Impact of Listeria Inoculation and Aerated Steam Sanitization on Volatile Emissions of Whole Fresh Cantaloupes.

Unlabelled: Rapid methods to detect bacterial pathogens on food and strategies to control them are needed to mitigate consumer risk. This study assessed volatile emissions from whole cantaloupe melons (Cucumis melo) as an indicator of Listeria contamination and in response to steam vapor decontamination. Cantaloupe were inoculated with Listeria innocua, a nonpathogenic surrogate for L.

Aerated Steam Sanitization of Whole Fresh Cantaloupes Reduces and Controls Rind-Associated Listeria but Enhances Fruit Susceptibility to Secondary Colonization.

Unlabelled: Recent bacterial illnesses and outbreaks associated with the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables emphasize the need to supply produce that is microbiologically safe while retaining its quality and nutrient value. We assessed the capacity of aerated steam to reduce initial levels and control the posttreatment proliferation of a 4-strain mixture of Listeria innocua, a surrogate for L. monocytogenes, and microflora native to the rind of whole cantaloupes.

Spatio-temporal assessment of food safety risks in Canadian food distribution systems using GIS.

While the value of geographic information systems (GIS) is widely applied in public health there have been comparatively few examples of applications that extend to the assessment of risks in food distribution systems. GIS can provide decision makers with strong computing platforms for spatial data management, integration, analysis, querying and visualization. The present report addresses some spatio-analyses in a complex food distribution system and defines influence areas as travel time zones generated through road network analysis on a national scale rather than on a community scale.

Simulation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 behavior in fresh-cut lettuce under dynamic temperature conditions during distribution from processing to retail.

The temperature of packaged lettuce was recorded throughout a retail supply chain in Canada during the various stages of storage and shipping from the processor to retail. Temperatures were monitored in 27 cases of lettuce destined for three stores in three replicate trials conducted during the winter. A dynamic model that predicts the effect of temperature on the growth or die-off of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in packaged fresh-cut lettuce was applied to simulate the behavior of E.