Control of Foodborne Pathogens and Spoilage Microorganisms by Naturally Occurring Antimicrobials

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry Beuchat
Keyword(s):  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Spoilage Microorganisms

scholarly journals Expiration Date of Ready-to-Eat Salads: Effects on Microbial Load and Biochemical Attributes

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 941
Author(s):  
Panayiota Xylia ◽  
George Botsaris ◽  
Panagiotis Skandamis ◽  
Nikolaos Tzortzakis
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Production ◽  
Microbial Load ◽  
Expiration Date ◽  
Postharvest Management ◽  
Minimally Processed Vegetables ◽  
Yeasts And Molds ◽  
Staphylococcus Spp ◽  
Spoilage Microorganisms

When minimally processed vegetables reach their expiration date, expose an increased microbial load. This includes mainly spoilage microorganisms but also foodborne pathogens, thus affecting the quality and safety of highly consumed ready-to-eat salads. A total of 144 ready-to-eat salads from the Cypriot market were analyzed in an attempt to determine the effects of the expiration date on the microbial load and plant metabolic variables of the salads. Possible correlations between them were also investigated for the first time. Furthermore, the impacts of the season (winter, summer), salad producing companies and type of salad and/or their interactions with the tested parameters were investigated. Results revealed that the microbial load (mainly spoilage microorganisms, such as Pseudomonas spp., yeasts and molds) increased towards the end of the shelf life. The microbial load was differentiated among the five salad producers and/or the salad types, highlighting the importance of a common and safe sanitation-processing chain in the preparation of ready-to-eat salads. Summer was the season in which Escherichia coli counts were found to be higher for plain lettuce, while Staphylococcus spp. was increased numbers for the lettuce+endive/radicchio, lettuce+rocket and lettuce+chives type of salads. Additionally, an increased Staphylococcus spp. was observed for plain rocket salads in winter. All samples examined were found negative for Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. Moreover, carbon dioxide production and damage indexes (hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation) increased on expiration date on both winter and summer seasons, indicating plant tissue stress at the end of shelf life. These findings indicate that the expiration date and relevant shelf life of processed vegetables are important parameters to be considered when postharvest management is applied to these products, ensuring safety and quality.

scholarly journals Natural Phenolic Compounds for the Control of Oxidation, Bacterial Spoilage, and Foodborne Pathogens in Meat

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aphrodite I. Kalogianni ◽  
Thomai Lazou ◽  
Ioannis Bossis ◽  
Athanasios I. Gelasakis
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Antimicrobial Properties ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Antioxidant And Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Relevant Regulation

Alternative technologies for long-term preservation, quality assurance, and safety of meat are continuously pursued by the food industry to satisfy the demands of modern consumers for nutritious and healthy meat-based products. Naturally occurring phenolic compounds are considered promising substances by the meat industry for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, while consumers seem to embrace them for their claimed health benefits. Despite the numerous in vitro and in situ studies demonstrating their beneficial effects against meat oxidation, spoilage, and foodborne pathogens, wide application and commercialization has not been yet achieved. Major obstacles are still the scarcity of legislative framework, the large variety of meat-based products and targeted pathogens, the limited number of case-specific application protocols and the questionable universal efficiency of the applied ones. The objectives of the present review are (i) to summarize the current knowledge about the applications of naturally occurring phenols in meat and meat-based products, emphasizing the mechanisms, determinants, and spectrum of their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity; (ii) to present state-of-the-art technologies utilized for the application of phenolic compounds in meat systems; and (iii) to discuss relevant regulation, limitations, perspectives, and future challenges for their mass industrial use.

Antagonistic Action of Cells of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis against Pathogenic and Spoilage Microorganisms in Fresh Meat Systems†

2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. SENNE ◽  
S. E. GILLILAND
Keyword(s):  
Salmonella Typhimurium ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Lactobacillus Delbrueckii ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Fresh Meat ◽  
Antagonistic Action ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Spoilage Microorganisms ◽  
Lactobacillus Delbrueckii Subsp

