A first time survey of free-living protozoa in meat-cutting plants showed high diversity rates of various species including those that could harbor food-borne pathogens, say researchers from Ghent University, Belgium.
They report their findings in the September 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Protozoa are unicellular microorganisms that feed on bacteria, and sometimes the bacteria survive and replicate within the protozoa, the study claims.
Bacteria such as Campylobacter, E. coli 0157:H7, Listeria and Salmonella that survive within protozoa may be able to resist desiccation and disinfectants, claims the team, which may explain how Salmonella food poisoning still occurs even after the processor takes the required safety measures.
They added that an increase in antimicrobial resistance and virulence of bacterial pathogens after passage through protozoa has been previously demonstrated.
Source: FoodProductionDaily.com
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