Molecular subtyping and characterization of psychrotolerant endospore-forming bacteria in two New York State fluid milk processing systems

Psychrotolerant endospore-forming bacteria Bacillus and Paenibacillus spp. are important spoilage organisms in fluid milk. A recently developed rpoB subtyping method was applied to characterize the diversity and phylogenetic relationships among Bacillus and related sporeformers associated with milk processing systems. Milk samples representing the processing continuum from raw milk to pasteurized products were collected from two fluid milk processing plants, held at 6 degrees C up to the code date that had been established by each processing plant (i.e., either 18 or 21 days), and plated for bacterial enumeration throughout storage. Bacterial colonies selected to represent the visible diversity in colony morphology on enumeration plates were examined further. Among 385 bacterial isolates characterized, 35% were Bacillus spp., and 65% were Paenibacillus spp. A total of 92 rpoB allelic types were identified among these isolates, indicating considerable diversity among endospore-forming spoilage organisms present in fluid milk systems. Of the 92 allelic types identified, 19 were isolated from samples collected from both processing plants. The same rpoB allelic types were frequently identified in paired raw milk and packaged product samples, indicating that Bacillus and Paenibacillus spp. can enter dairy processing systems through raw milk. Certain subtypes were found exclusively in pasteurized samples, including those that were temporally independent, suggesting the possibility of in-plant sources for these spoilage organisms, including through the persistence of selected subtypes in processing plants. Development of effective control strategies for the diverse array of psychrotolerant endospore-forming organisms that currently limit the shelf lives of high-temperature short-time fluid milk products will require comprehensive, integrated efforts along the entire milk processing continuum.     

a Comparison of the relative efficiencies of cold circulation and acidified bioling water cleaning systems for milk parlour pipelines

The relative eficiencies of acidified boiling water used twice per day (A2), acidified boiling water used once per day (A1) and cold circulation (C) cleaning as used on 24 Northern Ireland farms were compared over a nine month period divided into three cleaning periods each of three months. Overall, the A1 system gave inferior results to the A2 and C systems which gave similar results. These diflerences between the cleaning systems were the same in each of the three cleaning periods. When a comparison of cleaning periods was made, irrespective of cleaning systems, it was found that better plant hygiene occurred during the first period (January-April) than during the other two periods.
A periodic hot clean (approximately once per month) was found to be effective in reducing bacterial numbers when the C cleaning system was in operation. It was also found that a build-up of bacterial numbers occurred on plants during the last two cleaning periods when the A1 and A2 cleaning systems were in operation.
Finally, irrespective of the cleaning system employed, it was found that poor plant hygiene prevailed on many of the farms on several occasions.     

Mercury methylation in the epilithon of boreal shield aquatic ecosystems

Methylation rates by periphyton growing on the rocky shore of a remote boreal shield lake were measured over diurnal cycles at temperatures representative of summer and fall conditions. The measurements were carried out in vitro with natural communities grown on artificial Teflon substrates submerged along the lake's shore for 1-2 years. At temperatures above 20 degrees C, epilithon Hg methylation rates were fast and reached a steady state within 12 h upon exposure to 2 ng L(-1) of inorganic mercury. A variety of inhibitors were used to identify which microorganisms in the epilithic biofilm are responsible for the methylation. The addition of molybdate, which is believed to suppress the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria, decreased methylmercury production rates by 60% in both light and dark experiments. The prokaryote inhibitor chloramphenicol reduced the methylation rate by 40% only during dark periods whereas an algal inhibitor (DCMU), which suppresses photosynthesis, decreased the methylation rate by 60% during light periods. Results of this study reveal that epilithon communities may be a significant source of MeHg to higher aquatic organisms in lakes and that the integrity of the epilithic biofilm is important for its ability to methylate Hg.     

