Bacteriocins for food safety

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Consumer demand for fresh, minimally processed, convenient food products has resulted in a tremendous increase in the availability of refrigerated, minimally processed, preservative-free food products. Refrigeration is the only hurdle to the growth and survival of foodborne pathogens in these foods, and outbreaks of foodborne illness have been documented. Lactic acid bacteria produce antibacterial peptides, known as bacteriocins, which inhibit the growth of organisms closely related to the producer strain. Many bacteriocins have been purified and characterized, and we have demonstrated the effectiveness of bacteriocins to control the growth of spoilage and pathogenic organisms, such as Listeria monocytogenes in refrigerated foods. Increased emphasis on more “natural” food preservatives and the move to lower sodium concentrations in processed foods has created a niche for bacteriocins in food preservation and safety.***One of the hurdles in research on bacteriocins is the lack of methods for detection of bacteriocins in food products. As the use of bacteriocins and bacteriocin-producing organisms expands in the future, the need for further development of sensitive analytical techniques for detection will increase. We developed a sensitive assay for bacteriocins in culture supernatants using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. To date, we have not been able to detect the production of class II bacteriocins in foods. The proposed research aims to develop a method to detect the production of bacteriocins in food and to develop a method to “capture” the bacteriocins from the food matrix which can then be analyzed. Once these methods have been optimized, they will be used to monitor bacteriocin production in food products.***The adaptation or resistance of target pathogens to bacteriocins has been raised as a concern for their widespread application in foods. The proposed research will determine the mechanisms of adaptation and resistance to bacteriocins for different strains of L. monocytogenes. ***The project will train at least 4 highly qualified individuals, with the potential for leveraging funds to support additional personnel. The training of highly qualified individuals will help fill the gaps in the availability of food microbiology researchers in Canada and will meet the needs of the food processing industry for highly qualified individuals.**