致病微生物应对环境胁迫形成的VBNC状态及其对风险评估的潜在影响

VBNC state of pathogenic microorganisms induced by environmental stresses and its potential challenge to food safety assessment

防止食源性致病菌对食品的污染是保障食品安全的重要策略之一。研究表明,环境胁迫下微生物可能形成"活的不可培养状态"(VBNC状态),成为食品安全的潜在风险。本文对致病微生物VBNC状态的最近发现进行了归纳和总结,重点分析了不同环境胁迫(包括自然胁迫以及食品加工和保藏过程中的各种胁迫等)因素下菌体进入VBNC状态的普遍性、诱导条件和生理特点等,并对现行的基于微生物可培养性而建立起来的常规检测方法的局限性及其对食品安全风险评估潜在影响进行了讨论。

Preventing foods from the contamination of foodborne pathogens is an important strategy to ensure food safety. Reports have demonstrated that microorganisms could enter the viable but nonculturable （VBNC） state when they respond to various environmental stresses. This paper gives an overview of recent findings on the VBNC state of foodborne pathogens with emphasis on the universality, induced conditions and characteristics of VBNC state of bacteria cells as a response to different environmental stresses （including natural stresses and those during food process and preservation）. In addition, the limit of current bacteria detection methods based on bacteria’s culturability but not on their viability and its potential challenge to food safety assessment were discussed.