Developing an affordable hyperspectral imaging system for rapid identification of O157:H7 and in dairy products.

The objective of this foundational study was to develop and evaluate the efficacy of an affordable hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system to identify single and mixed strains of foodborne pathogens in dairy products. This study was designed as a completely randomized design with three replications. Three strains each of O157:H7 and were evaluated either as single or mixed strains with the HSI system in growth media and selected dairy products (whole milk, and cottage and cheddar cheeses).

Heat resistance comparison of Salmonella and Enterococcus faecium in cornmeal at different moisture levels.

Adequate surrogate identification is critical for validating in-plant thermal process controls for Salmonella inactivation in different food matrices. This study compared the thermal inactivation parameters (D- and z-values) and evaluated the heat resistance of Enterococcus faecium (8459) as a surrogate for a 5-serovar Salmonella cocktail in cornmeal. The cornmeal was spray inoculated with the respective bacteria to achieve ~9 log CFU/g population and set to the desired moisture contents (16, 22, and 28% w.

Survivability and thermal resistance of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O121 in wheat flour during extended storage of 360 days.

Foodborne pathogens like Salmonella and Escherichia coli O121 can endure the harsh low water activity (a) environment of wheat flour for elongated periods of time and can proliferate when hydrated for baking or other purposes. This study determined the survivability and thermal tolerance (D- and z-values) of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O121 in wheat flour and muffin batter (prepared from inoculated flour on the days of analyses) during the storage period of 360 days. The Salmonella and E.

Survival and thermal resistance of Salmonella in dry and hydrated nonfat dry milk and whole milk powder during extended storage.

Foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella can endure dry environments of milk powders for extended periods due to the increased adaptability at a low water activity (a) and proliferate when powders are hydrated. This study compared the survivability and the thermal resistance of a 5-serovar Salmonella cocktail in dry and hydrated nonfat dry milk (NFDM) and whole milk powder (WMP) stored for 180 days at ambient temperature (~20 °C). This study was designed as two factorial (storage days and milk powder type) randomized complete block design with three replications as blocks.

Short communication: Decimal log reductions of Salmonella Senftenberg 775 W and other Salmonella serovars in nonfat milk and powder.

This study aimed to compare the thermal resistance of Salmonella Senftenberg 775 W with other serovars of Salmonella in nonfat dry milk (NDM) and hydrated NDM. The scientific literature suggests that Salmonella Senftenberg 775 W is the most heat-resistant serovar in high-water-activity foods such as milk, but little is known about the heat resistance of Salmonella Senftenberg 775 W compared with other Salmonella serovars in low-water-activity foods such as NDM. The 5 serovars of Salmonella used in this study were Enteritidis, Montevideo, Newport, Senftenberg, and Typhimurium.