Indigenous underutilized vegetables for food and nutritional security in an island ecosystem

Indigenous plants are an important component of the traditional food and health systems of rural and tribal communities in tropical regions. However, they do not attract much attention from researchers or in commercial markets. The present study investigated 42 indigenous, under-utilized vegetable plants from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India for their food and ecological values. Predominantly, the plants belonged in the Cucurbitaceae, Amaranthaceae, Moraceae and Plantaginaceae families. Fifty seven percent of the vegetables were observed in home gardens and 21.4% were collected from wild habitats. Most of the indigenous vegetables were perennials (71.4%), and included trees, vines and shrubs. Commercial farmers grew mostly exotic vegetables, while many indigenous and under-utilized vegetables were preferred by tribal and local communities. Herbs with good flavour, taste and crispness were preferred in culinary preparations; vegetables with a bitter taste and unique flavour were considered best for health purposes. The indigenous and under-utilized vegetables contained a wide range of nutrients, including Ca, Fe, polyphenols, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and chlorophyll, although they also often contained anti-nutrients including nitrate, phytate, oxalate and saponins. Our findings support the greater use of indigenous underutilized vegetables as promising and locally accepted options to address micronutrient deficiencies among households in geographically challenged regions such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The study also underlined the need to devise strategies for the promotion of these nutrient-rich indigenous foods to improve the nutrition and livelihoods of vulnerable communities.     

MICROALGAE AS A SOURCE OF FATTY ACIDS

Microalgae are a very diverse group of organisms that consist of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic forms. Although most microalgae are phototrophic, some species are also capable of heterotrophic growth. Some species of microalgae can be induced to overproduce particular fatty acids through simple manipulations of the physical and chemical properties of the culture medium. As a result of the profound differences in cellular organization and growth modes and the ability to manipulate their fatty acid content, microalgae represent a significant source of unusual and valuable lipids and fatty acids.
The utilization of microalgal lipids and fatty acids as food components requires that these organisms be grown at large scale under controlled conditions. Several growth systems have been developed for large scale growth of phototrophic microalgae using either natural sunlight or artificial light, but their lack of control of culturing parameters or their high cost of operation have limited their utility for the production of food products. Instead, large scale cultivation of heterotrophic microalgae using classical fermentation systems provides consistent biomass produced under highly controlled conditions at low cost.
Microalgae contain many of the major lipid classes and fatty acids found in other organisms. However, they are also the principal producers in the biosphere of some polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The high DHA content found in some algae is currently being utilized to supplement infant formula to enable it to more closely resemble human breast milk. Thus, the commercialization of DHA from microalgae demonstrates the value of these organisms as a source of useful fatty acids.     

Anaerobic oxidation of methane: mechanisms, bioenergetics, and the ecology of associated microorganisms

Microbially mediated anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) moderates the input of methane, an important greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere by consuming methane produced in various marine, terrestrial, and subsurface environments. AOM coupled to sulfate reduction has been most extensively studied because of the abundance of sulfate in marine systems, but electron acceptors otherthan sulfate are more energetically favorable. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries derived from microbial communities where AOM occurs show evidence of diverse, methanotrophic archaea (ANME) closely associated with sulfate-reducing bacteria, but these organisms have not yet been isolated as pure cultures. Several biochemical pathways for AOM have been proposed, including reverse methanogenesis, acetogenesis, and methylogenesis, and both culture-dependent and independent techniques have provided some clues to howthese communities function. Still, questions remain regarding the diversity, physiology, and metabolic restrictions of AOM-related organisms.     

The use of indigenous ecological resources for pest control in Africa

Reducing the losses from crop pests will help to increase food availability and boost economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the existing crop protection paradigm that relies on synthetic agrochemical pesticides has had only a marginal impact on the productivity of many poor smallholder farmers who constitute a major segment of agriculture in SSA. This is primarily because many of them are not able to afford or access these imported chemicals. A solution to this crop protection problem may be to harness biological resources that are locally available, such as endemic insect natural enemies and indigenous pesticidal plant materials. Two specific examples of this already under development in Africa are the use of the pesticidal plant, Tephrosia vogelii, and the harvesting of the endemic insect baculovirus, Spodoptera exempta nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpexNPV). Both of these can be produced locally and have shown promise in trials as inexpensive and effective tools for pest control in Africa and their use is currently being scaled up and evaluated by African networks of researchers. A focus on these systems illustrates the potential for using locally-available natural resources for improved crop protection in Africa. The consideration of these pesticidal plants and insect natural enemies in the wider context of natural capital that provide valuable ecosystem services (including pest control), will facilitate greater recognition of their true economic and societal worth. While both of these model systems show promise, there are also very significant challenges to be overcome in developing production, supply and marketing systems that are economically viable and sustainable. The regulatory environment must also evolve to accommodate and facilitate the registration of new products and the establishment of appropriate supply chains that share the benefits of these resources equitably with the local communities from which they are harvested.     

