Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in foods with a textile organic electrochemical transistor biosensor.

Foods contaminated by pathogens are responsible for foodborne diseases which have socioeconomic impacts. Many approaches have been extensively investigated to obtain specific and sensitive methods to detect pathogens in food, but they are often not easy to perform and require trained personnel. This work aims to propose a textile organic electrochemical transistor-based (OECT) biosensor to detect L. monocytogenes in food samples. The analyses were performed with culture-based methods, Listeria Precis™ method, PCR, and our textile OECT biosensor which used poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT):polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) (PEDOT:PSS) for doping the organic channel. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to obtain topographic maps of the gold gate. The electrochemical activity on gate electrodes was measured and related to the concentration of DNA extracted from samples and hybridized to the specific capture probe immobilized onto the gold surface of the gate. This assay reached a limit of detection of 1.05 ng/µL, corresponding to 0.56 pM of L. monocytogenes ATCC 7644, and allowed the specific and rapid detection of L. monocytogenes in the analyzed samples. KEYPOINTS: • Textile organic electrochemical transistors functionalized with a specific DNA probe • AFM topographic and surface potential maps of a functionalized gold gate surface • Comparison between the Listeria monocytogenes Precis™ method and an OECT biosensor.

Prospective effects of food safety trust on brand evangelism: a moderated-mediation role of consumer perceived ethicality and brand passion.

BACKGROUND: The current study integrates brand management literature with food consumption research and develops an integrative framework by combining food safety trust, consumer perceived ethicality, brand evangelism, and brand passion into a single conceptual model. METHOD: This quantitative study included 228 ready-to-eat consumers in China using purposive sampling. Data were collected at two periods in time, resulting in a time-lag study in which respondents provided data on independent and moderating variables at time 1 and mediating and dependent variables at time 2 with the same respondents from time 1. The hypothesized correlations were tested using SEM and PROCESS Macro techniques. RESULTS: According to the findings, trust in food safety has a significant impact on brand evangelism and passion. Furthermore, consumer perceived ethicality (CPE) found to have a substantial moderating role between food safety-FS and brand passion. Moreover, we validated the brand passion role as a mediator between brand evangelism and food safety trust, and investigated whether consumer perceived ethicality conditionally affects the strength of the indirect relationship among food safety trust and brand evangelism through brand passion, indicating a moderated-mediation mechanism. ORIGINALITY: Drawing on Sternberg theory of love, current study is the first of its kind to evaluate the boundary role as well as the conditional indirect influence of customer perceived ethicality among the study's variables and provides useful information for ready-to-eat food brand managers on how to keep them interested in their risk-free food products.

Studies on effect of multigrain use in the preparation of Litti/ Baati: A traditional food of Northern part of India (UP, Jharkhand and Bihar).

Present studies were carried out to find the effect of different multigrain viz., finger millet, foxtail millet and little millet on litti. The multigrain powder was blended in whole wheat flour. Litti composite flour was studied for nutritional, rheological, gluten, sedimentation value, falling number and compared with regular wheat flour. Flaxseed and soybean were blended with barley, besan, spices for inner composite stuffing and samples were evaluated for proximate analysis. Shelf life studies of litti were assessed for 1 month at room temperature 25 ± 2℃ and freezer at 4℃. This research work explores with the aim to have benefits of multifunctional ingredients for the improvement of litti to have a healthy product; and increase the popularity of litti all over India to make it a commercially important product because of the incorporated multifunctional ingredients. The RDA calorie for human can be met with 4-5 litti per day.

Minas Artisanal Cheese As Potential Source of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli.

Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics naturally, but the inappropriate and widespread use of antibiotics in humans and animals has made antimicrobial resistance one of the biggest threats to modern medicine. Raw milk cheese can represent an important source of antimicrobial resistance. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and sensitivity of Escherichia coli isolated from artisanal cheese made from raw milk produced in Minas Gerais, Brazil. E. coli counts were determined using the most probable number method. An antibiogram was performed using the disk diffusion method, following the protocol described by the Brazilian Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (BrCAST) for 14 antibiotics of nine classes. E. coli was detected in 35 (71.4%) of the samples, with populations between 0.56 to 4.87 log (NMP/g) of cheese. The presence of E. coli resistant to multiple antimicrobials was more frequent in cheeses, with an E. coli population below the levels established by regulatory limits. Only four samples (11.4%) had all E. coli isolates susceptible to the 14 antimicrobials evaluated. The results showed the heterogeneity of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli between the producing regions of Minas artisanal cheese. Multidrug resistance was detected in 29% of the E. coli isolates and in almost 40% (38.8%) of the cheese samples. The frequency of multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates was different between the production regions (p < 0.05). The presence of MDR E. coli in cheese from region D was 14, 4, and 20 times more likely than in cheese from regions A, B, and C, respectively. A multiple antibiotic resistance index of 0.200 predicted the presence of MDR E. coli in raw milk artisanal cheese with 99% probability. In conclusion, artisanal cheese can act as sources of MDR E. coli to colonize the human gastrointestinal tract.

Multijurisdictional Outbreak of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 Caused by Consumption of Ready-to-Eat Grilled Skewered Meat in Niigata, Japan.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 (EHEC) causes severe complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. Contaminated ready-to-eat (RTE) food is one of the vehicles of multijurisdictional outbreaks of foodborne disease worldwide. Multijurisdictional (covering cities, towns, and villages) outbreaks of EHEC are usually linked to an increase in cases, and here we describe such an outbreak involving 29 cases in October 2017 in the Niigata Prefecture. After prefecture-wide active case finding, we conducted a case-control study of 29 cases with eligible data who tested positive for EHEC. To determine the association of the outbreak with risk factors, we compared these cases with 38 controls selected from family and acquaintances who were both symptom free and tested negative for EHEC. The largest number of cases was in the 20-29-year age group (7/29; 24%) and most were women (20/29; 69%). All 29 cases had an identical or similar multilocus variable number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) profile. Of these, 76% (22/29) had consumed some type of grilled skewered meat. Also, 69% (20/29) had consumed grilled skewered meat produced by company X. EHEC infection was strongly associated with the consumption of grilled skewered meat produced by any food processing company (odds ratio [OR] = 11.8, confidence interval [95% CI]: 3.7-37.4) and by company X (OR = 9.8, 95% CI: 3.2-30.7). At company X, the skewered meat was grilled to 95°C and then removed from the grilling area to meat trays. The meat trays were not sufficiently washed and disinfected. Testing indicated that the facility was negative for EHEC but four asymptomatic employees tested positive for EHEC. Company X was temporarily closed and voluntarily recalled the foods. We recommend that all employees sufficiently wash and disinfect meat trays to prevent contamination of RTE food, avoid cross-contamination of grilled skewered meat through the environment by regularly cleaning the facility, and appropriately practice self-health care.

Possible food safety hazards of ready-to-eat raw fish containing product (sushi, sashimi).

It is undeniable that with the popularity of sushi and sashimi over the last decade the consumption of raw fish has extremely increased. Raw fish is very appreciated worldwide and has become a major component of human diet because of its fine taste and nutritional properties. Possible hazards concerning fish safety and quality are classified as biological and chemical hazards. They are contaminants that often accumulate in edible tissue of fish and transmit to humans via the food chain affecting the consumer's health. Although their concentration in fish and fishery products are found at non-alarming level of a daily basis period, they induce hazardous outcome on human health due to long and continuous consumption of raw fish. Regular sushi and sashimi eaters have to be aware of the contaminants found in the other components of their dish that often add up to acceptable residue limits found in fish. Hence, there is the urge for effective analytical methods to be developed as well as stricter regulations to be put in force between countries to monitor the safety and quality of fish for the interest of public health.

Association between body mass index and ready-to-eat food consumption among sedentary staff in Nay Pyi Taw union territory, Myanmar.

