During conventional pasteurization, eggs are submerged for 60 min at 56.7 °C, a lengthy and costly process that affects egg quality. Radio frequency (RF), a means to pasteurize eggs without affecting quality, is a novel option based on fast volumetric heating; however, there is scarce information about the quality of such treated food.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAbstract: Cilantro was recently identified as a vehicle for protozoan illness. Current postharvest practices are not sufficient to inactivate protozoa on cilantro. Cold plasma is an emerging nonthermal waterless technology with potential applications in food processing that are currently being investigated to enhance the safety of herbs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffects of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) treatment on the inactivation of Salmonella and the storability of grape tomato were investigated. Grape tomatoes, with or without inoculation with Salmonella, were packaged in a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) commercial clamshell container and cold plasma-treated at 35 kV at 1.1 A for 3 min using a DACP system equipped with a pin-type high-voltage electrode.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCustomer demand for convenient food products has led to an increased production of prepackaged and ready-to-eat food products. Most of these products rely mainly on surface disinfection and other traditional approaches to ensure shelf life and safety. Novel processing techniques, such as cold plasma, are currently being investigated to enhance the safety and shelf life of prepacked foods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) treatment was evaluated for the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, surface morphology, color, carbon dioxide generation, and weight loss of bulk Romaine lettuce in a commercial plastic clamshell container. The lettuce samples were packed in a model bulk packaging configuration (three rows with either 1, 3, 5, or 7 layers) in the container and treated by DACP (42.6 kV, 10 min).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe disinfecting properties of high-intensity monochromatic blue light (MBL) were investigated against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella , and nonpathogenic bacteria inoculated onto the surface of almonds. MBL was generated from an array of narrow-band 405-nm light-emitting diodes. Almonds were inoculated with higher or lower levels (8 or 5 CFU/g) of pathogenic E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effects of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) treatment on the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and aerobic microorganisms in romaine lettuce packaged in a conventional commercial plastic container were evaluated during storage at 4°C for 7 days. Effects investigated included the color, carbon dioxide (CO) generation, weight loss, and surface morphology of the lettuce during storage. Romaine lettuce pieces, with or without inoculation with a cocktail of three strains of E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFViruses are currently the leading cause of foodborne outbreaks, most of which are associated with foods consumed raw. Cold plasma (CP) is an emerging novel nonthermal technology that can be used to surface decontaminate foods. This study investigated CP technology for the nonthermal inactivation of human norovirus surrogates, Tulane virus (TV) and murine norovirus (MNV), on the surface of blueberries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study investigated the effects of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DACP) treatment on the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Tulane virus (TV) on Romaine lettuce, assessing the influences of moisture vaporization, modified atmospheric packaging (MAP), and post-treatment storage on the inactivation of these pathogens. Romaine lettuce was inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this research was to evaluate and develop a method for inactivation of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe puree (CP) by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP). Cantaloupe being the most netted varieties of melons presents a greater risk of pathogen transmission. Freshly prepared CP with or without 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMarinades containing polyphosphates have been previously implicated in the enhanced survival of Campylobacter spp. in poultry product exudates. The enhanced Campylobacter survival has been attributed primarily to the ability of some polyphosphates to change the pH of the exudate to one more amenable to Campylobacter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh pressure processing (HPP) is a safe and effective technology for improving food safety. Non-O157:H7 Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have been increasingly implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls, and the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has designated them as adulterants in meat (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCold plasma (CP) is a novel nonthermal technology, potentially useful in food processing settings. Berries were treated with atmospheric CP for 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, or 120 s at a working distance of 7.5 cm with a mixture of 4 cubic feet/minute (cfm) of CP jet and 7 cfm of ambient air.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Cross-contamination of foods from persistent pathogen reservoirs is a known risk factor in processing environments. Industry requires a rapid, waterless, zero-contact, chemical-free method for removing pathogens from food contact surfaces. Cold plasma was tested for its ability to inactivate Salmonella biofilms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMost fresh produce, such as strawberries, receives minimal processing and is often eaten raw. Contamination of produce with pathogenic bacteria may occur during growth, harvest, processing, transportation, and storage (abuse temperature) and presents a serious public health risk. Strawberries have been implicated in an outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection that sickened 15 people, including one death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effects of storage conditions on subsequent high-hydrostatic pressure (HHP) inactivation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in oysters were investigated. Live oysters were inoculated with V. parahaemolyticus or V.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOutbreaks of salmonellosis by Salmonella Poona and listeriosis by Listeria monocytogenes have been associated with the consumption of cantaloupes. Commercial washing processes for cantaloupes are limited in their ability to inactivate and/or remove this human pathogen. Our objective was to develop a commercial-scale surface pasteurization process for enhancing microbiological safety of cantaloupes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA new microwave heating process was developed for cooking microwaveable foods containing raw meats. A commercially available inverter-based microwave oven was modified for pasteurization of mechanically tenderized beef, inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 (approximately 5 log(10) CFU/g) and packaged in a 12-oz CPET tray containing 150-mL de-ionized water. The new microwave heating system was equipped with an infrared sensor and a proportional feedback mechanism to allow temperature controlled microwave heating.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCold plasma generated in a gliding arc was applied to outbreak strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Stanley on agar plates and inoculated onto the surfaces of Golden Delicious apples. This novel sanitizing technology inactivated both pathogens on agar plates, with higher flow rate (40 liters/min) observed to be more efficacious than were lower flow rates (20 liters/min), irrespective of treatment time (1 or 2 min). Golden Delicious apples were treated with various flow rates (10, 20, 30, or 40 liters/min) of cold plasma for various times (1, 2, or 3 min), applied to dried spot inoculations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNumerous outbreaks of salmonellosis by Salmonella Poona have been associated with the consumption of cantaloupe. Commercial washing processes for cantaloupe are limited in their ability to inactivate or remove this human pathogen. Our objective was to develop a commercial-scale surface pasteurization process to enhance the microbiological safety of cantaloupe.
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