Welcome to the Microbiology Information

The third edition of the Dairy Microbiology Handbook is out and this is a must for those microbiologists who works or has an affiliation in the food or dairy industry. This two-volume set focuses on microbial safety issues and readers will find the latest information on public health risks, pathogens (listeria, salmonella, coliform, E.coli, Yersinia entercolitica and so forth, spoilage organisms (pseudomonas etc), the factors affecting growth of these microorganisms in plants, and good manufacturing practice. It also provides thorough coverage of both dairy microbiology principles and practical applications.

If you already have or own the 2nd edition you’ll understand my excitement.

An avian flu vaccine will be developed by The Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the prestigious Bionostra Group of Spain . The vaccine will protect against the lethal infection of the H5N1 virus.

Founded in 2000, Bionostra - in collaboration with members of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient?cas (CSIC) which is the Spanish High Council of Scientific Research - has developed a new technology based on virus-like-particles to provide a new generation of vaccines for human and animal health. These novel technology, will offer researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine a great jumping off point in the creation of the vaccine.

“We are enthusiastic with this promising collaboration between Bionostra and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine which is renowned for its prestigious scientific research,” said Juan Carlos del Castillo Tamayo, CEO of Bionostra. “This is the first step for a revolutionary new generation of vaccines against the influenza virus.”

Mount Sinai School of Medicine has been at the forefront in the study of the influenza virus. The reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus, a recent scientific breakthrough, was made possible by a technique developed and patented by Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers. The virus was reconstructed using reverse genetics, a technique developed by Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Peter Palese, PhD, Professor and Chairman of Microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The collaboration with Bionostra will offer Mount Sinai’s researchers an even greater understanding of the pathology of the H5N1 virus and will result in the development of a novel vaccine that combats this burgeoning pandemic.

Source: News Medical

The Monster at Our Door: The Global Threat of Avian Flu

Have you ever questioned why pasteurized milk sometimes spoils before the best before code whilst being stored in the fridge? At the same time, it is accompanied by a slight rancid odor as well.

Interestingly it is caused by the presence of a group of bacteria that loves living in the cold environment; these are called psychrotrophs or psychrotrophic bacteria. Pseudomonas is one of the most common within the group and interestingly this is the same bacterium that causes spoilage (slimy layer) in raw chicken during refrigerated storage.

Did you know that even if you keep the milk chilled within the recommended storage temperature, a single cell of pseudomonas can multiply to over a million cells in the space of just six days? Even one of this bacterium in a carton of milk can cause a spoilage problem.

So how do these bacteria enter the milk even though the milk is pasteurized! Easily, it’s due to poor hygiene by the manufacturers because if it is pasteurized and packaged hygienically there should not be any spoilage bacterium present at all, nada!

The only bacterium that can survive the heating process is heat resistant bacteria such as bacillus species and these types will not grow at the refrigeration temperature. Hence there is not premature spoilage.

Cocoa powder is one of the main ingredients used in the manufacture of chocolate Ultra Heat Treated (UHT) milk. Chocolate milk is also one of the most common flavors to have spoilage.

Unfortunately, microbial spoilage does occur. There are many reasons; however two of the main points are poor hygiene and lack of maintenance to the plant. Both are due to poor management.

Although cocoa powder is the main ingredient, it gets most of the attention. Incidentally, cocoa powder is rarely the cause, yet it is the easiest to blame and this is poor judgment by the management. If there is any premature spoilage of UHT milk, then it lies squarely at management. The best UHT milk manufacturers in the world remain their because of choosing the right management team. Excellent management results in retaining people with strong experience and technical knowledge in the field of UHT manufacture. Experienced Engineers, production managers and especially their technical support member such as the microbiologist. If the company is not committed to maintaining the right people and the right attitude, then they should exit the UHT business. Otherwise expect lots of rejected production runs.

Did you know that the microbiologist is probably one of the most valued employees in Nestle, the world No.1 food manufacturer. Why, because the majority of spoilage is caused by micro-organism. That is why I believe all senior management must have background in microbiology so that critical decision can be made.

Japan’s largest dairy company, Snow Brand had the largest food poisoning case in the world with Staphylococcus aureus enter toxin growing and contaminating their product. Their president resigned and the company even considered changing the brand name as it was the biggest disasters in their company’s history.

So to all the President and CEO of food manufacturing companies out there, please ensure your microbiologists are well looked after.

UHT stands for Ultra High Temperature pasteurization and packing. During manufacture, the process produces milk that will be fresh and natural for several months without refrigeration. UHT milk has extended shelf life (shelf stable) and is sometimes called long life or extended life milk also. No preservatives are added.

Once the pack has been opened it must be refrigerated. UHT milk is a perfect choice for breakfast, school lunch, hiking, biking, camping, travel, food storage, emergency preparedness, and disaster response.

The milk has a longer shelf-life because of the aseptic packaging. This packaging ensures the milk is free of bacteria and hermetically seals it (air tight) thus eliminating the bacteria, air and light which will cause milk to sour. Whether in cartons or bags the foil lined aseptic packaging assures your milk is free of contaminates that rob shelf life.

Behind the manufacture of UHT milk include a strong team of technical personnel such as engineers, microbiologist and food technologist to ensure the UHT process works perfectly to bring you this great product.

Some hospital cleaning products may actually help a diarrhoea-causing bug survive, scientists will be told today.

Elderly patients - who are most at risk from Clostridium difficile, which is the major cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea - could have their health endangered, experts will warn.

Researchers from Leeds General Infirmary and the University of Leeds found that some strains of the bug became more resistant when exposed to two cleaning agents used in hospitals.

Using five cleaning products, they tested samples of the bug and found that those causing hospital outbreaks produced far more spores than the less dangerous strains. All the strains produced more spores when exposed to two chemicals that did not contain bleach.

Professor Mark Wilcox, who will present the findings at the Society for General Microbiology’s annual meeting today, declined to name the two cleaning products. The other three products contained bleach which “gave them an advantage”, he added.

Professor Wilcox said: “We have shown that some commonly used hospital cleaning and disinfectant agents not only fail to kill bacteria, they actually promote spore formation.

“The choice of cleaning agent may have a substantial effect on the persistence of Clostridium difficile…”

Clostridium difficile is not as deadly as the superbug MRSA but it has led to several deaths. Careful use of antibiotics and being able to isolate infected patients are two of the things that help to stop it spreading.

In 2004, Department of Health figures showed there were 44,488 cases of the bug in those aged over 65.

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Source: By Jane Kirby - The Independent