Developing suitable smart TTI labels to match specific monitoring requirements: The case of Vibrio spp. growth during transportation of oysters

doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2016.06.041

Food Control

Volume 73, Part A, March 2017, Pages 51-56

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2016.06.041 Get rights and content

Highlights

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Mathematical models were developed for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus growth based on literature data.
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Appropriate TTI were designed that predict one and three doublings of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus.
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The results indicate that the response of the Vibrio-TTI follow adequatelythe growth models of the two Vibrio species.
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Mathematical models can be useful tools for predicting Vibrio spp. growthin oysters for known time temperature conditions.

Abstract

Time-temperature control is a critical issue in food logistics and the effective tracking of cold chain conditions is one of the main points to be addressed. There is a need for development and standardization of labels with a flexible range of temperature sensitivity, expressed by activation energy and of response time. Time Temperature Integrators (TTI) are inexpensive, active smart labels that show the time-temperature history of the food product to which they are attached. Enzymatic TTIs are based on a pH decrease resulting from the temperature-dependent enzymatic hydrolysis of a lipid substrate. The colour change of a pH indicator in the solution can be visually assessed or measured instrumentally. The considerations that allow for targeted design of the response characteristics of this type of TTI are the concentration of the enzyme and choice of substrate. This study applied predictive models for growth of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) and Vibrio vulnificus (VV) growth in oysters and used the information from that work to design enzymatic TTI smart labels with response kinetics suitable for indicating the growth potential of Vibrio spp. during the transportation of oysters from harvest to storage for further distribution and sale. The results of the study indicated that the VV- and VP-TTIs developed in this study may be an effective and cost-effective tool for validating improved handling and cooling procedures and for monitoring the transport of oysters.

Introduction

Effective control of the chilled distribution of food products is vital to their commercial viability. A substantial portion of chilled products are exposed during distribution to temperatures that deviate significantly from the recommended range. Application of an optimized quality and safety assurance system for product distribution requires continuous monitoring of storage conditions from production to consumption (Tsironi et al., 2008, Tsironi et al., 2011).

Smart packaging systems can provide information on the quality of food, which may be either indirect (e.g. time-temperature integrators) or direct (e.g. freshness indicators) (Smolander, 2008). Time Temperature Integrators (TTI) are user-friendly and cost-effective tools that can show “an easily measurable, time-temperature dependent change” (Taoukis & Labuza, 1989) that “cumulatively reflects the time-temperature history of the food product” (Gannakourou, Koutsoumanis, Nychas, & Taoukis, 2005). A TTI-based system could lead to realistic control of the cold chain, optimization of stock rotation, waste reduction and more efficient management of product quality. A prerequisite for TTI application is the systematic kinetic modelling of the temperature dependence of the target food products’ quality and shelf-life. Similar kinetic study is needed for the TTI response. By using reliable models of quality deterioration and the kinetics of both product and TTI response, the effect of temperature can be monitored and quantitatively translated to food quality during the life span of the product.

The current TTI technology and the scientific approach with regards to quantitative study of safety risk in foods allow the undertaking of the next important step, i.e. the application of TTIs to manage safety risks of foods (Koutsoumanis & Gougouli, 2015). Although the applicability of different TTI systems for monitoring food product quality and shelf-life, mainly of chilled products, has been evaluated in several studies (e.g. Smolander et al., 2004, Tsironi et al., 2011, Tsironi et al., 2008;; Vaikousi et al., 2009, Xiaoshuan et al., 2016), limited information is available for the development of a TTI based food safety management system. Koutsoumanis, Taoukis, and Nychas (2005) introduced a TTI based chill chain management policy, coded Safety Monitoring and Assurance System (SMAS), for the optimization of the distribution of chilled food products within the chill chain. The SMAS led in significantly reduced risk of listeriosis compared to the conventional First-In-First-Out approach. Ellouze and Augustin (2010) developed a microbial TTI for monitoring the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus in ground beef and cooked chicken. A recent study by Koutsoumanis and Gougouli (2015) evaluated the applicability of a microbial TTI for monitoring Listeria monocytogenes growth in meat pate.

Vibrio spp. are gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that occur naturally in estuarine or marine environments. Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are the most common Vibrio species associated with illnesses resulting from consumption of raw or partially cooked seafood worldwide. After harvest of molluscan shellfish these bacteria grow quickly as ambient temperature rises. This can result in significant numbers especially during the summer harvest, thus posing a health risk if oysters with high numbers of Vibrio spp. are ingested raw. Vibriosis is characterized by diarrhea, primary septicemia, wound infections or other extra intestinal infections (Austin, 2010). It has been reported that infections caused by pathogens commonly transmitted through food have declined or are approaching targeted national levels with the exception of Vibrio infections.

