Food Science Commons^™

Hybridized Polymeric Nano-Assemblies: Key Insights Into Addressing Mdr Infections, Ryan Landis

Doctoral Dissertations

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria contribute to more than 700,000 annual deaths world-wide. Millions more suffer from limb amputations or face high healthcare treatment costs where prolonged and costly therapeutic regimens are used to counter MDR infections. While there is an international push to develop novel and more powerful antimicrobials to address the impending threat, one particularly interesting approach that has re-emerged are essential oils, phytochemical extracts derived from plant sources. While their antimicrobial activity demonstrates a promising avenue, their stability in aqueous media, limits their practical use in or on mammals. Inspired by the versatility of polymer nanotechnology and the sustainability …

Distribution Of Enterotoxigenic Clostridium Perfringens Spores In U.S. Retail Spices, Chi-An Lee

Masters Theses

246 samples of bulk and packaged spices from retail stores in the western, southeastern, southern, midwestern, and northeastern areas of the U.S. were examined for the presence of Clostridium -perfringens. Isolates were checked for the presence of the lecithinase gene (cpa) and enterotoxin genes (cpe) by PCR. Enterotoxin formation during sporulation was investigated using the Oxoid Toxin Detection Kit. Forty-three confirmed isolates (from 17% of total samples) were cpa-positive. Of those, 27 were cpe-positive. Together, levels of C. perfringens spores ranged from 3.6-2400/gm. The amount of enterotoxin in cell extracts ranged from …

Novel Advancements For Improving Sprout Safety, Kyle S. Landry

Doctoral Dissertations

All varieties of bean sprouts (mung bean, alfalfa, broccoli, and radish) are classified as a “super-food” and are common staples for health conscious consumers. Along with the proposed health benefits, there is also an inherent risk of foodborne illness. When sprouts are cooked, there is little risk of illness. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore novel techniques to minimize or prevent the incidence of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of sprouts. Three areas were investigated: 1) the use of a biocontrol organism, 2) the use of a novel spontaneous carvacrol nanoemulsion, and 3) the influence of the …

Eneterotoxigenic Bacillus Cereus And Bacillus Thuringiensis Spores In U.S. Retail Spices, Upasana Hariram

Masters Theses

Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous organism and a potential foodborne pathogen that can cause two types of gastrointestinal diseases: emesis and diarrhea. The emetic syndrome is caused by a heat and acid stable peptide toxin that is pre-formed in food, while the diarrheal syndrome is associated to two 3-protein, heat labile enterotoxin complexes that are formed in the intestine after ingestion of the organism. There are many reports on the isolation and characterization of Bacillus cereus from various foods, however there are no studies on the levels, toxigenicity and physical characteristics of B. cereus isolated from U.S. retail spices. …

A Multidisciplinary Approach To Food Safety Evaluation: Hummus Spoilage And Microbial Analysis Of Kitchen Surfaces In Residential Child Care Institutions (Rcci) In Massachusetts, U.S.A., Elsina E. Hagan

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Food borne illnesses continues to be a public health challenge in the United States (U.S.); an estimated 9.4 million incident cases occurred in 2011. In view of this challenge we conducted two food safety studies; 1) related to product formulation (hummus spoilage challenge study) and 2) evaluating the microbial safety of domestic kitchen surfaces in Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCI pilot study).

Hummus is of Mediterranean origin but is currently eaten globally. This challenge study evaluates a variety of industrial hummus formulations (four in total, differing in pH and/or addition of a preservative (natamycin). Two batches were setup: batch 1; …