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Listeria monocytogenes in Irrigation Water: An Assessment of Outbreaks, Sources, Prevalence, and Persistence. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071319. [PMID: 35889038 PMCID: PMC9323950 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
As more fresh fruits and vegetables are needed to meet the demands of a growing population, growers may need to start depending on more varied sources of water, including environmental, recycled, and reclaimed waters. Some of these sources might be susceptible to contamination with microbial pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes. Surveys have found this pathogen in water, soil, vegetation, and farm animal feces around the world. The frequency at which this pathogen is present in water sources is dependent on multiple factors, including the season, surrounding land use, presence of animals, and physicochemical water parameters. Understanding the survival duration of L. monocytogenes in specific water sources is important, but studies are limited concerning this environment and the impact of these highly variable factors. Understanding the pathogen’s ability to remain infectious is key to understanding how L. monocytogenes impacts produce outbreaks and, ultimately, consumers’ health.
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Encapsulated Plant-Derived Antimicrobial Reduces Enteric Bacterial Pathogens on Melon Surfaces during Differing Contamination and Sanitization Treatment Scenarios. Appl Microbiol 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/applmicrobiol1030030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to quantify survival in Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates on melon rind surface samples achieved by sanitizer treatment under three differing melon contamination and sanitization scenarios. Sanitizing treatments consisted of the plant-derived antimicrobial (PDA) essential oil component (EOC) geraniol (0.5 wt.%) entrapped in the polymeric surfactant Pluronic F-127 (GNP), 0.5 wt.% unencapsulated geraniol (UG), 200 mg/L hypochlorous acid at pH 7.0 (HOCl), and a sterile distilled water wash (CON). The experimental contamination and sanitization scenarios tested were: (1) pathogen inoculation preceded by treatment; (2) the pathogen was inoculated onto samples twice with sanitizing treatment applied in between inoculation events; or (3) pathogen inoculation followed by sanitizing treatment. Reductions in the numbers of surviving pathogens were dependent on the sanitizing treatment, the storage period, or the interaction of these effects. GNP treatment provided the greatest reductions in surviving pathogen counts on melon rinds, but these did not regularly statistically differ from those achieved by HOCl or UG treatment. GNP treatment provided the best pathogen control under differing conditions of pre- and/or post-harvest cross-contamination and can be applied to reduce the risk of pathogen transmission on melon rinds.
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Growth Potential of Listeria monocytogenes on Refrigerated Spinach and Rocket Leaves in Modified Atmosphere Packaging. Foods 2020; 9:foods9091211. [PMID: 32882945 PMCID: PMC7555703 DOI: 10.3390/foods9091211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Minimally processed ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables are increasingly consumed for their health benefits. However, they also pose a risk of being ingested with food-borne pathogens. The present study investigated the ability of RTE spinach and rocket to support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes as previous studies provided contradicting evidence. Findings were compared to growth on iceberg lettuce that has repeatedly been shown to support growth. Products were inoculated with a three-strain mix of L. monocytogenes at 10 and 100 cfu g−1 and stored in modified atmosphere (4 kPa O2, 8 kPa CO2) at 8 °C over 7–9 days. Spinach demonstrated the highest growth potential rate of 2 to 3 log10 cfu g−1 over a 9-day period with only marginal deterioration in its visual appearance. Growth potential on rocket was around 2 log10 cfu g−1 over 9 days with considerable deterioration in visual appearance. Growth potential of iceberg lettuce was similar to that of rocket over a 7-day period. Growth curves fitted closely to a linear growth model, indicating none to limited restrictions of growth over the duration of storage. The high growth potentials of L. monocytogenes on spinach alongside the limited visual deterioration highlight the potential risks of consuming this raw RTE food product when contaminated.
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Tan JN, Hwang CA, Huang L, Wu VCH, Hsiao HI. In Situ Generation of Chlorine Dioxide for Decontamination of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Pathogenic Escherichia coli on Cantaloupes, Mung Beans, and Alfalfa Seeds. J Food Prot 2020; 83:287-294. [PMID: 31961232 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-19-434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT In situ generation of chlorine dioxide to reduce microbial populations on produce surfaces has been shown to be effective on produce models. This study examined the treatment for decontamination of bacterial pathogens on whole cantaloupes and sprout seeds. Whole cantaloupes, mung beans, and alfalfa seeds were inoculated with Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, sprayed with or dipped in 0.4 to 1.6% sodium chlorite (NaClO2) solutions, dried, and treated with 6 mM hydrochloric acid (HCl; sequential treatment). Controls were samples treated with NaClO2 or HCl (individual treatment). The pathogen populations on samples before and after treatments were enumerated to determine the reductions of pathogen populations by the treatments. The methods of applying NaClO2 and HCl (dipping for 30 min or spraying 0.2 g on cantaloupe rind [2 by 2 cm]), NaClO2 concentrations of 0.4 to 1.6% for cantaloupes, and treatment times of 5, 15, and 30 min for sprout seeds were evaluated to identify treatment parameters. For cantaloupes treated with spraying with 1.6% NaClO2, the sequential treatment caused significantly (P < 0.05) higher reductions (6.2 to 7.7 log CFU/cm2) than the combined reductions (3.2 to 5.2 log CFU/cm2) by the individual treatments. For cantaloupes treated by dipping in 1.6% NaClO2 and by spraying with 0.4 and 0.8% NaClO2, the reductions caused by the sequential treatment were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from those by the individual treatments. For mung beans, sequential 15- and 30-min treatments caused significantly (P < 0.05) higher reductions of 4.3 to 5.0 and 4.7 to 6.7 log CFU/g, respectively, than the individual treatments. The sequential 15-min treatment also caused high reductions of 5.1 to 7.3 log CFU/g on alfalfa seeds. The treatments did not bleach the color of cantaloupes and did not affect the germination rates of mung beans and alfalfa seeds. This study identified 1.6% NaClO2 and 6 mM HCl for sequential spraying treatment for cantaloupes and for sequential dipping (15-min) treatment for mung beans and alfalfa seeds that may be used for decontamination of whole cantaloupes and sprout seeds. HIGHLIGHTS
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ni Tan
- Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, 2 Beining Road, Jhongjheng District, Keelung City 202, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-An Hwang
- Residue Chemistry and Predictive Microbiology Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038, USA
| | - Lihan Huang
- Residue Chemistry and Predictive Microbiology Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038, USA
| | - Vivian C H Wu
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, California 94710, USA (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1525-1078 [V.C.H.W.])
