A Comprehensive Review of Cured Meat Products in the Irish Market: Opportunities for Reformulation and Processing.

Cured meat products constitute one of the meat categories commonly consumed in Ireland and has been part of the Irish cuisine and diet for many years. Ham, gammon, and bacon are some of the products that involve curing as part of the traditional processing methods. Common among these products are high levels of salt and the addition of nitrites. These products undergo processing treatments to create variety, preserve shelf-life, and develop their unique quality and safety characteristics. However, consumers are becoming more conscious of the level of processing involved in these products, and the effects of some components and ingredients might be perceived as unhealthy. Meat product developers have been exploring ways to reduce the amount of ingredients such as salt, saturated fat, and chemical preservatives (e.g., nitrites), which are linked to health concerns. This is a challenging task as these ingredients play an important techno-functional role in the products' quality, safety, and identity. While innovative processing techniques are being introduced and progress has been made in reformulation and packaging technologies, much is still unknown, especially regarding the applicability of many of the proposed interventions to a wide range of meat products and their sustainability at the industrial scale.

The efficiency of UV light-emitting diodes (UV-LED) in decontaminating Campylobacter and Salmonella and natural microbiota in chicken breast, compared to a UV pilot-plant scale device.

This study investigated the combined effect of Ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diode (LED) technology treatment with refrigerated storage of chicken breast meat over 7 days on Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, total viable counts (TVC) and total Enterobacteriaceae counts (TEC). An optimised UV-LED treatment at 280 nm for 6 min decreased inoculated S. Typhimurium and C. jejuni populations by 0.6-0.64 log CFU/g, and TVC and TEC population by 1-1.2 log CFU/g in chicken samples. During a 7-day storage at 4 °C, a 0.73 log reduction in C. jejuni was achieved compared with non-treated samples. Moreover, the UV-LED effectiveness to reduce TVC and TEC during refrigerated storage was compared with a conventional UV lamp and a similar efficiency was observed. The impact of UV-LED and UV lamp devices on the microbial community composition of chicken meat during storage was further examined using 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Although similar bacterial reductions were observed for both technologies, the microbial communities were impacted differently. Treatment with the UV conventional lamp increased the proportion of Brochothrix spp. In meat samples, whilst Photobacterium spp. Levels were reduced.

Investigation of differences in susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni strains to UV light-emitting diode (UV-LED) technology.

Campylobacter jejuni remains a high priority in public health worldwide. Ultraviolet light emitting-diode technology (UV-LED) is currently being explored to reduce Campylobacter levels in foods. However, challenges such as differences in species and strain susceptibilities, effects of repeated UV-treatments on the bacterial genome and the potential to promote antimicrobial cross-protection or induce biofilm formation have arisen. We investigated the susceptibility of eight C. jejuni clinical and farm isolates to UV-LED exposure. UV light at 280 nm induced different inactivation kinetics among strains, of which three showed reductions greater than 1.62 log CFU/mL, while one strain was particularly resistant to UV light with a maximum reduction of 0.39 log CFU/mL. However, inactivation was reduced by 0.46-1.03 log CFU/mL in these three strains and increased to 1.20 log CFU/mL in the resistant isolate after two repeated-UV cycles. Genomic changes related to UV light exposure were analysed using WGS. C. jejuni strains with altered phenotypic responses following UV exposure were also found to have changes in biofilm formation and susceptibility to ethanol and surface cleaners.

Genomic Characterisation of Campylobacter jejuni Isolates Recovered During Commercial Broiler Production.

Background: Campylobacter is commonly transmitted to humans from chickens. Campylobacter jejuni is the species most frequently associated with human illness, and the most prevalent species recovered from poultry. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyse a sub-population of C. jejuni from two broiler flocks on the farm and at slaughter using whole-genome sequencing to gain insights into the changes in the Campylobacter population during broiler production, including changes in virulence and antimicrobial resistance profiles. Methods: In this study, ten composite faecal samples (n=10), obtained by pooling ten fresh faecal samples (n=10), were collected in the broiler house on two farms on days 14, 21, 28, and 34 (n=80) and ten composite (n=10) caecal samples were collected at the time of slaughter for each flock (n=20). These were tested for C. jejuni using the ISO 10272-2:2016 method. Seven isolates were randomly selected from each of the nine Campylobacter-positive sampling points (n=63) and were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Their genomes were sequenced and the data obtained was used to characterise the population structure, virulence, antimicrobial resistance determinants and inter-strain variation. Results: The Farm 1 isolates had three MLST types (ST257-257, ST814-661 and ST48-48) while those on Farm 2 were ST6209-464 and ST9401. Interestingly, only the MLST types positive for most of the virulence genes tested in this study persisted throughout the production cycle, and the detection of antimicrobial resistance determinants (gyrA T86I and tetO) increased after thinning and at slaughter, with the detection of new strains. Conclusion: The persistence of the most virulent strains detected in this study throughout the production cycle has important implications for the risk to consumers and requires further investigation. The detection of new strains within the population corresponding with the time of thinning and transportation reflects previous reports and provides further evidence that these activities pose a risk of introducing new Campylobacter strains to broiler batches.

