The Effect of Heat-treated Poultry Pellets and Composted Poultry Litter on E. coli Survival in Southeastern US Soils: Florida and Georgia.

Biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) are a source of foodborne pathogens that can contaminate fresh produce. This study evaluated the survival of E. coli over 140 d in agricultural soils amended with composted poultry litter (PL), heat-treated poultry pellets (HTPP), or unamended (UN) in Florida (FL) and Georgia (GA).

Persistence of Microcystin in Three Agricultural Ponds in Georgia, USA.

Cyanobacteria and their toxins can have multiple effects on agricultural productivity and water bodies. Cyanotoxins can be transported to nearby crops and fields during irrigation and may pose a risk to animal health through water sources. Spatial and temporal variations in cyanotoxin concentrations have been reported for large freshwater sources such as lakes and reservoirs, but there are fewer studies on smaller agricultural surface water bodies.

Prevalence of STEC virulence markers and as a function of abiotic factors in agricultural water in the southeastern United States.

Fresh produce can be contaminated by enteric pathogens throughout crop production, including through contact with contaminated agricultural water. The most common outbreaks and recalls in fresh produce are due to contamination by and Shiga toxin-producing (STEC). Thus, the objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of markers for STEC (, , , , -I, -II) and () in surface water sources ( = 8) from produce farms in Southwest Georgia and to determine correlations among the prevalence of virulence markers for STEC, water nutrient profile, and environmental factors.

Rain splash-mediated dispersal of from fecal deposits to field-grown lettuce in the mid- and south Atlantic U.S. regions is affected by mulch type.

Introduction: Wildlife feces can contaminate vegetables when enteric bacteria are released by rain and splashed onto crops. Regulations require growers to identify and not harvest produce that is likely contaminated, but U.S.

Southern Region Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training: Using Pre- and Post-Training Knowledge Assessments to Understand Training Effectiveness.

The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) grower training was introduced in 2016 as the standardized curriculum to meet the training requirements of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act's (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR). The PSR states that at least one supervisor or responsible party from each farm must have successfully completed this food safety training or one equivalent to the standardized curriculum, as recognized by the FDA. This study evaluated the effectiveness of PSA trainings conducted between 2017 and 2019 in the Southern United States by the Southern Regional Center for Food Safety Training, Outreach, and Technical Assistance by analyzing pre- and posttest assessments.

Longitudinal Survey of Aeromonas hydrophila and Foodborne Pathogens in a Commercial Aquaponics System.

Aquaponic production of fresh produce is a sustainable agricultural method becoming widely adopted, though few studies have investigated potential food safety hazards within commercial systems. A longitudinal study was conducted to isolate and quantify several foodborne pathogens from a commercial, aquaponic farm, and to elucidate their distribution throughout. The survey was conducted over 2 years on a controlled-environment farm containing Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa).

Prevalence and molecular characterization of isolated from wild birds in fresh produce environments.

Wild birds pose a difficult food safety risk to manage because they can avoid traditional wildlife mitigation strategies, such as fences. Birds often use agricultural fields and structures as foraging and nesting areas, which can lead to defecation on crops and subsequent transfer of foodborne pathogens. To assess the food safety risk associated with these events, wild bird feces were collected from produce fields across the southeastern United States during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons.

16S microbiome analysis of microbial communities in distribution centers handling fresh produce.

Little is known about the microbial communities found in distribution centers (DCs), especially in those storing and handling food. As many foodborne bacteria are known to establish residence in food facilities, it is reasonable to assume that DCs handling foods are also susceptible to pathogen colonization. To investigate the microbial communities within DCs, 16S amplicon sequencing was completed on 317 environmental surface sponge swabs collected in DCs ( = 18) across the United States.

Effect of aquaponic water and substratum material on biofilm formation by Aeromonas hydrophila.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a zoonotic pathogen causing illness in fish and susceptible humans. This emerging pathogen has been isolated within aquaponic systems and could cause disease in fish and a hazard to humans consuming aquaponic produce. This study determined whether A.

Factors that predict Listeria prevalence in distribution centers handling fresh produce.

Listeria species prevalence has been investigated at nearly all stages of the fresh produce supply chain; however, it has not been examined in transportation and distribution center (DC) related environments. Between December 2019 and March 2021, 18 DCs handling fresh produce were environmentally sampled for Listeria. Swab samples were collected from a variety of surfaces (e.

The prevalence and concentration of Salmonella enterica in poultry litter in the southern United States.

Poultry litter is applied to crop production land in the southern United States as a waste management strategy as it is a nitrogen-rich fertilizer and plentiful throughout the region. While litter is a known reservoir for human enteric pathogens including Salmonella enterica, little is known regarding pathogen prevalence, concentration, and common serotypes within the material. Litter from thirteen farms across four southern states was examined for Salmonella.

Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes and indicator microorganisms in Florida cantaloupe packinghouses, 2013-2014.

Prior to the 2013 cantaloupe season, the US Food and Drug Administration notified the industry that inspections of a subset of packinghouses would commence that year in response to the 2011 Listeria monocytogenes outbreak associated with cantaloupe. In May 2013, five Florida cantaloupe packinghouses participated in an environmental monitoring survey to evaluate their sanitary conditions prior to a potential FDA inspection. Two facilities participated again in 2014.

Predictive model for growth of Clostridium botulinum from spores during cooling of cooked ground chicken.

Cooking temperature of poultry meat is typically inadequate to inactivate the heat resistant spores of Clostridium botulinum. The purpose of this study is to develop a predictive model for C. botulinum during cooling of cooked ground chicken.

