Rainfall and river flows are predictors for beta-glucuronidase positive Escherichia coil accumulation in mussels and Pacific oysters from the Dart Estuary (England).

Rainfall and river flows are environmental variables influencing the microbial status of bivalve mollusc harvesting areas. This study investigated spatial and temporal relationships between rainfall, river flows and concentrations of Escherichia coli in mussels (Mytilus spp.) and Pacific oysters (C.

Authenticity issues in meat and meat products.

Proper product description is of crucial importance in ensuring fair trading practices and enabling consumers to make informed choices and is therefore addressed in some detail in UK food legislation. This paper will briefly examine the historical development of UK food laws and the meaning of "authenticity" within the context of current legislation, particularly with respect to meat and fish products. The food authenticity programme of the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) is discussed, outlining its R and D programme and detailing the types of topics under consideration, and how selection of surveillance projects is determined.

Investigation of methods to detect mechanically recovered meat in meat products - IV: Immunology.

The possibility of using immunological techniques as a method for the detection of mechanically recovered chicken meat in meat products has been investigated in this preliminary study. Antibodies were raised against a low molecular weight fraction (≤ 30 kDa) of chicken bone marrow proteins and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) developed. The system was used to test for the presence of mechanically recovered meat (MRM) in a range of product types, from raw chicken meat through to heat processed samples.

Investigation of methods to detect mechanically recovered meat in meat products - III: Microscopy.

This was a preliminary study to investigate whether hyaline cartilage could be easily identified in mechanically recovered meat (MRM) and whether its presence could be used as a possible marker for MRM in meat products. MRMs produced from beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey, using a variety of machine types and processing conditions, were compared to both minced and colloid milled hand-deboned samples, using a chemical staining technique followed by examination using the light microscope. The methodology was tested on various mixtures of MRM and hand-deboned meat.

Investigation of methods to detect mechanically recovered meat in meat products - II: Gel electrophoresis.

This study investigated the use of sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) as a method for differentiating between mechanically recovered and hand deboned meat. Twenty-nine samples of mechanically recovered meat (MRM), including some heat treated samples, were obtained. The samples were derived from several animal species and processed using different machine types and a range of processing conditions.