Pathogens previously subjected to lower heating temperatures are tougher to kill, so it's vital to adequately cook food to kill food-borne pathogenic bacteria. The heat did not kill the bacteria, but stimulated it so that it could adapt to the stressful heating conditions. The scientists then cooked the gravy to a final internal temperature of 140 F, killing the bacteria. Food processors should take note that slowly heating foods to the final cooking temperatures normally used won't kill bacteria. Induced heat resistance could also be a concern in meat products kept on warming trays before final heating or reheating.
Adequate cooking remains the primary means to kill pathogens in food.
Several compounds in corn inhibit Aspergillus flavusfungi from producing aflatoxin. Among the compounds are alpha-carotene and other carotenoids that impart yellow color to modern corn hybrids. Scientists pinpointed the compounds with a new test they've developed that extracts aflatoxin from fungus cultures. The new procedure requires less extraction solvent, takes less time than previous tests, and works with samples of 1 milligram or less. In experiments, the scientists extracted aflatoxin from cultures containing compounds identical to ones found in corn.