scholarly journals Detection of Infectious Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts from Lamb’s Lettuce: CC–qPCR’s Intake

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 215
Author(s):  
Sophie Kubina ◽  
Damien Costa ◽  
Loïc Favennec ◽  
Gilles Gargala ◽  
Angélique Rousseau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Easy Method ◽  
Leafy Greens ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Fresh Food ◽  
Cryptosporidium Parvum Oocysts ◽  
Cooked Food ◽  
Berry Fruits ◽  
Processing Steps

Cryptosporidium spp. is responsible for several food and waterborne disease outbreaks worldwide. Healthier lifestyles attract consumers to eat, notably, fresh food like fruits and vegetables. The consumption of raw or under-cooked food increases the risk of foodborne transmission of Cryptosporidiosis. The assessment of the consumer’s exposure to Cryptosporidium danger is crucial for public health. Still, the standardized method to detect this parasite in fresh leafy greens and berry fruits has only been available since 2016 and suffers from weaknesses. Consequently, in this study, we propose a method with minimum processing steps that combines cell culture and the quantitative PCR (CC–qPCR) for detecting infectious C. parvum oocysts recovered from lamb’s lettuce. This CC–qPCR is a rapid and easy method that can detect up to one oocyst, whereas it is undetectable by classic qPCR.

A Field Study of the Microbiological Quality of Fresh Produce†‡

2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 1840-1847 ◽  
Author(s):  
LYNETTE M. JOHNSTON ◽  
LEE-ANN JAYKUS ◽  
DEBORAH MOLL ◽  
MARTHA C. MARTINEZ ◽  
JUAN ANCISO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Leafy Greens ◽  
Microbiological Methods ◽  
Aerobic Plate Count

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that foodborne disease outbreaks associated with fruits and vegetables increased during the past decade. This study was conducted to characterize the routes of microbial contamination in produce and to identify areas of potential contamination from production through postharvest handling. We report here the levels of bacterial indicator organisms and the prevalence of selected pathogens in produce samples collected from the southern United States. A total of 398 produce samples (leafy greens, herbs, and cantaloupe) were collected through production and the packing shed and assayed by enumerative tests for total aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, total Enterococcus, and Escherichia coli. These samples also were analyzed for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7. Microbiological methods were based on methods recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For all leafy greens and herbs, geometric mean indicator levels ranged from 4.5 to 6.2 log CFU/g (aerobic plate count); less than 1 to 4.3 log CFU/g (coliforms and Enterococcus); and less than 1 to 1.5 log CFU/g (E. coli). In many cases, indicator levels remained relatively constant throughout the packing shed, particularly for mustard greens. However, for cilantro and parsley, total coliform levels increased during the packing process. For cantaloupe, microbial levels significantly increased from field through packing, with ranges of 6.4 to 7.0 log CFU/g (aerobic plate count); 2.1 to 4.3 log CFU/g (coliforms); 3.5 to 5.2 log CFU/g (Enterococcus); and less than 1 to 2.5 log CFU/g (E. coli). The prevalence of pathogens for all samples was 0, 0, and 0.7% (3 of 398) for L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella, respectively. This study demonstrates that each step from production to consumption may affect the microbial load of produce and reinforces government recommendations for ensuring a high-quality product.

Foodborne Outbreaks in Canada Linked to Produce: 2001 through 2009

2013 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. K. KOZAK ◽  
D. MacDONALD ◽  
L. LANDRY ◽  
J. M. FARBER
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Leafy Greens ◽  
The World ◽  
Consumption Rates ◽  
Foodborne Outbreaks ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Per Capita Consumption

