Microbial dynamics and vertical transmission of Escherichia coli across consecutive life stages of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens).

Background: The black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens L.) is one of the most promising insects for bioconversion of organic waste, which often carry a high microbial load with potential foodborne pathogens. Although horizontal transmission (from rearing substrate to larvae) has been extensively studied, less is known about vertical transmission of microorganisms, and particularly of foodborne pathogens, across different BSF life stages.

Bacterial biota composition in gut regions of black soldier fly larvae reared on industrial residual streams: revealing community dynamics along its intestinal tract.

Some insect species have gained attention as efficient bioconverters of low-value organic substrates (i.e., residual streams) into high-value biomass.

Extrudability of cookie batters evaluated with three measurement methods.

For cookie batters, there is a strong interaction between ingredient formulation and processing. Changing the amounts and types of sugar and fat in a recipe to change taste or healthiness influences the type of product formation in a production plant. In this study, the applicability of three measurement methods, a rheometer, a forward extrusion cell, and the Foodtexture Puff Device (FPD), was evaluated to measure the extrudability of cookie batters.

Effect of heat treatment on microbiological safety of supermarket food waste as substrate for black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens).

Supermarket food waste, constituting 13% of global food waste, can be upcycled as substrate for black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and converted into larval biomass. Since presence of food pathogens in supermarket food waste is likely, microbiological safety should be ensured when using waste as insect substrate. Heat treatment provides a suitable pre-treatment to reduce microbiological contaminations.

Impact of Heat Treatment on the Microbiological Quality of Frass Originating from Black Soldier Fly Larvae ().

Since black soldier fly larvae (BSFL, ) are being produced at substantial volumes, concomitantly large amounts of the resulting by-product, called frass, are generated. This frass can potentially be applied as valuable plant fertilizer or soil improver. Since frass carries high microbial counts, potentially including foodborne pathogens, safety problems for consumers should be prevented.

Staphylococcus aureus in Substrates for Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) and Its Dynamics during Rearing.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; Hermetia illucens) are promising insects for the conversion of organic waste streams into valuable biomolecules. Such waste streams can contain foodborne pathogens. To assess this risk factor, this study evaluated the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in waste streams as a substrate ingredient for BSFL production as well as in the rearing process.

Dynamics of Salmonella inoculated during rearing of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens).

The black soldier fly is currently the most produced edible insect on industrial scale, with its larval stage being processed into animal feed as the main application. As this insect species enters the feed and food chain, good hygiene and monitoring practices are needed to avoid the entrance of foodborne pathogens via the larvae. However, insufficient data on the risk of such introductions via industrial larvae production are available.

Potential of Fermentation and Vacuum Packaging Followed by Chilling to Preserve Black Soldier Fly Larvae ().

Black soldier fly larvae () are currently reared at an industrial scale, mainly as a feed ingredient. The logistic chain not only involves the production of larvae, but also stabilisation, storage, and transport. The aim of this work was to study fermentation and vacuum packaging of larvae as potential preservation technologies.

Microbial profile during fermentation and aerobic stability of ensiled mixtures of maize stover and banana pseudostem in South Ethiopia.

Aims: This study evaluated pH reduction and microbial growth during fermentation of maize stover (MS) mixed with banana pseudostem (BPS) under South Ethiopian conditions.

Materials And Results: The MS and BPS were chopped and mixed into six treatments (T): 80% BPS plus 20% DMS (T1), 70% BPS plus 30% DMS (T2), 40% BPS plus 60% FMS (fresh MS) (T3), 20% BPS plus 80% FMS (T4), 100% FMS (T5), and 95% BPS plus 5% molasses (T6). At 0, 7, 14, 30, 60, and 90 days, pH and dry matter were determined.

Technical aspects and standardization of the totally robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Results of a single surgeon experience with a 5-year follow-up.

