The Use of Antimicrobial Washes to Inactivate Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from In-Shell Pecans and Wash Water Contaminated by Different Inoculation Routes.

In-shell pecans are typically harvested after falling from trees to the ground, presenting a potential route of contamination of foodborne pathogens from soil contact. In-shell pecans are often subjected to various processing or washing steps prior to being shelled. This study determined Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) reductions after treatment with antimicrobial washes on direct and soil-inoculated in-shell pecans and evaluated the cross-contamination potential of the spent pecan washes after treatment.

Bootstrapping for Estimating the Conservative Kill Ratio of the Surrogate to the Pathogen for Use in Thermal Process Validation at the Industrial Scale.

A surrogate is commonly used for process validations. The industry often uses the target log cycle reduction for the test (LCR) microorganism (surrogate) to be equal to the desired log cycle reduction for the target (LCR) microorganism (pathogen). When the surrogate is too conservative with far greater resistance than the pathogen, the food may be overprocessed with quality and cost consequences.

Evaluating the Safety of Sous-Vide Cooking for Beef Products Inoculated with Single Strains of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157.

Sous-videcooking is a growing trend among retailers and consumers. Foodborne pathogens may survive the cooking if nonvalidated parameters are used or if pathogens have enhanced thermalresistance. Pathogen inactivation from sous-vide cooking was determined when introduced directly to beef products or via contaminated spices, and with or without a finishing step.

Practice and Progress: Updates on Outbreaks, Advances in Research, and Processing Technologies for Low-moisture Food Safety.

Large, renowned outbreaks associated with low-moisture foods (LMFs) bring to light some of the potential, inherent risks that accompany foods with long shelf lives if pathogen contamination occurs. Subsequently, in 2013, Beuchat et al. (2013) noted the increased concern regarding these foods, specifically noting examples of persistence and resistance of pathogens in low-water activity foods (LWAFs), prevalence of pathogens in LWAF processing environments, and sources of and preventive measures for contamination of LWAFs.

Survivability and thermal resistance of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O121 in wheat flour during extended storage of 360 days.

Foodborne pathogens like Salmonella and Escherichia coli O121 can endure the harsh low water activity (a) environment of wheat flour for elongated periods of time and can proliferate when hydrated for baking or other purposes. This study determined the survivability and thermal tolerance (D- and z-values) of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O121 in wheat flour and muffin batter (prepared from inoculated flour on the days of analyses) during the storage period of 360 days. The Salmonella and E.

Thermal inactivation of Salmonella during hard and soft cookies baking process.

This study validated a simulated commercial baking processes for hard and soft cookies to control Salmonella, and determined D- and z-values of 7-serotype Salmonella (Newport, Senftenberg, Tennessee, Typhimurium, and three isolates from dry pet food) cocktail in cookie doughs. Cookie doughs were prepared using flour mist-inoculated with the Salmonella cocktail. Hard and soft cookies were baked at 185 °C for 16 min and 165.

Evaluation of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus Survival and Growth during Cooling of Hams Cured with Natural-Source Nitrite.

Abstract: Growing consumer demand for clean-label "natural" products has encouraged more meat processors to cure meat products with natural sources of nitrate or nitrite such as celery juice powder. One challenge for these producers is to identify safe cooling rates in products cured with celery juice powder where extended cooling could allow growth of pathogens. The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.

Thermal Resistance of Single Strains of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O121:H19 and O157:H7 Based on Culture Preparation Method and Osmolyte-Reduced Water Activity.

Abstract: Bacterial exposure to stress, such as reduced water activity (aw), can increase thermal resistance. Pathogen thermal resistance studies on low-aw foods use a variety of methods to inoculate food, as well as strategies to reduce aw, which can influence observations. This study investigated effects of culture preparation method and osmolyte-induced aw on thermal resistance of two Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains (O121:H19 and O157:H7) challenged with isothermal conditions, determining D- and z-values for each isolate (56, 59, and 62°C).

Thermal inactivation of Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and a surrogate (Pediococcus acidilactici) on raisins, apricot halves, and macadamia nuts using vacuum-steam pasteurization.

Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Listeria monocytogenes have been isolated from low water activity foods (LWAF), where they may survive for extended periods. The ready-to-eat nature of many LWAF, such as dried fruits and nuts, warrants effective post-harvest thermal treatment for the reduction of pathogens such as low-temperature, saturated steam, also known as vacuum-assisted steam pasteurization. The objective of this study was to determine reductions of Salmonella, STEC, L.

Comparison of survival and heat resistance of Escherichia coli O121 and Salmonella in muffins.

This study was conducted to validate a simulated commercial baking process for plain muffins against E. coli O121 (isolated from the recent illness outbreak associated with flour), and compare the thermal inactivation parameters (D- and z-values) of cocktails of four isolates of E. coli O121 and three serovars of Salmonella (Newport, Typhimurium, and Senftenberg) in muffin batter.

Evaluation of thermal inactivation parameters of Salmonella in whole wheat multigrain bread.

This study was conducted to validate a simulated commercial whole wheat multigrain bread baking process at 375 °F (190.6 °C) oven temperature for 35 min to inactivate Salmonella, and to determine the thermal inactivation parameters of a 7-serovar Salmonella cocktail in whole wheat multigrain bread dough. A ≥5-log CFU/g reduction in Salmonella population was achieved by 15 min, and no viable Salmonella was detected after enrichment plating by 16 min.

Validation of a nut muffin baking process and thermal resistance characterization of a 7-serovar Salmonella inoculum in batter when introduced via flour or walnuts.

This study was conducted to validate a commercial nut muffin baking process and to compare the survival of a 7-serovar Salmonella cocktail when contaminated via inoculated flour or walnuts. Enriched wheat flour or walnut pieces were mist inoculated with the Salmonella cocktail and dried back to the pre-inoculation weight, resulting in a Salmonella population level of 6.9 and 8.

Validation of a Simulated Commercial Frying Process to Control in Donuts.

This study validated a typical commercial donut frying process as an effective kill-step against a 7-serovar cocktail (Newport, Typhimurium, Senftenberg, Tennessee, and three dry food isolates) when contamination was introduced through inoculated flour. The bread and pastry flour mix (3:1) was inoculated with the cocktail, and subsequently dried back to original preinoculation moisture content, achieving a population of 7.6 log CFU/g.

Validation of the baking process as a kill-step for controlling Salmonella in muffins.

This research investigates the potential risk of Salmonella in muffins when contamination is introduced via flour, the main ingredient. Flour was inoculated with a 3-strain cocktail of Salmonella serovars (Newport, Typhimurium, and Senftenberg) and re-dried to achieve a target concentration of ~8logCFU/g. The inoculated flour was then used to prepare muffin batter following a standard commercial recipe.