Microbiological baseline study of beef and pork carcasses from provincially inspected abattoirs in Alberta, Canada.

In 2006 and 2007 beef and pork carcass swabs from provincially inspected abattoirs in Alberta, Canada were tested to determine the levels of total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, and generic Escherichia coli, and the prevalence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Shiga toxin-producing E.

Evaluation of environmental sampling methods and rapid detection assays for recovery and identification of Listeria spp. from meat processing facilities.

Studies that isolated Listeria spp. from the environment of two meat processing facilities were conducted. Samples were collected in the processing environment of the facilities with three different sampling methods (cotton swab, sterile sponge, and composite-ply tissues) to evaluate their ability to recover Listeria spp.

Microbiological baseline study of poultry slaughtered in provincially inspected abattoirs in Alberta, Canada.

Studies to determine baseline levels of microbial contaminants and foodborne bacterial pathogens are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs, Good Manufacturing/Production Practices, and various interventions. In 2004 and 2005 poultry carcass rinses from provincially inspected abattoirs in Alberta, Canada, were tested to determine the levels of aerobic plate count bacteria, coliform bacteria, and generic Escherichia coli, the prevalence and levels of Campylobacter spp., and the prevalence of Salmonella spp.

Effect of low temperature on stability of theta-type plasmids in Carnobacterium maltaromaticum.

The heterologous production of useful peptides such as bacteriocins by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been studied for use in the biopreservation of foods. Recombinant plasmids can suffer drawbacks such as segregational instability affecting the production of these peptides in certain environments such as absence of selective pressure or low temperature. The link between growth temperature characteristics of parental strains and stability of theta-type plasmids at a low temperature was investigated.

Evaluation of detection methods for screening meat and poultry products for the presence of foodborne pathogens.

Rapid and molecular technologies such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), PCR, and lateral flow immunoprecipitation can reduce the time and labor involved in screening food products for the presence of pathogens. These technologies were compared with conventional culture methodology for the detection of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated in raw and processed meat and poultry products. Recommended protocols were modified so that the same enrichment broths used in the culture methods were also used in the ELISA, PCR, and lateral flow immunoprecipitation assays.

Bacteriology and storage life of moisture-enhanced pork.

This study was undertaken to determine the impact of the moisture enhancement process on the bacterial contamination and storage life of vacuum-packaged pork loins. Bone-in and boneless pork loins injected with brine (sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, lemon juice) were obtained from a commercial processing facility and stored for 5 weeks in vacuum packaging at 2 and 5 degrees C. At weekly intervals, samples were excised to determine numbers of spoilage bacteria and pathogens.