Nanocoating and its application as antimicrobials in the food industry: A review.

Nanocoatings are ultra-thin layers on the nanoscale (<100 nm) that are deposited on the substrate to improve their properties and functionality. These nanocoatings provide significant advantages compared to traditional coating, including stain resistance, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, odor control and delivery of active agents, and liquid repellence properties. In the food industry, nanocoating is widely used in the food packaging sector.

Comparative microbial analyses of hydroponic versus in-soil grown Romaine lettuce obtained at retail.

The overarching goal of this study was to assess the microbiological profile of hydroponically grown Romaine lettuce and in-soil Romaine lettuce (organic and conventional). Thirty-six samples of hydroponic lettuce, seventy-two samples organic lettuce (thirty-six bagged lettuce and thirty-six non-bagged lettuce), and thirty-six conventionally grown lettuce was purchased from retail stores. A portion of each sample was analyzed for aerobic bacteria (APC), coliforms and , and yeasts and molds (YM).

Safety and Quality of Romaine Lettuce Accessible to Low Socioeconomic Populations Living in Houston, TX.

Abstract: Previous empirical evidence has demonstrated that low-socioeconomic status (SES) communities have higher rates of gastroenteritis; however, there is a paucity of literature on the safety and quality of food (fresh produce) accessible to these communities. The overarching goal of this study was to investigate the microbial safety and quality of romaine lettuce from low- and high-SES neighborhoods in the Houston, TX, area. Loose-leaf romaine lettuce was purchased from low- and high-SES neighborhood retailers, and aerobic plate count, coliform, Escherichia coli, yeast, and mold assays were conducted.

Persistence of Foodborne Pathogens on Farmers' Market Fomites.

Abstract: The number of farmers' markets registered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has seen a significant increase, jumping from 1,755 in 1994 to 8,771 in 2019.

Retraction.

The online ahead of print article titled “Assessing Food Safety Practices Among Texas Small Growers” by Zahra H. Mohammad, Isabelle do Prado, Rene Nieto, Richard De Los Santos, and Sujata A. Sirsat has been retracted by the authors and the Scientific Editors.

Implications of Temperature Abuse on Unpasteurized Beer Quality Using Organoleptic and Chemical Analyses.

Beer flavor and sensory quality are affected by storage time and temperature due to chemical breakdown and aging. This study aimed to investigate the organoleptic properties of temperature-abused, unpasteurized craft beer and analyze the chemical breakdown associated with the process. Sensory tests were performed using a triangle test to determine consumer identification of temperature-abused beer.

Effect of post inoculation drying procedures on the reduction of Salmonella on almonds by thermal treatments.

Since two outbreaks of salmonellosis were linked to the consumption of almonds in 2001 and 2004, the study of pathogen inactivation kinetics in almonds has been encouraged, often by conducting inoculated challenge studies. The inoculation method could affect the results of such challenge studies, because of the possible increase of moisture on the almonds resulting from a wet inoculation procedure, which may result in a potential overestimation of the effectiveness of treatments used to pasteurize almonds in industrial settings. Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis phage type 30 (PT30) isolated from an almond-linked outbreak was inoculated on nonpareil almonds and dried by accelerated (drying the inoculated almonds at 37 °C for 12 h) and conventional (drying inoculated almonds overnight at room temperature) drying methods, before treating the almonds with hot water (blanching) at 88 °C or hot oil (oil roasting) at 127 °C.

Food Safety Challenges and Barriers in Southern United States Farmers Markets.

Purchasing fresh and local produce at farmers markets has seen an increasing trend over the past decade. However, with this rise in popularity food safety challenges need to be recognized and addressed. Farmers market managers play a significant role in ensuring that vendors implement food safety practices at the market.

Increased Effectiveness of Microbiological Verification by Concentration-Dependent Neutralization of Sanitizers Used in Poultry Slaughter and Fabrication Allowing Salmonella enterica Survival.

Sanitizer neutralizers can assist foodborne pathogen detection during routine testing by counteracting sanitizer residues carried over into fluids collected and tested from food samples. This study tested sanitizer-matched neutralizers applied at increasing concentrations to facilitate survival following exposure to cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) or peracetic acid (PAA), identifying minimum required concentrations of neutralizers to facilitate pathogen survival. isolates were individually inoculated into a non-selective medium followed immediately by CPC (0.