Optimization of a propidium monoazide-qPCR method for Escherichia coli quantification in raw seafood.

The present study compared different concentrations of propidium monoazide (PMA), time of exposure to light and different light intensities to determine the optimal conditions for the quantification of viable Escherichia coli in cell suspension and in food matrix. The influence of cell density and the effectiveness of PMA in viable but non-culturable (VBNC) E. coli cells were evaluated and also applied in food matrix.

Occurrence of potentially pathogenic Vibrio in oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and waters from bivalve mollusk cultivations in the South Bay of Santa Catarina.

Introduction: This research aimed to identify and quantify potentially pathogenic Vibrio from different cultivations of bivalve shellfish in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and water regions in the South Bay, as well as correlate the incidence of these microorganisms with the physicochemical parameters of marine waters.

Methods: Between October 2008 and March 2009, 60 oyster and seawater samples were collected from six regions of bivalve mollusk cultivation, and these samples were submitted for Vibrio counts.

Results: Twenty-nine (48.

Evaluation of the Petrifilm™ EB and TEMPO(®) EB systems with ISO 21528-2:2004 method for the count of Enterobacteriaceae in milk.

The development of alternative microbiological techniques is driven by the necessity to meet the current needs to deliver rapid results in the manufacturing process of foods, but it is important that these methods be evaluated for each application. The objective of the present study was to assess the Petrifilm™ EB and the TEMPO(®) EB systems with ISO 21528-2:2004 for the count of Enterobacteriaceae in pasteurized and UHT milk samples. We analyzed the microflora of 141 pasteurized milk samples, 15 samples of artificially contaminated pasteurized milk and 15 samples of artificially contaminated UHT milk.