Journal of Food Quality最新文献

Salmonellosis, an infectious disease caused by the Salmonella species, encompasses a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from mild self-limiting gastroenteritis to severe systemic infections. It affects millions of people annually, causing immense morbidity and economic losses worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the occurrence of Salmonella in water and raw foods, focusing on meat, fish, shellfish, and vegetables consumed in the city of Nampula, north of Mozambique. A total of 81 samples of meat, fish and shellfish, vegetables, and water were collected from nine of the ten municipal markets in Nampula City. Salmonella detections were performed according to ISO 6579-1. A chi-square test was performed in the Python programming language to detect associations between positive samples and market localization. The results showed a high frequency of Salmonella. From the total sample, 38.5% were Salmonella positive. Fresh vegetables were the most contaminated samples, followed by fish, shellfish, raw meat, and water. The outcomes of this study did not find an association between the sample collection location and the test results for Salmonella. In this study, serovars of Salmonella were not identified which hinders the association of Salmonella occurrence with diseases. Consequently, we propose that the next study should focus on detecting the serotypes of Salmonella strains.

The purpose of this study was to identify possible locally accessible cereals, tubers, and legumes for use in the extrusion of teff, bulla, and haricot beans to prepare inexpensive supplemental foods. This study used central composite rotatable design (CCRD) to assess the effects of specific processing parameters on response variables such as proximate composition and physical, functional, and sensory qualities of produced complementary food. The processing parameters included haricot bean blending ratios (BR) (10–30%), feed moisture content (FMC) (15–21%), and barrel temperature (BT) (120–160°C). The proximate composition of the complementary food ranged from 9.25 to 12.36% moisture content, 7.82 to 14.04% protein, 2.1 to 3.28% ash, 1.13 to 3.93% fiber, 1.17 to 3.12% fat, 65.40 to 78.25% carbohydrate, and 338.42 to 354.86 kcal/100 g energy. The predominant minerals and antinutritional factors ranged from 2.40 to 10.37 mg/100 g, 58.70 to 146.26 mg/100 g, 0.8 to 4.74 mg/100 g, 113.21 to 325.00 mg/100 g, and 16.54 to 44.62 mg/100 g for Fe, Ca, Zn, phytate, and tannin, respectively. The blending ratio and extrusion parameters demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) linear, quadratic, and interaction impacts on the physical and functional responses, according to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Mothers and caregivers largely approved all the trial porridges. The best blending and extrusion parameters, according to numerical optimization, were a BR of 28.2837%, FMC of 15.0007%, and BT of 120.001°C. The predicted responses for optimization were water solubility index (WSI) (32.4462 g/g), water absorption index (WAI) (3.69849%), viscosity (2016.47cP), protein (14.046%), and energy (348.034 kcal/100 g) with a desirability value of 0.856. This research leads us to believe that producing complementary meals with excellent nutritional value for developing nations may be achieved by evidence-based selection of locally accessible plant-based components.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the mycotoxins in the agriculture and livestock sectors. The poultry sector suffered from significant economic losses due to the adverse impacts of OTA on the growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and livability. Thus, the present investigation aimed to determine the impact of chamomile essential oil supplementation against OTA toxicity in growing quails. 360 one-week-old growing quails were distributed into six groups (n = 60) with four replicates of 15 birds. The groups were G1 (control negative), G2 (OTA 1 mg/kg diet, control positive), G3 (chamomile oil 0.5 g/kg diet), G4 (chamomile oil 1 g/kg diet), G5 (OTA 1 mg/kg diet + chamomile oil 0.5 g/kg diet), and G6 (OTA 1 mg/kg diet + chamomile oil 1 g/kg diet). Adding OTA significantly (P < 0.05) reduced live body weight and weight gain at 5 weeks. Feed intake at 5 weeks was nonsignificantly reduced in G3 and G4 compared to G1. G4 showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in weight gain and the lowest feed conversion ratio. The G2 showed the lowest superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione transferase (GST) activity, and the highest levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). Moreover, they showed a significant improvement in liver enzymes and kidney function tests and a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides. Chamomile supplementation alone or with OTA significantly (P < 0.05) increased immunoglobulin M, G, A, and complement 3 than OTA alone. Chamomile oil with an OTA diet or alone reduced the negative effects of OTA and improved the performance, antioxidant status, lipid profile, and immunological state of growing Japanese quails.

