Food Control最新文献

Excessive consumption of flour products containing excessive azodicarbonamide (ADA) has been associated with some adverse effects in humans. Thus, developing a facile method to monitor the amount of ADA in flour is extremely significant. Herein, a graphene quantum dot (GQD) sensitized upconversion nanoparticles (GQD-UCNPs) was designed to monitor the amount of ADA in flour with high specificity and sensitivity. Surface coating of UCNPs with GQD by coordination interaction significantly enhances the upconversion luminescence (UCL) intensity and the water solubility of UCNPs. Copper ions (Cu²⁺) can quench the UCL intensity of GQD-UCNPs through electron transfer processes. After introduction of glutathione (GSH), the UCL intensity of GQD-UCNPs gradually increases because of the interaction between GSH and Cu²⁺, accompanied by the generation of Cu⁺. The sulfydryl group of GSH can be oxidized to disulfide bond by ADA, which hinders the interaction between GSH and Cu²⁺, preventing the recovery of UCL intensity. Thus, the presence of ADA decreases the UCL intensity of GQD-UCNPs + Cu²⁺ + GSH system, allowing for the quantitative detection of ADA. The nanosensor realized a highly sensitive and specific ADA detection with a high detection limit down to 0.055 μM. Furthermore, excellent recovery rates in spiked real samples were obtained, indicating that the designed method possesses good prospects for practical application. Notably, this method broadens the application prospects of upconversion technology in the field of food safety.

Multi-species mushroom-based products (MPs) sold in Italy were authenticated by metabarcoding (MB). One degenerated primer pair was projected for the ITS-1 region amplification. The final data were interpreted using positive controls and extraction blanks. Sequences of macrofungi, microfungi and bacteria were detected in 100%, 90.9% and 77.3% of the MPs, respectively. Not edible and toxic macrofungi were also found, although in low sequence amount. The match between species declared on MPs label and species detected by MB was 59.1%. Cases of voluntary species substitution cannot be excluded. Methods to authenticate these products, still poorly investigated, should be further employed, and MB protocol should be standardized to be used in the context of both official control and companies’ self-control. Alternative approaches should be considered for canned and frozen MPs, in virtue of the observed DNA fragmentation.

In this study, we investigated the additive patterns observed in near-infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectra within the context of food and pharmaceutical product formulation. Employing the Kubelka–Munk theory, we examined the linear correlation between spectra and concentration in polymer materials and tobacco powder samples. Our findings confirm the principle of spectral additivity in diffuse reflectance spectra, demonstrating a linear relationship when the sample scattering coefficient remains constant. Moreover, our results validate the feasibility of substituting actual mixed spectra with NIR additive spectra in tobacco leaf systems. This approach can potentially enhance formulation design, thereby improving efficiency and accuracy while expanding the scope and combination of formulation materials. Furthermore, this study offers a rapid, information-rich, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional methods, with significant implications for the future of product formulation.

During the cold chain, fruits are exposed to variations in temperature and relative humidity, which will contribute to reducing the quality and commercial value of these perishable products. Aiming to extend the shelf life, reduce losses and increase profits from the trade of climacteric fruits, this work estimated the commercial value of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas treated or not with hydrogen peroxide during the cold chain and evaluated the feasibility of replacing the management system of stock F.I.F.O. (first In, first Out) by F.E.F.O. (first expired, first out) The commercial value of guavas was determined by combining the values of weight loss, tonality and firmness, which were estimated by semi-empirical models. The experimental data showed that peroxide positively influenced the quality of guavas, quality assessments demonstrated that weight loss was the attribute that limited the shelf life of guavas and flow simulations, along the cold chain, confirmed that the implementation of a F.E.F.O. management system can increase retailer's profits by up to 13 %.

