MT February 2002 cover web

Download PDF

To view and print this document, you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Food Microbiology

01 February 2002 publication

The lead articles of the February 2002 issue of Microbiology Today are on food microbiology today; human gut microbiology; Campylobacter spp: not quite the tender flowers; Clostridia and food-borne disease; Lactobacillus in non-dairy foods; spoiling oneself with mushrooms; and the control of yellow fever.

Food and beverages microbiology - a key concern for our future health (p. 03)

Tom Humphrey explains the reasons for setting up a Food and Beverages Group in the Society and describes what it hopes to achieve.

Human gut microbiology:  the end of the food chain or the start of good health? (p. 04)

A balanced gut flora is crucial to our health and well-being. Glenn Gibson describes how prebiotics and probiotics can be used to keep it under control.

Campylobacter spp: not quite the tender flowers we thought they were? (p. 07)

Campylobacters are important food- and water-borne pathogens. Tom Humphrey explains the physiology and behaviour of these bacteria outside the host.

Clostridia and food-borne disease (p. 09)

Clostridium perfringens or organisms that form the botulinum neurotoxin and lead to food-borne botulism are the most frequent causes of clostridial food-borne illness. Michael Peck explains that while food poisoning associated with C. perfringens is relatively common and relatively mild, food-borne botulism is rare, but very severe.

Lactobacillus: occurrence and significance in non-dairy foods (p. 13)

Lactobacilli are usually thought of as dairy organisms, but Alan Varnam shows their importance in a wide range of other foods and beverages.

Mushrooms - a matter of choice and spoiling oneself (p. 18)

The cultivated mushroom is both a microbe and a food. How do the grower and seller control the quality of this living product? Daniel Eastwood and Kerry Burton discuss mushrooms.

The control of yellow fever: a centennial account (p. 24)

Just a century ago, yellow fever was shown to be due to a mosquito-borne virus. After another 40 years an effective vaccine became available. Yet large outbreaks of yellow fever still occur and, as Philip Mortimer discusses, the safety of what was considered to be an excellent vaccine is now in question.

Going Public (p. 38)

Roy Postlethwaite reports back on the Medicine in the new millennium exhibition in Corn Hall.

Schoolzone (p. 40)

A summary of resources and events for schools and educators, and the Society's dedicated education website goes live.

Gradline (p. 42)

Four final year microbiology students from Nottingham University won a competition of a lifetime - to conduct  their own experiment in a microgravity aboard a parabolic flight in Bordeaux.

Comment - Anthrax (p. 60)

As terror strikes the hearts of US citizens due to the recent mailings of anthrax spores, Rick Titball reviews our current state of knowledge of the causative organism of this disease.


Cover image credit: Tony McConnell/Science Photo Library