Prevalence and risk factors for thermotolerant species of Campylobacter in poultry meat at retail in Europe

Abstract The thermotolerant species Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter lari and Campylobacter upsaliensis are the causative agents of the human illness called campylobacteriosis. This infection represents a threat for the health of consumers in Europe. It is well known that poultry meat is an important food vehicle of Campylobacter infection. As emerged from the reported scientific literature published between 2006 and 2016, poultry meat sold at retail level in Europe represents an important source of the pathogen. The contamination level of poultry meat sold at retail can vary depending on pre- and post-harvest factors. Among the pre-harvest measures, strict biosecurity practices must be guaranteed; moreover, among post-harvest control measures scalding, chilling and removal of faecal residues can reduce the contamination level of Campylobacter. An additional issue is represented by increasing proportion of Campylobacter isolates resistant to tetracyclines, ciprofloxacin, and nalidixic acid, thus feeding a serious concern on the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment for human campylobacteriosis in a near future

Contribution of the autochthonous lactic acid bacteria population in a\ud production of raw milk Mozzarella cheese- CONTRIBUTO DELLA POPOLAZIONE LATTICA AUTOCTONA\ud IN UNA PRODUZIONE DI MOZZARELLA AL LATTE CRUDO\ud CON STARTER TERMOFILI COMMERCIALI

Mozzarella cheese is one of the most popular members of the Pasta Filata cheeses.The present research was aimed at\ud investigating the microbial population of a raw milk Mozzarella cheese manufacture\ud produced in the hinterland of the Marche region by using a commercial starter\ud culture of thermophilic cocci. At this aim, both molecular and phenotypic\ud assays were performed. The polyphasic approach utilized revealed an high diversity\ud of the autochthonous LAB population investigated, both at the species and\ud strain level.\ud Keywords: Mozzarella cheese, autochthonous lactic acid bacteria, RAPD, PFGE,\ud acidifying activit

Innovative Fermented Beverages Made with Red Rice, Barley, and Buckwheat

The increase in food intolerances, allergies, and food-based lifestyle choices has dramatically increased the consumer demand for healthy foods characterized by pleasant sensory traits. In such a context, innovative cereal-based beverages are characterized by high nutritional value, pleasant palatability, and potential healthy properties. In the present study, a pool of 23 lactic acid bacteria strains was preliminary assayed as monocultures for the fermentation of three ad hoc formulated cereal- (red rice and barley) and pseudocereal (buckwheat) -based substrates. Eight strains with the best performance in terms of acidification rate were selected for the formulation of three multiple strain cultures to be further exploited for the manufacture of laboratory-scale prototypes of fermented beverages. The compositional and microbiological features of the three experimental beverages highlighted their high biological value for further exploitation

Fermentation of Microalgal Biomass for Innovative Food Production

Fermentation is an ancient method used worldwide to process and preserve food while enhancing its nutraceutical profile. Alga‐based fermented products have recently been developed and tested due to growing interest in healthy sustainable diets, which demands the development of innovative practices in food production, operating for both human health and Earth sustainability. Algae, particularly microalgae such as Arthrospira platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, and Dunaliella salina, are already cultivated as sources of food due to their valuable compounds, including proteins, pigments, lipids, carotenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, steroids, and vitamins. Due to their nutritional composition, functional diversity, and flexible metabolism, microalgae represent good fermentation substrates for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts. This review presents an overview of the scientific studies on microalga fermentation underlining microalgae’s properties and health benefits coupled with the advantages of LAB and yeast fermentation. The potential applications of and future perspectives on such functional foods are discussed

Quality and safety of traditional foods: the role of microbiology

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Effect of temperature and relative humidity on algae biofouling on different fired brick surfaces

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of environmental temperature and relative humidity on algae biofouling that often occurs on porous and rough fired brick surfaces. Brick samples were chosen since their common use on building facades. Accelerated growth tests were performed under different relative humidities and different temperatures. Results showed the effects of different temperature conditions in terms of algae growth delay and reduction of the covered area. All the relative humidity conditions tested substantially showed no growth from an engineering standpoint. The modified Avrami's law succeeded in modelling the biofouling under the different environmental conditions

Parameters of flow in porous alluvial aquifers evaluated by tracers

Dye tracer tests, DNA biotracer, alluvial aquifer Marche, multiwell tests

Hydraulic contacts identification in the aquifers of limestone ridges: tracer tests in the Montelago pilot area (Central Apennines)

The investigated area, located in the inner part of the Marche region (central Italy) and belonging to the carbonate Umbria- Marche ridges in the central Apennines, is characterised by very complex geo-structural setting and widespread karst phenomena that make difficult the definition of the relation among the aquifers basing only on the hydrogeological survey. Hence, the presence of different flowpaths among aquifers of the Umbria-Marche hydrostratigraphic sequence and of tectonic contacts among the different structures is verified using tracer tests. In particular, the tests showed that the Calcare Massiccio and the Maiolica aquifers are connected under certain tectonic conditions. A new tracer given by a single stranded DNA molecule and traditional fluorescent dyes have been injected into the Montelago sinkhole in different periods (during the recharge and during the discharge) and recovered in several points along the expected hydrogeological basin, using either manual and automatic sampling. Fluorescent traps were positioned in creeks, rivers and springs. The DNA molecule is useful to trace surface water and groundwater, is detectable even at very low concentrations, no significant change in water density and viscosity can be observed and its use is not dangerous for the environment. The results stress the suitability of DNA as hydrogeological tracer, capable to identify connections among aquifers and study different flowpaths even in high flow conditions when traditional tracers are more and more diluted. Moreover, fluorescein tracer allowed for the transport parameter determination, giving mean velocities ranging from 100 to 3000 m/day and mean residence time from some tens to hundreds of hours, and determining the aquifer volumes