Spoilage processes in food reviewed with new tool

A new DNA-based analysis technique finds spoilage organisms in food that are not picked up by traditional analysis techniques. This new technique is an important additional tool that provides more insight into deterioration processes and can offer an answer to persistent shelf life problems where traditional detection techniques fail. This has been shown in the doctoral research of ILVO-VUB researcher Evelyne Duthoo, who applied both DNA-based and traditional detection techniques to processed meat products and compared the analysis results.

DNA-based techniques detect more

ILVO-VUB researcher Evelyne Duthoo used both traditional and DNA-based techniques to monitor the development of bacteria during the shelf life of three pre-packaged products: packaged cooked ham, chicken white and a vegetarian alternative. She then compared the results: The main results of both techniques were similar. Both techniques found lactic acid bacteria as the dominant group in all three products. Also, the most abundant bacteria detected by the classical and the DNA-based technique at the end of the shelf life were the same. However, the DNA-based analyses picked up more types of bacteria than the classic analyses.

Are the data the technique detects also relevant?

The DNA-based technique thus indicates the presence of micro-organisms that remained under the radar using traditional culture methods. But are these results also relevant for spoilage research? For that, it still needs to be investigated whether the extra bacteria detected were also present alive, and thus capable of causing shelf-life problems.

Useful tool for more insight and more targeted action

DNA-based techniques are an extra tool for the food sector to trace the causes of spoilage and to focus more on prevention. Although the techniques are probably still too complex and expensive to apply routinely, they can offer an answer to persistent shelf life problems. This PhD research also points to the importance of more targeted culture methods in routine research, so that important bacteria that remain under the radar with the average culture method are picked up. 

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