A bacteriological study was made of a number of prepared foods that were bought ready-to-eat, for home consumption, from several food establishments in Dallas, Texas. The purpose of this study was to show whether these foods could be a potential source of food poisoning; whether there are any particular foods that should have greater care than others in order to protect their quality; and whether the bacteriological contamination could have been prevented by strict observance of the city regulations for handling foods.

Master of Science / Food Science Institute - Animal Science & Industry / Fadi M. Aramouni / Determining the optimum cooking instructions for microwavable not-ready-to-eat foods requires an understanding of the factors that affect heating of foods in microwaves. Factors are often studied without consideration of interactions. Consumer-driven factors appear to be the least-studied. Microwave appliance, heat time, flip step, and plate material were studied to determine their effect on final temperature of a frozen hand-held calzone sandwich after heating. Initial studies to ensure wattage stability during testing and a study to narrow down the plates to be tested were also executed. In the central experiment, a calzone was heated on a microwavable plate for one minute, then flipped or not flipped and heated again for the remaining time in each of four microwave ovens. The microwave ovens differed in age and manufacturer, but were of similar stated wattage. Probes were attached to a data logger and temperatures were recorded every 5 seconds for 2 minutes post-heating to attain the average maximum temperature and lowest maximum temperature for each run. The data was evaluated by analysis of variance and significant differences were compared using Tukey means. All factors had significant effects on average maximum temperature and lowest maximum temperature with the exception of the flip step (p< .05). Plate type was the most critical factor. Calzones heated on paper plates were significantly hotter than those on stoneware plates (p<.05). Significant differences were also observed among microwaves and heat times (p<.05). An interaction between microwave and plate type indicated the effect of plate type was not consistent across all microwaves (p<.05). Although flip step, as tested, was not a significant factor, a follow-up experiment to de-couple the effect of the physical flipping of the calzone and the stopping of the microwave during the heating process indicated that the stopping of the microwave was more critical to heating than the actual flip step. A follow-up study of plate type, microwave and heat time in higher-wattage microwaves showed that microwave appliance and heat time again had significant effects on temperature (p<.05), however; plate type was not a significant factor in the higher-wattage microwaves. The effect of plate type was dependent on the exact microwave used. Various plate types and multiple microwaves in each wattage range should be used for development of microwavable frozen calzones because wattage alone cannot predict performance and because of the interaction between microwave and plate type.

Doctor of Philosophy / Food Science / Daniel Y.C. Fung / James L. Marsden / The ubiquitous nature and continued presence in food processing environments makes Listeria monocytogenes a significant threat in ready-to-eat (RTE) food products. This study was performed in two phases; Phase 1 studied lauric arginate (LAE) as an antimicrobial on food contact surfaces and shredded mozzarella cheese, and use of glucose oxidase (GOX), sodium lactate (SL), and acidified calcium sulfate (ACS) as preservatives in mozzarella cheese; Phase 2 evaluated efficacy of Photohydroionization (PHI) technology to control L. monocytogenes on food contact surfaces, sliced American cheese, and ready-to-eat turkey. Stainless steel coupons, mozzarella cheese, American cheese, and turkey were surface inoculated with a three- or five-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes. Coupons were treated with 100 and 200 ppm solution of lauric arginate for 5 and 15 min. Mozzarella cheese was treated with different combinations of treatments comprising LAE, GOX, SL, ACS, dextrose, and anticaking agents (free flow 1031 and cellulose). Results indicated up to 2.5 log CFU/coupon reductions and it was concluded that LAE was effective in controlling low levels of contamination of L. monocytogenes on food contact surfaces. In mozzarella cheese, results indicated that lauric arginate provided no additional antimicrobial effect (P > 0.05) as compared to GOX + dextrose. The antimicrobial blends with GOX, SL, and ACS were different (P < 0.05) from the controls but showed no differences (P > 0.05) in their effect in controlling bacterial populations. Results from treatment with PHI unit showed significant (P < 0.05) reduction in bacterial populations. L. monocytogenes populations reduced by 4.37 log CFU/coupon on stainless steel surfaces after 15 min of treatment; 2.16 and 2.52 log CFU/sample reduction on American cheese and ready-to-eat turkey, respectively, after short treatment time of 5 min. Lipid oxidation analyses performed on cheese and turkey samples indicated that the PHI treatment did not affect (P > 0.05) TBAR values. These studies suggest that LAE and GOX as antimicrobials and PHI treatment can be used as intervention strategies in an integrated process to ensure safe production of food. Further research is needed to evaluate applicability of SL and ACS in mozzarella cheese.

