Efficacy of Chlorine Dioxide Gas Against Hepatitis A Virus on Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Strawberries.

Seeking a means of sanitizing berries, the effectiveness of steady state levels of gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO) against hepatitis A virus (HAV) on laboratory-contaminated berries was determined. The generated ClO was maintained with 1 or 2 mg/l air inside a 269-l glove box to treat 50 g batches of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and 100 g batches of strawberries that were immersion coated with HAV. Normalized data for ClO (ppm-h/g product) is reported as a function of ClO concentration, treatment time, and weight of treated product.

Evaluation of Chlorine Dioxide Gas against Four Salmonella enterica Serovars Artificially Contaminated on Whole Blueberries.

Abstract: Fresh produce, such as blueberries, continues to be a source of foodborne illness in the United States. Despite new practices and intervention technologies, blueberries and other produce are contaminated with foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of chlorine dioxide gas (CDG) against Salmonella enterica serovars Newport, Stanley, Muenchen, and Anatum on artificially contaminated whole fresh blueberries.

Challenges in Recovering Foodborne Pathogens from Low-Water-Activity Foods.

There are numerous obstacles to the detection of foodborne pathogens in foods that exhibit a low water activity (a). These obstacles include the presence of antimicrobial compounds, particulates, PCR inhibitors, and fatty matrices. New approaches should be sought to increase the sensitivity of pathogen testing in low-a foods and to overcome the effects of various inhibitors and antimicrobials.

Evaluation of Steady-State Gaseous Chlorine Dioxide Treatment for the Inactivation of Tulane virus on Berry Fruits.

The effectiveness of steady-state levels of gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO) against Tulane virus (TV), a human norovirus surrogate, on berries was determined. The generated ClO was maintained at 1 mg/L inside a 269 L glove box to treat two 50 g batches of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and two 100 g batches of strawberries that were immersion coated with TV. The standardized/normalized treatment concentrations of ClO ranging from 0.

Evaluation of a Male-Specific DNA Coliphage Persistence Within Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica).

Male-specific coliphages (MSCs) are currently used to assess the virologic quality of shellfish-growing waters and to assess the impact of sewage release or adverse weather events on bivalve shellfish. Since MSC can have either DNA or RNA genomes, and most research has been performed exclusively on RNA MSCs, persistence of M13, a DNA MSC, was evaluated for its persistence as a function of time and temperature within Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Oysters were individually exposed to seawater containing a total of 10 to 10 pfu of M13 for 24 h at 15 °C followed by maintenance in tanks with as many as 21 oysters in continuously UV-sterilized water for up to 6 weeks at either 7, 15, or 22 °C.

Evaluation of Hot Water, Gaseous Chlorine Dioxide, and Chlorine Treatments in Combination with an Edible Coating for Enhancing Safety, Quality, and Shelf Life of Fresh-Cut Cantaloupes.

Fresh-cut cantaloupes have been implicated in numerous foodborne outbreaks of salmonellosis. Commercial aqueous wash treatments are limited in their ability to inactivate Salmonella enterica. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of hot water, gaseous chlorine dioxide, and chlorine on enhancing microbial safety and sensory qualities of fresh-cut cantaloupes.

Survival of Typhimurium on soybean sprouts following treatments with gaseous chlorine dioxide and biocontrol bacteria.

Control of on sprouts is crucial for food and consumer safety. In this study, natural microflora on soybean seed was assessed and effects of gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO) and biocontrol on the survival of on soybean sprouts were evaluated. Sprouts were dip-inoculated with prior to the application of the biocontrol ( and ).

Development of Combined Dry Heat and Chlorine Dioxide Gas Treatment with Mechanical Mixing for Inactivation of Salmonella enterica Serovar Montevideo on Mung Bean Seeds.

Foodborne outbreaks have been associated with the consumption of fresh sprouted beans. The sprouting conditions of mung bean seeds provide optimal conditions of temperature and relative humidity for any potential pathogenic contaminant on the seeds to grow. The lack of a kill step postsprouting is a major safety concern.

Evaluation of chlorine dioxide gas treatment to inactivate Salmonella enterica on mungbean sprouts.

Although freshly sprouted beans and grains are considered to be a source of nutrients, they have been associated with foodborne outbreaks. Sprouts provide good matrices for microbial localization and growth due to optimal conditions of temperature and humidity while sprouting. Also, the lack of a kill step postsprouting is a major safety concern.

Commercial thermal process for inactivating Salmonella Poona on surfaces of whole fresh cantaloupes.

Outbreaks of salmonellosis by Salmonella Poona and listeriosis by Listeria monocytogenes have been associated with the consumption of cantaloupes. Commercial washing processes for cantaloupes are limited in their ability to inactivate and/or remove this human pathogen. Our objective was to develop a commercial-scale surface pasteurization process for enhancing microbiological safety of cantaloupes.

Application of ozonated dry ice (ALIGAL™ Blue Ice) for packaging and transport in the food industry.

