Escherichia coli and Cronobacter sakazakii in 'Tommy Atkins' minimally processed mangos: Survival, growth and effect of UV-C and electrolyzed water.

These studies were aimed at assessing the growing capacity of Escherichia coli and Cronobacter sakazakii and the effectiveness of Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation, acidic electrolyzed (AEW) and neutral electrolyzed (NEW) waters in the inhibition of these bacteria on minimally processed 'Tommy Atkins' mangoes (MPM). The fruits were contaminated by dip inoculation and kept 10 days at 4, 8, 12 and 20 °C while enumerating bacteria. Contaminated mangoes were disinfected using UV-C (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 kJ/m2), AEW, NEW and sodium hypochlorite (SH) and the microorganisms were monitored. None of the enterobacteria grew at 4, 8 and 12 °C regardless of having persisted during the 10-day period. At 20 °C, E. coli and C. sakazakii grew, after adaption phases of 48 h and 24 h, to values of 8.7 and 8.5 log cfu/g at day eight, respectively. E. coli showed the highest reduction counts on the MPM washed with NEW and SH (2.2 log cfu/g). UV-C was more effective in reducing C. sakazakii (2.4-2.6 log cfu/g), when compared to AEW, NEW and SH (1.2-1.8 log cfu/g). The efficacy of decontamination technologies depends on microorganisms, highlighting the importance of preventing contamination at the primary production and of combining different methods to increase the safety of fresh-cut fruits.

Survival and growth of Cronobacter sakazakii on fresh-cut fruit and the effect of UV-C illumination and electrolyzed water in the reduction of its population.

Cronobacter sakazakii, found in foods such as powdered infant formula and plant origin ready-to-eat food, is an opportunistic pathogen to infants, neonates and vulnerable adults. The objective of this study was to monitor the growth of C. sakazakii in fresh-cut 'Royal gala' apple, 'Rocha' pear, and 'Piel de sapo' melon, and the effect of UV-C illumination, acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) and neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) in the reduction of its population. Fresh-cut fruits were inoculated and incubated at different temperatures during 10days while monitoring C. sakazakii. The inhibitory activity of different doses of UV-C (0-10kJ.m(2)), electrolyzed water and sodium hypochlorite (SH) (100ppm chlorine) was evaluated on the fruits inoculated with C. sakazakii. The bacterium showed a significant growth in the fruits at 12 and 20°C, but did not grow at 4°C, despite having survived for 10days. At 8°C, adaptation phases of 0.6-3.9days were estimated in the fruits before exponential growth. The UV-C 7.5 and 10kJ/m(2) produced greater C. sakazakii population decreases (2-2.4logcfu/g) than AEW (1.3-1.8logcfu/g), NEW (1-1.2logcfu/g) and SH (0.8-1.4logcfu/g). The UV-C decontamination system and refrigeration at 4°C, may contribute to the product's safety and quality. The results help better understand the behavior of C. sakazakii on fresh-cut fruit alerting producers of the necessity to respect the high hygienic practices, adequate refrigerating temperature maintenance and caution with the tendency to prolong the validity of this kind of ready-to-eat food.

The effect of NaCl reduction in the microbiological quality of cracked green table olives of the Maçanilha Algarvia cultivar.

The present work aimed at studying the effect of the partial replacement of NaCl with KCl and CaCl2 of the fermenting brines on the microbiological quality of natural cracked green Maçanilha Algarvia table olives. Olives were fermented in different salt combinations (Brine 1-8% NaCl, Brine 2-4% NaCl 4% KCl, Brine 3-4% NaCl 4% CaCl2, Brine 4-4% KCl 4% CaCl2, and Brine 5-2.7% NaCl 2.7% KCl 2.7% CaCl2) and the abundance of yeasts and enterobacteria was determined. At the end of fermentation, the main microbial safety parameters were evaluated. Samples were analyzed according to standard methodologies and using Chromocult Agar (coliforms and Escherichia coli). The yeasts collected were grouped by restriction analysis of the ITS-5.8S rRNA gene and identified by partial sequencing of the 26S rRNA. Throughout the study, a decrease of the enterobacteria population was observed in all the fermentations, which was greater and faster in brines containing potassium and calcium. The main yeasts identified were Pichia membranaefaciens, Candida boidinii, Zygosaccharomyces mrakii, Priceomyces carsonii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Wickerhamomyces anomalus and the yeast-like fungus Galactomyces geotrichum. The highest yeast diversity was found in olives produced in Brines 1, 2 and 3 and the lowest in Brines 4 and 5, where only the species P. membranaefaciens, C. boidinii and G. geotrichum were identified. No Pseudomonas, E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes were found in the table olives produced.

