Applied Microbiology of Foods, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Applied Microbiology (ISSN 2673-8007).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 449

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Animal and Food Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
2. Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Interests: food microbiology of raw and processed meats and produce; foodborne pathogens; Listeria monocytogenes; Salmonella spp.; STEC E. coli; vegetable nitrite ('natural nitrite') vs. sodium nitrite; Clostridium spp.; surrogate organisms to mimic pathogens; antimicrobial interventions (chemical, biological, physical; bacteriocins as biopreservatives); microbiology and processing of dried beef (biltong); biofilms; sanitizers; shelf-life studies/microbial validation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issues “Applied Microbiology of Foods” and "Applied Microbiology of Foods, 2nd Edition".

This Special Issue will consider a wide scope of applied microbiology as it relates to foodborne microorganisms and their interactions with foods and processes meant to inhibit bacteria or safeguard foods involving foodborne pathogens, spoilage, or beneficial microorganisms. Topics may include antimicrobial interventions, whether chemical, biological, or physical, for reducing or eliminating foodborne pathogens or spoilage microorganisms in raw/processed foods. The Special Issue may also include analyses of microbial outcomes or wholesale microbiome analyses of the results of interventions. The use of ‘natural’ antimicrobials (i.e., bacteriocins, bacteriophage, microbial fermentates, and vegetable nitrite) has gained favor in applications such as food preservatives. In recent years, natural, microbial-derived ingredients have made progress in their acceptance as natural food ingredients. These include 'microbial fermentates' produced by lactic acid bacteria that are generally regarded as safe (GRAS) and include bacteriocins or other natural antimicrobials. Biological modifications using 'safe' bacteria have changed the outlook on 'natural' vs. 'chemical' food preservatives and have made an impact on commercial applications in food. Natural sources of antimicrobials may result in a ‘clean/green label’ additive. Such changes have revitalized many commercial processes. Antimicrobial interventions are not limited to chemical/biological treatments; there are also physical processes (drying, blanching, sous vide, hot water showers, submersed water pasteurization, radiant heat ovens, microwave processing, high-pressure processing, and cold atmospheric plasma) that can provide effective food safety measures to inhibit pathogens and spoilage organisms. As Guest Editor of this Special Issue, I look forward to receiving and reviewing your contributions to this topic.

Prof. Dr. Peter Muriana
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • antimicrobial interventions against foodborne pathogens or spoilage organisms
  • foodborne pathogens (L. monocytogenes, STEC E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium, Staphylococcus)
  • evaluation of surrogate microorganisms to mimic foodborne pathogens during processing
  • inhibition of spore germination
  • biofilm, microbial adherence, and removal or elimination
  • bacteriocins as biopreservatives
  • challenge studies and microbial validation

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Research

26 pages, 11049 KiB  
Article
Dynamics of Physiological Changes of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Romaine Lettuce During Pre-Processing Cold Storage, and Subsequent Effects on Virulence and Stress Tolerance
by Dimple Sharma, Joshua O. Owade, Corrine J. Kamphuis, Avery Evans, E. Shaney Rump, Cleary Catur, Jade Mitchell and Teresa M. Bergholz
Appl. Microbiol. 2025, 5(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol5020045 - 6 May 2025
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Abstract
If lettuce is contaminated in the field, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 can survive through the distribution chain. Prolonged cold storage during transportation may impact pathogen physiology, affecting subsequent stress survival and virulence. Greenhouse-grown Romaine lettuce, inoculated with three STEC O157:H7 strains, [...] Read more.
If lettuce is contaminated in the field, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 can survive through the distribution chain. Prolonged cold storage during transportation may impact pathogen physiology, affecting subsequent stress survival and virulence. Greenhouse-grown Romaine lettuce, inoculated with three STEC O157:H7 strains, was harvested after 24 h and stored at 2 °C for 5 d following 4 h at harvest temperature (9 °C or 17 °C). Culturable, persister, and viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells were quantified. Virulence was evaluated using Galleria mellonella and acid tolerance at pH 2.5 and tolerance to 20–25 ppm free chlorine were quantified. Colder harvest temperature (9 °C) before cold storage led to greater transformation of STEC O157:H7 into dormant states and decreased virulence in most cases. Increasing length of cold storage led to decreased virulence and acid tolerance of STEC O157:H7 on lettuce, while having no significant effect on chlorine tolerance. These findings highlight that entry of STEC O157:H7 into dormant states during harvest and transportation at cold temperatures leads to decreased stress tolerance and virulence with increasing cold storage. Changes in STEC O157:H7 physiology on lettuce during cold storage can be integrated into risk assessment tools for producers, which can assist in identifying practices that minimize risk of STEC O157:H7 from consumption of lettuce. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Microbiology of Foods, 3rd Edition)
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