Animal health and food safety

Hygiene and Safety in the Meat Processing Environment from Butcher Shops: Microbiological Contamination and Listeria monocytogenes

The quality and safety of meat products can be estimated by assessing their contamination by hygiene indicator microorganisms and some foodborne pathogens, with Listeria monocytogenes as a major concern. To identify the main sources of microbiological contamination in the processing environment of three butcher shops, surface samples were obtained from the hands of employees, tables, knives, inside butcher displays, grinders, and meat tenderizers (24 samples per point). All samples were subjected to enumeration of hygiene indicator microorganisms and detection of L. monocytogenes, and the obtained isolates were characterized by their serogroups and virulence genes. The results demonstrated the absence of relevant differences in the levels of microbiological contamination among butcher shops; samples with counts higher than reference values indicated inefficiency in adopted hygiene procedures. A total of 87 samples were positive for Listeria spp. (60.4%): 22 from tables, 20 from grinders, 16 from knives, 13 from hands, 9 from meat tenderizers, and 7 from butcher shop displays. Thirty-one samples (21.5%) were positive for L. monocytogenes, indicating the presence of the pathogen in meat processing environments. Seventy-four L. monocytogenes isolates were identified, with 52 from serogroups 1/2c or 3c and 22 from serogroups 4b, 4d, 4a, or 4c. All 74 isolates were positive for hlyA, iap, plcA, actA, and internalins (inlA, inlB, inlC, and inlJ). The establishment of appropriate procedures to reduce microbial counts and control the spread of L. monocytogenes in the final steps of the meat production chain is of utmost importance, with obvious effects on the quality and safety of meat products for human consumption.

Diet and healthy ageing 2100: will we globalise local knowledge systems?

Diet and health clearly are linked intrinsically. Today, more than ever food is functionalized and tailor made for specific groups (e.g. athletes, the elderly, and people with specific conditions). Increased life expectancy has resulted in an increase in the quest for diets which allow for a healthy ageing. In looking back 100 years, we try to assess how of our diets will evolve in the next 100 years and how this may be linked to a 'healthier ageing'. Our argument centres around a series of dichotomies which we used to explain the main changes in dietary habits and how this impacts on health--the continuous move from dietary traditions which are local, low in technological input and based on empiricism, to diets which are global, require high technological input and are science-based. The innovations our societies have achieved over the last century have allowed us to improve our diet based on a better scientific understanding of the health benefits of such diets, but this is often not achieved due to commercial considerations. This will require that all sectors of the food industry work towards healthy and economically affordable diets. In addition, there will be a continuous demand by the consumers to ascertain that 'our' foods are not only healthy but also convenient and easy to prepare. Healthy ageing will require us to look at a multitude of aspects of foods, to integrate this knowledge and to apply it in all sectors of food production.

Organic Food: Buying More Safety or Just Peace of Mind? A Critical Review of the Literature

Consumer concern over the quality and safety of conventional food has intensified in recent years, and primarily drives the increasing demand for organically grown food, which is perceived as healthier and safer. Relevant scientific evidence, however, is scarce, while anecdotal reports abound. Although there is an urgent need for information related to health benefits and/or hazards of food products of both origins, generalized conclusions remain tentative in the absence of adequate comparative data. Organic fruits and vegetables can be expected to contain fewer agrochemical residues than conventionally grown alternatives; yet, the significance of this difference is questionable, inasmuch as actual levels of contamination in both types of food are generally well below acceptable limits. Also, some leafy, root, and tuber organic vegetables appear to have lower nitrate content compared with conventional ones, but whether or not dietary nitrate indeed constitutes a threat to human health is a matter of debate. On the other hand, no differences can be identified for environmental contaminants (e.g. cadmium and other heavy metals), which are likely to be present in food from both origins. With respect to other food hazards, such as endogenous plant toxins, biological pesticides and pathogenic microorganisms, available evidence is extremely limited preventing generalized statements. Also, results for mycotoxin contamination in cereal crops are variable and inconclusive; hence, no clear picture emerges. It is difficult, therefore, to weigh the risks, but what should be made clear is that 'organic' does not automatically equal 'safe.' Additional studies in this area of research are warranted. At our present state of knowledge, other factors rather than safety aspects seem to speak in favor of organic food.