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Tata A, Massaro A, Miano B, Petrin S, Antonelli P, Peruzzo A, Pezzuto A, Favretti M, Bragolusi M, Zacometti C, Losasso C, Piro R. A Snapshot, Using a Multi-Omic Approach, of the Metabolic Cross-Talk and the Dynamics of the Resident Microbiota in Ripening Cheese Inoculated with Listeria innocua. Foods 2024; 13:1912. [PMID: 38928853 PMCID: PMC11203185 DOI: 10.3390/foods13121912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Raw milk cheeses harbor complex microbial communities. Some of these microorganisms are technologically essential, but undesirable microorganisms can also be present. While most of the microbial dynamics and cross-talking studies involving interaction between food-derived bacteria have been carried out on agar plates in laboratory-controlled conditions, the present study evaluated the modulation of the resident microbiota and the changes of metabolite production directly in ripening raw milk cheese inoculated with Listeria innocua strains. Using a proxy of the pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes, we aimed to establish the key microbiota players and chemical signals that characterize Latteria raw milk cheese over 60 days of ripening time. The microbiota of both the control and Listeria-inoculated cheeses was analyzed using 16S rRNA targeted amplicon sequencing, while direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) was applied to investigate the differences in the metabolic profiles of the cheeses. The diversity analysis showed the same microbial diversity trend in both the control cheese and the inoculated cheese, while the taxonomic analysis highlighted the most representative genera of bacteria in both the control and inoculated cheese: Lactobacillus and Streptococcus. On the other hand, the metabolic fingerprints revealed that the complex interactions between resident microbiota and L. innocua were governed by continuously changing chemical signals. Changes in the amounts of small organic acids, hydroxyl fatty acids, and antimicrobial compounds, including pyroglutamic acid, hydroxy-isocaproic acid, malic acid, phenyllactic acid, and lactic acid, were observed over time in the L. innocua-inoculated cheese. In cheese that was inoculated with L. innocua, Streptococcus was significantly correlated with the volatile compounds carboxylbenzaldheyde and cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, while Lactobacillus was positively correlated with some volatile and flavor compounds (cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, pyroxidal acid, aminobenzoic acid, and vanillic acid). Therefore, we determined the metabolic markers that characterize a raw milk cheese inoculated with L. innocua, the changes in these markers with the ripening time, and the positive correlation of flavor and volatile compounds with the resident microbiota. This multi-omics approach could suggest innovative food safety strategies based on the enhanced management of undesirable microorganisms by means of strain selection in raw matrices and the addition of specific antimicrobial metabolites to prevent the growth of undesirable microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Tata
- Laboratorio di Chimica Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale Fiume 78, 36100 Vicenza, Italy; (A.M.); (B.M.); (M.B.); (C.Z.); (R.P.)
| | - Andrea Massaro
- Laboratorio di Chimica Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale Fiume 78, 36100 Vicenza, Italy; (A.M.); (B.M.); (M.B.); (C.Z.); (R.P.)
| | - Brunella Miano
- Laboratorio di Chimica Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale Fiume 78, 36100 Vicenza, Italy; (A.M.); (B.M.); (M.B.); (C.Z.); (R.P.)
| | - Sara Petrin
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (S.P.); (P.A.); (A.P.); (C.L.)
| | - Pietro Antonelli
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (S.P.); (P.A.); (A.P.); (C.L.)
| | - Arianna Peruzzo
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (S.P.); (P.A.); (A.P.); (C.L.)
- PhD National Programme in One Health Approaches to Infectious Diseases and Life Science Research, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pezzuto
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Safety of the Food Chain, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (A.P.); (M.F.)
| | - Michela Favretti
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Safety of the Food Chain, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (A.P.); (M.F.)
| | - Marco Bragolusi
- Laboratorio di Chimica Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale Fiume 78, 36100 Vicenza, Italy; (A.M.); (B.M.); (M.B.); (C.Z.); (R.P.)
| | - Carmela Zacometti
- Laboratorio di Chimica Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale Fiume 78, 36100 Vicenza, Italy; (A.M.); (B.M.); (M.B.); (C.Z.); (R.P.)
| | - Carmen Losasso
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (S.P.); (P.A.); (A.P.); (C.L.)
| | - Roberto Piro
- Laboratorio di Chimica Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale Fiume 78, 36100 Vicenza, Italy; (A.M.); (B.M.); (M.B.); (C.Z.); (R.P.)
