Prevalence, characterization and sources of Listeria monocytogenes in blue crab (Callinectus sapidus) meat and blue crab processing plants.

Seven blue crab processing plants were sampled to determine the prevalence and sources of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes for two years (2006-2007). A total of 488 raw crabs, 624 cooked crab meat (crab meat) and 624 environmental samples were tested by standard methods.

Fate of Shiga toxin-producing O157:H7 and non-O157:H7 Escherichia coli cells within blade-tenderized beef steaks after cooking on a commercial open-flame gas grill.

We compared the fate of cells of both Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECOH) and Shiga toxin-producing non-O157:H7 E. coli (STEC) in blade-tenderized steaks after tenderization and cooking on a gas grill. In phase I, beef subprimal cuts were inoculated on the lean side with about 5.

Prevalence, distribution, and molecular characterization of Salmonella recovered from swine finishing herds and a slaughter facility in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Swine can carry Salmonella strains that may be transmitted to humans by pork products. This investigation determined the distribution and types of Salmonella in 12 swine finishing herds and a slaughter facility in Santa Catarina, Brazil. A total of 1258 samples, consisting of environmental, feed, carcass, lymph node, and fecal material were collected and submitted to bacteriological isolation of Salmonella.

Inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing O157:H7 and non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in brine-injected, gas-grilled steaks.

We quantified translocation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECOH) and non-O157:H7 verocytotoxigenic E. coli (STEC) into beef subprimals after brine injection and subsequently monitored their viability after cooking steaks cut therefrom. Beef subprimals were inoculated on the lean side with ca.

Removal of Salmonella Enteritidis from commercial unpasteurized liquid egg white using pilot scale cross flow tangential microfiltration.

Effectiveness of a cross flow microfiltration (MF) process for removal of a cocktail of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis species from commercial unpasteurized liquid egg white (LEW) from a local egg breaking plant, while maintaining its functional properties was evaluated. To facilitate MF, LEW was wedge screened, homogenized and then diluted (1:2 w/w) with distilled water containing 0.5% sodium chloride.

Evaluation of fermentation, drying, and/or high pressure processing on viability of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Trichinella spiralis in raw pork and Genoa salami.

We evaluated the effectiveness of fermentation, drying, and high pressure processing (HPP) to inactivate Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Trichinella spiralis in Genoa salami produced with trichinae-infected pork. In addition, we evaluated the effectiveness of using HPP to inactivate T.

Thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in blade-tenderized beef steaks cooked on a commercial open-flame gas grill.

Beef subprimals were inoculated on the lean side with ca. 4.0 log CFU/g of a cocktail of rifampin-resistant (Rif(r)) Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains and then passed once through a mechanical blade tenderizer with the lean side facing upward.

Fate of surface-inoculated Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella typhimurium on kippered beef during extended storage at refrigeration and abusive temperatures.

The behavior of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium on kippered beef was evaluated. Individual pieces of the product were separately inoculated on the top and bottom surfaces with each three- to six-strain pathogen cocktail at ca. 6.

Behavior of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium in teewurst, a raw spreadable sausage.

The fate of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, or Escherichia coli O157:H7 were separately monitored both in and on teewurst, a traditional raw and spreadable sausage of Germanic origin. Multi-strain cocktails of each pathogen (ca. 5.

Validation of a commercial process for inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of whole muscle beef jerky.

We validated the lethality of three time and temperature regimens for commercial processing of whole muscle beef jerky. A total of ca. 8.

Retail survey of Brazilian milk and Minas frescal cheese and a contaminated dairy plant to establish prevalence, relatedness, and sources of Listeria monocytogenes isolates.

A study was designed to recover Listeria monocytogenes from pasteurized milk and Minas frescal cheese (MFC) sampled at retail establishments (REs) and to identify the contamination source(s) of these products in the corresponding dairy processing plant. Fifty milk samples (9 brands) and 55 MFC samples (10 brands) were tested from REs located in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. All milk samples and 45 samples from 9 of 10 MFC brands tested negative for L.

Animal and environmental impact on the presence and distribution of Salmonella and Escherichia coli in hydroponic tomato greenhouses.

From 2003 to 2004, we studied the impact of environmental influences on the microbiological quality of a hydroponic tomato farm. The presence of Salmonella was investigated on 906 samples of tomatoes and 714 environmental samples. The farm comprised 14 greenhouses and a technologically advanced packinghouse, and operated under a sanitary agricultural practices plan.

Hot water postprocess pasteurization of cook-in-bag turkey breast treated with and without potassium lactate and sodium diacetate and acidified sodium chlorite for control of Listeria monocytogenes.

Surface pasteurization and food-grade chemicals were evaluated for the ability to control listeriae postprocess on cook-in-bag turkey breasts (CIBTB). Individual CIBTB were obtained directly from a commercial manufacturer and surface inoculated (20 ml) with a five-strain cocktail (ca. 7.

An assessment of pasteurization treatment of water, media, and milk with respect to Bacillus spores.

This study evaluated the ability of spore-forming Bacillus spp. to resist milk pasteurization conditions from 72 to 150 degrees C. Spores from the avirulent surrogate Sterne strain of Bacillus anthracis, as well as a representative strain of a common milk contaminant that is also a pathogen, Bacillus cereus ATCC 9818, were heated at test temperatures for up to 90 min in dH2O, brain heart infusion broth, or skim milk.

Evaluation of nisin-coated cellulose casings for the control of Listeria monocytogenes inoculated onto the surface of commercially prepared frankfurters.

