Foodborne Pathogens: Hygiene and Safety

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2022) | Viewed by 5027

Special Issue Editors

Department of Food Science and Technology, University of West Attica, 28 Agiou Spiridonos Str., 12243 Athens, Greece
Interests: foodborne pathogens; food safety; hygiene; food microbiology; food biotechnology; food quality; food and health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of West Attica, 28 Agiou Spiridonos Str., 12243 Athens, Greece
Interests: food biotechnology foodborne pathogens; food chemistry; food safety; molecular detection methods; microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food safety is an issue of global concern. It is of outmost importance to establish preventive measures to ensure the maintenance of food safety and hygienic conditions throughout the food supply chain since unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition and also has a detrimental impact on national healthcare systems and economies. Bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, and Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli are among the most common foodborne pathogens that affect millions of people annually, sometimes with severe and fatal outcomes. Further, antibiotic-resistant bacteria emerge and spread into the food chain through animals (e.g., Salmonella through chickens), rendering the treatment of infectious diseases ineffective in animals and humans. Other pathogens such as Norovirus, Hepatitis A virus, parasites, and prions can also cause serious foodborne disease outbreaks. Factors such as the preparation of food, the hygiene of eating establishments, eating habits, inadequate sanitation measures in food processing and distribution, and inadequate public health services may also contribute to the increase in foodborne illnesses.

In this Special Issue, we invite submissions exploring cutting-edge research and recent advances in the field of foodborne pathogens, hygiene, and safety. Both theoretical and experimental studies are welcome, as well as comprehensive review and survey papers.

Dr. Batrinou Anthimia
Dr. Dimitra Houhoula
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3718 KiB  
Article
Electric Field Induced Drift of Bacterial Protein Toxins of Foodborne Pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli from Water
by Vasileios Bartzis, Anthimia Batrinou, Ioannis E. Sarris, Spyros J. Konteles, Irini F. Strati and Dimitra Houhoula
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(24), 12739; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122412739 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1097
Abstract
Bacterial protein toxins secreted by foodborne pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, may cause severe toxicosis in humans if present in foods or water and constitute an important public health problem. These toxins are large biomolecules with [...] Read more.
Bacterial protein toxins secreted by foodborne pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, may cause severe toxicosis in humans if present in foods or water and constitute an important public health problem. These toxins are large biomolecules with negative and positive ions due to the ionizable groups in the residual amino acids. An innovative theoretical model of purifying aqueous flowing solutions from ionic toxins is proposed in this study. The principle of the model is based on the drift of the ionic toxins, under the application of the external electric field, towards the walls of the duct, leaving the largest part of the duct with reduced levels of toxin. Parameters, such as toxin concentration, potential and electric field intensity distributions, and surface charge densities, are studied analytically for various duct widths and various external electric fields. The proposed model succeeded to reduce toxin levels by more than 99%, for duct widths less than 1cm, making it suitable for small-scale water purification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Foodborne Pathogens: Hygiene and Safety)
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12 pages, 539 KiB  
Article
Challenge Test for Assessing the Growth Potential of Listeria Monocytogenes in Greek Soft Cheese (Anthotyros)
by Ntina Vasileiadi, Angeliki Lappa, Christos Koukouvinos, Theofania Tsironi and Georgia Mandilara
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(23), 12349; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122312349 - 02 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1902
Abstract
Foodborne listeriosis is one of the most serious and severe foodborne diseases, with a high mortality rate worldwide. Listeria monocytogenes’ (Lm) ability to survive under a diversity of conditions makes it a threat for food safety. Soft and semisoft cheeses are common RTE [...] Read more.
Foodborne listeriosis is one of the most serious and severe foodborne diseases, with a high mortality rate worldwide. Listeria monocytogenes’ (Lm) ability to survive under a diversity of conditions makes it a threat for food safety. Soft and semisoft cheeses are common RTE foods that support survival and growth of Lm due to their high moisture content and favorable pH. The aim of the present study was to assess, after artificial inoculation, the growth potential (Δ) of Lm in vacuum packed RTE soft Greek Anthotyros cheese. Growth potential of Lm was determined according to the new version of “EURL Lm Technical Guidance Document on challenge tests and durability studies for assessing shelf life of ready-to-eat foods related to Lm”. The results of our study revealed that the growth potential of Lm was (Δ) = 4.93 log10 CFU/g, indicating that the specific soft cheese “anthotyros” is a “Ready to eat food able to support growth of Lm and classified in food safety category 1.2 in the (EC) Regulation 2073/2005”. That means that the food business operator (FBO) must comply with the criteria that define that the bacterium must not be detected in 25 g (n = 5, c = 0) at the time of leaving the production plant. Through this study, we try to highlight the need for FBO to conduct relevant research to ensure that the ready-to-eat products which they produce, during their shelf life, do not support the growth of Lm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Foodborne Pathogens: Hygiene and Safety)
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16 pages, 2041 KiB  
Article
Antimicrobial Activity of Cobalt (II)-Citrate against Common Foodborne Pathogens and Its Potential for Incorporation into Food Packaging Material
by Jonathan Rhoades, Vilelmini Katsouda, Sevasti Matsia, Konstantinos Rogkotis, Stella Taousani, Nonna Kiriazidi, Athanasios Salifoglou and Eleni Likotrafiti
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10855; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110855 - 26 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1537
Abstract
Novel antimicrobial compounds can be added to foods directly or incorporated into packaging materials in order to improve food safety and shelf life. One such potential antimicrobial compound is the bioinorganic complex Co(II)-citrate (NH4)4[Co(C6H5O7 [...] Read more.
Novel antimicrobial compounds can be added to foods directly or incorporated into packaging materials in order to improve food safety and shelf life. One such potential antimicrobial compound is the bioinorganic complex Co(II)-citrate (NH4)4[Co(C6H5O7)2] (Co-cit). Its antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated in solution, both alone and in combination with existing preservatives. The antimicrobial activity of poly(lactic acid) films (PLA) with incorporated Co-cit (23.3% w/w) against L. monocytogenes was determined using culture medium and model foods (slices of turkey ham and smoked salmon). In nutrient broth, without preservatives, all four bacteria were significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited by 0.5 mM Co-cit, and L. monocytogenes and P. aeruginosa were the most sensitive. The addition of preservatives to the broth increased the antimicrobial activity of Co-cit in many cases, but not in a way that was consistent between the different bacteria investigated and was likely due to additional physiological stress exerted on the cells rather than any effect on the activity of the Co-cit itself. PLA films with Co-cit were bacteriostatic against L. monocytogenes on artificial media and on foods. However, in the latter case, the PLA film itself was the main contributor to the inhibition. Composite PLA-(Co-cit) films exhibited antimicrobial activity against foodborne bacteria and have potential application as active packaging materials to enhance food safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Foodborne Pathogens: Hygiene and Safety)
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