Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety最新文献

The pervasive contamination of the environment with microplastics (MPs) poses a significant threat to food safety as MPs enter and move up the food chain. Understanding the exposure route via foodstuffs is essential. In this study, we analyzed MP contamination in commonly available brands of crystal and iodized powder salts from India and Sri Lanka. MPs were isolated and identified using digestion, filtration, microscopy, and Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. MPs were more abundant in Indian salt (17.16 ± 8.81 MPs/kg) than in Sri Lankan salt (7.9 ± 6.2 MPs/kg), with crystal salt showing higher MP levels than iodized salt in both countries. Fiber-shaped black and white MPs (< 1 mm) were the most common. ATR-FTIR analysis confirmed the polymer composition, predominantly polypropylene and polyethylene, in both Indian (56%, 24%) and Sri Lankan (42%, 28%) samples. Based on polymer hazard scores, the chemical risk of salts was categorized as level II (Sri Lanka) and IV (India). If a person consumes 5 g of salt per day (World Health Organization), Indians would ingest 0.085 MPs/day (31.025 MPs/year), and Sri Lankans would consume 0.0395 MPs/day (14.4175 MPs/year). The presence of MPs in salts is likely due to the use of contaminated water in production and specific manufacturing processes. Ingesting MPs through daily salt consumption poses a risk to human health, highlighting the need for measures to protect salt sources and improve production processes.

Human exposure to organophosphate esters (OPEs) can occur through contaminated food contact materials (FCMs), which may pose significant health risks. This study investigated the presence and migration characteristics of 26 OPEs in 60 plastic and paper-based food contact materials sourced from markets and online retailers. Migration experiments were conducted using three food simulants: 4% acetic acid, 10% ethanol, and 95% ethanol. Thirteen OPEs were identified in the packaging samples, with triphenyl phosphate and tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate being the most frequently detected, averaging 95.8 ng/g and 73.3 ng/g, respectively. During migration simulations, 11 OPEs were found to migrate into the food simulants, with migration concentrations ranging from 9.22 to 150 ng/cm². The health impact was assessed using hazard index and maximum cumulative ratio methods. Triphenylphosphine oxide, triisobutyl phosphate, and butylphenyl diphenyl phosphate contributed the most to the overall hazard among the 11 compounds. However, the overall risk of OPE exposure to humans was determined to be low.

Lithium is a natural, ubiquitously-occurring alkali metal found in varying amounts in foods like honey. Recently, lithium chloride (LiCl) was described to be effective against varroosis, a parasitic disease leading to loss of honey bee colonies with limited therapy options. However, LiCl treatment is not currently authorized for use in honey bee colonies. Such treatment might result in elevated lithium amounts in honey. To address this, a robust method for quantifying lithium in honey was validated using a microwave-assisted digestion technique combined with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), achieving detection levels as low as 0.151 mg/kg. The method was applied to 65 commercially available, randomly chosen honey samples, all of which had lithium levels below the limit of quantitation (LOQ). Furthermore, the method was successfully adapted for use with more complex bee matrices, including royal jelly, bee bread, propolis, and whole bees.

Genetically modified (GM) crops and their products are regulated in many countries. To meet increasing regulatory requirements for a growing number of GM soybean events, high-throughput and cost-effective detection methods are indispensable. In this study, 14 widely commercialized GM soybean events, including GTS40-3-2, MON89788, CV127, A2704-12, A5547-127, 305423, 356043, MON87701, MON87705, MON87708, MON87769, SYHT0H2, FG72, and DAS-444Ø6-6 were utilized as targets for event-specific identification. A high-throughput detection method was established by integrating a single universal primer multiplex PCR (SUP-M-PCR) with capillary electrophoresis technique. This method enables the identification of 14 soybean events in a single PCR reaction, addressing the limitations of conventional multiplex PCR such as self-inhibition and amplification variations between different primers. Furthermore, it significantly enhances the sensitivity and accuracy of previous multiple detection methods, achieving a detection sensitivity of 0.05% (w/w). Overall, this approach greatly improves detection efficiency and holds promising potential for the identification and detection of 14 types of GM soybean events and their derivatives.

Chloropropanols such as 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) can be present in wet-resistant paper food contact articles and migrate into aqueous food. Due to their potential carcinogenicity, residual levels in food are a target of consumer protection. Assessment of compliance of paper food contact articles regarding chloropropanols is commonly done using cold water extraction according to EN 645. However, this gives limited information on actual consumer exposure. To support risk assessment, migration of chloropropanols from paper straws into food simulants was compared to cold water extraction. Established methods using silylation with MSTFA and GC-MS/MS were adapted for food simulants B and D1. While absolute concentrations were higher in cold water extracts, released amounts were similar when accounting for sample weight and simulant volume. For uncoated paper under foreseeable use conditions, cold water extraction results can estimate exposure. Paper straws compliant with BfR recommendation XXXVI limits do not considerably contribute to total 3-MCPD intake. Thus, enforcing these limits is suitable to protect consumers from harmful chloropropanol exposure from food contact materials.

The German debate about genetically engineered crops for human consumption (GE) has been polarized for nearly three decades. Efforts to overcome this polarization generally involve distributing information, but research indicates that information has little to no impact on GE attitudes, especially among those with extreme positions. Recent studies suggest that moral value concerns drive GE opposition. However, the specific moral values underlying both support and opposition for GE are unknown, as is whether these values differ between GE supporters and opponents. The present research addresses these questions through latent content analysis. Findings show that most arguments in the debate address moral value concerns related to loyalty, often focusing on trust issues. Trust issues are more prevalent than moral concerns about preventing harm and risks. Furthermore, moral value conflicts are likely since GE supporters emphasize concerns related to authority, fairness, and liberty, while GE opponents focus more on values related to care and purity. This paper discusses these findings and recommends steps for improved science communication.

A simple and effective heuristic approach was developed and validated to predict the concentration of non-relevant metabolites (nrM) of pesticides in groundwater and drinking water resources based on the simulated concentrations in leachate as used in product authorizations. The evaluation of extensive monitoring data for 50 nrM has demonstrated that the heuristic has a high predictive performance, i.e., concentrations of < 10 µg/l in shallow leachate in the unsaturated zone of the soil in 1 m depth are protective of 1 µg/l in groundwater and raw water in 98 % of cases (49/50 nrM). The reason for the excellent predictive power of the heuristic approach is the large concentration attenuation from leachate to groundwater and to raw water, which was determined to be, on average, 25- and 45-fold, respectively.