Microbial load and Prevalence of Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp. in Macadamia Nut Production Systems
This study evaluated the potential impact of environmental factors and harvesting practices on microbial load of macadamia nuts. Three farms located in the main macadamia nut production regions including Mbombela (A), Barberton (B) and White River (C) areas in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa were sampled over a ,rtwo-year period. A total of 264, irrigation water […]
Fate of aflatoxins during almond oil processing.
Almonds rejected as inedible are often used for production of almond oil. However, low-quality almonds are frequently contaminated with aflatoxins, and little is known regarding transfer of aflatoxins to almond oil during processing. In this study, oil was produced from reject almonds by hexane extraction. Of 19 almond samples that were naturally contaminated with aflatoxins, […]
Modeling the Effects of Product Temperature, Product Moisture, and Process Humidity on Thermal Inactivation of Salmonella in Pistachios during Hot-Air Heating.
Prior efforts to model bacterial thermal inactivation in/on low-moisture foods generally have been based on isothermal and iso-moisture experiments and rarely included dynamic product and process variables. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test appropriate secondary models to quantify the effect of product temperature, product moisture, and process humidity on thermal inactivation of […]
Effect of blanching on aflatoxin contamination and cross-contamination of almonds.
Blanching of almonds was examined for reducing aflatoxin content of contaminated nuts. Almonds with intact pellicles were spiked with aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) and blanched at 85°C. Following blanching, almond kernels and pellicles contained 20% and 19% of spiked AFB 1 , respectively. Blanching water contained an additional 41% of spiked AFB 1 […]
Growth and survival of foodborne pathogens during soaking and drying of almond (Prunus dulcis) kernels.
The practice of soaking almonds prior to consumption is popular both commercially and at home. The food safety implications of soaking almonds was investigated through analysis of blogs and videos (n = 85 recipes) to identify both the reasons for soaking almonds and the common practices employed. Among the recipes analyzed, the most common reasons […]
Survival and Virulence of Listeria Monocytogenes During Storage on Chocolate Liquor, Corn Flakes, and Dry-Roasted, Shelled Pistachios at 4ºC and 23ºC.
The survival and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes was assessed during storage on three low-moisture foods (LMFs), chocolate liquor, corn flakes and shelled, dry-roasted pistachios (a w 0.18, 0.27, 0.20). The LMFs were inoculated with a 4-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes at 8 log CFU/g, dried, equilibrated and then stored at 4°C, 25-81% relative humidity (RH) […]
Modification of a Predictive Model to Include the Influence of Fat Content on Salmonella Inactivation in Low-Water-Activity Foods.
Low-water-activity (aw) foods (including those containing fat) are often implicated in outbreaks of Salmonella spp. The influence of fat content on survival in foods such as peanut butter remains unclear. Certain Salmonella serovars can survive for long periods in harsh temperatures and low moisture conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the influence […]
Effect of Drying Temperature and Exposure Times on Aspergillus Flavus Growth and Aflatoxin Production on Artificially Inoculated Hazelnuts.
Aspergillus flavus may colonise hazelnuts and produce aflatoxins in field and during storage. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of drying temperature and exposure times on the viability and ability of A. flavus to produce aflatoxins during the drying process and storage. Hazelnuts were inoculated with A. flavus and dried […]
Allergen Removal and Transfer Using Wiping and Cleaning Methods in Retail and Food Service Establishments.
Preventing the transfer of allergens from one food to another via food-contact surfaces in retail food environments is an important aspect of retail food safety. Existing recommendations for wiping and cleaning food-contact surfaces is mainly focused on preventing microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses from contaminating foods. The effectiveness of these wiping and cleaning recommendations […]
Thermal Resistance of Foodborne Pathogens and Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 on Inoculated Pistachios.
Process control validations require knowledge of the resistance of the pathogen(s) of concern to the target treatment, and, in some cases, the relative resistance of surrogate organisms. Selected strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (five strains), Listeria monocytogenes (five strains), and Salmonella enterica (five strains) as well as Salmonella Enteritidis phage type (PT) 30 and nonpathogenic […]