This study aimed to assess the foodborne diseases (FBD) outbreaks reported in Brazil between 2000 and 2018, based on data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health (official data) and from scientific ...literature. According to official data, 13,163 FBD outbreaks were reported in the country during this period, involving 247,570 cases and 195 deaths. The largest prevalence of FBD outbreaks was observed in the Southeast region of Brazil (45.6%). In most outbreaks it was not possible to determine the food implicated (45.9%) but among those identified, water was the most frequently associated (12.0%). The etiological agent was not identified in most outbreaks (38.0%), while Salmonella (14.4%) was the most frequently reported among those identified. Homes were the main site of FBD occurrence (12.5%). Regarding data obtained from the scientific literature, 57 articles dealing with FBD in the country throughout the same period were selected and analyzed. Based on these articles, mixed foods were the most prevalent in the outbreaks (31.6%), Salmonella spp. was the pathogen most frequently reported (22.8%) and homes were also the main site of FBD occurrence (45.6%). Despite under-notification, the records of FBD outbreaks that have occurred in Brazil in the past recent years show alarming data, requiring attention from health authorities. The notification of outbreaks is essential to facilitate public health actions.
As consumption of fish and fish-based foods increases, non-destructive monitoring of fish freshness also becomes more prominent. Fish products are very perishable and prone to microbiological growth, ...not always easily detected by organoleptic evaluation. The analysis of the headspace of fish specimens through gas sensing is an interesting approach to monitor fish freshness. Here we report a gas sensing method for monitoring Tilapia fish spoilage based on the application of a single gas sensitive gel material coupled to an optical electronic nose. The optical signals of the sensor and the extent of bacterial growth were followed over time, and results indicated good correlation between the two determinations, which suggests the potential application of this simple and low cost system for Tilapia fish freshness monitoring.
•Gas sensing device for monitoring fish freshness.•Gas sensor based on a biopolymer ionogel containing a liquid crystal.•Good correlation between the optical signal given by the gas sensor and the counts of mesophilic bacteria.•Low-cost gas sensor that operates at ambient conditions with minimal power requirements.
Alicyclobacillus spp. is the cause of great concern for the food industry due to their spores' resistance (thermal and chemical) and the spoilage potential of some species. Despite this, not all ...Alicyclobacillus strains can spoil fruit juices. Thus, this study aimed to identify Alicyclobacillus spp. strains isolated from fruit-based products produced in Argentina, Brazil, and Italy by DNA sequencing. All Alicyclobacillus isolates were tested for guaiacol production by the peroxidase method. Positive strains for guaiacol production were individually inoculated at concentration of 103 CFU/mL in 10 mL of orange (pH 3.90) and apple (pH 3.50) juices adjusted to 11°Brix, following incubation at 45 °C for at least 5 days to induce the production of the following spoilage compounds: Guaiacol, 2,6-dichlorophenol (2,6-DCP) and 2,6-dibromophenol (2,6-DBP). The techniques of micro-solid phase extraction by headspace (HS-SPME) and gas-chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were used to identify and quantify the spoilage compounds. All GC–MS data was analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). The effects of different thermal shock conditions on the recovery of Alicyclobacillus spores inoculated in orange and apple juice (11°Brix) were also tested. A total of 484 strains were isolated from 48 brands, and the species A. acidocaldarius and A. acidoterrestris were the most found among all samples analyzed. In some samples from Argentina, the species A. vulcanalis and A. mali were also identified. The incidence of these two main species of Alicyclobacillus in this study was mainly in products from pear (n = 108; 22.3 %), peach (n = 99; 20.5 %), apple (n = 86; 17.8 %), and tomato (n = 63; 13 %). The results indicated that from the total isolates from Argentina (n = 414), Brazil (n = 54) and Italy (n = 16) were able to produce guaiacol: 107 (25.8 %), 33 (61.1 %) and 13 (81.2 %) isolates from each country, respectively. The PCA score plot indicated that the Argentina and Brazil isolates correlate with higher production of guaiacol and 2,6-DCP/2,6-DBP, respectively. Heatmaps of cell survival after heat shock demonstrated that strains with different levels of guaiacol production present different resistances according to spoilage ability. None of the Alicyclobacillus isolates survived heat shocks at 120 °C for 3 min. This work provides insights into the incidence, spoilage potential, and thermal shock resistance of Alicyclobacillus strains isolated from fruit-based products.
