Microbiological Control

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Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have achieved simultaneous detection of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in real-world samples, on-site and within an hour, using a handheld electrochemical device.

Parasites are reported in all manner of foodstuffs across the entire food supply, and they are challenging to detect and control. For risk assessment purposes, food safety personnel must be cognizant of the occurrence and significance of these foodborne organisms.
 

The European Commission recently made changes to the maximum levels of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) in food with Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/1022, amending Regulation (EU) 2023/915.

In light of recently confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in U.S. dairy cows and now in one person, James (Jim) Jones, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods revealed that HPAI has become the “highest priority” within the agency’s Human Foods Program, and that the agency has set up a set up a dedicated Incident Management Team (IMT) to respond to the developing threat.

A recent study conducted by scientists from the Quadram Institute and the UK Health Security Agency has revealed that, despite cleaning, Listeria monocytogenes are able to persist in ready-to-eat (RTE) food production environments, supported by diverse bacterial populations that also remain stable over time.

Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a way to significantly reduce mycotoxin contamination of grains—plasma treatment.

Designated by the European Commission, Denmark and Sweden have formed a public health consortium to jointly establish an EU reference laboratory or antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which will contribute to diagnostics and infection preparedness.

With funding from the Center for Produce Safety, a researcher from the University of Arizona is exploring the usefulness of a handheld genetic sequencing device for in-field microbial characterization of irrigation water by the produce industry.

Researchers recently demonstrated the inadequacy of an industry standard quality test—Laboratory Pasteurization Count—for raw, organic milk, as it cannot sufficiently differentiate between groups of bacteria.

Scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service are exploring how “transgenerational protection”—which is the ability of layer hens to pass along their resistance to Salmonella to their broiler chicks—can be encouraged, to ultimately reduce early colonization that introduces microbial contamination at the processing plant and poses a food safety risk to consumers.