ANOTHER BACTERIA SLAYER-DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ARMORY

Antibiotic resistance developed by many disease causing microorganisms is an area of intense concern to medical community as well as food scientists. Whether such resistance is caused by indiscriminate use of antibiotics by the physicians even for small ailments and virus related illnesses or wide scale deployment of antibiotics by the meat and poultry industry during raising of the animals is a matter of debate and consensus still eludes the humanity. May be the bacterial species are continuously morphing due to mutation into more potent creatures capable of overcoming the effectiveness of many antibiotics commonly used to day. It is well recognized that prevention is far more preferable to curing a disease and there are a number technologies man has invented that can kill these predatory vectors. There are technologies based on heat, chemicals, natural bacteria killers, salt, sugar, alcohol, ionizing radiation, infrared radiation, ultraviolet light, blue light, super freezing, etc each with its own strength and weakness. Here comes another tool to annihilate bacteria based on physical principles which appears to be promising and some details are given below. 

Whether it's in hospitals, restaurant kitchens or our homes, harmful bacteria such as E.coli are a constant concern. Making matters worse is the fact that such bacteria are increasingly developing a resistance to antibiotics. This has led to a number of research projects, which have utilized things such as blue light, cold plasma and ozone to kill germs. One of the latest non-antibiotic bacteria-slayers is a hydrogel developed by IBM Research and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore. The hydrogel consists of water (over 90 percent of its composition), along with special polymers. When heated to body temperature, these polymers' molecules link together like the teeth of a zipper, forming chains that give the substance its malleable, gelatinous consistency. The gel is non-toxic, water-soluble, biodegradable, and maintains a positive charge. That last point is particularly important, as the outer membranes of bacteria carry a negative charge. As a result, when the hydrogel is applied to an antibiotic-resistant bacterial biofilm, the bacteria are drawn to the gel, which then kills them by rupturing their membranes. Because it's a physical attack, the bacteria are unable to develop a resistance to the hydrogel. Additionally, the gel doesn't harm healthy body cells, and sticks around on surfaces longer than fast-evaporating ethanol-based solutions such as hand gels. It is hoped that once fully developed and approved, the hydrogel could be used in applications such as wound-healing creams and injections, or implant and catheter coatings. More information is available in the video below.

Though it appears clean and easy to use, its limitation is that the same can be used probably in hospitals to treat wounds in a more efficient way and sterilize surgical instruments and surfaces. The innovators must explore the possibility of using these gels for sterilizing food processing equipment and surfaces that come in contact with bare foods during processing. Food industry, especially, the meat and poultry industry is facing enormous problems in pre-empting contamination of carcasses and processed frozen and refrigerated products by deadly bugs like Salmonella, E.coli and Campylobacter and the hydrogel, if edible in nature, can be considered for use by this much stressed industry.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

PHTHALATES AND OZONIZATION-UNKNOWN HAZARDS

Use of plastics in the day to day life of human beings has become so omnipotent that one cannot imagine the effect of a future ban on these ubiquitous material on the quality of life. While the chemicals used in manufacturing plastics pose safety problems of different dimensions, especially in food contact applications, the near intractability of plastics present an entirely different problem to the environment. Increasing safety concerns are making the manufacturers more and more cautious in reducing likely toxic effects of migrant chemicals from plastics, the eventual drying up of fossil fuel wells will force the industry to look for more sustainable sources for making acceptable substitutes. One of the widely occurring leached chemicals from plastics in the environment, Phthalates are biologically immune to degradation and can accumulate in future to intolerable levels with grave health debilitating effect. The Ozone treatment which is becoming a standard disinfection technique was expected to destroy Phthalates. But recent findings that the oxidative artifacts from these contaminants may pose some hazard is some what disturbing.

"Phthalate esters or phthalates are widely used to improve the flexibility and softness of PVC resins, cellulose and other polymers. However, because of their high levels of production and utilisation, leached phthalates have become persistent organic pollutants in aquatic environments. Several of these chemicals have been classified as endocrine disrupters by the World Health Organisation. Some of the most frequently identified phthalates in environmental samples are short-chained esters such as diethyl phthalate (DEP), which originates from discharged waste water and leaching from plastic products. Studies have also shown that DEP is difficult to degrade biologically and photochemically. The release of DEP into water environments is therefore an emerging issue for public health. Advanced oxidation technologies such as the ozone process are widely used in drinking water and waste water treatment because of their strong oxidation and disinfection capabilities. The ozone process could have potential for the elimination of DEP in water. However, some highly persistent unknown by-product peaks of DEP formed during oxidation have been detected and some by-products are thought to remain in solution. There is therefore a need to examine the DEPozonation degradation pathway".

Though the above report does not still cause any panic because of the inconclusive nature of the studies, it is necessary to get to the bottom of this issue through more studies. Phthalate contamination is a man-made problem and in the long run it is better if the use of these chemicals in plastics are progressively shunned and the industry is bound to work in this direction once the full ramifications of the impact of Phthalates become apparent. With the pace of research and development on biodegradable plastics picking up rapidly, synthetic materials made from fossil fuels can be expected to decline significantly in the coming years.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com