Evaluation of microbial quality and yeast diversity in fresh-cut apple.

The present work's aim was to study the microbial quality of minimally processed apples commercialized in Portugal. Sixty eight samples of fresh-cut apple were analyzed before their best-before date in 2011 and 2012 for aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic microorganisms, total coliforms, lactic-acid bacteria (LAB), coagulase-positive staphylococci and fungi. The parameters of food safety studied were Cronobacter sakazakii, Salmonella spp. and Listeria sp. Samples were analyzed according to standard methodologies and using Chromocult Agar for coliforms and Escherichia coli. The yeasts were identified by restriction analysis of the ITS-5.8S rDNA-region and 26S rDNA partial sequencing. The mesophilic and psychrotrophic microorganisms ranged from 3.3 to 8.9 and from 4.9 to 8.4 log CFU/g, respectively. Coliforms were detected in all the samples and staphylococci in 5.8% of them. LAB numbers varied from 2.8 to 8.7 and fungi (yeast and molds) from 3.6 to 7.1 log CFU/g. The most common yeasts were Candida sake and Pichia fermentans followed by Hanseniaspora spp., Candida spp., Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Cryptococcus spp. and the psychrotrophic Cystofilobasidium infirmominiatum. Foodborne bacteria and opportunistic pathogenic yeasts were not detected in the apples studied. The results obtained respected the European Commission regulation regarding criteria of food hygiene and safety.

Necesidades de los cuidadores de pacientes con deterioro cognitive: lo que necesitan versus lo que les ofrecemos / No disponible

El presente trabajo surge a raíz de las demandas de recursos y ayuda de los familiares atendidos en la práctica clínica habitual. En muchos casos, y siempre bajo su prisma, expresan desatención de manera asistencial y económica a los familiares y cuidadores. Siendo los que cargan con el cuidado íntegro del paciente, en muchos de los casos las ayudas son mínimas o inexistentes, no sólo económicas sino también de tipo asistencial. Comportando uso de psicofármacos para poder mitigar la sobrecarga que asumen, las alteraciones psicológico-psiquiátricas importantes, sobretodo en la esfera afectiva, y visitas a especialistas. La principal queja es la falta de recursos y ayudas económicas por parte de la administración. Muchos de estos cuidadores, reducen sus jornadas laborales, incluso abandonan empleos. Por otro lado, la baja red de apoyo asistencial para pacientes y cuidadores, interesándose en muchos casos en atención de tipo psicológico. Todo esto incentiva la idea de valorar no sólo el nivel de sobrecarga al que están sometidos, sino, también, el apoyo social que perciben, para poder valorar los tipos de necesidades y tipos de recursos de los que podrían ser tributarios. Los resultados evocan una gran necesidad de recursos, para los pacientes y cuidadores. Destacando las demandadas de tipo económico y de soporte emocional, bien sea con la intervención directa de un especialista o mediante asociaciones tanto de familiares, como de grupos de trabajo y de formación de una enfermedad concreta, quedando patente que es muy necesario la información y accesibilidad de los recursos existentes

This work stems from the resource demands of family in clinical practice. In many cases, and always under their prism, they expressing lack of care and economic assistance to families and caregivers. The family is who bear the full patient care, in many cases the economic and the assistential aids are minimal or non existent. Use of psychotropic drugs acting to mitigate the overhead assume the important psychological and psychiatric disorders, especially affective, and visits to specialists. The main complaint of carers is the lack of resources and economic aids, the support of the administration. Many of these caregivers reduce their work hours, even leave their jobs. On the other hand, low care support for patients and caregivers, interested in many cases in psychological care. All this encourages the idea of assessing the level of overload and the social support received the caregivers, for to assess the types of needs and types of resources that could be the tributaries. The results show the necessity of major resource for patients and caregivers. Emphasaizing the economic and emotional support, with the direct intervention of a specialist or for family associations or for working groups of a particular disease, evident that it is very necessary the accessibility to information and existing resources