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Environmental Health in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / The retail sector in South Africa is increasingly evolving into a dynamic industry, driven by changes in technology, saturating markets and globalisation. A major phenomenon in South Africa has been the evolution of hypermarkets, which sell large quantities of almost all consumer goods on a self-service basis. The South African consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious and, as such, the demand for wellness foods, health and convenience food has escalated. Convenience foods are expected to remain popular with consumers and supermarkets and will therefore increase the amount of ready-to-eat food items offered. As the retail industry has changed over the last two decades, so has the epidemiology of foodborne illnesses, with an increase in the incidence of bacterial infections caused by emerging organisms. In addition, there are certain food safety issues specifically associated with ready-to-eat foods. In recent years, incidences of enteric diseases associated with meat consumption have risen. The emergence of several new foodborne diseases has led to an increased focus attention on the issue of food safety by consumers and the industry. The most commonly implicated foods in these disease outbreaks have been meat and dairy products. The microbial load of eight convenience food manufacturing plants was determined by firstly sampling stainless steel food contact surfaces after they had been cleaned and sanitised at the end of a day‘s shift. The samples were analysed for Total Plate Count (TPC), Escherichia coli, Salmonella species and Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria. The results showed that 59 % of the total areas sampled for TPC failed to comply with the legal requirements for food surfaces specified in the South African Health Act (< 100 cfu.cm-2). Listeria was detected in 23 % of the samples taken and E.coli was found in 1.3 % of the samples, while S. aureus was not detected in any of the samples. Fifty percent of the plants applied conventional cleaning methods for cleaning and sanitation and the remaining 50 % used the low-pressure foam (LPF) method. The bacterial results of the two cleaning methods were statistically compared and a statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) was found between the TPC means of the cleaning methods after cleaning. No statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) was found in terms of the Listeria species counts after both cleaning processes. The LPF method proved to be the superior cleaning option for reducing TPC counts. Secondly surface samples were collected from washed and sanitised dominant hands of food handlers and analysed for the presence of total plate counts, S. aureus and E. coli. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hand washing practices and sanitation before commencing work. A total of 230 samples were collected, involving 100 % of the food handlers in selected convenience food outlets. The highest bacterial count taken from handswas 7.4 x 10-3 cfu.cm-2 and the lowest showed no detectable growth. Forty percent of the TPC analysed complied with the legal limit of < 100 cfu.cm-2 and only 18 % of the food handlers had no detectable bacteria present on their hands. One hand sample tested positive for E. coli, which is generally viewed as an indication of faecal contamination. S. aureus could not be detected on the hands of any of the food handlers. The results of this study indicated that hand hygiene is unsatisfactory and underlined the importance of further training to improve food handlers‘ knowledge of good hand washing practices. The study also aimed to present data on the food hygiene knowledge and practices of food handlers based on a representative sample from convenience food outlets in the Gauteng area. The management, as well as food handlers, were interviewed without prior announcement and managers were interviewed prior to starting their shifts, followed by food handlers, after they had passed through the change room and hand wash facilities. Although the majority of food handlers adhered to basic hygiene principles, the results highlighted a need for proper and continuous training in hygiene practices, not only for food handlers, but also for management. Furthermore, all food handlers should adhere to a formal cleaning schedule and specific courses should be planned for food handlers. Most training is done away from the workplace and the workers might find it difficult to translate theory into practice. Although food safety training programmes are essential, behavioural changes will not occur merely as a result of having received training but rather continuous development of food handlers. In conclusion, the popularity of convenience food is bound to increase with the growing appeal for modern foods. Consumers in South Africa nowadays demand good quality and safe products at a reasonable cost. Due to continuous time constraints, convenience food is the food of the future for the working mother. It is clear that managing foodborne disease is a challenge and an economic problem subject to various constraints. Food safety has too often become a hit-or-miss gamble, with parents obliged to roll the dice when it comes to the safety of their children‘s food and consumers in general. The food industry therefore needs to improve food safety processes to prevent the contamination of foods and use methods to ensure safe food for consumers. Better training, more testing and better methods of tracking food must be utilised to verify that the processes are working. This study endeavoured to add to the understanding and improvement of hygiene processes as well as food handlers‘ practices in the convenience food industry in the Gauteng Province.

