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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #156248
Title: PREHARVEST FOOD SAFETY APPLICATIONS OF COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION CULTURES AND PROBIOTICS

Author
item Anderson, Robin
item Genovese, Kenneth - Ken
item Harvey, Roger
item Callaway, Todd
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2004
Publication Date: 1/20/2006
Citation: Anderson, R.C., Genovese, K.J., Harvey, R.B., Callaway, T.R., Nisbet, D.J. 2006. Preharvest food safety applications of competitive exclusion cultures and probiotics. In: Goktepe, I., Juneja, V.K., Ahmedna, M., editors. Probiotics in Food Safety and Human Health. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 273-284.

Interpretive Summary: Beneficial microorganisms have long been used in post harvest food safety applications. The administration of beneficial microorganisms as probiotics to enhance the health of humans and animals is not new and such use has been reviewed extensively by others. Traditionally, the term probiotic was used to describe microbial supplements for animal feeds. More recently, the definition has come to include application of such supplements to humans and to include the usage of products containing microbes (i.e., fermented dairy products). In the present book chapter, we review the more recent use of feeding beneficial bacteria to live animals for the specific purpose of enhancing food safety by reducing shedding of pathogens that could ultimately contaminate food. This review will provide important information to those involved in the research and development of strategies to reduce colonization of animals as well as to producers who raise animals for food.

Technical Abstract: Beneficial microorganisms have long been used in post harvest food safety applications. For instance, the culture of cheeses, sauerkrauts, and other fermented foods has been used to preserve these foods in the days before refrigeration. Moreover, the administration of beneficial microorganisms as probiotics or functional foods to humans or animals to enhance health, gut function or a variety of other purported medical purposes is not new and such use has been reviewed extensively by others. Traditionally, the term probiotic was used to describe microbial supplements for animal feeds. More recently, the definition has come to include application of such supplements to humans as well and to include the usage of products containing microbes (i.e., fermented dairy products, etc.). In the present book chapter, we review the more recent application of such microbial preparations, including preparations of mutualistic or commensal bacteria for the specific purpose of enhancing food safety by reducing carriage and (or) shedding of zoonotic pathogens in live animals or as alternatives to growth promoting antibiotics.