Microbiological safety of irradiated foods

This paper attempts to summarize relevant information on microbiological safety of irradiated foods in the light of previous reports of expert committees and current literature references. After a brief survey of the relative radiation resistance of food-borne microorganisms, the importance of microbial load for dose requirement, and the role of post-irradiation conditions, it addresses the following questions: Could selective changes in the microflora, caused by non-sterilizing radiation doses, make known pathogens more likely to occur, or bring into prominence unfamiliar pathogens? Is it probable that 'mutational' (including adaptive) changes might make pathogens more virulent, more harmful, or more difficult to recognize, and could new pathogens arise in this way? Is it possible that development of radiation-resistant strains might render the antimicrobial irradiation processes ineffective? The present survey of relevant scientific evidence related to these questions reaffirms the basic conclusion of earlier reviews, that microbiological safety of irradiated food is fully comparable with that of foods preserved by other acceptable preservation methods. Similar to other preservation processes, gains in microbiological or keeping quality attained by food irradiation can be and must be safeguarded by proper control in the food irradiation facilities and by proper care of the product before and after processing.     

Nonthermal preservation of foods using combined processing techniques

In the last 2 decades, consumer demand for fresher, higher quality, and safer food has promoted research on nonthermal methods of food preservation for the inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes as an alternative to thermal processes. However, the high resistance of certain enzymes and microorganisms to nonthermal processes, especially bacterial spores, limit their application. To expand the use of nonthermal processes in the food industry, combinations of these technologies with traditional or emerging food preservation techniques are being studied. The use of nonthermal processes in combination with other preservation technologies presents a number of potential benefits to food preservation. The purpose of this article is to review some successful combinations of different nonthermal technologies, such as high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, and irradiation, with traditional or emerging food preservation technologies.     

Eukaryotic Antimicrobial Peptides: Promises and Premises in Food Safety

ABSTRACT:  There is a lack of efficient and safe preservatives in the food industry. Massive use of some common food preservation methods has led, over the years, to development of a resistance to different treatments by various food pathogens. Enteric bacteria are especially tolerant to adverse environmental conditions—such as low pH and high salt concentrations— which limits efficiency of some preservation methods. Consumers demand for natural, preservative-free, and minimally processed foods and worldwide concern regarding disease outbreaks caused by food-related pathogens have created a need for development of new classes of antimicrobial (AM) agents. The twentieth century revealed a massive array of new peptide-based antimicrobials. Small ribosomally made compounds are found in practically all living species where they act as important component of host defense. Certain indubitable advantages of peptides—pertaining to simplicity, activity spectra, and bacterial resistance—over known preservative agents advocate their potential for food preservation. Nisin, an AM compound originating from bacteria, is so far the only FDA-approved peptide. However, a growing number of reports describe the potential of animal-derived antimicrobial peptides as food preservatives. These studies have yielded various native compounds and/or derivatives that possess markedly improved antimicrobial properties under a broad range of incubation conditions. The present work reviews the most investigated peptides and accounts for their potential use as alternatives to the preservatives used today. The focus is on research aspects aiming at understanding the mechanism of action of these peptides at extreme environments of various food systems. Collectively, the data accumulated are convincingly indicative of potential applications of these peptides in food safety, namely, with respect to fighting multidrug-resistant pathogens.     

噬菌体裂解酶在食品安全领域的研究进展

食源性疾病引发的食品安全问题对人类健康造成严重危害, 其中微生物致病菌是引起食源性疾病的最主要因素,近年来国内外由微生物致病菌引起的食源性疾病事件频频发生,受到世界各国的高度关注。食品工业防治食源性致病微生物的传统方法中,化学防腐剂存在副作用、天然防腐剂较弱的抗微生物活性以及大规模抗生素使用带来的耐药性等一系列问题,使寻求新的抗菌药物或制剂迫在眉睫。噬菌体裂解酶是双链DNA噬菌体复制后期表达, 能够裂解细菌细胞壁释放子代噬菌体的一种蛋白水解酶。随着近些年针对噬菌体及其产物展开的研究不断深入,噬菌体裂解酶凭借高度特异性、不影响正常菌群等特性, 从治疗人类耐药感染到控制多个领域的细菌污染, 成为了包括微生物食品安全在内多种应用中有效的抗微生物制剂。     

Organic Acids and Meat Preservation: A Review

Despite the application of various preservation methods, many problems are still encountered as a result of food spoilage and food poisoning. There is increasing demand for foods produced with milder treatments, and the movement towards more natural and even certified organic foods has been the fastest growing sector of the food industry over the last decade. The interest in bio-preservation of food systems has necessitated the development of new natural antimicrobial compounds from different origins, and in response to modern consumer trends and food legislation, the food industry is faced with serious challenges. Both conventional and organic modes of production are at risk of contamination, but it is possible that organic food might present a bigger problem. Organic acids have been of considerable value as food preservatives since they are also food ingredients and often naturally produced by microorganisms. However, limited data on their effects in commercial practice are available, and despite regulatory approval, organic acids are not widely accepted in commercial practice, and in particular in meat decontamination.