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2
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Su J, Chandross-Cohen T, Qian C, Carroll L, Kimble K, Yount M, Wiedmann M, Kovac J. Assessment of the exposure to cytotoxic Bacillus cereus group genotypes through HTST milk consumption. J Dairy Sci 2024:S0022-0302(24)00896-8. [PMID: 38851576 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2024-24703] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
This study addresses the limited tools available for assessing food safety risks from cytotoxic Bacillus cereus group strains in contaminated food. We quantified the growth, in skim milk broth, of 17 cytotoxic B. cereus strains across 6 phylogenetic groups with various virulence gene profiles. The strains did not grow in HTST milk at 4 or 6°C. At 10°C, 15 strains exhibited growth; at 8°C, one strain grew; and all strains grew at temperatures ≥ 14°C. Using growth data from 16 strains, we developed linear secondary growth models and an exposure assessment model. This model, simulating a 5-stage HTST milk supply chain and up to 35 d of consumer storage with an initial contamination of 100 cfu/mL, estimated that 2.81 ± 0.66% and 4.13 ± 2.53% of milk containers would surpass 105 cfu/mL of B. cereus by d 21 and 35, respectively. A sensitivity analysis identified the initial physiological state of cells (Q0) as the most influential variable affecting predictions for specific isolates. What-if scenarios indicated that increases in mean and variability of consumer storage temperatures significantly affected the predicted B. cereus concentrations in milk. This model serves as an initial tool for risk-based food safety decision making regarding low-level B. cereus contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Su
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850
| | - Tyler Chandross-Cohen
- Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Chenhao Qian
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850
| | - Laura Carroll
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, SciLifeLab, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Integrated Science Lab (IceLab), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kayla Kimble
- Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Mackenna Yount
- Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850
| | - Jasna Kovac
- Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
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3
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Gonzales-Barron U, Cadavez V, De Oliveira Mota J, Guillier L, Sanaa M. A Critical Review of Risk Assessment Models for Listeria monocytogenes in Produce. Foods 2024; 13:1111. [PMID: 38611415 PMCID: PMC11011655 DOI: 10.3390/foods13071111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
A review of quantitative risk assessment (QRA) models of Listeria monocytogenes in produce was carried out, with the objective of appraising and contrasting the effectiveness of the control strategies placed along the food chains. Despite nine of the thirteen QRA models recovered being focused on fresh or RTE leafy greens, none of them represented important factors or sources of contamination in the primary production, such as the type of cultivation, water, fertilisers or irrigation method/practices. Cross-contamination at processing and during consumer's handling was modelled using transfer rates, which were shown to moderately drive the final risk of listeriosis, therefore highlighting the importance of accurately representing the transfer coefficient parameters. Many QRA models coincided in the fact that temperature fluctuations at retail or temperature abuse at home were key factors contributing to increasing the risk of listeriosis. In addition to a primary module that could help assess current on-farm practices and potential control measures, future QRA models for minimally processed produce should also contain a refined sanitisation module able to estimate the effectiveness of various sanitisers as a function of type, concentration and exposure time. Finally, L. monocytogenes growth in the products down the supply chain should be estimated by using realistic time-temperature trajectories, and validated microbial kinetic parameters, both of them currently available in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Gonzales-Barron
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal;
- Laboratório para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Vasco Cadavez
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal;
- Laboratório para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | | | - Laurent Guillier
- Risk Assessment Department, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses), 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France;
| | - Moez Sanaa
- Nutrition and Food Safety Department, World Health Organization, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
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4
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Gana J, Gcebe N, Moerane R, Ngoshe YB, Moabelo K, Adesiyun AA. Detection of Pathogenic Serogroups and Virulence Genes in Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated from Beef and Beef Products Retailed in Gauteng Province, South Africa, Using Phenotypic and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Based Methods. Int J Microbiol 2024; 2024:8891963. [PMID: 38510936 PMCID: PMC10954364 DOI: 10.1155/2024/8891963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
