Food Safety

GC/MS evaluation of the composition of the Aloe vera gel and extract

This study aimed to investigate the potential use of Aloe vera (AV) as a food additive given its critical importance in food safety and health. Specifically, the natural antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of AV were examined to prevent food spoilage and extend its shelf life. This study was conducted using commercially available aloe vera gel (AVG) and aloe vera extract (AVE). These samples were tested using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis involves identifying and quantifying the components using natural helium gas. The antimicrobial and antifungal effects of these components were evaluated and compared with those reported in the literature. GC-MS analysis revealed that the Aloe vera gel and extract contained various volatile components, including phenolic compounds, anthraquinone glycosides, and different esters. According to GC-MS results of the two different forms of AV, the main volatile compounds of the gel form were levoglucosan, tridecanoic acid, decanoic acid methyl ester, octadecanoic acid methyl ester, octadecanoic acid, nonadeca-1.18-diyn-4.16-diol and squalene, whereas the extract form contained volatile compounds with antifungal activity such as tridecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid methyl ester, octadecanoic acid, nonanoic acid and eicosyl acetate. Both samples exhibited antimicrobial and antifungal activities, especially against pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, and Escherichia coli. This study demonstrated the potential of Aloe vera gel and extract as a natural preservative for use in food because of its constituent components. This study highlights the potential use of Aloe vera as a natural additive in the food industry. Due to its antimicrobial and antifungal properties, Aloe vera offers an organic alternative to chemical additives. Aloe vera is effective at preventing food spoilage and extending shelf life, making it a suitable option for meeting consumer demand for organic and natural products.

Chemical and toxicological characterization of food contact recycled paperboard extracts

Food contact paperboard poses a potential risk of food contamination due to the possible release of chemicals (intentionally added or not), particularly in recycled paperboard. Water extractions were performed, according to wet food procedures, of paperboard samples collected from a manufacturer at the beginning and the end of a recycling production chain. Chemical analysis and hormonal activities in vitro of water extracts were studied. ICP-MS analysis confirmed the presence of 15 trace elements with lower concentrations after the recycling process, with the exception of chlorine. The chromatographic analyses demonstrated that the identified substances in the starting paperboard, before the recycling process, were approximately twice as high as in the end paperboard, after the recycling process. These substances included also natural wood products, chemical additives, and undesirable substances such as phthalates. Two major products (3,5-di-tert-butylphenol and methyl-2-pyrrolidone) were found in the starting and the end paperboard extracts, respectively. Two common substances were identified in both extracts: 2,4-di-tert-buthylphenol and dehydroabietic acid. Evaluation of potential endocrine disruption showed that the starting paperboard extract exhibited oestrogenic and antiandrogenic effects, while these effects nearly disappeared in the end paperboard extract. These results confirmed that the recycling process was effective in removing most of the contaminant substances.

Early Detection of Food Safety and Spoilage Incidents Based on Live Microbiome Profiling and PMA-qPCR Monitoring of Indicators

The early detection of spoilage microorganisms and food pathogens is of paramount importance in food production systems. We propose a novel strategy for the early detection of food production defects, harnessing the product microbiome. We hypothesize that by establishing microbiome datasets of proper and defective batches, indicator bacteria signaling production errors can be identified and targeted for rapid quantification as part of routine practice. Using the production process of pastrami as a model, we characterized its live microbiome profiles throughout the production stages and in the final product, using propidium monoazide treatment followed by 16S rDNA sequencing. Pastrami demonstrated product-specific and consistent microbiome profiles predominated by Serratia and Vibrionimonas, with distinct microbial signatures across the production stages. Based on the established microbiome dataset, we were able to detect shifts in the microbiome profile of a defective batch produced under lactate deficiency. The most substantial changes were observed as increased relative abundances of Vibrio and Lactobacillus, which were subsequently defined as potential lactate-deficiency indicators. PMA-qPCR efficiently detected increased levels of these species, thus proving useful in rapidly pinpointing the production defect. This approach offers the possibility of the in-house detection of defective production events with same-day results, promoting safer food production systems.

Food, nutrition, and autism: from soil to fork

Food and nutrition-related factors have the potential to impact development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and quality of life for people with ASD, but gaps in evidence exist. On 10 November 2022, Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute hosted a 1-d meeting to explore the evidence and evidence gaps regarding the relationships of food and nutrition with ASD. This meeting report summarizes the presentations and deliberations from the meeting. Topics addressed included prenatal and child dietary intake, the microbiome, obesity, food-related environmental exposures, mechanisms and biological processes linking these factors and ASD, food-related social factors, and data sources for future research. Presentations highlighted evidence for protective associations with prenatal folic acid supplementation and ASD development, increases in risk of ASD with maternal gestational obesity, and the potential for exposure to environmental contaminants in foods and food packaging to influence ASD development. The importance of the maternal and child microbiome in ASD development or ASD-related behaviors in the child was reviewed, as was the role of discrimination in leading to disparities in environmental exposures and psychosocial factors that may influence ASD. The role of child diet and high prevalence of food selectivity in children with ASD and its association with adverse outcomes were also discussed. Priority evidence gaps identified by participants include further clarifying ASD development, including biomarkers and key mechanisms; interactions among psychosocial, social, and biological determinants; interventions addressing diet, supplementation, and the microbiome to prevent and improve quality of life for people with ASD; and mechanisms of action of diet-related factors associated with ASD. Participants developed research proposals to address the priority evidence gaps. The workshop findings serve as a foundation for future prioritization of scientific research to address evidence gaps related to food, nutrition, and ASD.