•A total of 484 isolates from different 3 countries were identified by sequencing.•A. acidocaldarius and A. acidoterrestris were the main species identified.•From 484 isolates, 153 were guaiacol producers by the peroxidase method.•Three compounds were detected: guaiacol, 2,6-dichlorophenol and 2,6-dibromophenol.•Thermal shocks differentiate the selected strains according to spoilage potential.
The aim of this study was to develop a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to estimate the risk of illness caused by Salmonella in ready-to-eat (RTE) leafy greens, based on common ...practices in Brazilian processing plants. The risk assessment model considered five modules: in field, washing step, retail storage, home storage and dose-response. Fifty thousand iterations of a @Risk model built in Excel were run for each of sixty scenarios. These scenarios considered different initial pathogen concentrations, fractions of contaminated produce and chlorine concentrations. For chlorine, seven pre-set concentrations (0, 5, 10, 25, 50, 150 and 250mg/L) and three triangular distributions were considered RiskTriang(0,5,10mg/L), RiskTriang(0,80,250mg/L) and RiskTriang(10,120,250mg/L). The outputs were risk of infection, estimated number of illnesses and estimated percent of illnesses arising from cross-contamination. The QMRA model indicated quantitatively that higher chlorine concentrations resulted in lower risk of illness. When simulation was done with <5mg/L of chlorine, most (>96%) of the illnesses arose from cross-contamination, but when a triangular distribution with 10, 120 and 250mg/L of chlorine was simulated, no illnesses arising from cross-contamination were predicted. Proper control of the sanitizer in the washing step is essential to reduce initial contamination and avoid cross-contamination.
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•Salmonella transfer by cross-contamination during washing of vegetables was modeled.•The QMRA covered the complete production chain (from field to consumption).•Most predicted illness arises from cross-contamination when chlorine is <5mg/L.•More illnesses from cross-contamination arise when initial prevalence is lower.•Chlorine concentration should be kept above 10mg/L to minimize the risk of illness.
The global demand for minimally processed vegetables (MPVs) has grown, driven by changes in the population's lifestyle. MPVs are fresh vegetables that undergo several processing steps, resulting in ...ready-to-eat products, providing convenience for consumers and food companies. Among the processing steps, washing-disinfection plays an important role in reducing the microbial load and eliminating pathogens that may be present. However, poor hygiene practices can jeopardize the microbiological quality and safety of these products, thereby posing potential risks to consumer health. This study provides an overview of minimally processed vegetables (MPVs), with a specific focus on the Brazilian market. It includes information on the pricing of fresh vegetables and MPVs, as well as an examination of the various processing steps involved, and the microbiological aspects associated with MPVs. Data on the occurrence of hygiene indicators and pathogenic microorganisms in these products are presented. The focus of most studies has been on the detection of
,
spp., and
, with prevalence rates ranging from 0.7% to 100%, 0.6% to 26.7%, and 0.2% to 33.3%, respectively. Foodborne outbreaks associated with the consumption of fresh vegetables in Brazil between 2000 and 2021 were also addressed. Although there is no information about whether these vegetables were consumed as fresh vegetables or MPVs, these data highlight the need for control measures to guarantee products with quality and safety to consumers.
Fresh produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables. Organic agriculture has been on the rise and attracting the attention of the food production ...sector, since it uses eco-agricultural principles that are ostensibly environmentally-friendly and provides products potentially free from the residues of agrochemicals. Organic farming practices such as the use of animal manure can however increase the risk of contamination by enteric pathogenic microorganisms and may consequently pose health risks. A number of scientific studies conducted in different countries have compared the microbiological quality of produce samples from organic and conventional production and results are contradictory. While some have reported greater microbial counts in fresh produce from organic production, other studies do not. This manuscript provides a brief review of the current knowledge and summarizes data on the occurrence of pathogenic microorganisms in vegetables from organic production.
