An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 1 - 25 of 2825

  1. Rhizobium hidalgonense and Rhizobium redzepovicii as faba bean (Vicia faba L.) microsymbionts in Mexican soils

    • Archives of Microbiology
    • As a legume crop widely cultured in the world, faba bean (Vicia faba L.) forms root nodules with diverse Rhizobium species in different regions. However, the symbionts associated with this plant in Mexico have not been studied. To investigate the diversity and species/symbiovar affiliations of rhizobia associated with faba bean in Mexico, rhizobia were isolated from this plant grown in two Mexican sites in the present study.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  2. Entomopathogenic fungi in crops protection with an emphasis on bioactive metabolites and biological activities

    • World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • Abstract

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  3. Effectiveness of nanomaterials and their counterparts in improving rice growth and yield under arsenic contamination

    • Frontiers in Plant Science
    • Arsenic (As) pollution in rice (Oryza sativa L.), a staple food for over 3.5 billion people, is a global problem. Mixed effects of Zn, Cu, and Si amendments on plant growth and yield, including in the presence of As pollution have been reported in previous studies.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  4. Central Roles of ZmNAC128 and ZmNAC130 in Nutrient Uptake and Storage during Maize Grain Filling

    • Genes
    • Grain filling is critical for determining yield and quality, raising the question of whether central coordinators exist to facilitate the uptake and storage of various substances from maternal to filial tissues. The duplicate NAC transcription factors ZmNAC128 and ZmNAC130 could potentially serve as central coordinators.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  5. Tobacco rattle virus-based virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) as an aid for functional genomics in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

    • Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants
    • Several limitations in genetic engineering interventions in saffron exist, hindering the development of genetically modified varieties and the widespread application of genetic engineering in this crop. Lack of genome sequence information, the complexity of genetic makeup, and lack of well-established genetic transformation protocols limit its in planta functional validation of genes that would eventually lead toward crop optimization.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  6. Distinction of chia varieties in vivo and in vitro based on the flow cytometry and rosmarinic acid production

    • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  7. Mitigation of cadmium and arsenic in rice grain by zero valent iron through modifying the soil chemical property and microbial community structure

    • Plant and Soil
    • Abstract


      Background and aims

      Human health is seriously threatened by cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) poisoning in paddy soils. Due to different geochemical behavior, Cd and As are challenging to repair together. We aims to inquire into the influences of zero valent iron (ZVI) and its mixture on acidic Cd-As contaminated paddy soil and reveal the relevant mechanisms.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  8. Dealing with elemental toxicities in crops: hot topics and likely solutions

    • Plant and Soil
    • Abstract


      Background

      The widespread presence of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in agricultural soils coupled with a problem of Al phytotoxicity threatens sustainability of agricultural production system as well as natural ecosystems.


      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  9. Luteolin alleviates cadmium-induced metabolism disorder through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in chicken kidney

    • Poultry Science
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  10. Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements Contamination of Commonly Consumed Fruits in Bahir Dar Town, Northwest Ethiopia

    • International Journal of Food Science
    • Background. Excess accumulation of potentially toxic elements in frequently consumed fruits is a serious threat to human health. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) and to estimate the noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks associated with their daily intake in commonly consumed fruits in Bahir Dar town, northwest Ethiopia. Methods.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  11. Lead Isotope Signatures and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in Vegetable Soils Irrigated with Swine Wastewater of Jiangxi Province, China

    • Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
    • The rapid development of livestock and poultry industry in China has caused serious environment pollution problems. To understand the heavy metals accumulation and identify their sources, 7 heavy metals contents and lead isotope ratios were determined in 24 soil samples from vegetable fields irrigated with swine wastewater in Dongxiang County, Jiangxi Province, China.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  12. Strategies of soil microbial N-cycling in different cadmium contaminated soil with wheat straw return

    • Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
    • Cadmium contamination inevitably affects the microbially mediated transformation of nitrogen in soils with wheat straw return. The responses of nitrogen functional microorganisms to cadmium in acidic and alkaline soils under wheat straw returned are still unclear.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  13. A review on fermented vegetables: Microbial community and potential upgrading strategy via inoculated fermentation

    • Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety
    • Abstract Fermentation is a traditional method utilized for vegetable preservation, with microorganisms playing a crucial role in the process. Nowadays, traditional spontaneous fermentation methods are widely employed, which excessively depend on the microorganisms attached to the surface of raw materials, resulting in great difficulties in ideal control over the fermentation process.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  14. Suillusgrevillei and Suillus luteus promote lead tolerance of Pinus tabulaeformis and biomineralize lead to pyromorphite

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Lead (Pb) is a hazardous heavy metal that accumulates in many environments. Phytoremediation of Pb polluted soil is an environmentally friendly method, and a better understanding of mycorrhizal symbiosis under Pb stress can promote its efficiency and application. This study aims to evaluate the impact of two ectomycorrhizal fungi (Suillus grevillei and Suillus luteus) on the performance of Pinus tabulaeformis under Pb stress, and the biomineralization of metallic Pb in vitro.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  15. Toxicity and fate of cadmium in hydroponically cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) influenced by microplastics

    • Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
    • Although more attention has been paid to microplastics (MPs) pollution in environment, research on the synthetic influence of microplastic and heavy metals remains limited. To help fill this information gap, we investigated the adsorption behavior of virgin polyvinyl chloride microplastics (PVCMPs) (≤450 µm white spherical powder) on cadmium (II).

