Adaptive response of Listeria monocytogenes to heat and its impact on food safety

Fate of osmotically adapted and biofilm Listeria monocytogenes cells after exposure to salt, heat, and liquid smoke, mimicking the stresses induced during the processing of hot smoked fish

The study aimed to investigate the response of osmotically adapted and detached biofilm Listeria monocytogenes cells following sequential stresses that occur during the processing of hot smoking, such as heating and smoke application. Thermal resistance of L. monocytogenes was significantly affected by previous osmotic adaptation of the cells. D60oC-values of osmotically adapted L. monocytogenes cells were significantly higher than control cells. The osmotically adapted and subsequently heat-injured cells were more resistant to PALCAM and less resistant to TSAYE with 5.00% NaCl (TSAYE/NaCl) than control cells. Detached biofilm cells were more thermotolerant and less resistant to PALCAM and TSAYE/NaCl than control cells. The sequential effect of smoking against heat-treated (60 °C, 20 min) and osmotically adapted or detached L. monocytogenes biofilm cells was investigated using two liquid smoke extracts (L9 and G6). L9 led to significantly higher reductions (>3.00-Log CFU) compared to G6. The heat-treated, detached biofilm cells revealed resistance to L9, presumably due to metabolic downregulation and physical protection by the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). These data highlight the potential of the food industry to make informed decisions for using safe heat treatments during hot smoking to effectively inactivate L. monocytogenes and maintain rigorous environmental sanitation practices to control biofilm cells.

Survival strategies of Listeria monocytogenes to environmental hostile stress: biofilm formation and stress responses

Listeria monocytogenes is a critical foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis and threatens public health. This pathogenic microorganism forms a transmission cycle in nature, food industry, and humans, expanding the areas of contamination among them and influencing food safety. L. monocytogenes forms biofilms to protect itself and promotes survival through stress responses to the various stresses (e.g., temperature, pH, and antimicrobial agents) that may be inflicted during food processing. Biofilms and mechanisms of resistance to hostile external or general stresses allow L. monocytogenes to survive despite a variety of efforts to ensure food safety. The current review article focuses on biofilm formation, resistance mechanisms through biofilms, and external specific or general stress responses of L. monocytogenes to help understand the unexpected survival rates of this bacterium; it also proposes the use of obstacle technology to effectively cope with it in the food industry.

Enhanced heat resistance of Listeria innocua as a surrogate of Listeria monocytogenes after sublethal heat treatment

Its ability to survive under different environmental conditions makes Listeria monocytogenes a critical concern for food safety. When the microorganisms are exposed to sublethal heat treatment above their optimum growth temperature, they increase stress adaptation for further heat treatments. In order to investigate heat stress resistance of L. monocytogenes, L. innocua as a surrogate was exposed to sublethal heat at 46 °C for 30 and 60 min, prior to heat treatment at 60 °C. There was no significant difference in D60°C values between samples exposed to sublethal heat for 30 min and non-pre-heat-treated samples (control) (P > 0.05). In comparison, sublethal heat treatment for 60 min caused a significant increase in D60°C values compared to control samples (P < 0.05). Additionally, cluster analysis of mass spectra obtained from MALDI-TOF was analysed by discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) for sublethal heat treatment at 46 °C for 30 min and control group to check stress response at the proteomic level. However, differentiation of stress responses by distinct clusters was not revealing.

