Books in the Practical Food Microbiology series

Human illness attributed to foodborne pathogenic microorganisms has been prominent in the mass media over the years. This series has been devised to give practical and accurate information about specific microorganisms of concern to public health.

Recent outbreaks of fatal foodborne illness associated with Vero cytotoxin-producing E.coli (VTEC) have highlighted the need for thorough and coherent information to be provided to the food industry. The book details the causes of selected incidents and assess the lessons that can be learnt from them. It examines the characteristics of E. coli and VTEC and identifies factors which make foods susceptible to contamination by these pathogens. Specific product sectors are used to indicate practical measures that can be applied to control VTEC in foods and minimize its potential to cause harm to the consumer. It also provides guidance in selecting effective sampling plans and test methods to monitor and detect the organism and offers pragmatic advice on action to be taken when the organism is detected during monitoring programmes. This information is designed for use by the food industry, particularly personnel working in manufacturing, safety and quality control. It will also be useful for Environmental Health Offices and food research institutions.

Human illness attributed to foodborne pathogenic microorganisms has been prominent in the mass media in recent years. The Practical Food Microbiology Series has been devised to give practical and accurate information about specific organisms of concern to public health.

Clostridium botulinum produces a neurotoxin which causes the severe, often fatal illness, botulism. As a spore--forming bacterium requiring anaerobic conditions for growth, C. botulinum is a potential hazard associated with a wide range of both ambient stable and chilled foods. Despite the knowledge and understanding accumulated about C.