A Systematic Review of Species and Prevalence, Persistence, and Diversity throughout the Fresh Produce Supply Chain.

is an increasing food safety concern throughout the produce supply chain as it has been linked to produce associated outbreaks and recalls. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic literature review to investigate species and prevalence, persistence, and diversity at each stage along the supply chain. This review identified 64 articles of 4863 candidate articles obtained from four Boolean search queries in six databases.

Postharvest Reduction of on Tomatoes Using a Pelargonic Acid Emulsion.

A novel produce wash consisting of pelargonic acid (PEL) emulsions was tested on tomatoes contaminated with a five-serovar cocktail. Ability to reduce contamination on the inoculated tomato surface, as well as mitigation of subsequent cross-contamination to uninoculated tomatoes washed in re-used/spent wash water were examined. Sanitizer efficacy was also examined over 1 and 7 d storage time (8 °C, recommended for red ripe tomatoes) and in the presence of 0.

Biocides and Novel Antimicrobial Agents for the Mitigation of Coronaviruses.

In December, 2019, a highly infectious and rapidly spreading new pneumonia of unknown cause was reported to the Chinese WHO Country Office. A cluster of these cases had appeared in Wuhan, a city in the Hubei Province of China. These infections were found to be caused by a new coronavirus which was given the name "2019 novel coronavirus" (2019-nCoV).

Transcriptomic Behavior of Salmonella enterica Newport in Response to Oxidative Sanitizers.

Abstract: Agricultural water is a known source of contamination to fresh produce and can contain foodborne pathogens including Salmonella enterica, pathogenic Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter jejuni. To mitigate such risks, antimicrobial agents such as hypochlorites and peroxyacetic acid (PAA) can be applied to in-line irrigation systems as well as to water used in postharvest washing. Although these compounds are effective and widely used, some pathogenic bacteria adapt to survive exposure.

Prevalence and concentration of stx+ E. coli and E. coli O157 in bovine manure from Florida farms.

Fresh produce outbreaks due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) continue to occur in the United States (US). Manure-amended soils can pose a public health risk when used for growing raw agricultural commodities. Knowing the prevalence and concentration of STEC in untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) is important to help guide the most appropriate pre-harvest interval(s) following application to limit risks from these soil amendments.

Reduction of Escherichia coli, as a surrogate for Salmonella spp., on the surface of grapefruit during various packingline processes.

The US Produce Safety Rule allows for use of water that does not meet its microbial standards if corrective measures are employed. This research was initiated to determine the suitability of nonpathogenic Escherichia coli as a surrogate for Salmonella during citrus washing, and to evaluate the removal of E. coli from grapefruit on two pilot packinglines (CREC and IRREC) as corrective measures.

Antimicrobial Efficacy of an Array of Essential Oils Against Lactic Acid Bacteria.

The essential oils of clove bud, cinnamon bark and thyme, and their individual compounds including allyl isothiocyanate (AIT), carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, eugenol, and thymol were initially assessed for antimicrobial activity against 9 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species. Carvacrol and thymol were the most inhibitory with MICs of 0.1% (v/v and w/v, respectively).

20-HETE increases survival and decreases apoptosis in pulmonary arteries and pulmonary artery endothelial cells.

20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) is an endogenous cytochrome P-450 product present in vascular smooth muscle and uniquely located in the vascular endothelium of pulmonary arteries (PAs). 20-HETE enhances reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of bovine PA endothelial cells (BPAECs) in an NADPH oxidase-dependent manner and is postulated to promote angiogenesis via activation of this pathway in systemic vascular beds. We tested the capacity of 20-HETE or a stable analog of this compound, 20-hydroxy-eicosa-5(Z),14(Z)-dienoic acid, to enhance survival and protect against apoptosis in BPAECs stressed with serum starvation.

Role of JNK in network formation of human lung microvascular endothelial cells.

The signaling mechanisms in vasculogenesis and/or angiogenesis remain poorly understood, limiting the ability to regulate growth of new blood vessels in vitro and in vivo. Cultured human lung microvascular endothelial cells align into tubular networks in the three-dimensional matrix, Matrigel. Overexpression of MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1), an enzyme that inactivates the ERK, JNK, and p38 pathways, inhibited network formation of these cells.

Emerging mechanisms for growth and protection of the vasculature by cytochrome P450-derived products of arachidonic acid and other eicosanoids.

Arachidonic acid (AA) is an essential fatty acid that is metabolized by cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX) or cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes to generate eicosanoids which in turn mediate a number of biological activities including regulation of angiogenesis. While much information on the effects of COX and LOX products is known, the physiological relevance of the CYP-derived products of AA are less well understood. CYP enzymes are highly expressed in the liver and kidney, but have also been detected at lower levels in the brain, heart and vasculature.

Chick chorioallantoic membrane as an in vivo model to study vasoreactivity: characterization of development-dependent hyperemia induced by epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs).

Shell-less culture of chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of developing chicken embryos is a useful model to evaluate the effects of vascular agents. We assessed the response of CAM vessels to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), derivatives of the essential fatty acid arachidonic acid, that have a number of important biological functions, including dilation of microvessels in the coronary, cerebral, renal, and mesenteric circulations. Three of four regioisomers of EETs, 14,15-, 11,12-, and 8,9-EET, induced a characteristic dose-dependent acute hyperemia within 4 min after application on 10-day-old CAMs.