South Africa recently (2017-18) experienced the largest outbreak of human listeriosis in the world caused by L. monocytogenes following the consumption of "polony," a ready-to-eat meat product. Most (59%) cases originated from Gauteng province, South Africa. As a follow-up study to the outbreak, we used standard bacteriological and molecular methods to determine the prevalence of pathogenic and virulent serogroups of L. monocytogenes in various beef and beef products retailed in Gauteng province, South Africa. The overall prevalence of Listeria spp. was 28% (112/400), comprising Listeria monocytogenes (9.3%), Listeria innocua (16.3%), and Listeria welshimeri (2.5%) (p < 0.001). It is crucial to have detected that the region (p=0.036), type of product (p=0.032), and temperature at storage (p=0.011) significantly affected the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in beef products. It is alarming that pathogenic serogroups 4b-4d-4e (51.4%) and 1/2a-3a (43.2%) were detected among the isolates of L. monocytogenes. Importantly, they were all carriers of seven virulence-associated genes (hlyA, inlB, plcA, iap, inlA, inlC, and inlJ). Our study also demonstrated that 16.7% of "polony" samples investigated were contaminated with L. monocytogenes. Considering that pathogenic and virulent L. monocytogenes contaminated beef and beef products retailed in South Africa, the food safety risk posed to consumers remains and cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce the contamination of these products with L. monocytogenes during beef production, processing, and retailing to avoid future outbreaks of human listeriosis in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Gana
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
- Department of Agricultural Education, School of Vocational Education, Federal College of Education, P.M.B. 39, Kontagora, Niger, Nigeria
| | - Nomakorinte Gcebe
- Bacteriology Department, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Rebone Moerane
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Yusuf B. Ngoshe
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Khomotso Moabelo
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Abiodun A. Adesiyun
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
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5
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Pracser N, Zaiser A, Ying HMK, Pietzka A, Wagner M, Rychli K. Diverse Listeria monocytogenes in-house clones are present in a dynamic frozen vegetable processing environment. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 410:110479. [PMID: 37977080 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110479] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is of global concern for food safety as the listeriosis-causing pathogen is widely distributed in the food processing environments, where it can survive for a long time. Frozen vegetables contaminated with L. monocytogenes were recently identified as the source of two large listeriosis outbreaks in the EU and US. So far, only a few studies have investigated the occurrence and behavior of Listeria in frozen vegetables and the associated processing environment. This study investigates the occurrence of L. monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. in a frozen vegetable processing environment and in frozen vegetable products. Using whole genome sequencing (WGS), the distribution of sequence types (MLST-STs) and core genome sequence types (cgMLST-CT) of L. monocytogenes were assessed, and in-house clones were identified. Comparative genomic analyses and phenotypical characterization of the different MLST-STs and isolates were performed, including growth ability under low temperatures, as well as survival of freeze-thaw cycles. Listeria were widely disseminated in the processing environment and five in-house clones namely ST451-CT4117, ST20-CT3737, ST8-CT1349, ST8-CT6243, ST224-CT5623 were identified among L. monocytogenes isolates present in environmental swab samples. Subsequently, the identified in-house clones were also detected in product samples. Conveyor belts were a major source of contamination in the processing environment. A wide repertoire of stress resistance markers supported the colonization and survival of L. monocytogenes in the frozen vegetable processing facility. The presence of ArgB was significantly associated with in-house clones. Significant differences were also observed in the growth rate between different MLST-STs at low temperatures (4 °C and 10 °C), but not between in-house and non-in-house isolates. All isolates harbored major virulence genes such as full length InlA and InlB and LIPI-1, yet there were differences between MLST-STs in the genomic content. The results of this study demonstrate that WGS is a strong tool for tracing contamination sources and transmission routes, and for identifying in-house clones. Further research targeting the co-occurring microbiota and the presence of biofilms is needed to fully understand the mechanism of colonization and persistence in a food processing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Pracser
- FFoQSI GmbH-Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Technopark 1D, 3430 Tulln, Austria.
| | - Andreas Zaiser
- Unit of Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Hui Min Katharina Ying
- Unit of Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ariane Pietzka
- Austrian National Reference Laboratory for Listeria monocytogenes, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Beethovenstrasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Martin Wagner
- FFoQSI GmbH-Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Technopark 1D, 3430 Tulln, Austria; Unit of Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Kathrin Rychli
- Unit of Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
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6
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Gana J, Gcebe N, Pierneef RE, Chen Y, Moerane R, Adesiyun AA. Genomic Characterization of Listeria innocua Isolates Recovered from Cattle Farms, Beef Abattoirs, and Retail Outlets in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Pathogens 2023; 12:1062. [PMID: 37624022 PMCID: PMC10457781 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12081062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used for the genomic characterization of one hundred and ten strains of Listeria innocua (L. innocua) isolated from twenty-three cattle farms, eight beef abattoirs, and forty-eight retail outlets in Gauteng province, South Africa. In silico multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to identify the isolates' sequence types (STs). BLAST-based analyses were used to identify antimicrobial and virulence genes. The study also linked the detection of the genes to the origin (industries and types of samples) of the L. innocua isolates. The study detected 14 STs, 13 resistance genes, and 23 virulence genes. Of the 14 STs detected, ST637 (26.4%), ST448 (20%), 537 (13.6%), and 1085 (12.7%) were predominant, and the frequency varied significantly (p < 0.05). All 110 isolates of L. innocua were carriers of one or more antimicrobial resistance genes, with resistance genes lin (100%), fosX (100%), and tet(M) (30%) being the most frequently detected (p < 0.05). Of the 23 virulence genes recognized, 13 (clpC, clpE, clpP, hbp1, svpA, hbp2, iap/cwhA, lap, lpeA, lplA1, lspA, oatA, pdgA, and prsA2) were found in all 110 isolates of L. innocua. Overall, diversity and significant differences were detected in the frequencies of STs, resistance, and virulence genes according to the origins (source and sample type) of the L. innocua isolates. This, being the first genomic characterization of L. innocua recovered from the three levels/industries (farm, abattoir, and retail) of the beef production system in South Africa, provides data on the organism's distribution and potential food safety implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Gana
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa; (J.G.); (R.M.)
- Agricultural Education, Federal College of Education, Kontagora 923101, Nigeria
| | - Nomakorinte Gcebe
- Bacteriology Department, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria 0110, South Africa;
| | - Rian Ewald Pierneef
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
- Microbiome@UP, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Yi Chen
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Dr. Room 4E-007/Mailstop HFS-710, College Park, MD 20740, USA;
| | - Rebone Moerane
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa; (J.G.); (R.M.)
| | - Abiodun Adewale Adesiyun
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa; (J.G.); (R.M.)
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine 685509, Trinidad and Tobago
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7
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Madad A, Marshall KE, Blessington T, Hardy C, Salter M, Basler C, Conrad A, Stroika S, Luo Y, Dwarka A, Gerhardt T, Rosa Y, Cibulskas K, Rosen HE, Adcock B, Kiang D, Hutton S, Parish M, Podoski B, Patel B, Viazis S. Investigation of a Multistate Outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes Infections Linked to Frozen Vegetables Produced at Individually Quick-Frozen Vegetable Manufacturing Facilities. J Food Prot 2023; 86:100117. [PMID: 37327999 PMCID: PMC10829048 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2023.100117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state partners investigated nine Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to frozen vegetables. The investigation began with two environmental L. monocytogenes isolates recovered from Manufacturer A, primarily a processor of frozen onions, that were a match by whole genome sequencing (WGS) to eight clinical isolates and historical onion isolates with limited collection details. Epidemiologic information, product distribution, and laboratory evidence linked suspect food items, including products sourced from Manufacturer B, also a manufacturer of frozen vegetable/fruit products, with an additional illness. The environmental isolates were obtained during investigations at Manufacturers A and B. State and federal partners interviewed ill people, analyzed shopper card data, and collected household and retail samples. Nine ill persons between 2013 and 2016 were reported in four states. Of four ill people with information available, frozen vegetable consumption was reported by three, with shopper cards confirming purchases of Manufacturer B brands. Two identified outbreak strains of L. monocytogenes (Outbreak Strain 1 and Outbreak Strain 2) were a match to environmental isolates from Manufacturer A and/or isolates from frozen vegetables recovered from open and unopened product samples sourced from Manufacturer B; the investigation resulted in extensive voluntary recalls. The close genetic relationship between isolates helped investigators determine the source of the outbreak and take steps to protect public health. This is the first known multistate outbreak of listeriosis in the United States linked to frozen vegetables and highlights the significance of sampling and WGS analyses when there is limited epidemiologic information. Additionally, this investigation emphasizes the need for further research regarding food safety risks associated with frozen foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Madad
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA.
