Search results for "Food spoilage"
showing 10 items of 90 documents
High pressure processing of food-grade emulsion systems: Antimicrobial activity, and effect on the physicochemical properties
2019
Abstract The use of high pressure processing (HPP) for development of stable emulsion-based delivery systems has been recently increased. Under adequate conditions, application of high pressures modifies the functionality of protein and polysaccharide molecules and significantly promotes the emulsifying activities. Application of high pressures also modulates the emulsion microstructure without any destabilization and gelation of protein molecules. The lipid oxidation in HPP-treated emulsions can be accelerated, particularly with higher pressure levels, while the HPP utilization on emulsions in acidic conditions can highly inhibit the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. In thi…
The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry can be used for dose estimation in irradiated pork
2009
Abstract Food safety can be improved using ionizing radiation to reduce food spoilage and to extend its shelf life. The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been validated by the European Community as a powerful method to identify irradiated food containing fat. The preliminary goals of our research were: (i) to set up this method, based on the detection of radiation induced 2-dodecylcyclobutanones (2-DCB) in pork muscle samples and (ii) to check the microbiological efficacy of the treatment. The main objective was to render the GC/MS a quantitative technique for dose estimation, through the measurement of the 2-DCB concentration in the irradiated sample. Our results show that t…
Characterization and control of microbial black spot spoilage in dry-cured Iberian ham.
2012
Abstract The presence of black spots on dry-cured Iberian ham surface is an alteration related to microbial population. Although it provokes important economic losses for the meat industry, the microorganisms responsible for this spoilage still remain unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the microorganisms involved in dry-cured Iberian ham black spot spoilage and to study the conditions affecting their growth. Several microbial strains were isolated from Iberian hams spoiled with black spots at the beginning of post-salting stage. However just one strain produced black coloration in both culture media and fat from Iberian ham. This strain was tentatively identified as Pseudomonas …
Non-Botrytis grape-rotting fungi responsible for earthy and moldy off-flavors and mycotoxins
2012
Abstract The grape microflora is complex and includes filamentous fungi, yeasts and bacteria with different physiological characteristics and effects on wine production. Most studies have focused on the wine microbiota, but a few studies have reported the ecology of grape microorganisms. Some of these organisms — such as non-Botrytis bunch rotting fungi, which greatly influence the safety or sensory quality of wine, due to the production of mycotoxins and off-flavors, respectively — are considered to be spoilage agents. We review here the diversity of filamentous fungi on grapes and the factors influencing their development, such as grape ripening stage, environmental factors (climate, rain…
The influence of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage edible coating on the quality of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit slices
2016
Abstract The aim of this work was to study the effect of mucilage edible coating extracted from Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) on the quality and shelf life maintenance of packaged kiwifruit slices. OFI mucilage alone or added with TWEEN ® 20 were applied on kiwifruit fresh cut surfaces. After treatments, kiwifruit samples were stored under passive atmosphere at 5 ± 1 °C for 3, 5, 7 and 12 days. At each storage period, visual quality and flavor score, pectin content, ascorbic acid and the microbiological characteristics were measured together with CO 2 and O 2 content in the packages. Kiwifruit slices coated only with mucilage or with mucilage plus Tween 20, showed a significant higher firmness…
Estudio de la reducción química y biológica de hongos y micotoxinas en pan
2017
El deterioro de los alimentos causado por los hongos que producen micotoxinas representa un problema importante en seguridad alimentaria. Los cereales en grano y sus productos derivados, como el pan, frecuentemente están contaminados con hongos micotoxigénicos. Es por ello que en la presente Tesis Doctoral se han estudiado la presencia de 17 micotoxinas en 80 muestras de pan de molde y el riesgo de exposición de la población a estos compuestos. Aflatoxinas (AFs), zearalenona (ZEA) y eniatinas (ENs) han sido detectadas respectivamente en el 20%, 65% y 96% de las muestras de pan analizadas. La presencia de dichas micotoxinas y, sobre todo, de las muestras en las que las AFs y la ZEA superan e…
Characterisation of the microflora contaminating the wooden vats used for traditional Sicilian cheese production
2015
Traditional Sicilian cheese productions are carried out employing traditional wooden vats, called <em>tina.</em> Many studies have highlighted the beneficial role of wooden dairy equipment by contributing to enriching the milk microflora and improving the acidification processes. The present work was undertaken to evaluate the safety of the wooden vats used to coagulate milk. To this purpose, the different microbial populations hosted onto the internal surfaces of the vats used to produce two different stretched cheeses, namely <em>Caciocavallo Palermitano</em> and <em>Vastedda della valle del Belìce DOP</em>, were investigated for the presence of spoilag…
Chemical-Based Methodologies to Extend the Shelf Life of Fresh Fish—A Review
2021
Due to its characteristics, fresh fish is a highly perishable food with a very short shelf-life under refrigeration. Several methods have been introduced to slow down its deterioration, such as by means of oxygen depletion of the food package (vacuum packaging), or by changing the natural atmosphere that is in contact with the fresh fish (modified atmosphere packaging), or by the use of chemicals generally recognized as safe: such compounds can be directly applied (by dipping or spraying) or incorporated into packaging materials and slowly migrate to the product, exerting a hurdle effect against microbial development and lipid oxidation (active packaging). This review aims to cover the most…
The effect of carvacrol on enteric viruses.
2014
Carvacrol, a monoterpenic phenol, is said to have extensive antimicrobial activity in a wide range of food spoilage or pathogenic fungi, yeast and bacteria. The aim of this study was to assess its antiviral activity on norovirus surrogates, feline calicivirus (FCV), murine norovirus (MNV), and hepatitis A virus (HAV), as well as its potential in food applications. Initially, different concentrations of carvacrol (0.25, 0.5, 1%) were individually mixed with each virus at titers of ca. 6-7 log TCID50/ml and incubated 2h at 37°C. Carvacrol at 0.5% completely inactivated the two norovirus surrogates, whereas 1% concentration was required to achieve ca. 1 log reduction of HAV. In lettuce wash wa…
Characterization of the "viable but nonculturable" (VBNC) state in the wine spoilage yeast Brettanomyces.
2012
Although the viable but not culturable (VBNC) state has been studied in detail in bacteria, it has been suggested that maintenance of viability with loss of culturability also exists in eukaryotic cells, such as in the wine spoilage yeast Brettanomyces. To provide conclusive evidence for the existence of a VBNC state in this yeast, we investigated its capacity to become viable and nonculturable after sulfite stress, and its ability to recover culturability after stressor removal. Sulfite addition induced loss of culturability but maintenance of viability. Increasing the medium pH to decrease the concentration of toxic SO(2) allowed yeast cells to become culturable again, thus demonstrating …