Slaughterhouse facilities in developing nations: sanitation and hygiene practices, microbial contaminants and sustainable management system

Poor personal and environmental hygiene and sanitary conditions of abattoirs in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been implicated in the occurrence and spread of foodborne diseases. This focused review aims to evaluate the sanitation and hygiene practices of slaughterhouses in selected sub-Saharan African countries as well as the microbial (bacterial) contaminants associated with these slaughterhouses. Pathogenic microorganisms of public health importance have been associated with these slaughterhouses due to poor hygiene conditions, non-formal occupational health and safety training, and poor knowledge of workers as well as substandard infrastructures and crude tools in these facilities. Put together, these conditions enable the growth, survival, transmission, and proliferation of foodborne pathogens such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses. To address this issue, there is a need to assess the poor environmental and personal hygiene of butchers and other abattoir workers, the inaccessibility of potable water, waste management practices, and the lack of appropriate infrastructure and technology, which have been identified as some of the enabling factors for bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Sustainable strategies should include instituting regulations that are backed by law.

Health and toxicological effects of nanocellulose when used as a food ingredient: A review

The use of nanocellulose (NC) has increased significantly in the food industry, as subtypes such as cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) or bacterial cellulose (BC) have been demonstrated to be a source of insoluble fiber with important benefits for human health. Despite these advantages, and due to its nanoscale size, NC must be assessed from a safety perspective that considers its exposure, fate, and biological effects in order to help more accurately estimate its potential hazards. The exposure routes of humans to NC include (i) ingestion during consumption of foods that contain cellulose as a food ingredient or (ii) contact of food with cellulose-containing materials, such as its packaging. That is why it is important to understand the potentially toxic effects that nanomaterials can have on human health, understanding that the different types of NC behave differently in terms of their ingestion, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. By analysing both in vitro and in vivo studies, the purpose of this paper is to present the most recent findings on the different types of NC and their safety when used in food. In addition, it provides an overview of relevant studies into NC and its health benefits when used as a food additive.

The reproductive and transgenerational toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics: A threat to mammalian fertility in both sexes

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are extensively distributed in the environment. However, a comprehensive review and in-depth discussion on the effects of MPs and NPs to reproductive capacity and transgenerational toxicity on mammals, especially on humans, is lacked. It is suggested that microplastics and nanoplastics could accumulate in mammalian reproductive organs and exert toxic effects on the reproductive system for both sexes. For males, the damage of microplastics consists of abnormal testicular and sperm structure, decreased sperm vitality, and endocrine disruption, which were caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis of testicular cells, autophagy, abnormal cytoskeleton, and abnormal hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis. For females, the damage of microplastics includes abnormal ovary and uterus structure and endocrine disruption, which were caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, granulosa cell apoptosis, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis abnormalities, and tissue fibrosis. For transgenerational toxicity, premature mortality existed in the rodent offspring after maternal exposure to microplastics. Among the surviving offspring, metabolic disorders, reproductive dysfunction, immune, neurodevelopmental, and cognitive disorders were detected, and these events directly correlated with transgenerational translocation of MPs and NPs. Studies on human-derived cells or organoids demonstrated that transgenerational toxicity studies for both sexes are yet in the phase of exploring suitable experimental models, and more detailed research on the threat of MPs and NPs to human fertility is still urgently needed. Further studies will help assess the MPs and NPs threat to public fertility and reproductive health risks.

Recent advances in rare earth ion-doped upconversion nanomaterials: From design to their applications in food safety analysis

The misuse of chemicals in agricultural systems and food production leads to an increase in contaminants in food, which ultimately has adverse effects on human health. This situation has prompted a demand for sophisticated detection technologies with rapid and sensitive features, as concerns over food safety and quality have grown around the globe. The rare earth ion-doped upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP)-based sensor has emerged as an innovative and promising approach for detecting and analyzing food contaminants due to its superior photophysical properties, including low autofluorescence background, deep penetration of light, low toxicity, and minimal photodamage to the biological samples. The aim of this review was to discuss an outline of the applications of UCNPs to detect contaminants in food matrices, with particular attention on the determination of heavy metals, pesticides, pathogenic bacteria, mycotoxins, and antibiotics. The review briefly discusses the mechanism of upconversion (UC) luminescence, the synthesis, modification, functionality of UCNPs, as well as the detection principles for the design of UC biosensors. Furthermore, because current UCNP research on food safety detection is still at an early stage, this review identifies several bottlenecks that must be overcome in UCNPs and discusses the future prospects for its application in the field of food analysis.

Recent advances in the synthesis and applications of single-atom nanozymes in food safety monitoring

Nanozymes are synthetic compounds with enzyme-like tunable catalytic properties. The success of nanozymes for catalytic applications can be attributed to their small dimensions, cost-effective synthesis, appreciable stability, and scalability to molecular dimensions. The emergence of single atom nanozymes (SANzymes) has opened up new possibilities in bioanalytical applications. In this regard, this review outlines enzyme-mimicking features of SANzymes for food safety applications in relation to the key variables controlling their catalytic performance. The discussion is extended further to cover the applications of SANzymes for the monitoring of various compounds/biomaterials of significance with respect to food safety (e.g., pesticides, veterinary drug residues, foodborne pathogenic bacteria, mycotoxins/bacterial endotoxin, antioxidant residues, hydrogen peroxide residues, and heavy metal ions). Furthermore, the performance of SANzymes is evaluated in terms of various performance metrics such as limit of detection (LOD), linear dynamic range, and figure of merit (FoM). The challenges and future road map for the applications of SANzymes are also addressed along with their upscaling in the area of food safety.

Food Safety Practice and Associated Factors of Food Handlers Working in Food Industries in Bahir Dar City, Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021

BACKGROUND

Food safety has emerged as one of the 10 threats to global health. Ethiopia is among the developing countries with many food industries in recent times. Poor food handling procedures, a lack of basic infrastructure, lack of potable water, lack of financial resources to invest in safer equipment, and lack of training for food handlers have all been reported.

