How is the Toxin Produced in Food? What is Botulism? Clostridium botulinum are rod-shaped bacteria (also called C. botulinum. They are anaerobic, meaning they live and grow in low oxygen conditions. The bacteria form protective spores when conditions for survival are poor. The spore has a hard protective coating that encases the key parts of the bacterium and has layers of protective membranes. Within these membranes and the hard coating, the dormant bacterium is able to survive for years. C. botulinum is responsible for a disease called botulism.

Clostridium botulinum の毒作用と膜構造との関連について

Mechanisms of the bactericidal effects of nitrate and nitrite in cured meats

Chemistry, safety, and regulatory considerations in the use of nitrite and nitrate from natural origin in meat products - Invited review

The purpose of food processing today is to make food safer, more nutritious and tastier, and to increase storage life. Consumers have a lack of trust in the way food is produced, formulated and processed, particularly with possible contaminants or chemical residues from production. Food manufacturers are not seen as being highly trusted sources. This may partly result from manufacturers' reluctance to share all information and to protect intellectual property via patents and thus maintain a competitive edge. There is a need to inform the consumer better about what operations the involved ingredients are subjected to and why. Various ways of food processing are reviewed. New food processing technologies face challenges when introduced and factors influencing consumers' and other stakeholders' acceptance should be part of decision-making process when adopting new technologies. Consumers' perception of risks is not the same as the risk assessment made by experts. A few specific cases are being discussed to further highlight the multiplicity of factors that may contribute to the development of a certain consumer perception about a product or a class of products. This is also linked to the emergence of certain terminologies that are associated with an increasingly negative perception of the processing of foods. We recommend more transparency on food formulation and food processing to restore consumer trust, which enables to take the advantage of the benefits different processing methods offer. Food manufacturers must make an effort to let consumers know how their food is being processed within the walls of the factory and highlight the benefits vis-a-vis preparing foods in a domestic environment.

Souad Christieans

Papers

Mechanisms of the bactericidal effects of nitrate and nitrite in cured meats

Impact of reducing nitrate/nitrite levels on the behavior of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes in French dry fermented sausages