Implementation and effectiveness of the HACCP and pre-requisites in food establishments

[EN] The aim of this paper was to identify the most important weaknesses in the implementation and effectiveness of the pre-requisites and HACCP found in food establishments. To cover these objectives, official control audits of the manuals and their implementation in 1350 small and 66 medium size organizations: restaurants, hotels and cafeterias in one area of the Valencian region (Spain) were carried out from 2007 to 2010. The microbiological quality of 1054 ready-to-consume dishes was also evaluated as an indicator of the effectiveness of the control at Critical Control Points. The results showed that the main deficiencies in the implementation of the pre-requisites and HACCP were found in conditions and structural design followed by hygiene & cleaning. Moreover, the analysis of Listeria monocytogenes in dishes at the time of consumption shows that 99.6% were of good microbiological quality. This indicates that in relation to this hazard, the implementation of safety management systems in the majority of the food establishments was effective. These results demonstrate the crucial role played by official control to ensure the welfare of consumers and how it facilitates continuous improvement in the safety management of these businesses. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.Doménech Antich, EM.; Amorós, J.; Pérez Gonzalvo, M.; Escriche Roberto, MI. (2011). Implementation and effectiveness of the HACCP and pre-requisites in food establishments. Food Control. 22(8):1419-1423. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2011.03.001S1419142322

Safety assessment of smoked fish related to Listeria monocytogenes prevalence using risk management metrics

[EN] One of the fundamental objectives of European food law is the protection of human health. In this framework, the administration has to ensure that there are control measures from " farm to fork" , which maintain product safety in each stage of the food chain. With this in mind, the objective of this paper was to assess the level of safety of smoked fish in relation to Listeria monocytogenes in the early stages of the chain. This was carried out by evaluating the results obtained by the official control of the Valencian region related to the level of implementation of pre-requisites and HACCP. The prevalence of this organism in the industry and the retail stage was also measured. In order to discern whether these values were within the international consumer protection objectives a practical case focusing on smoked salmon was studied. The results showed that the management system in the industry is effective. However, there is a real increase in the prevalence in the samples taken in the supermarket. The ALOP values estimated for smoked salmon indicated that the level of safety achieved is good in a very high percentage of cases, though governments and the different agents in the food chain must continue working to improve and attain new safety goals. © 2011 Elsevier LtdDoménech Antich, EM.; Amorós, J.; Martorell Alsina, SS.; Escriche Roberto, MI. (2012). Safety assessment of smoked fish related to Listeria monocytogenes prevalence using risk management metrics. Food Control. 25(1):233-238. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2011.10.003S23323825

Measurement of the inclusive isolated prompt photon cross section in pp collisions at √s=7TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the cross section for the inclusive production of isolated prompt photons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy √s=7TeV is presented. The measurement covers the pseudorapidity ranges |ηγ|<1. 37 and 1.52≤|ηγ|<1.81 in the transverse energy range 15≤ETγ<100GeV. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 880nb-1, collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Photon candidates are identified by combining information from the calorimeters and from the inner tracker. Residual background in the selected sample is estimated from data based on the observed distribution of the transverse isolation energy in a narrow cone around the photon candidate. The results are compared to predictions from next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations. © 2011 CERN, for the ATLAS Collaboration

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the diphoton decay channel with 4.9fb -1 of pp collision data at √s=7TeV with atlas

A search for the standard model Higgs boson is performed in the diphoton decay channel. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.9  fb-1 collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s=7  TeV. In the diphoton mass range 110–150 GeV, the largest excess with respect to the background-only hypothesis is observed at 126.5 GeV, with a local significance of 2.8 standard deviations. Taking the look-elsewhere effect into account in the range 110–150 GeV, this significance becomes 1.5 standard deviations. The standard model Higgs boson is excluded at 95% confidence level in the mass ranges of 113–115 GeV and 134.5–136 GeV

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the diphoton decay channel with 4.9fb -1 of pp collision data at √s=7TeV with atlas

A search for the standard model Higgs boson is performed in the diphoton decay channel. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.9  fb-1 collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s=7  TeV. In the diphoton mass range 110–150 GeV, the largest excess with respect to the background-only hypothesis is observed at 126.5 GeV, with a local significance of 2.8 standard deviations. Taking the look-elsewhere effect into account in the range 110–150 GeV, this significance becomes 1.5 standard deviations. The standard model Higgs boson is excluded at 95% confidence level in the mass ranges of 113–115 GeV and 134.5–136 GeV

The Current Molecular Epidemiological Scenario of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Blastocystis in Spain. Implication for Public Health

The enteric protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are major contributors to the burden of gastrointestinal diseases globally. Both pathogens primarily affect children living in resource-poor settings with limited or no access to clean water and sanitation facilities, but are also significant public health threats in developed countries. Additionally, Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis are common causes of waterborne and foodborne outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease globally. Besides, the Stramenopile Blastocystis sp. is the most common eukaryotic organism reported in the human gut. Although its pathogenicity is a topic of debate, there is increasing evidence demonstrating that this protist can be associated with gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome) and extra-intestinal manifestations, including urticaria. Because Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis and Blastocystis sp. share the same transmission (faecal-oral) route, are able to infect a wide range of animal species other than humans with variable host specificities, and their infective forms are environmentally resilient, the study of these pathogens should be ideally approached under the One Health umbrella. In this context, molecular-based methods including PCR and sequencing provide powerful tools to investigate the epidemiology and transmission of these parasites. In Spain, cryptosporidiosis and giardiosis, but not blastocystosis, are notifiable diseases. However, the true incidence of these infections remain largely unknown because underdiagnosing and underreporting. Symptomatic cryptosporidiosis and giardiosis disproportionally affect children under four years of age, but we know now that subclinical infections are also common in apparently healthy individuals of all age groups. However, molecular data regarding the frequency and diversity of these pathogens are limited and spatially and temporally discontinuous. This chapter aims to provide, from a public veterinary health perspective, an updated account on the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium, G. duodenalis and Blastocystis in Spain, with an emphasis on the description of the species/genotypes circulating in symptomatic and asymptomatic human populations. Current knowledge on the presence of these pathogens in production (livestock), companion (dogs and cats) and wildlife animal species is also discussed, including their potential role as natural reservoirs of human infections, and the available evidence of zoonotic (and anthroponotic) transmission events.Research summarized in this chapter and conducted at the Spanish National Centre for Microbiology was funded by the Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain), under projects CP12/03081 and PI16CIII/00024. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.S