Infant milk formula, produced by membrane filtration, promotes mucus production in the upper small intestine of young pigs.

Human breast milk promotes maturation of the infant gastrointestinal barrier, including the promotion of mucus production. In the quest to produce next generation infant milk formula (IMF), we have produced IMF by membrane filtration (MEM-IMF). With a higher quantity of native whey protein, MEM-IMF more closely mimics human breast milk than IMF produced using conventional heat treatment (HT-IMF).

Investigation of the growth of Listeria in plant-based beverages.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether the content of sugar, protein, fat, or fibre in commercially available and specially formulated plant-based beverages (oat, soya and pea) influences the growth rates of Listeria. Beverages were inoculated with a strain cocktail of Listeria (approximately 1 × 10 CFU/mL), and the data demonstrated that Listeria could proliferate in all tested beverages. Moreover, varying concentrations of naturally occurring or added sugar (0-3.

Membrane filtration processing of infant milk formula alters protein digestion in young pigs.

Reducing heat treatment (HT) during processing of infant milk formula (IMF) is desirable to produce a product that more closely resembles breast milk. By employing membrane filtration (MEM), we produced an IMF (60:40 whey to casein ratio) at pilot scale (250 kg). MEM-IMF had a significantly higher content of native whey (59.

Variability in Cold Tolerance of Food and Clinical Isolates.

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of strain variability amongst food and clinical isolates growing at low temperatures (4 and 7 °C) in both laboratory media and real food matrices. Isolates ( = 150) grown in laboratory media demonstrated a large variation in growth profiles measured using optical density. Overall, it was noted that clinical isolates exhibited a significantly higher growth rate ( ≤ 0.

Growth of food-borne pathogens Listeria and Salmonella and spore-forming Paenibacillus and Bacillus in commercial plant-based milk alternatives.

The objective of the present study was to compare the growth of food-pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, food spoilage Bacillus subtilis, an industrial milk product isolate, and spore-forming Paenibacillus in commercially available ultrahigh temperature processed (UHT) bovine milk and non-dairy, plant-based beverages (coconut, almond, cashew) stored at chilled and ambient temperatures (4 °C, 8 °C or 20 °C). Beverage samples were inoculated with a strain cocktail or individual strains of either Listeria or Salmonella, or Paenibacillus or Bacillus, respectively (approximately 1 × 10 CFU/mL). The findings indicate that the bacterial strains used in the study were capable of proliferating in plant-based beverages at higher rates than in bovine milk at 8 °C and 20 °C for Listeria and 20 °C for Salmonella and Paenibacillus, respectively.

Comparison of conventional heat-treated and membrane filtered infant formulas using an semi-dynamic digestion method.

Introducing membrane filtration steps into infant milk formula (IMF) manufacture can partly preserve native whey proteins in the final products. In this study, the IMF produced by membrane filtration (MEM-IMF) and conventional heat treatment (HT-IMF) were compared by using a novel semi-dynamic infant digestion method. MEM-IMF exhibited a fragmented curd during gastric digestion, and confocal laser light microscopy showed that protein aggregates had disassociated from the fat droplets within 93 min in the MEM-IMF digesta.

Correlation of organic acid tolerance and genotypic characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes food and clinical isolates.

A collection of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from various food products, food processing environments and clinical sources (n = 153) were evaluated for their tolerance to acetic, lactic and propionic acids. A large variation in tolerance was observed amongst isolates under mildly acidic conditions (pH 5.3) for acetic (5-20 mM undissociated acid) and propionic acid (2-10 mM undissociated acid) but there was less variation for lactic acid (3-6 mM undissociated acid).

Investigation of combinations of rationally selected bioengineered nisin derivatives for their ability to inhibit Listeria in broth and model food systems.

In this study, we examined the ability of nisin A and a rationally assembled bank of 36 nisin derivative producing Lactococcus lactis strains to inhibit Listeria. A broth-based bioluminescence assay for screening single and combinations of bioengineered nisin derivatives using cell-free supernatants (CFS) from nisin derivative producing strains was developed. In this way, we screened 630 combinations of nisin derivative producing strains, identifying two (CFS from M17Q + N20P and M17Q + S29E) which exhibited enhanced anti-listerial activity when used together compared to when used alone, or to the nisin A producing strain.

Investigating the Use of Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes (UV-LEDs) for the Inactivation of Bacteria in Powdered Food Ingredients.

The addition of contaminated powdered spices and seasonings to finished products which do not undergo further processing represents a significant concern for food manufacturers. To reduce the incidence of bacterial contamination, seasoning ingredients should be subjected to a decontamination process. Ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) have been suggested as an alternative to UV lamps for reducing the microbial load of foods, due to their increasing efficiency, robustness and decreasing cost.

Thermal or membrane processing for Infant Milk Formula: Effects on protein digestion and integrity of the intestinal barrier.

Infant Milk Formula (IMF) is designed as a breastmilk substitute to satisfy the nutritional requirements during the first months of life. This study investigates the effects of two IMF processing technologies on cow milk protein digestion using an infant static in vitro gastrointestinal model. The degree of protein hydrolysis at the end of the gastric phase was 3.

