The Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL is seeking papers on Focused Topics and/or Guest Editor collections, for the following: Human Pathogen Detection, Identification, and Characterization for Food Safety and Outbreak Investigation and also Food Fraud Identification. If you want to submit a proposal for a Guest Editor Section, contact Jennifer Diatz, Director of Publications.
Human Pathogen Detection, Identification, and Characterization for Food Safety and Outbreak Investigation
Recalls and outbreaks caused by microbial contaminations in foods appear on headline news frequently, such as the recent Salmonella outbreak associated with cantaloupes. Although culture methods are still the golden standards, more and more molecular methods are frequently used as preliminary screening or official detection and identification protocols for foodborne microbial pathogens. The powerful whole genome sequencing technology is increasingly employed for the identification and characterization of foodborne pathogens. Data on resistances to environmental stresses, virulent factors/genes, and antimicrobial resistance of pathogens provide useful information for developing prevention and control strategies for microbial contamination of foods. We welcome all research and reviews related to these fields. For additional information contact Jennifer Diatz, Director of Publications.
Food Fraud Identification
Food fraud is becoming an important issue for consumers. In the past, it has been difficult to determine whether the genus/species composition in foods accurately reflects label claims. Recent advances in omics methodologies mean that it is now possible to identify the presence of foreign DNA in food samples. However, the identification of specific contaminating foods requires specific DNA targets and there are problems of quantification when dealing with complex mixtures of food sources. For additional information contact Jennifer Diatz, Director of Publications.