Validation of a nut muffin baking process and thermal resistance characterization of a 7-serovar Salmonella inoculum in batter when introduced via flour or walnuts.
This study was conducted to validate a commercial nut muffin baking process and to compare the survival of a 7-serovar Salmonella cocktail when contaminated via inoculated flour or walnuts. Enriched wheat flour or walnut pieces were mist inoculated with the Salmonella cocktail and dried back to the pre-inoculation weight, resulting in a Salmonella population level of […]
Growth of Salmonella on Inoculated Inhull Pistachios during Postharvest Handling.
Salmonella has been isolated from dried pistachios in both postharvest and retail surveys. The source of Salmonella in pistachios is unknown, but introduction is possible at points during production, harvest, and postharvest activities. To examine the behavior of Salmonella on pistachios during simulated postharvest conditions, early-, mid-, and late-season inhull pistachios were collected from two commercial processors over five different harvests. Pistachios were inoculated with […]
Survival and Thermal Resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 30 on Almonds after Long-Term Storage.
Salmonella survival and thermal resistance on the surface of almond kernels were evaluated after periods of storage. Almond kernels were inoculated with Salmonella enteritidis PT 30 and equilibrated to 0.45 water activity. Samples were separated into two groups (I and II) and stored in sealed metal cans at room temperature. Group I samples (stored 7, […]
A Quantitative Risk Assessment of Human Salmonellosis from Consumption of Walnuts in the United States.
We assessed the risk of human salmonellosis from consumption of shelled walnuts in the United States and the impact of 0- to 5-log reduction treatments for Salmonella during processing. We established a baseline model with Salmonella contamination data from 2010 to 2013 surveys of walnuts from California operations to estimate baseline prevalence and levels of […]
Prevalence and Concentration of Salmonella on Raw, Shelled Peanuts in the United States.
Recalls and outbreaks associated with Salmonella contamination in peanut-containing products have been reported over the past several years. Very limited data existed on the prevalence and concentration of Salmonella on raw, shelled peanuts in the United States. An initial study was completed in 2012 to estimate the prevalence and concentration of Salmonella on Runner- and Virginia-type […]
Impact of Process Temperature, Humidity, and Initial Product Moisture on Thermal Inactivation of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 30 on Pistachios during Hot-Air Heating.
Some thermal processes, such as pistachio roasting, are not yet well characterized with respect to the impact of product and process variables on Salmonella lethality. This study aimed to quantify the effects of process temperature, humidity, and initial product water activity (aw), on Salmonella lethality for in-shell pistachios. In-shell pistachios were inoculated with Salmonella enteritidis PT 30 (∼8.5 […]
Complete Genome Sequences of Four Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Senftenberg and Montevideo Isolates Associated with a 2016 Multistate Outbreak in the United States.
A multistate outbreak of 11 Salmonella infections linked to pistachio nuts occurred in 2016. In this announcement, we report the complete genome sequences of four Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Senftenberg and S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Montevideo isolates from pistachios collected during the 2016 outbreak investigation.
A Quantitative Risk Assessment of Human Salmonellosis from Consumption of Pistachios in the United States.
We developed a quantitative risk assessment model to assess the risk of human nontyphoidal salmonellosis from consumption of pistachios in the United States and to evaluate the impact of Salmonella treatments (1- to 5-log reductions). The exposure model estimating prevalence and contamination levels of Salmonella at consumption included steps in pistachio processing such as transport […]
Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae in the peanut supply chain: From farm to table.
Due to recent foodborne outbreaks, peanuts have been considered a potential risk for Salmonella transmission. For this reason, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and contamination load of Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae throughout the peanut supply chain in Brazil. Samples of peanuts and peanut-containing processed products from post-harvest (n=129), secondary processing (n=185) and retail […]
Inactivation of Salmonella and Surrogate Bacteria on Cashews and Macadamia Nuts Exposed to Commercial Propylene Oxide Processing Conditions.
Propylene oxide (PPO), a chemical fumigant, has been validated to reduce Salmonella on bulk almonds but has not been evaluated for other tree nuts. There is a need to identify nonpathogenic surrogate microorganisms whose inactivation is comparable to that of Salmonella to assure effective PPO processing parameters in different packaging configurations without introducing Salmonella into the pasteurization […]