Susceptibility of microorganisms to the most currently used preservatives has been decreasing, and there is concern that decontamination with organic acids could result in the emergence of acid-tolerant food-borne pathogens, evolving to overcome the protective barrier of the human gastric stomach. In the evaluation and integration of new processing/preservation treatments, research objectives would have to include the identification of specific targets of organic acids—understanding the molecular mechanisms that confer high level resistance and analysing pathogen response to antimicrobials. This article provides an overview of various studies done on organic acids as preservatives and highlights aspects such as application, antimicrobial action, and future prospects. Other important issues, such as the application of functional genomics in developing new preservation methods, resistance development, and conventional laboratory procedures are also discussed.     

Organic Acids and Meat Preservation: A Review

Despite the application of various preservation methods, many problems are still encountered as a result of food spoilage and food poisoning. There is increasing demand for foods produced with milder treatments, and the movement towards more natural and even certified organic foods has been the fastest growing sector of the food industry over the last decade. The interest in bio-preservation of food systems has necessitated the development of new natural antimicrobial compounds from different origins, and in response to modern consumer trends and food legislation, the food industry is faced with serious challenges. Both conventional and organic modes of production are at risk of contamination, but it is possible that organic food might present a bigger problem. Organic acids have been of considerable value as food preservatives since they are also food ingredients and often naturally produced by microorganisms. However, limited data on their effects in commercial practice are available, and despite regulatory approval, organic acids are not widely accepted in commercial practice, and in particular in meat decontamination.

Susceptibility of microorganisms to the most currently used preservatives has been decreasing, and there is concern that decontamination with organic acids could result in the emergence of acid-tolerant food-borne pathogens, evolving to overcome the protective barrier of the human gastric stomach. In the evaluation and integration of new processing/preservation treatments, research objectives would have to include the identification of specific targets of organic acids—understanding the molecular mechanisms that confer high level resistance and analysing pathogen response to antimicrobials. This article provides an overview of various studies done on organic acids as preservatives and highlights aspects such as application, antimicrobial action, and future prospects. Other important issues, such as the application of functional genomics in developing new preservation methods, resistance development, and conventional laboratory procedures are also discussed.     

The physiology of Campylobacter species and its relevance to their role as foodborne pathogens

Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are recognised as the leading causes of bacterial foodborne diarrhoeal disease throughout the development world. While most foodborne bacterial pathogens are considered to be relatively robust organisms, as a consequence of the necessity to survive the inimical conditions imposed by food processing and preservation, Campylobacter species have uniquely fastidious growth requirements and an unusual sensitivity to environmental stress. Campylobacters also lack many of the well characterised adaptive responses that can be collated with resistance to stress in other bacteria. The aim of this review is to outline the unusual physiology of campylobacters (C. jejuni and C. coli) and to describe how this influences their role as foodborne pathogens.     

细菌素的抑菌机制及其在食品工业中应用进展

由致病菌等微生物污染所引起的食源性疾病和食品腐败变质始终是食品工业面临的巨大难题,而传统的抗生素防腐剂所产生的细菌耐药性会对人体健康造成潜在的威胁。出于人们对于安全和绿色防腐剂的巨大需求,细菌素的研究愈发成为焦点,以期发现可有效控制食源性病原体的新型抗菌物质。细菌素是细菌分泌的多肽或前体多肽,分子量在1~100 ku之间不均匀分布,可以杀死或抑制同一生态系统中竞争营养物质的敏感细菌,少数细菌素还表现出抗病毒和抗真菌等特性。已有研究发现的细菌素具有不同的作用模式,例如：成孔、抑制细胞壁/核酸/蛋白质合成等。该研究综述了细菌素的种类与抑菌作用机制,并结合最新的细菌素在食品工业上的应用,全面概述了细菌素抑菌的特性及其对未来食品行业的应用前景与展望,为细菌素更好的应用在食品工业中提供一定的理论依据,同时对推动食品防腐保鲜技术的革新发展具有重要的意义。     