Meat products are highly perishable and prone to deterioration, which poses potential health hazards. This research aims to assess the efficacy of encapsulated oregano essential oil (EOEO) as a natural preservative agent to maintain the chemical and microbiological quality of beef burgers during refrigerated storage. Hydrodistillation was used to extract OEO from oregano. The encapsulation of OEO using a combination of biopolymers (maltodextrin, gum arabic, and whey protein) provides high encapsulation efficiency (89.1%). Both crude and encapsulated OEOs were analyzed for their chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity. Encapsulated OEO, at levels of 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%, was incorporated during the beef burger processing. Microbiological and chemical parameters were assessed every 4 days over a 16-day storage period. GC-MS results revealed that carvacrol (70 and 79.31%) and p-cymene (11.56% and 9.05%) dominated the crude and encapsulated OEOs, respectively. Both forms of OEO exhibited potent antimicrobial activity, with encapsulation further enhancing this property. The incorporation of EOEO into burger samples reduced the total microbial count. Subsequently, it decreased the formation of total volatile nitrogen (TVN), trimethylamine (TMA), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and biogenic amines (BAs) during storage. Addition of EOEO at the level of 1% retarded the formation of BAs, TVN, TMA, and TBA in burger samples by 72.8%, 43.23, 42.07, and 44.44%, respectively, compared to the control sample after 16 days of storage. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to establish correlations between microbiological and biochemical markers of beef burgers. The PCA results show that PC1 (89.81%) and PC2 (7.25%) can explain more than 97% of the variability in the dataset. The results support the potency of EOEO as an effective and safe preservative agent to maintain the safety and quality of beef burgers during storage.

To investigate the impact of high-voltage electrostatic stimulation on the quality of donkey meat, ten 30-month-old Dezhou donkeys (each weighing 250 ± 50 kg) were selected. Following slaughter, longissimus dorsi (LD) samples from both left and right carcasses were collected. The control group refrigerated the right muscle in a 0–4°C refrigerator for normal acid excretion. Meanwhile, the high-voltage electrostatic group subjected the left muscle to high-voltage electrostatic stimulation (30000 V) for 60 s before refrigerating it in the same conditions for acid excretion. The study showed that at the 1st, 6th, and 24th h of acid excretion, the high-voltage electrostatic group exhibited significantly lower pH levels than the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, a∗ values in the high-voltage electrostatic group showed an increasing trend relative to the control group at the 6th and 24th h of acid excretion (P = 0.0751, P = 0.0860). With increasing acid excretion time, both treatment groups displayed increased PV and TBARS values. At 48 and 72 h, the PV values in the high-voltage electrostatic group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). As acid excretion time increased, T-AOC, SOD, and GSH-Px in both groups decreased. However, the high-voltage electrostatic group consistently exhibited higher antioxidant enzyme activity than the control group at all time points. SOD and GSH-Px activity in the high-voltage electrostatic group showed an increasing trend at 48 h of acid excretion (P = 0.0838, P = 0.0860). At 72nd h of acid excretion, the shear force of donkey meat in the high-voltage electrostatic group was significantly lower than that in the ordinary treatment group (P < 0.05). With increasing acid excretion time, the MFI of both treatment groups gradually increased. In particular, at the 1st and 48th h of acid excretion, the MFI of the high-voltage electrostatic group was significantly higher than that of the ordinary treatment group (P < 0.05). Following high-voltage electrostatic stimulation, ultrastructure images of donkey meat at 6 and 72 h revealed numerous contractions and stretching bands. Therefore, this stimulation significantly improved the tenderness of donkey meat, reduced the oxidation rate of donkey meat, and improved the quality of donkey meat.

Researchers are constantly looking at the development of functional foods from local materials that offer both nutritional and therapeutic potentials. The study investigated the proximate composition, antioxidant capacity, and phytochemical profile of different compositions of formulations produced from tomato and carrot. The plant materials were sourced locally, dried to a uniform weight, and milled using a mechanical blender. Nutritional indices, viz., proximate analysis, were analyzed using a standard protocol. The phytocompounds present in the formulations and their in vitro antioxidant activities were analyzed using spectrophotometric methods. The results for proximate composition showed low moisture content in formulations (0.44 ± 0.015–0.54 ± 0.021%). The protein content of the formulations (16.51 ± 0.217–17.94 ± 0.134%) was significantly higher than that of carrot alone (8.41 ± 0.154%). Similarly, the crude fat was elevated in the formulations (0.31 ± 0.008–1.63 ± 0.017%) compared to tomato alone (0.10 ± 0.399). However, these values were lower than the values obtained for carrot alone (8.72 ± 0.009%). The energy value for the formulations ranged from 87.01 to 93.30 kcal, which was low compared to carrot alone (136.89 kcal). Phytochemical screening showed the presence of terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids in the studied formulations. Furthermore, the incorporation of carrot led to an increase in TPC, TFC, and alkaloid concentration. The pH values observed were around the neutral range, while lactic acid concentrations reduced following the incorporation of carrot. Trace element analysis showed improved iron and manganese concentrations in the formulation. Similarly, increased antioxidant ability was observed in the formulation. For sensory evaluation, reporters indicated good sensory parameters. Concluding, this study has shown that formulating concentrate from tomato and carrot showed improved nutritional potential and enormous antioxidant capacity that can be attributed to the presence of elevated total phenolics and flavonoid concentrations. Therefore, this formulation is warranted for improving the health of mankind.

