Interventions to enhance the microbiological safety of processed mushrooms

由于存在单核细胞增多性李斯特菌，切片蘑菇已被召回。因此，切片蘑菇被列为单核细胞增多性李斯特菌的最高风险类别。在实践中，这意味着蘑菇行业必须对病原体进行广泛的产品和环境筛查，结果是增加了产品召回，这给该行业带来了巨大的成本(&gt；每次召回4万美元)。为了转移到L单核细胞增多症的低危人群，业界要求采取有效的减少李斯特氏菌的干预措施和保存方法，以抑制储存过程中病原菌的生长。然而，由于蘑菇对传统去污染技术(热、次氯酸盐)的敏感性，不能应用，需要设计更新的方法。为此，拟议的项目将评估一系列去污技术(酸化电解水、多波长发光二极管紫外线、羟基离子发生器和离子表面活性剂消毒剂)。此外，为防止贮藏期间蘑菇上李斯特菌的生长，将使用对L单核细胞增多症具有广谱感染力的噬菌体制剂。这项研究将通过提高具有延长货架期潜力的切片蘑菇的食品安全，使该行业和加拿大受益。此外，出口市场(估计价值1亿美元)将保持不变，并有扩大的潜力。这项研究将为今后进一步开发选定的干预措施和在商业流程中的应用奠定基础。产业合作伙伴(加拿大蘑菇)是将这项研究商业化的好地方。

Sliced mushrooms have been subject to recalls due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. As a consequence, sliced mushrooms have been placed in the highest risk category with regards to L. monocytogenes. In practical terms this means the mushroom industry has to undertake extensive product and environment screening for the pathogen with the consequence of increasing product recalls at great cost to the industry (>$40, 000 per recall). To be transferred to lower L monocytogenes risk groups the industry requires to implement effective Listeria reduction interventions and preservation methods to inhibit pathogen growth during storage. However, because of the sensitivity of mushrooms for traditional decontamination techniques (thermal, hypochlorite) cannot be applied requiring more novel approaches to be devised. To this end the proposed project will evaluate a range of decontamination technologies (acidified electrolyzed water, multi-wavelength LED UV, hydroxyl ion generators and ionic acid surfactant sanitizers). In addition, to prevent growth of Listeria on mushrooms during storage a bacteriophage preparation with a broad spectrum of infectivity towards L monocytogenes will be applied. The research will benefit the industry and Canada through enhancing food safety of sliced mushrooms with the potential of extending shelf-life. Moreover, the export market (estimated value >$100m) will be maintained with the potential of being extended. The research will form a foundation for future work in further developing selected interventions and application in commercial processes. The industrial partner (Mushrooms Canada) is well place to commercialize the research.