抗菌肽对于病原微生物的抗菌及耐药机制

抗菌肽作为多种生物抵抗病原体的第一道防线,可以作为生物体内的天然免疫屏障,也可以在食品工业中用作天然防腐剂。该文叙述了抗菌肽杀灭细菌的作用机制以及微生物耐受抗菌肽的基本原理。无论是抗菌肽对病原微生物的抗菌作用还是病原微生物的耐抗性,其主要机制都与膜的生理功能和胞质成分变化有关。对于抗菌,主要是通过阻碍或破坏细胞壁的形成、与胞内靶位点结合以及抑制主要的脱氧核糖核酸（DNA）复制酶从而达到抗菌效果。微生物对于抗菌肽耐药性的实现主要是有机体通过先天的组成型抗性和后期的诱导型抗性。这些信息可能有助于选择最佳的抗菌肽,并建立有效的使用途径。     

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: A Challenge for the Food Industry

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were first described in the 1940s, but whereas new antibiotics were being discovered at a steady rate, the consequences of this phenomenon were slow to be appreciated. At present, the paucity of new antimicrobials coming into the market has led to the problem of antibiotic resistance fast escalating into a global health crisis. Although the selective pressure exerted by the use of antibiotics (particularly overuse or misuse) has been deemed the major factor in the emergence of bacterial resistance to these antimicrobials, concerns about the role of the food industry have been growing in recent years and have been raised at both national and international levels. The selective pressure exerted by the use of antibiotics (primary production) and biocides (e.g., disinfectants, food and feed preservatives, or decontaminants) is the main driving force behind the selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance throughout the food chain. Genetically modified (GM) crops with antibiotic resistance marker genes, microorganisms added intentionally to the food chain (probiotic or technological) with potentially transferable antimicrobial resistance genes, and food processing technologies used at sub-lethal doses (e.g., alternative non-thermal treatments) are also issues for concern. This paper presents the main trends in antibiotic resistance and antibiotic development in recent decades, as well as their economic and health consequences, current knowledge concerning the generation, dissemination, and mechanisms of antibacterial resistance, progress to date on the possible routes for emergence of resistance throughout the food chain and the role of foods as a vehicle for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The main approaches to prevention and control of the development, selection, and spread of antibacterial resistance in the food industry are also addressed.     

Emergence and Transfer of Antibacterial Resistance

There is increased public and scientific interest regarding the administration of therapeutic and subtherapeutic antimicrobials to animals. This is due primarily to the emergence and dissemination of multiple antibiotic resistant zoonotic bacterial pathogens. The debate regarding antimicrobial use in animals and subsequent human health implications has been going on for over 30 yr. This was initiated by the release of the Swann report in the United Kingdom in 1969. While this issue has triggered a tremendous controversy, there is still no agreement on the significance of antimicrobial use in animals and (or) resistance in bacterial isolates from animals on the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance among human bacterial pathogens. Contributing to the controversy is the isolation of bacterial pathogens of animal and human origin that are increasingly resistant to most frontline antibiotics, including third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and even fluoroquinolones. Recent studies have demonstrated that the majority of these multiple antimicrobial resistant phenotypes are obtained by the acquisition of external genes that may provide resistance to an entire class of antimicrobials. A number of these resistance genes have been associated with large, transferable, extra-chromosomal DNA elements, called plasmids, on which may be other DNA mobile elements, termed transposons and integrons. These DNA mobile elements have been shown to possess genetic determinants for several different antimicrobial resistance mechanisms are largely responsible for the rapid dissemination of resistance genes among different bacterial genera and species. Although the impact of a dairy practitioner or producer may seem small with regards to the emergence and dissemination of bacterial antimicrobial resistance, it is critical that we understand the importance of appropriate antimicrobial therapy from a broader perspective in the dairy production environment.     

Antimicrobial Properties of Teas and Their Extracts in vitro

Tea has recently received the attention of pharmaceutical and scientific communities due to the plethora of natural therapeutic compounds. As a result, numerous researches have been published in a bid to validate their biological activity. Moreover, major attention has been drawn to antimicrobial activities of tea. Being rich in phenolic compounds, tea has the preventive potential for colon, esophageal, and lung cancers, as well as urinary infections and dental caries, among others. The venture of this review was to illustrate the emerging findings on the antimicrobial properties of different teas and tea extracts, which have been obtained from several in vitro studies investigating the effects of these extracts against different microorganisms. Resistance to antimicrobial agents has become an increasingly important and urgent global problem. The extracts of tea origin as antimicrobial agents with new mechanisms of resistance would serve an alternative way of antimicrobial chemotherapy targeting the inhibition of microbial growth and the spread of antibiotic resistance with potential use in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.     