BACKGROUND: Ready-to-eat (RTE) food consumption has become popular in the working community with the increase in full-time jobs and the limited time to prepare food. Although RTE food is essential for this community, its consumption causes obesity. In Myanmar, obesity is a modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases, causing increases in morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to identify the association between body mass index (BMI) and RTE food consumption among sedentary staff in Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018, in which 400 respondents participated in face-to-face interviews. The study area was selected using simple random sampling and drawing method. Measuring tape and digital weighing scale were used to measure the height and weight of the respondents. BMI was calculated by dividing the weight by height squared (kg/m2). Overweight and obesity were categorized by World Health Organization cut-off points. The collected data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (AOR), and the 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: This study revealed that sedentary staff who consumed RTE food once or more per month were nearly five times more likely to be overweight and obese (AOR = 4.78, 95% CI 1.44-15.85) than those who consumed RTE food less frequently. In addition, five factors namely being older than 32 years (AOR = 3.97, 95% CI 1.82-8.69), preference for RTE food (AOR = 8.93, 95% CI 2.54-31.37), light-intensity of physical exercise (AOR = 3.55, 95% CI 1.63-7.73), sedentary leisure activities (AOR = 3.32, 95% CI 1.22-9.03), and smoking (AOR = 5.62, 95% CI 1.06-29.90) were positively associated with overweight and obesity. CONCLUSION: Frequent consumers of RTE food and less physically active sedentary staff were more likely to be overweight and obese. This study highlights the urgent need to raise awareness regarding healthy lifestyle behaviors among the working community to reduce the burden of obesity-related chronic diseases. Moreover, sedentary workers should be aware of the food-based dietary guidelines of the country. Policy makers should strictly enforce nutritional labeling of RTE food, and strictly prohibit over-branding of RTE food.

[Molecular epidemiology of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from ready-to-eat food in 2017 in China].

Objective: To analyze the molecular characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes strains from ready-to eat food in China. Methods: A total of 239 Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from ready-to-eat food in 2017, all strains underwent whole-genome sequencing (WGS) , and comparisons uncovered population structure derived from lineages, clonal complex, serogroups, antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence, which were inferred in silico from the WGS data. Core genome multilocus sequence typing was used to subtype isolates. Results: All strains were categorized into three different lineages, lineage Ⅱ was the predominant types in food, and IIa was the main serogroups. CC8, CC101 and CC87 were the first three prevalent CCs among 23 detected CCs, accounting for 49.4%. Only 4.6% (11 isolates) of tested strains harbored antibiotic resistance genes, which were mostly trimethoprim genes (7 isolates, 2.9%). All strains were positive for LIPI-1, and only a part of strains harbored LIPI-3 and LIPI-4, accounting for 13.8% (33 isolates) and 14.2% (34 isolates), respectively. ST619 carried both LIPI-3 and LIPI-4. 51.5% (123 isolates) of strains carried SSI-1, and all CC121 strains harbored SSI-2. Different lineages, serogroups and CCs can be separated obviously through cgMLST analysis, and 24 sublineages were highly concordant with CCs. Conclusion: Ⅱa was the main serogroups in ready-to-eat food isolates in China; CC8, CC101 and CC87 were the prevalent CCs, and CC87 isolates was hypervirulent isolates, cgMLST method can be adopted for prospective foodborne disease surveillance and outbreaks detection.

[Antimicrobial resistance, virulence factors, and molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates cultured from ready-to-eat foods].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the antimicrobial resistance, virulence factors, and molecular characterization of MRSA isolates cultured from ready-to-eat(RTE) foods from several provinces in China. METHODS: Totally, 397 S. aureus isolates were collected from RTE foods from several provinces in China, in 2017. The mecA gene was amplified to detect the MRSA strains among all 397 isolates by a polymerase chain reaction(PCR) method. Furthermore, the antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence factors of the MRSA isolates were detected by broth microdilution method and PCR, respectively, while the molecular characterization of all MRSA isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE). RESULTS: In total, 32 MRSA isolates were identified from 397 isolates. All 32 MRSA isolates were resistant to penicillin, oxacillin and cefoxitin. Meanwhile, 78. 1%, 65. 6%, 53. 1, 28. 1% and 12. 5% of the 32 MRSA isolates showed resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Resistance rates to gentamicin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole of all MRSA isolates were less than 10%. Eleven drug resistant spectrums were identified and 29 out of 32 MRSA isolates were identified as multi-drug resistant(MDR) isolates and two isolates were found to resistant to 9 antimicrobial agents tested in this study. Of all, 27 MRSA isolates were detected to harboring 13 virulence genes with sel-q(56. 3%), sel-k(43. 8%), seb(28. 1%) and sec(18. 8%) genes being the top four frequently detected. Besides, the result also showed that two or more virulence genes could be detected in one MRSA isolate. Finally, all 32 MRSA were identified to have 26 PFGE patterns and no dominant PFGE patterns were found in this study. CONCLUSION: An overall high level antimicrobial resistance was found among RTE associated MRSA in China in 2017, so was the MDR condition. Virulence genes could be frequently detected in RTE associated MRSA isolates. The PFGE patterns of RTE associated MRSA showed wide distribution characteristics.

Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Isolated from Food Animal and Foodstuff May Also Be Less Susceptible to Heavy Metals.

Salmonella enterica is a foodborne pathogen showing increasing multidrug resistance (MDR). We characterized the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genotype using microarrays in a panel of 105 nontyphoidal S. enterica isolated from food animals and foodstuff. Nineteen isolates were chosen on the basis of their MDR and virulence for determination of heavy metal susceptibilities and screened by polymerase chain reaction for heavy metal resistance genes. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on three isolates carrying clinically important AMR genes and the cdtB toxin gene to detect other heavy metal resistance mechanisms, and conjugation assays were performed to evaluate transfer of AMR/toxin genes with heavy metal resistance genes. AMR genotyping results showed isolates harbored between 1 and 12 mobile AMR genes, with 58% being classified as MDR. The tested subset of isolates showed reduced susceptibility to zinc (78%), copper (68%), silver (63%), arsenic (47%), and tellurite (26%); phenotypes that could be attributed to zitB (n = 32%), pcoA/pcoD (n = 32%), tcrB (n = 16%), arsB (n = 16%), silA/silE (n = 42%), and terF (n = 26%) genes. WGS confirmed the presence of other heavy metal resistance genes such as copA, cusA, and czcD. Isolates often harbored multiple heavy metal resistance genes. Two strains (Sal25 and Sal368) were able to conjugate with Escherichia coli J53 at a relatively high frequency (∼10-4 colony-forming units per recipient). Transformants selected in the presence of copper harbored either an IncHI2 (J53/Sal25 transconjugant) or IncF (J53/Sal368 transconjugant) plasmid with decreased susceptibilities to tellurite, zinc, copper, cobalt, arsenic, lead, mercury, and silver. blaCTX-M-1 and mcr-1 genes were also transferred to one transconjugant, and tet(M) and blaTEM-1 genes to the other. This work shows the presence of a diversity of AMR genes in this zoonotic pathogen, and suggests that heavy metals may contribute to selection of clinically important ones through the food chain, such as the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1.

Street food in Maputo, Mozambique: Availability and nutritional value of homemade foods.

BACKGROUND:: A nutrition transition is occurring in the urban areas of developing countries, where street food makes an important contribution to daily food intake. AIM:: We aimed to characterise street food offer in Maputo, Mozambique, and to evaluate the nutritional composition of the most common homemade foods. METHODS:: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014. Streets in the surroundings (500 m buffer) of randomly selected public transport stops in KaMpfumu district, Maputo, were canvassed to identify all street food vending sites ( n = 968). Information regarding vending site characteristics and the food offered was gathered through interview and observation. Samples ( n = 80) of the most common homemade foods were collected for laboratorial analysis. RESULTS:: Most street food vending sites identified were stationary (77.4%) and sold exclusively industrial food (51.9%). Frequency of fruit, beverages and food other than fruit was 24.5%, 32.5% and 73.9%, respectively. Fried cakes were the most energy-dense (430 kcal/100 g), and richest in fats (21.0g/100 g) and carbohydrates (53.4 g/100 g). The richest sources of protein were the stewed meat/fish/liver dishes (10.7-11.6 g/100 g). Fried cakes showed the lowest sodium and potassium content (90 mg/100 g and 81 mg/100 g, respectively) whereas hamburgers exhibited the highest content of those micronutrients (455 mg/100 g and 183 mg/100 g, respectively). Stewed liver dishes presented the highest sodium/potassium ratio (11.95). Fried snacks presented the highest trans-fatty acid content (0.20 g/100 g). CONCLUSIONS:: Street food in Maputo is abundant and scattered throughout the urban district, exhibiting high variability in the nutritional composition of homemade foods. Public health policies should be targeted to improve the street food offer, promoting nutrient-dense foods and the reduction of added salt.