Cells of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis RM2-5 were added to various meat model systems that had been inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 or Salmonella Typhimurium to determine whether these lactobacilli were antagonistic to the pathogens during storage at 5°C. Experiments in which L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis RM2-5 was directly applied to the surfaces of beefsteaks resulted in significant (P < 0.05) reductions in the growth of psychrotrophs and coliforms plus a slight decrease in the numbers of E. coli O157:H7 over time relative to those for control samples to which no lactobacilli had been added. Experiments involving the direct application of L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis RM2-5 to the surfaces of freshly slaughtered beef and pork carcass samples inoculated with either E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella Typhimurium showed significant (P < 0.05) declines in numbers of the pathogens as well as a reduction in the growth of psychrotrophs during storage at 5°C for 6 days. The results of the experiments suggest that lactobacillus cultures have potential for use in an intervention technology for the control of foodborne pathogens, especially on the surfaces of beef and pork carcasses. The results of this study also suggest that an extension of the shelf life of meat can result from the decreased growth of psychrotrophic spoilage organisms.

Microbial Antagonists of Foodborne Pathogens on Fresh, Minimally Processed Vegetables

2002 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 1909-1915 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAREN M. SCHUENZEL ◽  
MARK A. HARRISON
Keyword(s):  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Inhibitory Activity ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Minimally Processed ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Bacterial Microbiota ◽  
Bacterial Enumeration ◽  
Minimally Processed Vegetables

On many types of raw or minimally processed foods, the bacterial microbiota is often composed of mixed species. The activities of one bacterial species may influence the growth and activities of others that are present. The objective of this project was to evaluate the microbial composition of fresh and minimally processed vegetables to determine if naturally occurring bacteria on produce are competitive with or antagonistic to potentially encountered pathogens. Naturally occurring bacteria were obtained from ready-to-eat salad vegetables on four occasions to allow for seasonal variation. Minimally processed vegetables were sampled at various stages in their processing from raw vegetables to packaged products. Some portions were analyzed microbiologically within 24 h, while other portions were stored refrigerated and analyzed after 72 h. Microbiological analysis was conducted for bacterial enumeration and to obtain isolates. An agar spot method was used to screen isolates for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 27664, Escherichia coli O157:H7 E009, Listeria monocytogenes LCDC 81–861, and Salmonella Montevideo. Of the 1,180 isolates screened for inhibitory activity, 37 (3.22%) were found to have various degrees of inhibitory activity against at least one test pathogen. Many isolates showed inhibitory activity against all four pathogens. The isolates with the most extensive inhibition were removed from finished lettuce piece shreds. Of the 37 inhibitory isolates, 34 (91.9%) were gram negative. All isolates with inhibitory activity are able to multiply at both 4 and 10°C.

Efficacy of Commercial Natural Antimicrobials Alone and in Combinations against Pathogenic and Spoilage Microorganisms

2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHAYAPA TECHATHUVANAN ◽  
FATIMA REYES ◽  
JAIRUS R. D. DAVID ◽  
P. MICHAEL DAVIDSON
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Salmonella Enteritidis ◽  
Microbial Control ◽  
Antagonistic Effect ◽  
Synergistic Activity ◽  
Natural Antimicrobials ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
Spoilage Microorganisms

Microbial control strategies are needed in the food industry to prevent foodborne illnesses and outbreaks and prolong product shelf life. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the efficacy of the commercial natural antimicrobials white mustard essential oil (WMEO), citrus flavonoid and acid blend (CFAB), olive extract (OE), Nisaplin (a compound containing nisin), and lauric arginate (LAE) alone and in combinations against foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. MICs of individual and combined antimicrobials against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Enteritidis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus were determined at pH 6.0 and 25°C. WMEO was most effective against B. cereus and S. aureus, with MICs of 250 and 500 mg/liter, respectively. CFAB inhibited all tested microorganisms, requiring only 12 to 35 mg/liter for gram-positive bacteria. For OE, 2,000 mg/liter was needed to achieve microbial inhibition. Nisaplin at 400 to 1,200 mg/liter inhibited only gram-positive bacteria. LAE was effective at low concentrations and required only 20 to 50 mg/liter to inhibit all tested microorganisms. When WMEO was combined with other antimicrobials, the effects were usually additive except for WMEO plus Nisaplin and WMEO+OE, which had synergistic activity against L. monocytogenes and Salmonella Enteritidis, respectively. An antagonistic effect was observed for WMEO+CFAB against E. aerogenes. For WMEO+LAE+CFAB, additive antimicrobial effects were noted against all strains tested except S. aureus, where a synergistic effect occurred. These findings suggest that these commercial natural antimicrobials have potential to enhance food safety by inhibiting foodborne pathogens and extending product shelf life.

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