OBJECTIVES

To assess food safety practices and associated factors among food handlers working in food industries in Bahir Dar city administrations.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2021 among 422 food handlers working in food industries in Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia. A random sampling technique was used to select food industries and study participants. The sample size was proportionately allocated to the selected food industries. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and observation methods using interviewer-administered questionnaires and an observational checklist respectively. Data was entered into Epi-data v 3.1 and exported to SPSS v 23 for analysis. Bi-variable binary logistic regression was carried out to identify candidate variables at p-value <.2 and was entered into the final multivariable binary logistic regression model to control the effect of confounding. Variables with p-values of less than .05 were declared as statistically significant and an odds ratio of 95% CI was used to measure the strength of the association.

RESULT

Food safety practice among food handlers working in food industries was 47.6% (95% CI: 42.8, 52.5). Sex [AOR: 2.92 (CI: 1.77, 4.82)], monthly salary [AOR: 2.02 (CI: 1.18, 3.44)], health supervision [AOR: 3.43 (CI: 1.97, 5.97)], working unit [AOR: 2.44, (CI: 1.45, 4.13], food safety training [AOR: 6.16 (2.97, 12.77)], attitude [AOR: 3.55 (CI: 1.14, 11.05)] were factors significantly associated with food safety practice.

CONCLUSION

Food safety practice among food handlers was low. Sex, working unit, monthly income, regulatory supervision, food safety training, and attitude toward food safety were factors associated with poor food safety practices. In-service training on good hygiene practices, good manufacturing practices, hazard analysis, critical control point, food safety management systems, and supportive supervision should be strengthened.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Effect of Silver Nanoparticle Based Whey Emulsions and Edible Films for the Extension of Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables

The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-based whey emulsions and edible films for extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The AgNPs were synthesized using a biological method, and their morphological and topographical characteristics were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The AgNPs were incorporated into the emulsions and films to increase their antimicrobial efficacy. Bacterial and fungal strains were identified by DNA regions, including 16S and 18S rRNA, TEF-1α, and RPB2 to evaluate antimicrobial activity. AgNPs-based emulsions and films were used to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables for up to 15 days. The results showed that the use of AgNPs in the coated samples significantly increased their effectiveness against bacterial and fungal strains. SEM analysis revealed the presence of AgNPs of varying sizes, ranging from 21 to 62 nm. The zones of inhibition were measured against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus tamari, and Aspergillus niger. The total viable count (log cfu/ml) decreased from 6.423 in the control group to 3.301 in the treated samples. The antioxidant activity of the treated fruits and vegetables was also significantly improved, with values of 56.12, 23.36, 26.10, 7.6, 36.04, and 33.81% for strawberry, taro root, guava, peas, green chili, and carrot, respectively (p < 0.05). The AgNPs-based whey protein emulsions were found to exhibit the highest antimicrobial activity and are therefore a promising approach to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

Public health risk due to aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in rice in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Mycotoxin contamination in rice can lead to a health risk for consumers. In this study, the health risk among different age groups of Vietnamese population in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam was evaluated through rice consumption. Total aflatoxins (AFs) and fumonisins (FBs) in raw rice samples (n = 50) were analyzed using an ELISA method. A survey (n = 155) was used to collect data on rice consumption and consumer practices for the evaluation of mycotoxin exposure. Results showed that the frequency of AFs and FBs contamination was 60 and 74% with the average concentrations in raw rice ranging from 1.88–4.00 ng/g and 227–290 ng/g from the lower bound (LB) to the upper bound (UB), respectively. The average AFs exposure due to rice consumption was estimated from 0.81 to 2.44 ng/kg bw/day at scenarios LB – UB with the medium bound (MB) of 2.10, 1.60, 1.92 and 1.23 ng/kg bw/day for children, adolescents, adults and elderly, respectively. These values ranged from 343 to 724 ng/kg bw/day with respect to FBs (scenarios LB - UB), which are below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intakes (PMTDI) value (2000 ng/kg bw/day). The margin of exposure (MoE) to AFs ranged from 160 to 1585,179-2669,149–2175 and 206–3480 for children, adolescent, adults and elderly, respectively from UB - LB, indicating a high health risk for this carcinogenic hazard since the values are so lower than 10,000 (safe limit). However, for FBs, MoE value ranged from 105 to 575 (UB-LB) for all groups, which are higher compared to 100 (safe limit), indicating no risk for public health. The mean cancer risk due to estimated AFs exposure at LB - UB was 0.05–0.13 cases/year/100,000 individuals with MB of 0.08–0.13 cases/year/100,000 people for all four age groups. This study provides new insights into probabilistic risk assessment and potential health impact of mycotoxins in rice in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Possibilities of Using De Novo Design for Generating Diverse Functional Food Enzymes

Food enzymes have an important role in the improvement of certain food characteristics, such as texture improvement, elimination of toxins and allergens, production of carbohydrates, enhancing flavor/appearance characteristics. Recently, along with the development of artificial meats, food enzymes have been employed to achieve more diverse functions, especially in converting non-edible biomass to delicious foods. Reported food enzyme modifications for specific applications have highlighted the significance of enzyme engineering. However, using direct evolution or rational design showed inherent limitations due to the mutation rates, which made it difficult to satisfy the stability or specific activity needs for certain applications. Generating functional enzymes using de novo design, which highly assembles naturally existing enzymes, provides potential solutions for screening desired enzymes. Here, we describe the functions and applications of food enzymes to introduce the need for food enzymes engineering. To illustrate the possibilities of using de novo design for generating diverse functional proteins, we reviewed protein modelling and de novo design methods and their implementations. The future directions for adding structural data for de novo design model training, acquiring diversified training data, and investigating the relationship between enzyme-substrate binding and activity were highlighted as challenges to overcome for the de novo design of food enzymes.