| | | | - Tyann Blessington
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Cerisé Hardy
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Monique Salter
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Colin Basler
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Amanda Conrad
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Steven Stroika
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Yan Luo
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Asha Dwarka
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Terri Gerhardt
- Ohio Department of Agriculture, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068, USA
| | - Yamir Rosa
- Ohio Department of Agriculture Consumer Protection Laboratory, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068, USA
| | | | - Hilary E Rosen
- California Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90013, USA
| | - Brandon Adcock
- Food and Drug Branch, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA
| | - David Kiang
- Food and Drug Laboratory Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA 94804, USA
| | - Scott Hutton
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Boise, ID 83720, USA
| | - Mickey Parish
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Brett Podoski
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Bhavini Patel
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Stelios Viazis
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740, USA
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8
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Inanoglu S, Barbosa-Cánovas GV, Sablani SS, Zhu MJ, Keener L, Tang J. High-pressure pasteurization of low-acid chilled ready-to-eat food. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2022; 21:4939-4970. [PMID: 36329575 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.13058] [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: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The working population growth have created greater consumer demand for ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. Pasteurization is one of the most common preservation methods for commercial production of low-acid RTE cold-chain products. Proper selection of a pasteurization method plays an important role not only in ensuring microbial safety but also in maintaining food quality during storage. Better retention of flavor, color, appearance, and nutritional value of RTE products is one of the reasons for the food industry to adopt novel technologies such as high-pressure processing (HPP) as a substitute or complementary technology for thermal pasteurization. HPP has been used industrially for the pasteurization of high-acid RTE products. Yet, this method is not commonly used for pasteurization of low-acid RTE food products, due primarily to the need of additional heating to thermally inactivate spores, coupled with relatively long treatment times resulting in high processing costs. Practical Application: Food companies would like to adopt novel technologies such as HPP instead of using conventional thermal processes, yet there is a lack of information on spoilage and the shelf-life of pasteurized low-acid RTE foods (by different novel pasteurization methods including HPP) in cold storage. This article provides an overview of the microbial concerns and related regulatory guidelines for the pasteurization of low-acid RTE foods and summarizes the effects of HPP in terms of microbiology (both pathogens and spoilage microorganisms), quality, and shelf-life on low-acid RTE foods. This review also includes the most recent research articles regarding a comparison between HPP pasteurization and thermal pasteurization treatments and the limitations of HPP for low-acid chilled RTE foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumeyye Inanoglu
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Gustavo V Barbosa-Cánovas
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.,Center for Nonthermal Processing of Food, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Shyam S Sablani
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Mei-Jun Zhu
- School of Food Science, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Larry Keener
- International Product Safety Consultants, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Juming Tang
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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9
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Sampedro F, Pérez-Rodríguez F, Servadio JL, Gummalla S, Hedberg CW. Quantitative risk assessment model to investigate the public health impact of varying Listeria monocytogenes allowable levels in different food commodities: A retrospective analysis. Int J Food Microbiol 2022; 383:109932. [PMID: 36182750 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Invasive listeriosis is a potentially fatal foodborne disease that according to this study may affect up to 32.9 % of the US population considered as increased risk and including people with underlying conditions and co-morbidities. Listeria monocytogenes has been scrutinized in research and surveillance programs worldwide in Ready-to-Eat (RTE) food commodities (RTE salads, deli meats, soft/semi-soft cheese, seafood) and frozen vegetables in the last 30 years with an estimated overall prevalence of 1.4-9.9 % worldwide (WD) and 0.5-3.8 % in the United States (US). Current L. monocytogenes control efforts have led to a prevalence reduction in the last 5 years of 4.9-62.9 % (WD) and 12.4-92.7 % (US). A quantitative risk assessment model was developed, estimating the probability of infection in the US susceptible population to be 10-10,000× higher than general population and the total number of estimated cases in the US was 1044 and 2089 cases by using the FAO/WHO and Pouillot dose-response models. Most cases were attributed to deli meats (>90 % of cases) followed by RTE salads (3.9-4.5 %), soft and semi-soft cheese and RTE seafood (0.5-1.0 %) and frozen vegetables (0.2-0.3 %). Cases attributed to the increased risk population corresponded to 96.6-98.0 % of the total cases with the highly susceptible population responsible for 46.9-80.1 % of the cases. Removing product lots with a concentration higher than 1 CFU/g reduced the prevalence of contamination by 15.7-88.3 % and number of cases by 55.9-100 %. Introducing lot-by-lot testing and defining allowable quantitative regulatory limits for low-risk RTE commodities may reduce the public health impact of L. monocytogenes and improve the availability of enumeration data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Sampedro
