Research Publications (Food Safety)

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are the largest group of blood-feeding insects that disturb not only humans but also other mammals and birds. This study reports the presence of native mosquito species in the regional unit of Thessaloniki and the monitoring of their population. In total, 13 mosquito species belonging to four genera were identified. The most dominant species was Culex pipiens, followed by Aedes caspius.

Author(s): Jun Xian Wong, Suzita Ramli, Shakinaz Desa, Sook Ngoh Chen

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is the fourth most cultivated crop in the world in terms of production volume, and it is also the most important raw material of the malting and brewing industries. Barley belongs to the grass (Poaceae) family and plays an important role in food security and food safety for both humans and livestock.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, mycotoxicoses constitute the second most pressing food safety problem worldwide, with most cases occurring in developing countries. Maize (Zea mays L.), the main staple for many Latin Americans, is one of the best suitable substrates for mycotoxigenic Aspergillus fungi. Aflatoxins (AFs) produced primarily by Aspergillus flavus, are of significant concern, especially in developing countries.

Biofilms can constitute permanent threats to food safety and public health. Bacteria and viruses lodged in biofilm can escape cleaning and sanitizing agents. The aim of this study was to compare Pseudomonas aeruginosa developing and mature biofilms produced on agri-food surfaces in terms of interaction with murine norovirus.

Fusarium mycotoxins represent a major threat for cereal crops and food safety. While previous investigations have described plant biotransforming properties on mycotoxins or metabolic relapses of fungal infections in plants, so far, the potential consequences of radical exposure in healthy crops are mostly unknown.

Concerns regarding food safety and ‘One Health’ are increasing globally. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a human carcinogenic toxin, is excreted by lactating animals in their milk after consumption of feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1. The present cross-sectional study aimed to determine the occurrence of AFM1 in cattle and buffalo milk produced in rural and peri-urban areas under different agro-climatic conditions of Chhattisgarh, India, and assesses human health risks.

This study innovatively produced polymeric active antibacterial films by incorporating zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) into linear low-density polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride (LLDPE-MA) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) using polymer melting and coating of ZnO-NP.

Salinity is a major abiotic stress that negatively impacts plant health and soil microbiota. ACC (1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid) deaminase producing microorganisms act as natural stress busters that protect plants from different kinds of stresses. The study focused on the isolation of potent, indigenous, multi-trait ACC deaminase producers.

The capacity of apple trees to produce fruit of a desired diameter, i.e., fruit-bearing capacity (FBC), was investigated by considering the inter-tree variability of leaf area (LA). The LA of 996 trees in a commercial apple orchard was measured by using a terrestrial two-dimensional (2D) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser scanner for two consecutive years.

With the increase of food allergy events related to not properly cooked kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), more and more researchers are paying attention to the sensitization potential of lectin, one of the major storage and defensive proteins with the specific carbohydrate-binding activity.

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg (Sanyeqing, SYQ) is a perennial climbing liana and an endemic plant to southern China. Its tuberous roots (TRs) are used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating some diseases such as high fever, pneumonia, asthma, hepatitis, and cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of TR and the content of flavonoids and phenylpropanoids (FPs) are not well-understood.

ABSTRACT The microbiome of an aquifer contaminated by landfill leachate and undergoing intrinsic remediation was characterised using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. The archaeal/bacterial V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq, and multivariate statistics were applied to make inferences.

Snowmelt dynamics are a significant determinant of microbial metabolism in soil and regulate global biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients by creating seasonal variations in soil redox and nutrient pools. With an increasing concern that climate change accelerates both snowmelt timing and rate, obtaining an accurate characterization of microbial response to snowmelt is important for understanding biogeochemical cycles intertwined with soil.

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of 0.5% and 1% alkaline, clay mineral and phosphorus amendments, as well as 2% and 5% organic amendments, on lead (Pb) soil bioavailability and Pb absorption by the low-Pb accumulator kumquat (Citrus japonica Thunb.) ‘Cuipi’ in two typical Pb-contaminated soils, Jiyuan and Yangshuo, from northern and southern China, respectively.

The quality of water resources can be altered by human activities carried out in watersheds. These changes can lead to the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and compromise public health. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence and concentration of total coliforms and Escherichia coli in the water at the Ecological Park Tietê in São Paulo, the antibiotics resistance of isolated E.

Ciguatera poisoning (CP) poses a significant threat to ecosystem services and fishery resources in coastal communities. The CP-causative ciguatoxins (CTXs) are produced by benthic dinoflagellates including Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa spp., and enter reef food webs via grazing on macroalgal substrates. In this study, we report on a 3-year monthly time series in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands where Gambierdiscus spp.

The firmness of Jonagold apples is an important quality attribute during postharvest chain. However, postharvest handlers are faced with variability in the firmness that exists within apples even of those of the same batch and cultivar.

In a return to tradition, the popularity of caprine milk is on the rise. However, particularly in countries with developed dairy industries based on bovine milk, there is the risk of adulteration with bovine milk, which is a cheaper alternative. Thus, a rapid, robust, and simple method for the detection of bovine milk added to caprine milk is necessary, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy appears to provide a solution.

A continued rise in leafy green-linked outbreaks of disease caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli or Salmonella , particularly strains exhibiting multidrug resistance

Abstract

Optimizing the utilization of applied nitrogen (N) in fruit trees requires N supply that is temporally matched to tree demand. We investigated how the timing of N application affected uptake, allocation, and remobilization within 14-year-old “Gala”/M26 apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh) over two seasons.

The U.S. is one of the largest catfish producers in the world. Louisiana is the leading producer of wild-caught catfish. Historically, the FDA inspected all seafood products; however, in 2008, congress moved the Siluriformes Order fish inspection to the USDA/FSIS. Full enforcement of the rule began on September 1, 2017.

The level of water table and temperature are two environmental variables shaping soil bacterial communities, particularly in peatland ecosystems. However, discerning the specific impact of these two factors on bacterial communities in natural ecosystems is challenging. To address this issue, we collected pore water samples across different months (August and November in 2017 and May 2018) with a gradient of water table changes and temperatures at the Dajiuhu peatland, Central China.

Foodborne pathogens are a major contributor to foodborne illness worldwide. The adaptation of a more quantitative risk-based approach, with metrics such as Food safety Objectives (FSO) and Performance Objectives (PO) necessitates quantitative inputs from all stages of the food value chain. The potential exists for utilization of big data, generated through digital transformational technologies, as inputs to a dynamic risk management concept for food safety microbiology.