Foodborne disease outbreaks associated with fresh fruits and vegetables have been increasing in occurrence worldwide. Canada has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of fresh fruits and vegetables in the world. In this article, we review the foodborne disease outbreaks linked to produce consumption in Canada from 2001 through 2009. The 27 produce-related outbreaks included an estimated 1,549 cases of illness. Bacterial infection outbreaks represented 66% of the total. Among these, Salmonella was the most frequent agent (50% of outbreaks) followed by Escherichia coli (33%) and Shigella (17%). Cyclospora cayetanensis was the only parasite detected and was associated with seven outbreaks. Among the foodborne viruses, only hepatitis A was implicated in two outbreaks. The food vehicles most commonly implicated in outbreaks were leafy greens and herbs (26% of outbreaks), followed by seed sprouts (11%). Contamination sources and issues related to the future control of fresh produce–related foodborne disease outbreaks also are discussed.

scholarly journals Parasitic Contamination of Fruits and Vegetables Collected from Selected Local Markets of Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamirat Tefera ◽  
Abdissa Biruksew ◽  
Zeleke Mekonnen ◽  
Teferi Eshetu
Keyword(s):  
Normal Saline ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Southwest Ethiopia ◽  
Local Markets ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Potential Sources ◽  
Jimma Town

Background. A study aimed at determining the prevalence and predictors of parasitic contamination of fruits and vegetables collected from local markets in Jimma Town, Ethiopia, was conducted between April and May 2013. Methods. A total of 360 samples of fruits and vegetables were examined by sedimentation concentration after washing using normal saline. Results. The overall prevalence of parasitic contamination was 57.8%. Strongyloides like parasite (21.9%) was the most frequent parasitic contaminant followed by Toxocara Spp (14.7%), Cryptosporidium Spp (12.8%), H. nana (8.3%), G. lamblia (7.5%), A. lumbricoides (6.7%), E. histolytica/dispar (5.3%), Cyclospora spp (5.0%), and H. diminuta (1.4%). Washing of the fruits and vegetables before display for selling was significantly associated with decreased parasitic contamination (P<0.001). Conclusion. Since fruits and vegetables are potential sources of transmission for intestinal parasites in the study area, consumers should always avoid acquiring parasitic infection from contaminated fruits and vegetables supplied in Jimma Town through proper cleaning and cooking.

scholarly journals Risks of microbiological contamination of fruits and vegetables used for food

2021 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-102
Author(s):  
A. Saparbekova ◽  
◽  
A. Latif ◽  
A. Altekey ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Acetic Acid Bacteria ◽  
Fruit Crops ◽  
Apple Variety ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Berry Crops ◽  
Contaminated Food ◽  
Aseptic Conditions

Fruits and vegetables are most often consumed without being thoroughly processed before consumption. Some plant foods are vacuum-packed to ensure long shelf life as well as preserving the quality and safety of the product. Fruits and vegetables carry naturally occurring non-pathogenic epiphytic microflora on their surfaces. During growth, harvesting, transport and further handling they can be repeatedly contaminated by pathogens from human or animal sources. Fresh fruit crops have been implicated in a number of documented foodborne disease outbreaks. Outbreaks of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites have been epidemiologically linked to the consumption of a wide range of fruits and vegetables. The aim of our study is to assess the risk of contamination in fruit and berry crops and how to address this long-standing problem, namely, contamination of fruit and vegetables with unnatural pathogenic microflora. The following fruit and berry crops common in Turkestan region were chosen for the experiment: Apple variety Suislepskoe (stolovka) , peach variety Nectarine and grape variety Kishmish. Bacteriological inoculation was carried out by membrane filtration of used sterile water to obtain flushes from the surface of fruit crops. All work was carried out under full aseptic conditions. The utensils, water and other equipment used in the work were sterilised in advance. The data obtained during the experiment shows that there is a potential for widespread contamination of uncharacteristic microflora of plant products. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that there are yeasts and acetic acid bacteria on the surface of all three samples of fruit and berry crops, which can be universally contaminated food and are not the natural microflora for the above mentioned crops. Specifically, fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with various bacterial pathogens, including Salmonella, Shigella, E. Coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter.

scholarly journals Protozoan pathogens Blastocystis and Giardia spp. in roof-harvested rainwater: the need to investigate the role of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and other potential sources of zoonotic transmission

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 780-785
Author(s):  
Edward Waters ◽  
Warish Ahmed ◽  
Kerry Ann Hamilton ◽  
Deniss Plaksins ◽  
Damian Stark
Keyword(s):  
Entamoeba Histolytica ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Dientamoeba Fragilis ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Blastocystis Spp ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Abstract Globally, protozoan pathogens are an increasingly important cause of reported disease outbreaks, with the majority of documented outbreaks between 2004 and 2010 reported in Australia. While the microbiological contamination of roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) has been well studied, limited information is available regarding contamination with protozoan pathogens. In this study, rainwater (n = 134) and possum fecal samples (n = 20) were screened for the presence of several protozoan pathogens, including Blastocystis spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., Dientamoeba fragilis, and Entamoeba histolytica using the multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction. While Cryptosporidium spp. was only detected in two possum fecal samples (10%) and Giardia spp. was only detected in three RHRW samples (2.23%, n = 134), Blastocystis spp. was detected in both possum feces (25%) and RHRW (5.22%) samples. Dientamoeba fragilis and Entamoeba histolytica were not detected in any samples. These findings highlight protozoan pathogens as a potentially important area of focus for rainwater quality assessment. Furthermore, while possums are suggested as a potential source of Blastocystis spp. in RHRW, sources of this pathogen in RHRW warrant further investigation.

scholarly journals Progress of pulsed light sterilization technology in the food field

2020 ◽  
Vol 185 ◽  
pp. 04072
Author(s):  
Weijin Fang ◽  
Shengping Xue ◽  
Yitong Yue
Keyword(s):  
Food Quality ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Pulsed Light ◽  
Food Preservatives ◽  
Combined Application ◽  
Food Sterilization ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, the rate of disease outbreaks caused by food-borne microorganisms is gradually increasing. The abuse of food preservatives has not only caused environmental problems, but also led to the gradual increase in the resistance of bacteria. As a non-thermal physical sterilization technology, pulsed light sterilization has attracted more and more attention in the field of food sterilization. Traditional heat sterilization will destroy the quality of food and cannot be used for preservation of fruits and vegetables. Chemical reagents will cause environmental problems. The pulsed light sterilization technology has the advantages of low cost, pollution-free, safe and efficient, and will not damage food quality. It can be perfectly applied in the field of food sterilization. Pulsed light can also be used in combination with other sterilization technologies. For example, the combined application of pectin coating and UV sterilization technology to treat food will achieve better results. The research on pulsed light sterilization at home and abroad is mainly based on the application in food sterilization. This article describes the mechanism of pulsed light sterilization, introduces the application examples of pulsed light sterilization in the food field, and discusses the impact on food quality.

scholarly journals Biochemical Composition of Propolis and Its Efficacy in Maintaining Postharvest Storability of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
İbrahim Kahramanoğlu ◽  
Volkan Okatan ◽  
Chunpeng Wan
Keyword(s):  
Biochemical Composition ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Scientific Medicine ◽  
Fresh Food ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Plant Exudates ◽  
Processing And Storage ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Plant Sources

Propolis, also called “bee-glue,” is a natural resinous substance produced by honeybees from plant exudates, beeswax, and bee secretions in order to defend the hives. It has numerous phenolic compounds with more than 250 identified chemical compounds in its composition, which are also known to significantly vary according to the plant sources and season. Moreover, it has a long history in the traditional and scientific medicine as having antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and wound healing effects since 300 BC. In addition to its nutritional and health-promoting effects, it has been reported to improve the postharvest storability of fresh fruits, vegetables, and processed food products. Herein, the biochemical composition and the efficacy of propolis in maintaining the postharvest storability of fresh food products were discussed to provide comprehensive guide to farmers and food processing and storage sectors and to scientists. This review paper also highlights the important points to which special attention should be given in further studies in order to be able to use propolis to develop biopreservatives industrially and for quality preservation during storage.

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