Strategies and novel technologies to control Campylobacter in the poultry chain: A review.

Campylobacteriosis is one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide causing economic costs. The high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat is a result of several contamination and cross-contamination sources through the production chain. Moreover, survival mechanisms, such as biofilm formation, viable but nonculturable state, and antimicrobial resistance, enable its persistence during food processing. Therefore, mitigation strategies are necessary in order to avoid and/or inactivate Campylobacter at farm, abattoir, industry, and retail level. In this review, a number of potential strategies and novel technologies that could reduce the prevalence of Campylobacter in poultry meat have been identified and evaluated to provide a useful overview. At farm level for instance, biosecurity, bacteriocins, probiotics, feed and water additives, bacteriophages, and vaccination could potentially reduce colonization in chicken flocks. However, current technologies used in the chicken slaughter and processing industry may be less effective against this foodborne pathogen. Novel technologies and strategies such as cold plasma, ultraviolet light, high-intensity light pulses, pulsed electric fields, antimicrobials, and modified atmosphere packaging are discussed in this review for reducing Campylobacter contamination. Although these measures have achieved promising results, most have not been integrated within processing operations due to a lack of knowledge or an unwillingness to implement these into existing processing systems. Furthermore, a combination of existing and novel strategies might be required to decrease the prevalence of this pathogen in poultry meat and enhance food safety. Therefore, further research will be essential to assess the effectiveness of all these strategies.

An Investigation of the Effect of Catecholamines and Glucocorticoids on the Growth and Pathogenicity of Campylobacter jejuni.

Campylobacter spp. are major causes of foodborne illness globally, and are mostly transmitted through the consumption and handling of poultry. Campylobacter infections have widely variable outcomes, ranging from mild enteritis to severe illness, which are attributed to host interactions and the virulence of the infecting strain. In this study, in order to investigate the effect of host stress on the growth and pathogenicity of C. jejuni, three strains associated with human infection and two strains from broilers were subject to growth, motility, adhesion and invasion assays, in response to exposure to catecholamines; epinephrine, norepinephrine and the glucocorticoid neuroendocrine hormones corticosterone, cortisol and cortisone which are associated with stress in humans and broilers. Catecholamines resulted in significantly increased growth, adhesion and invasion of Caco-2 cells. Corticosterone promoted growth in one of five strains, and cortisone resulted in a significant increase in motility in two out of five strains, while no significant differences were observed with the addition of cortisol. It was concluded that stress-associated hormones, especially catecholamines, may promote growth and virulence in Campylobacter.

Diversity and composition of the gut microbiota of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farmed in Irish waters.

AIMS: Information on the gut microbiota of salmon is essential for optimizing nutrition while maintaining host health and welfare. This study's objectives were to characterize the microbiota in the GI tract of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farmed in waters off the west coast of Ireland and to investigate whether there is a difference in microbiota diversity between the proximal and distal regions of the intestine. METHODS AND RESULTS: The microbiota from the proximal and distal intestine (PI and DI, respectively) of Atlantic salmon was examined using MiSeq Illumina high-throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The PI region had greater bacterial diversity than the DI region. Six phyla were present in the DI samples, dominated by Tenericutes and Firmicutes. These six phyla were also amongst the 12 phyla detected in the PI samples. The PI microbiota was dominated by Tenericutes, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. A core microbiota of 20 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) common to both regions was observed. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that Tenericutes were the dominant phylum in both PI and DI samples, and the PI region had greater Shannon and Simpson diversity of bacteria. However, further work is required to identify the functionality of the salmon microbiota. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our study determined the composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota in adult salmon from a commercial fishery and provides data to improve our understanding of their contributions to the nutrition, health and welfare of Atlantic salmon farmed in Irish waters.

The Effect of Organic Acid, Trisodium Phosphate and Essential Oil Component Immersion Treatments on the Microbiology of Cod (Gadus morhua) during Chilled Storage.

Spoilage is a major issue for the seafood sector with the sale and exportation of fish limited by their short shelf-life. The immediate and storage effects of immersion (30 s at 20 °C) with 5% (w/v) citric acid (CA), 5% (v/v) lactic acid (LA), 5% (w/v) capric acid (CP) and 12% trisodium phosphate (TSP) (experiment 1) and essential oil components (EOC) (1% (v/v) citral (CIT), 1% (v/v) carvacrol (CAR), 1% (w/v) thymol (THY) and 1% (v/v) eugenol (EUG)) (experiment 2) on the concentrations of indicator (total viable counts (TVC) (mesophilic and psychrophilic) and total Enterobacteriaceae counts (TEC)), and spoilage organisms (Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Brochothrix thermosphacta, Photobacterium spp. and hydrogen sulphide producing bacteria (HSPB)) on cod (Gadus morhua) (stored aerobically at 2 °C) was investigated. There was no significant reduction for most treatment-bacteria combinations, with the following exceptions; TSP and TVCm (time t = 6), TSP and TVCp (t = 6), CP and LAB (t = 6, 8 and 10), CP and Br. thermosphacta (t = 4, 6, 8, 10, 14 and 16), TSP and Photobacterium spp. (t = 4), CAR and Br. thermosphacta (t = 6) and CAR and HSPB (t = 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18). Although the majority of treatments did not significantly (P > 0.05) reduce bacterial counts, the limited success with CP and CAR warrants further investigation.

Increasing the Yield of Irish Brown Crab (Cancer pagurus) during Processing without Adversely Affecting Shelf-Life.

During the processing of Irish Brown Crab (Cancer pagurus), protein and moisture are released and losses up to 10% (by weight) are common. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of clean label ingredients to reduce this loss, without adversely affecting shelf-life or promoting the growth of spoilage bacteria. Following preliminary studies, 5% (w/v) sodium caseinate (SC) and (5%, w/v) potato starch (PS), with and without (0.5%, w/v) ascorbic acid (AA) were selected. Ninety crabs (30 per treatment) were soaked and boiled in water (control 1), AA (control 2), SC, PS, SC plus AA, or PS plus AA and analyzed for cook loss as well as pH, aw, water holding capacity (WHC), and microbial shelf-life (total viable count (TVC), total Enterobacteriaceae count (TEC), and spoilage bacteria) during 28 days storage at 4 °C. On average, 11.1% of the control 1 weight was lost during processing. This was reduced to 8.0% when treated with AA (control 2) and to 3.5%, 4.7%, 5.8%, and 2.3% with SC, PS, SC plus AA, and PS plus AA, respectively. None of these treatments negatively impacted on shelf-life and similar growth curves were observed for TVC, TEC, Pseudomonas spp., Clostridium spp., lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and hydrogen disulphide producing bacteria, regardless of treatment. It was therefore concluded that, subject to sensory evaluation and validation under commercial conditions, these natural ingredients could be used to substantially increase the yield and hence commercial value of crab meat, without adversely affecting shelf-life.

Campylobacter growth rates in four different matrices: broiler caecal material, live birds, Bolton broth, and brain heart infusion broth.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to characterise Campylobacter growth in enrichment broths (Bolton broth, brain heart infusion broth), caecal material (in vitro), and in the naturally infected live broilers (in vivo) in terms of mean lag periods and generation times as well as maximum growth rates and population (cell concentration) achieved. METHODS: Bolton and brain heart infusion broths and recovered caecal material were inoculated with 10 poultry strains of Campylobacter (eight Campylobacter jejuni and two Campylobacter coli), incubated under microaerobic conditions, and Campylobacter concentrations determined periodically using the ISO 10272:2006 method. Caeca from 10 flocks, infected at first thinning, were used to characterise Campylobacter growth in the live birds. Mean generation times (G) (early lag to exponential phase) were calculated using the formula: G=t/3.3 logb/B. Mean lag times and µmax were calculated using the Micro Fit(©) Software (Version 1.0, Institute of Food Research). Statistical comparison was performed using GENSTAT ver. 14.1 (VSN International Ltd., Hemel, Hempstead, UK). RESULTS: The mean lag periods in Bolton broth, brain heart infusion broth, caecal material, and in the live bird were estimated to be 6.6, 6.7, 12.6, and 31.3 h, respectively. The corresponding mean generation times were 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, and 6.7 h, respectively; maximum growth rates were 0.7, 0.8, 0.4, and 2 generations h(-1) and the maximum populations obtained in each matrix were 9.6, 9.9, 7.8, and 7.4 log10 CFU/g, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides data on the growth of Campylobacter in a range of laboratory media, caecal contents, and in broilers which may be used to develop predictive models and/or inform science-based control strategies such as the maximum time between flock testing and slaughter, logistical slaughter, and single-stage depopulation of broiler units.

