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题目：与细菌进行战役取得初步胜利
摘要：摘自 foodproductiondaily.com
Discovering genetic fingerprints of heat-beating micro-organisms
could bring us closer to understanding why some foods spoil
and how bacteria manage to survive heat treatments. In a food
science initiative supported by the Dutch government, researchers
from Amsterdam university have been looking at the way the Bacillus
group of bacteria can produce exceptionally heat resistant spores.
These spores can survive the processes meant to kill them, like
pasteurisation, and go on to grow, multiply and contaminate
our food. Dr Bart Keijser, who led the research, will present
the investigations today at the Society for General Microbiology’s
meeting in Manchester in the UK. The scientists claim that being
able to identify contaminants accurately, and early on, could
allow the consumer to buy crunchier vegetables and less highly
processed food in the future. “We are using molecular techniques
to uncover the heat resistance secrets of these spores, and
to find out how they survive the preservation processes,” said
Dr Bart Keijser. Adding that once the researchers have identified
"their unique genetic fingerprint, we can design new detection
systems to find any micro-organisms that have survived heat
treatment." Results so far have identified more heat resistance
from the bacteria when food ingredients such as milk powder
and spices are used. According to the scientists, the amount
of minerals the spores can absorb might also contribute to their
heat resistance. Opportunities for the food industry lie in
the fact that if micro-organisms are pin-pointed, manufacturers
can adjust their food production and preservation processes
accordingly. Until now the food industry has had to assume that
in every case, the worst possible type of contamination has
already happened, leading to over-processing of most foods.
The Dutch scientists claim that, using their results, companies
will be able to pre-screen ingredients, use the best preservation
method in each case, and reduce energy costs and losses from
contamination while maintaining safety levels. “I hope this
will mean we need less preservation techniques, and so less
processing for most food. That should give us enhanced food
structure such as crispier vegetables, while still maintaining
a long shelf time,” added Dr Bart Keijser. The World Health
Organisation estimates that as many as one person in three in
industrialised countries may be affected by foodborne illness
each year, resulting in human suffering and economic losses
running into billions of euros. Dr Keijser is presenting the
paper ‘Spore Heat resistance of Bacillus food spoilage isolates’
at the Society of General Microbiology at the University of
Manchester Institute of Science and Technology from 8-11 September
2003.
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