In situ identification of microorganisms in biofilm communities

Diverse microorganisms form complex microbial communities and usually exist in biofilm communities in both natural environments and engineered systems such as a wastewater treatment process. However, the conventional approach to investigate microbial ecology has not contributed to the understanding and clarification of the structure and function of biofilm communities. Some effective methods have been developed to investigate phylogenetic affiliations, metabolic activities and genetic activities in biofilm communities at the single-cell level. These techniques have been contributing to a better understanding of the spatial organization of biofilm communities and activities in engineered systems. However, further effort is needed to set out the general rules governing community development in biofilm communities and to advance the process performance of engineered systems. This review describes advances and limitations in methodology, particularly focusing on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and related techniques and the application of these methods to nitrifying biofilms in wastewater treatment processes.     

Predictive Microbiology Models and Operational Readiness

A diverse field of predictive microbiology models has emerged in the past 30 years and has advanced our understanding of microbial behavior in foods. As most of published models have for objective to provide operationally relevant information to decision makers, predictive microbiology models have now found their place within both the academic, and the food industrial communities.Given the importance of these models to food safety, the decision makers are in need of evidence-based advices in order to assess confidence in the predictions provided by models they use. The objectives of this work were (i) to review current approaches in predictive microbiology used to build, verify and validate models, and (ii) to propose a categorization scheme that would tend to define a model's viability for use in an operational setting.     

Comparison of microbial communities in marinated and unmarinated broiler meat by metagenomics

Most raw poultry sold in Finland at the retail level is mixed with marinades containing oil, sugar, spices and acetic acid and packaged under modified atmosphere. Premature spoilage of marinated poultry preparations has been observed and associated with high levels of Leuconostoc spp. in meat. In this study we investigated whether marination of broiler fillet strips increased the proportion of Leuconostoc spp. in the microbial communities. To obtain a comprehensive view of the microbiota, we sequenced total DNA and 16S rRNA gene amplicons from the microbial communities. The lactic acid bacterial communities were characterized also by identification of colonies. The results showed that marinade increased the proportions of the spoilage-associated Leuconostoc gasicomitatum in the communities as well as the proportions of Leuconostoc gelidum and Lactobacillus spp. The proportions of Carnobacterium, Vagococcus, Brochothrix thrermosphacta, Clostridium, Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrio were diminished in marinated meat. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons resulted in 312 and 284 operational taxonomical units (dissimilarity 0.03) in unmarinated and marinated meat, respectively, indicating that the meat communities were more diverse than hitherto shown. Metagenomic analysis revealed a number of bacterial taxa that have not been associated with late shelf-life meat before, including Vagococcus and Vibrio that belonged to the predominating part of the microbial community in unmarinated meat. According to the functional analysis of the metagenomes, the communities in both marinated and unmarinated poultry were characterized by high proportions (15.6% or 17.9%) of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism.     

Community structure analysis of reverse osmosis membrane biofilms and the significance of Rhizobiales bacteria in biofouling

The biofilm community structure of a biofouled reverse osmosis (RO) membrane was examined using a polyphasic approach, and the dominant phylotypes retrieved were related to the order Rhizobiales, a group of bacteria that is hitherto not implicated in membrane biofouling. A comparison with two other membrane biofilms using T-RFLP fingerprinting also revealed the dominance of Rhizobiales organisms. When pure culture RO biofilm isolates were cultivated aerobically in BIOLOG microplates, most Rhizobiales were metabolically versatile in their choice of carbon substrates. Nitrate reduction was observed in five RO isolates related to Castellaniella, Ochrobactrum, Stenotrophomonas, and Xanthobacter. Many of the key Rhizobiales genera including Bosea, Ochrobactrum, Shinella, and Rhodopseudomonas were detected by PCR to contain the nirK gene responsible for nitrite reductase activity. These findings suggest that Rhizobiales organisms are ecologically significant in membrane biofilm communities under both aerobic and anoxic conditions and may be responsible for biofouling in membrane separation systems.     