Food safety practice and its associated factors among food handlers in food establishments of Mettu and Bedelle towns, Southwest Ethiopia, 2022

BACKGROUND

Food safety and hygiene are currently a global health concern, especially in unindustrialized countries, as a result of increasing food-borne diseases (FBDs) and accompanying deaths. It has continued to be a critical problem for people, food companies, and food control officials in developed and developing nations.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to assess food safety practices and associated factors among food handlers in food establishments in Mettu and Bedelle towns, south-west Ethiopia, 2022.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2022, among 450 randomly selected food handlers working in food and drink establishments in Mettu and Bedelle towns, Southwest Ethiopia. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. The data was coded and entered into Epi Data version 3.1 before being exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted. An adjusted odds ratio and a 95% confidence level were estimated to assess the significance of associations. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered sufficient to declare the statistical significance of variables in the final model.

RESULT

A total of 450 food handlers participated in the study, making the response rate 99.3%. About 202 (44.9%) of respondents had poor practices in food safety. Lack of supervision (AOR = 6.2, 95% CI: 3.37, 11.39), absence of regular medical checkups (AOR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.14, 3.43), lack of knowledge of food safety practices (AOR =2.32; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.89), availability of water storage equipment (AOR =0.37; CI: 0.21, 0.64), and unavailability of a refrigerator (AOR =0.24; 95% CI: 0.12) were factors significantly associated with food safety practices.

CONCLUSION

The level of poor food safety practices was remarkably high. Knowledge of food safety, medical checkups, service year as food handler, availability of water storage equipment, availability of refrigerator, and sanitary supervision were all significantly associated with food safety practice. Hence, great efforts are needed to improve food safety practices, and awareness should be created for food handlers on food safety.

Integrative Metallomics Studies of Toxic Metal(loid) Substances at the Blood Plasma–Red Blood Cell–Organ/Tumor Nexus

Globally, an estimated 9 million deaths per year are caused by human exposure to environmental pollutants, including toxic metal(loid) species. Since pollution is underestimated in calculations of the global burden of disease, the actual number of pollution-related deaths per year is likely to be substantially greater. Conversely, anticancer metallodrugs are deliberately administered to cancer patients, but their often dose-limiting severe adverse side-effects necessitate the urgent development of more effective metallodrugs that offer fewer off-target effects. What these seemingly unrelated events have in common is our limited understanding of what happens when each of these toxic metal(loid) substances enter the human bloodstream. However, the bioinorganic chemistry that unfolds at the plasma/red blood cell interface is directly implicated in mediating organ/tumor damage and, therefore, is of immediate toxicological and pharmacological relevance. This perspective will provide a brief synopsis of the bioinorganic chemistry of AsIII, Cd2+, Hg2+, CH3Hg+ and the anticancer metallodrug cisplatin in the bloodstream. Probing these processes at near-physiological conditions and integrating the results with biochemical events within organs and/or tumors has the potential to causally link chronic human exposure to toxic metal(loid) species with disease etiology and to translate more novel anticancer metal complexes to clinical studies, which will significantly improve human health in the 21st century.

Food Risk Entropy Model Based on Federated Learning

The safety of agricultural products is a guarantee of national security. The increasing variety of pesticides used on crops has led to an increasing abundance of pesticide residues in agricultural products, making pesticide residues an important factor in threatening health. Traditional indicators for evaluating the safety of agricultural products, such as pass rates and residue rates, can only qualitatively describe the level of pesticide residues. Isolated data leads to low data utilization, data is distributed between different terminals or departments and cannot be shared, while the security of private data needs to be ensured. Therefore, we propose a risk entropy model based on federated learning. The model is able to quantitatively describe the risk level of agricultural products and achieve data fusion without exposing private data in the federated learning model. In this paper, a total of 90,510 agricultural product data samples from 2015 to 2019 are collected, with each sample containing 58 indicators. The experimental results show that the developed food safety risk entropy model can quantitatively reflect the level of risk in the target region and time interval. In addition, we have developed a multidimensional data analysis tool based on federated learning, which can achieve data integration across multiple regions and departments.

A survey of application research based on blockchain smart contract

Nowadays, blockchain technology and industry has developed rapidly all over the world, which is inseparable from continuous innovation and improvement on smart contract technology. Therefore, by summarizing the working principle and application research status of blockchain smart contract, this paper analyzes the development and challenges of smart contract. Firstly, we introduce the model and operation principle of blockchain smart contract for the overall architecture, analyze the deployment process of smart contract with Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric and EOSIO, and make a comparative analysis from the technical level. And taking Byteball, InterValue and IOTA platforms as examples, we introduce the deployment process and application potential for DAG-based blockchain smart contract. Additionally, we also summarize the application research of smart contract for international and Blockchain Oracle, and discuss its innovative application and development trend in the future. Secondly, we introduce the application status of smart contract with Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric platforms from the aspects of financial transactions, Internet of things, medical applications, and supply chain, and further discuss EOS (enterprise operation system), Blockchain Oracle and other application fields. Furthermore, we introduce the application advantages and challenges to smart contract for industrial Internet from the fields of manufacturing, food industry, industrial Internet of things and industry 4.0. Finally, we discuss the challenges faced by smart contract with technical issues, analyzes the impact on large-scale applications and mining system on the sustainable development of smart contract, and looks forward to the future research direction of blockchain smart contract.