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  16. Antimicrobial resistance, virulence potential and genomic epidemiology of global genomes of the rare Salmonella enterica serovar Orion

    • Zoonoses and Public Health
    • Abstract Aims Our aim is to characterize through whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and heavy metal tolerance (HMT) genes content, plasmid presence, virulence potential and genomic diversity of the rare non‐typhoid Salmonella enterica serovar Orion (S. Orion) from 19 countries of the African, American, Eastern Mediterranean, European, Southeastern Asia and Western Pacific regions. Methods and Results Totally 324 S.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  17. Mitigating cadmium contamination in rice: insights from a large-scale meta-analysis of amendment effects

    • Plant and Soil
    • Background and aims Cadmium (Cd) pollution in rice is a health hazard. to humans. Amendments often decreases soil Cd bioavailability and Cd accumulation in rice plants. However, a complete and quantitative understanding of the effects of soil amendment on soil properties, Cd availability, rice yield, and Cd accumulation in rice is lacking.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  18. Understanding phloem's role in long-distance transport and accumulation of arsenic (As) in rice: toward low-As-accumulating grain development

    • Planta
    • Abstract Rice is a staple diet for a significant proportion of the global population. As toxicity is a major issue affecting the rice productivity and quality worldwide. Phloem tissues of rice plants play vital roles in As speciation, long-distance transport, and unloading, thereby controlling the As accumulation in rice grains.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  19. Biochar Application Method and Amount Both Changed the Dynamics of Soil Temperature-Moisture-Metals in an Acidic Inceptisols

    • Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
    • The biochar was derived from four feedstocks: buckwheat straw, rice straw, mustard stover, and soybean stover. The results showed that, with increase in biochar application rate the soil temperature increased significantly in both 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil depth. The soil temperature decreased with increase in soil depth after different feedstock derived biochar application.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  20. The effectiveness of various biochar types in enhancing the phytoremediation of soils polluted with petroleum hydrocarbon

    • Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
    • Abstract Background Biochar can enhance phytoremediation in petroleum hydrocarbon polluted soils, making it an intriguing soil amendment option for remediating polluted soil. Biochar can improve the fertility of depleted soils through a range of mechanisms. This study can contribute valuable insights into the origin of biochar and enhance our understanding of the efficacy of different biochar types in remediating petroleum hydrocarbon polluted soils.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  21. How manganese affects rice cadmium uptake and translocation in vegetative and mature plants

    • Plant and Soil
    • Background and aims Rice is prone to Cd uptake under aerobic soil conditions primarily due to the OsNramp5 Mn transport pathway. Unlike Cd, Mn availability in rice paddies decreases as redox potential increases.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  22. More resource efficient recycling of copper and copper alloys by using X-ray fluorescence sorting systems: An investigation on the metallic fraction of mixed foundry residues

    • Waste Management & Research
    • According to the state of the art, most of the mixed copper and copper alloy scrap and residues are processed in a copper smelter. Despite the environmental and economic advantages relative to primary production, the recycling of copper and its alloying elements (zinc, tin, lead, nickel, etc.) requires significantly more energy and cost than remelting unmixed or pure scrap fractions such as separate collected material or production scrap.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  23. Evaluation of cadmium phytoextraction potential of peanut and the rhizospheric properties of specific cultivars

    • Journal of Cleaner Production
    • Phytoextraction is an effective technique for removing cadmium (Cd) from contaminated farmland, thus achieving real ecological restoration. To clarify the potential of peanut phytoextraction, we designed a pot experiment to assess the Cd accumulation in peanut. In addition, the contribution of rhizosphere microorganisms in Cd accumulation was explored.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  24. Speciation of arsenic in Milk from cows fed seaweed

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
    • Abstract Background Including seaweed in cattle feed has gained increased interest, but it is important to take into account that the concentration of toxic metals, especially arsenic, is high in seaweed. This study investigated the arsenic species in milk from seaweed‐fed cows.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  25. Biochar compost associations affect the absorption, translocation and bioavailability of legacy and newly introduced cadmium in lettuce

    • Journal of Cleaner Production
    • Biochar is an environment-friendly immobilizing agent and performs better in remediating soil cadmium (Cd) along with compost. However, little attention has been paid to the effects of the intrinsic properties of biochar in combination with compost on the phytoavailability and translocation of legacy Cd (CdL) and newly introduced Cd (CdN) in the soil-lettuce-human system.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals