Italian Journal of Food Safety最新文献

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing sectors in global food production, and its expansion has driven the adoption and consolidation of intensive and semi-intensive production methods, which can increase the risk of infectious diseases. The use of various antibacterial compounds for therapeutic purposes has become increasingly common. Monitoring the presence of antimicrobial substances in aquaculture is of the utmost importance to prevent antibiotic resistance and ensure food safety. A multi-residue method was applied to investigate the incidence and the concentration of antibiotic residues in fish flesh collected from Umbria and Marche aquaculture farms over the 4-year period 2020-2023. Due to its rapidity and reliability, this method allowed for the evaluation of 70 antimicrobial molecules in fish flesh and the verification of European Union legislation compliance. Overall, 102 samples were analyzed, and only three antibiotic substances were detected, namely, sulfadiazine, oxytetracycline, and trimethoprim, with a variable presence of positive samples and residue concentration through different seasons, with higher values in winter. The highest value of positive samples was registered in 2021, with 63.2%, followed by 62.2% in 2022 and 51.7% in 2020; 11.1% was registered in 2023. Non-compliant samples were recorded for sulfadiazine (only one at the concentration of 222 μg/kg) and trimethoprim (the concentration ranged from 10 μg/kg to 226 μg/kg). The results indicated that 53.9% of the samples contained residues of authorized substances, with a 6.9% above the respective maximum residue limits.

Food supplements are one of the most widely marketed food categories in the world. In relation to several cases of adverse effects reported due to the plant substances contained in these products, the attention of the scientific communities and public decision-makers should be directed to the physiological effects that can be attributed to these substances and that encourage their increasing sales to consumers. This is the case of the plant Cannabis sativa L. In order to evaluate the scientific validity of the physiological effects attributable to Cannabis sativa, a bibliographic search was carried out on the evidence published. This short manuscript has highlighted how, despite the presence on the market of a large number of plant substances present in food preparations, there is not always clear evidence to support the physiological effects attributed to these products. As a result, it is essential to monitor the market to safeguard the food safety of consumers worldwide.

Thai tea is one of the beverage products that are often ordered by Generation Z through online applications. With the rise of Thai tea drinks in the market, it is suspected that some individuals cheat by adding cyclamate to Thai tea drinks when concocting them to get a good taste and sweetness at a low price. This study aimed to examine the correlation between the level of knowledge and the attitudes of traders regarding the use of cyclamate food additives in Thai tea processed drinks, which are sold through online application-based food delivery services in the Surabaya and Sidoarjo regions. This research was an observational analysis and had a cross-sectional design. The study sample of 46 Thai tea beverage products was taken by simple random sampling. Research shows that there is no link between knowledge (p=0.654), attitudes (p=0.950), and behavior (p=0.849) with the use of cyclamate in Thai tea beverage products. The conclusion of this study is the absence of any connections between knowledge, attitude, behavior, and the use of cyclamates. The results classify Thai tea products, both qualitatively and quantitatively, as safe. Based on questionnaires, respondents had good knowledge, but they also had negative attitudes and behaviors.

This study assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of measures provided for by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 by determining the rate of consignments not complying with European Union legislation placed on the European market despite increased controls through the use of probability theory and Bayes' theorem methods. In addition, it takes into account different provisions for intensified official controls to improve performance. The study revealed that the effectiveness of measures provided, intended as a reduction in the rate of non-compliant consignments placed on the market, appeared limited despite a great effort in terms of performed official controls. This rate was always lower than the rate of the increased controls and closely linked to the test sensitivity and specificity, determined by the combination of sampling procedures with analytical methods. Furthermore, the efficiency, intended as the ratio between the number of analyses carried out and the number of non-compliant consignments found, was just related to the starting prevalence and sensitivity. Instead, the provision for intensified official controls, based on additional checks carried out following each non-compliant result, was able to significantly reduce the rate of non-compliant consignments placed on the market. In conclusion, this study showed that the protection level offered by the measures laid down might not be proportionate to the effort made. To improve effectiveness and efficiency, sampling procedures and analytical methods with high sensitivity and specificity are needed, aided by the availability of reliable information to identify subsets of consignments with a higher prevalence of non-compliance.

Irradiated food acceptance around the world exhibits systematic variabilities across many facets related to citizens' perceived approval ratings of the product. The present research summarizes the empirical evidence on the extent to which people around the world accept irradiated food. A systematic review methodology structured the design and implementation of the present analysis. The authors performed comprehensive searches for studies featuring acceptance rates in two broad databases: Web of Science and Scopus. A total of 27 peer-reviewed articles in the English language covering 24,474 people in 15 different countries provided the survey-based data for the investigation. Results indicated that acceptance of irradiated food increased by a large margin in the past 35 years (33% in 1992 to 67% in 2024). Citizens' refusal to purchase irradiated food decreased from 19% to 16% globally in the same period. One of the emerging trends in the results was the rate of irradiated food familiarity, which remained relatively unchanged at 50% in the same time frame. Globally, acceptance of irradiated food is high and rising. Information campaigns and education about the benefits of irradiated food have led to increases in awareness and familiarity. Despite improving perceptions globally, stark variability still exists in acceptance rates, with developing countries having lower acceptance compared to highly industrialized countries. This is the first comparative analysis of different populations' perceptions of irradiated food worldwide. The paper provides new estimates on global acceptance of irradiated food and highlights variability among countries, offering valuable insights for policymakers interested in investing in it.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between consumers' experience of COVID-19 and changes in their food purchasing decisions during the lockdown as a result of their risk perception. An online questionnaire was created to analyze consumer purchasing behavior and awareness during the pandemic. At the end of the online administration period, the replies collected were downloaded. A descriptive analysis of the data was carried out through the construction of tables of individual variables; for each variable, the patterns, frequencies, and percentages with which they occurred were determined. Subsequently, a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was conducted; this is one of the most widely used statistical techniques for the "multiple" analysis of qualitative or mixed data collected through questionnaires. The final extraction of the completed questionnaires returned the replies of 114 individuals. In the MCA, not all the variables of the matrix were considered, as they were not proportional to the number of individuals. We considered 7 active variables and 1 supplementary variable, which contributed to the formation of factors. The most notable pattern was that those people who were most worried about the risk of contagion not only sanitized their purchases but also reduced their online purchases and deliveries, believing that these measures could reduce the risk of contagion.

The fishing industry in Morocco is a fundamental pillar of the national economy. However, it is important to acknowledge that fishery products can potentially transmit parasitic agents to humans. These parasites primarily belong to the Anisakidae family, consisting of two main genera: Anisakis and Pseudoterranova. The main objective of this study is to assess the occurrence of parasitism in fishery species along the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea coasts in Morocco. A total of 1808 specimens from 24 species were collected and examined for parasites between August 2022 and May 2023. The results show that 279 samples were infested, giving an overall prevalence of 15.43%, which is very low; 3918 parasites were detected in 14 of the 24 species examined, giving an overall abundance of 2.17 and an intensity of 14.04. Gymnorhynchus gigas were exclusively found in the Atlantic Pomfret (Brama brama), exhibiting a high prevalence of 78.26%. In contrast, xenomas were observed in Axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne) (p=16.19%) and Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) (p=1.01%). The parasites belonging to the Anisakidae family are the most widespread, with a percentage of 68.70%, and the silver scabbardfish (Lepidopus caudatus) has the highest prevalence, which is 87.14%. The examination of the correlation between its weight and the number of larvae yielded a correlation coefficient of r=0.52, while the correlation between its length and larvae count resulted in r=0.41. Both cases demonstrated a positive correlation. These findings underscore the necessity of prioritizing the safety of fishery species to safeguard public health and ensure sustainable consumption practices.

As far as we know, there is no evidence regarding the microfiber (MF) occurrence and abundance in branded milk samples from Italy. Therefore, a total of 20 milk samples from 5 brands were collected and analyzed using a digestion step with hydrogen peroxide, followed by filtration. Natural and synthetic MFs were classified according to the evaluation of surface morphology (i.e., shape and texture), followed by chemical identification using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Microspectroscopy. Results revealed the occurrence of MFs in 67.5% of the analyzed samples and showed variability ranging between 1 and 27 particles/100 mL with an overall average of 3.85 MFs/100 mL. The FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of polyethylene, polyester, acrylic, and cellulosic MFs. According to the literature, the contamination of milk may occur at various stages along the production chain. The blood-milk barrier would prevent MFs from being transferred across the mammary gland into the milk. The highest MF levels found in ultra-high temperature skimmed milk of some brands may indicate that the more complex the processing of milk, the more MFs it contains. However, due to the different MF types and polymers, an unambiguous conclusion on MF sources cannot be made. MFs could be shed from the filters used in the milk processing factories and the protective clothing for workers. Therefore, the MF contamination should be properly investigated along the entire supply chain, identifying the sources of contamination and implementing control strategies and mitigation measures.

Actinobacillus seminis is a gram-negative bacterium that affects reproductive organs, causing epididymitis, low fertility, and occasional abortions in sheep and goats. The virulence factors and the pathogenicity mechanisms of A. seminis have not been clearly elucidated yet. The aim of this study is to report a laboratory investigation performed on a sheep farm in the Basilicata region (southern Italy) following cases of abortion. Four samples of aborted fetuses taken from two sheep were analyzed to investigate the main pathogens causing abortions by bacterial isolation. In addition, serum samples belonging to the sheep have also been analyzed. Analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) of the isolated colonies identified protein spectra referable to A. seminis. This result was also confirmed through the use of genome sequencing. Therefore, these data could explain cases of abortion that occurred on the farm and would confirm that MALDI-TOF MS technology is a rapid, accurate, and inexpensive method for identifying bacteria.

Foodborne illnesses as a result of poor food handling practices pose a significant threat to public health. The main objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to pool the level of hygienic food handling practices among food handlers working in public food establishments in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. An inclusive search of databases was undertaken using PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from the 1st of January 2014 to the 30th of December 2023. Data was collected, entered into Excel, and finally exported to Stata V.17 for analysis. Eyeball testing using forest plots, Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 had been used to identify and measure heterogeneity. The pooled prevalence of hygienic food handling practices was estimated using a random effects model. The pooled prevalence of hygienic food handling practices of food handlers in the Amhara region was 48% [95% confidence interval (CI): (43%, 53%)] with significant heterogeneity (I2=94.39%, p<0.05). Food handlers who have more than 2 years of food preparation experience [odds ratio (OR) = 3.51; 95% CI (2.64, 4.38)] and who got food preparation training [OR=2.14; 95% CI (1.06, 3.22)] were significantly associated with good food handling practice in the Amhara region. The pooled prevalence of hygienic food handling practices was low in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. This review indicated that a high level of experience and training in food preparation were the determinants of good food handling practices in the region. This finding can be used by policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders for intervention and regulatory measures.