Food microbiology

A guide to journal article databases, Web sources and books on the biology and management of foodborne microorganisms.

Journal article databases

A range of literature databases can be searched to find journal articles. The databases below will usually produce some articles on most areas of food microbiology, but each has its own emphasis (e.g. biological, medical, agricultural, technological) and it's best to choose an appropriate database for your topic. See Molecular biosciences databases for details of each database and access to it.

Biological abstracts, PubMed (Medline), Web of Science, SciFinder Scholar (Chemical abstracts and Medline)

These are the most generally useful databases, especially for a biological emphasis e.g. microorganisms' characteristics and behaviour in food, and methods of analysis. PubMed may be best for public health aspects such as epidemiology, risk assessment, outbreaks. SciFinder Scholar's version of Medline has less complete searching of MESH terms than does PubMed.

CAB Abstracts, Agricola

Use these agricultural databases when the emphasis is on the food product, whether paddock or plate, or on the process (e.g. food storage, preservation). In CAB Abstracts, category code QQ120 = Microbial technology in food processing and can be searched as qq120 in cc

SciFinder Scholar (Chemical abstracts and Medline), Applied science and technology index, Ei compendexWeb (Engineering index)

Use these databases for chemical or bioengineering aspects of food processing.

Web sources

Food microbiology data, methods and fact sheets can be found on both general microbiology web sites and food safety web sites.

• Microbiology data and methods
  Try these general sources, especially those in the section on bacteria, if you are looking for biological data (but not necessarily food related data) on specific foodborne microorganisms such as Salmonella.

• Foodborne Illness, Food and Drug Administration, U.S.
  Has two online handbooks amongst other food safety sources:
  Bad bug book: Foodborne pathogenic microorganisms and natural toxins handbook which contains basic facts on specific foodborne bacteria, viruses and prions: characteristics, habitat or source, associated foods, infective dose, disease symptoms, complications, outbreaks, susceptible populations.
  Bacteriological Analytical Manual Online which contains FDA's preferred laboratory procedures for microbiological analyses of foods and cosmetics.

• Online Photo Atlas: Food Microbiology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL), Denmark.
  Has photos and short descriptions of food bacteria.

• Compendium of analytical methods, Food Program, Health Canada
  Contains microbiological analytical methods used by the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada.

• Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
  Contains current protocols for analytical tests on meat, poultry and egg products.

• Emerging microbiological food safety issues, Institute of Food Technologists
  A substantial review of science and management of foodborne disease with literature references.

• Food Safety Risk Analysis Clearinghouse, Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
  An extensive set of links to data, tutorials, tools for food safety risk analysis professionals and food safety consumer information.

• Food safety and quality, Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiogical Risk Assessment (JEMRA), FAO
  Includes risk assessment documents on Campylobacter, Salmonella and Vibrio; guidelines; meetings.

• Foodborne outbreak response and surveillance group, Center for Disease Control, U.S.
  Contains outbreak statistics, summaries on specific microorganisms and diseases.

• Microbes in food and drink, Micro-Encyclopedia, Society for General Microbiology
  A collection of articles from Microbiology today.

• Food and Nutrition, National Agricultural Library, U.S.
  Has food safety reports, fact sheets and a database of research projects.

• Food Standards Australia New Zealand and Food safety, Department of Human Services South Australia
  Have Australian food safety regulation factsheets, newsletters and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

• Food Standards Agency, United Kingdom.
  Reports, news, fact sheets.

• Other food guides from the University of Adelaide Library:
  Food management and technology, Waite Library
  Gastronomy

Books

To find books, search the Library catalogue using a range of subject heading or keyword searches such as the following and sort your results by latest date:

• food microbiology or foodborne disease?
• food contamination or food spoilage
• food biotechnology
• (food? or meat) and (bacteria? or pathogen?)
• particular microorganisms

See also Microbiology data and methods for general handbooks such as those on Bacteria.

Handbooks and textbooks may be in the Barr Smith, Waite and Roseworthy collections and in biomedical, agricultural and engineering call numbers. Examples include:

• Encyclopaedia of food science, food technology, and nutrition. Academic Press, 1993. Barr Smith Reference collection 664.003 M174e
• Encyclopedia of food science and technology. 2nd ed. Wiley, c2000. Barr Smith Reference collection 664.003 F818e
• Handbook of food engineering practice. CRC Press, 1997. Barr Smith Reference collection 664 V154h
• Official methods of analysis of AOAC International.
  16th ed 1995 in Barr Smith Reference collection 543.05 O32.3, 17th ed 2000 in Waite Reference 543 O32.2
  Section 17 covers food microbiological methods.
• Microbiological specifications of food pathogens. International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods. Blackie Academic, 1996. Barr Smith Main collection 576.163 I61m
• Food microbiology : fundamentals and frontiers. Ed. Michael P. Doyle. ASM Press, c1997. Barr Smith Main collection 664.001579 D754f
• Foodborne pathogens : an illustrated text. A. H. Varnam. Wolfe Pub., 1991. Barr Smith Main collection 615.95 V317f