Innovative approaches to controlling Salmonella in the meat industry.

Salmonella, a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium from the Enterobacteriaceae family, is a significant cause of illnesses in humans and animals. It resides in the digestive tracts of livestock, poultry, and other warm-blooded animals and can contaminate various environments and foods through fecal matter. Salmonella enterica, the main species that affects humans, is widespread in cattle, pigs, and poultry.

Salmonella Prevalence and Quantification in Market Hog Lymph Nodes and Tonsils in Several Regions and Seasons of the United States.

Market hog lymph nodes (LNs) can contaminate carcasses with Salmonella, as well as ground and comminuted pork products. The objective of this study was to perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis of LNs from several regions and seasons in the United States to establish a Salmonella prevalence and concentration baseline. Six types of LNs (axillary, mesenteric, subiliac, tracheobronchial, superficial inguinal, prescapular), and tonsils were sampled from market hog carcasses from different regions (east, central, and west) and seasons (winter, spring, and summer/fall).

Comparison of Three Preharvest Sampling Strategies to Monitor Pathogens in Cattle Lairage Areas.

The objective of this study was to compare preharvest monitoring strategies by evaluating three different sampling methods in the lairage area to determine pathogen recovery for each sampling method and incoming pathogen prevalence from the cattle to inform in-plant decision making. Samples were gathered over a 5-month period, from February to June 2022, at a harvesting and processing facility located in Eastern Nebraska. Sampling methods included (i) fecal pats, (ii) boot swabs, and (iii) MicroTally swab.

The siren song of so-called evidence: Why the evidence for social ecology models is not as strong as we think.

Ecological competition models from biology have been adopted for the study of a wide variety of social entities, including workplace organizations and voluntary associations.Despite their popularity, a number of fundamental challenges to these models have not been sufficiently recognized or addressed. As a result, it's possible that some apparently supportive evidence for ecological competition is in fact the outcome of chance or other processes.

Validation of a Bacteriophage Hide Application to Reduce STEC in the Lairage Area of Commercial Beef Cattle Operations.

Finalyse, a T4 bacteriophage, is a pre-harvest intervention that utilizes a combination of bacteriophages to reduce incoming O157:H7 prevalence by destroying the bacteria on the hides of harvest-ready cattle entering commercial abattoirs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Finalyse, as a pre-harvest intervention, on the reduction in pathogens, specifically O157:H7, on the cattle hides and lairage environment to overall reduce incoming pathogen loads. Over 5 sampling events, a total of 300 composite hide samples were taken using 25 mL pre-hydrated Buffered Peptone Water (BPW) swabs, collected before and after the hide wash intervention, throughout the beginning, middle, and end of the production day ( = 10 swabs/sampling point/timepoint).

Effects of a novel direct-fed microbial on growth performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, and ruminal morphology of beef feedlot steers.

The effects of a novel direct-fed microbial (DFM) on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, digestibility, ruminal morphology, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) profile of finishing steers were evaluated. Single-source Angus-crossbred yearling steers (n = 144; initial body weight (BW) = 371 ± 19 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design. Steers were blocked by initial BW and randomly assigned to treatments (12 pens/treatment; 4 steers/pen).

Mitigation of in Ground Pork Products through Gland Removal in Pork Trimmings.

Bio-mapping studies conducted in pork harvest and fabrication facilities have indicated that is prevalent and mitigations are needed to reduce the pathogen in trim and ground products. can be isolated from the lymph nodes and can cause contamination in comminuted pork products. The objective of this study was to determine if physically removing topical and internal lymph nodes in pork products prior to grinding would result in the mitigation of and a reduction in indicators in the final ground/comminuted products.

An improved approach for ecological modeling of social phenomena in Blau space.

Advances in computation have opened new vistas for modeling of sociodemographic niches and related constructs, enabling us to rectify limitations that unavoidably plagued earlier generations of researchers. This is especially true for Blau space, a sociodemographic niche model used to explore competition between social entities over resources, such as memberships. While this approach has been successful in using probabilistic representations of social networks and resource niches, its modeling framework has remained essentially unchanged for over 40 years, and lacks the ability to make predictions about the future states of sociodemographic space.

Understanding potential cattle contribution to leafy green outbreaks: A scoping review of the literature and public health reports.

Recently, multiple reports from regulatory agencies have linked leafy green outbreaks to nearby or adjacent cattle operations. While they have made logical explanations for this phenomenon, the reports and data should be summarized to determine if the association was based on empirical data, epidemiological association, or speculation. Therefore, this scoping review aims to gather data on the mechanisms of transmission for pathogens from livestock to produce, identify if direct evidence linking the two entities exists, and identify any knowledge gaps in the scientific literature and public health reports.

Rapid Quantitative Method Development for Beef and Pork Lymph Nodes Using BAX System Real Time Assay.

The goal of this study was to develop a rapid RT-PCR enumeration method for in pork and beef lymph nodes (LNs) utilizing BAX-System-SalQuant as well as to assess the performance of the methodology in comparison with existing ones. For study one: PCR curve development, pork, and beef LNs (n = 64) were trimmed, sterilized, pulverized, spiked with 0.00 to 5.

Reduction of Pathogens in Feces and Lymph Nodes Collected from Beef Cattle Fed (L28), (NP51) and (NP28), Commercially Available Direct-Fed Microbials.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and concentration of foodborne pathogens in the feces and peripheral lymph nodes (PLNs) of beef cattle when supplemented with direct-fed microbials (DFMs) in feedlots. Fecal samples were collected from the pen floors over a 5-month period at three different feedlots in a similar geographical location in Nebraska, where each feed yard represented a treatment group: (i.) control: no supplement, (ii.

Quantitative Bio-Mapping of and Indicator Organisms at Different Stages in a Commercial Pork Processing Facility.

The purpose of this study was to develop a quantitative baseline of indicator organisms and Salmonella by bio-mapping throughout the processing chain from harvest to final product stages within a commercial conventional design pork processing establishment. Swab samples were taken on the harvest floor at different processing steps, gambrel table, after polisher, before final rinse, after the final rinse, post snap chill, and after peroxyacetic acid (PAA) application, while 2-pound product samples were collected for trim and ground samples. The samples were subjected to analysis for indicator microorganism enumeration, Aerobic Count (AC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), and generic Escherichia coli (EC), with the BioMérieux TEMPO®.

Sodium benzoate and sodium bisulfate as preservatives in apple juice and alternative sanitizers for washing cherry tomatoes.

Unpasteurized apple ciders and fresh produce have been linked to multistate outbreaks due to contamination by foodborne pathogens. Organic acids such as benzoic acid are effective antimicrobials, and acidified sodium benzoate (NaB) has been reported to be effective in reducing pathogens inoculated on cherry tomatoes and preventing cross-contamination. Sodium bisulfate (SBS) is a powerful acidulant but has not been studied in combination with NaB.

The Effects of Castration, Implant Protocol, and Supplementation of -Influenced Beef Cattle under Tropical Savanna Conditions on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality.

The effects of castration, supplementation, and implant protocol (IP) on growth, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of grass-fed cattle were evaluated. Two experiments followed a two-way ANOVA and a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Experiment-I, 99 bulls were evaluated for: (a) supplementation (mineral (MS) or strategic protein-energy supplementation (SS), and (b) IP (repeated (day-0 and day-90) Zeranol-72 mg implantation (Zeranol-Zeranol) or Trenbolone Acetate-140 mg/Estradiol-20 mg (day-0) followed by Zeranol-72 mg (day-90) (TBA/E2-Zeranol).

Effects of Sex Class, a Combined Androgen and Estrogen Implant, and Pasture Supplementation on Growth and Carcass Performance and Meat Quality of Zebu-Type Grass-Fed Cattle.

