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Botta C, Buzzanca D, Chiarini E, Chiesa F, Rubiola S, Ferrocino I, Fontanella E, Rantsiou K, Houf K, Alessandria V. Microbial contamination pathways in a poultry abattoir provided clues on the distribution and persistence of Arcobacter spp. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0029624. [PMID: 38647295 PMCID: PMC11107157 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00296-24] [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: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The consumption of contaminated poultry meat is a significant threat for public health, as it implicates in foodborne pathogen infections, such as those caused by Arcobacter. The mitigation of clinical cases requires the understanding of contamination pathways in each food process and the characterization of resident microbiota in the productive environments, so that targeted sanitizing procedures can be effectively implemented. Nowadays these investigations can benefit from the complementary and thoughtful use of culture- and omics-based analyses, although their application in situ is still limited. Therefore, the 16S-rRNA gene-based sequencing of total DNA and the targeted isolation of Arcobacter spp. through enrichment were performed to reconstruct the environmental contamination pathways within a poultry abattoir, as well as the dynamics and distribution of this emerging pathogen. To that scope, broiler's neck skin and caeca have been sampled during processing, while environmental swabs were collected from surfaces after cleaning and sanitizing. Metataxonomic survey highlighted a negligible impact of fecal contamination and a major role of broiler's skin in determining the composition of the resident abattoir microbiota. The introduction of Arcobacter spp. in the environment was mainly conveyed by this source rather than the intestinal content. Arcobacter butzleri represented one of the most abundant species and was extensively detected in the abattoir by both metataxonomic and enrichment methods, showing higher prevalence than other more thermophilic Campylobacterota. In particular, Arcobacter spp. was recovered viable in the plucking sector with high frequency, despite the adequacy of the sanitizing procedure.IMPORTANCEOur findings have emphasized the persistence of Arcobacter spp. in a modern poultry abattoir and its establishment as part of the resident microbiota in specific environmental niches. Although the responses provided here are not conclusive for the identification of the primary source of contamination, this biogeographic assessment underscores the importance of monitoring Arcobacter spp. from the early stages of the production chain with the integrative support of metataxonomic analysis. Through such combined detection approaches, the presence of this pathogen could be soon regarded as hallmark indicator of food safety and quality in poultry slaughtering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Botta
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Davide Buzzanca
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Chiarini
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Francesco Chiesa
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Selene Rubiola
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Ilario Ferrocino
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | | | - Kalliopi Rantsiou
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Kurt Houf
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Valentina Alessandria
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
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Botta C, Franciosa I, Coisson JD, Ferrocino I, Colasanto A, Arlorio M, Cocolin L, Rantsiou K. Beef carcass microbiota after slaughtering and primary cooling: A metataxonomic assessment to infer contamination drivers. Food Res Int 2023; 174:113466. [PMID: 37986409 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The impact of primary cooling on beef microbiota was investigated on six beef carcasses consecutively processed with the parallel use of metataxonomic and culture-dependent analysis. Samples were collected immediately after slaughtering (AS) and after the 24th-hour post-cooling (PC) from three different surfaces, namely neck, flank and thigh. The main objective was to examine whether the microbiota composition of beef carcasses changes as function of the surface sampled, primary cooling (from AS to PC) and animal's origin (breeder). The outcomes underline that primary cooling did not affect qualitatively the composition of the potentially active microbiota or the carcass superficial counts. Although slight changes in chemical-physical parameters like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were observed after cooling, the carcasses microbiota and its inferred metabolic pathways varied among animals as a function of their origin. Co-occurrence and co-exclusion analyses underlined competition for the colonisation of the carcass surface between Brochothrix-Psychrobacter and Carnobacterium-Serratia-Pseudomonas. Once integrated in a comprehensive monitoring of the supply chain, the metataxonomic characterisation of the beef carcasses microbiota might represent a valid integrative approach to define the cuts' perishability and their appropriateness to specific packaging and storage methods. These new bits of knowledge could be the base to define good strategies for the prevention of meat spoilage.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Botta
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - I Franciosa
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - J D Coisson
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università del Piemonte Orientale, Largo Donegani 2, I-28100 Novara, Italy
| | - I Ferrocino
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - A Colasanto
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università del Piemonte Orientale, Largo Donegani 2, I-28100 Novara, Italy
| | - M Arlorio
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università del Piemonte Orientale, Largo Donegani 2, I-28100 Novara, Italy
| | - L Cocolin
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - K Rantsiou
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy.
