Microbial Food Safety in China: Past, Present, and Future.

Food safety is a major public health issue worldwide, especially in heavily populated countries such as China. As in other countries, the predominant food safety issues in China are foodborne diseases caused by microbial pathogens. Hence, this review provides a systematic overview on microbial food safety in the past, present, and future in China. Management of microbial food safety in China is generally divided into three stages: Stage I before 2000, Stage II from 2000 to 2009, and Stage III from 2010 to present. At Stage I, China's main food concern gradually shifted from food security to food safety. At Stage II, foodborne pathogen surveillance was initiated and gradually became a focus of microbial food safety marked by the establishment of national food contamination monitoring system in 2000 and the promulgation of China Food Safety Law in 2009, although chemical food safety was considered a priority issue during this stage. At Stage III, microbial food safety was recognized as a high priority supported by many national food safety policies such as the launch of a national foodborne disease molecular tracing network in 2013 and the revision of China Food Safety Law in 2015. Advancement in food safety education and research support by central and local governments has also made significant contributions to tackling and solving microbial food safety problems. Management in the future should be focused on active involvement of food industries in mitigating microbial risks by introducing ISO 22000, regulatory enforcement to oversee compliances to standards and rules, and application of molecular tools for fast detection and source tracking to support decision-making. Future research efforts may include, but are not limited to, exploitation of interaction mechanisms among pathogenic bacteria, food and gut microbiota, smart traceability of microbial hazards, and development of novel antimicrobial strategies.

The China National Foodborne Pathogen Surveillance System: Twenty Years of Experience and Achievements.

National foodborne pathogen surveillance is a system that collects data regarding food contamination by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other harmful microbial factors. The surveillance data are used to understand the potential microbial risks in different categories of food and to provide science-based data for risk assessment and development of reference standards in the form of maximum limits. This review introduces stepwise expansion of the foodborne pathogen surveillance in China, relevant policies, function and duties of different organizations and institutions, surveillance plans, and quality control. Achievements of the surveillance system and future challenges are also presented.

Comparison of China's and the European Union's Approaches to Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Pork Industry.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a recognized global public health concern. Although the link between antimicrobial usage in food animals and AMR in humans is established, the detailed interactions are unclear. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in livestock was first implemented in Europe with Sweden as the pioneer in 1986. Despite this head start, AMR is still an ongoing challenge for Europe. The European Union (EU) is an established agriculture producer, the second largest pork producer globally, and one of the largest markets for organic food. China is the global leader in both production and consumption of pork. China's rise in prosperity has led to an increase in its pork demand. Chinese producers commonly use antimicrobials during production for disease treatment and prevention to meet this increased demand. China's rising prosperity together with recent publicized food safety scandals, disease outbreaks in domestic livestock products, and increased AMR awareness have resulted in an increased willingness to pay and demand for organic food by Chinese consumers. Responding to the growing concerns of AMR by consumers and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Chinese government introduced a national pilot program in 2016 to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use. Compared with China, the EU is a different entity as it is a political union comprising diverse countries and although it may have more experience in AMS, both entities face similar issues with AMR and increasing demand for organic food. Increased interest in organic food has arisen due to concerns about AMR, food safety, outbreaks of bacterial food contamination, and animal welfare. This article aims to compare the different AMS strategies employed by each entity, China and the EU, and how the increased demand for organic produce globally also influences the effort to reduce antimicrobial use in these entities' pork industries.

[Study on the development of measures to manage the risks associated with the food produced using microbial synthesis].

In order to increase the efficiency of food production, micro-organisms are used whose genetic material has been modified by directed mutagenesis or by transgenesis. Such products belong to a new type of products, the mandatory condition for the use of which is to confirm its safety when used in food. The aim of the article - justification of the need to improve the system for assessing the safety of foods obtained by microbial synthesis. Material and methods. The analysis and generalization of current scientific researches published in the databases Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, RSCI, as well as national and international regulatory and legislative documents have been carried out. Results and discussion. The analysis of scientific data, legislative and regulatory documents of international legislation, the European Union, as well as other economically developed countries, has shown that a mandatory element of assessing the possibility of safe use of food produced by microbial synthesis is the study of the sequence of transgenic insert nucleotides in the producer strain in order to analyze the presence of pathogenicity determinants, antibiotic resistance, and the ability to produce toxic metabolites. The data obtained in vitro on the absence of risks of using both producer strains and the enzyme preparations and other ingredients synthesized by them in the food industry should be confirmed in experiments in vivo. Currently, the need to comply with these requirements, as well as the main criteria for assessing the risks of such food, are mainly provided by legislation and regulations of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the system of sanitary and hygienic assessment of the safety of producer strains and food ingredients produced by them needs to be updated.