Dry ice is used by meat and poultry processors for temperature reduction during processing and for temperature maintenance during transportation. ALIGAL™ Blue Ice (ABI), which combines the antimicrobial effect of ozone (O(3)) along with the high cooling capacity of dry ice, was investigated for its effect on bacterial reduction in air, in liquid, and on food and glass surfaces. Through proprietary means, O(3) was introduced to produce dry ice pellets to a concentration of 20 parts per million (ppm) by total weight.

Management of microbial food safety in Arab countries.

Microbial food safety remains a major economic and public health concern in Arab countries. Over the past several years, many of these countries have attempted to revise and upgrade food quality control and surveillance programs; however, these systems vary in scope and effectiveness. This review addresses the major reported foodborne outbreaks and multidrug resistance of pathogenic microorganisms isolated from food products.

Efficacy of adding detergents to sanitizer solutions for inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Romaine lettuce.

Numerous Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been linked to consumption of fresh lettuce. The development of effective and easily implemented wash treatment could reduce such incidents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the addition of food-grade detergents to sanitizer solutions for inactivation of E.

Use of chemical sanitizers to reduce microbial populations and maintain quality of whole and fresh-cut cantaloupe.

Whole cantaloupes either not inoculated or inoculated with Salmonella Poona were submerged in water, 180 ppm of chlorine, acidified calcium sulfate (ACS: 1.2% Safe(2)O-ACS50), 1,000 ppm of acidified sodium chlorite (ASC), 80 ppm of peroxyacetic acid (PAA), and a combination of ACS and PAA for 10 min. Although only ASC and the combination of ACS and PAA significantly reduced the aerobic plate count of samples taken from the surface of whole cantaloupe (compared with samples taken from cantaloupe submerged in water only), all treatments reduced yeast and mold counts on the whole cantaloupe.

Efficacy of chlorine, acidic electrolyzed water and aqueous chlorine dioxide solutions to decontaminate Escherichia coli O157:H7 from lettuce leaves.

This study compared the efficacy of chlorine (20-200 ppm), acidic electrolyzed water (50 ppm chlorine, pH 2.6), acidified sodium chlorite (20-200 ppm chlorite ion concentration, Sanova), and aqueous chlorine dioxide (20-200 ppm chlorite ion concentration, TriNova) washes in reducing populations of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on artificially inoculated lettuce. Fresh-cut leaves of Romaine or Iceberg lettuce were inoculated by immersion in water containing E.

Scientific status summary.

The Institute of Food Technologists has issued this Scientific Status Summary to provide readers with a tutorial on biofilms, their purposeful mechanism of interaction (quorum sensing), and recent findings on how to inhibit their formation.

Combination of hot-water surface pasteurization of whole fruit and low-dose gamma irradiation of fresh-cut cantaloupe.

Improvements in methods for disinfecting fresh-cut cantaloupe could reduce spoilage losses and reduce the risk of foodborne illness from human pathogen contamination. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using hot-water treatment in combination with low-dose irradiation to reduce native microbial populations while maintaining the quality of fresh-cut cantaloupe. Whole cantaloupes were washed in tap water at 20 or 76 degrees C for 3 min.

Biofilm reactors for industrial bioconversion processes: employing potential of enhanced reaction rates.

This article describes the use of biofilm reactors for the production of various chemicals by fermentation and wastewater treatment. Biofilm formation is a natural process where microbial cells attach to the support (adsorbent) or form flocs/aggregates (also called granules) without use of chemicals and form thick layers of cells known as "biofilms." As a result of biofilm formation, cell densities in the reactor increase and cell concentrations as high as 74 gL(-1) can be achieved.

Biofilm formation, cellulose production, and curli biosynthesis by Salmonella originating from produce, animal, and clinical sources.

The ability of 71 strains of Salmonella enterica originating from produce, meat, or clinical sources to form biofilms was investigated. A crystal violet binding assay demonstrated no significant differences in biofilm formation by isolates from any source when tested in any of the following three media: Luria-Bertani broth supplemented with 2% glucose, tryptic soy broth (TSB), or 1/20th-strength TSB. Incubation was overnight at 30 degrees C under static conditions.

Studies to select appropriate nonpathogenic surrogate Escherichia coli strains for potential use in place of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and salmonella in pilot plant studiest.

The response of a potential nonpathogenic surrogate organism to a particular treatment should closely mimic the response of the target pathogenic organism. In this study, growth characteristics (generation time, lag phase duration, and maximum population), pH at stationary phase, and survival characteristics (level of attachment and survival on apple surfaces, resistance to hydrogen peroxide decontamination treatments, and thermal resistance at 60 degrees C) of 15 nonpathogenic generic Escherichia coli strains and one nonpathogenic E. coli O157:H43 strain were compared with those of two E.

Surface pasteurization of whole fresh cantaloupes inoculated with Salmonella poona or Escherichia coli.

Numerous outbreaks of salmonellosis by Salmonella Poona have been associated with the consumption of cantaloupe. Commercial washing processes for cantaloupe are limited in their ability to inactivate or remove this human pathogen. Our objective was to develop a commercial-scale surface pasteurization process to enhance the microbiological safety of cantaloupe.