An Investigation of Senftenberg Illnesses in the United States Linked to Peanut Butter-2022.

In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state partners conducted a sample-initiated investigation of a multistate outbreak of Senftenberg illnesses linked to peanut butter.

Transient and resident pathogens: Intra-facility genetic diversity of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella from food production environments.

Food production facilities are often routinely tested over time for the presence of foodborne pathogens (e.g., Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella enterica subsp.

Efficacy of oxonia active against selected spore formers.

Alternatives to hydrogen peroxide are being sought for use in aseptic packaging systems because this sterilant is efficacious at temperatures higher than some of the newer packaging materials can tolerate. Earlier in this century, peracetic acid was known to be bactericidal, sporicidal, and virucidal but was not widely used because of handling, toxicity, and stability problems. Sanitizer suppliers have capitalized on the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and peracetic acid stabilized with a sequestering agent.

Growth and toxin production by Clostridium botulinum on sliced raw potatoes in a modified atmosphere with and without sulfite.

The ability of Clostridium botulinum type A or B spores to grow and produce toxin on fresh raw potatoes in a modified atmosphere with or without sulfite was investigated at 22 degrees C. Fresh, peeled, sliced potatoes, untreated or dipped for 2 min into 0.7% sulfite solution and drained, were surface-inoculated at several concentration levels with a mixture of C.

Shelf Life of Modified-Atmosphere-Packaged Fresh Tilapia Fillets Stored under Refrigeration and Temperature-Abuse Conditions.

We investigated the shelf life of fresh Tilapia spp. fillets packaged in high-barrier film under both 100% air and a modified atmosphere (MA) of 75% CO:25% N and stored under refrigeration (4°C) and abuse temperatures (8 and 16°C). The chemical spoilage indicators trimethylamine, K-value, and surface pH, as well as microbial counts, were compared with the sensory characteristics of spoilage.

Growth and Toxin Production by Clostridium botulinum in Sliced Raw Potatoes Under Vacuum With and Without Sulfite.

The ability of Clostridium botulinum type A or B spores to grow and produce toxin in fresh raw potatoes under vacuum with or without sulfite at 22°C was investigated. Fresh, peeled, sliced potatoes, untreated or dipped for 2 min in sulfite (NaHSO) and drained, were surface-inoculated at several levels with a mixture of C. botulinum spores, either type A or B, and placed in oxygen-impermeable bags (200 g/bag) that were then vacuum-sealed and incubated at room temperature (22°C).

Growth of Salmonella spp. in Cantaloupe, Watermelon, and Honeydew Melons.

The ability of Salmonella spp. to grow on the interior tissues of cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew melons was investigated. Pieces of rind-free melons (pH 5.

Evaluation of Unacidified Products Bottled in Oil for Outgrowth and Toxin Production by Clostridium botulinum.

A variety of unacidified products bottled in oil or water were investigated for their ability to support growth and toxin production by Clostridium botulinum . The products were inoculated with a mixture of five strains of C. botulinum type A spores (about 50 spores/g or ml) and incubated at room temperature (23°C).

Clostridium botulinum Spores in Corn Syrup and Other Syrups.

A total of 738 bottles of corn syrup and other products containing corn syrup (e.g., pancake, maple, waffle, and table syrups) was examined by a membrane filtration procedure for the presence of Clostridium botulinum spores.

Lipid globule staining to aid in differentiating Bacillus species.

The use of the lipid globule stain to aid in differentiating the Bacillus cereus group (i.e., B.

Incidence and Growth Potential of Bacillus cereus in Ready-to-Serve Foods.

To simulate temperature abuse, 106 test portions of ready-to-serve moist foods, 12 test portions of rehydrated powdered infant formula, and 18 test portions of nonfat dry milk were incubated for 20 and 24 h at 26°C, and then examined for Bacillus cereus . Of the ready-to-serve moist foods, 88 of 106 were positive for B. cereus at levels ranging from 0.

Outgrowth of Clostridium botulinum in Shredded Cabbage at Room Temperature Under a Modified Atmosphere.

The ability of Clostridium botulinum types A and B spores to grow and produce toxin in shredded cabbage at room temperature under a modified atmosphere was investigated. Seven type A and seven type B strains of C. botulinum , mostly of vegetable origin, were used as inocula.

Outgrowth of naturally occurring Clostridium botulinum in vacuum-packaged fresh fish.

A total of 1074 test samples of commercial, domestic, vacuum-packaged fresh fish were studied to determine whether spoilage occurs before the products become toxic from naturally occurring Clostridium botulinum spores. The products were incubated for 12 days at 12 degrees C (mild abuse). After incubation, they were tested for botulinal toxin and evaluated for organoleptic acceptability.

An international outbreak of type E botulism due to uneviscerated fish.

In October and November 1987, eight cases of type E botulism occurred in New York City and Israel. All eight patients had eaten uneviscerated, salted, air-dried whitefish known as kapchunka. Clostridium botulinum was isolated from samples of fish, and trypsinized portions of kapchunka contained type E toxin despite levels of salt that were far in excess of those considered adequate for safety.

