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Internet Journal of Food Saety
| Nano
detector fingers pathogens 26/07/2005 - A portable nano detection tool could be used by processors to ensure food safety, say the project's team of European researchers. Biofinger, which is being funded by the EU, could be used as a cheap and fast method in the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. It could also be used for chemical and food analysis, said Biofinger's project coordinator, Joan Bausells. The new system, now in final development stages, is scheduled to begin field testing later this summer. The detector would help food processors in their battle to maintain the safety of their products. Consumer demand and an increased focus on food safety through regulator oversight and regulations is a driving trend in the market. The Biofinger project is being funded by the European Commission's Information Society Technology centre. Nanotechnology enables scientists to alter the structure of materials on a molecular scale. The machine detects and analyses molecules in fluids using nano and micro cantilevers. In the medical world it is a way to rapidly and accurately diagnose disease. When coated with antibodies the cantilevers bend and resonate to changes in surface tension and mass when fluids containing disease-related protein molecules attach to them. By seeing whether or not the cantilevers react, doctors would be able to determine whether or not a disease is present, Bausells stated in an announcement about Biofinger. Though much of the team's research has been carried out into cantilevers, it has focused principally on creating large-scale tools for use inside laboratories. ¡°You can¡¯t carry those around with you, so what we are developing is the first portable device that will allow doctors to diagnose diseases on the spot almost immediately,¡± Bausells stated. During trials at Cork University Hospital in Ireland this summer, the microcantilever version of the system will be used to detect a protein associated with prostate cancer, while the nanocantilever system, which can detect a single molecule, will be used to test blood samples for interleukin 6, a protein associated with inflammation. BioFinger incorporates the cantilevers on a disposable microchip, allowing it to be reconfigured with new on-chip cantilevers to detect different substances. The analysis, which can be performed anywhere, anytime, takes between 15 and 20 minutes, ¡°considerably less than the hours or days¡± it takes to analyse a blood sample using traditional in-lab methods, Bausells claims. The system is likely to be considerably cheaper than traditional diagnosis techniques with each disposable chip expected to cost about eight euros. ¡°It is also extremely versatile,¡± Bausells stated. ¡°It could be used to detect virtually any disease, as a pregnancy test or even to determine blood types. Outside of the medical field, it could be used to analyse chemicals, detect bacteria in food or test for water pollution.¡± The
researchers are due to begin testing the detector over the summer and expect to
have it ready for sale on the market within two to three years. FDA
bans poultry antibiotic Citing concerns that the drug could lead to antibiotic-resistant infections in people, the Food and Drug Administration last week banned the use of Baytril, known generically as enrofloxacin, in poultry, effective Sept. 12. Lester Crawford, FDA commissioner, mentioned particular concerns about campylobacter bacteria, a growing source of illness in humans. He said use of enrofloxacin in poultry does not eliminate campylobacter from the birds but instead leads to the development of bacteria resistant to this type of drug. Crawford noted that since the drug was introduced for poultry in the 1990s, the proportion of resistant campylobacter infections in humans has risen significantly. Several industry groups expressed disappointment with FDA's decision. "Baytril is a useful medication that is used sparingly and responsibly in the industry," said National Chicken Council spokesman Richard Lobb. "The loss of this product leaves poultry producers without an important tool to treat sick poultry, and it will reduce animal health and welfare while increasing animal death and suffering," said a statement from the Animal Health Institute. Bayer,
the drug's manufacturer, has 60 days to appeal FDA's decision. It's
official: Our beef is safe Health
Canada investigates new research findings on Aspartame High
recovery ZENON membrane technology chosen for municipal water treatment in Northern
Ireland The membrane system will incorporate ZENON ZeeWeed?immersed hollow-fibre ultrafiltration technology and provide potable water at a flow of 5,000 cubic metres per day. This project will serve as a key reference site for ZENON (UK) whose membrane technology is already producing high quality drinking water in municipal water treatment plants in the UK and around the world. ZENON
(UK) will supply, install and commission the main components of the membrane system.
EarthTech are providing the front-end coagulation stage including alum and lime
chemical storage and batching facilities, GAC Contactors, sludge thickening facilities
and all the associated electrical and control systems. The building works are
provided by Earth Tech civil partner Farrans Construction Limited. EarthTech are
providing civil works and storage tanks. ZENON and EarthTech engineers will commission
the plant in summer 2006 with treated water produced by autumn 2006. more
informaiton | Salmonella
spikes in 2005: Salmonella sickened more than 450 people in North Carolina alone Shigellosis
outbreak spreads Guidelines
for consumer organizations to promote national food safety systems New!
