Single kernel aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination distribution and spectral classification in commercial corn

Highlights Abstract Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination distribution in corn is non-homogeneous. Therefore, bulk sample testing may not accurately represent the levels of contamination. Single kernel analysis could provide a solution to these problems and lead to remediation strategies such as sorting. Our study uses extensive single kernel aflatoxin (AF) and fumonisin (FM) measurements to (i) demonstrate skewness, calculate weighted sums […]

Evaluation of the Impact of Skewness, Clustering, and Probe Sampling Plan on Aflatoxin Detection in Corn

Abstract Probe sampling plans for aflatoxin in corn attempt to reliably estimate concentrations in bulk corn given complications like skewed contamination distribution and hotspots. To evaluate and improve sampling plans, three sampling strategies (simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, systematic sampling with U.S. GIPSA sampling schemes), three numbers of probes (5, 10, 100, the last […]

Enabling cost-effective screening for antimicrobials against Listeria monocytogenes in ham

Highlights Abstract Ready-to-eat meat products, such as deli ham, can support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes (LM), which can cause severe illness in immunocompromised individuals. The objectives of this study were to validate a miniature ham model (MHM) against the ham slice method and to screen antimicrobial combinations to control LM on ham by using response surface […]

Literature Review Investigating Intersections between US Foodservice Food Recovery and Safety

Abstract Food waste is increasingly scrutinized due to the projected need to feed nine billion people in 2050. Food waste squanders many natural resources and occurs at all stages of the food supply chain, but economic and environmental costs are highest at later stages due to value and resource addition throughout the supply chain. Food recovery is the […]

When to use one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and Shifted Transversal Design pooling in mycotoxin screening

Abstract While complex sample pooling strategies have been developed for large-scale experiments with robotic liquid handling, many medium-scale experiments like mycotoxin screening by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) are still conducted manually in 48- and 96-well plates. At this scale, the opportunity to save on reagent costs is offset by the increased costs of labor, materials, […]

A Review of the Methodology of Analyzing Aflatoxin and Fumonisin in Single Corn Kernels and the Potential Impacts of These Methods on Food Security

Abstract Current detection methods for contamination of aflatoxin and fumonisin used in the corn industry are based on bulk level. However, literature demonstrates that contamination of these mycotoxins is highly skewed and bulk samples do not always represent accurately the overall contamination in a batch of corn. Single kernel analysis can provide an insightful level […]

Persistent and sporadic Listeria monocytogenes strains do not differ when growing at 37°C, in planktonic state, under different food associated stresses or energy sources

Abstract Background The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes causes the potentially lethal disease listeriosis. Within food-associated environments, L. monocytogenes can persist for long periods and increase the risk of contamination by continued presence in processing facilities or other food-associated environments. Most research on phenotyping of persistent L. monocytogenes’ has explored biofilm formation and sanitizer resistance, with less data examining persistent L. monocytogenes’ […]

CRISPR-Based Subtyping Using Whole Genome Sequence Data Does Not Improve Differentiation of Persistent and Sporadic Listeria monocytogenes Strains

Abstract The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes can persist in food-associated environments for long periods. To identify persistent strains, the subtyping method pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is being replaced by whole genome sequence (WGS)-based subtyping. It was hypothesized that analyzing specific mobile genetic elements, CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Short Repeat) spacer arrays, extracted from […]

Classification of aflatoxin contaminated single corn kernels by ultraviolet to near infrared spectroscopy

Highlights Abstract Aflatoxin contamination in corn poses threats to consumer food safety and grower economic stability. Current industrial methods for aflatoxin management in corn focus on the bulk aflatoxin level, which can lead to either acceptance of lots with contaminated corn kernels (consumer food safety risk) or rejection of lots with mostly harmless corn kernels (grower economic loss). […]

Twenty-two years of U.S. meat and poultry product recalls: Implications for food safety and food waste

Abstract The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service maintains a recall case archive of meat and poultry product recalls from 1994 to the present. In this study, we collected all recall records from 1994 to 2015 and extracted the recall date, meat or poultry species implicated, reason for recall, recall class, and pounds of […]