Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Want to request an advanced access to Pathogens-in-Foods database?
Please fill out the form with the requested information (form).
Q: What foodborne pathogens can be searched for?
Pathogens-In-Foods contains data for:
- Bacteria: Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., shigatoxin producing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus.
- Viruses: norovirus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis E virus.
- Parasites: Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Giardia duodenalis.
Q: What types of food can be searched for?
All types of foods are supported. The broad categories are: meat and meat products, eggs and egg products, milk and dairy products, grains and cereal products, seafood, fruits, vegetables, legumes, beverages, sugars and multi-ingredient/composite foods.
In the search, these categories can be narrowed down by food subcategories, and further filtered by packaging status (packed, unpacked), stage in the food chain where sampling took place (farm, mid processing, end of processing, retail, restauration), temperature class at sampling (ambient, chilled, frozen), ready-to-eat status (yes, no) and food origin (country).
Q: What is the difference between “Prevalence”, “Count” and “Both” when choosing Essay Type?
“Prevalence” must be chosen in the field “Select Essay” if the objective is to retrieve data of the type detected/non detected (i.e., binary data).
In the case of bacterial agents, if you wish to retrieve microbiological results from enrichment analysis, the “Prevalence” option must be always selected. Example: “Prevalence” should be chosen if you wish to access to enrichment analysis results for Salmonella spp. or Yersinia enterocolitica.
“Counts” must be selected if the objective is to retrieve concentration data (i.e., continuous data). However, in the particular case of bacterial agents, if you wish to retrieve microbiological results from direct plating (without enrichment), the “Counts” option must be always selected.
Example: “Counts” should be chosen if you wish to access to direct plating results for B. cereus, S. aureus or C. perfringens.
In the case of bacterial agents, “Both” must be selected if the objective is to retrieve results from investigations that have conducted both enrichment and plating essays on the same set of samples.
Example: “Both” should be chosen if you wish to find enrichment and plating results for L. monocytogenes analysis conducted in parallel.
Q: How should searches be performed?
The basic search is performed by selecting agent, type of essay and food category. Other filters can be applied to narrow down the results for obtaining more specific information.
Q: Can I retrieve the data sources?
The Basic User does not have access to the bibliographic references of the primary studies.
The Advanced User can have this information providing certain conditions are met.
For more information, contact the team.
In case you haven’t found the answer for your question please feel free to contact us.
