The presence of microbial pathogens in foods compromises their safety resulting in foodborne illnesses, public health disorders, product recalls, and economic losses. In this work, 60 samples of chilled raw chicken meat and 40 samples of packaged ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh leafy greens salads, sold in Greek retail stores (butchers and supermarkets), were analyzed for the presence of three important foodborne pathogenic bacteria, i.e., Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes, following the detection protocols of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In parallel, the total aerobic plate count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and staphylococci were also enumerated as hygiene (safety) indicator organisms. When present, representative typical colonies for each pathogen were biochemically verified, following the ISO guidelines. At the same time, all the Campylobacter isolates from chicken (n = 120) were identified to the species level and further phylogenetically discriminated through multiplex and repetitive sequence-based (rep) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, respectively. Concerning raw chicken, Campylobacter spp. were recovered from 54 samples (90.0%) and Salmonella spp. were recovered from 9 samples (15.0%), while L. monocytogenes was present in 35 samples (58.3%). No Campylobacter was recovered from salads, and Salmonella was present in only one sample (2.5%), while three salads were found to be contaminated with L. monocytogenes (7.5%). The 65% of the Campylobacter chicken isolates belonged to C. jejuni, whereas the rest, 35%, belonged to C. coli. Alarmingly, APC was equal to or above 10⁶ CFU/g in 53.3% and 95.0% of chicken and salad samples, respectively, while the populations of some of the other safety indicators were in some cases also high. In sum, this study unravels high occurrence percentages for some pathogenic and food safety indicator microorganisms in raw chicken meat and RTE fresh leafy greens salads sold in Greek retail, highlighting the need for more extensive microbiological control throughout the food production chain (from the farm/field to the market).

The present study aimed to investigate Greek Kollitsida root samples from different geographical regions based on physicochemical and antibacterial analyses. For this purpose, samples were treated with different solvents, deionized water (solvent A) and ethanol of grape origin (solvent B), to monitor if the physicochemical and phytochemical parameter values can be affected by the type of solvent. Results showed that the extraction solvent affected the physicochemical and phytochemical profile of Kollitsida. In addition, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts showed antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus, which was also affected by the geographical origin of Kollitsida samples. Finally, the application of multivariate analysis on the data obtained using deionized water or ethanol of grape origin as an extraction solvent for the analyses classified samples according to their geographical origin by 100%, using the cross-validation method of linear discriminant analysis. The study brings new knowledge regarding the physicochemical, phytochemical, and antibacterial profiles, along with the authenticity, of Greek Kollitsida.

Given the limited data in the recent literature regarding spirulina cultivated in Greece, the present study aimed to investigate physicochemical parameters (pH, color), antioxidant activity, and phytochemical content (total phenolic content, quercetin, caffeic acid, C-phycocyanin) of spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) obtained through conventional and organic cultivation methods in different forms (disk-shaped tablets, powder, and flakes) and using different solvents [water and ethanol of grape origin (EEGO)]. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of spirulina against selected food pathogens, namely Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7, was also investigated. Results showed that the form of spirulina and the solvent used significantly (p < 0.05) affected the physicochemical parameters, antioxidant activity, and phytochemical compounds. Spirulina had a neutral to alkaline pH (6.79 ± 0.02 to 8.24 ± 0.01) and a considerable number of pigments, including C-phycocyanin (0.07 ± 0.01 to 1.65 ± 0.01 mg/mL). The most pronounced effects were recorded in the case of antioxidant activity, where EEGO proved to be the best solvent for the extraction of compounds with antioxidant activity (44.37 ± 2.28% to 48.28 ± 0.39%) against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. In contrast, water proved to be the best solvent for the recovery of total phenolics (4.83 ± 0.55 mg/g DM to 17.07 ± 0.66 mg/g DM), primarily in spirulina powder. Regarding the antibacterial activity, spirulina, primarily in powder and tablet form (in both solvents), showed considerable inhibition zones against the studied food pathogens. The present study presents new knowledge concerning spirulina cultivated in Greece in terms of physicochemical parameters, antioxidant activity, phytochemical content, and antibacterial activity.

Carob has traditionally been used as a nutritious alternative to cocoa. The present study evaluated the physicochemical, microbiological, nutritional, sensorial, phenolic, and antioxidant profile, along with the bioaccessibility of phenolics and antioxidants, of a developed carob-based spreadable product in comparison with two commercially available similar chocolate–hazelnut spreads popular in Greece. Moreover, the implemented food safety management system and the economic impact of the new product were also considered. The carob-based product was slightly more acidic (pH 5.3) and had an increased water activity (a_w = 0.67) when compared to the commercial chocolate spreads. Consumer acceptability for the developed product was almost 80%, and it had a shelf-life of over six months. In terms of nutritional value, the product is suitable for vegans with no added animal protein and preservatives, while it is also low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and very low in sodium. Comparatively, the carob-based product exhibited higher total phenolic (TPC) but lower total flavonoid (TFC) contents and increased DPPH activity than the other two cocoa-based spreads (p < 0.05). Predicted bioaccessibility in the newly developed product was 67% for TPC (p ≥ 0.05) and 10% for total antioxidant capacity (TAC; p < 0.05). Market analysis indicates that there is a considerable margin of profit for the developed product against competition. Conclusively, this research demonstrates that carob-based food products with functional properties can constitute a suitable, promising alternative to conventional cocoa-based similar products.