Food Safety News and Research

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How Bacteria Take Action to Break Out of Dormancy

Solving a riddle that has confounded biologists since bacterial spores -; inert, sleeping bacteria -; were first described more than 150 years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered a new kind of cellular sensor that allows spores to detect the presence of nutrients in their environment and quickly spring back to life.

2 May 2023

Simple and Portable Sensor Detects Salmonella Contamination in Food

McMaster University researchers have devised a quick and low-cost test for Salmonella contamination in chicken and other foods that is simpler to use than a home COVID test.

18 Apr 2023

40% of Supermarket Meat Samples Contain Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Multidrug-resistant E. coli were found in 40% of supermarket meat samples tested in a Spanish study.

17 Apr 2023

High doses of sucralose limit T cell proliferation and differentiation

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have found that high consumption of a common artificial sweetener, sucralose, lowers activation of T-cells, an important component of the immune system, in mice.

16 Mar 2023

Earthquakes pose severe long-term impacts on the health of Syrian refugees

Among those in greatest peril after the devasting earthquakes in the Middle East are some 6.6 million internally displaced persons in Syria, as well as 1.9 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, according to estimations from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

24 Feb 2023

Effect of prune supplementation on the gut microbiome of postmenopausal women

New research published in the journal Food & Function indicates that daily prune consumption may improve the gut fecal microbiome of postmenopausal women. The fecal microbiome – the ecosystem of microorganisms found in one's fecal matter – reflects an individual's overall gut health. Results from the study showed notable enrichment in bacteria from the family Lachnospiraceae. This group of bacteria has been associated with an ability to decrease inflammatory markers in the body and help maintain the integrity of the gut barrier.

16 Feb 2023

'Harmless' species of Listeria developing characteristics potentially harmful to humans

In the food processing industry, the deadly bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is monitored closely. Not only can the bacteria make people extremely ill, it is known to be developing resistance to various food safety measures across the world.

6 Dec 2022

Researchers discover a new way plants are adapting to changing climate

While increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere encourage plant growth, they also reduce the nutritional value of plants, which can have a larger impact on nutrition and food safety worldwide.

13 Sep 2022

Detecting multiple food poisoning bacteria based on color differences in scattered light from metals

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have developed a simple, rapid method to simultaneously identify multiple food poisoning bacteria, based on color differences in the scattered light by nanometer-scaled organic metal nanohybrid structures (NHs) that bind via antibodies to those bacteria.

30 Aug 2022

Defense mechanisms of horticulture crops against fungal infections

Recent research on defense responses of horticulture crops to fungal infections, novel ways to govern the induction of plant resistance, issues, challenges, and future research objectives have been summarized by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

22 Aug 2022

Study provides insight into how to increase adoption of sustainable practices in organic farms

Larger organic farms operate more like conventional farms and use fewer sustainable practices than smaller organic farms, according to a new Cornell University study that also provides insight into how to increase adoption of sustainable practices.

27 Jul 2022

Protecting foods with antimicrobial, plant-based food wrap

Aiming to produce environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic food wrap and containers, a Rutgers scientist has developed a biodegradable, plant-based coating that can be sprayed on foods, guarding against pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and transportation damage.

From Rutgers University 21 Jun 2022

Researchers use conventional methods for salmonella detection

In the United States, poultry is responsible for more than one in every five cases of salmonella illness. According to a new study by the University of Georgia, typical methods of analyzing chicken from the grocery store will not be enough to identify all strains of the bacteria.

From University of Georgia 8 Jun 2022

Consumer acceptance of QR codes on milk cartons may reduce food waste

The "use-by" and "best-by" dates printed on milk cartons and gallon jugs may soon become a thing of the past, giving way to more accurate and informative QR codes.

2 Jun 2022

Researchers create new authentication tool to check the geographical origin of virgin olive oil

Olive oil is one of the most prestigious agri-foods in Spain and it is the base of the Mediterranean diet. This is why adulteration and commercial fraud cases occur when it comes to the origin and varieties of a product with such an economic and business interest.

From University of Barcelona 26 May 2022