Research Publications (Food Safety)

Food is closely related to human life. With the development of the times, the human demand for food has changed dramatically. People pay closer attention to the safety, health, composition, brand, origin, and processing method of food, which is precisely inseparable from food testing technology.

Lead ions are a toxic metal that can enter the human body through the diet and negatively impact human health. A wide variety of foods, such as vegetables, meat, aquatic product, and drinking water, can be contaminated with lead ions. In this study, a highly sensitive immunochromatographic assay (ICA) based on antibody-oriented probe and silver enhancement was established for the qualitative and quantitative determination of lead ions in drinking water.

From farm to plate, food meets various challenges and pollution. Food detection is essential to ensure food safety. Although detection techniques have obtained great development, the accuracy, sensitivity and operating conditions still have room for improvement. Composed of dielectric media with different refractive indices to form a periodic structure, an optical material named photonic crystal (PC) can offer a breakthrough.

Fipronil, as an excellent insecticide, is widely used around the world, but its residues in agricultural products and the environment cause a series of health and ecological risks. In this study, a novel aptamer sensor for the sensitive, selective, and quantitative detection of fipronil in eggs was prepared using nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) modified by fipronil aptamer.

Nitrofurans, a kind of banned antibiotics for their serious toxic side effects, have often been found in aquatic products in the past and are still found nowadays which were a severe threat for human health. A rapid quantization of nitrofuran metabolites residues in aquatic products by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method was developed in this study.

A pre-concentration and sensitive determination method for residues of Chloramphenicol (CLP) and Amoxicillin (AMX) in milk samples were developed based on cloud point extraction (CPE) and HPLC–DAD analysis. CLP and AMX molecules were extracted to surfactant phases of polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000) in the presence of pH 7.0 buffer and high electrolyte concentration.

Food safety being a vast global public health threat has attracted growing concern. Efficient detection techniques for food hazards are essential to ensure food safety. Various methods have been established to sense food hazards for solving food safety-related problems. However, due to trace levels of food contaminants, pathogens, and toxins, the development of efficient and reliable detection techniques has been challenging work.

Food safety being a vast global public health threat has attracted growing concern. Efficient detection techniques for food hazards are essential to ensure food safety. Various methods have been established to sense food hazards for solving food safety-related problems. However, due to trace levels of food contaminants, pathogens, and toxins, the development of efficient and reliable detection techniques has been challenging work.

Tea is one of the most popular drinks worldwide. In the process of tea planting, for controlling pests, a variety of pesticides are usually applied. Therefore, pesticide residues and their metabolites in tea leaves, as well as their adverse effects on tea drinkers' health, are becoming increasingly concerning.

This study aims to investigate the formation mechanism of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and acrylamide in sesame seeds during roasting. Sesame seeds were roasted at 180, 200, and 220 °C for different time intervals, and changes in the concentration of sucrose, free amino acids, asparagine, 3-deoxyglucosone, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and acrylamide were monitored.

The aroma-active compounds of three Xi baijiu samples (Xijiulan, Y1, Xijiuyinxiangguizhou, Y2 and Xijiuyinzhi, Y3) were analyzed by gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O), GC–flame photometric detection (FPD) and odor activity value (OAV). The results indicated that a total of 92 aroma compounds were determined, including 16 sulfur compounds.

Cloudiness, opalescence or a milky appearance in beverages is usually undesirable and lead the consumers to assume that the product is of lower quality. Many different types of formation and entry can lead to cloudiness and these causes can be divided into two major categories: beverage-specific, where the ingredients cause an interaction, and external influences such as process errors or particles interacting with the medium. This study considers two main sources of external influences.

YE (yeast extract) has been widely used in the flavor industry as the source to produce the high-quality meaty and umami flavors. It is because YE is rich in the savory and mellow constituents and is important precursors to generate aromas via thermal treatment. This study aims to investigate the change of meaty aroma and umami taste in the hydrolyzed YE during the thermal treatment.

Furan, which has been identified as possibly carcinogenic for humans, can be induced to different food items by thermal treatment. In accordance with the previous studies and risks associated with prevalence of furan in food, it is necessary to be acknowledged of amounts of furan formed in different thermally processed foods for human awareness.

Traditional fermented foods are important sources of probiotics, which attract intensive attentions because of their beneficial effects. The potential of probiotic strains to remove heavy metals have also aroused interest from researchers.

The acrylamide content and color formation (CIE L*, a* and b*) of hazelnuts which processed at different roasting temperatures of 130 °C, 150 °C, 160 °C and 170 °C with roasting time for 15 and 30 min were evaluated. Acrylamide contents of roasted hazelnuts were measured by means of Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC).

Here we describe the improvement of pesticide residue extraction from tomatoes by an improved QuEChERS method. Through Plackett–Burman design, 4 significant variables out of 11 potential variables were identified that could influence the relative deviation of measurements. The 11 variables were: amount of sample, C18, Na2SO4, NaCl, MgSO4, NaAc, GCB (graphitized carbon black), and PSA (primary–secondary amine); ACN volume; percentage of FA (formic acid); and centrifugation time.

Furan fatty acids (FuFAs) are valuable minor compounds in our food with excellent antioxidant properties. Naturally occurring FuFAs are characterised by a central furan moiety with one or two methyl groups in β-/β’-position of the heterocycle (monomethyl- or M-FuFAs and dimethyl- or D-FuFAs).

Free and protein-bound Maillard reaction products (acrylamide, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, α-dicarbonyl compounds, N-ε-fructosyllysine, N-ε-carboxymethyllysine and N-ε-carboxyethyllysine) and the reaction precursors (sugars and amino acids) were investigated in bread crust-like systems prepared with different cereal flours. Selected cereals were; whole and refined wheat, whole einkorn, whole rye, whole oat and whole corn.

Activity-guided fractionation based on in vitro assays was used to identify antibacterial components in the residue wasted in the manufacturing process of aged garlic extract (AGE). Antimicrobial activity of the hexane extract of aged garlic-derived residue (AGR) was evaluated against clinically isolated Gram-positive and -negative bacteria including levofloxacin (LVX)-resistant strains.

Chlorpyrifos is a type of organophosphate insecticide used extensively in the plantation of tomatoes, a worldwide popular food. However, chlorpyrifos residues on tomatoes bring risks to human health considering the consumption level of tomato is relatively high across many countries. Accurate detection and strict regulation of chlorpyrifos residues are very important in controlling health risks related to chlorpyrifos.

Acrylamide is a toxic compound and a thermal marker of food, deriving from Maillard reaction. A recent European Regulation established mitigation measures and benchmark levels for its reduction in many products encouraging the use of colourimetric scales providing a statistical correlation between colour intensity and acrylamide content.

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