Development of a novel device for applying uniform doses of electron beam irradiation on carcasses

Use of electron irradiation versus formaldehyde fumigation as hatching egg disinfectants - efficacy and impact on hatchability and broiler performance

OBJECTIVE

The use of low-energy electron irradiation for hatching egg disinfection was compared to formaldehyde fumigation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

To assess the efficacy, eggshells were examined for bacteria before and after disinfection. During incubation, hatching and fattening of 1400 Ross 308 broilers per group candling data, hatching rate, mortality rate and body mass development were recorded to evaluate the impact on health and performance. Additionally, data from the slaughter house and histological evaluation of organ samples were included in the health screening.

RESULTS

Regarding the efficacy, irradiation and formaldehyde significantly reduced the number of bacteria compared to non-disinfected eggs. However, no significant difference was recorded between both treatments. The irradiated group performed better than the reference group concerning the number of infertile eggs, early and late dead embryos and fertile eggs. The performance during fattening was nearly identical in both groups, while mortality differed slightly between the irradiated group and the group treated with formaldehyde. Upon slaughter, there were minor variations concerning the distribution of findings between the groups, but the number of anomalies was not higher than reference values suggest.

CONCLUSION

In both groups no health problems were observed during rearing and the fattening performance met the targets of the manufacturer Aviagen for the used broiler line Ross 308.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Lower-energy electron irradiation proves to be an efficient and well-tolerated hatching egg disinfection procedure. Further field trials are necessary to establish low-energy electron irradiation as an alternative to formaldehyde fumigation.

Impact of Unit Operations From Farm to Fork on Microbial Safety and Quality of Foods

Unit operations modify material properties aiming to produce uniform and high-quality food products with greater acceptance by the increasingly demanding consumers or with longer shelf life and better possibilities of storage and transport. Microorganisms, including bacteria, molds, viruses, and parasites, may have different susceptibilities to unit operations employed during food processing. On-farm (cleaning, selection and classification, cooling, storage, and transport) and on-factory unit operations (heating, refrigeration/freezing, dehydration, modification of atmosphere, irradiation, and physical, chemical, and microbial-based operations) are commonly employed throughout food production chain. The intensity and combination of unit operations along with food composition, packaging, and storage conditions will influence on the dominance of specific microorganisms, which can be pathogenic or responsible for spoilage. Thus, in the context of food safety objective (FSO), the knowledge and the quantification of the effects caused by each step of processing can enable to control and ensure the quality and safety of manufactured products.

Assessment of Microbial and Radioactive Contaminations in Korean Cold Duck Meats and Electron-Beam Application for Quality Improvement

Animal-origin food products pose serious threat to public food safety due to high microbial loads. The microbial and radioactive contaminations in commercial cold duck meat products were evaluated. Ten different lots of commercial samples (C₁-C₁₀) were classified based on type and smoking process. All samples were highly contaminated (< 4-7 Log CFU/g) with total aerobic bacteria (TAB), yeasts and molds (Y&M), and 7 samples (C₁-C₇) were positive for coliforms. Furthermore, three samples were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (C₄-C₆) and one with Salmonella typhimurium (C₆). No radionuclides (¹³¹I, ¹³⁷Cs, and ¹³⁴Cs) were detected in any sample. The results of DEFT (direct epifluorescent filter technique)/APC (aerobic plate count), employed to screen pre-pasteurization treatments of products, indicated that smoked samples were positive showing DEFT/APC ratios higher than 4. Notably, the samples showed a serious threat to microbial safety, thus were irradiated with electron-beam (e-beam). The D₁₀ values for S. typhimurium and L. monocytogenes were 0.65 and 0.42 kGy, respectively. E-beam application at 3 and 7 kGy resulted in reduction of initial TAB, Y&M, and coliform populations by 3 and 6 log cycles, respectively. Thus, e-beam was proven to be a good decontamination approach to improve the hygiene of cold duck meat.

Current Interventions for Controlling Pathogenic Escherichia coli

This review examined scientific reports and articles published from 2007 to 2016 regarding the major environmental sources of pathogenic Escherichia coli and the routes by which they enter the human gastrointestinal tract. The literature describes novel techniques used to combat pathogenic E. coli transmitted to humans from livestock and agricultural products, food-contact surfaces in processing environments, and food products themselves. Although prevention before contamination is always the best "intervention," many studies aim to identify novel chemical, physical, and biological techniques that inactivate or eliminate pathogenic E. coli cells from breeding livestock, growing crops, and manufactured food products. Such intervention strategies target each stage of the food chain from the perspective of "Farm to Table food safety" and aim to manage major reservoirs of pathogenic E. coli throughout the entire process. Issues related to, and recent trends in, food production must address not only the safety of the food itself but also the safety of those who consume it. Thus, research aims to discover new "natural" antimicrobial agents and to develop "multiple hurdle technology" or other novel technologies that preserve food quality. In addition, this review examines the practical application of recent technologies from the perspective of product quality and safety. It provides comprehensive insight into intervention measures used to ensure food safety, specifically those aimed at pathogenic E. coli.