Mental Health Disorders Associated with Foodborne Pathogens.

Human infections with foodborne pathogenic organisms are relatively well described in terms of their overt physical symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, fever, and associated sequelae. Indeed, some of these are key for diagnosis and treatment, although it should be noted that, for some foodborne pathogens, the physical symptoms might be more diffuse, particularly those associated with some of the foodborne parasites. In contrast, the impact of these pathogens on mental health is less well described, and symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and general malaise are usually ignored when foodborne infections are recorded. Despite this, it is generally accepted that there are several psychiatric disorders of unknown etiology that may be associated with microbial pathogens. Depression, autism, hypochondriasis and anxiety, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome probably have multiple contributing causes, among which foodborne pathogens may play a decisive or contributory role, possibly sharing pathophysiological pathways with other environmental triggers. This review focuses on foodborne parasites and bacterial pathogens. Some foodborne parasites, such as metacestodes of Taenia solium and tissue cysts (bradyzoites) of Toxoplasma gondii , may affect mental health by directly infecting the brain. In contrast, bacterial infections and other parasitic infections may contribute to mental illness via the immune system and/or by influencing neurotransmission pathways. Thus, cytokines, for example, have been associated with depression and schizophrenia. However, infectious disease models for psychiatry require a more complete understanding of the relationship between psychiatric disorders and microbial triggers. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the role of foodborne parasitic and bacterial pathogens in mental illness and identifies some of the gaps that should be addressed to improve diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues that are not solely related to psychiatric factors.

Campylobacter virulence and survival factors.

Despite over 30 years of research, campylobacteriosis is the most prevalent foodborne bacterial infection in many countries including in the European Union and the United States of America. However, relatively little is known about the virulence factors in Campylobacter or how an apparently fragile organism can survive in the food chain, often with enhanced pathogenicity. This review collates information on the virulence and survival determinants including motility, chemotaxis, adhesion, invasion, multidrug resistance, bile resistance and stress response factors. It discusses their function in transition through the food processing environment and human infection. In doing so it provides a fundamental understanding of Campylobacter, critical for improved diagnosis, surveillance and control.

A review of factors that affect transmission and survival of verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli in the European farm to fork beef chain.

Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) are a significant foodborne public health hazard in Europe, where most human infections are associated with six serogroups (O157, O26, O103, O145, O111 and O104). With the exception of O104, these serogroups are associated with bovine animals and beef products. This paper reviews our current knowledge of VTEC in the beef chain focusing on transmission and the factors which impact on survival from the farm through transport, lairage, slaughter, dressing, processing and distribution, in the context of the European beef industry. It provides new information on beef farm and animal hide prevalence, distribution and virulence factors as well as pre-chilled carcass and ground beef prevalence, generated by the recently completed EU Framework research project, ProSafeBeef. In the concluding section, emerging issues and data gaps are addressed with a view to increasing our understanding of this pathogen and developing new thinking on detection and control.

A study of Salmonella in pigs from birth to carcass: serotypes, genotypes, antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles.

