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Subject: search.filters.subject.Fresh produce

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    Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644 on tomatoes using sodium dodecyl sulphate, levulinic acid and sodium hypochlorite solution
    (2015) Mnyandu, Elizabeth; Ijabadeniyi, Oluwatosin Ademola; Singh, Suren
    Listeria monocytogenes have been implicated as a public health concern worldwide. The study explored the survival of non-adapted, heat adapted and chlorine adapted L. monocytogenes on tomatoes; as well as the survival of non-adapted, heat adapted and chlorine adapted biofilms after exposure to sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), levulinc acid, sodium hypochlorite solution. Contact time of 1, 3 and 5 minutes was used. The survival of L. monocytogenes was monitored at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The sanitizers were used individually or combined as follows; 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate individually; 0.5% levulinic acid individually; 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution individually and 0.5% levulinic acid/0.05% sodium dodecyl sulphate in combination (mixture). The samples were kept at 4 °C throughout the period of assessment. The effect of these sanitizers on pH, total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) was also determined. Furthermore, the attachment of L. monocytogenes on tomatoes was investigated using a scanning electron microscope. Highest log reduction of non-adapted L. monocytogenes were observed on tomatoes treated with 1% SDS and least log reduction was achieved when tomatoes were treated with sodium hypochlorite solution. Though the log reduction achieved by 0.5% levulinic acid was higher that sodium hypochlorite solution, it was lower than log reduction achieved when 0.05% SDS / 0.5% levulinic acid mixture was used for all contact times. Using non-adapted L. monocytogenes, SDS was able to destroy all L. monocytogenes at 1, 3 and 5 minutes contact time. The trend was the same when heat adapted and chlorine adapted L. monocytogenes were used. There was no significant log reduction observed with biofilms. More favourable results were observed as contact time was increased from 1 to 5 minutes. Though there was a decrease in surviving bacteria from 1 to 3 minutes contact time, this decrease was not significant. The study investigated if exposure to sanitizer has an effect on pH, titratable acidity (TA) and total soluble solids (TSS) of the tomatoes. It was revealed that levulinic acid and mixture can have detrimental effect on pH, TA and TSS of tomatoes. The TA and TSS of samples treated with levulinic acid and mixture varied significantly (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the control sample. Although the TA and TSS of samples treated with SDS and sodium hypochlorite solution were different from the control, the differences were not significant. As much as sanitizers have the potential to reduce the bacterial population in fresh produce they may not completely destroy pathogens. Chlorine based sanitizers such as sodium hypochlorite though frequently used in the fresh produce industry, are not the best sanitizer to be used against food borne pathogens. Other sanitizers such as SDS used alone or in combination with another sanitizer can achieve better results than the widely used sodium hypochlorite solution as observed in this study. Stress adapted pathogens become less responsive to sanitizers during subsequent treatments. Through this research, it was established that biofilms are resistant to sanitizers. Though application of sanitizers in fresh produce is cheaper and simpler to apply, there is need to monitor varying concentrations of sanitizers, contact time and minimise contact with sub-surfaces as this could lead to sensory quality losses.
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    Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC7 644 Biofilms using Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate, Levulinic Acid and Sodium Hypochlorite solution
    (MN Khan, 2014-06) Singh, Suren; Mnyandu, Elizabeth; Oluwatosin Ademola Ijabadeniyi
    A study was done to assess the effectiveness of 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite (chlorine), 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and 0.5% levulinic acid in reducing L. monocytogenes ATCC7644 biofilms. 0.05% SDS and 0.5% levulinic acid were also used combined (mixture). After treatment with sanitizers, the biofilms were stored at 4°C for up to 72 hours and samples were tested at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The contact times were varied to 1, 3, 5 minutes. Results revealed that biofilms were still viable after treatment with these sanitizers. There was no significance difference between storage times. Varying contact times from 1 to 3 minutes did not show a significance difference however there was a significance difference when the contact time was increased to 5 minutes. Non-adapted biofilms had highest log reductions compared to chlorine adapted and heat adapted biofilms. Treatment with chlorine was least effective in reducing viability of biofilms, followed by levulinic acid then a mixture of levulinic acid and SDS. SDS used alone had highest log reductions. Application of sanitizers at different contact times combined or individually may be successful in reducing biofilms in food manufacturing units. A careful selection of sanitizer for each specific pathogen may be required if sanitizers are to work effectively against biofilms.
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    Irrigation water and microbiological safety of fresh produce : South Africa as a case study : a review
    (Academic Journals, 2012-09-11) Ijabadeniyi, Oluwatosin Ademola; Buys, E. M.
    Irrigation water is perhaps the leading pre-harvest source of contamination of fresh produce in the world. In this review, the impact of contaminated surface irrigation water on bacterial contamination of fresh produce was examined. Some practical solutions to prevent or reduce this challenge were also considered. In South Africa, fruit and vegetables are produced on a large scale by commercial farmers who depend on surface water for their cultivation. However, the surface water, that is, rivers- has been reported to be heavily contaminated with Escherichia coli and feacal coliforms. There is a concern that contaminated surface water used for irrigation may contaminate fresh vegetables which may also have a negative effect on the export of vegetables to the EU and USA. Consumption of vegetables contaminated with foodborne pathogens presents a public health risk especially in countries like South Africa that has more than 5 million people with immune-system compromised diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis. Other groups of people that may be negatively affected because of the contaminated surface water are those who are directly and indirectly associated with the production of fresh vegetables such as pickers, handlers, packers and farmers that participate in the production of vegetables during pre-harvest and post-harvest. Prevention of contamination of fresh produce from both pre-harvest and post-harvest sources especially irrigation water still remains the only effective way to protect the public. However, for this to occur, every stakeholder in the production industry must have a culture of food safety.