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Fernando Pérez-Rodríguez
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cordoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Joseph L Servadio
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Craig W Hedberg
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
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10
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Chen R, Orsi RH, Guariglia-Oropeza V, Wiedmann M. Development of a Modeling Tool To Assess and Reduce Regulatory and Recall Risks for Cold-Smoked Salmon Due to Listeria monocytogenes Contamination. J Food Prot 2022; 85:1335-1354. [PMID: 35723598 DOI: 10.4315/jfp-22-025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Although public health risk assessments for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) have been published for various foods, firm-level decision making on interventions targeting Lm involves considerations of both public health and enterprise risks. Smoked seafood is a ready-to-eat product with a high incidence of Lm contamination and has been associated with several recalls. We used cold-smoked salmon as a model product to develop a decision support tool (the regulatory and recall risk [3R] model) to estimate (i) baseline regulatory and recall (RR) risks (i.e., overall risks of a lot sampled and found positive for Lm, e.g., by food regulatory agencies) due to Lm contamination and (ii) the RR risk reduction that can be achieved through interventions with underlying mechanisms such as reducing the prevalence and/or level of Lm and retarding or preventing Lm growth. Given that a set number of samples (e.g., 10) are tested for a given lot, the RR risk equals the likelihood of detecting Lm in at least one sample. Under the baseline scenario, which assumes a 4% Lm prevalence and no interventions, the median predicted RR risk for a given production lot was 0.333 (95% credible interval: 0.288, 0.384) when 10 25-g samples were tested. Nisin treatments, which reduce both the prevalence and initial level of Lm, reduced RR risks in a concentration-dependent manner to 0.109 (0.074, 0.146) with 5 ppm, 0.049 (0.024, 0.083) with 10 ppm, and 0.017 (0.007, 0.033) with 20 ppm. In general, more effective reduction in RR risks can be achieved by reducing Lm prevalence than by retarding Lm growth; the RR risk was reduced to 0.182 (0.153, 0.213) by a 50% prevalence reduction but to only 0.313 (0.268, 0.367) by bacteriostatic growth inhibitors. Sensitivity analysis indicated that prevalence and initial level of Lm and storage temperature have the greatest impact on predicting RR risks, suggesting that reliable data for these parameters will improve model performance. HIGHLIGHTS
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixi Chen
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Renato H Orsi
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | | | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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11
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Qian C, Martin NH, Wiedmann M, Trmčić A. Development of a risk assessment model to predict the occurrence of late blowing defect in Gouda cheese and evaluate potential intervention strategies. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:2880-2894. [PMID: 35086711 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Late blowing defect (LBD) is an important spoilage issue in semi-hard cheese, with the outgrowth of Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores during cheese aging considered to be the primary cause. Although previous studies have explored the microbial and physicochemical factors influencing the defect, a risk assessment tool that allows for improved and rational management of LBD is lacking. The purpose of this study was to develop a predictive model to estimate the probability of LBD in Gouda cheese and evaluate different intervention strategies. The spore concentration distribution of butyric acid bacteria (BAB) in bulk tank milk was obtained from 8 dairy farms over 12 mo. The concentration of C. tyrobutyricum from raw milk to the end of aging was simulated based on Gouda brined for 2 d in saturated brine at 8°C and aged at 13°C. Predicted C. tyrobutyricum concentrations during aging and estimated concentration thresholds in cheese at onset of LBD were used to predict product loss due to LBD during a simulated 1-yr production. With the estimated concentration thresholds in cheese ranging from 4.36 to 4.46 log most probable number (MPN)/kg of cheese, the model predicted that 9.2% (±1.7%) of Gouda cheese showed LBD by d 60; cheeses predicted to show LBD at d 60 showed a mean pH of 5.39 and were produced with raw milk with a mean BAB spore count of 143 MPN/L. By d 90, 36.1% (±3.4%) of cheeses were predicted to show LBD, indicating that LBD typically manifests between d 60 and 90, which is consistent with observations from the literature and the cheese industry. Sensitivity analysis indicated that C. tyrobutyricum maximum growth rate as well as concentration threshold in cheese at onset of LBD are the most important variables, identifying key data needs for development of more accurate models. The implementation of microfiltration or bactofugation of raw milk (assumed to show 98% efficiency of spore removal) in our model prevented occurrence of LBD during the first 60 d of aging. Overall, our findings provide a framework for predicting the occurrence of LBD in Gouda as well as other cheeses and illustrate the value of developing digital tools for managing dairy product quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Qian