Enterococci from ready-to-eat food - horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes and genotypic characterization by PCR melting profile.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of the horizontal transfer of genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides (aac(6')-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia, aph(2″)-Ib, aph(2″)-Ic, aph(2″)-Id, ant(4')-Ia and ant(6')-Ia), tetracyclines (tetM, tetL, tetK, tetO and tetW), and macrolides (ermA, ermB, ermC, msrC, mefAB) in Enterococcus strains isolated from ready-to-eat dishes purchased in bars and restaurants in Olsztyn, Poland. RESULTS: It was found that 74% of tested strains were able to conjugal transfer at least one of the antibiotic resistance genes. Transfer of resistance to tetracyclines in strains was observed with a frequency ranging from 1.3 × 10-6 to 8.7 × 10-7 transconjugants/donor. The int gene and the tetM gene were transferred simultaneously, which indicated that a transposon of the Tn916/Tn1545 also participated in the conjugation process. The frequency of transferring genes of resistance to macrolides ranged from 3.2 × 10-6 to 2.4 × 10-8 transconjugants/donor. The ermB gene was transferred the most frequently. The frequency of acquisition of genes encoding aminoglycosides in strains isolated from food ranged from 1.7 × 10-6 to 3,2 × 10-8 transconjugants/donor. Transfer of the aac(6')-Ie-aph(2″) gene was the most frequent. In all reactions, the clonal character of transconjugants and recipients was confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction melting profile (PCR MP) method, which is an alternative to the pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that Enterococcus isolated from ready-to-eat food is able to horizontally transfer genes encoding various antibiotic resistance mechanisms. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from ready-to-eat food of animal origin--phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic resistance.

The aim of this work was to study the pheno- and genotypical antimicrobial resistance profile of coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from 146 ready-to-eat food of animal origin (cheeses, cured meats, sausages, smoked fishes). 58 strains were isolated, they were classified as Staphylococcus xylosus (n = 29), Staphylococcus epidermidis (n = 16); Staphylococcus lentus (n = 7); Staphylococcus saprophyticus (n = 4); Staphylococcus hyicus (n = 1) and Staphylococcus simulans (n = 1) by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Isolates were tested for resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, gentamicin, cefoxitin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, tigecycline, rifampicin, nitrofurantoin, linezolid, trimetoprim, sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, quinupristin/dalfopristin by the disk diffusion method. PCR was used for the detection of antibiotic resistance genes encoding: methicillin resistance--mecA; macrolide resistance--erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), mrs(A/B); efflux proteins tet(K) and tet(L) and ribosomal protection proteins tet(M). For all the tet(M)-positive isolates the presence of conjugative transposons of the Tn916-Tn1545 family was determined. Most of the isolates were resistant to cefoxitin (41.3%) followed by clindamycin (36.2%), tigecycline (24.1%), rifampicin (17.2%) and erythromycin (13.8%). 32.2% staphylococcal isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). All methicillin resistant staphylococci harboured mecA gene. Isolates, phenotypic resistant to tetracycline, harboured at least one tetracycline resistance determinant on which tet(M) was most frequent. All of the isolates positive for tet(M) genes were positive for the Tn916-Tn1545 -like integrase family gene. In the erythromycin-resistant isolates, the macrolide resistance genes erm(C) or msr(A/B) were present. Although coagulase-negative staphylococci are not classical food poisoning bacteria, its presence in food could be of public health significance due to the possible spread of antibiotic resistance.

Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods sampled from a catering service in Apulia, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: Listeria monocytogenes is currently considered a relevant emerging food-borne pathogen. In particular, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) illustrates its widespread presence in different foods. In the present article, L. monocytogenes prevalence was estimated in cooked ready-to-eat foods sampled from a catering service in a Apulia city, southern Italy. METHODS: The study was carried out from January to June 2014 in according to Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004, and ISO 11290-1:1996/Amd.1:2004 methods. RESULTS: Listeria spp. was isolated in 8.3% of the samples: L. monocytogenes was identified with the highest prevalence in potato gateau (66.6%), followed by rice dishes (11.1%), Listeria innocua was isolated from potato purea (11.1%) and cooked vegetables (11.1%). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results confirm the diffusion of the microorganism in ready-to-eat products; therefore, strategies aimed at protecting the consumers should be adopted. First of all, correct hygiene procedures should be followed and then microbiological tests should be implemented in order to early detect Listeria spp. (not only LM) contamination in cooked foods.

Incidence, diversity and characteristics of spores of psychrotolerant spore formers in various REPFEDS produced in Belgium.

The major objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of psychrotolerant spore formers from REPFEDS marketed in Belgium, and their diversity and characteristics. Spore formers in general were found as spores on 38.3% of the food samples and in 85% food products types evaluated. 76% of the food samples containing spore formers had spores before enrichment. A total of 86 spore formers were isolated from the samples. 28 of 86 bacterial spore formers (32.6%) were capable of vegetative growth at 7 °C. 96% (27/28) of these psychrotolerant spore formers were determined to belong to Bacillus or related genera. According to a (GTG)5-PCR analysis, 24 of these 28 isolates were genetically distinct from each other. 10.7% (3/28) of the bacilli were determined to belong to the Bacillus cereus group, namely B. cereus (chicken curry and Edam cheese) and Bacillus mycoides (Emmental cheese). Almost half of the bacilli (12/27) were putatively identified as Bacillus pumilus, which occurs ubiquitously in nature and has been associated with outbreaks of foodborne disease. Only one psychrotolerant clostridium, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, was isolated in the study. The results of this study show the highly diverse ecology and spoilage potential of psychrotolerant spore formers in REPFEDs marketed in Belgium.

Pre-packaged cold-chain ready-to-eat food as a source of sporadic listeriosis in Beijing, China.

OBJECTIVES: Using a sporadic case of listeriosis suspected to have been caused by consuming a pre-packaged cold-chain ready-to-eat (RTE) food in Beijing, China in 2021 as an exemplar, this study demonstrated the importance of thoroughly investigating the source of listeriosis up to the production point for mitigating infection risk during routine monitoring of Listeria in food facilities and national surveillance program using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). METHODS: Epidemiological, laboratory, traceback, and plant investigations were used to identify the source of infection. RESULTS: WGS showed the isolate from the patient was genetically indistinguishable from that of the implicated food. During a plant investigation, L. monocytogenes was detected in 26% (9/35) of the environmental samples and one of two raw material samples, confirming the source. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first investigation in China linking a case of L. monocytogenes infection to a suspected food and its production environment. This report highlights the risk of L. monocytogenes contamination of RTE food and demonstrates the role of food safety risk monitoring in identifying potential sources of infection. Reinforcing control programs in RTE processing plants, intensified surveillance of microorganisms in food products and targeted health education is required to mitigate the infection risk.

Fabrication of edible nanocellulose chitosan bi-component film based on a novel "swell-permeate" approach.

The fabrication of multi-component film with colloidal particles could be inconvenient. A novel "swell-permeate" (SP) strategy was proposed to form homogeneous multi-component films. The SP strategy allows colloidal particles to fit into the polymer network by stretching the polymer chains assisted by water. We demonstrated the strategy by creating films with polysaccharide substrates as ß-cyclodextrin grafted chitosan (CS) with nanocellulose. The addition of nanocellulose significantly increased the mechanical properties and the barrier performance of the films. The size of nanocellulose particles in affecting mechanical properties was investigated by applying different length of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), the longer of which, due to denser physical entanglements, showed a better increase to the film in the elastic modulus and tensile strength to 4.54-fold and 5.71-fold, respectively. The films were also loaded with ethyl-p-coumarate (EpCA) and had an enhanced performance in anti-microbial for Altenaria alternata, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli. The anti-oxidative property was increased as well, and both effects were valid both in vitro and in ready-to-eat apples. The strategy provides a practical and convenient method for fabricating colloidal particle containing films, and the novel idea of "swell-permeate" is potentially regarded as a new solution to the challenge of ready-to-eat food quality maintenance.

