Microorganisms

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is the continuation of our previous Special Issues, Evaluation of Risks of Microbiological Origin Associated with Food Consumption" and “Evaluation of Risks of Microbiological Origin Associated with Food Consumption 2.0”.

To evaluate microbiological risk, knowledge of food consumption patterns is essential. Food consumption data are often collected through food consumption surveys designed to obtain epidemiological data on risk factors for chronic diseases or nutritional intake. In the last several years, changes in food consumption patterns have been observed (a preference for raw foods, RTE foods, etc.). It is of great interest to obtain data on the consumption of ready-to-eat foods (RTE) and raw milk or raw fish, among others, especially in high-risk populations. On other hand, storage time, temperature, cooking preferences, and handling and preparation of foods play an important role in food safety.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present research on the effect of food consumption patterns and food handling and preparation at the consumer level on microbiological food safety. Original research articles, as well as review articles, are invited.

Prof. Dr. Elena González-Fandos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

19 pages, 2460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Propolis as a Sustainable Bio-Preservative Agent to Control Foodborne Pathogens in Vacuum-Packed Cooked Ham

by Eugenia Rendueles, Elba Mauriz, Javier Sanz-Gómez, Ana M. González-Paramás, Félix Adanero-Jorge and Camino García-Fernández

Microorganisms 2024, 12(5), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12050914 - 30 Apr 2024

Viewed by 310

Abstract

The search for natural food additives makes propolis an exciting alternative due to its known antimicrobial activity. This work aims to investigate propolis’ behavior as a nitrite substitute ingredient in cooked ham (a ready-to-eat product) when confronted with pathogenic microorganisms of food interest. The microbial evolution of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium sporogenes inoculated at known doses was examined in different batches of cooked ham. The design of a challenge test according to their shelf life (45 days), pH values, and water activity allowed the determination of the mesophilic aerobic flora, psychotropic, and acid lactic bacteria viability. The test was completed with an organoleptic analysis of the samples, considering possible alterations in color and texture. The cooked ham formulation containing propolis instead of nitrites limited the potential growth (δ < 0.5 log₁₀) of all the inoculated microorganisms until day 45, except for L. monocytogenes, which in turn exhibited a bacteriostatic effect between day 7 and 30 of the storage time. The sensory analysis revealed the consumer’s acceptance of cooked ham batches including propolis as a natural additive. These findings suggest the functionality of propolis as a promising alternative to artificial preservatives for ensuring food safety and reducing the proliferation risk of foodborne pathogens in ready-to-eat products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risks of Microbiological Origin Associated with Food Consumption 3.0)

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