Determining the geographical origin of seafood is crucial for regulators and fishing industries who seek to prevent commercial fraud, enforce food safety regulations, and encourage high standards in sustainable fisheries management. The cockle, Cerastoderma edule (Linnaeus 1768), is a key species in estuarine ecosystems and is harvested all over Europe. Therefore, traceability tools using quick and inexpensive techniques to identify the origin of this bivalve are of paramount importance to support law enforcement. In this work, we explore the potential of using Geometric Morphometric (GM) methods to identify the geographical origin of cockle specimens. This method is based on landmarks identified in the shell to trace the origin of specimens obtained in nearby aquatic systems (from <35 km to <250 km distance). Specimens were collected in five aquatic systems (Ria de Aveiro, the Tagus and Sado estuaries, and the Albufeira and Óbidos coastal lagoons) in Portugal. Shells were digitalized and 16 landmarks were identified in each right valve and analyzed using Generalized Procrustes Superimposition. The discriminating power for traceability of 12 statistical and machine learning methods was assessed based on the corresponding shape variables, using R and Python (Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Canonical Variable Analysis (CVA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Between-Group PCA (bgPCA), Partial Least Squares Discriminant (PLSD), Classification Regression Tree (CRT), Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB), K Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Extending Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Neural Networks (NNET). LDA, CVA, SVM, and NNET demonstrated greater accuracy and a F1-score >80%, even with a small and unbalanced sample size. The highest percentage of correctly assigned individuals was obtained in the Tagus estuary (mean 89%) and in the Albufeira lagoon (mean 93%), which were also the systems with more specimens measured (174 and 59 respectively), whereas the worst results were obtained in the Sado estuary (50%, 56 specimens). In the Albufeira coastal lagoon, the best classification methods reached 100% correct classifications. It further highlights the importance of establishing statistical standards, such as the ones developed in the current work, to evaluate different methods, as small changes in the procedure may cause substantial differences in the results and conclusions. The revision of previous works (presented as a table) showed often >90% of correct classification in both bivalves and gastropods, highlighting the potential of the techniques for other mollusks. Our results support the use of GM based on landmarks as a reliable tool for bivalve's traceability, since it is a quick, simple and inexpensive approach. Further research should extend these findings to other species and other shape analysis techniques.

The effect of UV-C light-activated gallic acid (AGA) alone or combined with ultrasound (US) on the inactivation of E. coli and S. Typhimurium inoculated in aqueous solution and lettuce was studied. The contact time (0–30 min) and AGA concentration (0.05–0.25 M) were evaluated against microorganisms inoculated in aqueous solutions. At selected conditions, the combined effect of AGA and US process was evaluated against microorganisms inoculated in lettuce leaves; samples were taken from washing peptone water and the surface of lettuce using a cotton swab. The microbial inactivation of AGA in lettuce was described using the Monod model, which adequately reproduces the inactivation kinetics (R > 0.96). In aqueous solutions, 10 min of contact time and 0.15 M and 0.25 M of AGA were required to reduce more than 5 log reduction of S. Typhimurium and E. coli, respectively. In lettuce, the E. coli showed higher resistance than S. Typhimurium to the AGA treatment, obtaining a maximum microbial reduction (4.33 ± 0.17 log reduction) using washing peptone water as a sampling method and AGA plus US process. Moreover, the AGA treatment combined with the US process presented a higher microbial inactivation compared to a common disinfectant (colloidal silver). Therefore, it is possible to indicate that AGA combined with the US may be an adequate alternative to reduce enteropathogens in lettuce.

Argan oil, a rare and luxury oil, is often adulterated with cheaper vegetable oils to make profits. Therefore, in this study, the potential of Mid-Infrared (MIR) and Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, along with chemometrics, for the rapid identification and quantification of argan oil adulteration, was investigated. First, the authentication of pure and adulterated samples was visually explored by Principal Component Analysis. MIR and NIR spectra allowed an excellent distinction between pure oil samples. Next, Partial Least Squares - Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) modelling was applied to discriminate between pure and adulterated argan oils. PLS-DA classification figures of merit, in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, were very good for both NIR and MIR datasets. Finally, Partial Least Squares regression was used to model and predict the level of adulterant. The developed models showed a good performance, with RMSE values below 1.7% and coefficients of determination higher than 98% for both techniques.