This study aimed to assess the microbiological profile of conventional and organic vegetables grown in Brazilian farms through the detection of
Salmonella
and other Enterobacteriaceae. A total of 200 ...samples (100 conventional and 100 organic), including leafy greens, spices/herbs, and other unusual vegetables, were submitted to the enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae by plating on VRBG agar. Moreover, colonies of Enterobacteriaceae were randomly selected and submitted to identification by MALDI-TOF MS. Samples were also tested for
Salmonella
, using culture-based and PCR-based enrichment methods. The mean counts of Enterobacteriaceae in conventional and organic vegetables were 5.1 ± 1.5 and 5.4 ± 1.4 log CFU/g, respectively (
P
> 0.05). A total of 18 genera (including 38 species) of Enterobacteriaceae were identified, and the most frequent ones found in samples from both farming systems were
Enterobacter
(76%) and
Pantoea
(68%).
Salmonella
was identified in 17 samples (8.5%): nine (4.5%) in conventional and eight (4.0%) in organic vegetables. These results indicate that the farming system had no impact on the Enterobacteriaceae populations and rates of
Salmonella
and revealed unsatisfactory microbiological safety of some samples, mainly due to the presence of
Salmonella
. These findings highlight the need for control measures during vegetable production, regardless of the farming system, to reduce microbial contamination and the risks of foodborne illnesses.
Assessing the effect of washing practices employed in Brazilian processing plants on the quality of ready-to-eat vegetables Maffei, Daniele F; Vernica O. AlvarengaauthorDepartment of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 80, 13083-862, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Anderson S. SantAnaauthorDepartment of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 80, 13083-862, Campinas, SP, Brazil ...
2015
Journal Article
This study sought to identify distinct patient groups and their association with outcome based on the patient similarity network using quantitative coronary plaque characteristics from coronary ...computed tomography angiography (CTA).
Coronary CTA can noninvasively assess coronary plaques quantitatively.
Patients who underwent 2 coronary CTAs at a minimum of 24 months’ interval were analyzed (n = 1,264). A similarity Mapper network of patients was built by topological data analysis (TDA) based on the whole-heart quantitative coronary plaque analysis on coronary CTA to identify distinct patient groups and their association with outcome.
Three distinct patient groups were identified by TDA, and the patient similarity network by TDA showed a closed loop, demonstrating a continuous trend of coronary plaque progression. Group A had the least coronary plaque amount (median 12.4 mm3 interquartile range (IQR): 0.0 to 39.6 mm3) in the entire coronary tree. Group B had a moderate coronary plaque amount (31.7 mm3 IQR: 0.0 to 127.4 mm3) with relative enrichment of fibrofatty and necrotic core (32.6% IQR: 16.7% to 46.2% and 2.7% IQR: 0.1% to 6.9% of the total plaque, respectively) components. Group C had the largest coronary plaque amount (187.0 mm3 IQR: 96.7 to 306.4 mm3) and was enriched for dense calcium component (46.8% IQR: 32.0% to 63.7% of the total plaque). At follow-up, total plaque volume, fibrous, and dense calcium volumes increased in all groups, but the proportion of fibrofatty component decreased in groups B and C, whereas the necrotic core portion decreased in only group B (all p < 0.05). Group B showed a higher acute coronary syndrome incidence than other groups (0.3% vs. 2.6% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.009) but both group B and C had a higher revascularization incidence than group A (3.1% vs. 15.5% vs. 17.8%; p < 0.001). Incorporating group information from TDA demonstrated increase of model fitness for predicting acute coronary syndrome or revascularization compared with that incorporating clinical risk factors, percentage diameter stenosis, and high-risk plaque features.
The TDA of quantitative whole-heart coronary plaque characteristics on coronary CTA identified distinct patient groups with different plaque dynamics and clinical outcomes. (Progression of AtheRosclerotic PlAque DetermIned by Computed TomoGraphic Angiography Imaging PARADIGM; NCT02803411)
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