Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment of Salmonella in pigs: an EFSA initiative towards constructing a European QMRA approach.

To date, the scientific opinions of EFSA\u27s Scientific Panel on Biolgical Hazards (with the exception of those on BSE/TSE) are mainly based on qualitative and in some cases semi-qualitative risk assessment

Risk ranking of pathogens in ready-to-eat unprocessed foods of non-animal origin (FoNAO) in the EU: Initial evaluation using outbreak data (2007-2011).

International audienceFoods of non-animal origin (FoNAO) are consumed in a variety of forms, being a major component of almost all meals. These food types have the potential to be associated with large outbreaks as seen in 2011 associated with VTEC 0104. In order to identify and rank specific food/pathogen combinations most often linked to human cases originating from FoNAO in the EU, a semi-quantitative model was developed using seven criteria: strength of associations between food and pathogen based on the foodborne outbreak data from EU Zoonoses Monitoring (2007-2011), incidence of illness, burden of disease, dose-response relationship, consumption, prevalence of contamination and pathogen growth potential during shelf life. The top ranking food/pathogen combination was Salmonella spp. and leafy greens eaten raw followed by (in equal rank) Salmonella spp. and bulb and stem vegetables, Salmonella spp. and tomatoes, Salmonella spp. and melons, and pathogenic Escherichia coli and fresh pods, legumes or grains. Despite the inherent assumptions and limitations, this risk model is considered a tool for risk managers, as it allows ranking of food/pathogen combinations most often linked to foodborne human cases originating from FoNAO in the EU. Efforts to collect additional data even in the absence of reported outbreaks as well as to enhance the quality of the EU-specific data, which was used as input for all the model criteria, will allow the improvement of the model outputs. Furthermore, it is recommended that harmonised terminology be applied to the categorisation of foods collected for different reasons, e.g. monitoring, surveillance, outbreak investigation and consumption. In addition, to assist future microbiological risk assessments, consideration should be given to the collection of additional information on how food has been processed, stored and prepared as part of the above data collection exercises

Worldwide food recall patterns over an eleven month period: A country perspective.

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Following the World Health Organization Forum in November 2007, the Beijing Declaration recognized the importance of food safety along with the rights of all individuals to a safe and adequate diet. The aim of this study is to retrospectively analyze the patterns in food alert and recall by countries to identify the principal hazard generators and gatekeepers of food safety in the eleven months leading up to the Declaration.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The food recall data set was collected by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC, UK) over the period from January to November 2007. Statistics were computed with the focus reporting patterns by the 117 countries. The complexity of the recorded interrelations was depicted as a network constructed from structural properties contained in the data. The analysed network properties included degrees, weighted degrees, modularity and <it>k</it>-core decomposition. Network analyses of the reports, based on 'country making report' (<it>detector</it>) and 'country reported on' (<it>transgressor</it>), revealed that the network is organized around a dominant core.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ten countries were reported for sixty per cent of all faulty products marketed, with the top 5 countries having received between 100 to 281 reports. Further analysis of the dominant core revealed that out of the top five transgressors three made no reports (in the order China > Turkey > Iran). The top ten detectors account for three quarters of reports with three > 300 (Italy: 406, Germany: 340, United Kingdom: 322).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Of the 117 countries studied, the vast majority of food reports are made by 10 countries, with EU countries predominating. The majority of the faulty foodstuffs originate in ten countries with four major producers making no reports. This pattern is very distant from that proposed by the Beijing Declaration which urges all countries to take responsibility for the provision of safe and adequate diets for their nationals.</p

Survival of Lactobacillus sakei during heating, drying and storage in the dried state when growth has occurred in the presence of sucrose or monosodium glutamate

Spray-dried cells of Lactobacillus sakei CTC 494 survived ca. 60% longer in the spray dried state when cells were grown in the presence of 20 g sucrose l)1 or 12.5 g monosodium glutamate l)1. No significant differences were observed in viability during storage in the freeze dried state with the addition of these compounds to the growth medium, nor in survival during a heat treatment (55ºC). Both sucrose and glutamate in the growth medium suppressed intracellular accumulation of total amino acids and changed the overall pattern of the individual amino acids. Glutamate in the growth medium enhanced intracellular glutamate by ca. 38

Mercat de l'art, col·leccionisme i museus 2018

Recull de ponències presentades a la setena Jornada Mercat de l'Art, Col·leccionisme i Museus, celebrada el 26 d'octubre de 2018 al Saló d'Or del Palau Maricel de Sitges

SAGE, Matemàtiques interactives a l’abast

L'objectiu bàsic del projecte és augmentar significativament les capacitats d'autoaprenentatge dels estudiants de les assignatures de Matemàtiques del primer curs dels graus en enginyeria. El programari SAGE i els materials interactius creats haurien de cobrir aquest aspecte i alhora fer més atractiu l'estudi de les Matemàtiques als estudiants.Peer Reviewe

Mercat de l'art, col·leccionisme i museus 2020

Recull de ponències presentades a la novena Jornada Mercat de l'Art, Col·leccionisme i Museus, celebrada el 2 d'octubre de 2020 a Sitges.Els capítols d'aquesta obra són: 1. El Salón de Arte del Bazar Masaveu de Oviedo (1918-1927) / Juan Carlos Aparicio Vega. 2. La col·lecció arqueològica Duran Vall-llosera / Pere Duran Vall-Llosera. 3. Un episodi rellevant de la història de l'humor gràfic català: la Col·lecció Agell del Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (Barcelona) / Adela Laborda i Francesc M. Quílez i Corella. 4. Baldomero Falgueras (1915-2005), un antiquari de postguerra / Bernat Puigdollers. 5. Alexandre Soler i March (1873-1949), historiador i col·leccionista d'art medieval / Alberto Velasco González. 6. Fernando Rivière de Caralt (1904-1992), passió pel col·leccionisme / Sara Vila Gomà. 7. Francesc Fàbregas i Mas (1857-1933): metge, polític, benefactor i col·leccionista / Joan Yeguas Gassó.Des de l'octubre de 2012 s'han fet regularment de manera anual unes jornades o seminaris científics amb el títol de Mercat de l'Art, Col·leccionisme i Museus, que han donat com a resultat permanent la publicació d'uns volums amb les ponències presentades. Actualment, aquest material configura ja un veritable corpus de valuosa documentació entorn del fenomen del col·leccionisme i el mercat de l'art a Catalunya. La nostra intenció amb la realització d'aquesta jornada ha estat crear una plataforma on poder presentar uns resultats de recerca i discutir-los amb comoditat amb tots els diferents sectors vinculats a les arts: universitaris, professionals dels museus, antiquaris, galeristes, marxants, experts, restauradors, col·leccionistes i afeccionats en general. Estem convençuts de la plena complementarietat de tots aquests punts de vista perquè el progrés del col·leccionisme al llarg de la història ha anat sempre en paral·lel a la formació dels museus i a la configuració del coneixement i l'estudi de les arts. Per això, hem cregut en la utilitat d'una jornada en la qual coincidir i compartir informacions i coneixences, amb un format amable i en un lloc d'una forta empremta simbòlica en la història del col·leccionisme a Catalunya com és el Palau de Maricel de Sitges