Biotech April 2006 Food Newsletter

Text Box: Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter BioTalk for the food industry. This newsletter is produced up to four times a year with special editions for topical or current issues. There are regular items and general information on microbiological issues. Your feedback and suggestions are most welcome. Copies of this newsletter and previous issues are available from our web site.

Biological Testing Reg No. 2787

Cert No. 7176 – 10

Editor: Glen Pinna

29

April 2006

Issue No.

Text Box: National Enteric Pathogens Surveillance Scheme The following data is reproduced from the National Enteric Pathogen Surveillance Scheme (NEPSS), Microbiological Diagnostic Unit, Public Health Laboratory, The University of Melbourne, Victoria.

Text Box: Foods Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) publicised the following on their website at http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/. Extending country of origin labelling: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for public comment on a discussion paper about the feasibility of extending the new Australian country of origin labelling standard. Australia already has new country of origin labelling standard that was gazetted in December 2005. The new standard will ensure that, from 8 June 2006, unpackaged fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seafood will be clearly labelled with their country of origin, whether that is Australia or another country. Unpackaged pork products will have to have country of origin labelling from 8 December 2006 and the changes to packaged foods, most of which already are labelled, will have to occur by December 2007. These changes are estimated to cost a one-off $60 million. Under direction from the Australian Government, FSANZ has now prepared a discussion paper on the feasibility of extending this new standard to include the names of the countries where the fruit or vegetables were grown for products with two or less whole fruit and/or vegetables. For example labelling mixed frozen peas and carrots with the peas coming from Australia and the carrots from China.

Food Poisoning Outbreaks—Qld 4th Quarter 2005. Source: Queensland Health Dept.

Foodborne disease is defined as any illness of an infectious or toxic nature caused by the consumption of food or water. A foodborne illness outbreak is defined as the occurrence of two or more associated cases of foodborne illness.

Text Box: Food is considered spoiled when an undesirable change in the colour, flavour, odour or texture has occurred. Foreign substances in food products make foods undesirable. It is a gradual process and is a natural phenomenon. It occurs at varying rates depending on the storage temperature, kind of food involved, kind of micro-organisms present, packaging materials used, food additives used and method of preservation. This discussion started in Biotalk 21 April 2003. Dried Foods continued: Severe fungal infection of coffee beans can lead to a defect known as “Rio Coffee”, which is caused by the formation in the beans of trichloroanisoles by fungal metabolism. Some species of Eurotium, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Paecilomyces variotii have been shown to be capable of methylation of chlorophenols to chloroanisoles. Following a few studies of the mycoflora of green coffee beans, there is considerable concern regarding ochratoxin A contamination. Aspergillus species are the dominant fungal flora of coffee bean samples, and Aspergillus ochraceus is often present. Further studies are needed however, to establish the source of ochratoxin A and the conditions that lead to its formation. Processed Cereal Products; Similar types of fungi to those found in wheat products will be found in flour and the products cooked from it. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Wallemia sebi, Eurotium and Cladosporium species may be isolated from flour. Yeasts are common and spores of Mucoraceous fungi, such as Rhizopus, Mucor and Absidia species have also been reported in flour. Dry pasta products are safe from mould spoilage, but improperly dried pasta can be spoiled by xerophilic fungi including Eurotium species, Aspergillus candidus, Wallemia sebi, Penicillium species and yeasts. Epicoccum purpurascens has been reported causing red spots on the surface of gnocchi. Spoilage of bakery products is dependent on the level of water activity. High water activity products such as bread and some pastries spoil rapidly from Penicillium species, Wallemia, Eurotium species and other common moulds including the red bread mould, Chrysonilia sitiphila, Rhizopus and Mucor species. Growth of white yeast-like fungi (Endomyces fibuliger and Hyphopichia burtonii) and yeasts (Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia anomala) can cause “chalk mould” defects on bread. Flavour defects by the production of ethyl acetate can also occur by these fungi. Flat breads such as lebanese and pita bread spoilage can be caused by the uncommon fungi Geosmithia putterilli and Aspergillus flavus. European rye breads are susceptible to spoilage by Penicillium species and yeast and yeast-like fungi. Penicillium species can cause spoilage of sponge and Madeira cakes. Xerophilic yeasts such as Zygosaccharomyces rouxii can cause liquefaction of icing on cakes, causing small round spots. Modified atmosphere packaging and the use of oxygen absorbing sachets have been investigated as a means of extending the shelf life of bakery products. Mould-free shelf life can also be extended by the use of ethanol vapour generators. Dried Meat; Dried meat differs from other dried foods in having high protein content and often a significant level of fat. Despite this, Eurotium species, Aspergillus and Penicillium species dominate the mycoflora of dried meats such as biltong and jerky. Also a surprisingly high number of other fungi, including lipolytic yeasts, may also be isolated from dried beef products. As with other dried foods, the shelf life is dictated by the water activity level. Also with these foods there is the added spoilage factor of fat rancidity, which may be induced by yeast or mould growth during drying and continue in storage.

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