Introduction: The use of robotics in bariatric surgery is increasing worldwide, with as main objective reducing complications and optimising surgical outcome. This study presents the results of a single surgeon 8-year experience with a totally robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

Methods: A total of 183 consecutive patients underwent a robotic bariatric procedure.

Identification of bacterial endospores and targeted detection of foodborne viruses in industrially reared insects for food.

With edible insects being increasingly produced, food safety authorities have called for the determination of microbiological challenges posed to human health. Here, we find that the bacterial endospore fraction in industrially reared mealworm and cricket samples is largely comprised of Bacillus cereus group members that can pose insect or human health risks. Hepatitis A virus, hepatitis E virus and norovirus genogroup II were not detected in the sample collection, indicating a low food safety risk from these viral pathogens.

Effect of fermentation system on the physicochemical and microbial community dynamics during enset (Ensete ventricosum) fermentation.

Aims: The present study was conducted to assess the effect of three different fermentation systems on fermentation of enset into kocho.

Methods And Results: Nine enset plants were processed, mixed and fermented in either a pit, a bamboo basket or a sauerkraut jar. Samples were taken on days 1, 7, 15, 31, 60 and 90.

Real-time PCR detection and quantification of selected transferable antibiotic resistance genes in fresh edible insects from Belgium and the Netherlands.

The occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in foodstuffs involves a human health risk. Fresh edible insects present an emerging source of human food but they were not yet assessed in a quantitative way for antibiotic resistances as a matter of food safety. In this study, a real-time quantitative PCR assessment was optimised to detect and quantify relevant transferable antibiotic resistance genes [tet(O, K, M, S) and erm(B)] in edible insects.

Microbial Dynamics during Industrial Rearing, Processing, and Storage of Tropical House Crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) for Human Consumption.

In this study, the microbiota during industrial rearing, processing, and storage of the edible tropical house cricket, , was investigated. To this end, we analyzed samples from the cricket feed, obtained before feeding as well as from the cages, and from the crickets during rearing, after harvest, and after processing into frozen, oven-dried, and smoked and oven-dried (smoked/dried) end products. Although the feed contained lower microbial numbers than the crickets, both were dominated by the same species-level operational taxonomic units, as determined by Illumina MiSeq sequencing.

Fermentation of enset (Ensete ventricosum) in the Gamo highlands of Ethiopia: Physicochemical and microbial community dynamics.

Enset (Ensete ventricosum) provides staple food for 15 million people in Ethiopia after fermentation into kocho. The fermentation process has hardly been investigated and is prone to optimization. The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and microbial dynamics of fermentation practices in the Gamo highlands.

Metagenetic analysis of the bacterial communities of edible insects from diverse production cycles at industrial rearing companies.

Despite the continuing development of new insect-derived food products, microbial research on edible insects and insect-based foods is still very limited. The goal of this study was to increase the knowledge on the microbial quality of edible insects by comparing the bacterial community composition of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus and Gryllodes sigillatus) from several production cycles and rearing companies. Remarkable differences in the bacterial community composition were found between different mealworm rearing companies and mealworm production cycles from the same company.

Microbial counts of mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus and Gryllodes sigillatus) from different rearing companies and different production batches.

The rising interest in insects for human consumption and the changing regulations in Europe require a profound insight into the food safety of insects reared and sold in Western society. The microbial quality of edible insects has only been studied occasionally. This study aimed at generating an overview of intrinsic parameters (pH, water activity and moisture content) and microbial quality of fresh mealworm larvae and crickets for several rearing companies and for several batches per rearer.

Influence of resection margin on survival in hepatic resections for colorectal liver metastases.

Background: Traditionally a 1-cm margin has been accepted as the gold standard for resection of colorectal liver metastases. Evidence is emerging that a lesser margin may provide equally acceptable outcomes, but a critical margin, below which recurrence is higher and survival poorer, has not been universally agreed. In a recent publication, we reported peri-operative morbidity and clear margin as the two independent prognostic factors.