During the manufacture of Italian salami, a traditional meat product, a sequence of hurdles like meat fermentation, air-drying, and long ripening processes are generally sufficient to inhibit the growth of most pathogens. Furthermore, Italian salami are traditionally produced by adding synthetic nitrates/nitrites to raw meat with safety and technological aims, even if controversial opinions about their use still remain, particularly in relation to the consumer demand for natural food products. In this context, the aim of the study was to investigate the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. during the manufacturing process of Milano-type salami made with different formulations to evaluate the contribution of the hurdles and the vegetable or synthetic additives on the inactivation of pathogens. Thus, a challenge study was performed dividing ca. 400 kg of Milano-type salami batter into three batches: Batch (A) without nitrates/nitrites; Batch (B) with vegetable nitrates, and Batch (C) with synthetic nitrates/nitrites. The batches were separately inoculated with L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. and the pathogens’ survival was evaluated during the fermentation, draining, and 70-day ripening of the Milano-type salami. The pathogen counts decreased in all tested conditions, even though the highest inactivation of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. (p < 0.05) was observed when nitrates or nitrites were added to the batter. This study shows how the safety of these products cannot exclude the aspect of the hurdle technology during the process, which plays a major role in the reduction of pathogens, but additives like nitrates and nitrites allow for a greater margin of safety. Thus, further studies are needed to validate the use of natural compounds as alternatives to conventional preservatives in meat products. These results may provide new information to support food business operators in producing traditional foods with alternative preservatives and competent authorities in verifying the safety of the products made with natural compounds, and to control the process parameters responsible for the synergistic effect against pathogens such as L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp.

An increasing trend among food business operators (FBOs) to extend the shelf life of Ready-To-Eat (RTE) fish products over 5 days, the duration usually assigned to this kind of product, has been observed recently. In this study, three independent challenge tests (food artificial contamination) were performed on tuna fillet, marinated salmon tartare, and cubed salmon, with the aim of calculating the maximum growth rate (V_max) of Listeria monocytogenes and estimating the time required to reach the legal limit of 2 log CFU/g, as established by European Regulation 2073/2005. The pathogen counts were fitted by the model of Baranyi and Roberts to calculate the V_max, which were 0.041, 0.020, and 0.039 log CFU/g·h⁻¹, respectively, for the tuna fillet, marinated salmon tartare, and cubed salmon at 10 °C. These results can help FBOs in assigning the correct shelf life based on hygienic practices during the process, product characteristics, and storage conditions. The time to reach the legal limit greatly depends on the starting concentration of the pathogen and on the storage temperature. The challenges for FBOs and the health authorities include reducing the contamination of L. monocytogenes, controlling the retail temperatures, and implementing the analytical tests for quick responses.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh salads are widely consumed for their convenience and nutritional value, but they could represent a relevant food safety concern, as they do not undergo a lethal heat treatment before consumption, and furthermore, they may support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes during refrigerated storage. In this study, the growth potential of L. monocytogenes was evaluated by standardised challenge tests in five commercially available RTE salads: crispy lettuce, baby lettuce, a baby lettuce–spicy mustard mix, and two mâche products from different producers. Three different batches for each product were inoculated with a three-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes at a target level of approximately 2–3 log CFU/g and stored under conditions simulating reasonably foreseeable refrigerated storage (7 °C for approximately two-thirds of their shelf life, followed by 10 °C for the remaining one-third), in accordance with ISO 20976-1 and EURL L. monocytogenes guidelines. The growth potential (Δ) was calculated as the difference between the highest mean L. monocytogenes concentration observed during storage and the mean of the initial concentration at time zero, both in three replicate samples; Δmax was defined as the highest Δ value among the tested batches. Crispy lettuce, baby lettuce, and the mixed salad supported the growth of L. monocytogenes, with Δmax values of 2.33, 2.60, and 3.65 log CFU/g, respectively. In contrast, both mâche products showed Δmax values ≤ 0.5 log CFU/g, indicating an inability to support pathogen growth under the tested conditions. These results demonstrate that the growth potential of L. monocytogenes in RTE salads is strongly product-specific and likely influenced by intrinsic characteristics and background microbiota, as well as by storage temperature. The findings underline the importance of strict temperature control and product-specific risk assessment to ensure compliance with microbiological criteria throughout shelf life and to mitigate the risk of listeriosis associated with RTE salads.

Foodborne botulism is a potentially fatal disease caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs). These spore-forming bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment and can contaminate various food products, especially raw vegetables. During the preparation of home-made preserves, favorable conditions of anaerobiosis, temperature, salinity, and pH can lead to spore germination and toxin production. BoNTs can reach neuromuscular junctions where they block the release of acetylcholine. In this study, we present a case of foodborne botulism associated with the consumption of chili peppers preserve containing BoNT/B. The isolated strains were characterized through Whole Genome Sequencing, confirming the strains involved in the outbreak. This work increases the understanding of the epidemiology and the ecology of C. botulinum, highlighting the importance of raising medical awareness and making timely clinical diagnoses for the effective management of botulism outbreaks.