Forty-seven Zebu calves were used to determine the effects of class (bull or steer), supplementation (SUPPL, a poultry litter-based supplement or mineral supplementation), and implant (20 mg estradiol combined with 120 mg of trenbolone acetate or no implant) on growth and carcass performance and beef eating quality. The average daily gain (ADG) of implanted cattle significantly increased for steers, but not for bulls. The SUPPL treatment increased ADG by 8.

Seasonal effect on Shiga toxin-producing O157:H7 and non-O157 in the beef industry in Colombia, South America.

This research investigated the variations in the occurrence of , STEC O157:H7 and non-O157 in the beef production chain in Colombia affected by seasons, hypothesizing that pathogen prevalence will be highest in the rainy season owing to soil moisture promoting bacteria multiplication and transfer between animals. To test this hypothesis, samples were obtained from five abattoirs, which represent 50% of the beef production in this country. A total of 1017 samples were collected, from which 606 were bovine feces, 206 were hide swabs, and 205 corresponded to carcass post-intervention.

Biomapping of Microbial Indicators on Beef Subprimals Subjected to Spray or Dry Chilling over Prolonged Refrigerated Storage.

As the global meat market moves to never frozen alternatives, meat processors seek opportunities for increasing the shelf life of fresh meats by combinations of proper cold chain management, barrier technologies, and antimicrobial interventions. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of spray and dry chilling combined with hot water carcass treatments on the levels of microbial indicator organisms during the long-term refrigerated storage of beef cuts. Samples were taken using EZ-Reach™ sponge samplers with 25 mL buffered peptone water over a 100 cm area of the striploin.

In-Plant Validation of Novel On-Site Ozone Generation Technology (Bio-Safe) Compared to Lactic Acid Beef Carcasses and Trim Using Natural Microbiota and Salmonella and O157:H7 Surrogate Enumeration.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of an aqueous ozone (Bio-Safe) treatment and lactic acid solutions on natural microbiota and O157:H7 and Salmonella surrogates on beef carcasses and trim in a commercial beef processing plant. For every repetition, 40 carcass and 40 trim swabs (500 cm) were collected. Samples were taken using EZ-Reach swabs, and plated into aerobic plate count (APC), coliform, and Petrifilm for enumeration.

Genotypic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistant spp. Strains from Three Poultry Processing Plants in Colombia.

The poultry industry in Colombia has implemented several changes and measures in chicken processing to improve sanitary operations and control pathogens' prevalence. However, there is no official in-plant microbial profile reference data currently available throughout the processing value chains. Hence, this research aimed to study the microbial profiles and the antimicrobial resistance of isolates in three plants.

Multiple Interventions for Improving Food Safety Practices in 2 Small Beef Abattoirs of Honduras and Associated Impacts on Risk-Mitigation Management.

Mitigation of risk for Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and contamination was evaluated after a multiple-intervention approach (comprising food safety education and training, implementation of customized food safety practices and programs, and environmental monitoring programs with audits and corrective actions) in 2 small Honduran beef abattoirs. Previously, neither abattoir had food safety programs in place nor were they subjected to strict food safety regulatory surveillance. Abattoirs A and B were sampled on 4 nonconsecutive months each.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance in Strains Isolated from Chicken Carcasses and Parts Collected at Different Stages during Processing.

Chicken carcass and parts rinsate samples and fecal samples were collected at different stages in a commercial poultry processing facility. Microbiological analysis was conducted to determine the levels of multiple indicator microorganisms and prevalence of . Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted on isolates to determine antimicrobial resistance profiles.

A Systematic Approach to Identify and Characterize the Effectiveness and Safety of Novel Probiotic Strains to Control Foodborne Pathogens.

A total of 44 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains originally isolated from cattle feces and different food sources were screened for their potential probiotic features. The antimicrobial activity of all isolates was tested by well-diffusion assay and competitive exclusion on broth against Montevideo, O157:H7 and strain N1-002. Thirty-eight LAB strains showed antagonistic effect against at least one of the pathogens tested in this study.