Recognising patterns in rejection data for diagnosis

A new method for representing the causal relationship has been proposed by Ransing.¹² The causes for the occurrence of defects are classified into two categories. The first category is the “rootcauses”, comprising the causes which are related to the actual process, material and design parameters and these can be directly monitored. The second category is more abstract in nature and is classified as “metacauses”. These capture the scientific rationale implicit in the cause and defect relationships. The knowledge on causes and defects is represented in the form of a network rather than by a set of rules. A new diagnostic paradigm which takes into consideration the occurrence and non-occurrence of defects among the defective components during the diagnosis has been implemented. The pattern of defects is presented to the defect-metacause-rootcause network. The authors have presented two semantically constrained network algorithms to recognise and diagnose these defect patterns. The first is based on the Bayesian probability whereas the second is based on the “feed forward” neural network. Both algorithms have been compared. The semantically constrained neural network algorithm has been found to be a better technique for analysing casting defects.     

A survey of the microbiological quality of kangaroo carcasses processed for human consumption in two processing plants in Queensland, Australia

An investigation of the microbiological quality of kangaroo carcasses at two Queensland processing plants was carried out. A total of 836 whole muscle samples were taken, 801 from plant A and 35 from plant B. Samples were analyzed for aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. The mean adjusted aerobic plate count (APC) was 2.8 log CFU/g, and counts at the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles were 4.2, 4.9, and 6.4 log CFU/g, respectively. The maximum number of bacteria recovered was 6.5 log CFU/g. E. coli was detected in 13.9% of samples, for which the adjusted mean was 0.7 log CFU/g, and counts at the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles were 1.4, 2.0, and 3.0 log CFU/g, respectively. Salmonella was detected in 0.84% of samples. There was no significant relationship (P < 0.05) between season and APC or E. coli count. There was a significant relationship (P < 0.001) between Salmonella prevalence and summer. The microbiological quality of Queensland kangaroo carcasses is similar to that obtained during other excision-based studies of kangaroo, wild boar, and beef carcasses.     

Comparison of multiplex PCR with conventional biochemical methods for the identification of Listeria spp. isolates from food and clinical samples in Queensland, Australia

Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen with high mortality. L. monocytogenes and five other Listeria species can frequently be found in the same sample. To identify Listeria isolates found in foods to the species level, two multiplex PCRs were designed. The PCR and conventional biochemical methods were compared for the identification of 456 Listeria isolates collected from routine food quality monitoring schemes between June 2004 and February 2006 and for 62 L. monocytogenes isolates from patients between 1999 and 2005. The results showed that the PCR and biochemical methods had 100% agreement in Listeria identification. The distribution of Listeria species from foods was as follows: L. monocytogenes, 50.4%; L. innocua, 33.8%; L. welshimeri, 14.9%; L. seeligeri, 0.7%; L. grayi, 0.2%; and L. ivanovii, 0.0%. Additional analyses were performed to identify the major serotypes (1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c, and 4b) and the three lineages of L. monocytogenes isolates from foods and patients, with 1/2a (69.6%) and 1/2b (21.7%) dominating the food isolates and 1/2b (54.8%) and 4b (30.7%) dominating the patient isolates. The lineage results showed that isolates of 1/2a and 1/2c belonged to lineage II and that isolates of 1/2b and 4b belonged to lineage I. The multiplex PCRs for Listeria identification that have been established provide an accurate and rapid method for food quality control. This study has provided the basic knowledge of distribution of Listeria species and L. monocytogenes serotypes in Queensland, Australia, which is useful for epidemiological investigations of listeriosis.     

Application of heat in postcook meat chillers reduces Listeria

Electrical air-blowing heaters were used to heat and dry out holding chillers used for postcook commercial processed meats in an attempt to control the presence of Listeria. A baseline study of the prevalence of Listeria in holding chillers in seven facilities was undertaken. Listeria was detected in four of the seven chillers, and swab samples showed Listeria prevalence ranging from 7 (7.8%) of 90 to 6 (20%) of 30, depending on the facility. Two of the facilities with established Listeria contamination (A and E) were chosen for further studies. The heating trials consisted of three individual heating interventions at each of the two facilities, with 2 weeks of postintervention sampling after each treatment. The initial Listeria prevalence in chiller A was 19 (10.6%) of 180, and treatment at 37°C for 36 h reduced prevalence to 3 (1.7%) of 180. The initial Listeria prevalence in chiller E was 7 (7.8%) of 90, and treatment at 50°C for 2 h reduced prevalence to 0 of 90. Both reductions were statistically significant at P < 0.01. The incorporation of these two simple chiller heating protocols into these facilities' good manufacturing practices has effectively reduced prevalence of Listeria in chillers.     

Bacteriological profile of raw, frozen chicken nuggets

The bacteriological profile of raw, frozen chicken nuggets manufactured at a chicken processing facility in Queensland, Australia, was determined. Chicken nuggets are manufactured by grinding poultry, adding premixes to incorporate spices, forming the meat to the desired size and shape, applying a batter and breading, freezing, and packaging. A total of 300 frozen batches were analyzed for aerobic plate count, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella over a period of 4 years. The mean of the aerobic plate count was 5.4 log CFU/g, and counts at the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles were 5.7, 5.9, and 6.5 log CFU/g, respectively. The maximum number of bacteria detected was 6.6 log CFU/g. E. coli prevalence was 47%, and of the positive samples, the mean was 1.9 log CFU/g; counts at the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles were 2.3, 2.4, and 2.8 log CFU/g, respectively. The maximum number of E. coli was 2.9 log CFU/g. The Salmonella prevalence was 8.7%, and 57.7% of these isolates were typed as Salmonella subspecies II 4,12,[27]:b:[e,n,x] (Sofia), a low-virulence serotype well adapted to Australian poultry flocks. There was a significant relationship (P < 0.05) between season and both aerobic plate counts and E. coli counts, and no correlation between E. coli counts and Salmonella prevalence. This study provides valuable data on the bacteriological quality of raw, frozen chicken nuggets.     

A survey of the bacteriological quality of preroasted peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, and brazil nut kernels received into three Australian nut-processing facilities over a period of 3 years

There is little information about bacteriological quality of preroasted kernels available in the public domain. An investigation of the bacteriological quality of preroasted peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, and Brazil nut kernels received into three Australian nut-processing facilities was performed over a period of 3 years. A total of 836 samples were analyzed for aerobic plate count, and 921 samples for Salmonella and Escherichia coli. The 921 samples included 653 peanut, 100 cashew, 60 almond, 60 Brazil nut, and 48 hazelnut kernels. There was no E. coli detected in any sample. Salmonella subsp. II (Fremantle) was detected in one raw almond sample. The aerobic plate count percentages of positive samples with counts above the detection level of the plating method used (100 CFU/g) for peanuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts were 84, 78, 74, 50, and 45%, respectively. Of the samples containing more than this detection limit, the means were 4.5, 4.4, 3.1, 2.5, and 3.8 log CFU/g respectively. Although roasted kernel quality was not within the scope of this survey, raw microbial bioload would be expected to reduce on roasting. The bacteriological quality of preroasted peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, and Brazil nut kernels received into nut-processing facilities in Australia does not appear to suggest a public health concern.