Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Int J Biol Macromol 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Food Science Program, Division of Food Systems & Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. Electronic address:

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are nano-sized fillers widely used for enhancing the active functions of food packaging materials. However, nanomaterials may pose unexpected toxic effects on humans. Thus, the objective of this work was to develop a novel CNF/AgNP composite and investigate its properties and cytotoxicity. Read More

Microb Genom 2019 Feb 18. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

2​National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Gastrointestinal Infections at University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

We present the LiSEQ (Listeria SEQuencing) project, funded by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) to compare Listeria monocytogenes isolates collected in the European Union from ready-to-eat foods, compartments along the food chain (e.g. food-producing animals, food-processing environments) and humans. Read More

Autops Case Rep 2018 Oct-Dec;8(4):e2018051. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

Hospital Universitário Puerta del Mar, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology. Cádiz, Spain.

Listeriosis is a sporadic infectious disease, which affects high-risk populations, such as the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, and immunocompromised patients. During pregnancy, listeriosis usually presents like a mild non-specific infection, but it may be responsible for fetal loss, preterm labor, early onset neonatal sepsis, and neonatal death. We report the case of a late stillbirth secondary to maternal chorioamnionitis. Read More

Infect Drug Resist 2019 22;12:255-259. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Neurology, Xinqiao Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing 400037, China,

(Lm) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes life-threatening infections, especially when the central nervous system (CNS) is involved. Here, we report a patient who was admitted to the hospital with headache, dizziness, right side facial numbness, and hoarseness. The individual was initially diagnosed with central nervous system idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disease (CNS IIDD), which was then found to be CNS Lm infection (brainstem and cervical cord infection). Read More

Benef Microbes 2019 Feb 18:1-22. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

1 Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.

Probiotics play an important role in maintaining a healthy and stable intestinal microbiota, primarily by preventing infection. Probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known to be inhibitory to many bacterial enteric pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant strains. Whilst the positive role that probiotics have on human physiology, specifically in the treatment or prevention of specific infectious diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) is known, the precise mechanistic basis of these effects remains a major research goal. Read More

J Biotechnol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Bio-industry and Bio-resource Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul, 05006, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

In an effort to isolate novel natural antibiotics, we searched for antibacterial long-chain N-acyl amino acid synthase (NAS) genes from 70,000 soil metagenome clones by Bacillus subtilis-overlaying screening. In an antibacterial cosmid clone, YS92B, a single gene nasYPL was responsible for the production of the Nas. nasYPL was 903 bp long, and the deduced amino acid sequence showed the highest 71% identity with a hypothetical protein from Massilia niastensis. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Feb 5;20(3). Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Grupo de investigación en Química y Biotecnología (QUIBIO), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Calle 5 No. 62-00, Cali 760035, Colombia.

Bacteria are a common group of foodborne pathogens presenting public health issues with a large economic burden for the food industry. Our work focused on a solution to this problem by evaluating antibiotic activity against two bacteria ( and ) of relevance in the field of foodstuffs. We used two approaches: structural modification of the antimicrobial peptides and nano-vehiculisation of the modified peptides into polymer-coated liposomes. Read More

J Appl Microbiol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.

Aim: To investigate the use of a light scattering sensor, BARDOT (BActerial Rapid Detection using Optical scattering Technology) coupled with a multi-pathogen selective medium, SEL (Salmonella, Escherichia, and Listeria) for concurrent detection of the three major foodborne pathogens in a single assay.

Methods And Results: BARDOT was used to detect and distinguish the three major pathogens, Salmonella enterica, Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Listeria monocytogenes from food based on colony scatter signature patterns on SEL agar (SELA). Multiple strains of three test pathogens were grown on SELA, and BARDOT was used to generate colony scatter image libraries for inclusive (SEL-Library) and exclusive (non-SEL Library) bacterial group. Read More

Cell Rep 2019 Feb;26(7):1815-1827.e5

Microbial Pathogenesis Group, Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School (Biomedical Sciences) and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK. Electronic address:

To optimize fitness, pathogens selectively activate their virulence program upon host entry. Here, we report that the facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes exploits exogenous oligopeptides, a ubiquitous organic N source, to sense the environment and control the activity of its virulence transcriptional activator, PrfA. Using a genetic screen in adsorbent-treated (PrfA-inducing) medium, we found that PrfA is functionally regulated by the balance between activating and inhibitory nutritional peptides scavenged via the Opp transport system. Read More

Sci Signal 2019 Feb 12;12(568). Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany.