Commercially prepared frankfurters were formulated with and without approximately 1.4% potassium lactate and 0.1% sodium diacetate and were subsequently processed in cellulose casings coated with and without nisin (approximately 50,000 IU per square inch of internal surface area) to control the outgrowth of Listeria monocytogenes during refrigerated storage.

Antigenic prenylated peptide conjugates and polyclonal antibodies to detect protein prenylation.

Posttranslational modification of proteins with farnesyl and geranylgeranyl groups is a required modification for signaling proteins that includes the small GTPases in the Ras, Rho, and Rab families, heterotrimeric G proteins, and nuclear lamin proteins. To develop antibodies capable of detecting and distinguishing prenylated proteins, we synthesized two antigens, succinylglycine-(geranylgeranyl)cysteine methyl ester (SuccG-(gg)CMe, 1) and succinylglycine-(farnesyl)cysteine methyl ester (SuccG-(f)CMe, 2). These prenylated peptides were covalently coupled to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) to produce polyvalent, immunogenic bioconjugates.

Effect of reheating on viability of a five-strain mixture of Listeria monocytogenes in vacuum-sealed packages of frankfurters following refrigerated or frozen storage.

The purpose of this study was to assess consumer preferences for storing and reheating frankfurters and to use this information to assess the effect of product formulation and storage times and temperatures on the viability of Listeria monocytogenes after reheating of frankfurters. Individual links were inoculated with about 8.0 log CFU per package of a five-strain mixture of the pathogen, vacuum sealed, and stored at 4 degrees C for 3 and 15 days and at -18 degrees C for 30 days.

Validation of the USDA/ARS package rinse method for recovery of Listeria monocytogenes from naturally contaminated, commercially prepared frankfurters.

The utility of the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) package rinse method for recovering Listeria monocytogenes from the surface of contaminated foods was validated in comparison to the standard USDA/Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) product composite enrichment method and two other methods using frankfurters from a lot with a known package prevalence rate of approximately 16% for this pathogen.

Use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to monitor a five-strain mixture of Listeria monocytogenes in frankfurter packages.

In a previous study, the viability of a five-strain mixture of Listeria monocytogenes (including Scott A [serotype 4b, clinical isolate], 101M [serotype 4b, beef-pork sausage isolate], F6854 [serotype 1/2a, turkey frankfurter isolate], H7776 [serotype 4b, frankfurter isolate], and MFS-2 [serotype 1/2a, pork plant isolate]) was monitored during refrigerated storage of frankfurters prepared with and without 3.0% added potassium lactate. Throughout a 90-day period of storage at 4 degrees C, the initial inoculum level of 20 CFU per package remained relatively constant in packages containing frankfurters prepared with potassium lactate, but pathogen counts increased to 4.

Use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to characterize the heterogeneity and clonality of salmonella isolates obtained from the carcasses and feces of swine at slaughter.

Salmonella enterica isolates were recovered from swine at a collaborating processing plant over a 2-month period in the spring of 2000. In the present study, molecular subtyping by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on the 581 confirmed Salmonella isolates from the 84 Salmonella-positive samples obtained from the previous study. A total of 32 different PFGE pulsotypes were observed visually, and a BioNumerics software analysis clustered those pulsotypes into 12 PFGE groups.

Recovery rate of Listeria monocytogenes from commercially prepared frankfurters during extended refrigerated storage.

To assess the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in vacuum-sealed packages of frankfurters, about 33,000 packages (1 lb each) were obtained by a third-party contractor from 12 volunteer commercial manufacturers over a 2-year period. The 12 producers, each of which contributed about 2,700 packages of frankfurters from one production run, comprised 9 large and 3 small plants located in eight U.S.

Isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from intact colon fecal samples of swine.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 was recovered from colon fecal samples of pigs. Polymerase chain reaction confirmed two genotypes: isolates harboring the eaeA, stx(1), and stx(2) genes and isolates harboring the eaeA, stx(1), and hly(933) genes. We demonstrate that swine in the United States can harbor potentially pathogenic E.

Recovery of Listeria monocytogenes from vacuum-sealed packages of frankfurters: comparison of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety and inspection service product composite enrichment method, the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) product composite rinse method, and the USDA-ARS package rinse method.

This study compared three methods for the recovery of Listeria monocytogenes from commercially prepared and vacuum-packaged frankfurters that were inoculated with a five-strain mixture of this pathogen at averages of 22 and 20,133 CFU per package over three trials. The presence and levels of the pathogen were determined by (i) the U.S.

Viability of a five-strain mixture of Listeria monocytogenes in vacuum-sealed packages of frankfurters, commercially prepared with and without 2.0 or 3.0% added potassium lactate, during extended storage at 4 and 100 degrees C.

The viability of Listeria monocytogenes was monitored on frankfurters containing added potassium lactate that were obtained directly from a commercial manufacturer. Eight links (ca. 56 g each) were transferred aseptically from the original vacuum-sealed bulk packages into nylon-polyethylene bags.

Growth, Injury, and Survival Potential of Yersinia enterocolitica . Listeria monocytogenes , and Staphylococcus aureus in Brine Chiller Conditions .

A model brine system was used to evaluate growth, injury, and survival potential of Yersinia enterocolitica . Listeria monocytogenes , and Staphylococcus aureus . Each strain was incubated for up to 30 days at -12 to 28°C in brain heart infusion broth containing 0.