PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Improper use of biocides in food production may endanger public health

2014-01-06
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology
Improper use of biocides in food production may endanger public health Biocides used in the food industry at sublethal doses may be endangering, rather than protecting, public health by increasing antibiotic resistance in bacteria and enhancing their ability to form harmful biofilms, according to a study published ahead of print in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. This is among the first studies to examine the latter phenomenon.

The study was designed to test whether exposing Escherichia coli bacteria to sub-lethal concentrations of each of three food-grade biocides could result in greater antibiotic resistance, a greater ability to form damaging and potentially virulent biofilms and to survive normally lethal doses of biocides, says corresponding author Rosa Capita of the University of Leon, Spain.

"Recent scientific evidence suggests that the selective pressure exerted by the use of biocides at sub-lethal concentrations could contribute to the expression and dissemination of antibiotic resistance mechanisms," according to the report.

Exposures to the biocide sodium nitrite increased resistance to 14 out of 29 antibiotics tested. E. coli cells also acquired tolerance to the biocides, especially sodium nitrite and sodium hypochlorite, and these two biocides improved the microbes' ability to form biofilms.

Conversely, exposure to the biocide trisodium phosphate actually reduced E. coli's ability to form biofilms, and boosted resistance only to a single antibiotic.

"These findings are in agreement with reports of other authors, where adaptation of E. coli to both chemical and physical sub-lethal stresses has been demonstrated," write the researchers. "The increased tolerance observed suggests that the use in food environments of compounds which when used inappropriately may provide sub-lethal exposure represents a real risk for the development of adaptation to biocides."

Biofilms boost the risk of food contamination by providing a reservoir of microorganisms, and biofilm formation is a major virulence factor in human infections. Biofilm formation also boosts operation and maintenance costs in food production by interfering with heat exchangers, plugging filters and blocking tubes in water distribution systems.

The study's results are important in demonstrating the need to guide policies to prevent improper use of biocides, says Capita.

### A copy of the manuscript can be found online at http://bit.ly/asmtip0114a. The final version of the article is scheduled for the February 2014 issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology is a publication of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). The ASM is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. Its mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

To curb China's haze and air pollution, use water

2014-01-06
To curb China's haze and air pollution, use water New geoengineering research suggests pollution-control measures inspired by watering a garden A new idea to cut back on air pollution: spray water into the atmosphere from sprinklers atop tall ...

Regional variation in Medicare imaging utilization is considerably less than regional variation in imaging costs

2014-01-06
Regional variation in Medicare imaging utilization is considerably less than regional variation in imaging costs The January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR®) focuses on a variety of issues relating to clinical practice, practice ...

79 years of monitoring demonstrates dramatic forest change

2014-01-06
79 years of monitoring demonstrates dramatic forest change TUOLUMNE, Calif.—Long-term changes to forests affect biodiversity and how future fires burn. A team of scientists led by Research Ecologist Dr. Eric Knapp, ...

Cedars-Sinai researchers target cancer stem cells in malignant brain tumors

2014-01-06
Cedars-Sinai researchers target cancer stem cells in malignant brain tumors Approach aims to prevent brain cancer recurrence by attacking tumors at the source LOS ANGELES (Jan. 6, 2014) – Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Department ...

Yeast's lifestyle couples mating with meiosis

2014-01-06
Yeast's lifestyle couples mating with meiosis PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — From a biological point of view, the world's most exotic sex lives may be the ones lived by fungi. As a kingdom, they are full of surprises, and a new one reported in the journal ...

Supervolcano eruptions are triggered by melt buoyancy

2014-01-06
Supervolcano eruptions are triggered by melt buoyancy Jointly issued by ETH Zurich, ESRF and CNRS Supervolcanos are not usual volcanos. By effectively "exploding" as opposed to erupting, they leave a giant hole in the Earth's crust instead of a volcanic cone – a caldera, ...

Pulsar in stellar triple system makes unique gravitational laboratory

2014-01-06
Pulsar in stellar triple system makes unique gravitational laboratory Neutron star, 2 white dwarfs give best opportunity yet to study complex gravitational interactions and may give clue to true nature of gravity Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's ...

Ground-breaking work sheds new light on volcanic activity

2014-01-06
Ground-breaking work sheds new light on volcanic activity Factors determining the frequency and magnitude of volcanic phenomena have been uncovered by an international team of researchers. Experts from the Universities of Geneva, Bristol and Savoie ...

Population stability 'hope' in species' response to climate change

2014-01-06
Population stability 'hope' in species' response to climate change Stable population trends are a prerequisite for species' range expansion, according to new research led by scientists at the University of York. The climate in Britain has warmed over the last ...

After a 49-million-year hiatus, a cockroach reappears in North America

2014-01-06
After a 49-million-year hiatus, a cockroach reappears in North America The cockroach in the genus Ectobius is a major textbook example of an invasive organism, and it is the most common cockroach inhabiting a large region from northernmost Europe to ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

​​​​​​​The Lancet: Plastic pollution is an underrecognised threat to health, experts warn as they launch a project to track plastics’ health impacts and monitor progress

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics to track impact of plastic production and pollution on human health

Announcing The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics

Study unexpectedly finds living in rural, rather than urban environments in first five years of life could be a risk factor for developing type 1 diabetes

Editorial urges deeper focus on heart-lung interactions in pulmonary vascular disease

Five University of Tennessee faculty receive Fulbright Awards

5 advances to protect water sources, availability

OU Scholar awarded Fulbright for Soviet cinema research

Brain might become target of new type 1 diabetes treatments

‘Shore Wars:’ New research aims to resolve coastal conflict between oysters and mangroves, aiding restoration efforts

Why do symptoms linger in some people after an infection? A conversation on post-acute infection syndromes

Study reveals hidden drivers of asthma flare-ups in children

Physicists decode mysterious membrane behavior

New insights about brain receptor may pave way for next-gen mental health drugs

Melanoma ‘sat-nav’ discovery could help curb metastasis

When immune commanders misfire: new insights into rheumatoid arthritis inflammation

SFU researchers develop a new tool that brings blender-like lighting control to any photograph

Pups in tow, Yellowstone-area wolves trek long distances to stay near prey

AI breakthrough unlocks 'new' materials to replace lithium-ion batteries

Making molecules make sense: A regional explanation method reveals structure–property relationships

Partisan hostility, not just policy, drives U.S. protests

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: August 1, 2025

Young human blood serum factors show potential to rejuvenate skin through bone marrow

Large language models reshape the future of task planning

Narrower coverage of MS drugs tied to higher relapse risk

Researchers harness AI-powered protein design to enhance T-cell based immunotherapies

Smartphone engagement during school hours among US youths

Online reviews of health care facilities

MS may begin far earlier than previously thought

New AI tool learns to read medical images with far less data

[Press-News.org] Improper use of biocides in food production may endanger public health