Foodborne Toxigenic Agents Investigated in Central Italy: An Overview of a Three-Year Experience (2018–2020)

Foodborne diseases (FBDs) represent a worldwide public health issue, given their spreadability and the difficulty of tracing the sources of contamination. This report summarises the incidence of foodborne pathogens and toxins found in food, environmental and clinical samples collected in relation to diagnosed or suspected FBD cases and submitted between 2018 and 2020 to the Food Microbiology Unit of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana (IZSLT). Data collected from 70 FBD investigations were analysed: 24.3% of them started with an FBD diagnosis, whereas a further 41.4% involved clinical diagnoses based on general symptomatology. In total, 5.6% of the 340 food samples analysed were positive for the presence of a bacterial pathogen, its toxins or both. Among the positive samples, more than half involved meat-derived products. Our data reveal the probable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of FBD investigations conducted. In spite of the serious impact of FBDs on human health and the economy, the investigation of many foodborne outbreaks fails to identify the source of infection. This indicates a need for the competent authorities to continue to develop and implement a more fully integrated health network.

Microbial-Maximum Likelihood Estimation Tool for Microbial Quantification in Food From Left-Censored Data Using Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Microbial Risk Assessment

In food microbial measurements, when most or very often bacterial counts are below to the limit of quantification (LOQ) or the limit of detection (LOD) in collected food samples, they are either ignored or a specified value is substituted. The consequence of this approach is that it may lead to the over or underestimation of quantitative results. A maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) or Bayesian models can be applied to deal with this kind of censored data. Recently, in food microbiology, an MLE that deals with censored results by fitting a parametric distribution has been introduced. However, the MLE approach has limited practical application in food microbiology as practical tools for implementing MLE statistical methods are limited. We therefore developed a user-friendly MLE tool (called “Microbial-MLE Tool”), which can be easily used without requiring complex mathematical knowledge of MLE but the tool is designated to adjust log-normal distributions to observed counts, and illustrated how this method may be implemented for food microbial censored data using an Excel spreadsheet. In addition, we used two case studies based on food microbial laboratory measurements to illustrate the use of the tool. We believe that the Microbial-MLE tool provides an accessible and comprehensible means for performing MLE in food microbiology and it will also be of help to improve the outcome of quantitative microbial risk assessment (MRA).

Whole-Genome Sequence Datasets: A Powerful Resource for the Food Microbiology Laboratory Toolbox

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technologies are rapidly being adopted for routine use in food microbiology laboratories worldwide. Examples of how WGS is used to support food safety testing include gene marker discovery (e.g., virulence and anti-microbial resistance gene determination) and high-resolution typing (e.g., cg/wgMLST analysis). This has led to the establishment of large WGS databases representing the genomes of thousands of different types of food pathogenic and commensal bacteria. This information constitutes an invaluable resource that can be leveraged to develop and validate routine test methods used to support regulatory and industry food safety objectives. For example, well-curated raw and assembled genomic datasets of the key food pathogens (Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli) have been used in our laboratory in studies to validate bioinformatics pipelines, as well as new molecular methods as a prelude to the laboratory phase of the “wet lab” validation process. The application of genomic information to food microbiology method development will decrease the cost of test development and lead to the generation of more robust methodologies supporting risk assessment and risk management actions.

Advanced mass spectrometry-based foodomics and imaging.

The food analysis has rapidly transcended traditional boundaries and become a multidisciplinary food and nutrition science. Technological advances, particularly in analytical instrumentation, bioinformatics, and sample preparation, enabled development of objective, fast, multiplexed, and deep molecular screenings also for complex samples, such as raw materials and food products. The comprehensive and precise molecular profiles and fingerprints as well as unique molecular markers are determined, both qualitatively and quantitatively, for a broad range of food products with specific sensory properties. Novel analytical platforms and instruments are implemented, methods optimized, and protocols developed for a large number of applications, for instance in food microbiology, toxicology, authentication, food quality control. Modern food analysis technologies enable novel insight and provide good foundations for precise determination of geographical origin, genetically modified food, and differentiation between organic and conventional food. The study of effects of food and nutrition on human health and well-being was facilitated. All enumerated may assist in providing enough safe and quality food to the growing human population, and is possible due to application of foodomics technologies, particularly, genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics, in food analysis. This review is a comprehensive summary on developments in the fields of food analysis and foodomics from 2014 to 2020 with the emphasis on mass spectrometry (MS)-based analytical platforms and their usage in analysis of food contaminants, proteins, and small molecules. Other foodomics techniques are mentioned in brief. A separate paragraph is dedicated to MS-based imaging technologies in food analysis and foodomics imaging methods, a new emerging technology.

Evaluation of a Harmonized Undergraduate Catalog for Veterinary Public Health and Food Hygiene Pedagogy in Europe

Current and emerging veterinary public health (VPH) challenges raised by globalization, climate change, and industrialization of food production require the veterinarian’s role to evolve in parallel and veterinary education to adapt to reflect these changes. The European Food Hygiene catalog was developed to provide a list of topics relevant to Day One Competencies in VPH. A study was undertaken to ensure that the catalog and teaching practices were pertinent to the work of public health veterinarians. Relevant stakeholders were consulted using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. A long questionnaire was distributed to 49 academics teaching VPH in European veterinary schools to review topics listed in the catalog. Eighteen responses were received (36.7%), representing 12 European countries. There was general agreement that most topics were appropriate for the undergraduate VPH curriculum. A short questionnaire was distributed to 348 European veterinarians working in the industry. Twenty-four questionnaires (6.7%) were received, representing eight European countries. Despite the low participation rate, topics needing greater emphasis in the undergraduate curriculum included Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), food microbiology, and audits. Seven semi-structured interviews with public health veterinarians working in the UK identified the need for curricular changes including greater practical experience and a shift from a focus on meat inspection to risk management. This may be partly achieved by replacing traditional lectures with authentic case-based scenarios. The study findings can be used to inform the future direction to VPH education for veterinary students across Europe.

CUSTOMERS PERCEPTION ON FOOD SERVICE AND WATER MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HYGIENICS OF LOME FROM 2012 TO 2020

The general purpose of this article is to help monitor the performance of thewater and food microbiology laboratory at National Institute of Hygienics (NIH)of Lome. To achieve it, thework focused on analyzing trends in customers satisfaction from the laboratory in theperiod from 2012 to 2020. This study mainly took into account the analysis ofcustomers satisfaction levels with satisfaction metrics such as qualityreception facilities, the waiting time, the reliability of the results and the deadline for renderingresults customers complaints analysis as well as analysis of customers suggestions.From the results obtained, it emerged that the majority of the laboratorys customers are satisfiedof its services. Satisfaction rates were over 86% with respect to the quality ofreception facilities, more than 89% concerning waiting time, more than 93% compared tothe reliability of the results and more than 73% for the deadline for rendering results. Claimingcustomers are over 75% cleared and all cleared claims were made within the timeframeresolution expected. Customers suggestions are taken into account through the implementation ofappropriate action plans. However, the analysis of these results has made it possible to identifyinadequacies such as the non-representativeness of the samples from the various satisfaction surveysand the unavailability of certain data which should allow a morethorough. In addition, the available data have shown that the perception of the benefits of thelaboratory by customers, is not growing. However, these data made it possible to achieveto the conclusive results which deserve to be taken into account. In short, it appears clearlythat customers perceptions in the services of the water andfood microbiology laboratory of the NIH of Lome, is satisfactory, even if it is not growing.