Superior esterolytic activity in environmental strains is linked to the presence of the SGNH hydrolase family of esterases.

strains are widely used in the dairy industry in fermentation processes for production of cheese and fermented milks. However, the esterolytic activity of is not generally considered high. For this reason, purified microbial lipases and esterases are often added in certain dairy processes to generate specific flavors in the final food product.

Comparison of predicted and impedance determined growth of Listeria innocua in complex food matrices.

Indirect impedance has been used for the detection and enumeration of bacteria, however there is limited data regarding the ability of the method to measure growth and inhibition of microorganisms in food in response to preservatives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the technique to determine maximum growth rates of Listeria innocua (used as a surrogate for Listeria monocytogenes) in complex food matrices to which multiple preservative factors had been applied and assess the suitability of the data for use in predictive microbiology. Growth of L.

Whey proteins: targets of oxidation, or mediators of redox protection.

Bovine whey proteins are highly valued dairy ingredients. This is primarily due to their amino acid content, digestibility, bioactivities and their processing characteristics. One of the reported bioactivities of whey proteins is antioxidant activity.

Draft Genome Sequences of Four Lactococcus lactis Strains Isolated from Diverse Niches, Including Dairy Products, Grass, and Green Peas.

has been used for millennia as a starter organism in the production of many fermented dairy products. This announcement includes the draft genome sequences of four strains of , two of dairy origin and two from nondairy sources.

Exploring the Impacts of Postharvest Processing on the Microbiota and Metabolite Profiles during Green Coffee Bean Production.

Unlabelled: The postharvest treatment and processing of fresh coffee cherries can impact the quality of the unroasted green coffee beans. In the present case study, freshly harvested Arabica coffee cherries were processed through two different wet and dry methods to monitor differences in the microbial community structure and in substrate and metabolite profiles. The changes were followed throughout the postharvest processing chain, from harvest to drying, by implementing up-to-date techniques, encompassing multiple-step metagenomic DNA extraction, high-throughput sequencing, and multiphasic metabolite target analysis.

Complete Genome Sequence of vB_EcoM_112, a T-Even-Type Bacteriophage Specific for Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Bacteriophage vB_EcoM_112 (formerly e11/2) is an Escherichia coli phage with specificity for the O157:H7 serotype. The vB_EcoM_112 genome sequence shares high degrees of similarity with the phage T4 genome sequence.

In situ investigation of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spore germination and inactivation mechanisms under moderate high pressure.

Bacterial spores are a major concern for food safety due to their high resistance to conventional preservation hurdles. Innovative hurdles can trigger bacterial spore germination or inactivate them. In this work, Geobacillus stearothermophilus spore high pressure (HP) germination and inactivation mechanisms were investigated by in situ infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and fluorometry.

(Ultra) high pressure homogenization for continuous high pressure sterilization of pumpable foods - a review.

Bacterial spores have a strong resistance to both chemical and physical hurdles and create a risk for the food industry, which has been tackled by applying high thermal intensity treatments to sterilize food. These strong thermal treatments lead to a reduction of the organoleptic and nutritional properties of food and alternatives are actively searched for. Innovative hurdles offer an alternative to inactivate bacterial spores.

Exploitation of the diverse insertion sequence element content of dairy Lactobacillus helveticus starters as a rapid method to identify different strains.

The species Lactobacillus helveticus is a commonly used thermophilic starter and/or adjunct culture for Swiss and Cheddar cheese manufacture. Its use is normally associated with flavour improvement which is known to be associated with culture traits such as rapid autolysis and high proteolytic activity. The genome of the commercial strain, DPC4571, was recently sequenced and found to have an abundance of IS sequences in terms of both abundance (213 intact) and diversity (21 types).

Comparative genomics of lactic acid bacteria reveals a niche-specific gene set.

Background: The recently sequenced genome of Lactobacillus helveticus DPC4571 revealed a dairy organism with significant homology (75% of genes are homologous) to a probiotic bacteria Lb. acidophilus NCFM. This led us to hypothesise that a group of genes could be determined which could define an organism's niche.

Genome sequence of Lactobacillus helveticus, an organism distinguished by selective gene loss and insertion sequence element expansion.

Mobile genetic elements are major contributing factors to the generation of genetic diversity in prokaryotic organisms. For example, insertion sequence (IS) elements have been shown to specifically contribute to niche adaptation by promoting a variety of genetic rearrangements. The complete genome sequence of the cheese culture Lactobacillus helveticus DPC 4571 was determined and revealed significant conservation compared to three nondairy gut lactobacilli.

Modification of Lactobacillus beta-glucuronidase activity by random mutagenesis.

The Lactobacillus gasseri ADH beta-glucuronidase gene, gusA, was cloned previously and found to exhibit excellent activity in acidic pH ranges, with maximal activity at pH 5.0. In contrast, activity was limited in neutral pH ranges of 6-7.

Genome analysis of the obligately lytic bacteriophage 4268 of Lactococcus lactis provides insight into its adaptable nature.

Analysis of the complete nucleotide sequence of the lactococcal phage 4268, which is lytic for the cheese starter Lactococcus lactis DPC4268, is presented. Phage 4268 has a linear genome of 36,596 bp, which is modularly organised and encompasses 49 open reading frames. Putative functions were assigned to approximately 45% of the predicted products of these open reading frames based on sequence similarity with known proteins, N-terminal sequence analysis and identification of conserved domains.