Dr Rijkelt Beumer

Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Wageningen University Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Dr Rijkelt Beumer is food microbiologist at the Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. His research is concentrated on the behaviour of pathogenic micro-organisms in food and in the environment.
Dr Beumer is responsible for a number of research students, working on the following topics::

• detection and behaviour of pathogens in industrial and domestic environments
• improving media and methods for the (rapid) detection of pathogens
• the effect of exogeneous factors (e.g. preservation, low water activity and disinfectants) on micro-organisms.

This work work has been published in national and international peer-reviewed journals.
In 1979 he founded EFFI, a small organization for training and research in the food industry. Hundreds of people working in the food industry, hospital kitchens, catering industry and national heath organizations participated in courses dealing with food microbiology, good manufacturing practices (GMP), hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) and cleaning and disinfection. In addition, research has concentrated on monitoring the production line and performing challenge experiments to improve food safety.

From the time he isolated Listeria monocytogenes from all sampling sites in houses, his work has concentrated also on the presence and the behaviour of other pathogens in domestic environments. His knowledge on foodborne pathogens is appreciated in the groups that are formulating a hygiene code for Dutch households.
Dr Beumer is an active member of national (Dutch Standards Institute Committee for food microbiology) and international organizations (CEN and ISO groups for food microbiology), and is member of the editorial staff of two national journals.

Publications

Kusumaningrum, H.D.; Putten van, M.M.; Rombouts, F.M.; Beumer, R.R. (2002) Effects of antibacterial dishwashing liquid on foodborne pathogens and competitive microorganisms in kitchen sponges. Journal of Food Protection 65, 61-65.

Bei-Zhong Han; Beumer, R.R. Rombouts, F.M., Nout, M.J.R. (2001) Microbiological safety and quality of commercial sufu – a chinese fermented food. Food Control 12, 541-547.

Costa, A.I.A.; Dekker, M.; Beumer, R.R.; Rombouts, F.M.; Jongen, W.M.F. (2001) A consumer-oriented classification system for home meal replacements. Food Quality and Preference 12, 229-242.

Beumer, R.R. (2001) Microbiological hazards and their control: bacteria. In: Fermentation and Food Safety, M.R. Adams and M.J.R. Nout (eds.), Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, Aspen Publishers, Inc., ISBN 0-8342-1843-7, 141-158.

Te Giffel, M.C.; Beumer, R.R.; Christansson, A.; Griffiths, M.W. (2000) Bacillus cereus in milk and milk products. Advances in detection, typing and epidemiology. Bulletin of the IDF 357, 47-54.

Van Gerwen, S.J.C.; Te Giffel, M.C.; Van ‘t Riet, K.; Beumer, R.R.; Zwietering, M.H. (2000) Stepwise quantitative risk assessment as a tool for characterization of microbiological food safety. Journal of Applied Microbiology 88, 938-951.

Hazeleger, W.C.; Beumer, R.R. (1999) Detection by latex agglutination techniques. In: Encyclopedia of food microbiology – London : Academic Press, 347-352.

Beumer, R.R.; Giffel, M.C. te; Griffioen, A.G.E. (1999) Enterobacteriaceae, Coliforms and Escherichia coli. In: Encyclopedia of food microbiology – London : Academic Press, 244-249

Heuvelink, A.E.; Zwartkruis-Nahuis, J.T.M.; Beumer, R.R.; De Boer, E. (1999) Occurrence and survival of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 in meats obtained from retail outlets in the Netherlands. Journal of Food Protection 62, 1115-1122.

De Boer, E.; Beumer, R.R. (1999) Methodology for detection and typing of foodborne microorganisms. International Journal of Food Microbiology 50, 119-130.

Beumer, R.R.; Te Giffel, M.C. (1999) Listeria monocytogenes: A micro-organism of concern? The Journal of Food Technology in Africa 4 (1999) 1, 14-17.

Te Giffel, M.C.; Beumer, R.R. (1999) Bacillus cereus: a review. The Journal of Food Technology in Africa 4 (1999) 1, 7-13.

Beumer, R.R.; Te Giffel, M.C. (1999) Pathogens in domestic kitchens: facts and fiction. In: Food microbiology and food safety into the next millennium : proceedings of the 17th international conference of the international committee on food microbiology and hygiene (ICFMH), Veldhoven, The Netherlands, 12-17 September 1999 / A.C.J. Tuijtelaars, R.A. Samson, F.M. Rombouts, S. Notermans. –Zeist : Foundation Food Micro ’99, 345-347.

Heuvelink, A.E.; Bleumink, B.; Van den Biggelaar, F.L.A.M.; Te Giffel, M.C.; Beumer, R.R.; De Boer, E. (1998) Occurrence and survival of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw cow’s milk in The Netherlands. Journal of Food Protection 61, 1597-1601.

Te Giffel, M.C.; Beumer, R.R.; Langeveld, L.P.M.; Rombouts, F.M. (1997) The role of heat
exchangers in the contamination of milk with Bacillus cereus in dairy processing plants. International Journal of Dairy Technology 50, 43-47.