Understanding Domestic Food Safety: An Investigation into Self-Reported Food Safety Practice and Associated Factors in Southern Ethiopian Households

BACKGROUND

According to available studies, 12%-20% of reported foodborne outbreaks start in the household. It is projected that 1 out of every 10 persons will become ill as a result of consuming tainted food. Poor food handling practices cause 600 million foodborne illnesses each year. In a given year, this leads to 420 000 deaths. In Ethiopia, there is a scarcity of studies on home-food-safety practices and the factors that affect them. This has resulted in a shortage of relevant information on the status of home-food-related illnesses in the country.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from May to June 23, 2021. A standardized and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data from 622 households. The total plate count method was used to analyze bacteria on cleaned plates. Epi data version 3.1 was used to enter data, while SPSS version 25 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression were used to characterize the data and identify factors associated with food safety practices.

RESULT

51.1% of the study participants had a safe food handling practice. The mean total plate count was 2.34 CFU/cm². In the multivariable regression, Household wealth (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI [1.01-3.16]), Education (AOR = 3.33, 95% CI [1.41-6.31]), Training (AOR = 2.85, 95% CI: [1.31-3.19]), Knowledge of safe practices (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI [1.23-3.08], and Attitude (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI [1.09, 3.82]) were associated with safe food handling practices.

CONCLUSION

Although data gathering systems for food-borne diseases typically overlook a large number of home-based outbreaks of sporadic infection, it is now widely understood that many episodes of food-borne sicknesses are caused by individuals' inappropriate food handling and preparation in their kitchens. In the current study, educational status, household wealth, food safety training, attitude, and knowledge about FBDs were found to be strongly associated with safe practices. This implies that public education is a key factor in improving food safety practices at home.

A phase conversion method to anchor ZIF-8 onto a PAN nanofiber surface for CO2 capture

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning and coated with zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) by a phase conversion growth method and investigated for CO2 capture. The PAN nanofibers were pre-treated with NaOH, and further coated with zinc hydroxide, which was subsequently converted into ZIF-8 by the addition of 2-methyl imidazolate. In the resulting flexible ZIF-8/PAN composite nanofibers, ZIF-8 loadings of up to 57 wt% were achieved. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed the formation of evenly distributed submicron-sized ZIF-8 crystals on the surface of the PAN nanofibers with sizes between 20 and 75 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) investigations indicated electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds between the ZIF-8 structure and the PAN nanofiber. The ZIF-8/composite nanofibers showed a high BET surface area of 887 m2 g-1. CO2 adsorption isotherms of the ZIF-8/PAN composites revealed gravimetric CO2 uptake capacities of 130 mg g-1 (at 298 K and 40 bar) of the ZIF-8/PAN nanofiber and stable cyclic adsorption performance.

Survey of mycotoxins in milling oats dedicated for food purposes between 2013 and 2019 by LC-MS/MS

Although the common oat (Avena sativa L.) is well known for its nutritional benefits, it carries the risk of contamination with mycotoxins due to its susceptibility to the growth of various fungi. The procurement of milling oats for food could become more difficult in the coming harvest years due to limited availability, specific quality requirements and the avoidance of mycotoxin contamination. In light of ongoing discussions in the European Commission on regulatory limits for certain mycotoxins including their modified forms, the purpose of this study was to improve the database on their occurrence in milling oats. In particular, we provide data on the predominantly occurring trichothecenes such as deoxynivalenol and its acetylated and modified derivatives (e.g. 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside) as well as on T-2 and HT-2 toxins. Additionally, the following mycotoxins were analysed: zearalenone, nivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, fusarenon-X, ochratoxin A, sterigmatocystin and aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂. Oat samples, (n = 281) pre-selected for their physical properties and DON-content to be less than 1750 µg/kg from 11 European provenances, were analysed for 16 different mycotoxins by LC-MS/MS. Samples were collected from the years of harvest 2013 to 2019. High incidence rates above the limit of quantification of either 5 µg/kg for T-2 and HT-2 toxins or 10 µg/kg for deoxynivalenol were found (98.1, 94.7 and 91.4%, respectively). The mean concentration of the sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins was 149 µg/kg. The highest level was found in an Irish sample containing 1290 µg/kg for the sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins. The mean deoxynivalenol concentration was 289 µg/kg, while the highest level was 1414 µg/kg in a Swedish sample. Besides nivalenol other mycotoxins were only present in trace concentrations or not detected.

Food Safety Knowledge, Handling Practices and Associated Factors Among Food Handlers Working in Food Establishments in Debre Markos Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020: Institution-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose

Foodborne illness is a major public health problem worldwide. The supply of safe and healthy food is crucial to prevent foodborne illness. However, evidence regarding food safety knowledge and handling practice is limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess food safety knowledge, handling practice, and its associated factors among food handlers in Debre Markos Town, North West Ethiopia.

Patients and Methods

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 408 randomly selected food handlers at Debre-Markos town. A structured questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to collect relevant data. The main outcome of interest was food safety and handling practice. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors significantly associated with food safety knowledge and food handling practice. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.

Results

In this study, only 34.1% of food handlers had good food safety knowledge and nearly 54% of food handlers had good food handling practice. Level of education (AOR = 0.23 (0.14–0.57)), training on food safety (AOR = 5.13 (3.57–7.82)), and favorable attitudes towards food safety (AOR=2.54 (1.52–4.25)) were the factors associated with knowledge of food safety. Similarly, training (AOR=2.05, 95% CI=1.31–3.19), a good level of knowledge (AOR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.40, 3.17), and work experience (AOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.10–2.81) were positively associated with good food handling practice.

Conclusion

In this study, the level of food safety knowledge and handling practices were relatively low. Therefore, the concerned bodies should work on the identified factors to improve food handlers’ knowledge of food safety and practice level. Continuous training for food handlers should be given.

Establishment of an Indirect Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Method for the Detection of Heavy Metal Cadmium in Food Packaging Materials

Heavy metals in food packaging materials have been indicated to release into the environment at slow rates. Heavy metal contamination, especially that of cadmium (Cd), is widely acknowledged as a global environment threat that leads to continuous growing pollution levels in the environment. Traditionally, the detection of the concentration of Cd relies on expensive precision instruments, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). In this study, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) based on a specific monoclonal antibody was proposed to rapidly detect Cd. The half-inhibitory concentration and detection sensitivity of the anti-cadmium monoclonal antibody of the ic-ELISA were 5.53 ng mL-1 and 0.35 ng mL-1, respectively. The anti-Cd monoclonal antibody possessed high specificity while diagnosising other heavy metal ions, including Al (III), Ca (II), Cu (II), Fe (III), Hg (II), Mg (II), Mn (II), Pb (II), Zn (II), Cr (III) and Ni (II). The average recovery rates of Cd ranged from 89.03-95.81% in the spiked samples of packing materials, with intra- and inter-board variation coefficients of 7.20% and 6.74%, respectively. The ic-ELISA for Cd detection was applied on 72 food packaging samples that consisted of three material categories-ceramic, glass and paper. Comparison of the detection results with ICP-AES verified the accuracy of the ic-ELISA. The correlation coefficient between the ic-ELISA and the ICP-AES methods was 0.9634, demonstrating that the proposed ic-ELISA approach could be a useful and effective tool for the rapid detection of Cd in food packaging materials.

Foetal exposure to heavy metals and risk of atopic diseases in early childhood

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence suggests that in utero exposures can influence the development of the immune system and thus contribute to disease development. Studies investigating the association between prenatal exposures to heavy metals and atopic diseases, however, are scarce.

METHODS

Children from the EDEN birth cohort were prospectively followed up using parental questionnaires with validated questions on asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, and food allergy symptoms. The questionnaires were administered every 4 months during the children's first year, and then every year until the age of 5, with a final survey at the age of 8. Serum concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and manganese (Mn) were assessed in maternal blood samples collected during mid-pregnancy and in cord blood of 651 mother-children pairs. Hazard ratios (HR) for the incidence of each atopic disease in relation to the exposure to metals were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

Levels of Cd in cord blood were associated with greater risk of asthma (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] for upper vs lower quartile: 1.81 [1.00-3.29]), eczema (1.60 [1.09-2.35]), and food allergy (3.17 [1.36-7.38]), while Mn levels in maternal serum were associated with eczema (1.55 [1.05-2.28]). These associations were similar in males and females and were confirmed using log concentrations of metals as exposures.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support the hypothesis that fetal exposure to heavy metals may affect the development of asthma, eczema, and food allergy in childhood and suggest that timing of exposure in utero may have a role in these associations.

Computational approach for the identification of putative allergens from Cucurbitaceae family members

Certain substances referred to as allergens, induce hypersensitivity (allergic reactions) which normally are considered to be innocuous, are small in size and incite IgE response. This study was focused to predict the putative allergens from other Cucurbitaceae family members using computational approach by analyzing the already reported allergens of the same family. The four reported allergens Cuc m 1, Cuc m 2, Cuc m 3 and Citr I 2 of Cucurbitaceae family were obtained from International Union of Immunological Societies, in which three were from Cucumis melo (Muskmelon) and one from Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon) respectively. BlastP analysis reported 44 similar sequences to these allergens from other members of Cucurbitaceae family namely Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima. The allergenicity of these sequences was predicted using AlgPred tool in which it revealed 26 protein sequences as putative allergens. These selected sequences were further analyzed for their physicochemical properties using ProtParam tool in which 13 sequences were found to satisfy the required parameters, and therefore further analyzed by AllerMatch™ and AllergenOnline tools to check the Codex Alimentarius rules for allergens. Finally, 13 sequences that were selected were structurally analyzed for similarity using PROMALS3D tool and phylogenetic relationship was established with the reported allergens using MEGA-X software. It was concluded that 13 sequences from Cucurbitaceae family belonging to different species of Pumpkin showed potential allergenicity based on the computational analysis that possibly can play a role in allergies and cross reactivity.

Carbon-Based Nanomaterials in Sensors for Food Safety

Food safety is one of the most important and widespread research topics worldwide. The development of relevant analytical methods or devices for detection of unsafe factors in foods is necessary to ensure food safety and an important aspect of the studies of food safety. In recent years, developing high-performance sensors used for food safety analysis has made remarkable progress. The combination of carbon-based nanomaterials with excellent properties is a specific type of sensor for enhancing the signal conversion and thus improving detection accuracy and sensitivity, thus reaching unprecedented levels and having good application potential. This review describes the roles and contributions of typical carbon-based nanomaterials, such as mesoporous carbon, single- or multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene and carbon quantum dots, in the construction and performance improvement of various chemo- and biosensors for various signals. Additionally, this review focuses on the progress of applications of this type of sensor in food safety inspection, especially for the analysis and detection of all types of toxic and harmful substances in foods.