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Dourou D, Doulgeraki AI, Vitsou-Anastasiou S, Argyri AA, Chorianopoulos NG, Nychas GJE, Tassou CC. Deciphering the growth responses and genotypic diversity of bioluminescent Photobacterium phosphoreum on chicken meat during aerobic refrigerated storage. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 405:110334. [PMID: 37517119 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110334] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies in recent years has revealed the unexpected presence of genus Photobacterium within the chicken meat spoilage ecosystem. This study was undertaken to decipher the occurrence, the growth patterns and the genotypic biodiversity of Photobacterium phosphoreum on chicken breast fillets stored aerobically at 4 °C through conventional microbiological methods and molecular techniques. Samples were periodically cultured on marine broth agar (MA; supplemented with meat extract and vancomycin) for the enumeration of presumptive bioluminescent Photobacterium spp. In total, 90 bioluminescent bacteria were recovered from the initial (time of first appearance), middle and end stages of storage. Concomitantly, 95 total psychrotrophic/psychrophilic bacteria were isolated from the same medium to assess the presence and diversity of non-luminous photobacteria. Genetic diversity between bioluminescent isolates was assessed with two PCR-based DNA fingerprinting methods, i.e. RAPD and rep-PCR. Moreover, the characterization of selected bacterial isolates at the genus and/or species level was performed by sequencing of the 16S rRNA and/or gyrB gene. Bioluminescent bacteria were scarcely encountered in fresh samples at population levels of ca. 2.0 log CFU/g, whilst total psychrotrophic/psychrophilic bacteria were found at levels of ca. 4.4 log CFU/g. As time proceeded and close to shelf-life end, bioluminescent bacteria were encountered at higher populations, and were found at levels of 5.3 and 7.0 log CFU/g in samples from the second and third batch, respectively. In the first batch their presence was occasional and at levels up to 3.9 log CFU/g. Accordingly, total psychrotrophic/psychrophilic bacteria exceeded 8.4 log CFU/g at the end of storage, suggesting the possible underestimation of bioluminescent populations following the specific cultivation conditions. Sequence analysis assigned bioluminescent isolates to Photobacterium phosphoreum, while genetic fingerprinting revealed high intra-species variability. Respectively, total psychrotrophs/psychrophiles were assigned to genera Pseudomonas, Shewanella, Psychrobacter, Acinetobacter, Vibrio and Photobacterium. Non-luminous photobacteria were not identified within the psychrotrophs/psychrophiles. Results of the present study reveal the intra- and inter-batch variability on the occurrence and growth responses of P. phosphoreum and highlight its potential role in the chicken meat spoilage consortium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Dourou
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DIMITRA, Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Sofokli Venizelou 1, 14123 Lycovrissi, Attica, Greece
| | - Agapi I Doulgeraki
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DIMITRA, Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Sofokli Venizelou 1, 14123 Lycovrissi, Attica, Greece.
| | - Stamatia Vitsou-Anastasiou
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DIMITRA, Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Sofokli Venizelou 1, 14123 Lycovrissi, Attica, Greece; Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Biotechnology, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Anthoula A Argyri
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DIMITRA, Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Sofokli Venizelou 1, 14123 Lycovrissi, Attica, Greece
| | - Nikos G Chorianopoulos
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DIMITRA, Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Sofokli Venizelou 1, 14123 Lycovrissi, Attica, Greece; Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Biotechnology, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - George-John E Nychas
- Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Biotechnology, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Chrysoula C Tassou
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DIMITRA, Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Sofokli Venizelou 1, 14123 Lycovrissi, Attica, Greece.
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Metataxonomic signature of beef burger perishability depends on the meat origin prior grinding. Food Res Int 2022; 156:111103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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