A major function of macrophages during infection is initiation of the proinflammatory response, leading to the secretion of cytokines that help to orchestrate the immune response. Here, we identify reactive oxygen species (ROS) as crucial mediators of proinflammatory signaling leading to cytokine secretion in infected macrophages. ROS produced by NADPH oxidases (Noxes), such as Nox2, are key components of the macrophage response to invading pathogens; however, our data show that the ROS that mediated proinflammatory signaling were produced by mitochondria (mtROS). Read More

Microbiol Resour Announc 2019 Feb 7;8(6). Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Research Laboratory, Central India Institute of Medical Sciences (CIIMS), Bajaj Nagar, Nagpur, India.

We present here the draft genome sequence of Listeria monocytogenes CIIMS-NV-3, a serovar 4b strain isolated from the vaginal swab of a female patient from central India. The availability of this genome may provide useful information on virulence characteristics for comparative genomic analysis. Read More

Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Department of Food Technology, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, Turkey.

As potential probiotic traits of human milk-isolated bacteria have increasingly been recognized, this study aimed to evaluate the probiotic properties of bacteriocin-producing Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from human milk and colostrum. Among 118 human milk- and colostrum-isolated lactic cocci, only 29 were identified as Enterococcus. Of these, only four Enterococcus faecium isolates exhibited bacteriocigenic activity against several pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes. Read More

Foodborne Pathog Dis 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

1 Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that disproportionally affects pregnant females, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. Using U.S. Read More

Biotech Histochem 2019 Feb 7:1-7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

b Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology , University of Mehmet Akif Ersoy , Burdur , Turkey.

Listeriosis is an important public health problem in the world. It can cause abortion, encephalitis, septicemia, conjunctivitis and mastitis in ruminants. The development of central nervous system lesions is not fully understood in encephalitic listeriosis. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Solid-State Physics Department, Physics Research Division, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt.

We used a green sol-gel synthesis method to fabricate a novel nanoporous copper aluminosilicate (CAS) material. Nanoporous CAS was characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission transmission and scanning electron microscopies (FE-TEM/FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and optical analyses. The CAS was also evaluated for use as a promising disinfectant for the inactivation of waterborne pathogens. Read More

J Food Sci Technol 2019 Jan 19;56(1):436-442. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

1Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia Agroindustrial, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul Brazil.

Beef jerky is a ready-to-eat product that does not require refrigeration at the point of sale. Here, we evaluated the occurrence of in the production process of beef jerky, the presence of virulence genes and the genomic relatedness of the isolates, to assess the safety of the final product. The raw material, surfaces with and without contact with the product and the final product were evaluated along the beef jerky processing line. Read More

Can J Microbiol 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Universidade Federal de Pelotas, 37902, Pelotas, RS, Brazil ;

Resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds such as benzalkonium chloride (BC) has been observed in many Listeria monocytogenes strains worldwide, and has association to cadmium chloride (CC) resistance. Therefore, the aims of this study were to evaluate the susceptibility to BC and CC, to detect the presence of resistance genes, and investigate the possible role of efflux pumps in BC and CC resistance in L. monocytogenes isolates from food and food processing environments in southern Brazil. Read More

Foods 2019 Feb 4;8(2). Epub 2019 Feb 4.

University of Algarve, FCT, Center for Biomedical Research, Edf. 8, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.

Edible coatings supplemented with essential oil components have been investigated to control spoilage microorganisms. In this study, the survival of and serovar Typhimurium on apples treated with edible coatings based on sodium alginate (2%) (ECs) and supplemented with essential oil components, namely eugenol (Eug) at 0.2% or in combination with 0. Read More

Elife 2019 Feb 5;8. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Department of Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.

hijacks host actin to promote its intracellular motility and intercellular spread. While virulence hinges on cell-to-cell spread, little is known about the dynamics of bacterial spread in epithelia at a population level. Here, we use live microscopy and statistical modeling to demonstrate that cell-to-cell spread proceeds anisotropically in an epithelial monolayer in culture. Read More

J Immunol 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;

Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) is a widely expressed receptor-associated kinase that is involved in signaling by a variety of cytokines with important immune regulatory activities. Absence of TYK2 in mice results in impaired NK cell maturation and antitumor activity, although underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Using conditional ablation of TYK2 in NK cells we show that TYK2 is required for IFN-γ production by NK cells in response to IL-12 and for an efficient immune defense against Deletion of TYK2 in NK cells did not impact NK cell maturation and IFN-γ production upon NK cell activating receptor (actR) stimulation. Read More

Foods 2019 Feb 2;8(2). Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Plasma Bioengineering, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology e.V., Felix-Hausdorff-Straße 2, 17491 Greifswald, Germany.