Notermans, S.; Dufrenne, J.; Teunis, P.; Beumer, R.; Te Giffel, M.C.; Peeters Weem, P. (1997) A risk assessment study of Bacillus cereus present in pasteurized milk. Food Microbiology 14, 143-151.

Te Giffel, M.C., Beumer, R.R., Granum, P.E. and Rombouts, F.M. (1997) Isolation and characterization of Bacillus cereus from pasteurized milk in household refrigerators in the Netherlands. International Journal of Food Microbiology 34, 307-318.

Slaghuis, B.A., Te Giffel, M.C., Beumer, R.R. and André, G. (1997) Effect of pasturing on the incidence of Bacillus cereus spores in raw milk. International Dairy Journal 7, 201-205.

Te Giffel, M.C., Beumer, R.R., Leijendekkers, S. and Rombouts, F.M. (1996) Incidence of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis in foods in the Netherlands. Food Microbiology 13, 53-58.

Beumer, R.R., Te Giffel, M.C., Kok, M.T.C. and Rombouts, F.M. (1996) Confirmation and identification of Listeria spp. Letters in Applied Microbiology 22, 448-452.

Beumer, R.R., Te Giffel, M.C., Anthonie, S.V.R. and Cox, L.J. (1996) The effect of acriflavine and nalidixic acid on the growth of Listeria spp. in enrichment media. Food Microbiology 13, 137-148.

Beumer, R.R., Te Giffel, M.C., De Boer, E. and Rombouts, F.M. (1996) Growth of Listeria monocytogenes on sliced cooked meat products. Food Microbiology 13, 333-340.

Beumer, R.R., Te Giffel, M.C. and Cox, L.J. (1996) Optimization of hemolysis in enhanced hemolysis agar (EHA)- a selective medium for the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes. Letters in Applied Microbiology 24, 421-425.

Beumer, R.R., Te Giffel, M.C., Spoorenberg, E. and Rombouts, F.M. (1996) Listeria spp. in domestic environments. Epidemiology and Infection 117, 437-442.

Te Giffel, M.C., Beumer, R.R., Klijn, N., Wagendorp, A. and Rombouts, F.M. (1996) Discrimination between Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis using specific DNA probes based on variable regions of 16S rRNA. FEMS Microbiology Letters 146, 47-51.

Brinkman, E., van Beurden, R., Mackintosh, R. and Beumer, R.R. (1995) Evaluation of a new dip-stick test for the rapid detection of Salmonella in food. Journal of Food Protection 58, 1023-1027.

Te Giffel, M.C., Beumer, R.R., Hoekstra, J. and Rombouts, F.M. (1995) Germination of bacterial spores during sample preparation. Food Microbiology 12, 327-332.

Te Giffel, M.C., Beumer, R.R., Van Dam, W.F., Slaghuis, B.A. and Rombouts, F.M. (1995) Sporicidal effect of disinfectants on Bacillus cereus isolated from the milk processing environment. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 36, 421-430.

Hazeleger, W.C., Arkesteijn, C., Toorop-Bouma, A. and Beumer, R.R. (1994) Detection of the coccoid form of Campylobacter jejuni in chicken products with the use of the polymerase chain reaction. International Journal of Food Microbiology 24, 273-281.

Stadhouders, J. and Beumer, R.R. (1994) Actual and potential applications of the natural antimicrobial agents of milk in the dairy industry. In: Proceedings of the IDF Seminar: Indigenous antimicrobial agents of milk - recent developments; 175-198. IDF, Brussels.

Beumer, R.R., Vrouwenvelder, T. and Brinkman, E. (1994) Application of HACCP in airline catering. Food Control 5, 205-209.

Beumer, R.R., Te Giffel, M.C., Cox, L.J., Rombouts, F.M. and Abee, T. (1994) Effect of exogenous proline, betaine and carnitine on growth of Listeria monocytogenes in a minimal medium. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60, 1359-1363.

Vermunt, A.E.M., Franken, A.A.J.M. and Beumer, R.R. (1992) Isolation of salmonellas by immuno-magnetic separation. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 72, 112-118.

Cox, L.J., Dooley, D. and Beumer, R.R. (1990) Effect of lithium chloride and other inhibitors on the growth of Listeria spp. Food Microbiology 7, 311-325.

Cox, L.J., Kleiss, T., Cordier, J.L., Cordellana, C., Konkel, P., Pedrazzini, C., Beumer, R. and Siebenga, A. (1989) Listeria spp. in food processing, non-food and domestic environments. Food Microbiology 6, 49-61.

Beumer, R.R., Cruyssen, H. and Birtantie, I. (1988) Occurrence of Campylobacter jejuni in cows’ milk. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 65, 93-96.

Beumer, R.R., Noomen, A., Marijs, J.A. and Kampelmacher, E.H. (1985). Antibacterial action of the lactoperoxidase system in cows' milk. Netherlands Milk and Dairy Journal 39, 107-114.

Beumer, R.R., Tamminga, S.K. and Kampelmacher, E.H. (1983) Microbiological investigation of "Filet américain". Archiv für Lebensmittelhygiene 34, 29-52.