Food safety considerations in the production of traditional fermented products : Japanese rice koji and miso
- Authors: Allwood, Joanne , Wakeling, Lara , Post, Laurie , Bean, David
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Journal of Food Safety Vol. 43, no. 4 (2023), p.
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- Description: While established in Asia, rice koji and miso are fermented foods that are becoming more popular in western countries. They have been shown to contain a variety of microorganisms, consisting of bacteria, yeasts, and fungal species. Many contemporary miso varieties are not pasteurized as consumers are looking for more natural products, and/or have the desire to consume fermented foods containing live microorganisms. While correctly prepared fermented foods are rarely associated with food safety outbreaks, incidences have been recorded. On these occasions, pathogenic, or spoilage microorganisms were introduced into the products from external sources such as the raw material or the processing environment. Consequently, hygiene and fermentation conditions need to be carefully monitored to ensure food safety. Furthermore, many of the production steps during koji and miso manufacture do not fit into contemporary food safety guidelines for foods. Although pH is a required food safety hurdle for fermented foods, this does not apply to nonacidic foods such as koji or miso. This review focuses on control of microbial pathogens and discusses the processes of miso fermentation, and how fermentation of rice koji and miso fits with current food safety hurdles in western countries. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Food Safety published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Foodborne pathogens and host predilection
- Authors: Bean, David , Post, Laurie
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Foodborne pathogens: Virulence factors and host susceptibility Chapter 18 p. 495-530
- Full Text: false
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- Description: During food manufacturing, the potential exists for contamination of products with pathogenic microorganisms. While the ingestion of a bacterial pathogen will typically result in illness in a susceptible host, it is not the case for each strain within a given species. Pathogenic bacteria display various levels of host specificity: some infect a wide range of hosts, while others have strict host selectivity and are obligate pathogens. Host specificity of bacterial pathogens is determined by multiple molecular interactions between both the pathogens and their hosts. Understanding these interactions in detail will allow risk-based decisions to be made on affected foods, informed by knowledge of specific strains or pathotypes. This has the potential to avoid costly and unnecessary recalls with classical pathogens that can be proved to have a low potential for causing illness.
Chocolate and Confectionary
- Authors: Bean, David , Post, Laurie
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: The Microbiological safety of low water activity foods and spices Chapter 14 p. 269-293
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Confectionary products are often considered relatively inert from a microbiological perspective. Nevertheless, several Salmonella outbreaks have been attributed to confectionary, particularly chocolate products. The cause of these outbreaks was generally traced back to lapses in GMP, particularly cross contact issues and water ingress. Managing Salmonella in chocolate manufacture begins with a validated cocoa bean-roasting process. However, the potential for pathogen recontamination exists with the addition of ingredients and inclusions post process. This risk can be managed by a stringent supplier assurance program including prerelease microbiological testing of these materials. In addition to assured ingredients, the manufacturing environment must include a strict containment policy for raw and finished goods, control of water use including the prevention of water leaks, and ongoing microbial surveillance. Manufacturing equipment needs to be hygienically designed and amenable to sanitation processes, should a contamination event occur. Lastly, an effective microbiological verification program is essential to ensure all described processes are in control.