Critical role of macrophytes in achieving low iron concentrations in mine water treatment wetlands

Aerobic wetlands are increasingly being included in mine water treatment systems which need to achieve low residual iron concentrations (<0.5 mg L(-1)) in final discharges. Traditionally the macrophyte components of such systems have been thought to be insignificant sinks for major contaminants such as iron. However, we report high rates of plant uptake of iron where the latter is present at relatively low concentrations, suggesting that macrophytes may well be critical to achieving low residual iron concentrations in final effluents from such systems. The wetland macrophyte Phragmites australis was grown in waters with a range of iron concentrations (0-50 mg L(-1)). At an Fe supply of 1 mg L(-1) almost 100% of the Fe was taken up into plant tissues. The majority of iron was stored in and around the roots of the plants, which helps allay fears of possible release of contaminants during seasonal die-back of emergent shoots and leaves. The 1 mg L(-1) threshold also proved to be important in terms of plant growth, with significant inhibition (evident in root length and in dry weights of shoots and roots) in plants grown in waters with Fe above this concentration. No direct causal relationship between iron content in aerial tissues and growth inhibition was found, which strongly suggests that iron toxicity cannot explain these results. These results have implications for the design of mine water treatment wetlands, particularly with regard to initial establishment of vegetation and achieving sufficient Fe removal in "polishing" applications (i.e. where it is intended to remove the last few mg L(-1) of Fe).     

永春老醋不同生产阶段细菌和真菌多样性动态变化特征分析

以16S rRNA和18S rRNA基因为分子标记,应用高通量测序技术分析了福建永春老醋发酵中(Y1)、1个月成品(Y2)、1年陈酿(Y3)和10年陈酿(Y4)共4个不同生产阶段中的细菌与真菌群落多样性。结果表明,对于细菌组成,Y1、Y2和Y3三个阶段优势菌纲皆为α-变形菌纲(Alphaproteobacteria)和芽孢杆菌纲(Bacilli),属水平以醋酸杆菌属(Acetobacter>60%)和乳杆菌属(Lactobacillus>20%)为优势菌,而在Y4中未检测到16S rRNA基因;对于真菌组成,4个阶段均有真菌类群存在,皆以酵母纲(Saccharomycetes)和散囊菌纲(Eurotiomycetes)为优势真菌纲,属水平以酵母目未分类属(unclassified_o_Saccharomycetale>95%)为Y1、Y2和Y3中的优势菌,而Y4中,发菌科未分类属(unclassified_f_Trichocomaceae,50.36%)、酵母目分类不明属(norank_o_Saccharomyces,28.07%)和毕赤酵母属(Pichia,17.68%)为优势菌;Y2和Y3的细菌群落组成相近,而与Y1的差异较大,相反,前3个阶段的真菌群落组成相近但明显不同于10年陈酿老醋Y4。研究结果可为揭示永春老醋不同生产和贮存阶段起主要作用的微生物群落组成提供科学依据。     

Development of a DNA microarray chip for the identification of sludge bacteria using an unsequenced random genomic DNA hybridization method

