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In the year 2012, 288 raw milk samples were collected from six different dairy cow farms and analyzed for the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) using the ELISA technique. the AFM1 levels ranged from 5 to 25 ng/kg and the highest concentrations were found in autumn, with a significant difference (p<0.05) between February and November. The EU legal limit of 50 ng/kg has never been exceeded. Even if the results of the present study show a low risk for AFM1, its occurrence in dairy products has to be regularly monitored due to their importance as foodstuffs for people and children above all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A monitoring program aimed at detecting marine biotoxins in coastal bivalves (Mytilus galloprovincialis) of central Adriatic sea was carried out in the years 2006-2009. the presence of Diarrhoetic shellfish Poisoning and Paralytic shellfish Poisoning toxins was assessed by the Mouse bioassay, as established by the Italian Decree of the Ministry of Health of May, 16, 2002, whereas the Amnesic shellfish Poisoning toxins were detected by HPLc. No biotoxins were determined in all the samples. since the number of the examined samples was directly proportional to the number of shellfish aquaculture plans located in Abruzzo and Molise regions, these results provide an estimate of the possible shellfish contamination in the considered area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Norovirus has been reported as the major non-bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis due to the consumption of contaminated bivalve mollusks. The European legislation established microbiological criteria only for bacteria (Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli), while no viruses have still been considered. In this study, samples of Chamelea gallina were harvested along the Central Adriatic coasts (Italy) and artificially contaminated with Murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1) up to a final concentration of 103 TCID50/ml in water. They were subject to a depuration process in a closed-circuit system using both ozone and ultraviolet light. Four experimental trials (100 specimens/trial) were performed and, at the end of depuration, the digestive glands of mollusks were examined by means of two methods – namely, RT-PCR and tissue culture. The results of RT-PCR ranged from 103.17 to 104.60 TCID50/ml, and the constant presence of MNV-1 was confirmed by the tissue culture as well. In conclusion, no significant viral reduction was obtained, but the contaminated bivalve mollusks remained infectious until the end of the depuration treatment. The proper cooking of live bivalve mollusks could be considered the most important preventive measure against this sanitary risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at enumerating coagulase positive staphylococci (CPS) in 404 samples of milk and dairy products collected in own-checks or during the official controls from different dairy industries located in Central Italy. These microorganisms were enumerated using ISO 6888-2:1999/Amd. 1:2003 and only when they exceeded 105 CFU/g, the presence of any of the seven more common staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEA, SEB, SEC1, SEC2, SEC3, SED and SEE) was also investigated. Own-checks samples resulted always below the detection limit, whereas among those collected by the competent authorities in the framework of official controls, provola (100%) and mozzarella (22.9%) samples were positive to CPS, with mean values of 1.8x102 and 2.8x105 CFU/g respectively. Such values exceeded the maximum limits set by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005, resulting in a request of hygiene improvements in the first case; in the second case, the presence of staphylococcal enterotoxins in 8 (2.7%) mozzarella samples out of 298 investigated cheese products was also observed, resulting in their withdrawn from the market. Therefore, this study aims at highlighting that monitoring of CPS incidence in dairy products and subsequent testing of cheeses for enterotoxins when appropriate represent an important tool for public health in order to avoid the occurrence of foodborne outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]