Microbes versus microbes: control of pathogens in the food chain (original) (raw)

The role of protective and probiotic cultures in food and feed and their impact in food safety

Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2011

In order to meet the increasing demand for food quality and safety, the control of pathogenic microorganisms from "farm to fork" is a continuous challenge. This challenge has become more important due to changes in animal production, product processing and distribution, new food habits, higher numbers of consumers at risk for infection and increased awareness. This review is focused on the use of protective and probiotic cultures as "natural" intervention measures to control and prevent the transmission of pathogens along the food chain and on the most used technologies to produce these cultures at the large scale.

Future challenges to microbial food safety

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2010

Despite significant efforts by all parties involved, there is still a considerable burden of foodborne illness, in which microorganisms play a prominent role. Microbes can enter the food chain at different steps, are highly versatile and can adapt to the environment allowing survival, growth and production of toxic compounds. This sets them apart from chemical agents and thus their study from food toxicology. We summarize the discussions of a conference organized by the Dutch Food and Consumer Products Safety Authority and the European Food Safety Authority. The goal of the conference was to discuss new challenges to food safety that are caused by microorganisms as well as strategies and methodologies to counter these. Management of food safety is based on generally accepted principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points and of Good Manufacturing Practices. However, a more proactive, science-based approach is required, starting with the ability to predict where problems might arise by applying the risk analysis framework. Developments that may influence food safety in future occur on different scales (from global to molecular) and in different time frames (from decades to less than a minute). This necessitates development of new risk assessment approaches, taking the impact of different drivers of change into account. We provide an overview of drivers that may affect food safety and their potential impact on foodborne pathogens and human disease risks. We conclude that many drivers may result in increased food safety risks, requiring active governmental policy setting and anticipation by food industries whereas other drivers may decrease food safety risks. Monitoring of contamination in the food chain, combined with surveillance of human illness and epidemiological investigations of outbreaks and sporadic cases continue to be important sources of information. New approaches in human illness surveillance include the use of

Use of Effective Microorganisms EM for Sustainable Pathogen Control in Food Safety

International Conference on Universal Village (UV), 2018

TeraGanix, Inc. produces and distributes the original and certified brand, Effective Microorganisms (EM) for the United States. EM all-natural liquid probiotic comprises of three groups of microbes: Lactic Acid Bacteria, Yeast, and Photosynthetic Bacteria. Given that Lactic Acid Bacteria has been used for centuries for food preservation and fermentation, EM has the potential to be used as a biocontrol for common foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria, and E. Coli. This paper is a gathering of research done to support EMs use in pathogen control as it relates to food safety.

Contemporary strategies in combating microbial contamination in food chain

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2010

The objective of this review has been to disclose collected information on benefits and risks of selected “less-than – sterilizing” processes applied to control microbial hazards in food that was meticulously collected and critically reviewed during five years of EU Sixth framework project “Pathogen Combat”. The target organisms of the project, and thus of this review, too, were Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni. Due to their specific response and high relevancy to the food safety, foodborne viruses and spores, were also discussed within the scope of this review. Selected treatments comprised High Pressure Processing, Intense Light Pulses, treatments with organic acids, treatments with chlorine dioxide and for their relevancy also mild heat treatments and Pulsed Electric Field processing were included. The main aspects included in this review were principles of the processes used and their application, sub-lethal injury and its consequences on microbial food safety, and legal platform and its impact on wide use of the treatments. Finally a reflection has been made to combined application of different hurdles and accompanying risks.

Microbial defense systems in foods and feeds

Journal of Biological Control, 2017

Bacteriocins are proteinaceous substances having antigenic and developed by some microbial strains having the ability and effectiveness against pathogenic bacteria and spoilage, harmless to the consumer, and have no adverse effect on the organoleptic product quality. Bacteriocins are rendered inactive by the action of proteolytic enzymes present in the gastrointestinal tract, thy can resist high temperatures, are non-toxic and does not compromise the immune system in experimental animals. Bacteriocins as microbial defense systems has been widely researched and documented. However, though the diversity and abundance of bactrocins is very high, indicating their use as microbial weapons, research on ecological and evolutionary significance needs elaborate studies. More advanced studies are needed to unfold reasons for their success as toxins.

Role of bacteria in food safety

Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. In this way food safety often overlaps with food defence to prevent harm to consumers. The tracks within this line of thought are safety between industry and the market and then between the market and the consumer. In considering industry to market practices, food safety considerations include the origins of food including the practices relating to food labelling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods. In considering market to consumer practices, the usual thought is that food ought to be safe in the market and the concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning. In developed countries there are intricate standards for food preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries the main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water, which is usually a critical item. In theory, food poisoning is 100% preventable. The five key principles of food hygiene, according to WHO, are: