Food Protection Trends - June 2011 - (Page 412)

Celebrating 100 Years of IAFP Journals: 1980s Prepared by the FPT Subcommittee of the 100−Year Planning Committee* T he 1980s saw the birth of several food safety issues that food safety professionals still focus on today. In papers published in the Journal of Food Protection (JFP), the focus shifted from established technologies such as microwaving to new technologies such as irradiation and vacuum packaging. Also, as the decade progressed, interest shifted from studies of generic Escherichia coli to the emergence of new pathogens, such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes, and to DNAbased methods of microbial detection. Continuing a trend seen in the 1970s, several articles were published in the early 1980s on the principles of microwave radiation and its effects on various types of microorganisms and food matrices (1, 14, 20). As stated in one article, “Microwave energy is gaining increased importance as an energy-saving, rapid and effective cooking and heating method in homes, institutions, and commercial establishments. It is estimated that by 1985, sales of microwave ovens will reach six million units in the U.S. and one in every two families is expected to have a microwave oven” (20). According to Fung and Cunningham (14), in their 1980 review article on destruction of microorganisms in microwave-cooked foods, one of the most interesting findings from research at that time showed that a combination of heat and microwave irradiation destroyed microorganisms; thus food could be cooked for a shorter period of time while achieving the same level of safety as conventional oven cooking (14). Research articles on microwave safety continued to appear throughout the 1980s, although progressively fewer in number. Processing technologies that came to the forefront later in the decade included a renewed focus on irradiation, first mentioned in a 1980 paper describing enhanced aflatoxin production in irradiated spores of Aspergillus (35). Later papers focused on the use of irradiation to extend the shelf life and decrease spoilage of beef products (31), to reduce microbial contamination of food packaging containers (36), and to control Clostridium botulinum toxin formation in bacon (33). Another technology first mentioned in 1982 was vacuum packaging, when its effects on bacterial growth and presence were examined in beef (23), bologna (6), pork (30), and variety meats (32). In 1985, the use of nisin, a bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis, was discussed as an inhibitory agent for preservation of bacon (38). The microbiological focus of the journal also changed during the 1980s. As the decade progressed, there was less focus on generic E. coli research and greater attention to new pathogens. In the early 1980’s, research on E. coli was largely focused on its utility as an indicator organism. The 1982 paper by Kornacki and Marth (25) titled “Foodborne illness caused by Escherichia coli: a review” focused on characteristics of enteropathogenic E. coli, characteristics of the enterotoxins it produced, factors affecting production and stability of the enterotoxins, techniques for analysis of the toxins, characteristics of the illnesses and the importance of E. coli as a foodborne enteric pathogen, with an emphasis on cheese and dairy products. In 1982 the first few reports appeared of research targeted at control of E. coli in foods (17). In 1983, studies on levels of E. coli on broiler carcasses (26) and discussion of meat processor sanitary standards (41), topics of enduring interest to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), were published. We noted one prescient comment by Williams et al. (41), who stated that …results indicate that programs based on visual inspection alone may not result in acceptable equipment sanitation.” It was not until 1985 that reports of illnesses associated with “colohemorrhagic” E. coli were mentioned in JFP, and in 1986 the first four papers on Escherichia coli O157:H7 were published, although no papers specific to E. coli O157 were indexed in JFP 1987 through 1989. Salmonella has long been recognized as a significant foodborne pathogen, but it was not until the 1980s that the significance of Salmonella serology became apparent in terms of potential public health impact. Papers published earlier in the decade tended to cite findings for Salmonella Typhi, and ‘other Salmonella species’ (31, 37) and CDC author Bryan (5) discussed “serovars associated with foods and outbreaks” in his paper on “Current trends in foodborne salmonellosis in the United States and Canada” and stated that “S.Typhimurium, the most frequently isolated serovar from human specimens, is commonly isolated from cattle, swine and turkeys.” Papers published throughout the 1980s continued to characterize Salmonella contamination of almost every food imaginable and to propose appropriate methodologies for each, but few studies described attempts to identify specific serotypes. In 1987, seven S. Typhimurium papers were indexed in JFP, although many of these only referred to the serotype to be specific as to methodology, rather than focusing on the characteristics of this serotype. For example, Bradshaw et al. (3) examined the thermal resistance of S.Typhimurium linked to illness from raw milk consumption. Additional papers on survival of Salmonella in milk followed in 1988 (27) and 1989 (16), although the focus had moved back to general methodology development and outbreak reporting for “generic” Salmonella (22). The first occurrence of listeriosis from Listeria monocytogenes in cheese and dairy products (10) was reported in 1985. Thereafter, studies on L. monocytogenes methodology development, survival in food matrices (28, 40) and in the food processing environment (11), and outbreak reporting (39) were commonplace. In 1988 and 1989, several articles appeared describing L. monocytogenes in meat products, including ground beef (40), franks (28), chickens (2), fermented sausage (24), and poultry meat at the slaughterhouse and grocery store level (18), as well as its survival on chicken breasts (21) and pepperoni and sausage (19). Also in 1988, Fraser and Sperber described a method for rapid detection of L. monocytogenes in food and environmental samples using esculin hydrolysis, a method still in use today (16, 54). In 1987, FSIS initiated a regulatory microbiological sampling program for L. monocytogenes (13), and in 1989 it established “zero tolerance” for L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. Although cases of listeriosis have decreased over time, L. monocytogenes remains a primary focus of food safety efforts to this day. With the detection of new and emerging foodborne pathogens, DNA-based microbial sampling methods also gained new interest toward the end of the decade. In 1980 the focus was on bacteriological methods such loop-plating techniques Continued on page 407 412 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | JUNE 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - June 2011

Food Protection Trends - June 2011
Contents
Sustaining Members
Reflections of Your President
Commentary from the Executive Director
Current Food Safety Issues of Home-prepared Vegetables and Herbs Stored in Oil
Use of Good Agricultural Practices and Attitudes toward On-Farm Food Safety among Niche-Market Producers in Ontario, Canada: A Mixed-Methods Study
IAFP Gold Sustaining Member Profiles
New Members
What’s Happening in Food Safety
Industry Products
Preliminary Program
Ivan Parkin Lecture
John H. Silliker Lecture
Activities
General Information
Workshops
Registration Rates
Special Contributors and Sponsors
Coming Events
Advertising Index
Journal of Food Protection Table of Contents
Audiovisual Library Order Form
Booklet Order Form
Membership Application
Celebrating 100 Years of IAFP: 1980s

Food Protection Trends - June 2011