Identification of Listeria monocytogenes in cattle meat using biochemical methods and amplification of the hemolysin gene

In Brazil and in other countries of the world, studies have been conducted to identify Listeria monocytogenes in cattle meat that is preferably consumed undercooked and, when marketed without meeting strict phytosanitary requirements, may cause outbreaks of listeriosis. In the such, foodborne outbreaks, the methods used for the detection of the pathogen and the efficiency associated with them are crucial for the proper assessment. In this study, we used the techniques biochemical and molecular for identification of the L. monocytogenes isolated from 30 samples of the fresh beef, marketed in ten butchers' shop of the free-fair from a municipality from the Bahia, Brazil. The results obtained from biochemical tests (catalase, motility, β-hemolysis and carbohydrate fermentation), as well as PCR analysis for the hly gene (hemolysin production is an important factor in the pathogenesis of listeriosis) revealed that 50% of butchers shops presented bovine meat contaminated with bacteria of the Listeria sp. and confirmed that 54.16% of the analyzed meat samples were positive for L. monocytogenes. This study highlights the importance of microbiological surveillance in free-fair to minimize the exposure of consumers to this foodborne pathogen.

Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in game meat applying sous vide cooking conditions

This study investigated the effects of sous vide cooking at temperatures between 50 °C and 60 °C on the inactivation kinetics of Listeria (L.) monocytogenes. Nutrient broth and minced game meat (Capreolus capreolus and Sus scrofa) were inoculated with three strains of L. monocytogenes and cooked under sous vide conditions (50, 55 or 60 °C for several hours). Results showed that the decimal reduction values (D-values) were largely dependent on the surrounding matrix. D-values of 125.5, 29.7 and 5.1 min were reached for BHI (brain heart infusion) at 50 °C, 55 °C and 60 °C, respectively. For roe deer, D-values of 49.2, 14.9 and 3.7 min and for wild boar, D-values of 100.2, 23.8 and 4.2 min were reached. It can be concluded that microbiologically safe cooking durations under sous-vide conditions below 60 °C should be considered individually for each meat product due to the dramatic influence of the matrix in comparison to higher temperature conditions.

Combined d-Tryptophan Treatment and Temperature Stress Exert Antimicrobial Activity against Listeria monocytogenes in Milk

ABSTRACT

d-Tryptophan (d-Trp) has a significant inhibitory effect on growth of gram-negative bacteria under osmotic stress. However, the inhibitory effect of d-Trp on the gram-positive Listeria monocytogenes under chilled and thermal stresses has not been evaluated previously. The effect of d-Trp on L. monocytogenes growth under cold and/or heat stress in milk and cream was dependent on the magnitude of the temperature stress. Low temperatures (4, 7, and 10°C) and treatment with 40 mM d-Trp resulted in significant inhibition of L. monocytogenes growth during the 4-week storage period. Lower temperatures more effectively inhibited growth. When added before thermal processing, 40 mM d-Trp completely inactivated L. monocytogenes (>6-log reduction) heated at 60°C for 25 min or 65°C for 20 min. These results suggest that d-Trp can be used as a preservative for controlling the growth of L. monocytogenes in milk and cream at refrigeration temperatures and could be used to enhance the thermal inactivation of L. monocytogenes.

HIGHLIGHTS

Impact of Cooking Procedures and Storage Practices at Home on Consumer Exposure to Listeria Monocytogenes and Salmonella Due to the Consumption of Pork Meat

The objective of this research was to analyze the impact of different cooking procedures (i.e., gas hob and traditional static oven) and levels of cooking (i.e., rare, medium, and well-done) on inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in pork loin chops. Moreover, the consumer's exposure to both microorganisms after simulation of meat leftover storage at home was assessed. The results showed that well-done cooking in a static oven was the only treatment able to inactivate the tested pathogens. The other cooking combinations allowed to reach in the product temperatures always ≥73.6 °C, decreasing both pathogens between 6 log₁₀ cfu/g and 7 log₁₀ cfu/g. However, according to simulation results, the few cells surviving cooking treatments can multiply during storage by consumers up to 1 log₁₀ cfu/g, with probabilities of 0.059 (gas hob) and 0.035 (static oven) for L. monocytogenes and 0.049 (gas hob) and 0.031 (static oven) for Salmonella. The key factors affecting consumer exposure in relation to storage practices were probability of pathogen occurrence after cooking, doneness degree, time of storage, and time of storage at room temperature. The results of this study can be combined with prevalence data and dose-response models in risk assessment models and included in guidelines for consumers on practices to be followed to manage cooking of pork meat at home.

