Italian Journal of Food Safety最新文献

The cooling applied during the firming and brining processes represents an important production step in mozzarella cheese-making. The temperature fluctuations of the cooling water can negatively affect the hygiene, composition, and quality of mozzarella. Some sustainable cooling systems can minimize this problem by using hot process fluids as heat sources to generate refrigerated energy. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a new cooling system equipped with a water-ammonia absorption chiller (MA) on the characteristics of buffalo mozzarella through a comparative study with products cooled with a traditional ice water chiller (MT). The buffalo mozzarella cheese manufacture was monitored, and the samples were analyzed for chemical, nutritional, microbiological, and sensory characteristics. The MT samples showed an overall weight loss of 7.4% compared to an average of 2.8% for the MA samples. The MT samples were characterized by greater sapidity than the MA ones, which instead showed a higher moisture content that increased juiciness. The microbiological analysis showed a lower concentration of mesophilic bacterial load in the MA samples than in the MT ones [difference of 1 Log (CFU/g)], which is probably due to the low and constant temperatures that reduced the permanence time of the mozzarella in the vats (firming and brining). This study represents a preliminary positive evaluation of the use of this sustainable cooling system for mozzarella cheese, which is useful for dairy plants with an annual cheese production volume sufficient to justify the operating cost of the plant and the annual energy cost.

Fish are good bio-indicators of the health status of the aquatic environment and can be used as biomarkers to assess the aquatic behavior of environmental pollutants, the exposure of aquatic organisms, and the health risk for consumers. Goldfish are a significant bioindicator in the Lake Trasimeno aquatic system (Umbria, Italy). This study aimed to characterize the health status and the chemical and biotic contamination of Lake Trasimeno to define its anthropogenic and natural pressures and the risk associated with consuming its fishery products. 114 determinations were performed on Carassius auratus samples from 2018 to 2020, and the occurrence of brominated flame retardants, non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals, and microplastics was analytically investigated. Dietary exposure assessment, risk characterization, and benefit-risk evaluation were performed for schoolchildren from 3 to 10 years old. Flame-retardants registered high levels of non-detects (99% for polybrominated diphenyl ether and 76% for hexabromocyclododecanes), while polychlorinated biphenyls were found in all samples with a maximum level of 56.3 ng/g. Traces of at least one heavy metal were found in all samples, though always below the regulatory limit. Microplastics were found with a 75% frequency of fish ingesting at least one particle. Dietary exposure and risk characterization reveal negligible contributions to the reference values of all contaminants, except for mercury, which reached up to 25% of admissible daily intake. The benefit- risk assessment highlighted that the benefits of freshwater fish intake outweigh the associated risks. The examination of goldfish as indicator fish reveals the quality of Lake Trasimeno's aquatic environment and the safety of its products.

The primary aim of this work is to standardize the procedures for the handling, preparation, and distribution of food and beverages in collective catering within National Police structures. Therefore, its purpose is to offer aid for the assessment and implementation of procedures regarding the catering services activities carried out in canteens and bars located within the National Police areas. A checklist was elaborated to establish criteria and methods to verify these activities, to assess and enhance the effectiveness of the control system, and subsequently, to enable the implementation of any corrective measure, with the aim of ensuring the consumption of healthy food and preventing the occurrence of food-borne diseases as a result. The study was carried out in 2022 in 6 National Police canteens located in Central Italy and managed by a contractor for the specific service. These structures serve an average of 300 meals daily, divided into 1-3 ordinary meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). The examined canteens reported 3 minor non-conformities, 3 major non-conformities, and no critical non-conformities. This report regards the analysis of detected issues and corrective measures concerning catering hygiene in the Police Force to ensure food safety. To date, no guidelines have allegedly been established for the regulation of the procedures for carrying out the periodical mandatory inspection of collective catering operations. The results of this paper showed a well-controlled management of these activities concerning the hygiene and infrastructural aspects of the food chain.

The Treaty of Lisbon states that animals are sentient beings. Fish species show physiological differences from terrestrial animals and are slaughtered and killed in a very different context. Many existing commercial killing methods expose fish to extensive suffering over a prolonged period of time, and some of the slaughtering practices they experience can cause pain and distress. This study highlights the limited feasibility of European Council Regulation 1099/09 requirements on welfare when killing cephalopods and crustaceans. Sentience is the animal's capacity to have positive (comfort, excitement) and negative (pain, anxiety, distress, or harm) feelings. Considerable evidence is now showing that the major commercial fish species, including cephalopods and crustaceans, possess complex neurological substrates supporting pain sensitivity and conscious experiences. In the legislation applied to scientific procedures, the concept of sentience in these species is important. Therefore, it would be appropriate to acknowledge current scientific evidence and establish reference criteria for fish welfare. For the welfare of fish species during slaughter, European Council Regulation 1099/09 applicability is limited. Fish welfare during slaughter is more than just an ethical problem. According to the One-Health approach, food safety should also include the concept of sentience for fish welfare. Pending studies that dispel all doubt, the precautionary principle of European Council Regulation 178/04 remains valid and should be applied to fish welfare.

Acceptance sampling is important for food safety and is a relevant tool at production and official control levels, as it helps decision-making processes and verifies quality and food safety management. Generally, sampling plans are hypothesis tests of products that have been submitted for official appraisal and subsequent acceptance or rejection. The sample size is related to the set level of risk, the acceptable precision, and the tolerable misstatement size; therefore, sample size determination has a crucial role in setting up the accepted level of non-compliance and level of error. Using a simple predictive model based on combinatorics, this study showcases how sample size management can change the probability of rejecting good lots and/or accepting bad lots when the acceptance number is 0 (c=0). We showed that when c=0, a very high level of significance of the test corresponds to the high probability of rejecting a lot with an acceptable prevalence of defective items (type II error). We produced tables about the minimum sample size at different significance levels, which can be useful in the field. A paradigmatic example of the role of sample size in the acceptance-sampling plan is represented by the visual inspection for the detection of Anisakid larvae in fishery products. This study investigated this aspect and mainly referred to studies on the prevalence of larvae in farmed fish. We showed that, for lots ≥1000 items, the sample size is not strictly related to the lot size, but to draw a consistent control plan and reduce the variability in the clinical judgment, control authorities require a standardized approach. Because of this, the results on the prevalence of Anisakid larvae in farmed fish, if only based on sampling control plans, do not support a negligible risk statement, despite the claims reported in the EFSA opinion and several other studies.

Dry aging is a process during which meat is stored within maturation chambers at low temperatures and low relative humidity, resulting in improved tenderness and flavor development. The cuts are exposed to the atmosphere by hanging them or setting them on racks in the maturation chamber without any protective packaging. Animals and humans are usually the major sources of bacterial food contamination in the meat industry, but other routes might be involved. Therefore, procedures to reduce or eliminate pathogens from surfaces are crucial for an effective hazard analysis critical control point program in the food industry and other environments. This study aimed to assess the survival of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus on the inner surface of dry aging chambers. Moreover, we tested the efficacy of alkaline electrolyzed water (REW) for its application within a procedure aimed at reducing foodborne pathogens during meat storage. Environmental conditions inside the dry aging cabinet determine a reduction of circa 3 log CFU/cm² of the considered microorganisms on the inner surface in 24 hours. Additionally, the nebulization of REW with the smoking system increased the count reduction in 24 hours due to environmental conditions for L. monocytogenes (~1 log CFU/cm²) and for S. aureus (~2 log CFU/cm²). In this context, the use of REW can be justified for routine cleaning procedures of the surfaces, with the added value of being safe to handle, not containing environmental pollutants, and making it unnecessary to rinse surfaces due to its instability.

