All Food Microbiology articles
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FeaturesGut microbiome and obesity: what we know - and what we don’t
Dysbiosis is defined as an imbalance in the composition and function of the gut microbiota. This imbalance can lead to dysregulated interactions within the bacterial community and between microbes and the host, and it can be associated with disease states. However, discussions of dysbiosis often rely on simplified dichotomies, such ...
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NewsSourdough starters reveal a recipe for predicting microbial species survival
Scientists used microbes in bread dough to test a simple way to understand how species live together in nature.
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OpinionListeria: the inconvenient truth that shaped our industry
Director General of the Chilled Food Association, Karin Goodburn MBE, who sits on AMI’s Food Security Advisory Group, reveals why the publication of new Listeria guidance for the UK food industry is regarded as a landmark moment.
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NewsScientists explore how gut bacteria alter the flavor of Black Ivory coffee beans
Coffee beans that pass through the digestive tracts of animals get their unique flavors from the activity of gut microbes, report researchers. Bacterial activity that reduces the pectin content of Black Ivory coffee could be the source of its smoother, chocolaty, and less bitter flavor.
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NewsCFA publishes timely new industry-led UK Ready to Eat Foods Safety and Shelf Life Guidance
New industry-led good practice guidance for manufacturers and retailers of certain ready to eat (RTE) foods will be published on 12 January 2026 to help Food Business Operators (FBOs), Competent Authorities (CAs) and enforcement officers manage the risk posed by Listeria monocytogenes in those products.
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NewsFlour choice shapes sourdough microbial communities
Researchers analyzed sourdough starters to understand how the type of flour shaped the microbial community. They found that strains in the genus Kazachstania, a common sourdough yeast, to be most abundant in all the starters, but the bacterial composition varied by flour varieties.
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NewsMicroalgae could play key role in bio-based circular economy
With food systems under pressure from climate change, geopolitical instability, and supply chain vulnerabilities, the EU is driving innovation toward more sustainable, resilient, and local production models. Microalgae have emerged as a promising resource for producing ingredients across food, feed, and other consumer goods. Source: Hannah ...
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News‘Smart wrap that breathes and warns’ - cellulose film cuts oxygen 99% and changes color when shrimp goes bad
Researchers have revealed how one-step dual-engineering turns plant nanofibers into a transparent cellulose that keeps food fresh and tells consumers when it is not.
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NewsFestive cheer: Soaked raisins ferment to turn water into wine
Scientists have discovered that soaking sun-dried raisins in water is a successful method of creating wine. It was thought that ancient wine production relied on the natural fermentation process of storing crushed grapes in jars, but Saccharomyces cerevisiae rarely colonizes grape skins.
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NewsScientists reveal molecular cause behind “stuck” beer fermentation
Premature yeast flocculation (PYF) is a persistent issue in beer brewing, where yeast settles too early during fermentation. New research identifies multiple differential metabolites and confirmed galangin as a key factor that promotes early yeast aggregation.
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CareersSummer studentship: Taiwo uncovers native strains for mycotoxin control in stored nuts
Taiwo Boluwatife Omowunmi reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which assessed native microbial strains for mycotoxin biocontrol in stored nuts.
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FeaturesRewilding the microbiome: how the SanaTerra Living Lab bridges science and tradition to restore One Health
After years of living and working across four continents, Faiza Hajji and her family fell in love with La Vera, a fertile corner of Extremadura, western Spain. This journey gave rise to SanaTerra One Health & Microbiome Living Lab, founded in 2024: a platform where scientists, farmers, educators, and communities co-create innovations rooted in microbiome health, regenerative agriculture, and planetary wellbeing.
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CareersGlobal Ambassadors: Study visit offers students real-life experience in dairy processing setups
AMI Global Ambassador for Pakistan, Dr. Arsalan Zaidi, reveals how a study visit aimed to provide students with real-life experience in local dairy and cheese processing industrial setups, connecting classroom learning with industrial and research applications.
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NewsScientists revive almost forgotten Balkan yoghurt recipe that deploys bacteria, acids - and ants
Researchers recreated a nearly forgotten yogurt recipe that was once was once common across the Balkans and Turkey—using ants. The team shows that bacteria, acids, and enzymes in ants can kickstart the fermentation process that turns milk into yogurt.
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NewsCould bacteria help fix the smoky taste of wildfire-tainted wine?
New laboratory experiments show that a bacterium that lives on grape plants can break down guaiacol—an unpleasant-tasting substance which ruins wines made from grapes exposed to wildfire smoke.
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NewsBeer and wine: the latest microbe-related discoveries
To produce haziness, researchers added yeast extracts to two brands of clear lager - and reported what happened. Another team carried out lab tests investigating how sulfites added to wine and an ethanol-containing liquid affect gut bacteria.
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NewsCheese fungi color changes help unlock secrets of evolution
Color changes in fungi on cheese rinds point to specific molecular mechanisms of genetic adaptation—and sometimes a tastier cheese.
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CareersMeet the Advisory Groups: Our Q&A with Karin Goodburn
The Microbiologist chats with AMI’s Food Security Advisory Group member Karin Goodburn, Director General of the Chilled Food Association in the UK.
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OpinionSafety and nutritional claims for raw milk
Robert F Kennedy Jr. famously advocates drinking raw milk and promotes its benefits. But how safe is unpasteurised milk? Nicola Holden and Gil Domingue, who sit on Applied Microbiology International’s Food Security Scientific Advisory Group, take a deep dive into the science.
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NewsYogurt and hot spring bathing show a promising combination for gut health
Researchers have demonstrated that yogurt intake increases the diversity of gut microbiota and alters its composition. Furthermore, bathing in chloride hot springs after yogurt intake was found to improve defecation status more than yogurt alone.