Assessing Listeria monocytogenes Growth in Artificially Inoculated Sea-Farmed Product-Raw Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Fillet, Produced in Greece.

Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is responsible for listeriosis, a serious foodborne disease, with high hospitalization and mortality rates worldwide. The main cause of listeriosis in humans is the consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods; Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 establishes microbiological criteria for Lm in RTE foods. Raw fish products are widely consumed, e.g., in sushi and various seafood recipes (e.g., carpaccio, sashimi, maki, nigiri, tartare, etc.), but are not subjected to RTE food safety criteria. The aim of our study was to assess the growth potential of Lm in raw sea bass fillets obtained from a leading aquaculture company in Greece. In order to assess the growth of Lm in raw sea bass fillets, we applied the "challenge test", a scientific experiment designed to assess the growth of Lm within a specific food product under controlled conditions. According to our results, and taking into consideration the health risk for the listeriosis-vulnerable population, raw fish products utilized in the preparation of RTE foods, including sushi and an array of seafood dishes, should be incorporated in the Category of Safety Criteria of Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 "Ready-to-eat food able to support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes".

Effectiveness of Millet-Pulse-Groundnut Based Formulations in Improving the Growth of Pre-School Tribal Children in Telangana State, India.

A community-level nutritional intervention was implemented among tribal children (3 to 6 years of age) in Telangana, India. The one-year intervention involved six nutrient-rich formulations of millet-pulse-groundnut-based products suited to local taste preferences. Anthropometric measurements of height, weight, and mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) along with haemoglobin (Hb) levels were monitored at baseline and endline. The treatment group showed considerable gains in height (3.2 cm), weight (1.68 kg), and MUAC (0.33 cm) over the control group. The paired t-test indicated significant differences (p < 0.01) between the pre- and post-intervention anthropometric measurements. Positive shifts were observed in terms of wasting (WHZ; -1.2 ± 1.3 to -0.9 ± 1), stunting (HAZ; -1.8 ± 1.6 to -0.3 ± 1.3), and underweight (WAZ; -1.9 ± 1.2 to -0.7 ± 1) in the treatment group. The Hb levels in the treatment group also improved significantly from 9.70 ± 0.14 g/dL (moderately anaemic) to 11.08 ± 0.13 g/dL (non-anaemic). Post-intervention focus group discussions (FGDs) involving mothers and teachers confirmed these positive impacts. Thus, a nutritional intervention formulated using climate-resilient millets, pulses, and groundnuts promotes dietary diversity and improves the nutrition and health statuses of children.

Distribution ofListeria spp., andListeria monocytogenesin micro- and small-scale meat product processing plants.

Listeriosis is a disease caused by L. monocytogenes, a relevant microorganism as a causative agent of foodborne diseases - FBD. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of Listeria spp., and L. monocytogenes in different production areas in two small plants (A and B) and two micro-food processing plants (C and D) producing meat derivatives, located in different cities of Colombia. The methodology implemented was i. The analysis of sampling points is based on a harmonised tool. ii. Four samplings in each production plant between 2019 and 2020. iii. Isolation and identification of microorganisms through conventional microbiology, a semi-automated system, molecular serotyping and clonal characterisation by ERIC-PCR. L. monocytogenes frequency in the production plants belonging to the study ranged between 5.9 and 28.6 %; for Listeria spp., plants A and D had isolated, plant A had the highest proportion, while for L. monocytogenes geno-serotypes found were: 1/2a, 1/2c, 4a-4c, 4b, 4d - 4e, with geno-serotype 4b as the most frequent. Furthermore, possible persistent isolates were detected in plant C as the feasible sources of contamination, based on failures in flow management, raw material contaminated with L. monocytogenes, lack of standardised cooking processes and transfer of the microorganism through equipment and surfaces. Finally, in three of the four production plants assayed, L. monocytogenes or Listeria spp. were present in the packaging area in some of the samples taken during the study, which calls for increased and frequent monitoring, as well as constant technical support for the control of L. monocytogenes in micro and small-scale production plants.