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Food

Publikation Umfrage Ernaehrung ueber 50

Survey on Nutrition 50+

Demographic trends in Switzerland show that, owing to an increased life expectancy, the over-65 population group will continue to grow in the 21st century. A balanced, healthy diet is of vital importance for health and well-being in old age, in order to reduce the risk of various chronic diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiovascular ailments. A survey of 632 individuals aged between 50 and 81 years was conducted to determine both the eating habits and behaviours and the nutritional knowledge of this demographic, as well as the frequency with which they consumed various foods, particularly those of animal origin. More on this topic can be found at the link below: 

Dairy products: requirements concerning
added fruit

The addition of fruit to dairy products can lead to food-safety risks. As part of a Bachelor’s thesis, an assessment was created for the evaluation and management of potential risks in order to reduce the likelihood of contamination to a minimum. The findings of the thesis are very important for smaller and medium-sized milk-processing establishments in particular, and are to be published as part of the InterLab sampling guidelines. 

Projektnummer: 22.08.18.03.05

Mikrobiome der Käseschmiere, der Käse und der Alpkäsereien

En collaboration étroite avec la branche fromagère, de nouvelles données seront générées par la caractérisation d’écosystèmes d’intérêt, allant de la morge, ce biofilm de microorganismes qui couvre une grande partie des fromages suisse, jusqu’à l’étude de la biodiversité dans les fromageries d’alpages. Un focus sera mis sur une sélection de bactéries influençant la qualité du fromage par la production de vitamines, d’arômes, de pigments, ou encore celles responsables de défauts. Il s’agira de quantifier leur présence dans le fromage, de reproduire leurs caractéristiques par une inoculation ciblée de fromages d’essais, et d’investiguer les voies métaboliques utilisées par ces bactéries grâce à des outils de biologie moléculaires et biochimiques de dernière génération.

Name, Vorname Standort
Aeschlimann Thomas Liebefeld
Ahrens Christian Reckenholz
Arias Emmanuelle Liebefeld
Bär Cornelia Liebefeld
Berthoud-dit-Gallon Marchand Hélène Liebefeld
Egger Charlotte Liebefeld
Grasso Fabio Liebefeld
Irmler Stefan Liebefeld
Schmidt Remo Liebefeld
Von Ah Ueli Liebefeld
Walther Barbara Liebefeld

Schmidt R., Somerville V., Berthoud-dit-Gallon Marchand H., Guggenbühl B., Gschwend F., Arias E.
The sensory and microbial diversity of Bernese Alp Cheese.
In: 13th FACEnetwork Meeting. 11. October, Grangeneuve (CH). 2023.

Irmler S., Bavanantharajah T., Binz E., Portmann R.
Ability of Latilactobacillus curvatus FAM25164 to produce tryptamine: Identification of a novel tryptophan decarboxylase.
Food Microbiology, 116, 2023, 1-8.

Wenger A., Bär C., Portmann R., Schmidt R. S., Eugster E., Weisskopf L., Irmler S.
The aminotransferase Aat initiates 3-phenyllactic acid biosynthesis in Pediococcus acidilactici.
Frontiers in Microbiology, 14, 2023, 1-10.

Somerville V., Showing T., Chabas H., Schmidt R., Von Ah U., Bruggmann R., Engel P.
Extensive diversity and rapid turnover of phage defense repertoires in cheese-associated bacterial communities.
Microbiome, 10, 2022, 1-13.

Somerville V., Von Ah U., Schmidt R., Engel P.
Genomic signatures of domestication in bacterial communities of Swiss cheese starter cultures.
In: ASM Microbe. 08. Juni, Washington DC.. 2022.

Somerville V., Grigaitis P., Battjes J., Moro F., Teusink B.
Use and limitations of genome-scale metabolic models in food microbiology.
Current Opinion in Food Science, 43, 2022, 225-231.

Somerville V., Schowing T., Chabas H., Schmidt R., Von Ah U., Bruggmann R., Engel P.
Extensive diversity and rapid turnover of phage defense repertoires in cheese-associated bacterial communities.
In: CRISPR 2022. 12. Juni, Boston. 2022.

Somerville V., Berthoud-dit-Gallon Marchand H., Schmidt R., Bachmann H.-P., Meng Y. H., Fuchsmann P., Von Ah U., Engel P.
Functional strain redundancy and phage resistance diversity in Swiss raw mixed cultures.
In: CBL 2022. 08. Juni, Hrsg. INRA Frankreich, Rennes. 2022.

Schmidt R.
Beprobung Berner Alpen: Erste Ergebnisse der Beprobung 2021.
In: Netzwerkanlass Alpwirtschaft. 07. April, Hrsg. Inforama Berner Oberland (Hondrich), Inforama Berner Oberland (Hondrich). 2022, 1-24.

Berthoud H., Wechsler D., Irmler S.
Production of putrescine and cadaverine by Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis.
Frontiers in Microbiology, 13, 2022, 1-10.

Absorption of carotenoids from spinach in humans

Leafy-green vegetables are a significant source of the carotenoids lutein and beta-carotene, both of which are important for sight. The findings of a recently concluded intervention study point towards lower baseline serum levels and poorer absorption of these carotenoids in short-bowel patients than in healthy individuals. Potential long-term effects on vision owing to malabsorption of these food constituents have yet to be elucidated.

Minimising pathogens on vegetables

The number of infectious diseases caused by the consumption of vegetables contaminated with human-pathogenic bacteria is on the rise worldwide. The location and potential absorption of such bacteria in vegetable plants as well as the role of input sources such as irrigation water are currently only partially clarified. In a current research project, Agroscope is investigating the colonisation of salad plants with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in cooperation with the University of Hohenheim, Germany. 

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