Occurrence and human health implications of chemical contaminants in vegetables grown in peri-urban agriculture

Recent studies have proven that vegetables cultivated in peri-urban areas are exposed to a greater concentration of organic microcontaminants (OMCs) and trace elements (TEs) than those grown in rural areas. In this study, the occurrence and human health risk of chemical contaminants (16 TEs and 33 OMCs) in edible parts of lettuce, tomato, cauliflower, and broad beans from two farm fields in the peri-urban area of the city of Barcelona and one rural site outside the peri-urban area were assessed. The concentration of TEs and OMCs (on fresh weight basis) ranged from non-detectable to 17.4 mg/kg and from non-detectable to 256 μg/kg, respectively. Tomato fruits showed the highest concentration of TEs and OMCs. Principal component analysis indicated that the occurrence of chemical contaminants in vegetables depended on the commodity rather than the location (peri-urban vs rural). Risk assessment using hazardous quotient (HQ) and threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approaches showed that the risk for the consumption of target vegetables in the peri-urban area was low and similar to that observed for the rural site. Total HQ values for TEs were always below 1, and a minimum consumption of 150 g/day for children and 380 g/day for adults is required to reach the TTC due to the presence of pesticides. Further studies are needed to estimate the combined effect of TEs and OMCs on human health.

Multiple mycotoxin analysis in nut products: Occurrence and risk characterization

Nuts consumption plays an important role in Mediterranean diet, being a good source of proteins, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids. However, nuts can be also a source of harmful mycotoxins with negative impact on human health. In this work, the occurrence of 16 mycotoxins belonging to different chemical classes, was assessed in several nut products. The analytical method used was based on modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) procedure followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. An extensive evaluation of different sorbents used in dispersive SPE (d-SPE) cleanup step of QuEChERS was performed. Detection limits achieved were less than 3.5 μg/kg for all the compounds and the average recoveries varied from 70 to 91%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) ≤13%. Twelve out of sixteen mycotoxins under study were found in the 37 nut samples analysed. Overall, deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxin-G2 (AFG₂), and fusarenon-X (FUS X) were the compounds more commonly detected. The higher contamination value was observed in a cashew sample containing 336.5 μg/kg of DON. The combination of occurrence and consumption data allowed to assess the exposure and characterize the associated risk of nut products consumption by the Portuguese population.

Multiple Mycotoxins in Rice: Occurrence and Health Risk Assessment in Children and Adults of Punjab, Pakistan

Mycotoxin contamination in rice can create a health risk for the consumers. In this study, the measurement of 23 mycotoxins in rice samples (n = 180) was performed using a validated LC–MS/MS method. A food frequency questionnaire was used to get rice consumption data for the assessment of mycotoxin dietary exposure, before calculating the health risk in adults and children of north and south regions of the Pakistani Punjab province. The prevalence of aflatoxin B₁ (56%), aflatoxin B₂ (48%), nivalenol (28%), diacetoxyscirpenol (23%), fumonisin B₁ (42%), zearalenone (15%), HT-2 toxin (10%), deoxynivalenol (8%), and ochratoxin A (6%) was estimated in samples with a mean concentration range between 0.61 and 22.98 µg/kg. Aflatoxin degradation by traditional Pakistani cooking recipes was evaluated and observed to be 41–63%. The dietary exposure to aflatoxins exceeded the tolerable daily intake at all levels, and ochratoxin A and zearalenone posed health risk at high contamination and high consumption levels. The margin of aflatoxin B₁ exposure ranged between 10 and 69 in adults and 10 and 62 in children. The mean cancer risk by aflatoxin B₁ exposure was 0.070 (adults) and 0.071 (children) cases/year/100,000 people in South Punjab population, and 0.122 (adults) and 0.127 (children) cases/year/100,000 people in North Punjab population. This study will provide new insights for the planning and management of mycotoxins in Pakistan.

Blood Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Environmental factors have been implicated in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, the role of heavy metals has not been fully defined. This study investigated whether blood levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and lead of children with ASD significantly differ from those of age- and sex-matched controls. One hundred eighty unrelated children with ASD and 184 healthy controls were recruited. Data showed that the children with ASD had significantly (p < 0.001) higher levels of mercury and arsenic and a lower level of cadmium. The levels of lead did not differ significantly between the groups. The results of this study are consistent with numerous previous studies, supporting an important role for heavy metal exposure, particularly mercury, in the etiology of ASD. It is desirable to continue future research into the relationship between ASD and heavy metal exposure.

Genotoxic effects of food contact recycled paperboard extracts on two human hepatic cell lines

Food contact paperboards may be a potential source of food contamination as they can release chemicals (intentionally added or not), especially recycled paperboards. This study assessed the in vitro genotoxicity of food contact paperboard samples from a manufacturer, collected at the beginning and at the end of a recycling production chain. Samples were extracted in water to mimic a wet food contact. Different genotoxic endpoints were evaluated in two human hepatic cell lines (HepG2 and HepaRG) using bioassays: γH2AX and p53 activation, primary DNA damage with the comet assay and micronucleus formation. It was found that the samples from the beginning and the end of the production chain induced, with the same potency, γH2AX and p53-ser15 activation and DNA damage with the comet assay. The micronucleus assay was negative with the paperboard extract from the beginning of the chain, whereas positive data were observed for the end paperboard extract. These results indicate that samples from recycled food contact paperboard can induce in vitro genotoxic effects in this study's experimental conditions.

COMPLEX OF CHEMICAL-TECHNOLOGICAL AND SANITARY-HYGIENIC QUALITY INDICATORS OF THE NEW PASTRY PRODUCTS OF SPECIAL NUTRITION

The complex of chemical-technological and sanitary-hygienic quality indicators of new pastry products of special nutrition was studied. The original recipes of meat pastries for special nutrition, enriched with biologically active components at the expanse of vitaminized blended vegetable oils (VBVO) and protein-fatty emulsions (PFE) on their base, were elaborated. There were elaborated four recipes of pastries of chicken and turkey with PFE, included in recipes in the amount 15…20 % and with vitaminized blended vegetable oils of two-component and three-component composition in the amount 10 %. Pastry samples, prepared according to SSTC 4432:2005 were used as a control. VBVO composition and fat-soluble vitamins content in them was determined by the gasochromatographic method. Molecular-genetic methods were used for the accelerated diagnostics of pastries safety by agents of food intoxications– Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus, number of mesophyl aerobic and facultative-anaerobic microorganisms (NMAFAnM), classic ones – colon bacillus group bacteria (CBGB), sulphite reductive clostridia, Staphylococcus aureus, L.monocytogenes, Salmonella. The storage term of products was prolonged in 2 times (48 against 24 hours) according to SSTC). The expedience of their introduction in production was proved.

