By Michael Arthur
Imagine a group of bacteria teaming up like a gang, creating a fortress around them. This is essentially what bacterial biofilms are – a tough, sticky barrier that makes them incredibly difficult to defeat. They form on medical devices, water pipes, kitchen surfaces, and even in our
Continue Reading Battling bacterial biofilms: Winning the war against stubborn microbes
“Last night, I left cooked roast beef on the counter to cool before refrigerating, but I fell asleep and discovered it this morning. I immediately put it in the refrigerator. Since the meat is cooked, shouldn’t it be safe to eat?”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s toll-free Meat and Poultry
Continue Reading How Temperatures Affect Food Safety
A sensor is being developed by an EU-funded consortium to check for pesticides or bacteria in fruits and vegetables.
The project, called GRACED, is coordinated by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Centre and includes experts from across Europe.
The detector uses light particles to spot traces of pesticide or bacteria.
Continue Reading EU-funded project targets produce safety
Researchers at the University of Warwick have found bacteria can be detected in minutes by zapping them with electricity.
Scientists at the university in the United Kingdom discovered healthy bacteria cells and those inhibited by antibiotics or UV light show different electric reactions. When zapped with an electrical field, live
Continue Reading Researchers use electrical signalling to detect bacteria
Changes to the way food is produced, processed and offered to consumers could affect food safety, according to a microbiology society in the United Kingdom.
A Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM) briefing looked at recent and upcoming developments in food processing, food manufacture and the supply chain, which will have
Continue Reading Changing food sector could impact microbiological safety risks
Climate change is likely to have considerable impact on food safety, placing public health at risk, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In its first publication on the topic, WHO officials said changing rainfall patterns and increases in extreme weather events and the annual average temperature are impacts of
Continue Reading WHO says climate change could have ‘considerable’ food safety impact
A cellular recycling process can help combat Salmonella, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.
This process, called autophagy, could also prevent other bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Shigella, and Staphylococcus from developing. The analysis of the complex molecular interactions between bacteria and human cells provides clues as to
Continue Reading Researchers look at how human cells combat Salmonella
K.J. Foods Inc. is recalling KJ brand sweet and sour chicken and sesame chicken because incorrect cooking instructions on the packages could result in food poisoning.
“These products may contain harmful bacteria that may not be eliminated by following the cooking instructions on the label. Consumers should not consume the
Continue Reading K.J. recalls chicken entrees for incorrect cooking instructions
Researchers at the University of California-Davis report that samples of raw cow’s milk shipped by tanker truck for processing show “amazing bacterial diversity” which varies by season. Their findings were reported Aug. 23 in mBio, the online, open-access journal of the American Society of Microbiology. 
The researchers sampled and
Continue Reading Study finds ‘amazing’ bacterial diversity in transported raw milk
(This article by Milt Hinsch, MS, MBAC, was originally posted here and is reposted with his permission.) Imagine a submicroscopic packet of proteins arranged symmetrically to enclose an inner genome — and you have a virus. Viruses are so miniscule in size that most require electron microscopy to see them
Continue Reading Why Don’t Viruses Get More Respect?