Management of Mycotoxins in Spices.

Spices are very important for cuisines around the world as well as for health enhancement. The Egyptians, Chinese, and Indians have used spices in medicinal remedies and procedures starting in around 2000 BC. Through the centuries, spices have found use as food ingredients to modify the aroma and taste of the final products; however, some spices are suitable substrates for mold growth and mycotoxin development, which could be detrimental to human and animal health. This report covers regulatory control of mycotoxins in food and spices by means of monitoring and regulatory limits, sampling and analysis, management, and prevention of mycotoxins from plant growth (preharvest) through harvest and postharvest as well as decontamination for mycotoxins when necessary. There is no one single-best strategy that can solve mycotoxin contamination problems, but a well-designed and integrated plan of all these strategies could result in a substantial reduction of mycotoxins in spices to regulation safety levels.

Boas práticas de manipulação e qualidade microbiológica de alimentos do comércio ambulante / Good manipulation practices and microbiological quality of foods of street food

Comércios ambulantes de alimentos são estabelecimentos que comercializam alimentos nas ruas prontos para o consumo. Devido às condições de manipulação e comercialização, os alimentos vendidos podem representar riscos à saúde pública. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar as condições higienicossanitárias de comércios ambulantes de alimentos nos municípios de Serra e Vitória – ES, bem como a sua qualidade microbiológica. Foi utilizada uma lista de verificação de boas práticas de manipulação de alimentos baseada na RDC ANVISA 216/04 e foram coletadas amostras de alimentos para análises microbiológicas, que seguiram o preconizado na RDC ANVISA 12/2001. Foram avaliados 200 comércios, na qual 58,5% foram classificados como ruins. Foram coletadas 63 amostras de alimentos, na qual 57,1% apresentaram limites de contaminação acima do permitido pela legislação. Concluiu-se que o comércio ambulante ainda é uma fonte potencial de transmissão de doenças através dos alimentos.

Avaliação de métodos de contagem de BAL e da qualidade microbiológica de queijo Minas Frescal comercializado no município de Duque de Caxias/RJ / Microbiological analysis of “Minas Frescal” cheese commercialized in the municipality Duque de Caxias/RJ

O queijo Minas Frescal é um derivado lácteo de amplo consumo no Brasil, entretanto suas características favorecem o crescimento de microbiota contaminante. As amostras foram submetidas às seguintes análises microbiológicas: enumeração de coliformes a 35⁰C e a 45⁰C, contagem de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva e enumeração de Bactérias Ácido Láticas (BAL). Em 10 amostras foi observada contagem de coliformes a 45⁰C acima do padrão estabelecido na legislação, confirmadas como Escherichia coli. Em todas as amostras a contagem de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva foi superior ao permitido em legislação. Nas BALs, foi observada baixa contagem em todas as amostras. Diante dos resultados obtidos, se faz necessária a adoção de medidas a fim de melhorar a qualidade microbiológica da matriz alimentícia e garantir a inocuidade alimentar.

Avaliação dos parâmetros microbiológicos do leite cru refrigerado produzido na região da bacia leiteira do Estado de Alagoas / Evaluation of microbiological parameters of frozen raw milk produced in a region of milk bowl of the State of Alagoas

O leite é considerado um alimento completo, rico em nutrientes, contendo proteínas, carboidratos, gorduras, vitaminas e sais minerais. Os cuidados higiênicos na ordenha são essenciais para a obtenção de leite de qualidade, à manutenção da saúde dos animais e ao aumento da produtividade. A presente pesquisa objetivou avaliar a qualidade microbiológica do leite cru refrigerado produzido na bacia leiteira do Estado de Alagoas. Foram analisadas 30 amostras, de acordo com os métodos analíticos oficiais tendo como referências os valores estabelecidos na legislação. O leite apresentou baixa contagem bacteriana total, no entanto precisa de adequações para que as contagens de coliformes diminuam, porém com o processo de pasteurização adequado a matéria prima se torna segura para consumo e elaboração de derivados.

