Journal of Food Quality最新文献

A. J. Emmi, B. Fatusin, and R. S. Hellberg, “Comparison of DNA Extraction Methods for the Detection of Canned Tuna Species with DNA Mini-Barcoding,” Journal of Food Quality 2023 (2023): 7121260, https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/7121260.

In the article, there are errors in Section 2.3:

“The reaction mixture for canned tuna fish samples included the following: 11.2 mL sterile H2O, 17.5 mL Qiagen HotStarTaq Plus Master Mix (2X), 0.7 mL each of one 10-μM forward primer (CR_F) and two 10-μM reverse primers (CR_R1 and CR_R2) (Mitchell and Hellberg, 2016), and 4.2 mL of DNA template, for a total reaction volume of 35 μL.”

Should read:

“The reaction mixture for canned tuna fish samples included the following: 11.2 μL sterile H2O, 17.5 μL Qiagen HotStarTaq Plus Master Mix (2X), 0.7 μL each of one 10-μM forward primer (CR_F) and two 10-μM reverse primers (CR_R1 and CR_R2) (Mitchell and Hellberg, 2016), and 4.2 μL of DNA template, for a total reaction volume of 35 μL.”

“Precast 2.0% E-Gels with ethidium bromide (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) were used to confirm DNA amplification, with 20 mL PCR product loaded into each sample lane.”

Should read:

“Precast 2.0% E-Gels with ethidium bromide (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) were used to confirm DNA amplification, with 20 μL PCR product loaded into each sample lane.”

Lastly, there are errors in Section 3.4:

“Legally, the term “light tuna” applies to tuna with a Munsell value not greater than 5.3, while the term “white tuna” is reserved specifically for albacore and must not exceed a Munsell value of 6.3 (21 CFR 161.190 canned tuna). The presence of albacore tuna in a sample labeled as “light tuna” was also reported by Mitchell and Hellberg [6]. Both instances of mislabeling identified in the current study could cause potential harm to at-risk groups, such as women and children, because of differences in mercury levels between tuna species.”

Should read:

“Section 3.4: Legally, the term “light tuna” applies to tuna with a Munsell value not darker than 5.3, while the term “white tuna” is reserved specifically for albacore and must not be darker than a Munsell value of 6.3 (21 CFR 161.190 canned tuna). The presence of albacore tuna in a sample labeled as “light tuna” was also reported by Mitchell and Hellberg [6]. Both labeling concerns identified in the current study could cause potential harm to at-risk groups, such as women and children, because of differences in mercury levels between tuna species.”

We apologize for these errors.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), responsible for various foodborne illnesses, presents substantial hurdles throughout the beef value chain due to its ability to form robust biofilms and produce different types of superantigenic toxins. This study aimed to characterize biofilm-producing S. aureus isolated from raw beef and ready-to-eat (RTE) food samples collected from Gazipur and Dhaka City Corporations. A total of 240 samples were collected, with 120 from each city corporation, comprising 60 raw beef and 60 RTE samples. These samples were examined for colony forming unit (CFU) to assess the safety margin limit, as well as undergo screening for MRSA presence, antibiotic sensitivity testing through the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method, toxin profiling, and the characterization of biofilm-forming genes (icaA, icaB, icaC, and icaD). Finally, we performed a phylogenetic analysis to study the evolutionary relationship among strains. Results revealed the presence of S. aureus (nuc gene) in 167 out of 240 samples, with CFU counts surpassing safety thresholds within the One Health interfaces suggested by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (maximum limit for raw meat 10³ cfu/g and RTE 10² cfu/g). MRSA was detected in 40.83% of the total samples, all exhibiting resistance to several antibiotics. Positive isolates from both municipal corporations were completely (100%) resistant to oxacillin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin, yet demonstrated greater susceptibility to vancomycin (88.6%) and linezolid (34.1%). Additionally, Staphylococcal enterotoxin SEa was present in 45.79% of samples, followed by SEd (24.39%) and SEb (20.57%), while TSST-1 was present in only 2.81% of total samples. Again, it was observed that most of the isolates have biofilm formation capacity and harbored icaA (65%), icaD (61%), icaC (50%), and icaB (48%) biofilm-forming genes. The outcome of phylogenetic analysis revealed that our isolates have a close relationship with the isolates of blood samples from the United States. The findings highlight the critical need for enhanced food safety measures. Therefore, surveillance of MRSA in the beef value chain and the implementation of stringent hygiene practices are imperative to mitigate the risk of colonization and spread of MRSA strains that produce biofilms.

The significant environmental and health impacts of food packaging underscore the need for more effective interventions to promote sustainable lifestyles and consumer well-being. This study conducted a realist review of 96 articles published in top-tier journals between 2019 and 2024, focusing on packaging interventions aimed at promoting healthy food consumption and food waste reduction. It explored the mechanisms and contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of such interventions in real-world settings. Using directed content analysis guided by a context–mechanism–outcome (CMO) framework, the study identified how, for whom, under what circumstances, and why sustainable food packaging interventions succeed. The findings yielded several guiding principles to enhance intervention effectiveness, including: (1) improving clarity of packaging communication to help consumers assess food healthiness; (2) involving consumers in packaging innovation to increase acceptance of novel technologies; and (3) developing business models that share responsibility, benefits, and risks across the food supply chain. This research contributes to the literature by (1) offering deeper insights into the contextual and mechanistic pathways that shape outcomes of sustainable food packaging interventions and (2) proposing 12 actionable principles to support healthier eating and food waste reduction for key stakeholders.

Consumer demand for low-fat products has increased due to their perceived association with reduced risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Mandarin peel (MPE) and mandarin pulp (MPU) are rich sources of bioactive compounds, including dietary fibers, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), and vitamin C that may help mitigate disease risks associated with high-fat diets. The effect of using 4% and 7% MPE or 10% and 15% MPU in the manufacture of low-fat ice cream (LFIC) on its quality properties was investigated. Full-fat ice cream (FFIC; 6% fat) and LFIC (1% fat) were used as controls for comparison. The low-fat mixes enriched with MPE significantly exhibited higher specific gravity (SG), rheological characteristics, overrun, TPC, and AA than LFIC control. Also, adding MPU increased freezing point depression, TPC, and AA. Using of MPE in LFIC significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the melting rate as compared to the LFIC control or MPU-treated ice cream samples. Sensory analysis showed that MPE-treated (4% and 7%) samples had higher overall acceptability scores throughout 30 days of frozen storage than LFIC and ranked a similar overall acceptability of a full fat control with decreasing production costs by 17.74% and 17.53%, respectively, while using MPU enhanced flavor intensity with slight improvement for body and texture. The results of the present study valorize exploiting of MPE up to 7% in developing a novel LFIC with strong AA, health benefits, and desirable sensory properties.

Foodborne pathogens pose significant food safety risks and understanding their presence and resistance patterns is crucial for public health interventions. This study assessed the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profiles of selected foodborne pathogens in raw beef samples from Kumasi Abattoir and Kejetia Market in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. Beef samples were analyzed for Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted to determine resistance profiles. The study revealed the varying prevalence of the pathogens, with B. cereus detected in 27.55% of the samples, L. monocytogenes in 55.41%, and Escherichia coli in 59.91%, respectively. Approximately 76% of all samples had at least one of the three bacteria, with microbial loads above bacteria-specific acceptable standards. Most of the E. coli strains were positive for ESBL, while all B. cereus and L. monocytogenes strains were multidrug resistant with multiple antibiotic-resistant indices of more than 0.2. Nine and four AMR patterns emerged in the L. monocytogenes and B. cereus strains, respectively. Regular surveillance is needed to monitor the prevalence and AMR profiles of foodborne pathogens to prevent potential foodborne outbreaks, influence regulatory and policy changes, plan AMR stewardship programmes, and maintain the confidence of consumers in meats for sale.

Probiotics, beneficial microorganisms that can enhance human health, are susceptible to adverse effects from processing and storage and passage through the gastrointestinal tract. Various conventional and nonconventional formulations are accessible for administering probiotics, with the latter subject to fewer regulatory guidelines. Pharmaceutical formulations, part of the conventional category, are specifically crafted to deliver an effective quantity of viable microorganisms. However, probiotics are particularly sensitive to environmental and processing factors, which can compromise their viability within the final formulation. This review addresses a significant gap in the current literature by focussing on the encapsulation technologies developed to enhance the stability of probiotics throughout the storage period, providing physical protection through the digestive system and improving their colonisation ability. Key advancements in encapsulation processes, including innovative approaches, thermal treatments and strategies to overcome gastrointestinal conditions, are discussed in this review.

Efforts to improve food safety on a global scale have become a topic of focus in recent years. Different preservation techniques, including new technological methods, are constantly being developed to keep products at physically, nutritionally, and microbially consumable levels and to prevent losses. In this study, the deep-freezing technique, which is widely used in the food industry, was applied to four marine fish species with different habitats and fat content (whiting [Merlangius merlangus], sea bass [Dicentrarchus labrax], red mullet [Mullus barbatus], and anchovy [Engraulis encrasicolus]). The study aimed to determine the effects of three-month storage period (−20°C) on some quality parameters (water activity [aw], water holding capacity [WHC], myofibril fragmentation index [MFI], color [L^∗, a^∗ and b^∗], total volatile base nitrogen [TVB-N], thiobarbituric acid reactive substance [TBARS], and pH) in fish and the interactions between the main effects. The experiment design included two-way ANOVA to evaluate the influence of species, storage time, and their interaction on each parameter. In line with the data obtained, significant differences were detected among the fish for all parameters except TVB-N. In terms of storage time, all parameters except a^∗, TBARS, and fat were found to be statistically significant. All interactions between fish type and storage time, except fat and TVB-N, were found to be significant. Notably, benthic fish species exhibited higher WHC and lower lipid oxidation compared to pelagic species. Fatty fish such as anchovy and red mullet showed increased TBARS levels, indicating greater susceptibility to lipid oxidation. MFI values varied significantly among species and storage times, with sea bass showing the highest degree of myofibrillar fragmentation, suggesting enhanced tenderness. Correlation analysis revealed that WHC positively correlated with aw, L^∗, and MFI and negatively with TVB-N. The research findings were planned to fill important gaps regarding the effect of freezing technology on fillet quality according to fish species. The findings obtained in the current research constituted a modeling study and created a useful data library for elucidating the mechanism by which fish species and habitat may affect fillet quality. These results contribute to the development of species-specific freezing strategies and provide practical insights for improving frozen seafood quality in the food industry. Moreover, these results provide a strong motivation to further investigate fish species and habitats with different processing technologies in terms of fillet quality in food industries.

Objectives: Both areca nut and Fuzhuan brick tea have shown the potential to help people lose weight. This paper aims to study the effects of adding 20% (w/w) concentration of areca nut (FTA) in Fu brick tea on the serum and liver lipid metabolism of mice to offer new ideas for the treatment of obesity and hyperlipidemia and to provide a theoretical basis for the safe use and future development of the areca nut products.

Results: FTA may have reduced weight; prevented fat accumulation; attenuated the increase in LDL-C, FFA, GLU, INS, LEP, TC, TG, and MDA; and alleviated the reduction in HDL-C, TBA, SOD, and GSH. Furthermore, according to GO functional enrichment analysis, FTA may have also reversed the negative effects of a high-fat diet by upregulating the expression of FABP2, ACSL1, ACSL5, PLIN2, PLIN5, and ACOX1.

Conclusion: FTA may favorably reverse the effects of a high-fat diet on physiological indices, blood indices, and hepatic lipid metabolism. Furthermore, at the genetic level, FTA may suppress body fat accumulation, improve lipid metabolism, relieve insulin resistance, and reduce chronic metabolic disease incidence via the PPAR signaling pathway.

The rising demand for nutrient-dense, functional food products has urged the expansion of sustainable bioprocessing techniques. One such method, germination, involves the controlled application of biological processes to transform seeds into germinated seeds. This process improves composite flours’ nutritional and technological properties, making them a promising component for innovative food products. Chia seeds, a popular superfood, are a possible substitute raw material in the food industry due to their high nutritive value. Additionally, they can produce a substantial amount of nutrient-rich green matter, which can be utilized as a source of biologically active substances. Considering the rising popularity of germination and the known health benefits of chia seeds, this study explored the impact of germinated chia seed flour (GCSF) and nongerminated chia seed flour (NCSF) on wheat flour-based cookies. The GCSF was prepared by sprouting chia seeds for 5 days, followed by drying and grinding into a fine powder. The study evaluated the impact of GCSF on the cookies’ nutritional profile, physicochemical properties, technological features, and organoleptic attributes. Cookies were prepared by formulating wheat flour with 10% GCSF (T₁), 10% NCSF (T₂), and 5% GCSF + 5% NCSF (T₃), while the control sample (T₀) was prepared using 100% wheat flour. The addition of GCSF into cookies notably (p < 0.05) enhanced their WAC (0.94 g H₂O/g dry sample), OAC (0.97 g oil/g dry sample), crude protein (13.48%), and crude fiber (5.24%) content. Conversely, cookies formulated with NCSF exhibited elevated levels (p < 0.05) of crude fat (23.92%) and total carbohydrates (54.07%). However, the overall consumer acceptance of chia seed–based cookies was slightly diminished when using GCSF, as evidenced by the principal component analysis (PCA).

Background: Cholinomimetic compounds are a class of organic compounds found in natural plants that have significant biological activity as well as toxicity, and their dosage must be controlled, with side effects occurring in case of accidental ingestion or excessive intake. Accurate determination of four cholinomimetic compounds in edible fungi and areca nut can provide technical support to the relevant monitoring organizations, which is conducive to the protection of consumer health. In this study, we have established a workflow for the rapid screening and confirmation of four cholinomimetics in edible fungi and areca nut by using the QuEChERS pretreatment method and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) for the first time.

Methods: The samples were extracted with acetonitrile, and separation was achieved on a HILIC column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.6 μm) with acetonitrile and 20 mM ammonium formate aqueous solution as mobile phase with gradient elution. UPLC-Triple TOF™6600⁺ was used to collect the data of the target analytes in the mode of TOF-MS-IDA-MS/MS, and the data were analyzed by SCIEX OS software to realize the qualitative screening and confirmation of samples.

Results: The mass accuracy error of 4 cholinomimetics was lower than 5.0 × 10⁻⁶. All four cholinomimetic compounds had good linearity in a certain range, and the correlation coefficient (R²) was higher than 0.998. The limits of detection and limits of quantification of the method were 2.5–25.0 μg/kg and 5.0–50.0 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries were between 81.0% and 99.1% at spiked level 5.0–500.0 μg/kg, with the relative standard deviation of 0.41%–4.00%.

Conclusion: The method is sensitive, accurate, and suitable for rapid screening and confirmation of 4 cholinomimetics in edible fungi and areca nut.