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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 #386988
Research Project: Ecological Factors that Enable Colonization, Retention, and Dispersal of Foodborne Pathogens and Intervention Strategies to Control the Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance in Cattle and Swine

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Title: Innovative treatments enhancing the functionality of gut microbiota to improve quality and microbiological safety of foods of animal origin

Author
item OSMAN, KOYUN - University Of Georgia
item CALDWELL, TODD - University Of Georgia
item NISBET, DAVID - Former ARS Employee
item Anderson, Robin

Submitted to: Annual Review of Food Science & Technology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/7/2021
Publication Date: 4/6/2022
Citation: Osman, K.Y., Caldwell, T.R., Nisbet, D.J., Anderson, R.C. 2022. Innovative treatments enhancing the functionality of gut microbiota to improve quality and microbiological safety of foods of animal origin. Annual Review of Food Science & Technology. 13:433-461. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-food-100121-050244.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-food-100121-050244

Interpretive Summary: The microbiota inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract, or 'gut', of animals is a microbial community containing a variety of microorganisms which play a crucial role in animal health, growth performance, and welfare. The gut microbiota is closely associated with the quality and microbiological safety of foods and food products originating from animals. The gut microbiota of the host can be modulated and enhanced in ways that improve the quality and safety of foods of animal origin. Probiotics or Direct-Fed-Microbials (DFMs), competitive exclusion (CE) cultures, prebiotics, and synbiotics have been utilized to achieve this goal. Reducing foodborne pathogen colonization in the gut prior to slaughter and enhancing the chemical, nutritional, or sensory characteristics of foods (e.g., meat, milk, and eggs) are two of many positive outcomes derived from the use of these competitive enhancement-based treatments in food producing animals. Ultimately, the use of these technologies helps producers provide safer food at less cost for the American consumer.

Technical Abstract: The gastrointestinal tract, or 'gut', microbiota is a microbial community containing a variety of microorganisms colonizing throughout the gut, which plays a crucial role in animal health, growth performance, and welfare. The gut microbiota is closely associated with the quality and microbiological safety of foods and food products originating from animals. The gut microbiota of the host can be modulated and enhanced in ways that improve the quality and safety of foods of animal origin. Probiotics or Direct-Fed-Microbials (DFMs), competitive exclusion (CE) cultures, prebiotics, and synbiotics have been utilized to achieve this goal. Reducing foodborne pathogen colonization in the gut prior to slaughter and enhancing the chemical, nutritional, or sensory characteristics of foods (e.g., meat, milk, and eggs) are two of many positive outcomes derived from the use of these competitive enhancement-based treatments in food producing animals.