Caracterização da qualidade microbiológica da água marítima e de mexilhões em uma fazenda marinha do município de Armação dos Búzios, RJ / Characterization of the microbiological quality of seawater and mussels in a marine farm in the county of Armação dos Búzios, RJ

O cultivo de moluscos é uma prática de grande importância devido ao alcance social e econômico para o município de Armação dos Búzios, RJ. Este trabalho tem como objetivo o monitoramento da qualidade da água de cultivo e de mexilhões em uma fazenda marinha de Armação dos Búzios, RJ. A melhor maneira de realizar um controle da qualidade da água e do produto é por meio da presença de indicadores de poluição fecal. Amostras de água e mexilhão foram coletadas em uma fazenda marinha e submetidas à análise microbiológica, através do método do Número Mais Provável. Após o monitoramento verificou-se que períodos com maior atividade turística e com maior ocorrência de chuvas apresentaram maior incidência de coliformes nas amostras, tornando-as impróprias para consumo. A não ocorrência de um monitoramento pode trazer riscos à saúde do consumidor.

Caracterização microbiológica do mel produzido por melíponas no Estado de Alagoas / Microbiological characterization of honey produced by melíponas in the State of Alagoas

O mel de abelhas sem ferrão possui um grande valor agregado, chegando a ultrapassar o preço do mel das abelhas com ferrão (gênero Apis) em até quinze vezes. As melíponas são de suma importância na manutenção de seus ecossistemas de origem, contribuindo de forma para a conservação e a sobrevivência da flora e da fauna. A pesquisa objetivou caracterizar os méis de meliponídeos nativos do Estado de Alagoas. Foram coletadas e analisadas quatro amostras de méis, sendo todas elas obtidas da espécie Melipona scutellaris (mais conhecida como Uruçu) em diferentes municipios, condições e momentos. As amostras estavam próprias para consumo humano e de acordo com a legislação vigente verificou-se que os padrões adotados para o mel produzido por Apis melífera podem ser aplicados para o mel produzido por Meliponas.

Modificações microbiológicas e físico-químicas durante a maturação de queijo colonial artesanal produzido com leite cru / Microbiological and physicochemical modifications during ripening of artisanal colonial cheese made from raw milk

A maturação dos queijos é um processo importante no controle microbiano. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as mudanças microbiológicas e físico-químicas durante a maturação do queijo Colonial artesanal. O leite cru utilizado para a fabricação também foi avaliado. Durante 8 semanas, foram coletadas amostras do mesmo lote de queijo, as quais foram submetidas às análises de umidade, coliformes a 35 ºC e 45 ºC, Staphylococcus coagulase positiva e Salmonella spp. O leite estava de acordo com o estabelecido pela legislação. As contagens de coliformes a 35 ºC e 45 ºC e Staphylococcus atenderam aos padrões a partir da 3ª, 2ª e 4ª semanas de maturação, respectivamente. Salmonella spp. apresentou ausência em todas as amostras. Foram necessárias 4 semanas (cerca de 28 dias) para que os queijos fossem considerados próprios para consumo.

Perfil físico-químico e microbiológico do leite coletado de pequenos produtores rurais do sul goiano / Physical-chemical and microbiological profile of collected milk from small rural producers of the south goiano

O Estado de Goiás ocupa o quarto lugar no ranking dos maiores produtores de leite do país. Morrinhos é um município que se destaca por possuir a quarta maior bacia leiteira do Estado. Objetivou-se avaliar a composição físico-química e microbiológica do leite cru coletado em propriedades rurais da Região Sul do Estado de Goiás. As amostras de leite foram coletadas de tanques de expansão de produtores individuais ou de tanques comunitário, e analisadas. O perfil físico químico das amostras de leite ficou dentro dos limites estabelecidos pela legislação. Foram verificados altos valores de CCS, obtidos a partir de ordenha mecânica. A maior CBT foi evidenciada em amostras onde o processo de ordenha é realizado manualmente. As condições de ordenha acabam definindo o tipo e a qualidade do leite produzido, repercutindo em toda cadeia produtiva.

