Application of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy for Rapid Detection of Fumonisin B2 in Raisins.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of FTIR spectroscopy as a rapid screening method to detect fumonisin produced by Aspergillus niger. A. niger spore suspensions isolated from raisins were inoculated in Petri dishes prepared with sultana raisin or black raisin extracts containing agar and malt extract agar (MEA). After 9 days of incubation at 25°C, fumonisin B2 (FB2) production on each agar plate was determined by subjecting the agar plugs to IR spectroscopy. The presence of amino group (at 1636-1639 cm(-1)) was especially indicative of fumonisin production in MEA and the raisin extracts containing agar. The results were confirmed by HPLC analysis of the agar sample extracts after immunoaffinity column cleanup. It was determined that A. niger produced more FB2 in sultana raisins than in MEA, with no FB2 being produced in black raisin extract agar. This study demonstrated that proper sample preparation procedure followed by FTIR analysis is a useful technique for identifying toxigenic molds and their mycotoxin production in agricultural commodities.

Development of a predictive model for Salmonella spp. reduction in meat jerky product with temperature, potassium sorbate, pH, and water activity as controlling factors.

The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model for the inactivation of Salmonella spp. in ground beef jerky as a function of temperature (T), pH, potassium sorbate (PS), and final water activity (aw). Following a central composite design, ground beef was combined with PS (0 to 0.3%, w/w), pH adjusted from 5 to 7, inoculated with a cocktail of 6 serotypes of Salmonella spp. and heat processed at temperatures between 65 and 85°C until the final aw ranging from 0.65 to 0.85 was achieved. Surviving Salmonella cells were enumerated on tryptic soy agar overlaid with xylose lysine deoxycholate agar (pre-tempered to 47°C) after incubation for 48h at 30°C. Bacterial inactivation was quantified in terms of logarithmic reductions of Salmonella counts (log10CFU/g) and inactivation rate (log10(CFU/g)/h). The results indicated that pH, PS and T significantly (p<0.05) interacted to inactivate Salmonella in beef jerky. Decreasing meat pH significantly (p<0.05) increased the efficacy of PS and T to reduce the levels of Salmonella spp. Beef jerky processed at 82°C, pH5.5, with 0.25% PS to a final aw of 0.7 resulted in a maximum Salmonella logarithmic reduction of 5.0log10CFU/g and an inactivation rate of 1.3log10(CFU/g)/h. The predictive model developed can be used to effectively design drying processes for beef jerky under low humidity conditions and thereby, ensuring an adequate degree of protection against risks associated with Salmonella spp.

A review on traditional Turkish fermented non-alcoholic beverages: microbiota, fermentation process and quality characteristics.

Shalgam juice, hardaliye, boza, ayran (yoghurt drink) and kefir are the most known traditional Turkish fermented non-alcoholic beverages. The first three are obtained from vegetables, fruits and cereals, and the last two ones are made of milk. Shalgam juice, hardaliye and ayran are produced by lactic acid fermentation. Their microbiota is mainly composed of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei in shalgam fermentation and L. paracasei subsp. paracasei and Lactobacillus casei subsp. pseudoplantarum in hardaliye fermentation are predominant. Ayran is traditionally prepared by mixing yoghurt with water and salt. Yoghurt starter cultures are used in industrial ayran production. On the other hand, both alcohol and lactic acid fermentation occur in boza and kefir. Boza is prepared by using a mixture of maize, wheat and rice or their flours and water. Generally previously produced boza or sourdough/yoghurt are used as starter culture which is rich in Lactobacillus spp. and yeasts. Kefir is prepared by inoculation of raw milk with kefir grains which consists of different species of yeasts, LAB, acetic acid bacteria in a protein and polysaccharide matrix. The microbiota of boza and kefir is affected from raw materials, the origin and the production methods. In this review, physicochemical properties, manufacturing technologies, microbiota and shelf life and spoilage of traditional fermented beverages were summarized along with how fermentation conditions could affect rheological properties of end product which are important during processing and storage.

Microbiota of table olive fermentations and criteria of selection for their use as starters.

Fermentation is one of the oldest methods for preserving of olives applied worldwide for thousands of years. However, olive processing is a speculative area where whether olives are fermented products or pickled products produced by organic acids and salt. Although lactobacilli and yeasts play a major role in the process, literature survey indicates that lactobacilli are less relevant at least in some types of natural green olives during fermentation. There have been significant advances recently in understanding the process to produce olives, especially the role of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts including biofilm formation on olive surfaces by these organisms. The purpose of this paper is to review the latest developments regarding the microbiota of olives on the basis of olive types, their role on the fermentation process, the interaction between both group of microorganisms and the olive surface, the possibility to use starter cultures and the criteria to select appropriate cultures.

Natural occurrence of ochratoxin A in dried figs.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in dried figs was investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection after extraction with methanol and orthophosphoric acid and clean up by an immunoaffinity column. The limit of detection for OTA was 0.12 microg kg(-1). One hundred and fifteen samples were taken during the drying stage from 7 different districts in the Aegean Region in 2003 and 2004. Fifty-five (47.2%) of the 115 samples were found to contain detectable levels of ochratoxin A, ranging from 0.12 to 15.31 microg kg(-1). However, the OTA level for a majority of the samples was low, with only 4 samples containing OTA exceeding 1 microg kg(-1). The calculated overall median for the OTA level was below the limit of detection and the overall mean was estimated as 0.52 microg kg(-1). Frequency of ochratoxin A contamination in dried figs harvested in 2003 and 2004 are 47 and 50%, respectively. Highest contamination ratio was determined in dried figs from Erbeyli (60%), followed by Selcuk (56%), and Ortaklar (50%).

Mycological Survey of Chicken Feed and Some Feed Ingredients in Turkey.

Level of mold contamination and mycoflora were determined for 144 mixed feed and feed ingredients, including corn, sunflower cake, soja cake, meat and bone meal, and fish meal. Four samples were found to be free of mold. Among the feed samples examined, the mold count has been found to be low (102 to 103 colonies/g) for fish meal, high (104 to 105 colonies/g) for meat-bone meal and sunflower cake, and extremely high (more than 105 colonies/g) for soja cake, corn and mixed feed. The predominant flora in the feed samples consisted of Penicillium , Aspergillus , Fusarium , Mucor and Eurotium , respectively. The most frequently encountered species was found to be Penicillium aurantiogriseum , followed by Aspergillus flavus .