Heat Resistance Mediated by pLM58 Plasmid-Borne ClpL in Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a dangerous food pathogen causing the severe illness listeriosis that has a high mortality rate in immunocompromised individuals. Although destroyed by pasteurization, L. monocytogenes is among the most heat-resistant non-spore-forming bacteria. This poses a risk to food safety, as listeriosis is commonly associated with ready-to-eat foods that are consumed without thorough heating. However, L. monocytogenes strains differ in their ability to survive high temperatures, and comprehensive understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying these differences is still limited. Whole-genome-sequence analysis and phenotypic characterization allowed us to identify a novel plasmid, designated pLM58, and a plasmid-borne ATP-dependent protease (ClpL), which mediated heat resistance in L. monocytogenes. As the first report on plasmid-mediated heat resistance in L. monocytogenes, our study sheds light on the accessory genetic mechanisms rendering certain L. monocytogenes strains particularly capable of surviving high temperatures—with plasmid-borne ClpL being a potential predictor of elevated heat resistance.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most heat-resistant non-spore-forming food-borne pathogens and poses a notable risk to food safety, particularly when mild heat treatments are used in food processing and preparation. While general heat stress properties and response mechanisms of L. monocytogenes have been described, accessory mechanisms providing particular L. monocytogenes strains with the advantage of enhanced heat resistance are unknown. Here, we report plasmid-mediated heat resistance of L. monocytogenes for the first time. This resistance is mediated by the ATP-dependent protease ClpL. We tested the survival of two wild-type L. monocytogenes strains—both of serotype 1/2c, sequence type ST9, and high sequence identity—at high temperatures and compared their genome composition in order to identify genetic mechanisms involved in their heat survival phenotype. L. monocytogenes AT3E was more heat resistant (0.0 CFU/ml log₁₀ reduction) than strain AL4E (1.4 CFU/ml log₁₀ reduction) after heating at 55°C for 40 min. A prominent difference in the genome compositions of the two strains was a 58-kb plasmid (pLM58) harbored by the heat-resistant AT3E strain, suggesting plasmid-mediated heat resistance. Indeed, plasmid curing resulted in significantly decreased heat resistance (1.1 CFU/ml log₁₀ reduction) at 55°C. pLM58 harbored a 2,115-bp open reading frame annotated as an ATP-dependent protease (ClpL)-encoding clpL gene. Introducing the clpL gene into a natively heat-sensitive L. monocytogenes strain (1.2 CFU/ml log₁₀ reduction) significantly increased the heat resistance of the recipient strain (0.4 CFU/ml log₁₀ reduction) at 55°C. Plasmid-borne ClpL is thus a potential predictor of elevated heat resistance in L. monocytogenes.

IMPORTANCEListeria monocytogenes is a dangerous food pathogen causing the severe illness listeriosis that has a high mortality rate in immunocompromised individuals. Although destroyed by pasteurization, L. monocytogenes is among the most heat-resistant non-spore-forming bacteria. This poses a risk to food safety, as listeriosis is commonly associated with ready-to-eat foods that are consumed without thorough heating. However, L. monocytogenes strains differ in their ability to survive high temperatures, and comprehensive understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying these differences is still limited. Whole-genome-sequence analysis and phenotypic characterization allowed us to identify a novel plasmid, designated pLM58, and a plasmid-borne ATP-dependent protease (ClpL), which mediated heat resistance in L. monocytogenes. As the first report on plasmid-mediated heat resistance in L. monocytogenes, our study sheds light on the accessory genetic mechanisms rendering certain L. monocytogenes strains particularly capable of surviving high temperatures—with plasmid-borne ClpL being a potential predictor of elevated heat resistance.