The circulation of products based on genetically modified (GM) organisms is highly regulated by some governments with strict implementation rules for the breeding, planting, marketing, labelling, and trading of such products. To ensure compliance, accurate detection methods for GM events are necessary, along with assurance that GM material falls within relevant threshold levels. The increasing complexity and potential of undocumented GM are a growing challenge for genetic screening. Here, we developed and assessed a highly multiplexed amplicon sequencing assay for the detection of GM events based on a microfluidics platform and next-generation sequencing (NGS). To probe GM events comprehensively, we designed a total of 230 new amplicons to cover flanking, promoter, junction, and coding sequences of GM sequences. In addition, we designed and implemented parallel amplification of ribosomal and chloroplast markers to define crop species identity from potentially mixed samples. Using reference GM material of 11 crop species and multiple amplicons, we successfully detected the presence of 10 known modifications per GM event. We also find that reported flanking sequences of GM events may not be all useful for diagnostic. We assessed the assay's potential to detect GM events in mixed samples as well as in highly diluted DNA. Finally, we performed a prospective search of potentially undocumented GM events in plant material. Our microfluidics-based amplicon GM detection approach fills important gaps in detecting potentially undocumented and complex GM events by recovering a wide range of specific amplicon sequences for evaluation. Integrating highly parallel amplicon assays in GM screening efforts should be an effective complement to aid post-market monitoring and regulatory compliance efforts.

To prevent postharvest losses, optimal fruit temperatures should be maintained. However, non-uniform hygrothermal conditions and hotspots can develop due to the dense stacking of the fruit inside refrigerated trailers. The question remains when and where they arise. In commercial shipments, only the air temperature at the back of the trailer is typically monitored. However, it is still unknown how this temperature relates to fruit temperatures within the cargo. This study experimentally measured air and fruit temperatures for citrus fruit transported from Greece to Switzerland within a commercial supply chain. 108 sensors were placed inside one shipment to map air and fruit temperature gradients and identify hotspots during precooling and transport. Besides, air and fruit temperatures were measured at the back of the trailer within 30 additional shipments to analyze the variations between different transports.

The results showed insufficient precooling (room precooling), as not all fruit reached the required setpoint temperature (4–6 °C) after 24 h of precooling. Although most of the field heat was removed during precooling, re-heating (>10 °C) of some fruit in the middle of the trailer was observed due to insufficient ventilation of the pallets. Finally, different shipments showed varying air temperatures (average interquartile range: 1.5 °C), where significant variations were observed between different shipments (up to 9 °C difference between the average temperatures) and where the measured air temperatures deviated from the setpoint. The results of this full-scale experiment indicate the importance of monitoring commercial supply chains to better understand transport processes within refrigerated trailers and prevent fruit losses.

Meatborne parasites pose significant public health concerns and lead to substantial economic losses. Decisions regarding the introduction of risk-based control strategies to manage these parasites depend on the availability of robust and comparable economic data. To understand the current economic evidence available on meatborne parasite control, a scoping study was conducted to provide recommendations on optimal investment. This study is a part of the COST Action CA18105 (Risk-based Meat Inspection and Integrated Meat Safety Assurance [RIBMINS]), which supports the development and implementation of risk-based meat inspection programs across the EU and partner countries. This study synthesized available evidence published between January 1, 1980, and April 1, 2022, on interventions for controlling four meatborne parasites (Taenia saginata, Taenia solium, T. gondii, and Trichinella spiralis) where economic analyses had been conducted in COST Action CA18105-affiliated countries. We considered interventions conducted at any node within meat value chains, including those undertaken by health systems targeting consumers. Twelve relevant articles related to eleven distinct studies were identified. The outcomes of economic analyses were recorded, and a critical appraisal of these studies was carried out. The economic data identified have been summarized narratively, and this scoping review has revealed a scarcity of economic data on which to base decisions regarding meatborne parasite control and a lack of standardization in the approaches used for economic analysis. We recommend consensus building among researchers working in the food safety assurance space to standardize the methods and reporting of economic analysis of interventions, similar to efforts that have been made in the health economics space.