Guidance on validation of lethal control measures for foodborne pathogens in foods.

Food manufacturers are required to obtain scientific and technical evidence that a control measure or combination of control measures is capable of reducing a significant hazard to an acceptable level that does not pose a public health risk under normal conditions of distribution and storage. A validation study provides evidence that a control measure is capable of controlling the identified hazard under a worst-case scenario for process and product parameters tested. It also defines the critical parameters that must be controlled, monitored, and verified during processing.

Temperature Exerts Control of Emetic Toxin Production on Post-transcriptional Levels.

In recent years, the emetic toxin cereulide, produced by , has gained high relevance in food production and food safety. Cereulide is synthesized non-ribosomal by the multi-enzyme complex Ces-NRPS, which is encoded on a megaplasmid that shares its backbone with the pX01 toxin plasmid. Due to its resistance against heat, proteolysis and extreme pH conditions, the formation of this highly potent depsipeptide toxin is of serious concern in food processing procedures including slow cooling procedures and/or storage of intermediate products at ambient temperatures.