From 1989 to 2002, the U.S. FDA recorded 341 serious illnesses associated with consumption of raw shellfish containing V. vulnificus bacteria. 98% of these cases were from consuming raw oysters. 179 people, over 52%, died from their illness (UC Food safety bulletin). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started monitoring V. parahaemolyticus in coastal waters of USA in May 2013, in 13 states, with federal and state partners. By the end of September 2013 there were 104 cases of vibriosis reported from consuming raw or undercooked shellfish, primarily oysters (CDC, 2013). For the period 2006–2014, among 208 speciated Vibrio isolates in USA (96% of the total cases) 131 (63%) were V. parahaemolyticus, 27 (13%) were Vibrio alginolyticus and 19 (9%) were V. vulnificus (CDC., 2015).

In response to the Vibrio risk assessment the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented guidance regarding postharvest processing (PHP) of Gulf Coast oysters harvested during the summer months (FDA, 2009). According to FAO/WHO (2011) V. parahaemolyticus contamination of oysters may reach 60% in seasons of high prevalence. FDA/EPA established a guidance level of 4 log cfu g⁻¹ for V. parahaemolyticus in ready to eat fishery products (minimal cooking by consumer) (Compliance Program 7303.842).

Growth of Vibrio spp. in shellfish after harvest is a typical time-temperature relationship (FDA, 2005) which can be used as a predictive model for growth. TTI developer SME (VITSAB International AB, Sweden) has initiated a development program for suitable TTI-formulations and has proposed four enzyme-substrate formulations with the aim to monitor V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus growth. Several investigators have reported the incidence of Vibrio spp. on the USA Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific coasts, observing that the highest concentrations occurred during the warmer months of April through October and have evaluated the effect of time and temperature on V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus growth in oysters or broth systems (Cook, 1994, Gooch et al., 2002, Parveen et al., 2013).

The objective of this study was the development of a TTI-based cold chain management system for safety monitoring of oysters at harvest and the evaluation of its applicability for monitoring the risk of growth of Vibrio spp.

Section snippets

Mathematical modelling of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus growth in oysters

Growth data for V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus growth in oysters were obtained from literature and analyzed. The Baranyi growth model was used for the prediction of microbial population and used to construct growth curves at specific storage temperatures (Baranyi & Roberts, 1995). Temperature dependence of the growth rate constant, k, was modelled by the Arrhenius equation (Eq. (1)). $ln(k) = ln(k_{ref})- (\frac{E_{a}}{R}) [\frac{1}{T} - \frac{1}{T_{r e f}}]$ where k_ref is the growth rate at a reference temperature T_ref (in this study

Mathematical modelling of V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus growth in oysters

According to FDA (2005), the assumed growth rates of V. parahaemolyticus in broth (axenic) culture that were calculated by the square root model reported by Miles, Ross, Olley, and McKeekin (1997) with a water activity value equal to the optimal value of a_w,opt = 0.985 (Eq. (4)). $\sqrt{k_{Vp}} = \frac{b \cdot (T - T_{\min}) \cdot ((1 - exp(c \cdot (T - T_{\max}))) \cdot \sqrt{(a_{w} - a_{w,min}) \cdot (1 - exp(d \cdot (a_{w} - a_{w,max})))})}{\sqrt{ln(10)}}$ where k_Vp is the V. parahaemolyticus growth rate (log₁₀ per minute), a_w is the water activity, T is the temperature in K. The estimates of the

Conclusions

Throughout the simulated distribution conditions, the TTI response correlated with the increase in Vibrio population, which can indicate the product’s condition with regard to this microbial risk. However it is important to emphasise that the Vibrio-TTIs are designed to signal that conditions for growth of Vibrio spp. (e.g 1 or 3 doublings) in oysters have occurred. The Vibrio-TTIs should not be considered indicators of the prevalence of contamination level of pathogens in the oysters. Use of

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Developing suitable smart TTI labels to match specific monitoring requirements: The case of Vibrio spp. growth during transportation of oysters

Highlights

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Mathematical modelling of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus growth in oysters

Mathematical modelling of V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus growth in oysters

Conclusions

Veterinary Microbiology

International Journal of Food Microbiology

Journal of Food Protection

International Journal of Food Microbiology

Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies

Journal of Food Protection

Trends in Food Science & Technology

International Journal of Food Microbiology

International Journal of Food Microbiology

International Journal of Food Microbiology

Food Control

International Journal of Food Microbiology

LWT - Food Science and Technology

International Journal of Food Microbiology

Increase in Vibrio parahaemolyticus illnesses associated with consumption of shellfish from several Atlantic coast harvest areas, United States, 2013