Page 22 - Abstract Book ICOH4

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One Health Concept In Feed-Food Safety Related Microbiome

Dr. Viktoria Neubauer Mag.Med.Vet

Abstract

Worldwide occur 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses, with 420 000 ending in death per year. The diseases are
mainly assigned to diarrheal or extra-intestinal invasive infections. 60% of the illnesses are caused by bacteria, and
65% of the foodborne deaths are caused by bacterial infections (WHO, 2010). This outlines the importance of
scientific investigations in the kingdom of bacteria concerning food safety in the One Health Concept.
The Austrian Competence Centre FFoQSI (Feed and Food Quality, Safety, and Innovation) investigates bacterial
occurrence and transmission within its scientific area of the animal-derived food-production line (red value chain).
In my talk I want to present data of various of our projects, going on a microbiological tour from the farm, via the
processing plants to the final products and discuss connections from stable to table. In the projects focusing on
dairy production, we found out that the udder-health of dairy cows on a farm is positively associated with the quality
and safety of the shipped milk. Specifically, they have less burden of potential human pathogens like Listeria,
Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli on the cows, the milking equipment, and the milk. Moreover, there are
also lower numbers of Staphylococcal-beta-lactamase genes, which are responsible for antimicrobial resistance
also in humans. In terms of food quality and stability, in the concept of avoiding food waste, we found out that the
cheese-spoilage bacteria Clostridium spp. are present in a high diversity on the cows. Udder hygiene measures
reduced the number of Clostridia. However, the bulk tank milk has a higher burden of spores than the quarter-milk
samples, which shows the need for further investigations about the induction of cheese-spoilage bacteria along the
milking process. In dairy facilities, biofilm detection is of high importance since they potentially harbor, stimulate,
and protect pathogenic bacteria. We were able to detect crucial sites in the dairy environment where biofilms
develop and showed that the microbial community in a biofilm can be either a simple or complex accumulation of
bacteria. In the meat-chain projects, we described the transmission of bacteria using NGS methods across the whole
production line. One interesting finding was that the animals are only a minor source of spoilage bacteria and
surfaces in the meat processing facilities play the most important role.

TH
THE 4 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ONE HEALTH (ICOH)

“Strengthening Collaboration in One Health Systems”