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

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are noted for their hepatotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic effects in animals and humans following metabolic activation in the liver. In this study, herbal supplements sold in Ghana for sexual improvement were analysed for the presence of 64 PAs using LC-MS/MS analysis. Up to 17 different PAs were identified in 19 out of the 37 samples analysed. The sum of PAs in samples ranged from 5 to 3204 μg kg^-1. Since the PA content in the herbal medicinal preparations was generally lower than in honey samples, their presence was mainly attributed to cross-contamination. The observed levels would result in estimated daily intakes from 0.01 to 12 μg per day or 0.0002 to 0.2 μg kg^-1 bw day^-1 for a person weighing 70 kg. The margins of exposure ranged from 1200 to 1,400,000 with eight samples showing values below 10,000, thus indicating a health concern.

In this study 3307 samples of 24 vegetables and fruits from 18 regions of Henan Province, China, were collected in 2021 with the aim of assessing the levels of pesticide residues and analysing the differences between different sources in Henan Province. Thirteen kinds of pesticides were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and detection rates were compared by the chi-square test. In all samples, except ginger, pimento, edible fungi and yam, pesticide residues were detected. The detection rates of difenoconazole, acetamiprid, carbendazim, procymidone, emamectin benzoate, lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin and dimethomorph in supermarkets and traditional farmers' markets were different. The difenoconazole group and the dimethomorph group were both statistically different (P < 0.05). This study showed common vegetables and fruits to contain pesticide residues in Henan Province and provided a scientific basis for their evaluation. Different sources take different regulatory measures to control pesticide residues to ensure food safety.

Although restricting environmental quality values for organotin compounds (OTs) are set by Directive 2013/39/EU of the European Parliament, marine environment remains being affected due to maritime circulation at global scale. Fish and seafood accumulate OTs, making fish and seafood consumption the main source of OTs in humans. Because of the fish and seafood matrices complexity and the required low limits of detection, a robust and fast procedure for the quantification of OTs in fish and seafood, using ultrasound-assisted extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, was validated and applied. Detection (2.7 µg Sn kg^-1) and quantification (8.0 µg Sn kg^-1) limits, repeatability and intermediate precision (<10%), accuracy by analysing ERM®-CE477 Mussel Tissue and analytical recoveries (65-122%) were assessed. Multivariate analysis shown that the matrix effect for some OTs displayed good negative correlation with the fat and protein content. Health risk assessment of OTs intake revealed no serious risk for human consumption.

Lettuce is Colombia's most widely cultivated leafy vegetable, but in the absence of good agricultural practices, there is the risk of some pesticide residues that affect its safety and quality. This work aimed to identify the pesticides used by farmers for the lettuce crop, the iceberg variety (Lactuca sativa var. capitata), in some municipalities of Cundinamarca (Colombia) and to investigate their residues by sampling and analysis. The farmers reported in the survey 44 active ingredients, most fungicides (54%), while the laboratory analysis showed 23 chemical compounds (52% insecticides, 39% fungicides and 9% herbicides). In addition, dithiocarbamates, procymidone and some organophosphates were among the active ingredients that exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs). About 80% of the identified pesticides were not registered with the regulatory entity Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) for their use in lettuce, but some were in commercial products legally registered in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Ceramic products are among the most frequently used food contact materials. Health risks associated with ceramic tableware usually arise from the migration of heavy metals. In this study, 767 pieces of ceramic tableware of different shapes and types were collected across China, and the migration levels of 18 elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Migration tests were conducted according to the Chinese National Food Safety Standard - Ceramic Ware (GB 4806.4) with microwaveable and non-microwavable samples under different conditions. The food consumption of consumers via different shapes of ceramic tableware was obtained through a self-reported web-based survey, and the estimated dietary intakes of the studied elements were calculated accordingly. The exposure assessment showed that certain metals leached from the ceramic tableware at levels of concern. In addition, the applicability of the migration experiment conditions for microwaveable ceramic ware in GB 4806.4 needs to be further investigated.

This study investigated the distribution pattern, tissue burden, and safety of bivalve shellfish for human consumption. Edible species of bivalve shellfish harvested from Niger delta were screened for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminants. Instrumental analysis and quantification of PCB congeners were performed using gas chromatography fitted with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Results indicated an accumulation of PCB concentration of 0.36 ng/g, 0.89 ng/g, 0.98 ng/g, and 1.73 ng/g at Andoni, Iko Town, Ibeno, and Bonny, respectively. The PCB burden showed bloody cockle at Bonny location recorded the highest concentration of PCB congeners (2.37 ng/g), closely followed by mangrove oyster (2.13 ng/g) at Iko Town location, while Donax clam at Ibeno (0.09 ng/g) has the least PCB burden. The results obtained were lower in relation to food regulatory threshold. However, PCB tissue burden of bivalve shellfish harvested at the study locations indicated an environment impacted by anthropogenic activities that could negatively affect human health which depends on these shellfish for food.

This study developed a rapid and easy analytical method for the simultaneous determination of nine synthetic colourants (SCs) in capsule dietary supplements. Sample pretreatment involved thermal treatment to dissolve gelatin, using the enzymes protease and amylase to prevent the gelation of gelatin and fat-soluble substances removal using petroleum ether. The method was linear (r² ≥0.999), with LOD of 0.009-0.029 μg/mL and LOQ of 0.42-1.40 μg/g. Recovery ranged from 90.9 to 108.9%. The relative expanded measurement uncertainty ranged from 4.1 to 6.3%. Allura Red AC (R40) and Brilliant Blue FCF (B1) were commonly detected in 20 of the 28 samples. Up to six SCs such as Tartrazine (Y4), Sunset yellow (Y5), Amaranth (R2), Erythrosine B (R3), R40 and B1 were detected in a single sample, ranging from 30.5 to 40.2 μg/g. Total content of SCs in various capsule supplements ranged from 0.3 to 73.7 μg/g.

In 2019 and 2020, 70 paddy and 70 brown rice samples were collected from South China and Southwest China, wherein the residues of 15 target pesticides were investigated. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was established for the simultaneous detection of 15 pesticides, which achieved good linear relationship with limits of detection (LODs) of 0.10-4.00 μg kg^-1. The average recoveries and relative standard deviations (RSD) were satisfied for the pesticide residues detection. Analysis results showed that the detection rates of 15 typical pesticides in paddy and brown rice were 0%-12.9% and 0%-1.4%, respectively. None of the 15 pesticides exceed their maximum residue limit (MRL) stipulated by China. The pesticide with the highest detection rate and concentration was chlorpyrifos. This study can provide data support for the control of pesticide residues in rice and the realisation of the improving the efficiency of pesticide and fertiliser while reducing their application.

Fifty-one rice samples, i.e. 25 rice varieties, 8 rice products, and 18 rice containing baby foods from the Austrian market were surveyed for arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is most toxic to human health, and its mean concentrations in rice were 120 µg kg^-1, 191 µg kg^-1 in rice products, and 77 µg kg^-1 in baby foods. The average dimethylarsinic acid and methylarsonic acid concentrations were 56 µg kg^-1 and 2 µg kg^-1, respectively. The highest iAs concentration was found in rice flakes (237 ± 15 µg kg^-1), close to the Maximum Level (ML) set by the EU regulation for husked rice (250 µg kg^-1). The levels of cadmium (12 to 182 µg kg^-1) and lead (6 to 30 µg kg^-1) in the majority of rice samples were below the European ML. Upland grown rice from Austria showed both, low inorganic arsenic (<19 µg kg^-1) and cadmium (<38 µg kg^-1) concentrations.