Food additives & contaminants. Part B, Surveillance最新文献

Anthropogenic activities, such as industrial discharge, cargo handling, and untreated wastewater release, have led to significant heavy metal contamination along the Karachi coastline, posing risks to marine life and human health. Current study evaluated the health risks associated with consuming five fish species (Trichiurus lepturus, Sillago sihama, Acanthopagrus arabicus, Otolithes cuvieri, and Nemipterus japonicus) by analysing muscle tissues for arsenic, chromium, copper, and nickel accumulation. Nemipterus japonicus and Otolithes cuvieri exhibited hazard index (HI) values greater than 1, indicating potential non-carcinogenic risks to adults, particularly due to high arsenic levels. Other species were deemed safe for consumption. Present study emphasises the need for further investigation into contamination sources and recommends regular monitoring of heavy metal levels to mitigate health risks from fish consumption.

With the increasing demand for reduced sugar or sugar-free products by consumers with chronic non-communicable diseases and individuals seeking weight control, foods and beverages with high-intensity sweeteners (HIS) tend to become more common in the market. Therefore, monitoring HIS concentrations added to industrialised products is an important issue. Thus, an analytical method using LC-MS/MS was established and validated in order to allow the simultaneous determination of nine of these compounds in beverages marketed in Brazil. HIS levels were determined in 132 commercial samples of beverages like nectar-type juices, powdered juices, and soft drinks. The results obtained during validation showed coefficients of variation (CV%) for precision lower than 14.9% and accuracies between 88.5% and 109.9%, with all samples below the maximum limits as set by the Brazilian legislation.

Multi-mycotoxin analysis of 22 mycotoxins in 202 durum wheat samples collected in Algeria from 2019 to 2021 was performed by UHPLCMS/MS. Enniatins were present in 2 out of 45 wheat samples in the 2019 harvest, whereas in the harvest of 2020 37.6% of wheat samples were contaminated by ochratoxin A and/or beauvericin, deoxynivalenol (1076 µg/kg), fumonisin B1, enniatins, and zearalenone (most prevalent in 2020 and 2021 harvest). Mycotoxin contamination increased from 37.6% in 2020 to 55.2% in 2021 harvests. The most frequently observed mycotoxin co-occurrence was the combination of enniatin A1, enniatin B, and enniatin B1 (0.5-126 µg/kg) and DON (1307 µg/kg). AFB1 (0.4-2.6 µg/kg) was found in only one sample collected from the continental region. These results pointed to the necessity of frequent and regular wheat quality controls in order to better evaluate the risk regarding the Algerian population.

This study evaluated the presence of residual levels of commonly utilised antibiotics, including oxytetracycline (tetracyclines), ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and levofloxacin (fluoroquinolones), in milk samples. Fifty raw milk samples were collected from five farms in Keraniganj, Dhaka. A validated RP-HPLC method was applied to detect and quantify antibiotic residues, demonstrating good linearity with coefficients ranging from 0.999 to 1.0 in the concentration range of 1.25-15.00 µg/mL. The study revealed that oxytetracycline was detected in 90% of the samples, followed by levofloxacin (66%), enrofloxacin (64%), and ciprofloxacin (62%). One farm showed the highest antibiotic prevalence, with oxytetracycline in all samples and levofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin in 80% of the samples. About 30% of the oxytetracycline-positive samples exceeded the MRL, while none surpassed the MRL for enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Calculated human health risks appeared to be low, but children might face potential risks due to prolonged exposure.

Potential toxic elements are substances that can accumulate in foodstuffs and pose risks to human health even at low levels, or when their levels exceed safety thresholds. A total of 78 breakfast cereals were purchased from the Kurdistan region, Iraq. Their PTE levels were analysed and associated health risks were calculated. The levels of As, Cd, Pb, Cu and Cr ranged from 0.055 ± 0.02-0.12 ± 0.05 mg/kg, 0.024 ± 0.009-0.08 ± 0.03 mg/kg, 0.015 ± 0.003-0.12 ± 0.06 mg/kg, 1.93 ± 0.5-3.9 ± 0.1 mg/kg and 0.36 ± 0.02-0.84 ± 0.1 mg/kg, respectively. The PTE levels were mostly below the Codex Alimentarius maximum limits, except in 11 samples, which exceeded the limits for As, Cd and Pb. Risk assessment data of HQ and HI (below 1) showed no non-carcinogenic health risks for both adults and children. However, due to the high levels of As, Cd and Pb in some samples, continuous monitoring is advisable to ensure the constant quality of these products.

