title: Modelling the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on raw portioned tomatoes, inoculated with Aspergillus fumigatus and Emericella nidulans.
abstract: The metabiotic interactions occurring among two fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus and Emericella nidulans) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on raw portioned tomatoes were studied. Tomatoes, preinoculated with the moulds and inoculated with the pathogen, were packaged in air and stored at 4, 8 and 12( composite function)C for 9 days; pathogen cell number and pH were monitored throughout the storage and the data were modeled using three different equations (Geeraerd, Weibull, and modified Weibull), to assess the shoulder length, the 1-log reduction time, and the death time. Both A. fumigatus and E. nidulans increased the survival of E. coli O157:H7 through the prolongation of the shoulder length; in contrast, the death time was significantly increased. The results of this paper suggested that the metabiotic interactions aspergilli/E. coli O 157:H7 could be of public concern, as the consumption of tomatoes (or other fruits and vegetables) contaminated both by the moulds and the pathogen is a possible scenario.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural Science, Foggia University, Via Napoli 25, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cardillo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cibelli
authors.forename: Clelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Altieri
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinigaglia
mesh_terms: D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival; D003198:Computer Simulation; D032842:Emericella / Q000502:physiology*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000502:physiology*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins