Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.7
5.1
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Microbial Contamination in the Food: Monitoring and Future Perspectives
foods-logo
Submit to Foods Review for Foods Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Microbial Contamination in the Food: Monitoring and Future Perspectives

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2026) | Viewed by 1426

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Wioleta Chajȩcka-Wierzchowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Microbiology, Meat Technology and Chemistry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; food microbiology; coagulase-negative staphylococci; enterococci; Listeria monocytogenes; pathogens; biofilm; virulence factors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microbial contamination in food remains a significant challenge for food safety worldwide, posing risks to public health and leading to economic losses. This Special Issue will gather the latest research on detection, monitoring, and control strategies for microbial contaminants in various food matrices. Emphasis will be placed on emerging pathogens, biofilm formation, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence factors affecting food quality and safety. Contributions addressing innovative methods for microbial risk assessment, novel preservation techniques, and future perspectives in food microbiology are highly encouraged. This Special Issue will provide valuable insights for researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers committed to improving food safety standards globally.

Prof. Dr. Wioleta Chajȩcka-Wierzchowska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microbial contamination
  • food safety
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • biofilm
  • foodborne pathogens
  • virulence factors
  • detection methods

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 920 KB  
Article
In-Process Microbial Load Dynamics and Production Environment Microbial Hygiene in the Manufacturing of Low-Processed Vacuum-Packed RTE Pork Bar with Dried Plasma
by Paweł Pniewski, Dorota Chrobak-Chmiel, Michał Tracz, Krzysztof Anusz, Elżbieta Hać-Szymańczuk, Edyta Lipińska, Małgorzata Ziarno, Anna Pyziel, Kinga Domrazek and Agnieszka Jackowska-Tracz
Foods 2026, 15(4), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15040618 - 9 Feb 2026
Viewed by 485
Abstract
Low-processed ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products are highly vulnerable to microbial contamination, yet data on in-process dynamics remain limited. This study investigated microbial dynamics and environmental hygiene during the production of vacuum-packed RTE pork bars containing dried plasma, with a focus on identifying process-inherent [...] Read more.
Low-processed ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products are highly vulnerable to microbial contamination, yet data on in-process dynamics remain limited. This study investigated microbial dynamics and environmental hygiene during the production of vacuum-packed RTE pork bars containing dried plasma, with a focus on identifying process-inherent contamination risks. Samples were collected at successive processing stages and from food-contact and non-food-contact surfaces. Process hygiene was assessed using indicator organisms (Aerobic Plate Count, Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria, yeast and mold, E. coli, S. aureus counts), while food safety relevance was addressed by monitoring Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. Microbial counts increased by approximately 1.5–2.3 log CFU/g between early processing steps, indicating that these operations are critical contamination-prone steps. Environmental monitoring revealed contamination hotspots on frequently handled surfaces, highlighting the vulnerability of pre- and post-lethality stages. Despite the baking achieving a mean microbial reduction of ~3 log CFU/g, consistent with effective thermal processing, low-level microbial reappearance during packaging and maturation indicated the potential for post-process contamination. The results demonstrate that production-inherent factors largely drive microbial contamination patterns and may persist even in facilities operating under implemented GHP, GMP, and HACCP-based procedures, highlighting step-specific limitations rather than system failure. By providing empirical data on in-process microbial dynamics, this study supports both scientifically based and risk-based approaches within Food Safety Management Systems, offering transferable insights applicable to similar RTE meat production environments. The findings may assist food business operators in optimising targeted control measures and strengthening risk-based decision-making in low-processed RTE meat production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Contamination in the Food: Monitoring and Future Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop