Science Platforms > Food
Microbiology
Platform Mission: Contribute knowledge about the behavior of
microorganisms in food and processing environments (Completed
Research Projects)
Food microbiology unites
the disciplines of microbiology and food technology, facilitating
advances in providing safer food for the world. Developments in
food technologies and consumer demand for foods that are minimally
processed, organic, have low levels of additives, or extended
shelf-life create challenges to ensuring food safety. Food microbiologists
address these challenges by investigating all aspects of the existence,
survival and behavior of microorganisms in order to better understand
their impact on the safety and stability of our food system.
The NCFST Food Microbiology
Platform supports projects that explore the relationship between
microorganisms and their food environments and is an important
source of information and technical expertise for industry and
the other NCFST Science Platforms: Food Processing, Food Packaging
and Food Defense. Over the past 15 years, NCFST scientists have
investigated microbial behavior in research areas including:
- Clostridium botulinum in modified atmosphere
packaged fish
- Pathogen
surrogates for use
in processing
- Ecology
of Escherichia coli during apple juice processing
- Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7
growth during vegetable
seed sprouting
- Listeria
monocytogenes recovery
from environmental swabs
- Ribotyping
and stress
responses of food
and environmental isolates
of Listeria monocytogenes.
The scientific interests
of this Platform
are reflected
in the following
specific program areas:
- Bacterial sporeformers,
especially Clostridium
botulinum and its
toxin
- Processing plant
environment monitoring,
sanitation, niche
development
- Microbial
responses to stresses
in processing and the
plant environment
- Preparation methods
for microbiological
analysis
CASE STUDY: Finding where listeria lives in the processing
plant is the first step to preventing its entry
into food.
Background: When Listeria
spp. gets into foods,
it often comes from
environmental contamination.
A pro-active, aggressive
environmental monitoring
program
is needed as a first
step in preventing
the contamination
-- if we
know where
the trouble
spots are, we can focus on eliminating them. Better methods for environmental
monitoring will improve the chances of finding where Listeria spp. exists
in the environment
and reducing risk,
but there
is no consensus on
what are the
best methods.
We are evaluating the effectiveness of procedures
for recovering Listeria spp. from environmental
samples:
- after exposure to sanitizers commonly used
in the processing plant,
- comparing buffers for shipping
environmental samples,
- simulating time-temperature
abuse in shipping samples,
- assessing overgrowth by
other environmental bacteria,
- studying biofilms
on food-contact surfaces.
Accomplishment: The buffer used for shipping samples
is often overlooked part of the method, chosen out of convenience
or availability. Our
data show that
the buffer you select can significantly affect Listeria spp. recovery
rates.
Environmental monitoring is a key control element. Research in environmental
monitoring of the processing plant is a focus of our microbiology
program.
Our Capabilities
Personnel with extensive experience in Listeria methods
-- sampling, isolation, enumeration, molecular detection and differentiation
--
to support studies
on growth, survival, niche development, stress response, inhibition
and inactivation: microbiologists, food technologists, chemists,
and processing
and chemical
engineers
Analytical capabilities including immunocapture systems, PCR, ribotyping,
protein fingerprinting, epifluorescence microscopy, solid phase
cytometry, and impedance
Pilot plant with food processing equipment preservation technologies
aimed at delivering key consumer drivers of safety, health, freshness
and convenience
