Quantitative microbiological risk assessment as a tool to obtain useful information for risk managers - specific application to Listeria monocytogenes and ready-to-eat meat products

The presence of Listeria monocytogenes in a sliced cooked, cured ham-like meat product was quantitatively assessed. Sliced cooked, cured meat products are considered as high risk products. These ready-to-eat, RTE, products (no special preparation, e.g. thermal treatment, before eating is required), support growth of pathogens (high initial pH = 6.2–6.4 and water activity = 0.98–0.99) and has a relatively long period of storage at chilled temperatures with a shelf life equal to 60 days based on manufacturer's instructions. Therefore, in case of post-process contamination, even with low number of cells, the microorganism is able to reach unacceptable levels at the time of consumption. The aim of this study was to conduct a Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMRA) on the risk of L. monocytogenes presence in RTE meat products. This may help risk managers to make decisions and apply control measures with ultimate objective the food safety assurance. Examples are given to illustrate the development of practical risk management strategies based on the results obtained from the QMRA model specifically developed for this pathogen/food product combinatio

Color Selection in Object Drawings of Young Children

This action research study examined the selection of color used in six object drawings of young children. Study sample size consisted of eighteen Kindergarten students from a public elementary school in Prince George's County Public School System, Maryland. This study was organized into three phases. Each phase asked student participants to draw six familiar objects (tree, house, boy, dog, girl, car) while limiting the amount of color selection in each phase. The use of logical color and expressive color was investigated and scores were given to each drawing in order to compare logical color usage. Color trends were also documented to show possible color associations in young children's representation of everyday objects. The results found that there was an increase in the use of logical color as the selection of color in each phase was minimized. Strong color trends were shown in the representation of the tree and boy images

Validation of ELISA-based detection of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 in fresh cut vegetables

Innovative diagnostic methods were developed for the detection and quantification of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in minimally processed fresh cut fruits and vegetables. The aim of the present study was to validate the technical efficiency of these methods and evaluate their efficacy and viability for routine analysis. To this purpose, ready-to-eat fresh fruits and vegetables were collected throughout the production chain. A multidisciplinary approach, including a newly developed ELISA method compared to ISO procedures, was applied to detect the pathogenic bacteria after harvesting, processing and shelf-life. Results obtained exhibited the technical efficiency of the developed methods showing similar sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive values and negative likelihood ratios

Istraživanje mikrobnih asocijacija u tradicionalnim fermentiranim kobasicama

The investigation included fermented sausages produced in the countries of west and south-east Europe, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Serbia. The sausages were produced in local meat industries in a traditional way without the use of starter cultures. Samples were collected from three production batches on day 0 and again after 2, 4, 7, 14 and 28 days. Microbiological analyses included the principal ingredients (meat, fat tissue), casings and additives (sugar, mixture of spices, salt), and the finished products. From all three production batches of fermented sausages from each individual country, 150 strains of lactic acid bacteria and 150 strains of coagulase-negative cocci were isolated. Biochemical characteristics of the isolated microorganisms were determined by API system (bioMérieux), i.e. by API 50 CHL and API® Staph. Identification of all strains was made using the computer program APILAB Plus. From the hygienic standpoint, it is highly important that Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were not found in the finished product. During all stages of investigation, lactobacilli and staphylococci prevailed.Predmet su ispitivanja bile fermentirane kobasice proizvedene u zemljama zapadne i jugoistočne Europe, tj. u Grčkoj, Bosni i Hercegovini, Hrvatskoj, Mađarskoj, Italiji i Srbiji. Kobasice su proizvedene u lokalnim mesnim industrijama, na tradicionalan način bez upotrebe starter-kultura. Uzorci su sakupljani iz tri proizvodne serije, i to nultog dana te nakon 2, 4, 7, 14 i 28 dana. Mikrobiološki su analizirane sirovine (meso i masno tkivo), ovici i aditivi (šećer, mješavina začina i sol), te gotovi proizvodi. Iz sve tri proizvodne serije fermentiranih kobasica iz svake od zemalja izolirano je 150 sojeva bakterija mliječne kiseline i 150 sojeva koagulaza-negativnih koka. Biokemijske karakteristike izoliranih mikroorganizama određivane su pomoću API-sustava (bioMérieux), odnosno API 50 CHL i API® Staph. Identifikacija svih sojeva provedena je pomoću računalnog programa APILAB Plus. Sa gledišta higijenske ispravnosti gotovih proizvoda značajno je da nisu pronađene bakterije Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. i Staphylococcus aureus. U svim fazama ispitivanja prevladavali su laktobacili i stafilokoki