Research Publications (Food Safety)

Aims To determine the seasonal occurrence and diversity of norovirus (NoV) and human adenovirus (HAdV) in groundwater from sinkholes, and brackish water used for recreational activities in the karst aquifer of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Methods and results Hollow fibre ultrafiltration was used to concentrate viruses and standard plaque assay methods were used to enumerate somatic and F+ specific coliphages as viral indicators.

Synergistic antimicrobial effect of lactocin AL705 and nisin combined with organic acid salts against Listeria innocua 7 in broth and a hard cheese. Summary The effectiveness of antimicrobial mixtures against Listeria innocua 7, used as a L. monocytogenes surrogate, was investigated in broth and a food system.

Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of commercially prepared RTE sushi by enumerating aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB) and thermotolerant coliforms (TC) and detecting Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. An isolate was identified as E. coli O157:H7 which was evaluated for its virulence and antimicrobial resistance profiling as well as its ability to form biofilms on stainless steel.

CTLE washing exhibited more than 2‐log reductions in the population of L. monocytogenes on romaine lettuce and kale, having similar effects as NaOCl washing. Summary The present study aimed to examine the antimicrobial activity of silkworm thorn (Cudrania tricuspidata) leaf extract (CTLE) and its application as a washing agent for fresh‐cut romaine lettuce and kale.

Impact of increased (+1 °C [‐‐‐]) and decreased (−1 °C […]) temperature on the fate of S. enterica subsp. enterica in raw milk cheese during storage at 5, 15 and 25 °C; [‐] represents fitted model for studied temperatures. Summary The aim of this study was to determine the survival kinetics of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica in ripened raw milk cheese. Cheese samples inoculated with S. enterica subsp.

Molecular docking is a theoretical simulation method based on bioinformatics and predicts their binding modes and affinity via a computer platform. This review presents the theory and software development of molecular docking, and emphasises its application in the field of food science, including nutritional components and food safety.

In the chicken slices and canned beef B.bacteriovorax induced a E.coli reduction equal to 4.3 and 2.1 logs, respectively, at 6 hours from contamination.♦ E. coli control; ● E. coli test; ▲ Bb control; ■ Bb test. Summary Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a predator micro‐organism towards other Gram‐negative bacteria. We tested B. bacteriovorus to control Escherichia coli growth on chicken slices and canned beef.

With single‐copy housekeeping genes based real‐time PCR, the goat meat content in adulterated meat sample with pork could be quantitatively detected by calculating the Ct ratio of goat meat/pork in a wide range 5–80% of goat meat concentration. Summary Adulteration of goat meat with cheaper meat such as pork has been frequently found.

The consumption of resistant starch alone or included in a bread formulation lead to a better gut health as well as an increase in bone mineral content and bone mineral density. Summary The effect of chemically modified resistant starch (RS) included in bread formulation on bone and gut health of growing male Wistar rats was studied.

Light and wounding significantly increase the SGA content in potato tuber during storage. Importantly, they have synergistic effect on SGA content in tuber in this process. Summary Potato tubers contain undesirable steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), which have evoked global concern in terms of feed and food safety due to their toxic effects in humans. The cultivar Unica was exposed to a combination of light and wounding. SGA content among different tissues was analysed.

The effects of taurine supplementation on the growth and intestinal immune function in young grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were investigated in this study. A total of 540 fish (initial average weights of 255.74 ± 0.65 g) were fed one fishmeal diet and five all‐plant protein source‐based diets with graded levels of taurine (0 to 1.98g/kg diet) for 60 days, and then challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila for 14 days.

The present study was to determine the time‐dependent alterations in growth performance, histomorphology, digestive enzymes activities and the genes expression related to target of rapamycin (TOR) signalling pathway involved in hepatopancreas and intestine of Litopenaeus vannamei at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 days after Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) challenge.

This study evaluated effects of fishmeal replacement by cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate (CPH) on growth, antioxidant and immunity of Megalobrama amblycephala and its resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila.