A tool, based upon the DNA microarray chip, for the identification of specific bacteria from activated sludge, using the hybridization of genomic DNA with random probes, is described. This chip was developed using the genomic DNAs from Gordonia amarae, the natural filamentous actinomycete that causes sludge foaming and bulking, as well as a nonfilamentous floc forming bacterium (Zoogloea ramigera) and the skin pathogen Mycobacterium peregrinum without any sequence information. The sets of target probes on amine-coated glass were made from a genomic library, constructed with PCR products derived from randomly fragmented genomic DNAs extracted from pure cultures of the three strains. Initial hybridization results, when pure cultures were employed, showed the specificity of the probes as well as the resolution of the system, demonstrating the capabilities of this system to identify specific bacterial strains. The microarray was also tested for its ability to distinguish specific bacteria from among mixed bacterial communities, such as in sludge, soil, or spiked genomic DNA samples. The results showed that the probes are specific, with only mild cross-hybridization occurring in a small number of cases. Furthermore, the chip clearly discriminated the presence of all three strains when they were present alone or together within mixed samples. Moreover, using the spot intensity and DNA hybridization kinetics, the starting genomic DNA concentrations could be estimated relatively well, which would make it possible to predict the number of specific bacteria present within the test samples. Therefore, the random genomic hybridization approach, i.e., without any sequence information available for the probes, is a practical protocol for the identification of and screening for specific bacteria within any complex bacterial community from the environmental samples, such as in activated sludge, although the possibility of cross-hybridization may still exist.     

Characterization of constitutive microflora of biofilms in dairy processing lines

The biofilm status of pasteurization lines of a commercial plant (CP) and an experimental dairy plant (EDP) was evaluated. Samples were collected after cleaning-in-place systems from different segments of pasteurization lines over a period of 6 months. A total of 105 and 36 isolates from CP and EDP, respectively, were selected, on the basis of colony morphology and Gram's reaction. Biochemical differentiation of organisms in biofilms revealed the predominance of the genus Bacillus in both plants (59 and 64% in the CP and EDP, respectively). The other Gram-positive microflora of the commercial plant included Lactobacillus spp., Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp., while the EDP only had Micrococcus spp. in addition to Bacillus spp. The incidence of Gram-negative genera also revealed the presence of Shigella spp. Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes in both plants. On the other hand, Klebsiella spp. were only present in samples from the EDP. Further characterization of the isolates indicated the presence of psychrotropic microflora at a level of 38 and 75% in post-pasteurization segments of the CP and EDP, respectively. In addition, the percentage of heat-resistant organisms in the pre-pasteurization segment was 17%, as compared to 21% in post-pasteurization segments. Antibiotic susceptibility of selected isolates indicated maximum resistance of the isolates against carbenicillin (90% in CP and 75% in EDP), followed by cloxacillin (86% in CP and 89% in EDP), cephaloridine, novobiocin and vancomycin, indicating the presence of multiple antibiotic-resistant microflora that can be shed into the final product. Thus, the study reveals that all plants should be regularly evaluated for the prevalence of biofilms.     

Causes of variable biomass density and its effects on settleability in full-scale biological wastewater treatment systems

Both variable biomass density and floc structure were determined to affect the settleability of microbial biomass produced during biological wastewater treatment (activated sludge). Average biomass density varied from 1.022 to 1.056 g/mL in a survey of 17 full-scale biological wastewater treatment systems with a variety of configurations. Biomass settleability was correlated with density in samples with higher filament contents and/or more open floc structures, but settleability was independent of density in biomass with lower filament contents and more rounded floc structures. Biomass density increased with polyphosphate content, and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) plants had higher density and better settleability than non-EBPR plants, including two systems that converted to EBPR during the course of this study. Density also increased with increasing nonvolatile suspended solids content, which was linked both to polyphosphate and to increasing solids residence times. Both density and floc structure should be considered in future analyses of activated sludge settleability, and it may be possible to improve system performance by adopting a new set of operational and design strategies to increase density.     

