Microbiological Food Hygiene is a book about our clean and healthy nutrition from the sources of raw food materials into our homes. It associates nutrition to the functions of our alimentary tract and its microflora. They ultimately digest the food for nutrient uptake, as well as meet the challenges from the outside microbes. Both industrial food manufacturing and traditional means for hunting, fishing and gathering as well as the agriculture and animal husbandry are included from the hygienic point of view. Food hygienic quality during its production and preparation, distribution and catering are also focused on, as well as strategies for its maintenance. Besides our bodily source of energy and anabolism, food is a substrate for micro-organisms, both on its own and in our alimentary tract. Sometimes, the microbes cause spoilage, food-poisoning or diseases via food. Microbiological Food Hygiene introduces the common bacterial, viral, fungal or toxin agents of food-poisonings. In this book, the history of method development in food microbiology is surveyed, as well as the detection of food contaminants. Also, the follow-up of the effects of salmonellae, campylobacteria, Bacillus sp., staphylococcal, clostridial or other toxins, various food-poisoning zoonoses, dairy contamination, fish microbes, and several other forms of food contamination are included. Microbes can also be used for processing food for better diet and preservation, its improved constitution, and for adding taste or nutritional values into it. This book introduces also some more exotic cases of traditional foods and their contamination problems and preservation means, from the arctic areas to the tropics. They could serve as examples for modern homes and restaurants or large industrial kitchens. The positive contribution of microbial strains in binding valuable trace elements, such as selenium and other minerals is presented, as well as the probiotic activities of several microbes and their roles in maintaining the BIB (Bacteriological Intestinal Balance). Results on health promoting flavonoid substances and neonatal milk formulas are introduced. Methods for microbiological food diagnostics and quality monitoring are widely included, also with some actual problems as the spread of antibiotic resistant strains and some other emerging threats. These hazards are partially due to population expansion and global trade and travelling. Also, the industrial food manufacturing accelerates the buildup of some of the problems. Experts in microbiology as well as those working with food production and distribution in our societies need to keep up with the pace of various methods of development, such as novel genetic techniques or immunoassays, enhanced enrichment, volatile sensing, molecular diagnostics and many others. The influence of various microbes in foods and thereof is related to their metabolic capabilities, surface structures and the antigenic properties, biofilm formation, intestinal interactions, etc. These phenomena are profoundly discussed in the Microbiological Food Hygiene. Food sterilisation, hygienisation and preservation techniques, large kitchens and catering services, and other practical issues are also introduced. The importance of theoretic background is to be estimated on the basis of everyday activities in the versatile and fascinating field of food production and hygiene.

This book describes the issues of human health and healthcare from the point of view of hygiene monitoring and maintenance. Also, the perspectives on the effects of microbial cell structures, metabolism, communities and interactions on health and hygiene are included. Besides microbiological screening of patients, surfaces, air space etc. this book introduces some key bacteriological, virological and fungal risks in the clinical setting. It describes routes of contamination inside hospitals, and into our body. The means for prevention of the spreading of unwanted microbes are presented as well. Protection mechanisms of the bodily system and the balances of the human microbiome are discussed with respect to intrusions via the respiratory or digestive systems or damaged skin. The risks during operations or invasive treatments are highlighted, together with means for avoiding them. Examples of biofilm formation on the devices or on the body surfaces, latent infections, contagion mechanisms, as well as prevalent risks such as mycobacterial infections, antibiotic resistant strains, intracellular pathogens, nosocomial viruses, lowered host defences, Clostridium difficile, salmonellas, legionellas are included in the chapters of this book. Important developments such as personalized medicine, point-of-care diagnostics, arthroscopy, improved drug delivery, pre- and probiotic treatments, monitoring of the normal flora and its beneficial effects are also discussed.

Microbiological industrial hygiene is defined as the safeguarding of industrial products, premises, personnel and raw materials from harmful or hazardous microbes which could cause a threat to the general public or the environment. The microbiological means for pursuing these goals in sampling, enrichment and detection are examined in the chapters of this book. Industries have been established for the production of a huge variety of products, from the cleanest medical or other healthcare products to the foods and other basic products people use on a daily basis. The micro-organisms are present in almost everything, and their presence needs to be monitored with skill. They often constitute an important component in the product composition by themselves. In these cases, the purity of the microbial supplements and seed cultures as well as their prevalence in the processes need to be surveilled. After this, the microbial communities could be within the scope of analysis. Sometimes, the industrial microbiomes need to be researched, too. Consequently, issues like clean room production, medical blood products, use of preservatives, milk and meat production, forest industry products, biorefineries, energy production with biohydrogen and methane, organic fertilisers and biochemicals are included in these chapters. Raw material safety, such as the Brucella spp.in milk is also dealt with in close attention. The microbiological industrial hygiene, as outlined above, should include the responsibility on the wastes of the various industries. In fact, these and the side streams could be converted into valuable raw materials for novel products with the aid of the microbes. This book introduces several steps for the industries to continue in this direction, which could also improve the overall hygienic status. The purpose of this book is to help the industrial production of microbiologically clean products using basic knowledge based on the microbiological and hygienic principles.