Modified charcoal-cefoperazone-deoxycholate agar (mCCDA) was improved by supplementation with a high concentration of polymyxin B. The ability of the supplemented medium to isolate Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli from chicken carcass rinses was compared to that of Campy-Cefex agar and mCCDA. Modification of mCCDA with increased polymyxin B yielded a significantly (P < 0.05) higher isolation rate and greater selectivity than those achieved using Campy-Cefex agar and mCCDA.

Salmonella contamination in chicken samples can cause major health problems in humans. However, not only the effects of antibiotic treatment during growth but also the impacts of the poultry slaughter line on the prevalence of Salmonellae in final chicken meat sold to consumers are unknown. In this study, we compared the isolation rates and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonellae among antibiotic-free, conventional, conventional Korean native retail chicken meat samples, and clonal divergence of Salmonella isolates by multilocus sequence typing. In addition, the distribution of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes in ESBL-producing Salmonella isolates was analyzed. A total of 72 retail chicken meat samples (n = 24 antibiotic-free broiler [AFB] chickens, n = 24 conventional broiler [CB] chickens, and n = 24 conventional Korean native [CK] chickens) was collected from local retail markets in Seoul, South Korea. The isolation rates of Salmonellae were 66.6% in AFB chickens, 45.8% in CB chickens, and 25% in CK chickens. By analyzing the minimum inhibitory concentrations of β-lactam antibiotics with the disc-diffusion test, we found that 81.2% of Salmonella isolates from AFB chickens, 63.6% of isolates from CB chickens, and 50% of isolates from CK chickens were ESBL producers; all ESBL-positive isolates had the CTX-M-15 genotype. Interestingly, all ESBL-producing Salmonellae were revealed as ST16 by multilocus sequence typing and had the genetic platform of blaCTX-M gene (IS26-ISEcp1-blaCTX-M-15-IS903), which was first reported in Salmonellae around the world. The Salmonella ST33 strain (S. Hadar) isolated in this study has never been reported in South Korea. In conclusion, our findings showed that antibiotic-free retail chicken meat products were also largely contaminated with ESBL-producing Salmonellae and that their ESBL genes and genetic platforms were the same as those isolated from conventional retail chicken meat products.

Rhizomes of Kaempferia parviflora (Zingiberaceae) have been used in traditional Thai medicine for health promotion. In this study, the antibacterial activity of ethanol extract of K. parviflora against Cronobacter spp. and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) was investigated using paper disc dilution method. The results revealed that the ethanol extract exhibited antibacterial activity against Cronobacter spp. and EHEC. With an increasing concentration of K. parviflora ethanol extract, larger zones of inhibition of Cronobacter spp. and EHEC strains tested were observed. Therefore, its antibacterial activity suggested that K. parviflora could be used as a natural additive to ascertain food safety of various dairy products.

Kaempferia parviflora (Krachaidam, Zingiberaceae) is used as a traditional Thai medicine for treating various ailments, including allergy, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and ulcer. Moreover, it is also used to promote longevity and as a nerve tonic. The aim of this study was to develop functional yoghurt containing Kaempferia parviflora and to examine the physicochemical characteristics of yoghurt supplemented with different concentration of K. parviflora. To this end, we examined the pH and sensory evaluation of yoghurt containing K. parviflora. The pH of this yoghurt decreased whereas the TA increased with incubation time (up to 5 h) without altering the amounts of K. parviflora added. In the sensory evaluation, the taste, flavor, color, and overall acceptability decreased in proportion to the amount of K. parviflora added. Among the experimental group, high scores were achieved by yoghurt containing 1% K. parviflora compared with that by the control group. We conclude there is an urgent need for additional research on the production of this multi-functional yogurt (with properties including anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory), using an optimum concentration of K. Parviflora.

Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the sale and purchase of an array of organic products. In particular, organic milk has grown in popularity. This growth could lead to expensive, premium retail prices for various organic cow's milk products. In fact, most consumers believe that (1) dairy farming to produce organic milk is beneficial for human health and (2) organic milk products are made without the use of various antibiotics, synthetic chemicals, genetic modification, extra hormones, and so on. Several factors, including breed, diet, and stage of lactation, are known to influence the composition of milk. Therefore, this review (1) presents a research outline to compare organic and conventional milk and (2) provides a summary of individual elements that affect the composition of milk.