Qualidade microbiológica de queijo colonial artesanal da região sudoeste do Paraná / Microbiological quality of artisanal colonial cheese from southwest Paraná

Os queijos artesanais têm grande aceitação pelos consumidores. No entanto, a qualidade desses alimentos tem sido questionada. Diversos estudos apontam deficiências na higiene de manipuladores, instalações e/ou equipamentos como principais causas da qualidade microbiológica insatisfatória de alguns queijos elaborados com leite cru. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade microbiológica de amostras de queijo Colonial artesanal da região Sudoeste do Paraná. Foram avaliados queijos de 6 estabelecimentos produtores da região. Os resultados demonstraram que todas as amostras analisadas estavam em desacordo com a legislação vigente, devido à elevada contaminação por bactérias do grupo coliformes e Staphylococcus. É necessário promover treinamentos e o acompanhamento dos produtores a fim de melhorar a qualidade dos queijos artesanais.

Qualidade microbiológica de queijos Minas Frescal produzidos no Espírito Santo, Brasil / Microbiological quality of Minas Frescal cheese produced in Espírito Santo, Brazil

Queijos Minas Frescal é um produto lácteo, fresco, obtido por coagulação proteica. Apresenta características físico-químicas favoráveis ao crescimento de microrganismos e pode representar risco à saúde, caso as condições de manipulação e venda não forem adequadas. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a qualidade microbiológica de queijos Minas Frecal produzidos no estado do Espírito Santo. Foram adquiridas 28 amostras de queijos em 28 comércios varejistas ou queijarias, entre maio a agosto de 2018, em seis municípios do Estado. Os micro-organismos pesquisados seguiram conforme preconizado na RDC ANVISA 12/2001. Dos queijos analisados, 89,3% apresentaram limites de contaminação acima do permitido pela legislação vigente. Das amostras contaminadas, em 78,3% foi detectado a presença de E.coli acima do permitido e em 39,3% foi detectado S. aureus.

[Update on microbiological quality assurance meat and meat products in Morocco]. / Mise au point sur l'assurance de la qualité microbiologique des viandes et des produits à base de viande au Maroc.

BACKGROUND: Food safety has become an absolute necessity in all countries. As a result, Morocco has taken several measures and actions to develop food safety and food-borne disease control. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to highlight the level of improvement in the quality assurance of meat and meat products in Morocco. METHOD: It is based on a non-exhaustive review of the regulatory texts governing food safety in the country, as well as a statistical study on establishments of meat and meat products adopting a self-checking system and approved by the National Office of Sanitary Safety of Food. RESULTS: Morocco has introduced several laws and regulations requiring sanitary control of food products. Also, the number of establishments of meat and meat products adopting a system of self-control and approved by the National Office of Sanitary Safety of Food has improved significantly. It has increased from 58 in 2007 to 273 in 2016. CONCLUSION: The adoption of self-monitoring systems allows better access to international markets, improved quality of food products and a considerable reduction in microbial contamination.

Microbiological criteria and ecology of commercially available processed cheeses according to the product specification and physicochemical characteristics.

Although global cheese manufacturers release a variety of products onto the market, research on the microbiological quality and safety of cheese has focused mainly on conventional cheeses made from milk. Here, this study aimed to investigate commercially processed cheese products produced by mixing conventional cheeses after melting. Two approaches were used: a summary and comparison of legal definitions and standards/regulations regarding the microbiological criteria used by major cheese traders in the global market (Australia/New Zealand, China, European Union, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, and the United States) and a comprehensive microbiological analysis of commercial products (n = 800), along with an assessment of salinity, pH, water activity, and heating conditions. The results of the literature search showed that major importing countries (China, Japan, Mexico, and the Republic of Korea) have stricter microbiological criteria for commercially available cheese products than major exporters (Australia/New Zealand, EU, and the USA). The former set limits with respect to the number of total coliforms in the product. Microbiological analyses were designed according to global standards and recommendations. No test sample contained detectable levels of Clostridium perfringens, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, or Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, no coliform bacteria (including E. coli) were detected. Overall, 79.9% of the samples contained detectable aerobic plate counts (1.0-7.8 log CFU/g); these levels varied significantly according to product type (grated cheese > chunks; cream cheese > portions or sliced) (p < .05). There was no significant association between microbe levels and salinity, water activity, pH, and heating conditions. The results can be used to develop a comprehensive database about commercially processed cheese products available in the global market and, as such, may be helpful for both national authorities and cheese manufacturers when considering novel strategic management plans for microbiological quality and safety.

