Research Publications (Food Safety)

The global antibiotic resistance crisis, driven by overuse and misuse of antibiotics, is multifaceted. This study aimed to assess the microbiological and genetic characteristics of raw retail pork meat through various methods, including the isolation, antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST), whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of selected indicator bacteria, antibiotic residue testing, and metagenomic sequencing. Samples were purchased from 10 pre-selected retail stores in Gauteng, South Africa.

Abstract In the evolving field of food safety, rapid and precise detection of antibiotic residues is crucial. This study aimed to tackle this challenge by integrating advanced inkjet printing technology with sophisticated microfluidic paper‐based analytical devices (µPADs). The µPAD design utilized “green” quantum dots synthesized via an eco‐friendly hydrothermal method using green white mulberry leaves as the carbon source, serving as the key fluorescent detection material.

Background Antibiotic residues in milk are a well-known hazard in the dairy food chain. Detection methods for these residues, such as nonspecific microbiological inhibitor tests or group-specific receptor tests, are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and widely applied to ensure food safety.

Background The presence of veterinary drug residues in food-producing animals and animal products is regulated through the enforcement of maximum residue limits (MRLs). To answer the need of the food sector to monitor these substances in a wide range of food commodities, stakeholders at AOAC INTERNATIONAL identified the need for a reliable confirmatory screening method. Such a qualitative approach is required for compliance checking and to support product release in manufacturing.

Antibiotic residue in food products and the resulting antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent a significant global public health threat. The misuse of antibiotics is a primary contributor to this issue. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding antibiotic use among cage fish farmers on Ghana’s Volta Lake. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 91 cage fish farmers across three scales: small, medium, and large.

Abstract Cultured meat, which involves growing meat in a laboratory rather than breeding animals, offers potential benefits in terms of sustainability, health, and animal welfare compared to conventional meat production. However, the cultured meat production process involves several stages, each with potential hazards requiring careful monitoring and control. Microbial contamination risks exist in the initial cell collection from source animals and the surrounding environment.

Tetracyclines (TCs) residues in animal-based foods may cause consumer poisoning or allergic reactions, as well as resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, a method to accurately monitor TCs is urgently needed. Here, a sensitive and greenificated molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor (CDs@MIP) for detecting TCs residues using non-covalent imprinting binding method has been synthesized in a simple and safe manner.

Ivermectin (IVM) is one of the most widely used antiparasitic drugs worldwide and has become the drug of choice for anthelmintic and tick treatment in beef cattle production. Drugs used in production animals requires a withdrawal period after treatment to avoid residual concentrations above the defined maximun residue level (MRL).

A method for the rapid screening and confirmation of 60 food‐borne stimulants in animal‐derived foods was developed using the ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole/orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC‐Q/Orbitrap HRMS). After enzymatic hydrolysis at 37°C for 16 h, the samples were extracted with acetonitrile solution. The extraction solution was purified by PRiME HLB pass‐through solid‐phase extraction cartridge and redissolved by nitrogen blowing.

The impact of soil fertilization with animal manure on the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance in the environment is far from being fully understood. To add knowledge about persistence and correlations between antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in fertilized soil, a longitudinal soil mesocosm study was conducted.

This study developed and validated an analytical method for the simultaneous identification and quantification of 41 veterinary antibiotic drugs from 9 different classes, including sulfonamides, quinolones, tetracyclines, penicillins, macrolides, nitroimidazoles, cephalosporins, diaminopyrimidines, and amphenicol, in animal-derived food products.

by Daniel Ciccarone, Nicole Holm, Jeff Ondocsin, Allison Schlosser, Jason Fessel, Amanda Cowan, Sarah G. Mars

Background

Illicitly manufactured fentanyls and stimulants are implicated in the escalating US mortality from drug overdose. San Francisco, California (SF) has seen declining fentanyl injection while smoking has increased. Beliefs and behaviors surrounding this development are not well understood.

Methods

Probiotic feed additive use in the swine industry has become increasingly popular as a substitute for antibiotic feed additives. This is due to the overuse of antibiotics in swine diets that has led to antibiotic residues in animal products and bacterial resistance. For this reason, we decided to feed a probiotic to prevent illnesses associated with the transition from the nursery to finisher phase.

Sulfonamide antibiotics with superior performance are widely used in aquaculture. However, the residues of sulfonamide antibiotics in aquatic products may pose a threat to human health. In this work, a novel type of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (mMIP) was synthesized and coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for the selective separation and determination of 4 sulfonamide antibiotics residues in tilapia.

From a public health point of view, antimicrobial residues pose various problems, including potential risks for consumers. The use of some of these antibiotics may affect the form and quality of animal products or affect the quality or output of food processing. Consequently, there is a pressing need for further investigation into the effects of antibiotics on animal products.

IntroductionControl of Campylobacter from farm to fork is challenging due to the frequent emergence of antimicrobial-resistant isolates. Furthermore, poultry production systems are known reservoirs of Campylobacter. The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway is a crucial bacterial secretion system that allows Campylobacter to colonize the host intestinal tract by using formate as the main source of energy.

An HPLC-MS/MS multi-class method for quantitation of 15 different classes of veterinary drug residues (>140 analytes) in milk and poultry feed was developed and validated. Accuracy criteria for routine laboratories were met for the majority of analytes, > 83 % in milk and between 50 and 60 % in chicken feed, with an apparent recovery of 60–140 %.

Abstract

Abstract The importance of food quality and safety lies in ensuring the best product quality to meet consumer demands and public health. Advanced technologies play a crucial role in minimizing the risk of foodborne illnesses, contamination, drug residue, and other potential hazards in food. Significant materials and technological advancements have been made throughout the food supply chain.

β-Lactam is one of the widely used veterinary drugs, but simultaneous analytical methods for β-lactam on various animal foods have not been established. In this study, we aimed to detect 34 β-lactam antibiotics simultaneously in livestock samples (beef, pork, chicken, egg, and milk) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS).

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) has drawn increasing public attention. Organic anion transporters (OATs) are considered to be responsible for mediating nephrotoxicity of aristolochic acids (AAs), as AAs are typical OAT1 substrates that exhibit anionic properties and contain one hydrophobic domain.

Background The consumption of foods containing amphenicols, a type of antibiotic, is a major concern for human health. A stable and accurate detection method can provide technical support for food-safety monitoring. Objective An effective and efficient method was established for determining amphenicols in animal-derived foods through the simultaneous use of solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).

The excessive and uncontrolled application of antibiotics in the fish farming industry, coupled with a lack of health monitoring and medication practices, is a driving force behind the escalating development of antimicrobial resistance. The present study assessed and compared qualitative field diffusion (QFD) and disk diffusion (DD) assays for the detection of antimicrobial residues (ARs) in diverse freshwater aquaculture fish.

Although filtration is one of the most common steps in sample preparation for chemical analysis, filter membrane materials can leach contaminants and/or retain some analytes in the filtered solutions. In multiclass, multiresidue analysis of veterinary drugs, it is challenging to find one type of filter membrane that does not retain at least some of the analytes before injection in ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS/MS).

The aim of this study was to compare the results of the presence of antibiotic (AB) residues in the milk of dairy cows treated with ABs – during the withdrawal period (WP) and after the WP obtained by various screening tests (Delvotest T, Twinsensor BT020, and Eclipse 50), to evaluate the presence of AB residues with regard to selected factors (indication for AB administration, AB group, and a number of antimicrobial substances) and to assess selected parameters of milk quality (fat, crude pr