA
| | - Henk C Den Bakker
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment St., Griffin, GA 30223-1797, USA
| | - Jesus Bautista
- Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Rd., Tifton, GA 31793-5766, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Díaz Pérez
- Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Rd., Tifton, GA 31793-5766, USA
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25
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Bulgari D, Montagna M, Gobbi E, Faoro F. Green Technology: Bacteria-Based Approach Could Lead to Unsuspected Microbe⁻Plant⁻Animal Interactions. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7020044. [PMID: 30736387 PMCID: PMC6406919 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7020044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent and massive revival of green strategies to control plant diseases, mainly as a consequence of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) rules issued in 2009 by the European Community and the increased consumer awareness of organic products, poses new challenges for human health and food security that need to be addressed in the near future. One of the most important green technologies is biocontrol. This approach is based on living organisms and how these biocontrol agents (BCAs) directly or indirectly interact as a community to control plant pathogens and pest. Although most BCAs have been isolated from plant microbiomes, they share some genomic features, virulence factors, and trans-kingdom infection abilities with human pathogenic microorganisms, thus, their potential impact on human health should be addressed. This evidence, in combination with the outbreaks of human infections associated with consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, opens new questions regarding the role of plants in the human pathogen infection cycle. Moreover, whether BCAs could alter the endophytic bacterial community, thereby leading to the development of new potential human pathogens, is still unclear. In this review, all these issues are debated, highlighting that the research on BCAs and their formulation should include these possible long-lasting consequences of their massive spread in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Bulgari
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Italy, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy.
- Piattaforma di Microbiologia Agroalimentare ed Ambientale (Pi.Mi.A.A.), AgroFood Lab, Department ofMolecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia; 25121 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Matteo Montagna
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Italy, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Gobbi
- Piattaforma di Microbiologia Agroalimentare ed Ambientale (Pi.Mi.A.A.), AgroFood Lab, Department ofMolecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia; 25121 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Franco Faoro
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Italy, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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Park JB, Kang JH, Song KB. Combined treatment of cinnamon bark oil emulsion washing and ultraviolet-C irradiation improves microbial safety of fresh-cut red chard. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2018.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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