Comparative Effect of Heat Shock on Survival of O157:H7 and Non-O157 Shiga Toxigenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella in Lean Beef with or without Moisture-Enhancing Ingredients

Thermal tolerance of pathogenic bacteria has been shown to increase after exposure to sublethal elevated temperatures, or heat shock. We evaluated the effect of heat shock at 48°C on thermal tolerance (D_55°C) of cocktails of O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella in lean ground beef with or without moisture-enhancing ingredients. Beef was moisture enhanced to 110% (w) with a 5% NaCl-2.5% sodium tripolyphosphate (w/w) brine. Meat, with or without added brine, was inoculated (∼10⁸ CFU/g) and heat shocked at 48°C for 0, 5, or 30 min, followed by isothermal heating at 55°C. Inoculated control samples were unenhanced and were not subject to heat shock. From the linear portion of the log CFU per gram surviving cells over time plots, D_55°C-values (minutes) were calculated. D_55°C was 20.43, 28.78, and 21.15 min for O157, non-O157, and Salmonella controls, respectively. Overall, heat shock significantly increased D_55°C, regardless of pathogen (P < 0.05). After 30 min of heat shock, D_55°C increased 89 and 160% for O157 STEC, 32 and 49% for non-O157 STEC, and 29 and 57% for Salmonella, in unenhanced and enhanced samples, respectively, relative to the pathogen control. D_55°C for Salmonella was the same or significantly less than for O157 and non-O157 STEC, regardless of heat shock, and was significantly less than for O157 and non-O157 STEC in all trials with moisture-enhanced meat (P < 0.05). Moisture-enhancing ingredients significantly increased D_55°C, regardless of pathogen (P < 0.05). We suggest that thermal processes validated against Salmonella may not prove effective against STEC in all cases and that regulators of the beef industry should focus attention on STEC in nonintact moisture-enhanced beef products.

High Heating Rates Affect Greatly the Inactivation Rate of Escherichia coli

Heat resistance of microorganisms can be affected by different influencing factors. Although, the effect of heating rates has been scarcely explored by the scientific community, recent researches have unraveled its important effect on the thermal resistance of different species of vegetative bacteria. Typically heating rates described in the literature ranged from 1 to 20°C/min but the impact of much higher heating rates is unclear. The aim of this research was to explore the effect of different heating rates, such as those currently achieved in the heat exchangers used in the food industry, on the heat resistance of Escherichia coli. A pilot plant tubular heat exchanger and a thermoresistometer Mastia were used for this purpose. Results showed that fast heating rates had a deep impact on the thermal resistance of E. coli. Heating rates between 20 and 50°C/min were achieved in the heat exchanger, which were much slower than those around 20°C/s achieved in the thermoresistometer. In all cases, these high heating rates led to higher inactivation than expected: in the heat exchanger, for all the experiments performed, when the observed inactivation had reached about seven log cycles, the predictions estimated about 1 log cycle of inactivation; in the thermoresistometer these differences between observed and predicted values were even more than 10 times higher, from 4.07 log cycles observed to 0.34 predicted at a flow rate of 70 mL/min and a maximum heating rate of 14.7°C/s. A quantification of the impact of the heating rates on the level of inactivation achieved was established. These results point out the important effect that the heating rate has on the thermal resistance of E. coli, with high heating rates resulting in an additional sensitization to heat and therefore an effective food safety strategy in terms of food processing.

