Microbiological food safety: detection of pathogens, preservation processes and risk assessment.

  1. Research

Food Quality and Preservation

Microbiological food safety: detection of pathogens, preservation processes and risk assessment.

iata - Procesos de conservación y evaluación de riesgos en alimentos

Description

The group has extensive experience in food preservation processes (thermal and non-thermal) and development of new foods as well as in the detection, identification and rapid quantification of food pathogens (viruses and bacteria) based on PCR and next generation sequencing (NGS), all focused on the achievement of food safety through application of microbiological risk assessment.

Objectives

  • 1.    Evaluation and validation of food preservation technologies (thermal treatment, pulsed electric fields, high hydrostatic pressure, active packaging, ultrasounds, natural antimicrobials etc.) effectiveness for the elimination of pathogens (viruses and bacteria).
    2.    Use of in vivo models to assess the effect of preservation process on microorganisms (sublethal damage, resistance generation or virulence changes).
    3.     Development and validation of molecular based methods (real-time PCR and next generation sequencing) for the identification and quantitative detection of pathogens (bacteria and enteric viruses) of interest in food and water, as well as viable / infectious forms.
    4.    Application of LAB in food: biopreservation, fortification and development of new vegetal-based functional food

Research staff