A study was undertaken to investigate Salmonella in pigs at each step from birth to carcass. Environmental and/or pig samples were taken at birth, farrowing, 1st weaning, 2nd weaning, finishing, transport, lairage, bleeding and chilling of carcasses and tested for Salmonella. All isolates were characterised in terms of serotype, phage type (where relevant) and subtyping with pulsed field gel electrophosesis (PFGE). Isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance, resistance (intI1, bla(CIT), bla(Tem), bla(PSE-1), bla(OXA-1), floR, catA1, aadA1, aadA2, tetA, tetB, tetG, sul1and aphA1) and virulence (invA, rck, spvC and pefA) genes. PCR was also performed to test for the presence of the left junction, thdF-S001 and the right junction, S004-int2 or S004-yidY of Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1). Overall 4.3%, 27.5% and 5% of environmental, throat/rectal and carcass samples were Salmonella positive, respectively. S. Typhimurium DT193 was detected during production, while S. Typhimurium DT17 and U311 were present in lairage at the abattoir, where strain characterisation suggested cross contamination of the live animals occurred. The carcasses were also cross contaminated with S. Brandenburg during processing. PFGE grouped the isolates by serotype and/or phage type. The DT193 isolates displayed the ACSSuTTmMn/Gm resistance phenotype and carried the invA, spvC, rck, bla-tem, aadA2, tetA, strA virulence/antibiotic resistance markers; U311 showed an ASSuTMn resistance pattern and carried invA and tetB; DT17 was sensitive to all antibiotics tested but invA, spv and rck positive while S. Brandenburg displayed neither resistance nor virulence gene carriage. None of the isolates possessed class 1 integrons and all isolates were negative for the left and right junctions of SGI1. It was concluded that control activities should target improved biosecurity at farm level and better sanitation in lairage. This study also provides further evidence that multiple drug resistance may be associated with non-SGI1 Salmonella strains. The continued emergence of non-DT104 S. Typhimurium isolates exhibiting multidrug resistance is a cause for concern as is the persistence of highly virulent Salmonella strains in the abattoir environment.

Thermal inactivation of Yersinia enterocolitica in pork slaughter plant scald tank water.

The objective of this study was to establish the time-temperature combinations required to ensure the thermal inactivation of Yersinia enterocolitica during scalding of pork carcasses. A 2 strain cocktail of Y. enterocolitica (bioserotypes 2/O:5,27 and 1A/O:6,30) was heat treated at 50, 55 and 60°C in samples of scald tank water obtained from a commercial pork slaughter plant. Samples were removed at regular intervals and surviving cells enumerated using (i) Cefsulodin-Irgasan-Novobiocin Agar (CIN) supplemented with ampicillin and arabinose and (ii) Tryptone Soya Agar (TSA), overlaid with CIN agar with ampicillin and arabinose. The data generated was used to estimate D- and z-values and the formula Dx=log(-1)(log D60-((t2-t1)/z)) was applied to calculate thermal death time-temperature combinations from 55 to 65°C. D50, D55 and D60-values of 45.9, 10.6 and 2.7min were calculated from the cell counts obtained on CIN agar, respectively. The corresponding D-values calculated from the TSA/CIN counts were 45.1, 11 and 2.5min, respectively. The z-value was 7.8. It was concluded that a time-temperature combination of 2.7min at 60°C is required to achieve a 1 log reduction in Y. enterocolitica in pork scald tank water. The predicted equivalent at 65°C was 0.6min. This study provides data and a model to enable pork processors to identify and apply parameters to limit the risk of carcass cross-contamination with Y. enterocolitica in pork carcass scald tanks.

Characterization of farm, food, and clinical Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O113.

Thirty-nine Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O113 Irish farm, abattoir, and clinical isolates were analyzed in conjunction with eight Australian, New Zealand, and Norwegian strains for H (flagellar) antigens, virulence gene profile (eaeA, hlyA, tir, espA, espB katP, espP, etpD, saa, sab, toxB, iha, lpfA(O157/OI-141,) lpfA(O113,) and lpfA(O157/OI-154)), Shiga toxin gene variants (stx(1c), stx(1d), stx(2), stx(2c), stx(2dact), stx(2e), stx(2f,) and stx(2g)) and were genotyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). All of the Irish strains were O113:H4, regardless of source, while all non-Irish isolates carried the H21 flagellar antigen. The stx(1) gene was present in 30 O113:H4 strains only, whereas the stx(2d) gene was common to all isolates regardless of source. In contrast, eaeA was absent, while hlyA was found in the Australian, New Zealand, Norwegian, and two of the Irish human clinical isolates. saa was present in the O113:H21 but not in the O113:H4 serotype. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first report of clinically significant STEC lacking both the eaeA and saa genes. PFGE analysis was inconclusive; however, MLST grouped the strains into three sequence types (ST): ST10, ST56, and ST223. Based on our findings, it was concluded that the stx(2d) gene is common in STEC O113, which are generally eaeA negative. Furthermore, STEC O113:H4 is a new, emerging bovine serotype of human clinical significance.

Serotypes and virulotypes of non-O157 shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) on bovine hides and carcasses.

