Functional meat products: Trends in pro-, pre-, syn-, para- and post-biotic use.

In recent years, many studies have been conducted to develop functional meat products, focusing on strategies to maximize health-promoting compounds and reduce the presence of those that may cause negative impacts on the consumer's health. As such, the use of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic agents in meat products has grown considerably. In addition, the use of new generation probiotics in meat products is a novel field that can be explored. With the most recent paraprobiotics/postbiotics update, several components could be tested in meat products. Some interventional studies using meat products added with biotic agents have shown great potential as functional foods by reducing the formation of nitrous compounds in the gut and improving the functionality of the gut microbiota. Although there are few studies focusing on synbiotic meat products, the results are also very promising in this field. As such, this review seeks to describe how probiotics, prebiotics, paraprobiotics and postbiotics can be employed in meat products to give them functional properties, as well as some of the major issues that may arise when using these agents.

Tolerance of foodborne Acinetobacter spp. to sanitizer agents.

INTRODUCTION: The bacteria Acinetobacter spp. are extremely relevant in clinical settings. Recently, they have emerged as potential food-borne opportunistic pathogens. Their ability to form biofilms contributes to antibiotic resistance by generating an environment that facilitates the acquisition and transfer of resistance genes. Studies on the tolerance of Acinetobacter spp. from food sources to sanitizers used in the food industry and homes are necessary to help mitigate food contamination by these microorganisms. METHODOLOGY: Isolates from ready-to-eat salads (n = 11) and raw goat milk (n = 4) were evaluated for their tolerance to sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), quaternary ammonium compound/biguanide (QAC/BG), and peracetic acid (PAA). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that the concentration of these sanitizers in food-processing equipment and utensils and other food-contact articles should not exceed 200 parts per million (ppm). RESULTS: The minimum inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations of NaClO were above 312.5 ppm for all isolates tested and ≥ 2,500 ppm for four isolates from salads. Only three isolates from salads and four isolates from goat milk were inhibited by an MIC lower than 200 ppm of PAA. QAC/BG presented the lowest MIC and MCB values (9.37/6.25  ppm for all isolates tested), suggesting that it is the most effective agent against the isolates used in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that Acinetobacter spp. isolates from food can be tolerant to the recommended concentrations of NaClO and PAA, which highlights the health risks to consumers.

Antibiotic resistance profile and detection of degradative enzymes by Enterobacteriaceae isolated from raw goat milk.

INTRODUCTION: Enterobacteriaceae are often reported as a typical bacterial population in raw milk from any mammalian origin. The frequent concern with bacteria, especially those related to this group of microorganisms, is their increasing resistance to antibiotics and the emergence of enzymes that degrade them. This study aimed to characterize isolates of Enterobacteriaceae from raw goat milk to expose associated safety problems and possible technological challenges. METHODS: Isolates from 21 raw goat milk samples purchased in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were identified by mass spectrometry, after isolation on Violet Red Bile Glucose agar. The isolates were subjected to evaluation of proteolytic, lipolytic, hemolytic, and biofilm producing activities. Furthermore, resistance profiles and production capacity of enzymes that degrade antimicrobials were evaluated. RESULTS: Almost half of the 59 isolates (48%) belonged to the Enterobacter genus, with a significant prevalence of the Serratia (20%) and Klebsiella (11%) genera. The majority showed biofilm-producing activity (90%), while the activity of degradative enzymes was observed in approximately 20%. Few isolates were found with a profile of resistance to antimicrobials, with only one isolate of Klebsiella variicola being classified as multidrug-resistant. However, chromogenic culture media showed high production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases (54% and 46%, respectively), as a presumptive identification. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable degree of virulence was observed in the Enterobacteriaceae isolates, as well as the potential for undesirable technological damage. The characterization and identification of the isolates contributes to the improvement of the risk monitoring process of goat's milk.

From food to hospital: we need to talk about Acinetobacter spp.

Some species of the genus Acinetobacter are admittedly important hospital pathogens. Additionally, various animal and plant foods have been linked to the presence of Acinetobacter, including resistant strains. However, due to isolation difficulties and the lack of official standard methods, there is a dearth of work and epidemiological data on foodborne diseases caused by this microorganism. Considering that Acinetobacter spp. may represent a serious public health problem, especially because of their resistance to carbapenems and colistin, and because of the fact that these pathogens may transfer resistance genes to other bacteria, studies are needed to evaluate the pathogenicity of both food and clinical isolates and to search for them using control strategies, such as the adoption of more efficient disinfection measures and use of antimicrobial substances (AMS). In contrast, AMS production by strains of the genus Acinetobacter has already been described, and its potential for application against other Gram-negative food or clinical pathogens, reveals a new field to be explored.

Characterization of Acinetobacter spp. from raw goat Milk / Caracterização de Acinetobacter spp. isolados de leite caprino cru

ABSTRACT: Goat's milk has been suggested as an alternative to cow's milk, being a better digestible and hypoallergenic option. However, the presence of contaminating bacteria may significantly affect the safety of the product. In this research, we reported the isolation and characterization of Acinetobacter spp. isolates from raw goat milk samples purchased in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Twenty-one samples were analyzed and ten isolates of Acinetobacter spp. were obtained. Six were identified as A. guillouiae, three as A. ursingii, and one as A. bereziniae. These isolates were characterized and eight showed proteolytic activity, seven showed lipolytic activity, and five isolates were able to produce both enzymes. None of the isolates was biofilm producer. However, when the production of antibiotic resistance enzymes KPC and ESBL were investigated, all isolates presented ESBL-positive phenotype, while eight (80%) were KPC-positive. This research, therefore, demonstrated that raw goat's milk can also be a source of Acinetobacter spp., which can produce important thermostable deteriorating enzymes and may play a role of reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes.

RESUMO: O leite de cabra tem sido sugerido como alternativa ao leite de vaca, sendo uma opção com melhor digestibilidade e menor alergenicidade. No entanto, a presença de bactérias contaminantes pode afetar significativamente a segurança do produto. Neste trabalho, relatamos o isolamento e caracterização de Acinetobacter spp. isolados de amostras de leite cru de cabra adquiridas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Vinte e uma amostras foram analisadas e dez isolados de Acinetobacter spp. foram obtidos, sendo seis identificados como A. guillouiae, três como A. ursingii e um como A. bereziniae. Estes isolados foram caracterizados e oito apresentaram atividade proteolítica, sete mostraram atividade lipolítica e cinco foram capazes de produzir ambas as enzimas. Nenhum dos isolados foi produtor de biofilme. No entanto, todos os isolados apresentaram fenótipo ESBL-positivo, enquanto oito (80%) foram positivos para KPC. Este trabalho demonstra, portanto, que o leite de cabra cru também pode ser uma fonte de Acinetobacter spp., que podem produzir enzimas deteriorantes termoestáveis e desempenhar, também, um papel de reservatórios de genes de resistência a antibióticos.