BBL¢â CHROMagar¢â Listeria Now AOAC¢â-RI Approved! BBL¢â CHROMagar¢â Listeria is a selective medium for the isolation, differentiation, and identification of Listeria monocytogenes from food and environmental samples. BBL CHROMagar Listeria has been validated by the AOAC¢â Research Institute under the Performance Tested MethodsSMProgram as a single plate method for the analysis of raw ground beef, smoked salmon, lettuce and Brie cheese when using FDA BAM, USDA FSIS, AOAC and ISO methods.1-5 Certificate No. 060501. Only BBL CHROMagar Listeria is AOAC-RI approved! Listeriosis is a foodborne illness caused by L. monocytogenes. It is of particular concern for immunocompromised patients: cancer, HIV, pregnant women, neonates and the elderly. Because of the severity of the disease, 20 deaths per 100 cases, listeriosis is a serious public health and food industry concern. Illness caused by L. monocytogenes has been associated with deli meats, poultry, soft cheeses, ready-to-eat seafood, smoked fish, hot dogs, salad greens and inadequately or unpasteurized milk.6,7 L. ivanovii, rarely found in foods, is pathogenic to animals and some cases of human listeriosis have been associated with this organism.8 BBL
CHROMagar Listeria, as a single plate method, is intended for the isolation, differentiation,
and confirmatory identification of L. monocytogenes/ivanovii based on the formation
of blue-green colonies surrounded by an opaque, white halo in as little as 24
hours from primary enrichment broth. Studies using BBL CHROMagar Listeria for
testing a variety of food and environmental samples demonstrated 99-100% sensitivity
and 100% specificity with a detection level of 1-18 CFU/25 g.9 FDA
Announces Final Decision About Veterinary Medicine The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) began proceedings to withdraw use of this animal drug in poultry because of scientific data that showed that the use of enrofloxacin in poultry caused resistance to emerge in Campylobacter, a bacterium that causes foodborne illness. Chickens and turkeys normally harbor Campylobacter in their digestive tracts without causing poultry to become ill. Enrofloxacin does not completely eliminate Campylobacter from the birds' intestinal tracts, and those Campylobacter bacteria that survive are resistant to fluoroquinolone drugs. These resistant bacteria multiply in the digestive tracts of poultry and persist and spread through transportation and slaughter, and are found on chicken carcasses in slaughter plants and retail poultry meats. Campylobacter bacteria are a significant cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. Antimicrobial treatment is recommended for people with severe illness as well as the very young, the elderly, and people with certain medical conditions. Complications of such infections can include reactive arthritis and, more rarely, blood stream infections. Early treatment can mitigate symptoms and may decrease the risk of complications. Fluoroquinolones used in humans are ineffective if used to treat Campylobacter infections that are resistant to them. This failure can significantly prolong the duration of the infections and may increase the risk of complications. The proportion of Campylobacter infections that are resistant to fluoroquinolones has increased significantly since the use of enrofloxacin in poultry was approved in the U.S. Bayer Corporation has 60 days from the date of the decision to appeal the withdrawal to a U.S. Court of Appeals. The Final Rule withdrawing approval of the antimicrobial drug enrofloxacin for the purpose of treating bacterial infections in poultry will be effective on September 12, 2005.
Dir. of Tech. and Process Valid. - CO-Boulder/Ft. Collins ? Swift & Co. Food Safety & QA Mgr - CO-Boulder/Fort Collins ? Swift & Co. Manager Sanitation* - Garner, NC - ConAgra Foods, Inc. Sanitation Manager - WA-Seattle ? Campbell Soup Co. Quality Assurance Team Leader - Chatsworth, CA - Nestle USA QA Inspectional Services Supervisor - Columbus, OH ? Wendy¡¯s Int¡¯l, Inc. Quality Services Technician - Los Angeles, CA ? Mars, Incorporated Quality Assurance Specialist - Omaha, NE ? ConAgra Foods, Inc. Food
Safety Specialist - Albuquerque, NM - The Steritech Group 07/25. Director of Corporate Quality Assurance - FL-Lakeland 07/25. QA Tech - Food/Beverage - San Francisco, CA 07/25. IL-Barrington-Pilot Plant Food Scientist 07/25. Quality Assurance Manager - Dallas, TX 07/25. Quality Control Lab Technician - GA-Atlanta 07/25. Quality Assurance Manager - Oakland, CA 07/22. Quality Assurance Coordinator - Reno, NV 07/22. Regulatory Affairs Scientist - Hackettstown, NJ
07/21. Director of Quality - Western Chicago Suburbs, IL 07/21. Quality Assurance Technician - KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 07/21. CA-Thousand Oaks-QC Technician 07/21. KS-Atchison-Corporate Microbiologist 07/21. CA-San Francisco-FOOD SAFETY COACH 07/21. CA-Sacramento-FOOD SAFETY COACH 07/21. FOOD SAFETY MANAGER - KY-Northern 07/21. US-WI-Madison-Food Micro biologist |