Bacteria, food-borne

Each year in the United States, approximately 76 million food-borne illnesses occur, leading to 325,000 hospitalizations and over 5000 deaths.40 A number of bacterial and viral pathogens that have been discussed previously in this chapter (e.g., Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and noroviruses) can cause food poisoning. Other bacteria that can cause foodborne illness include Staphylococcus aureus, C. perfringens, C. botu-linum, and Bacillus cereus (Table 73-5). Food poisoning should be suspected if at least two individuals present with similar symptoms after the ingestion of a common food in the prior 72 hours. 

Swaminathan, B., and Feng, P. (1994). Rapid detection of food-borne pathogenic bacteria. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 48,401-426. 

After aflatoxin contamination, perhaps the next most important factor that has a negative effect on human health and food quality is the presence of food borne bacteria. Several routes for reduction of the risk are currently under extensive investigation. One such means of risk reduction is the utilization of ionizing radiation treatments on meat food products. Ionizing radiation has been demonstrated to be an effective method to reduce or eliminate several species of food borne human pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Trichinella, and Yersinia Chapter 23). If proper processing conditions are used, it is possible to produce high quality, shelf-stable, commercially sterile muscle foods. 

One of the main interests in food irradiation is that it can be used as a cold pasteurization technique. Many food-borne disease bacteria, including Salmmella, Escherichia coli 0157 H7, and Listeria monocytogenes, are very sensitive to irradiation. Although there are some variations in sensitivity among the previously listed bacteria, a dose range of 1.5-3.0 kGy is sufficient to eliminate all these bacteria as they naturally occur in foods. 

Shin, S. Y., Bajpai, V. K., Kim, H. R., and Kang, S. C. 2007. Antibacterial activity of bioconverted eicosapentaenoic(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) against food-born pathogenic bacteria. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 113, 233-236. 

We have already seen a case of large casualties that was due to food contamination with a bacterial agent, the 1984 attack by the Rajneeshee cult with Salmonella typhimurium, although no deaths were directly attributable to this hioterrorist attack. This type of assault—basically a crime of opportunity using food-borne bacteria—is probably the more likely type of bioterrorist event we may encounter in the future. 

Food borne pathogens cause millions of cases of disease and hundreds of deaths each year in the United States alone. Frequently the responsible microbes are bacteria, viruses, or protozoa that usually reside in the intestinal tract of humans or other creatures. Examples of microorganisms mclViAQ Escherichia coli 0157 H7, Campylobacter jejuni, and rotavirus. 

V. Use of Lactic Acid Bacteria for In Vivo Reduction of Food-Borne Pathogens... 

In 1908 Elie Metchnikoff was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work with the lactic acid bacteria (LAB). He reported that populations that ingested soured milk such as the Bulgarians were known for their longevity. He studied intestinal microflora and reported that LAB were beneficial to human health, making him the first scientist to report benefits of these organisms. Since then, numerous scientists have studied not only the health benefits associated with the LAB, but also the concept of microbial antagonism of the LAB toward food-borne pathogens. 

V. USE OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA FOR IN VIVO REDUCTION OF FOOD-BORNE PATHOGENS... 

Pathogenic bacteria are responsible for the majority of food-related outbreaks in the United States. Opportunity for contamination exists at every stage in the food chain. Actual incidence of food-borne disease is unknown, even in countries with fairly sophisticated monitoring systems, because the number of cases are severely underreported. The newly installed PulseNET system by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta is an attempt to have better tracking and obtain better data regarding certain microorganisms. 

Chan, Y.C. and Blaschek, H.P. 2005. Comparative analysis of Shigella boydii 18 food-borne outbreak isolate and related enteric bacteria Role of rpoS and adiA in acid stress response. Journal of Food Protection 68 521-527. 

Food-borne botulism results from the ingestion of food contaminated with preformed toxins or toxin-producing spores from C. bo-tulinum. C. botulinum poisoning is relatively rare only 110 cases are reported per year in the United States. Botulism is almost always associated with improper preparation or storage of food. Seven distinct toxins (A to G) have been described. The toxins, which are produced by the bacteria and released on lysis, are the most potent biologic or chemical toxins known to humans. The toxin prevents the release of acetylcholine at the peripheral cholinergic nerve terminal. Toxin activity has prompted the use of minute locally injected doses to treat select spastic disorders, such as blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, and certain dystonias. ... 

Freezing Foods should be stored and conserved in the proper temperature, usually below 5°C. Bacteriae, which are the main etiology of food borne infection, grow in temperatures ranging between -tlO and h-65°C. 

DEVELOPMENT OF A RANGE OF BIOLUMINESCENT FOOD BORNE PATHOGENS FOR ASSESSING IN-SITU HEAT INACTIVATION AND RECOVERY OF BACTERIA DURING HEAT TREATMENT OF FOODS... 

Three common food borne pathogenic bacteria were transformed with plasmids carrying the lux genes in order to evaluate wet and dry surface pasteurisation of food surfaces. The work was carried out within the Bugdeath programme, an EU Framework V collaborative project to develop predictive models for the surface pasteurisation of raw food materials, based on accurate data obtained from real food samples, heated in standardised, precisely controlled conditions. Previous models, based on indirect viable counts of bacteria, have been shown to be poor predictors of bacterial inactivation and recovery during heat treatment. 

Jacob, M. E., Fox, J. T., Narayanan, S. K., Drouillard, J. S., Renter, D. G., and Nagaraja, T. G. (2008b). Effects of feeding wet corn distillers grains with solubles with or without monensin and tylosin on the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibilities of fecal food-borne pathogenic and commensal bacteria in feedlot cattle. /. Anim. Sci. 86,1182-1190. 

Food Berries and new needle growth can be added to many dishes both for flavor and to kill food-borne bacteria. Crumble the berries, or dice new needle growth and cook into food. 

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