Salmonella Prevalence in Raw Cocoa Beans and a Microbiological Risk Assessment to Evaluate the Impact of Cocoa Liquor Processing on the Reduction of Salmonella.

Salmonella in raw cocoa beans (n = 870) from main sourcing areas over nine months was analyzed. It was detected in 71 (ca. 8.

Processing environment monitoring in low moisture food production facilities: Are we looking for the right microorganisms?

Processing environment monitoring is gaining increasing importance in the context of food safety management plans/HACCP programs, since past outbreaks have shown the relevance of the environment as contamination pathway, therefore requiring to ensure the safety of products. However, there are still many open questions and a lack of clarity on how to set up a meaningful program, which would provide early warnings of potential product contamination. Therefore, the current paper aims to summarize and evaluate existing scientific information on outbreaks, relevant pathogens in low moisture foods, and knowledge on indicators, including their contribution to a "clean" environment capable of limiting the spread of pathogens in dry production environments.

Guidance on validation of lethal control measures for foodborne pathogens in foods.

Food manufacturers are required to obtain scientific and technical evidence that a control measure or combination of control measures is capable of reducing a significant hazard to an acceptable level that does not pose a public health risk under normal conditions of distribution and storage. A validation study provides evidence that a control measure is capable of controlling the identified hazard under a worst-case scenario for process and product parameters tested. It also defines the critical parameters that must be controlled, monitored, and verified during processing.

The use of next generation sequencing for improving food safety: Translation into practice.

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) combined with powerful bioinformatic approaches are revolutionising food microbiology. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of single isolates allows the most detailed comparison possible hitherto of individual strains. The two principle approaches for strain discrimination, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and genomic multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) are showing concordant results for phylogenetic clustering and are complementary to each other.

Foodborne viruses: Detection, risk assessment, and control options in food processing.

In a recent report by risk assessment experts on the identification of food safety priorities using the Delphi technique, foodborne viruses were recognized among the top rated food safety priorities and have become a greater concern to the food industry over the past few years. Food safety experts agreed that control measures for viruses throughout the food chain are required. However, much still needs to be understood with regard to the effectiveness of these controls and how to properly validate their performance, whether it is personal hygiene of food handlers or the effects of processing of at risk foods or the interpretation and action required on positive virus test result.

Expression and location of the bradykinin B2 receptor in rat testis.

To investigate the possible role of the local tissue kallikrein-kinin system in spermatogenesis, we analyzed gene expression and cellular distribution of the bradykinin subtype-2 receptor (B(2) receptor) in the rat testis. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed B(2) receptor expression in testis and primary cultures of Sertoli cells and peritubular cells isolated from immature and mature rats. In situ hybridization of the B(2)-receptor mRNA showed intense labeling of cells on the base of the seminiferous tubule, whereas the autoradiographic signals gradually decreased toward the lumen.