Kenya is endemic for cholera with different waves of outbreaks having been documented since 1971. In recent years, new variants of Vibrio cholerae O1 have emerged and have replaced most of the traditional El Tor biotype globally. These strains also appear to have increased virulence, and it is important to describe and document their phenotypic and genotypic traits. This study characterized 146 V. cholerae O1 isolates from cholera outbreaks that occurred in Kenya between 1975 and 2017.

This study evaluated the association between urinary cadmium (U‐Cd) and blood Cd (B‐Cd) and several biomarkers of renal dysfunction (α1‐microglobulin [α1‐MG], β2‐microglobulin [β2‐MG], N‐acetyl‐β‐d‐glucosaminidase, metallothionein, retinol‐binding protein and microalbumin [mALB]) and identified the biomarker(s) that was most closely correlated with U‐Cd and B‐Cd among female residents in rural areas of southwest China.

Owing to the increasing application of engineered nanoparticles (NPs), besides the workplace, human beings are also exposed to NPs from nanoproducts through the skin, respiratory tract, digestive tract and vein injection. This review states pathways of cellular uptake, subcellular distribution and excretion of NPs.

In both human and animals, in utero exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine‐disrupting chemical used in the production of plastics and epoxy resins, has been shown to affect offspring reproductive and metabolic health during adult life. We hypothesized that the effect of prenatal exposure to environmentally relevant doses of BPA will be evident during fetal organogenesis and fetal/postnatal growth trajectory.

The amino acid derivative reactivity assay (ADRA) is an in chemico alternative method that focuses on protein binding as the molecular initiating event for skin sensitization. It is a simple and versatile method that has successfully solved some of the problems of the direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA). The transferability and within‐ and between‐laboratory reproducibility of ADRA were evaluated and confirmed as part of a validation study conducted at four participating laboratories.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are abundant in breastmilk, but their presence in infant formula is negligible. Sialylated HMOs, such as 6′‐sialyllactose, constitute a significant portion of the HMO fraction of human milk and are linked to important biological functions.

Oxidative/nitrosative stress is proposed to be a critical factor in various diseases, including liver pathologies. Antioxidants derived from medicinal plants have been studied extensively and are relevant to many illnesses, including liver diseases.

Human breastmilk is a mixture of nutrients, hormones and bioactive molecules that are vital for infant growth and development. Infant formula (IF) lacks many of these compounds, most notably human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which are abundant in breastmilk but scarce in IF. Sialyllactoses, such as 3′‐sialyllactose, constitute a large portion of the HMO fraction.

Permethrin, a pyrethroid chemical, is widely used as a pesticide because of its rapid insecticidal activity. Although permethrin is considered to exert very low toxicity in mammals, the effects of early, low‐level, chronic exposure on the adult central nervous system are unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of low‐level, chronic permethrin exposure in early life on the brain functions of adult mice, using environmentally relevant concentrations.

Arsenic is a metalloid widely found in the environment in organic and inorganic forms. Exposure to inorganic arsenic forms via drinking water has been associated with an increased incidence of negative health effects, including reproductive disorders and dysfunction of the endocrine system. However, the impact of arsenic exposure on female reproductive development is still unclear.

BACKGROUND Kimchi, a Korean food, is now produced and consumed in many other countries. In this study, the macro, trace, and toxic element content in varieties of kimchi from Korea and China was evaluated. A health‐risk assessment, involving the calculation of estimated dietary intake values, was undertaken. To discriminate among samples with different origins, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) extracts have a long history of use worldwide, but a major limitation of these extracts is their extremely low oral bioavailability, caused by low absorption, rapid metabolism and rapid excretion following ingestion. Thus, a new highly bioavailable turmeric extract formulation (comprising turmeric extract, acacia gum, sunflower oil and quillaia extract) has been developed and is intended for use as a food ingredient.