Outgrowth and Toxin Production by Clostridium botulinum in Bottled Chopped Garlic.

The ability of Clostridium botulinum types A and B spores to grow and produce toxin in commercially bottled chopped garlic in soybean oil was investigated. Eight type A and seven type B strains of C. botulinum , mostly of vegetable origin, were used as inocula.

Enumeration of Clostridium perfringens spores in human feces: comparison of four culture media.

Enumeration of Clostridium perfringens spores was compared using 4 culture media. Duplicate 1 g portions of 35 stools (25 from C. perfringens food poisoning outbreaks and 10 from normal stools) were heat treated 20 min at 75 degrees C and tested on tryptose-sulfite-cycloserine (TSC) agar, trypticase-soy-blood (TSB) agar, lactose-sulfite (LS) medium, and iron milk (IM) medium.

Bacillus cereus Contamination of Seeds and Vegetable Sprouts Grown in a Home Sprouting Kit.

Sprouting seeds (alfalfa, mung bean and wheat) were purchased at local health food stores and examined for Bacillus cereus by the official AOAC method. Of 98 units collected, 56 (57%) were positive for B. cereus at levels ranging from 3 to >500 per g.

Improved Media for Sporulation and Enterotoxin Production by Clostridium perfringens.

Sporulation of 24 strains of Clostridium perfringens isolated from stools of food poisoning patients and normal controls was improved by adding sodium carbonate to Duncan-Strong (DS) sporulation medium and replacing starch with raffinose in Taniguti's AEA medium. Viable counts of heat-tolerant spores (75°C for 20 min) were 2 to 186 times greater in modified AEA medium and 2 to 169 times greater in modified DS than in DS medium. Reversed passive latex agglutination assays revealed a corresponding increase in enterotoxin titers in supernatant fluids of the 12 enterotoxigenic strains grown in modified AEA medium and in modified DS medium.

Growth and Toxin Production by Clostridium botulinum in Sauteed Onions.

In October, 1983, sauteed onions in "patty-melt" sandwiches were epidemiologically responsible for a large outbreak of botulism in Peoria, Illinois. Spores of strains of Clostridium botulinum type A, recovered from Spanish onions or from patients who consumed sauteed onions, produced high toxin titers within 48 h from 2 spores/g of onions when experimentally inoculated into sauteed onions. Laboratory strains of C.

Evaluation of a Reversed Passive Latex Agglutination Test Kit for Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin.

A reversed passive latex agglutination (RPLA) test kit for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) marketed by the Denka-Seiken Co., Tokyo, Japan, was evaluated by using culture supernatant fluids and extracts from feces of food poisoning patients. Nanograms of CPE were detectable with the assay and the reaction was specific, as shown by parallel activity in a double antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Enumeration and Characterization of Clostridium perfringens Spores in the Feces of Food Poisoning Patients and Normal Controls.

The fecal spore enumeration method for confirming Clostridium perfringens as the cause of food poisoning was evaluated using strains implicated in nine outbreaks in the United States. Confirmed spore counts from 66 stool specimens were made on tryptose-sulfite-cycloserine (TSC) without egg yolk and trypticase soy-sheep blood (TSB) agars. Counts from outbreak stools on TSC agar ranged from 2.

Common Characteristics of the Swiss and Argentine Strains of Clostridium botulinum Type G .

Five strains of Clostridium botulinum type G of human origin, from Switzerland, were compared with two strains isolated from soil in Argentina. The Swiss and Argentine strains are the only type G strains isolated to date. Characteristics compared were toxigenicity, sporulation, proteolysis and carbohydrate fermentation.

Immunodiffusion Detection of Clostridium botulinum Colonies.

Toxic colonies of Clostridium botulinum types A, B, E and F were detected by precipitating toxin around the colonies on agar containing antitoxin. Incorporating antitoxin in a gel diffusion agar overlay after colonies had developed was unsatisfactory for detection of type E, but worked well for all types when added directly to the plating medium. Addition of 0.

Heat Resistance of Clostridium botulinum Type G in Phosphate Buffer.

The heat resistance of two strains of Clostridium botulinum type G in phosphate buffer was studied by the thermal death time (TDT) tube method and the thermal destruction rate (TDR) method. The strains were estimated to have one highly heat-resistant spore among approximately 100 spores or 10,000 relatively heat-labile spores. The heat-labile spores were studied by the TDR method and the heat-resistant spores by the TDT tube method.

Comparison of Selective Plating Media for Enumeration of Bacillus cereus in Foods.

Enumeration of Bacillus cereus on raw sprouts of mung beans and wheat was compared in three agars: mannitol-egg yolk-polymyxin (MYP), polymyxin pyruvate-egg yolk-mannitol-bromthymol blue, and trypticase-soy-polymyxin blood. Ten different strains of B. cereus were used to seed the sprouts.