Orientadores: Marta Cristina Teixeira Duarte, Guiomar Denisse Posada Izquierdo, Fernando Pérez Rodríguez / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T10:14:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Possas_AriciaMaraMelo_M.pdf: 2038081 bytes, checksum: 8baf91fa5300fdd80940e18d382b2468 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Salmonella é um dos patógenos mais importantes relacionados a surtos de origem alimentar que têm como veículos carnes vendidas prontas para o consumo. A contaminação destes produtos pode ocorrer durante o processamento em operações como o fatiamento, embalagem e outros procedimentos que requerem manipulação. O aumento do consumo de produtos à base de carne de peru tem sido verificado mundialmente, pois estes aliam a praticidade dos chamados produtos "ready-to-eat" com o fato de que as carnes de aves são reconhecidas como saudáveis. Outro fator importante que influencia na escolha do consumidor é a presença de conservantes químicos nos produtos alimentícios. A substituição de conservantes químicos por substâncias naturais, como os óleos essenciais, e a incorporação destas em sistemas de embalagens ativas, representa uma alternativa interessante e atende a demanda por produtos mais naturais. Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver e aplicar um revestimento incorporado com óleo essencial como antimicrobiano em produtos cárneos à base de peito de peru e avaliar sua atividade contra Salmonella Enteritidis, simulando um sistema de embalagem ativa. Além disso, foi estudada a transferência desta bactéria a produtos de peito de peru durante o fatiamento, para simular a contaminação cruzada em equipamentos utilizados para este procedimento. Também foi avaliado o comportamento de S. Enteritidis durante a vida útil de fatias contaminadas dos produtos cárneos, contendo ou não revestimento de óleo essencial, armazenadas a diferentes temperaturas (10 e 25 °C). Quatro formulações dos produtos cárneos (A, B, C e D) foram estudadas para que fosse possível avaliar como a composição da matriz alimentar influencia no comportamento de S. Enteritidis. Dos quatro óleos essenciais testados in vitro, o óleo essencial de Thymus vulgaris (tomilho) foi o que apresentou menor concentração mínima inibitória (MIC) contra S. Enteritidis, sendo selecionado para ensaios posteriores. Baseando-se em análise sensorial e nos testes de triagem antimicrobiana, uma concentração de 0,8 % (v/m) de óleo essencial de T. vulgaris foi aplicada nos revestimentos para os produtos cárneos. Observou-se transferência de S. Enteritidis durante o fatiamento, a partir das lâminas de corte artificialmente contaminadas (~ 8 log UFC/lâmina) a todas as fatias analisadas (n = 20), de produtos revestidos ou não com emulsão de óleo essencial de T. vulgaris. Diferenças estatísticas foram detectadas em relação à transferência do patógeno nos diferentes tratamentos (p ? 0,05). O comportamento de S. Enteritidis nas fatias durante o armazenamento foi fortemente dependente da temperatura e da composição dos produtos, sendo verificado o crescimento a 25 °C em todas as formulações e tratamentos avaliados. Apenas o produto A propiciou o crescimento do patógeno a 10 °C. Nas fatias dos demais produtos foi verificado um perfil de sobrevivência, com redução das contagens ao longo da vida útil. O óleo essencial de T. vulgaris foi efetivo contra S. Enteritidis, durante o armazenamento de fatias revestidas a 10 °C. Testes finais indicaram que a adição e mistura do óleo essencial juntamente com os outros ingredientes, no processo industrial para obtenção dos produtos cárneos processados, possivelmente resultaria em maior atividade antimicrobiana do mesmo contra S. Enteritidis / Abstract: Salmonella is one of the most important pathogens involved in foodborne outbreaks related to the consumption of ready-to-eat meat products. The contamination of these products can occur during processing operations like slicing, packaging or other handling procedures. The increase in demand for turkey breast based products has been verified worldwide since they combine the convenience of ready-to-eat-products with the fact that poultry meat is recognized as healthy by consumers. The presence of chemical preservatives in food products is another important factor that influences consumer¿s choice. The use of natural substances as antimicrobials, such as essential oils, and their incorporation in active packaging systems represents an interesting alternative to the use of chemical preservatives. The aim of this study was to develop and implement an edible coating incorporated with essential oil as a natural antimicrobial to turkey breast products and to assess its activity against Salmonella Enteritidis, in order to simulate an active packaging system. This study also aimed to evaluate the transfer of S. Enteritidis to turkey breast products during the slicing procedure, simulating a cross-contamination scenario. Pathogen behavior during sliced turkey breast products¿ shelf-life at different storage temperatures (10 e 25 °C) was also evaluated. Four different formulations of products (A, B, C and D) were studied in order to evaluate how the composition of these food matrices can influence the behavior of S. Enteritidis. Among the four essential oils tested in vitro, Thymus vulgaris (thyme) essential oil exhibited the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the pathogen and it was selected to subsequent assays. Based on sensory analysis and antimicrobial screening tests, 0.8 % (v/w) of T. vulgaris essential oil was applied on the edible coatings to be tested on turkey breast meat products. S. Enteritidis could be transferred during the slicing procedure, from artificially contaminated slicer blades (~ 8 log CFU/blade) to all slices microbiologically analyzed (n = 20), of products previously coated and not coated with T. vulgaris essential oil. Statistical differences were detected regarding pathogen transfer in the different treatments (p ? 0.05). S. Enteritidis behavior on slices during storage was strongly dependent on temperature and products composition. Growth was verified in slices of all formulations and treatments during storage at 25 °C. Only one product was susceptible to pathogen growth at 10 °C (product A). In the slices of the other three products (B, C and D) a survival pattern was observed, with reductions of S. Enteritidis counts during shelf-life. T. vulgaris essential oil was effective against S. Enteritidis during storage of slices at 10 °C. Final tests indicated that the addition of T. vulgaris essential oil with the other ingredients, during the industrial manufacture process of turkey breast products, probably would result in higher antimicrobial activity against S. Enteritidis. / Mestrado / Ciência de Alimentos / Mestra em Ciência de Alimentos