Factors associated with recovery of meat products following recalls due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

Food-product recall data for recalls due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from 2000 to 2012 were obtained for establishments regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Statistical tests were used to assess the factors associated with recovery of product following STEC recalls along with the relationship between cluster detection and jurisdictions. Our results indicated that the percentage of recalled product recovered following a recall action due to STEC was dependent on the complexity of distribution, type of distribution, amount of time between production and recall dates, and the number of pounds of product recalled. Illness-related STEC recalls were associated with a lower percentage of product recovery which was probably impacted by larger amounts of product recalled, broader production scope, and delays from epidemiological and traceback investigations. Further, detection of illnesses related to STEC recalls seemed to be enhanced in states with additional resources and a history of successful foodborne investigations. This makes an argument for additional resources dedicated to public health agencies specifically for the surveillance of foodborne illnesses.

Regulatory bioinformatics for food and drug safety.

"Regulatory Bioinformatics" strives to develop and implement a standardized and transparent bioinformatic framework to support the implementation of existing and emerging technologies in regulatory decision-making. It has great potential to improve public health through the development and use of clinically important medical products and tools to manage the safety of the food supply. However, the application of regulatory bioinformatics also poses new challenges and requires new knowledge and skill sets. In the latest Global Coalition on Regulatory Science Research (GCRSR) governed conference, Global Summit on Regulatory Science (GSRS2015), regulatory bioinformatics principles were presented with respect to global trends, initiatives and case studies. The discussion revealed that datasets, analytical tools, skills and expertise are rapidly developing, in many cases via large international collaborative consortia. It also revealed that significant research is still required to realize the potential applications of regulatory bioinformatics. While there is significant excitement in the possibilities offered by precision medicine to enhance treatments of serious and/or complex diseases, there is a clear need for further development of mechanisms to securely store, curate and share data, integrate databases, and standardized quality control and data analysis procedures. A greater understanding of the biological significance of the data is also required to fully exploit vast datasets that are becoming available. The application of bioinformatics in the microbiological risk analysis paradigm is delivering clear benefits both for the investigation of food borne pathogens and for decision making on clinically important treatments. It is recognized that regulatory bioinformatics will have many beneficial applications by ensuring high quality data, validated tools and standardized processes, which will help inform the regulatory science community of the requirements necessary to ensure the safe introduction and effective use of these applications.

Microbial pathogen quality criteria of rendered products.

The North American rendering industry processes approximately 24 million metric tons (Mt) of raw materials and produces more than 8 million Mt of rendered products. More than 85 % of rendered products produced annually in the USA are used for producing animal feed. Pathogen contamination in rendered products is an important and topical issue. Although elevated temperatures (115-140 °C) for 40-90 min during the standard rendering processes are mathematically sufficient to completely destroy commonly found pathogens, the presence of pathogens in rendered products has nevertheless been reported. Increased concern over the risk of microbial contamination in rendered products may require additional safeguards for producing pathogen-free rendered products. This study provides an overview of rendered products, existing microbial pathogen quality criteria of rendered products (MPQCR), limitations, and the scope of improving the MPQCR.

Enforcement of science-using a Clostridium perfringens outbreak investigation to take legal action.

BACKGROUND: We report an outbreak of Clostridium perfringens in a care home in North East England. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was used to investigate this outbreak. Faecal samples were obtained from symptomatic residents. Environmental Health Officers carried out a food hygiene inspection and formal statements were taken. RESULTS: Fifteen residents reported illness and the epidemic curve was suggestive of a point source outbreak. Results suggest that illness was associated with consumption of mince & vegetable pie and/or gravy. There were a number of issues with food served, in particular the mince products had been cooked, cooled, reheated and served again over a period of several days. Faecal sampling revealed the presence of C.perfringens enterotoxin gene and four samples were indistinguishable by fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism, indicating a likely common source. The operator of the home was charged with three offences under the General Food Regulations 2004 and the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 and was convicted on all counts. CONCLUSIONS: An outbreak of C.perfringens occurred in a care home. The likely cause was consumption of mince & vegetable pie and/or gravy. Epidemiological evidence can be used to help prosecute businesses with food safety offences in such circumstances.