Foodborne pathogens
Salmonella, Listeria, STEC E. coli, Campylobacter and other hazards.
11 articles
Articles in this pillar
7 min read
Salmonella: characteristics, detection and control in the food industry
What Salmonella is, why it is a risk in food, how it is detected in the laboratory and what control measures the industry applies.
6 min read
Listeria monocytogenes: risks and detection methods
What Listeria monocytogenes is, why it is a critical risk in ready-to-eat foods and how it is detected in the laboratory.
6 min read
Escherichia coli (E. coli) and STEC: risks and detection in food
What Escherichia coli is, what distinguishes STEC strains, which foods pose the greatest risk and how it is detected in a microbiology laboratory.
6 min read
Staphylococcus aureus: the pathogen that acts through its toxin, not the live bacterium
What Staphylococcus aureus is, why its intoxication depends on a heat-stable toxin, and how it is detected and controlled in the food industry.
6 min read
Vibrio spp.: what it is and why it worries the seafood and aquaculture industry
What Vibrio spp. is, why it is a growing risk in seafood and aquaculture, and what sets it apart from other foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella or E. coli.
6 min read
Bacillus cereus and the cereulide toxin: the risk that survives cooking
What Bacillus cereus is, how it produces the cereulide toxin and why it survives cooking, with a focus on the foods where it poses the greatest risk.
7 min read
Campylobacter: the bacterium behind more foodborne illness than any other worldwide
What Campylobacter is, why it is the leading bacterial cause of foodborne illness and how it is detected and controlled in the poultry industry.
8 min read
Salmonella in low-moisture foods: chocolate, nuts, spices and milk powder
Why Salmonella survives for months in chocolate, nuts, spices and milk powder, why it is more heat-resistant when dry and how to control it in the plant.
9 min read
Norovirus and hepatitis A in food: why they cannot be cultured and how they are detected by RT-PCR
How norovirus and hepatitis A virus are detected in shellfish, berries and vegetables with ISO 15216, which controls it requires and what a positive means.
9 min read
Cronobacter in infant formula and low-moisture foods: why it is a concern and how it is detected
What Cronobacter sakazakii is, why it threatens infants, how it resists desiccation in powders and what ISO 22964, Regulation 2073/2005 and Codex require.
11 min read
Clostridium perfringens: the pathogen of large portions and slow cooling
Why Clostridium perfringens survives cooking, which cooling curves the FDA Food Code and FSIS Appendix B set, and how it is enumerated (ISO 15213-2).