Evaluation of currently employed food preservation conditions to tackle biofilm forming food pathogens

Controlling biofilm forming, pathogenic bacteria is an emerging challenge in the food industry, and the present study aims to test the efficacy of existing food preservation methods against these bacteria. We isolated 10 different biofilm forming pathogenic bacteria viz. Klebsiella quasipneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus anthracis, and Myroides odoratimimus from spoiled milk, biscuits, and cakes. K. quasipneumonia and B. amyloliquifaciens formed strong biofilm (OD₅₅₀ > 0.85), whereas B. cereus, B. anthracis, and M. odoratimimus made moderate biofilm (OD₅₅₀₅ > 0.6) in 72 hr. The isolates, B. amyloliquifaciencs, B. anthracis, and M. odoratimimus were found positive for protease activity. The isolates showed significant tolerance to preservation conditions: pH (4–10), salt (up to 5%), temperature (up to 50°C) and sodium benzoate (up to 0.1%). The isolates also exhibited high antibiotic resistance, maximum by M. odoratimimus (MIC ≤ 256 µg/ml) against chloramphenicol which can have serious implications especially in tackling food borne illness caused by the biofilm forming food pathogens.

Practical applications

The present study discloses the presence of biofilm forming pathogenic bacterial strains in common food stuff and their tolerance of preservation conditions and resistance to antibiotics. The occurrence of pathogens tolerant to common preservation conditions and their resistance to antibiotic should be addressed very cautiously. The significant findings of this study warrant the need for more stringent preservation methods to control food pathogens, especially the biofilm forming type. Moreover, findings of the present study will help to design novel preservation techniques such as incorporating antibiofilm coatings in food processing units and packaging materials, which will ensure food safety and public health.     

Antibiotic resistance in food lactic acid bacteria--a review

Antibiotics are a major tool utilized by the health care industry to fight bacterial infections; however, bacteria are highly adaptable creatures and are capable of developing resistance to antibiotics. Consequently, decades of antibiotic use, or rather misuse, have resulted in bacterial resistance to many modern antibiotics. This antibiotic resistance can cause significant danger and suffering for many people with common bacterial infections, those once easily treated with antibiotics. For several decades studies on selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistance have focused mainly on clinically relevant species. However, recently many investigators have speculated that commensal bacteria including lactic acid bacteria (LAB) may act as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes similar to those found in human pathogens. The main threat associated with these bacteria is that they can transfer resistance genes to pathogenic bacteria. Genes conferring resistance to tetracycline, erythromycin and vancomycin have been detected and characterized in Lactococcus lactis, Enterococci and, recently, in Lactobacillus species isolated from fermented meat and milk products. A number of initiatives have been recently launched by various organizations across the globe to address the biosafety concerns of starter cultures and probiotic microorganisms. The studies can lead to better understanding of the role played by the dairy starter microorganisms in horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to intestinal microorganisms and food-associated pathogenic bacteria.     

Using Photocatalyst Metal Oxides as Antimicrobial Surface Coatings to Ensure Food Safety—Opportunities and Challenges

Cross‐contamination of foods with pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites may occur at any point in the farm to fork continuum. Food contact and nonfood contact surfaces are the most frequent source of microbial cross‐contamination. In the wake of new and emerging food safety challenges, including antibiotic‐resistant human pathogens, conventional sanitation and disinfection practices may not be sufficient to ensure safe food processing, proper preparation, and also not be environmentally friendly. Nanotechnology‐enabled novel food safety interventions have a great potential to mitigate the risk of microbial cross‐contamination in the food chain. Especially engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are increasingly finding novel applications as antimicrobial agents. Among various ENPs, photocatalyst metal oxides have shown great promise as effective nontargeted disinfectants over a wide range of microorganisms. The present review provides an overview of antimicrobial properties of various photocatalyst metal oxides and their potential applications as surface coatings. Further, this review discusses the most common approaches to developing antimicrobial coatings, methods to characterize, test, and evaluate antimicrobial efficacy as well as the physical stability of the coatings. Finally, regulations and challenges concerning the use of these novel photocatalytic antimicrobial coatings are also discussed.     