Achieving continuous improvement in reductions in foodborne listeriosis--a risk-based approach

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can cause listeriosis, a severe disease that can lead to septicemia, meningitis, and spontaneous abortion. Ongoing efforts are needed to further reduce the incidence of listeriosis, due to its high mortality rate. The focus of this report is the use of a risk-based approach to identify strategies that will have the greatest impact on reducing foodborne listeriosis. A continuum of risk for listeriosis is observed in the human population, ranging from exquisitely sensitive groups, who are highly immunocompromised and at very high risk of listeriosis, through the normal healthy population younger than 65 years of age, who appear to have a minimal risk for listeriosis. In addition, unique subpopulations may exist; for example, pregnant Latina women appear to have a higher risk of listeriosis than pregnant women of other ethnic groups, most likely due to consumption of contaminated soft cheeses such as queso fresco and queso blanco. The International Life Sciences Institute Risk Science Institute Expert Panel concluded that certain foods pose a high risk for causing listeriosis. High-risk foods have all of the following properties: (1) have the potential for contamination with L. monocytogenes; (2) support the growth of L. monocytogenes to high numbers; (3) are ready to eat; (4) require refrigeration; and (5) are stored for an extended period of time. Control strategies are needed in the food chain from preharvest through consumption to minimize the likelihood that food will become contaminated by L. monocytogenes and to prevent the growth of the organism to high numbers. The Expert Panel identified three main strategies for ensuring continuous improvement in reducing foodborne listeriosis: (1) preventing contamination of foods with L. monocytogenes; (2) preventing growth of L. monocytogenes to high numbers in foods; and (3) science-based education messages targeted to susceptible populations and their caregivers. Of these strategies, the Expert Panel concluded that preventing growth of L. monocytogenes to high numbers would have the greatest impact in reducing cases of listeriosis. Dose-response models predict that the risk of listeriosis increases as the number of organisms in a food increases and can be used as a scientific basis for a target level below which the organism should be reduced to minimize the likelihood of listeriosis in high-risk populations. This requires implementation of effective food safety control measures and ensuring that these control strategies are consistently met. Most effective strategies to control L. monocytogenes in high-risk foods include (1) good manufacturing practices, sanitation standard operating procedures, and hazard analysis critical control point programs to minimize environmental L. monocytogenes contamination and to prevent cross-contamination in processing plants and at retail; (2) an intensive environmental sampling program in plants processing high-risk foods and an effective corrective action plan to reduce the likelihood of contamination of high-risk foods; (3) time and temperature controls throughout the entire distribution and storage period, including establishing acceptable storage times of foods that support growth of L. monocytogenes to high numbers; (4) reformulating foods to prevent or retard the growth of L. monocytogenes; and (5) using postpackaging treatments to destroy L. monocytogenes on products. Science-based education and risk communication strategies aimed at susceptible populations and focused on high-risk foods should be delivered through health care providers or other credible sources of information. Exquisitely sensitive consumers may become ill when exposed to low numbers of L. monocytogenes or other opportunistic pathogens, so reducing the risk to this population could be achieved by maintaining them on restricted low-microbe diets during those periods when they are most severely immunocompromised. High-risk individuals (i.e., the elderly, pregnant women, and most immunocompromised individuals) should be provided with guidance on healthy eating, including specific information on high-risk foods that they should avoid, and strategies to reduce their risk, such as thorough cooking, avoidance of cross-contamination, and short-term refrigerated storage of cooked perishable foods. Those at low risk for listeriosis should receive information on safe food handling practices, preferably starting at a preschool age.     

