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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #349732
Research Project: Development and Validation of Innovative Food Processing Interventions

Location: Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research

Title: Challenges in recovering foodborne pathogens from low-water activity foods: A review

Author
item Gurtler, Joshua
item KELLER, SUZANNE - Food And Drug Administration(FDA)
item KORNACKI, JEFFREY - Kornacki Microbiology Solutions
item Annous, Bassam
item Jin, Zhonglin
item Fan, Xuetong

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2018
Publication Date: 5/22/2019
Citation: Gurtler, J., Keller, S., Kornacki, J., Annous, B.A., Jin, Z.T., Fan, X. 2019. Challenges in recovering foodborne pathogens from low-water activity foods: A review. Journal of Food Protection. 82(6):988-996. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-204.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-204

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: There are numerous obstacles to the detection of foodborne pathogens in low water-activity foods, such as antimicrobial compounds, particulates, PCR inhibitors, fatty matrices, etc. New approaches should be sought to increase the sensitivity of pathogen testing in low water-activity foods as well as overcoming the effects of various inhibitors and antimicrobials. The FDA and other labs are working toward this goal. This review will cover these issues while delineating specific inhibitors and antimicrobials that impede testing of low water activity foods.