Identification and molecular characterization of pathogenic microorganisms in powdered infant products

• Grant number: 16/14107-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2017
• End date: December 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Dirce Yorika Kabuki
• Grantee: Dirce Yorika Kabuki
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Due to the impossibility of breastfeeding in many cases, the food market was favored and the development of products for newborns and child nutrition is growing. A wide variety of these baby foods are produced in the country, such as those for neonates and babies. However, powdered infant formula has been identified as vehicle of microbiological contamination that can cause infections and diseases in infants (children less than one year old), since they have more susceptibility to pathogens. The aim of this project is to verify the presence of pathogenic bacteria in powered infant formula and infant cereals. Isolation and identification of micro-organisms, such as Salmonella sp., Cronobacter spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli, will be performed. It will also be verified whether the marketed products are in accordance with the microbiological standards established by Brazilian law. In addition, the pathogenic potential of individual species will be analyzed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique and multiplex PCR to detect genes encoding toxins and others virulence factors. Cronobacter spp. isolates will be identified by PCR and genetic profile will be analyzed by Multilocus Sequencing Typing (MLST). (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CARVALHO, GABRIELA GUIMARAE; CALARGA, ALINE PAROLIN; ZORGI, NAHIARA ESTEVES; ASTUDILLO-TRUJILLO, CARLOS A.; GONTIJO, MARCO TULIO PARDINI; BROCCHI, MARCELO; GIORGIO, SELMA; KABUKI, DIRCE YORIKA. Virulence and DNA sequence analysis of Cronobacter spp. isolated from infant cereals. International Journal of Food Microbiology, v. 376, p. 8-pg., 2022-09-02. (16/14107-0)

CARVALHO, GABRIELA GUIMARAES; CALARGA, ALINE PAROLIN; TEODORO, JOSIE ROBERTA; QUEIROZ, MURILO MARIZ; ASTUDILLO-TRUJILLO, CARLOS A.; LEVY, CARLOS EMILIO; BROCCHI, MARCELO; KABUKI, DIRCE YORIKA. Isolation, comparison of identification methods and antibiotic resistance of Cronobacter spp. in infant foods. Food Research International, v. 137, NOV 2020. (16/14107-0)