- Milk Quality Improvement Program, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - N H Martin
- Milk Quality Improvement Program, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - M Wiedmann
- Milk Quality Improvement Program, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - A Trmčić
- Milk Quality Improvement Program, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
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12
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Quereda JJ, Morón-García A, Palacios-Gorba C, Dessaux C, García-del Portillo F, Pucciarelli MG, Ortega AD. Pathogenicity and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes: A trip from environmental to medical microbiology. Virulence 2021; 12:2509-2545. [PMID: 34612177 PMCID: PMC8496543 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1975526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a saprophytic gram-positive bacterium, and an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that can produce listeriosis in humans and animals. It has evolved an exceptional ability to adapt to stress conditions encountered in different environments, resulting in a ubiquitous distribution. Because some food preservation methods and disinfection protocols in food-processing environments cannot efficiently prevent contaminations, L. monocytogenes constitutes a threat to human health and a challenge to food safety. In the host, Listeria colonizes the gastrointestinal tract, crosses the intestinal barrier, and disseminates through the blood to target organs. In immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and pregnant women, the pathogen can cross the blood-brain and placental barriers, leading to neurolisteriosis and materno-fetal listeriosis. Molecular and cell biology studies of infection have proven L. monocytogenes to be a versatile pathogen that deploys unique strategies to invade different cell types, survive and move inside the eukaryotic host cell, and spread from cell to cell. Here, we present the multifaceted Listeria life cycle from a comprehensive perspective. We discuss genetic features of pathogenic Listeria species, analyze factors involved in food contamination, and review bacterial strategies to tolerate stresses encountered both during food processing and along the host's gastrointestinal tract. Then we dissect host-pathogen interactions underlying listerial pathogenesis in mammals from a cell biology and systemic point of view. Finally, we summarize the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features of listeriosis in humans and animals. This work aims to gather information from different fields crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Quereda
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Alvaro Morón-García
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Carla Palacios-Gorba
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Charlotte Dessaux
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco García-del Portillo
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Graciela Pucciarelli
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’. Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro D. Ortega
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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13
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Oscar TP. Monte Carlo Simulation Model for Predicting Salmonella Contamination of Chicken Liver as a Function of Serving Size for Use in Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment. J Food Prot 2021; 84:1824-1835. [PMID: 34086915 DOI: 10.4315/jfp-21-018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The first step in quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is to determine the distribution of pathogen contamination among servings of the food in question at some point in the farm-to-table chain. In the present study, the distribution of Salmonella contamination among servings of chicken liver for use in the QMRA was determined at meal preparation. Salmonella prevalence (P), most probable number (MPN, N), and serotype for different serving sizes were determined by use of a combination of five methods: (i) whole sample enrichment; (ii) quantitative PCR; (iii) culture isolation; (iv) serotyping; and (v) Monte Carlo simulation. Epidemiological data also were used to convert serotype data to virulence (V) values for use in the QMRA. A Monte Carlo simulation model based in Excel and simulated with @Risk predicted Salmonella P, N, serotype, and V as a function of a serving size of one (58 g) to eight (464 g) chicken livers. Salmonella P of chicken livers was 72.5% (58 of 80) per 58 g. Four Salmonella serotypes were isolated from chicken livers: (i) Infantis (P = 28%, V = 4.5); (ii) Enteritidis (P = 15%, V = 5); (iii) Typhimurium (P = 15%, V = 4.8); and (iv) Kentucky (P = 15%, V = 0.8). Salmonella N was 1.76 log MPN/58 g (median) with a range of 0 to 4.67 log MPN/58 g, and the median Salmonella N was not affected (P > 0.05) by serotype. The model predicted a nonlinear increase (P ≤ 0.05) of Salmonella P from 72.5%/58 g to 100%/464 g, a minimum N of 0 log MPN/58 g to 1.28 log MPN/464 g, and a median N from 1.76 log MPN/58 g to 3.22 log MPN/464 g. Regardless of serving size, predicted maximum N was 4.74 log MPN per serving, mean V was 3.9 per serving, and total N was 6.65 log MPN per lot (10,000 chicken livers). The data acquired and modeled in this study address an important data gap in the QMRA for Salmonella and whole chicken liver. HIGHLIGHTS
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Oscar
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Chemical Residue and Predictive Microbiology Research Unit, Room 2111, Center for Food Science and Technology, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland 21853, USA
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