Metabolomic blood test: purpose, implementation and interpretation of data

The human body is an open system that receives a variety of xenobiotics in the course of dietary route or respiration and in the form of the drugs. As a lump sum scores of toxic and potentially toxic substances are detected in a human body that significantly affect health and human lifespan. There are also thousands of diseases, dozens of which latently occur in the body of each person. Traditional diagnosis is not able to screen all the variety of xenobiotics and potential human diseases. For this purpose metabolomic blood test is available which is of non-targeted (review) nature. The test can reveal all the diversity of low molecular weight substances in blood, including tens of thousands of xenobiotics and markers of different diseases. Detection of xenobiotics in the blood, directional detoxification and subsequent monitoring of “body's chemical purity” together with the control of “normality” of all biochemical processes in the organism, using metabolomics blood tests is a necessary and presumably a sufficient condition in the implementation of inherent human genotype longevity. This article describes the purpose, implementation and interpretation of metabolomic blood test facilitating the implementation of this method in the Russian Federation, in order to significantly increase the average life expectancy.

Histamine (Scombroid) Fish Poisoning: a Comprehensive Review

Histamine fish poisoning, also known as scombroid poisoning, is the most common cause of ichythyotoxicosis worldwide and results from the ingestion of histamine-contaminated fish in the Scombroidae and Scomberesocidae families, including mackerel, bonito, albacore, and skipjack. This disease was first described in 1799 in Britain and re-emerged in the medical literature in the 1950s when outbreaks were reported in Japan. The symptoms associated with histamine fish poisoning are similar to that of an allergic reaction. In fact, such histamine-induced reactions are often misdiagnosed as IgE-mediated fish allergy. Indeed, histamine fish poisoning is still an underrecognized disease. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment of scombroid disease. Because more than 80% of fish consumed in the USA is now imported from other countries, the disease is intimately linked with the global fish trade (National Marine Fisheries Service, 2012). Preventing future scombroid outbreaks will require that fishermen, public health officials, restaurant workers, and medical professionals work together to devise international safety standards and increase awareness of the disease. The implications of scombroid poisoning go far beyond that of fish and have broader implications for the important issues of food safety.

Subsurface pressure profiling: a novel mathematical paradigm for computing colony pressures on substrate during fungal infections

Colony expansion is an essential feature of fungal infections. Although mechanisms that regulate hyphal forces on the substrate during expansion have been reported previously, there is a critical need of a methodology that can compute the pressure profiles exerted by fungi on substrates during expansion; this will facilitate the validation of therapeutic efficacy of novel antifungals. Here, we introduce an analytical decoding method based on Biot’s incremental stress model, which was used to map the pressure distribution from an expanding mycelium of a popular plant pathogen, Aspergillus parasiticus. Using our recently developed Quantitative acoustic contrast tomography (Q-ACT) we detected that the mycelial growth on the solid agar created multiple surface and subsurface wrinkles with varying wavelengths across the depth of substrate that were computable with acousto-ultrasonic waves between 50 MHz–175 MHz. We derive here the fundamental correlation between these wrinkle wavelengths and the pressure distribution on the colony subsurface. Using our correlation we show that A. parasiticus can exert pressure as high as 300 KPa on the surface of a standard agar growth medium. The study provides a novel mathematical foundation for quantifying fungal pressures on substrate during hyphal invasions under normal and pathophysiological growth conditions.

Phthalate migration from packaging materials into food

The content of dibutylphthalate (DBP) and di- (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in samples of packages used for packaging meat productsand the phthalate migration from packaging materials to meat products were studied. Five samples of textile packaging intended for cooked meat production were analysed as well asthe final product which was filled into packages. Subsequently an analysis was carried out (after 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of storage) of the finished meat products stored over the course of their intended shelf life at ambient temperature of 4 °C. Determination of phthalates was conducted by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with UV detection at a wavelength of 224 nm on the Zorbax Eclipse C8 column. The content of phthalates in the final product was below the limit of quantification. According to the Regulation of the Commission (EU) No. 10/2011, the specific migration limit of products intended for food contact is 1.5 mg.kg-1of food simulant for DEHP and 0.3 mg.kg-1 for DBP. After filling and the first day of storage of the meat product, four package samples release the said phthalates to an extent that it exceeded the limits of the Commission Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011. Already after the seventh day of storage, all samples (with the exception of sample 2 for DBP) exceeded SMLs. Monitoring of each phthalate migration in individual samples during storage (for 28 days) produced a rising tendency.  In sample 1, DBP increased from 0.40 to 3.37 mg.kg-1, while DEHP from 0.58 to 14.66 mg.kg-1. In sample 2, DBP increased from ≤0.2 mg.kg-1 to 4.34 mg.kg-1, whileDEHP from 1.46 to 28.20 mg.kg-1. In sample 3, DBP increased from ≤0.2 mg.kg-1 to  8.27 mg.kg-1, while DEHP from 1.67 to 14.84 mg.kg-1. In sample 4, DBP increased from 0.27 to 6.12 mg.kg-1, while DEHP from 2.37 to 13.22 mg.kg-1. In sample 5, DBP increased from 0.32 to 11.11 mg.kg-1, while DEHP from 1.91 to 15.42 mg.kg-1.