Four hundred and fifty beef animal hides and a similar number of carcasses were screened for STEC in 3 beef abattoirs over a 12 month period using PCR and culture based methods. 67% (301/450) of hides and 27% (122/450) of carcasses were STEC PCR positive. Forty isolates representing 12 STEC serotypes (O5:H-, O13:H2, O26:H11, O33:H11, O55:H11, O113:H4, O128:H8, O136:H12, O138:H48, O150:H2, O168:H8 and ONT:H11) and 15 serotype-virulotype combinations were identified. This study provides much needed non-O157 STEC surveillance data and also provides further evidence of bovines as a source of clinically significant STEC as well as identifying 3 emerging serotypes O5:H- (eae-ß1), O13:H2 (eae-ζ), and O150:H2 (eae-ζ) that should be considered when developing beef testing procedures for non-O157 STEC.

Serotypes and virulence profiles of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolates from bovine farms.

Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are clinically significant food-borne pathogens. However, there is a dearth of information on serotype prevalence and virulence gene distribution, data essential for the development of public health protection monitoring and control activities for the meat and dairy industries. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of non-O157 STEC on beef and dairy farms and to characterize the isolates in terms of serotype and virulence markers. Bovine fecal samples (n = 1,200) and farm soil samples (n = 600) were collected from 20 farms throughout Ireland over a 12-month period. Shiga toxin-positive samples were cultured and colonies examined for the presence of stx1 and/or stx2 genes by PCR. Positive isolates were serotyped and examined for a range of virulence factors, including eaeA, hlyA, tir, espA, espB, katP, espP, etpD, saa, sab, toxB, iha, lpfA(O157/OI-141), lpfA(O113), and lpfA(O157/OI-154). Shiga toxin and intimin genes were further examined for known variants. Significant numbers of fecal (40%) and soil (27%) samples were stx positive, with a surge observed in late summer-early autumn. One hundred seven STEC isolates were recovered, representing 17 serotypes. O26:H11 and O145:H28 were the most clinically significant, with O113:H4 being the most frequently isolated. However, O2:H27, O13/O15:H2, and ONT:H27 also carried stx1 and/or stx2 and eaeA and may be emerging pathogens.

In vitro studies on the effect of pH and volatile fatty acid concentration, as influenced by diet, on the survival of inoculated nonacid- and acid-adapted Salmonella in bovine rumen fluid and feces.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of pH and volatile fatty acids concentrations, as influenced by bovine diet, on the survival of Salmonella in inoculated rumen fluid and feces, thus providing preliminary data on the potential application of dietary manipulation as a preharvest control strategy to reduce Salmonella contamination at slaughter. The in vitro survival of nonacid- and acid-adapted (AA) Salmonella cocktails (Salmonella serovars: Dublin, Enteritidis, Newport, Typhimurium, and Typhimurium DT104) in rumen fluid and feces, collected from fistulated cattle fed five different diets ([1] grass, [2] grass + concentrate, [3] grass silage, [4] hay, and [5] a high grain diet), was examined at 6°C and 15°C (feces) and at 37°C (rumen fluid). The pH of the rumen fluid ranged from 5.77 to 6.61 and the feces from 6.86 to 7.06. Salmonella D-values in rumen fluid were statistically similar, regardless of dietary source. Although prolonged survival (up to 84 days) was observed in feces, diet did affect survival with significantly (p < 0.05) higher D-values obtained in feces from diets 3 and 4 (AA cells at 6°C) and significantly (p < 0.05) lower D-values for diet 5 (AA cells at 15°C). It was concluded that changes in rumen pH and volatile fatty acids profile and concentrations, based on dietary manipulation, may not reduce the persistence and dissemination of Salmonella in cattle.

The effect of heat shrink treatment and storage temperature on the time of onset of "blown pack" spoilage.

This study determined the effects of (a) the short "heat shrink" treatment frequently applied to vacuum packed meats within normal commercial production, and (b) chill holding storage temperature, on the subsequent time to onset (TTO) of "blown pack" spoilage (BPS). Beef or lamb steaks were inoculated with 10³ CFU/cm² of spore suspensions of five gas producing clostridia, vacuum packed (VP) and treated as follows: no heat, 50°C/15 s, 70°C/10 s or 90°C/3 s. Samples were stored at -1.5, 1 or 4°C and examined daily to determine TTO of BPS. For each strain, pack treatment and storage temperature had significant (P<0.05 and P<0.001 respectively) effects on TTO of BPS, i.e. 90°C/3 s<70°C/10 s<50°C/15 s≤"no heat", and 4°C<1°C<-1.5°C. The study suggested that the meat industry could reduce the risks of BPS by avoiding higher temperature (90°C/3 s or 70°C/10 s) heat shrinking, and by storing VP meats at lower temperatures (e.g. -1.5°C).