Novel ways to use sensor data to improve mastitis management

Current sensor systems are used to detect cows with clinical mastitis. Although, the systems perform well enough to not negatively affect the adoption of automatic milking systems, the performance is far from perfect. An important advantage of sensor systems is the availability of multiple measurements per day. By clearly defining the need for detection of subclinical mastitis (SCM) and clinical mastitis (CM) from the farmers' management perspective, detection and management of SCM and CM may be improved. Sensor systems may also be used for other aspects of mastitis management. In this paper we have defined 4 mastitis situations that could be managed with the support of sensor systems. Because of differences in the associated management and the epidemiology of these specific mastitis situations, the required demands for performance of the sensor systems do differ. The 4 defined mastitis situations with the requirements of performance are the following: (1) Cows with severe CM needing immediate attention. Sensor systems should have a very high sensitivity (>95% and preferably close to 100%) and specificity (>99%) within a narrow time window (maximum 12 h) to ensure that close to all cows with true cases of severe CM are detected quickly. Although never studied, it is expected that because of the effects of severe CM, such a high detection performance is feasible. (2) Cows with mastitis that do not need immediate attention. Although these cows have a risk of progressing into severe CM or chronic mastitis, they should get the chance to cure spontaneously under close monitoring. Sensor alerts should have a reasonable sensitivity (>80%) and a high specificity (>99.5%). The time window may be around 7 d. (3) Cows needing attention at drying off. For selective dry cow treatment, the absence or presence of an intramammary infection at dry-off needs to be known. To avoid both false-positive and false-negative alerts, sensitivity and specificity can be equally high (>95%). (4) Herd-level udder health. By combining sensor readings from all cows in the herd, novel herd-level key performance indicators can be developed to monitor udder health status and development over time and raise alerts at significant deviances from predefined thresholds; sensitivity should be reasonably high, >80%, and because of the costs for further analysis of false-positive alerts, the specificity should be >99%. The development and validation of sensor-based algorithms specifically for these 4 mastitis situations will encourage situation-specific farmer interventions and operational udder health management.     

Fatty acid and fat‐soluble antioxidant concentrations in milk from high‐ and low‐input conventional and organic systems: seasonal variation

BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed differences in fatty acid (FA) and antioxidant profiles between organic and conventional milk. However, they did not (a) investigate seasonal differences, (b) include non‐organic, low‐input systems or (c) compare individual carotenoids, stereoisomers of α‐tocopherol or isomers of conjugated linoleic acid. This survey‐based study compares milk from three production systems: (i) high‐input, conventional (10 farms); (ii) low‐input, organic (10 farms); and (iii) low‐input non‐organic (5 farms). Samples were taken during the outdoor grazing (78 samples) and indoor periods (31 samples). RESULTS: During the outdoor grazing period, on average, milk from the low‐input systems had lower saturated FAs, but higher mono‐ and polyunsaturated FA concentrations compared with milk from the high‐input system. Milk from both the low‐input organic and non‐organic systems had significantly higher concentrations of nutritionally desirable FAs and antioxidants—conjugated linoleic (60% and 99%, respectively) and α‐linolenic (39% and 31%, respectively) acids, α‐tocopherol (33% and 50%, respectively) and carotenoids (33% and 80%, respectively)—compared with milk from the high‐input system. Milk composition differed significantly between the two low‐input systems during the second half of the grazing period only; with milk from non‐organic cows being higher in antioxidants, and conjugated linoleic acid, and that from organic cows in α‐linolenic acid. In contrast, few significant differences in composition were detected between high‐input and low‐input organic systems when cows were housed. CONCLUSIONS: Milk composition is affected by production systems by mechanisms likely to be linked to the stage and length of the grazing period, and diet composition, which will influence subsequent processing, and sensory and potential nutritional qualities of the milk. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Developing microbial spoilage population in vacuum-packaged charcoal-broiled European river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis)

Microbiological and sensory changes in vacuum-packaged charcoal-broiled river lampreys from three lamprey processing plants were monitored as a function of time at 8 degrees C. The lampreys were examined every 7 days up to 8 weeks for aerobic plate count (APC) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The highest mean APC and LAB were 6.01 log CFU/g and 4.86 log CFU/g, respectively. Only 6 out of 15 lots reached an APC value of 7.0 log CFU/g during storage. The sensory scores remained at the baseline levels after 8 weeks' storage. Twenty-seven isolates were randomly picked from MRS agar and identified to species level using a 16S and 23S rDNA HindIII RFLP (ribotyping) database and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene if no database match was obtained. Twelve of the 27 isolates were identified as Lactobacillus curvatus subsp. curvatus, and two Leuconostoc mesenteroides and one Weissella halotolerans strain were also detected. Twelve isolates were not identified by the LAB database. However, they possessed very high (99.9%) 16S gene sequence similarity with either Staphylococcus warneri or Staphylococcus pasteuri type strains. The LAB detected, with the exception of W. halotolerans, have commonly been associated with spoilage of fishery products, but in these vacuum-packaged lampreys, they were not the dominant organisms within the developing spoilage population.