Introduction to Special Issue: Study of Microbiological Safety in the Food Chain

Ensuring microbiological safety in the food (of animal origin) chain is a challenging task due to the complex interactions among animals, humans and the environment [...]

Innovative Treatments Enhancing the Functionality of Gut Microbiota to Improve Quality and Microbiological Safety of Foods of Animal Origin

The gastrointestinal tract, or gut, microbiota is a microbial community containing a variety of microorganisms colonizing throughout the gut that plays a crucial role in animal health, growth performance, and welfare. The gut microbiota is closely associated with the quality and microbiological safety of foods and food products originating from animals. The gut microbiota of the host can be modulated and enhanced in ways that improve the quality and safety of foods of animal origin. Probiotics—also known as direct-fed microbials—competitive exclusion cultures, prebiotics, and synbiotics have been utilized to achieve this goal. Reducing foodborne pathogen colonization in the gut prior to slaughter and enhancing the chemical, nutritional, or sensory characteristics of foods (e.g., meat, milk, and eggs) are two of many positive outcomes derived from the use of these competitive enhancement–based treatments in food-producing animals. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 13 is March 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Analysis of health risks associated with food safety

Introduction. Aim. Selection of priority safety indicators and optimal research scope through analysis of potential health risks associated with chemical and microbiological safety of food products (FP). Materials and methods. Retrospectively analyzed data on chemical and microbiological safety of FP addressed on the consumer market of the Republic of Buryatia for 2016-2020. Assessment of the potential risk of harm to human health included prediction performed on linear regression models. Results. The maximum probability of violations of mandatory requirements for chemical and microbiological contamination was noted for dairy products. The minimum probability of violations was identified for the biologically active additives and industrial baby FP. The calculation of potential risks to consumer health based on the results of studies of FP revealed the categories of “high risk” - fish and seafood, “significant risk” - dairy products, confectionery, vegetables, melons, soft drinks. It was found that the supply of fish and seafood, poultry and poultry products had long supply chains, when the risks associated with non-compliance with their transportation and storage conditions were most likely Correlations were revealed between the risk level according to the microbiological criterion associated with the contamination of food, fish, culinary products, poultry meat and the incidence of acute intestinal infections. The indicated factor signs determine from 28.6% to 67.0% of the variance of the incidence. Conclusion. Identification of potential risks of harm to the public health related to FP safety indicates the need for further monitoring of the content of chemical and microbiological contaminants.

Novel Techniques for Microbiological Safety in Meat and Fish Industries

The consumer tendency towards convenient, minimally processed meat items has placed extreme pressure on processors to certify the safety of meat or meat products without compromising the quality of product and to meet consumer’s demand. This has prompted difficulties in creating and carrying out novel processing advancements, as the utilization of more up-to-date innovations may influence customer decisions and assessments of meat and meat products. Novel advances received by the fish and meat industries for controlling food-borne microbes of huge potential general wellbeing concern, gaps in the advancements, and the requirement for improving technologies that have been demonstrated to be effective in research settings or at the pilot scale shall be discussed. Novel preparing advancements in the meat industries warrant microbiological approval before being named as industrially suitable alternatives and authorizing infra-structural changes. This miniature review presents the novel techniques for the microbiological safety of meat products, including both thermal and non-thermal methods. These technologies are being successfully implemented and rationalized in subsisting processing surroundings.

Microbiological Safety and Organoleptic Quality of Homogenized Sausages Manufactured with Commercial Functional Additives

The aim of the study was to compare the microbiological safety and sensory quality of meat products manufactured with commercial functional additives. Four functional additives (AFX, AE100, PANA4, FPRX) were used in industrial conditions in the production of homogenized meat products (thick wiener). In order to determine the microbiological safety of final products, the total number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and the number of Listeria monocytogenes were measured. Consumer assessment and quantitative flavor profiling (QFP) were used for analysis of organoleptic quality. After 7 days of storage, it was found that the effectiveness of the selected additives against the growth of aerobic mesophilic bacteria was unsatisfactory. Only after application of PANA4 did the product not show undesirable changes that would disqualify it from consumption. Each of the functional additives used had a high level of efficacy in inhibiting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. Meat products with PANA4 addition had the highest consumer acceptance of the overall appearance. The best intensity of flavor bouquet, meat aroma and color, assessed by QFP method, was characterized by the samples with AFX and PANA4 in their recipe.

INVESTIGATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY OF PREPARATION OF WHEAT GRAIN FOR GRINDING ON ITS MICROBIOLOGICAL SAFETY INDICATORS

Качество и безопасность зерна выступает важным и обязательным объектом государственного регулирования и контроля. Рост количества опасных видов сорных растений, вредных насекомых и заболеваний зерновых культур привел к снижению качества зерновой массы, повышению ее микробиальной обсемененности. Важным этапом снижения микробиальной обсемененности зерна является его подготовка к переработке. Для повышения эффективности сепарирования и поверхностной очистки зерна пшеницы и снижения его микробиологической обсемененности учеными Кубанского государственного технологического университета предложена технологическая линия, включающая установку фотоэлектронного сепаратора перед овсюгоотборником для очистки зерновой массы от примесей, отличающихся от зерна пшеницы по цвету, и шлифовального агрегата вместо обоечных машин для очистки поверхности зерна. Цель настоящего исследования – определить эффективность применения предложенной технологии подготовки зерна пшеницы к помолу на примере его микробиологических показателей безопасности. В качестве объектов исследования были образцы зерна пшеницы из партий, поступивших с элеватора в подготовительное отделение мельницы, отобранные на зерноперерабатывающих предприятиях Краснодарского края, работающих как по традиционной, так и по усовершенствованной технологии. Установлено, что в зерновой массе, подготовленной к помолу по разработанной технологии, общее количество бактерий на 65% меньше, а содержание дрожжей и плесеней соответственно в 2 и 3 раза ниже, чем в зерновой массе, подготовленной к переработке по традиционной технологии. Из зерновой массы, подготовленной к переработке по усовершенствованной технологии, были полностью удалены вредные и минеральные примеси, фузариозные зерна и куколь. Результаты исследования показали высокую эффективность применения разработанной технологии подготовки зерна пшеницы к помолу. The quality and safety of grain is an important and mandatory object of state regulation and control. The increase in the number of dangerous species of weeds, harmful insects and diseases of grain crops has led to a decrease in the quality of grain mass, an increase in its microbial contamination. An important step in reducing the microbial contamination of grain is its preparation for processing. To increase the efficiency of separation and surface cleaning of wheat grain and reduce its microbiological contamination, scientists of the Kuban State Technological University have proposed a technological line that includes the installation of a photoelectronic separator in front of the oat collector to clean the grain mass from impurities that differ from wheat grain in color, and a grinding unit instead for cleaning the grain surface. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the proposed technology for preparing wheat grain for grinding on the example of its microbiological safety indicators. The objects of the study were samples of wheat grain from batches received from the elevator to the preparatory department of the mill, selected at grain processing enterprises of the Krasnodar region operating both according to traditional and improved technology. It was found that in the grain mass prepared for grinding according to the developed technology, the total number of bacteria is 65% less, and the content of yeast and mold respectively is 2 and 3 times lower than in the grain mass prepared for processing according to traditional technology. Harmful and mineral impurities, fusarium grains and Agrostemma L. were completely removed from the grain mass prepared for processing using improved technology. The results of the study showed the high efficiency of the application of the developed technology for preparing wheat grain for grinding.