Persistence of Escherichia coli following irrigation of strawberry grown under four production systems: Field experiment

Généreux, Mylène; Grenier, Michèle; Côté, Caroline

doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.06.037

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Importantly, the ESBL genes found in the survey were similar to enterobacterial strains of human origin (Reuland et al 2014). In the past studies, factors involved in the emergence of produce-linked outbreaks were also linked to the use of contaminated irrigation water or use of organic amendments which can be reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria (Solomon et al 2002;Islam et al 2004;Heuer et al 2011;Généreux et al 2015). Moreover, the wider distribution of produce over long distances, increased popularity of raweaten food and increased size of at-risk populations such as the elderly and immunocompromised were reported to contribute to disease progression (Brandl 2006;Lynch et al 2009;Berger et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Isolation and characterization of Enterobacteriaceae species infesting post-harvest strawberries and their biological control using bacteriophages

Kurtböke

Palk

Marker

et al. 2016

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

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Strawberry is a significantly consumed fruit worldwide, mostly without being subjected to disinfection processes. During the harvest and transfer from farm to consumers as well as where organic farming practises have been employed, the surface of the fruit may become contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. Post-harvest strawberry fruits in punnets available for public consumption were thus screened for the presence of enteric bacteria in the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland, Australia. Some of the tested samples (13 %) were found to carry such bacteria and even in greater numbers if organic amendments were used (69 %). The bacteria were found to belong in the genera of Escherichia, Enterobacter, Raoultella, Klebsiella, Pantoea, Shigella, Citrobacter and Cronobacter within the family Enterobacteriaceae. Some of the isolates were found to adhere to Caco-2 cells representing human gut epithelium as well as carrying virulence and toxin genes. Resistance mostly against sulphafurazole, cefoxitin, ampicillin and nitrofurantoin was found among 14 different antimicrobial agents tested including 100 % resistance to cefoxitin and ampicillin in the genus Pantoea. In the second phase of the study, bacteriophages were isolated against the isolates and were subsequently applied to post-harvest fruits. A significant (P ≤ 0.001) reduction in the number of enteric bacteria was observed when a high-titre polyvalent bacteriophage suspension (×10(12) PFU/mL) was applied to the fruit surface. Bacteriophages also decreased the adhesion of the Escherichia coli isolates to Caco-2 cells. Findings might indicate that biological control using bacteriophages might be of significant value for the industry targeting to reduce pathogenic loads of bacteria on the fruit.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Isolation and characterization of Enterobacteriaceae species infesting post-harvest strawberries and their biological control using bacteriophages

Kurtböke

Palk

Marker

et al. 2016

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

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“…In 2011, Pachepsky et al [ 5 ] highlighted that no databases on microbial quality of irrigation water had been compiled. However, there is an increasing number of recent research papers that focus on the evaluation of the microbial quality of irrigation water used for the production of fresh produce and its significance as a source of contamination e.g., [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Several of these published papers show the results obtained within the frame of a research project consortium of the FP7 project Veg-i-Trade ( ) focused on the impact of climate change and globalisation on safety of fresh produce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Irrigation Water Quality for Leafy Crops: A Perspective of Risks and Potential Solutions

Allende

Monaghan

2015

IJERPH

175

107

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There is increasing evidence of the contribution of irrigation water in the contamination of produce leading to subsequent outbreaks of foodborne illness. This is a particular risk in the production of leafy vegetables that will be eaten raw without cooking. Retailers selling leafy vegetables are increasingly targeting zero-risk production systems and the associated requirements for irrigation water quality have become more stringent in regulations and quality assurance schemes (QAS) followed by growers. Growers can identify water sources that are contaminated with potential pathogens through a monitoring regime and only use water free of pathogens, but the low prevalence of pathogens makes the use of faecal indicators, particularly E. coli, a more practical approach. Where growers have to utilise water sources of moderate quality, they can reduce the risk of contamination of the edible portion of the crop (i.e., the leaves) by treating irrigation water before use through physical or chemical disinfection systems, or avoid contact between the leaves and irrigation water through the use of drip or furrow irrigation, or the use of hydroponic growing systems. This study gives an overview of the main problems in the production of leafy vegetables associated with irrigation water, including microbial risk and difficulties in water monitoring, compliance with evolving regulations and quality standards, and summarises the current alternatives available for growers to reduce microbial risks.

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“…Numerous studies (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) have examined the ecology of foodborne pathogens in agricultural environments, and several (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27) have used GIS and geospatial analysis. For example, Chapin et al (26) used GIS to organize and extract remotely sensed data to show that different species of Listeria occupy distinct ecological niches in agricultural and natural environments.…”

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confidence: 99%

Validation of a Previously Developed Geospatial Model That Predicts the Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in New York State Produce Fields

Weller

Shiwakoti

Bergholz

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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dTechnological advancements, particularly in the field of geographic information systems (GIS), have made it possible to predict the likelihood of foodborne pathogen contamination in produce production environments using geospatial models. Yet, few studies have examined the validity and robustness of such models. This study was performed to test and refine the rules associated with a previously developed geospatial model that predicts the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in produce farms in New York State (NYS). Produce fields for each of four enrolled produce farms were categorized into areas of high or low predicted L. monocytogenes prevalence using rules based on a field's available water storage (AWS) and its proximity to water, impervious cover, and pastures. Drag swabs (n ‫؍‬ 1,056) were collected from plots assigned to each risk category. Logistic regression, which tested the ability of each rule to accurately predict the prevalence of L. monocytogenes, validated the rules based on water and pasture. Samples collected near water (odds ratio [OR], 3.0) and pasture (OR, 2.9) showed a significantly increased likelihood of L. monocytogenes isolation compared to that for samples collected far from water and pasture. Generalized linear mixed models identified additional land cover factors associated with an increased likelihood of L. monocytogenes isolation, such as proximity to wetlands. These findings validated a subset of previously developed rules that predict L. monocytogenes prevalence in produce production environments. This suggests that GIS and geospatial models can be used to accurately predict L. monocytogenes prevalence on farms and can be used prospectively to minimize the risk of preharvest contamination of produce.F resh produce presents a unique food safety challenge due to the absence of a kill step between harvest and consumption. An increase in recalls and reported outbreaks linked to fresh produce over the past decade (1-3) have been associated with consumer avoidance of products linked to outbreaks (4, 5). This trend can negatively affect growers and the produce industry (4-6). For example, following a 2011 listeriosis outbreak in the United States associated with fresh cantaloupe (7), cantaloupe consumption dropped 53% nationwide (6). The prevention of produce contamination in production environments is therefore a concern for growers, the produce industry, and public health professionals. To develop effective prevention strategies, it is important to understand the ecological processes and environmental factors that affect foodborne pathogen prevalence in produce production environments. Technological advancements, such as geographic information systems (GIS), have the potential to drastically improve our ability to examine these processes and to develop novel tools for ensuring the safety of fresh produce.Numerous studies (8-21) have examined the ecology of foodborne pathogens in agricultural environments, and several (22-27) have used GIS and geospatial analysis. For example, Chapin...

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Persistence of Escherichia coli following irrigation of strawberry grown under four production systems: Field experiment

Cited by 13 publications

References 37 publications

Isolation and characterization of Enterobacteriaceae species infesting post-harvest strawberries and their biological control using bacteriophages

Isolation and characterization of Enterobacteriaceae species infesting post-harvest strawberries and their biological control using bacteriophages

Irrigation Water Quality for Leafy Crops: A Perspective of Risks and Potential Solutions

Validation of a Previously Developed Geospatial Model That Predicts the Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in New York State Produce Fields

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