Inactivation of foodborne pathogens by the synergistic combinations of food processing technologies and food‐grade compounds

There is a need to develop food processing technologies with enhanced antimicrobial capacity against foodborne pathogens. While considering the challenges of adequate inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in different food matrices, the emerging technologies are also expected to be sustainable and have a minimum impact on food quality and nutrients. Synergistic combinations of food processing technologies and food‐grade compounds have a great potential to address these needs. During these combined treatments, food processes directly or indirectly interact with added chemicals, intensifying the overall antimicrobial effect. This review provides an overview of the combinations of different thermal or nonthermal processes with a variety of food‐grade compounds that show synergistic antimicrobial effect against pathogenic microorganisms in foods and model systems. Further, we summarize the underlying mechanisms for representative combined treatments that are responsible for the enhanced microbial inactivation. Finally, regulatory issues and challenges for further development and technical transfer of these new approaches at the industrial level are also discussed.     

Probiotics interaction with foodborne pathogens: a potential alternative to antibiotics and future challenges

Abstract

Antibiotics are a key tool used nowadays in health care industry to fight against bacterial infections; however, repeated antibiotic use or misuses, have led to bacterial resistance, causing significant threats for many people with common bacterial infections. The use of probiotics to enhance gastrointestinal health has been proposed for many years. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the use of probiotic bacteria as alternatives for antibiotics for preventing or treating various intestinal infections. Several important underlying mechanisms responsible for the antagonistic effects of probiotics on different microorganisms include: (1) competitive exclusion for adhesion sites and nutritional sources; (2) secretion of antimicrobial substances; (3) enhancement of intestinal barrier function; and (4) immunomodulation. However, their mode of action is not very well understood and therefore a clearer understanding of these mechanisms is necessitated. This will enable appropriate probiotic strains to be selected for particular applications and may reveal new probiotic functions. The goal of this review was to highlight some studies from literature describing the probiotic interaction with several major foodborne pathogens, as well as explore the mechanisms for such probiotic-pathogen interaction. The review will conclude by presenting future perspective and challenges of probiotic application in food products.     

Interactions of Foodborne Pathogens with Free‐living Protozoa: Potential Consequences for Food Safety

Free‐living protozoa (FLP) are ubiquitous in natural ecosystems where they play an important role in the reduction of bacterial biomass and the regeneration of nutrients. However, it has been shown that some species such as Acanthamoeba castellanii, Acanthamoeba polyphaga, and Tetrahymena pyriformis can act as hosts of pathogenic bacteria. There is a growing concern that FLP might contribute to the maintenance of bacterial pathogens in the environment. In addition to survival and/or replication of bacterial pathogens in FLP, resistance to antimicrobial agents and increased virulence of bacteria after passage through protozoa have been reported. This review presents an overview of FLP in food‐associated environments and on foods, and discusses bacterial interactions with FLP, with focus on the foodborne pathogens Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes. The consequences of these microbial interactions to food safety are evaluated.     

抗菌肽应用于食品中的研究现状及面临的挑战

食品安全问题一直为人们所关注,其中微生物污染是导致食品腐败变质的主要原因。抗菌肽来源广泛,抑菌谱广,杀菌速度快,可以较好地控制食品中腐败微生物的滋生;对pH值、蛋白酶和热处理有较好的稳定性,在成分复杂的食品体系中有一定的适用性;由于其抑菌机理特殊,不易产生耐药性;部分具有抗氧化和提高免疫力等多种功能,对人体具有一定的保健作用。抗菌肽的以上特点满足了人们对新型防腐保鲜剂的多种需求,有望在食品工业上发挥重大作用。因此,在抗菌肽的生物学功能以及抗菌肽保鲜机理简单介绍的基础上,对抗菌肽应用于不同食品中的研究现况进行详细综述,最后对抗菌肽在食品中应用目前存在的问题和发展方向提供了思考。     

细菌药物敏感性实验方法研究进展

致病菌的耐药性已成为世界范围内的公共卫生和安全问题,如何对致病菌的耐药性进行准确快速的检测是许多微生物科研人员和医疗工作者共同面临的难题。根据近年国内外有关研究资料与报道,对于细菌耐药性的检测和分析主要通过对细菌进行药物敏感性实验来执行。目前用于细菌药敏性实验的方法主要包括:肉汤稀释法、琼脂稀释法、K-B纸片法和E-test实验等。文中就以上几种细菌药敏性实验方法的原理、步骤及优缺点进行了概述,并对各种实验方法的应用进行了举例分析。