The discovery of a pufferfish specimen (Tetraodontidae) inside a frozen cuttlefish, purchased by a fishmonger, and caught in the Eastern Central Atlantic (FAO 34) is reported. The consumer, who reported this case to FishLab (Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa) for investigation, was a student of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pisa. He recognized the Tetraodontidae because he attended practical lessons on fish morphological identification during the course of food inspection and was aware of the risks to human health linked to the Tetrodotoxin (TTX). In this study, the pufferfish was identified morphologically, using the FAO morphological keys, and molecularly, analyzing two markers, the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and the cytochrome b genes, by DNA barcoding. The pufferfish was identified morphologically as Sphoeroides spp., and molecularly as Sphoeroides marmoratus using the COI gene (99-100% identity values). Literature reports that S. marmoratus from the Eastern Atlantic contains high concentrations of TTX in the gonads and the digestive tract. However, the possible passage of TTX from fish to other organisms linked to contact or ingestion has never been reported. This represents the first case of a potentially toxic pufferfish entering the market inside another organism. The fact that a student observed this occurrence highlights the key role of citizen science in the management of emerging risks.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the shelf-life of pre-packaged sheep's arrosticini produced in a factory located in northern Italy. Samples were divided into two series and packaged in modified atmosphere with specific gas mixtures: conventional (C: 35% O2/15% CO2/50% N2) and experimental (E: 30% CO2/70% N2). All the samples were stored at 4°C for 10 days and subjected, after 5, 8 and 10 days (t5, t8, t10), to triplicate microbiological and chemical- physical (pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) analyses. At the same time, the colorimetric analysis and a sensorial evaluation were carried out (pack tightness, presence of color or odor alterations), assigning a discrete score from 0 to 5. The samples showed initial total bacterial counts close to 5 Log CFU/g: these values gradually increased during storage, exceeding the threshold of 8 Log CFU/g in the C series; lower values were detected in the E series. A similar trend was highlighted for Enterobacteriaceae, with initial loads of about 3 Log CFU/g and an increase until t10, reaching values higher than 6 Log CFU/g in the C series and close to 5 Log CFU/g in the E series (P=0.002). E. coli also showed a similar trend, although with values approximately 1 Log lower than Enterobacteriaceae. Pseudomonas spp. showed initial counts close to 4.5 Log CFU/g, with a different increase in the C series (6.5 Log CFU/g at t10) and the E series (4.95 Log CFU/g) (P= 0.006). The higher growth in the C series was also observed for lactic acid bacteria, with an increase from 3 to 5 Log CFU/g (3.8 Log CFU/g in the E series P=0.016). The other microbiological parameters showed very low counts and, in most cases undetectable counts (<2 Log CFU/g) for the entire period considered. The initial values obtained from the measurement of the colorimetric indices were within the norm for this type of product: however, starting from t5, lower values of red index and lightness in the E series were measured, with an evident greying of meat surface. The results of the sensory evaluation indicated that the product showed optimal sensorial characteristics up to 8 days of shelf-life in the C series, while the use of an oxygenfree atmosphere, despite having a moderate inhibiting effect on the microbial populations, has led to an early modification of the product (5 days of storage), due to the presence of superficial greyish areas. The microbiological characteristics of arrosticini strictly depend on the hygienic conditions of slaughtering and production; even in optimal situations, the product is particularly perishable, and requires careful management of storage temperatures and times, to maintain its quality characteristics.

The spread of multidrug resistant (MDR) Salmonella strains, along the poultry supply chain, can represent a relevant threat to human health. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp. isolated from poultry meat for human consumption. Between 2019 and 2021, 145 samples were analyzed according to ISO 6579-1:2017. The strains isolated were identified by using biochemical-enzymatic assays and serotyping, according to the Kauffmann-White-Le Minor scheme. The antibiotic susceptibility tests were determined using the Kirby-Bauer method. Forty Salmonella spp. strains were isolated and serotyping showed Salmonella Infantis to be predominant. 80% of the isolated strains were MDR and identified as S. Infantis. This study confirms the circulation of MDR Salmonella isolated from poultry meat and highlights the predominance of the S. Infantis serovar, which represents an emerging risk factor under the One Health holistic approach.