| | - Hsin-I Hsiao
- Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, 2 Beining Road, Jhongjheng District, Keelung City 202, Taiwan
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The Occurrence of Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli in Aquaponic and Hydroponic Systems. HORTICULTURAE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/horticulturae6010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Food safety concerns have been raised over vegetables and herbs grown in aquaponics and hydroponics due to the reuse of wastewater and spent nutrient solutions. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of foodborne pathogens in greenhouse-based aquaponic and hydroponic systems. Fish feces, recirculating water, roots, and the edible portions of lettuce, basil, and tomato were collected at harvest, and microbiological analyses were conducted for the bacterial pathogens Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. Enrichments and selective media were used for the isolation, and presumptive positive colonies were confirmed by PCR. STEC was found in fish feces, in the water of both systems, and on the surface of the roots of lettuce, basil, and tomato regardless of the system. However, contaminated water did not lead to the internalization of STEC into the roots, leaves, and/or fruit of the plants. Meanwhile, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were not present in any samples examined. Our results demonstrated that there are potential food safety hazards for fresh produce grown in aquaponic and hydroponic production systems.
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Nicolau-Lapeña I, Abadias M, Bobo G, Aguiló-Aguayo I, Lafarga T, Viñas I. Strawberry sanitization by peracetic acid washing and its effect on fruit quality. Food Microbiol 2019; 83:159-166. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Mogren L, Windstam S, Boqvist S, Vågsholm I, Söderqvist K, Rosberg AK, Lindén J, Mulaosmanovic E, Karlsson M, Uhlig E, Håkansson Å, Alsanius B. The Hurdle Approach-A Holistic Concept for Controlling Food Safety Risks Associated With Pathogenic Bacterial Contamination of Leafy Green Vegetables. A Review. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1965. [PMID: 30197634 PMCID: PMC6117429 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Consumers appreciate leafy green vegetables such as baby leaves for their convenience and wholesomeness and for adding a variety of tastes and colors to their plate. In Western cuisine, leafy green vegetables are usually eaten fresh and raw, with no step in the long chain from seed to consumption where potentially harmful microorganisms could be completely eliminated, e.g., through heating. A concerning trend in recent years is disease outbreaks caused by various leafy vegetable crops and one of the most important foodborne pathogens in this context is Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Other pathogens such as Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia enterocolitica and Listeria monocytogenes should also be considered in disease risk analysis, as they have been implicated in outbreaks associated with leafy greens. These pathogens may enter the horticultural value network during primary production in field or greenhouse via irrigation, at harvest, during processing and distribution or in the home kitchen/restaurant. The hurdle approach involves combining several mitigating approaches, each of which is insufficient on its own, to control or even eliminate pathogens in food products. Since the food chain system for leafy green vegetables contains no absolute kill step for pathogens, use of hurdles at critical points could enable control of pathogens that pose a human health risk. Hurdles should be combined so as to decrease the risk due to pathogenic microbes and also to improve microbial stability, shelf-life, nutritional properties and sensory quality of leafy vegetables. The hurdle toolbox includes different options, such as physical, physiochemical and microbial hurdles. The goal for leafy green vegetables is multi-target preservation through intelligently applied hurdles. This review describes hurdles that could be used for leafy green vegetables and their biological basis, and identifies prospective hurdles that need attention in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Mogren
- Microbial Horticulture, Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Sofia Windstam
- Microbial Horticulture, Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
- Department of Biological Sciences, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY, United States
| | - Sofia Boqvist
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Ivar Vågsholm
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Karin Söderqvist
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Anna K. Rosberg
- Microbial Horticulture, Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Julia Lindén
- Microbial Horticulture, Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Emina Mulaosmanovic
- Microbial Horticulture, Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Maria Karlsson
- Microbial Horticulture, Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Uhlig
- Department of Food Technology, Engineering and Nutrition, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Håkansson
- Department of Food Technology, Engineering and Nutrition, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Beatrix Alsanius
- Microbial Horticulture, Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
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Quantifying growth of cold-adapted Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua on fresh spinach leaves at refrigeration temperatures. J FOOD ENG 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2017.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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