Influence of Low-Shear Modeled Microgravity on Heat Resistance, Membrane Fatty Acid Composition, and Heat Stress-Related Gene Expression in Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 35150, ATCC 43889, ATCC 43890, and ATCC 43895

We previously showed that modeled microgravity conditions alter the physiological characteristics of Escherichia coli O157:H7. To examine how microgravity conditions affect bacterial heat stress responses, D values, membrane fatty acid composition, and heat stress-related gene expression (clpB, dnaK, grpE, groES, htpG, htpX, ibpB, and rpoH), E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 35150, ATCC 43889, ATCC 43890, and ATCC 43895 were cultured under two different conditions: low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG, an analog of spaceflight conditions) and normal gravity (NG, Earth-like conditions). When 24-h cultures were heated to 55°C, cells cultured under LSMMG conditions showed reduced survival compared with cells cultured under NG conditions at all time points (P < 0.05). D values of all tested strains were lower after LSMMG culture than after NG culture. Fourteen of 37 fatty acids examined were present in the bacterial membrane: nine saturated fatty acids (SFA) and five unsaturated fatty acids (USFA). The USFA/SFA ratio, a measure of membrane fluidity, was higher under LSMMG conditions than under NG conditions. Compared with control cells grown under NG conditions, cells cultured under LSMMG conditions showed downregulation of eight heat stress-related genes (average, -1.9- to -3.7-fold). The results of this study indicate that in a simulated space environment, heat resistance of E. coli O157:H7 decreased, and this might be due to the synergistic effects of the increases in membrane fluidity and downregulated relevant heat stress genes.

IMPORTANCE

Microgravity is a major factor that represents the environmental conditions in space. Since infectious diseases are difficult to deal with in a space environment, comprehensive studies on the behavior of pathogenic bacteria under microgravity conditions are warranted. This study reports the changes in heat stress resistance of E. coli O157:H7, the severe foodborne pathogen, under conditions that mimic microgravity. The results provide scientific clues for further understanding of the bacterial response under the simulated microgravity conditions. It will contribute not only to the improvement of scientific knowledge in the academic fields but also ultimately to the development of a prevention strategy for bacterial disease in the space environment.

Low temperature, long time treatment of porcine M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum in a combi steamer under commercial conditions

As the interest in low temperature, long time (LTLT) treatment of meat, as well as the use of modern combi steamer technology is growing, this study characterized the effects of LTLT treatments on porcine Musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum in a combi steamer. Upon heating for 10 and 20 h at 53°C or 58°C, weight loss increased with both time and temperature, while no significant changes over time could be reached between 20 and 30 h. Redness only varied with temperature, showing lower a* values at 53°C. Shear force values at 58°C remained at a stable level over time and were lower than values at 53°C after 10 and 20 h. In contrast, at 53°C, shear force was reduced with increasing treatment time, until after 30 h both temperatures showed similar shear force values. Inoculation experiments revealed that already the lowest LTLT condition (53°C, 10h) inactivated 5 log10 cfu/g of certain indicator pathogens confirming the safety of these treatments.

Inactivation of human pathogens during phase II composting of manure-based mushroom growth substrate

Commercial production of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) requires a specialized growth substrate prepared from composted agricultural by-products. Because horse and poultry manures are widely used in substrate formulations, there is a need to determine the extent to which the composting process is capable of eliminating human pathogens. In this study, partially composted substrate was inoculated with a pathogen cocktail (log 10⁶ to 10⁸ CFU/g) containing Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella. Pathogen and indicator-organism reductions were followed at temperatures that typically occurred during a standard 6-day phase II pasteurization and conditioning procedure. Controlled-temperature water bath studies at 48.8, 54.4, and 60°C demonstrated complete destruction of the three pathogens after 36.0, 8.0, and 0.5 h, respectively. Destruction of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 at 54.4°C occurred more slowly than E. coli, total coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and Salmonella. Microbial reductions that occurred during a standard 6-day phase II pasteurization and conditioning treatment were studied in a small-scale mushroom production research facility. After phase II composting, E. coli, coliforms, and Enterobacteriaceae were below detectable levels, and inoculated pathogens were not detected by direct plating or by enrichment. The results of this study show that a phase II composting process can be an effective control measure for eliminating risks associated with the use of composted animal manures during mushroom production. Growers are encouraged to validate and verify their own composting processes through periodic microbial testing for pathogens and to conduct studies to assure uniform distribution of substrate temperatures during phase II.