The synergistic antimicrobial effects of plasma-processed air (PPA) and plasma-treated water (PTW), which are indirectly generated by a microwave-induced non-atmospheric pressure plasma, were investigated with the aid of proliferation assays. For this purpose, microorganisms (, , , sporulated ) were cultivated as monocultures on specimens with polymeric surface structures. Both the distinct and synergistic antimicrobial potential of PPA and PTW were governed by the plasma-on time (5⁻50 s) and the treatment time of the specimens with PPA/PTW (1⁻5 min). Read More

Food Res Int 2019 Feb 20;116:1066-1075. Epub 2018 Sep 20.

Microbiology and Fermentation Technology Department, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore 570 020, India. Electronic address:

Three strains of Lactobacillus comprising Lactobacillus salivarius (CHS-1E and CH7-1E) and Lactobacillus reuteri (CH2-2) previously isolated from chicken meat were analyzed for their transferability of antibiotic resistance (AR) genes to pathogenic strains under in vivo, in vitro, and during food fermentation. For in vivo model, Albino Wistar rats were inoculated with 10 CFU/g/ml of Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 (recipient). After 7 days, either of two donors L. Read More

Anal Chem 2019 Feb 18. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

School of Chemistry , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510275 , P. R. China.

The incorporation of AuNPs into polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become a promising strategy to develop sensitive sensing platforms, due to desirable optical properties of AuNPs and the exponential amplification power of PCR. However, the combination of AuNPs to PCR usually fails to reach expected sensitivity along with additional steps. Here we report a one-step and universal PCR-based biosensor for size-dependent detection of nucleic acids and proteins by using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. Read More

Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2019 Feb 3:1-10. Epub 2019 Feb 3.

a Department of Microbiology and Fermentation Technology , CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute , Mysore , India.

The antibacterial peptide of Bacillus licheniformis MCC 2016 have potential biopreservative efficacy. Here, we report the purification process, properties, and mode of action of this antibacterial peptide for its potential application in the food industry. The antibacterial peptide from the cell-free supernatant was purified using a sequence of purification steps. Read More

Int J Food Microbiol 2019 Mar 12;293:137-145. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Plasma Research Group, School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Dublin 1, Ireland. Electronic address:

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) offers great potential for decontamination of food borne pathogens. This study examined the antimicrobial efficacy of ACP against a range of pathogens of concern to fresh produce comparing planktonic cultures, monoculture biofilms (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas fluorescens) and mixed culture biofilms (Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fluorescens). Biotic and abiotic surfaces commonly occurring in the fresh food industry were investigated. Read More

BMC Complement Altern Med 2019 Feb 1;19(1):37. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab , Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.

Background: Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that causes human Listeriosis and high mortality particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Pregnant women are more prone to L. monocytogenes infection resulting in abortions. Read More

J Food Prot 2019 Jan;82(1):58-64

Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2-20133 Milan, Italy (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3937-5355 [R.F.]).

Some microbiological criteria were monitored for 6 months in vacuum-packaged roast beef (15 production batches), raw beef (10 batches), and other meat products (12 batches) produced in an Italian small to medium-size enterprise. Fifty-five environmental swab samples also were analyzed. The main bacterial groups were identified by cultural methods according to International Organization for Standardization standards. Read More

RNA Biol 2019 Mar 1;16(3):270-281. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

a Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark.

The bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes encodes seven homologous small regulatory RNAs, named the LhrC family of sRNAs. The LhrCs are highly induced under infection-relevant conditions and are known to inhibit the expression of multiple target mRNAs encoding virulence-associated surface proteins. In all cases studied so far, the LhrCs use their CU-rich regions for base pairing to complementary AG-rich sequences of the ribosomal binding site (RBS) of specific target mRNAs. Read More

Food Microbiol 2019 Jun 24;80:18-24. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France. Electronic address:

Phenolic compounds are well known for their antimicrobial activity. They may provide an interesting solution to ensure food safety by preventing the growth of foodborne pathogens while addressing the wishes of consumers for the use of natural preservatives in food and favoring the reuse of agro-industry byproducts. However, their mechanism of action is still not very well understood. Read More

Food Microbiol 2019 Jun 15;80:1-8. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

LEPABE, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most important foodborne pathogens due to the high hospitalization and mortality rates associated to an outbreak. Several new molecular methods that accelerate the identification of L. monocytogenes have been developed, however conventional culture-based methods still remain the gold standard. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Jan 30;20(3). Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council (CNR-IMM), 80131 Napoli, Italy.

Food packaging is not only a simple protective barrier, but a real "active" component, which is expected to preserve food quality, safety and shelf-life. Therefore, the materials used for packaging production should show peculiar features and properties. Specifically, antimicrobial packaging has recently gained great attention with respect to both social and economic impacts. Read More

J Food Prot 2019 Jan;82(1):30-38

1 Public Health England, National Infection Service, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK.

This article describes the identification and investigation of two extended outbreaks of listeriosis in which crabmeat was identified as the vehicle of infection. Comparing contemporary and retrospective typing data of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from clinical cases and from food and food processing environments allowed the detection of cases going back several years. This information, combined with the analysis of routinely collected enhanced surveillance data, helped to direct the investigation and identify the vehicle of infection. Read More

Molecules 2019 Jan 29;24(3). Epub 2019 Jan 29.

School of Medical Instruments and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.

Lévl. et Vant essential oil could be used as a good antimicrobial flavouring agent and applied in the food industry. In this study, three methods, including simultaneous distillation-extraction (SDE), subcritical extraction and hydrodistillation, were applied to extract essential oil. Read More

Biofouling 2019 Jan 30:1-14. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

a School of Food Science and Technology , Chung-Ang University , Daedeok-Myun , Anseong , Gyunggido , South Korea.

The effects of dual species interactions on biofilm formation by Aeromonas hydrophila in the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pectobacterium carotovorum, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes were examined. High-performance liquid chromatography and liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry were performed to identify N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) molecules secreted by monocultures and dual cultures grown in crab broth. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was performed to observe attachment and biofilm formation. Read More

J AOAC Int 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Molecular Epidemiology, Inc., 15300 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155.

Dairy products are common sources of outbreaks, and early detection of the pathogen is critical to prevent outbreaks of illnesses and financial losses for dairy producers. This study aimed to evaluate Sample6 Detect HT/L for effective detection of and in ice cream. Performance of the Sample6 DETECT HT/L was compared with U. Read More

J Food Prot 2019 Feb;82(2):344-357

4 College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA.

Listeria monocytogenes is the cause of listeriosis, an important foodborne disease. Contaminated ready-to-eat foods are common sources of L. monocytogenes, yet no global estimates exist for prevalence and levels in high-risk ready-to-eat foods. Read More

J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng 2019 Jan 26:1-10. Epub 2019 Jan 26.

a Water and Energy Sustainable Technology Center , The University of Arizona , Tucson , Arizona , USA.

Contamination events and biofilms can decrease the amount of free chlorine available in drinking water systems. The efficacy of 100 μg/L silver and 400 μg/L copper, individually and combined, were evaluated as secondary, longer-lasting residual disinfectants against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Mycobacterium fortuitum at 24 °C and 4 °C. A >5. Read More

J Food Prot 2019 Feb;82(2):287-300

1 Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1337-2658 [E.T.R.]), East Lansing, Michigan 48824.

Temperature is arguably the most important factor affecting microbial proliferation in fresh-cut produce. In this study, growth of Listeria monocytogenes in diced onions and celery and Salmonella Typhimurium in diced tomatoes was determined in modified atmosphere packages and snap-fit containers using three fluctuating temperature scenarios for transport, retail storage, and display. As expected, L. Read More

J Food Prot 2019 Feb;82(2):301-309

1 Department of Food Science and Technology.

Cucumbers were associated with four multistate outbreaks of Salmonella in the United States between 2013 and 2016. This study evaluated the fate of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella on whole and sliced cucumbers at various storage temperatures. Cucumbers were inoculated with five-strain cocktails of L. Read More

Vet Ital 2018 Dec 31;54(4):311. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.

Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter spp. are foodborne pathogens responsible for outbreaks and disease in humans. The emerging problem of bacterial antibiotic resistance and the persistence of pathogens in the environment, especially where foods are processed, are some of the reasons that have led to a re‑emerging interest in bacteriophages and their lysins as potential candidates for bio‑control. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Jan 24;9(1):495. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.

Detection of pathogens in food processing facilities by routine environmental monitoring (EM) is essential to reduce the risk of foodborne illness but is complicated by the complexity of equipment and environment surfaces. To optimize design of EM programs, we developed EnABLe ("Environmental monitoring with an Agent-Based Model of Listeria"), a detailed and customizable agent-based simulation of a built environment. EnABLe is presented here in a model system, tracing Listeria spp. Read More

Molecules 2019 Jan 22;24(3). Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, Ministry of Education China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.

As a natural potential resource, has been widely used as barbecue skewers for a good taste and unique flavor. The polyphenolics in the branch bark play a key role in the quality improvement. The purposes of the present work were to explore the polyphenolic composition of bark extract and assess their potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Read More

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019 01 25;68(3):76-77. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Iran J Microbiol 2018 Oct;10(5):307-313

Food Microbiology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background And Objectives: is the etiological agent of listeriosis, a highly fatal infection which causes miscarriage or stillbirth in pregnant women. The objective of this study was to detect the prevalence, serotypes, antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence factors of isolated from pregnant women with vaginitis at a tertiary care hospital in Tehran, Iran.

Materials And Methods: During September 2015 to February 2017, a total of 400 vaginal swabs were collected from pregnant women. Read More

Korean J Food Sci Anim Resour 2018 Dec 31;38(6):1237-1245. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.

In this study, the contamination levels of hygienic indicators and foodborne pathogens in retail meat products were investigated in relation to the various market factors including processing temperature, processing area, and market type. Ground beef samples (n=80) were purchased from 40 meat markets and investigated for microbiological quality. Beefs processed below 20℃ had significantly lower numbers of total coliforms (TC) than these processed over 20℃ (2. Read More

Korean J Food Sci Anim Resour 2018 Dec 31;38(6):1189-1195. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Department of Food and Nutrition, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul 04310, Korea.

This study developed an antimicrobial hydrogel to control in (Korean beef tartare). Four hydrogels (hydrogel 1: 5% alginate+1% chitosan+0.2% CaCl, hydrogel 2: 1% κ-carrageenan+1% chitosan, hydrogel 3: 2% κ-carrageenan+1% CaCl, and hydrogel 4: 2% κ-carrageenan+3% CaCl) were prepared. Read More

Nature 2019 01 23;565(7741):600-605. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

There is a growing appreciation for the importance of the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target in various diseases. However, there are only a handful of known commensal strains that can potentially be used to manipulate host physiological functions. Here we isolate a consortium of 11 bacterial strains from healthy human donor faeces that is capable of robustly inducing interferon-γ-producing CD8 T cells in the intestine. Read More

Infect Immun 2019 Jan 22. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Institut Pasteur, National Reference Center and WHO Collaborating Center for Listeria, Paris, France

is considered as a non-pathogenic species. Natural atypical hemolytic have been reported, but have not been characterized in detail. Here we report the genomic and functional characterization of isolates representatives from the two known natural hemolytic clades. Read More

Food Sci Technol Int 2019 Jan 22:1082013219825771. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

3 Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two protective lactic acid bacteria cultures combined with modified atmosphere packaging on the survival/growth of Listeria innocua 2030c (as a surrogate for Listeria monocytogenes) and on sensory attributes of ready-to-eat 'lombo' over storage time. Sliced 'lombo', a traditional cured-smoked pork loin, was inoculated with L. innocua 2030c, Lactobacillus sakei ST153 (isolated from 'salpicão') and BLC35 culture (with Lactobacillus curvatus, Staphylococcus xylosus and Pediococcus acidilactici; CHR Hansen) as protective cultures. Read More

J Food Prot 2019 Feb;82(2):233-237

1 Department of Agriculture, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, Turin, Italy (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3774-6191 [V.A.]).

Listeria monocytogenes can be introduced into food processing plants via raw material of animal or plant origin and can establish endemic populations through formation of biofilms. Biofilms are a continuous source of contamination for food products, and L. monocytogenes cells in biofilms are more resistant to stress and sanitizing agents than are planktonic cells. Read More