Supported by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS), Cornell researchers are developing a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to evaluate how quality defects affect Listeria and E. coli growth on produce, helping identify effective interventions and improve processes.
Postbiotin-E8, derived from Lacticaseibacillus, demonstrated antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against several foodborne pathogens, as well as the ability to extend the freshness of pasteurized milk, suggesting its potential as a natural preservative and surface decontaminant.
Researchers tested two low-cost food safety intervention approaches in small- and medium-scale pig slaughterhouses. Despite improvements in hygiene practices, neither approach was associated with reduced carcass contamination, suggesting the need for sustained, multi-level interventions targeting infrastructure, operations, and worker hygiene.
CDC and USDA-FSIS researchers analyzed 50 salmonellosis outbreaks linked to pork and identified the most commonly implicated
products and serotypes, as well as the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among isolates.
Genomic analysis also identified biofilm-forming ability in half of isolates, as well as clinically relevant virulence genes. The study, conducted in the Indian state of Meghalaya, represents the country’s first genomic characterization of C. jejuni from pig sources.
After further optimization and validation, the approach could possibly offer an alternative to conventional culture-based screening methods that typically require three to five days. The bacteriophage amplification strategy, which was tested against Salmonella on chicken meat, could be adapted to detect other viable foodborne bacteria.
The reviewed studies reported B. cereus contamination in different foods at rates ranging from approximately 15 percent to more than 70 percent. In a study focused on Burkina Faso, B. cereus was detected in 42 percent of tested infant cereals.
Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), a chlorine-based chemical used to bleach tree nut shells for aesthetic purposes, can react with fatty acids in the edible kernels to form potentially harmful fatty acid chlorohydrins. Researchers called for further toxicological evaluation of these process contaminants.
Respondents generally reported sanitation practices intended to minimize water introduction, but opportunities remained to improve relative humidity management, standardize understanding of sanitation breaks, and better characterize the relationship between moisture management and microbial contamination risks.
The researchers concluded that no single alternative currently fulfills all of the antimicrobial and technological functions provided by conventional nitrites and nitrates. Instead, they identified hurdle technology as the most promising approach.