Food safety is of global public health concern. Hotels and their restaurants provide hospitality like accommodation and food services and are spearheaded by food handlers who have varied experiences. This study was undertaken to examine knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) on food safety and explore knowledge-practice gaps among food handlers at hotels in Ghana. There were 233 participants, including 205 food handlers, 10 managers/chefs, and 18 regulatory officials, who were at post after the COVID-19 restrictions were eased on hotel and restaurant activities. Data were gathered through questionnaire with food handlers and face-to-face interview with managers/chefs and officials of the regulatory agencies. Frequencies and percentages, and Wilcoxon signed ranked test were employed to analyse the data. The knowledge on food safety was moderate, 58 ± 0.169, and 82% of the food handlers portrayed positive attitude towards food safety, while only 42.8% demonstrated good food safety practices. There was significant variance between knowledge and practice such that food handlers’ food safety knowledge did not reflect in their daily practices, yet most of the food handlers had training prior to being employed. Many people may be eating contaminated foods from hotels that may increase the rate of food-borne illnesses. We suggest continuous training in transmission of food-borne diseases and time and temperature control, and that the training should be obligatory to reinforce food handlers’ KAP. In addition, managers need to intensify their collaborations with the regulators to improve monitoring and supervision activities at the hotels.

Hazelnuts are the most popular tree nuts in the world, and regions adjacent the Black and Mediterranean seas are the historic production centers. Characterization of hazelnut cultivars grown in these regions is well reported but is lacking for cultivars grown in the United States. The aim of our study was to characterize nine cultivars selected from the USDA National Germplasm Collection for their proximate composition, lipid oxidation status, and minerals, as well as by NIR spectroscopy. Except for ash content, proximate composition varied across the cultivars and lipids were the predominant component. NIR spectra were similar in pattern and differences in intensity could be accounted for by differences in proximate composition, including lipid, moisture, and protein. Cultivars with the highest moisture content and water activity levels were also those with highest levels of lipid oxidation. Carbon and sulfur content on a fresh weight basis varied from 44.82 g/100 g to 63.82 g/100 g and 96.56 mg/100 g to 164.79 mg/100 g, respectively. The K, P, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, and B contents were determined by MP-AES. Potassium followed by phosphorus was the most abundant elements. Hazelnuts appear to be a good source of dietary copper and manganese providing up 60.5% and 60.4%, respectively, of the recommended daily value while contributing no more than 0.03% of the daily value for sodium. Characterization results were in ranges like those reported for hazelnuts from Asian and European growing regions. However, each cultivar possessed a unique profile.

The aim of this study was to determine quality parameters of Croatian traditional meat products (TMPs) via the analysis of their sensory and nutritive parameters, including physicochemical properties, fatty acid profile, mineral content, and amino acid composition. Over 2020 and 2021, a diverse collection of 242 dry-fermented sausages and dry-cured TMPs from various rural households was assessed. Sensory evaluations highlighted their satisfactory qualities, with moderate salinity and a unique taste profile characterized by a slight bitterness, with low sweetness and sourness levels. Detailed analyses revealed significant differences (p<0.05) across samples in key parameters such as water activity, pH, moisture, ash, fat, protein, carbohydrate, and NaCl content, as well as in the fatty acid profile and mineral content, underscoring the diversity and richness of these products. Amino acids such as alanine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and proline were present in high amounts in all samples, largely varying in their content within the same product type. The findings underscore the high quality and distinctiveness of Croatian TMPs, attributed to varied recipes and production techniques across different regions, suggesting the potential for standardization and further quality enhancement. Despite the presence of saturated fats and salt, the nutritional value of these TMPs, marked by high protein content and essential minerals, aligns with health-conscious consumer trends, presenting an opportunity for increased global appreciation of these artisanal products. The positive results from the sensory analysis underscore the TMPs′ ability to align with consumer taste preferences, thereby affirming their reputation as a national delicacy. This could represent a promising direction for future research, focusing on the refinement of production and marketing strategies to attract a global audience, especially those with a preference for health-conscious and traditional culinary options.

Watermelon seeds are a significant source of nutrition in the diet. To assess the potential of near-infrared hyperspectral imaging technology for swift and nondestructive identification of watermelon seed varieties, near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) technology was used. The Savitzky–Golay (SG) smoothing algorithm and standard normal variable (SNV) algorithm were combined to preprocess the extracted spectral data. The successive projections algorithm (SPA) was used to reduce the dimensionality of the spectral data. Subsequently, three deep learning models (LeNet, GoogLeNet, and ResNet) were used to classify 10 common watermelon seeds. SPA was used to reduce the dimensionality of hyperspectral data. In terms of full band, the ResNet model achieved a classification accuracy of 86.77% on the test set. By using characteristic bands, the GoogLeNet model achieved a classification accuracy of 83.85% on the test set. The ensemble fusion model based on a scoring mechanism achieved accuracy rates of 99.56%, 90.88%, and 87.97% on the training, validation, and test sets, respectively. The results indicated that the ensemble fusion model based on a scoring mechanism can enhance accuracy. Combining deep learning with NIR-HSI can effectively distinguish different varieties of watermelon seeds.