Heavy metal (HM) contamination in commonly consumed herbal medicines (n = 80), as determined by Liquid Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy, revealed that 10% of the samples contained at least one HM which exceeded the maximum limits of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. The estimated daily intake of Cr was higher through the consumption of amla, brahmi, and lodhra bark, when compared to other HMs. The Hazard Quotient (1.8) and Hazard Index (2.3) exceeded 1 for brahmi consumption, suggesting potential non-carcinogenic health risks for the population. The Life Time Cancer Risk for brahmi was 2.95E-03, so above 10^-4-10^-6, which indicates a cancer risk to the population. Monte Carlo simulations for amla showed a skewed distribution, also suggesting its consumption to be a health risk. Therefore, proper management strategies and regular monitoring of herbal products are recommended to ensure the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines for the consumers.

This study employed QuEChERS extraction method combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to analyse honey samples from Albania for nitroimidazole residues. This approach allowed for the detection of trace-level residues, achieving sensitivity in the parts per billion range. Out of the 45 honey samples analysed, 6 exceeded the European Union's safety limit of 1 µg/kg, with metronidazole (MNZ) and dimetridazole (DMZ) being the predominant contaminants. The findings highlight the public health risk posed by nitroimidazole residues, particularly in regions where honey is a widely consumed food product. In line with recent advances in the determination of veterinary drug residues, this study supports the need for enhanced regulatory frameworks and continuous monitoring to safeguard consumer health.

A total of 76 samples of maize and its products were collected in 2022-2023 to estimate dietary exposure of fumonisins (FBs) in Dalian region, China. The identification of FBs was performed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The occurrences of FB₁, FB₂, FB₃, FB₁ + FB₂ + FB₃ were 89.5%, 77.6%, 61.8%, and 61.8%, respectively, with mean concentrations ranging from 140 to 1332 μg/kg. No individual and cumulative health risks were found due to FBs dietary exposure, when considering the mean level. However, a deterministic analysis showed 95^th and 99^th exposures of FB₁ + FB₂ + FB₃ for children and adolescents were estimated to be 2.18 to 3.46 μg kg bw^-1day^-1, exceeding the Provisional Maximum Tolerable Daily Intake (PMTDI) of 2 μg kg bw^-1day^-1. Probabilistic analysis showed the 99^th exposures for all age groups were 2.06 to 3.08 μg kg bw^-1day^-1, exceeding the PMTDI. Establishment of MLs and systematic monitoring are needed to lower FBs dietary exposure and health risk in the Dalian region.

While the use of food additives is common manufacturing practice, the levels used in food have to be compliant with the prescribed legislation. For fast control of present levels of food additives in products, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry with a triple quadrupole linear ion trap (QTRAP) mass analyser was applied to develop a method for the simultaneous determination of 41 frequently added food additives and flavourings, including 16 water-soluble colourants, 14 illegal dyes, 7 sweeteners, 2 preservatives, and 2 purine alkaloids. The method was validated using energy drink, chilli powder, condiment, and jelly sweets as food sample matrices. The average recovery values were in the range of 70‒120%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 10% for the majority of the analytes. The validated method was applied for the analysis of 134 samples from the Czech market.

An analytical method was developed for identification and quantification of zilpaterol in bovine liver, meat, heart, and kidney, using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS). It was validated in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (CIR) EU 2021/808 at six different concentrations, ranging from 0.1 to 5 μg/kg. The mean recoveries ranged from 71% to 99%, while the decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) ranges were 0.11-0.12 μg/kg and 0.13-0.15 μg/kg, respectively. The method demonstrated good linearity (R² > 0.9996) and the limits of detection (LODs) and of quantification (LOQs) were in the range of 0.015-0.061 μg/kg and 0.025-0.091 μg/kg, respectively. Out of 200 samples collected from local markets in Egypt, 17 contained zilpaterol residues. Liver samples revealed the highest detection frequency (26%), followed by meat (6%), at mean concentrations of 2.64 and 1.93 μg/kg, respectively.