Research Publications (Food Safety)

Abstract

In the present manuscript, we fabricated screen-printed electrode based biosensor and enzymatic optical biosensor for detection of carcinogenic formaldehyde. The biosensor strip using cyclic voltammetry technique exhibited high sensitivity of 352 μA mg−1 L cm−2 with detection limit of 0.03 mg/L, and sensitivity of 0.186 Abs (mg/L)−1 with detection limit of 0.02 mg/L was obtained with optical biosensor over the concentration range of 0.01–0.5 mg/L.

The present study investigated the antifungal and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) inhibitory efficacy of Jasmine essential oil-loaded in the chitosan nanoparticle (JEO-NP) with probable antifungal and anti-aflatoxin B1 mode of action against Aspergillus flavus. The prepared JEO-NP was characterized through FTIR and XRD. The maximum percent encapsulation efficiency (75.51% w/w) and loading capacity (5.65% w/w) were found at the 1:1 ratio of chitosan: JEO.

Integration of plasma and pulsed light or ultraviolet has been investigated for microbial decontamination of foods. However, no studies have reported the microbial disinfection of particulate food using a large-scale system integrating the treatments. In the present study, a large-scale plasma jet-pulsed light-ultraviolet (UV)-C (PPU) system has been developed for the microbial decontamination of particulate foods.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been explored for controlling food spoilage microorganism. ZnO NPs were prepared by wet chemical synthesis using zinc nitrate as a precursor and sodium hydroxide as reducing agent. Nanorods and hexagonal plate shape ZnO NPs were obtained for different reaction time of 2 h and 24 h, respectively.

This study applied hurdle technology to achieve effective microbial inactivation, and concurrently improve the qualities of soft persimmon juice during storage. Hurdle technology applied was based on moderate temperature, ultrasonication, and pH adjustment (using ascorbic acid) as preservative factors.

Abstract

Enzymatic browning is one of the limiting factors in extending the shelf-life of food products. Since the chemical composition can differ depending on fruit species and variety, browning prevention treatments may not always present the same efficacy. The goal of this study was to verify if differences between two fresh-cut apple varieties, Granny Smith (GS) and Red Delicious (RD), would affect the performance of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) active films for avoiding browning.

Postharvest preservation and storage have a crucial impact on the technological quality and safety of grain. The important threat to stored grain quality and nutritional safety of cereal products is mould development and their toxic metabolites, mycotoxins.

Due to the relatively high tolerance and resistance to sanitizers, biofilms can persist in the environment resulting in cross-contamination. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of nanobubbles (NB) alone and in combination with neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) on different microbial biofilms including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria innocua on plastic and stainless steel (SS) coupons.

Active films have gained increasing interest because of their potential to reduce the amount of additives into foods. The aim of this work was to produce and characterize bi-layer films based on gelatin in both layers, in which the nisin and/or “pitanga” leaf hydroethanolic extract was loaded in the second layer.

In recent years, there has been a serious need to develop and test new biodegradable packaging. Therefore, furcellaran (FUR) and whey protein isolate (WPI) films containing pu-erh (PE) or green tea (GT) extracts were prepared in this study. The effect of the extracts on the structure, rheological and mechanical properties, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of FUR/WPI films was tested. The films were applied as packaging of an acid-curd cheese (quark).

The aim of this study was to develop a refrigerator performance assessment procedure based on the temperature (2 × 106 values) of ground beef stored in its bottom drawer set to Fresh Meat (0 °C). Effects analyzed were ambient temperature (LT, 21.1 °C/HT, 32.2 °C), food load (LL, 22.5 kg/HL, 39.0 kg), door openings, and refrigerator compressor mode (SS, single speed/VS, variable speed).

The hydrolysis of bovine cheese whey (BCW) proteins was performed by the Alcalase immobilized on the support glyoxyl-corn-cob-powder (AGCCP). The whey protein hydrolysates (WPH) obtained with AGCPP were fractionated by RP-HPLC according to the hydrophilicity of the peptides (F1, hydrophilic; F2, intermediate hydrophilicity; and F3, hydrophobic). The fractions were analyzed by MALDI-TOF, and molecular weight peptides (< 1500 m/z) were identified.

Nonionic (NS), cationic (CS), and anionic (ASs and AShc) starch-based films were developed using the casting method, activated with the cationic surfactant LAE, aiming to provide an alternative to extend the shelf life of food products.

Eggs are an important, low-cost, high-protein food with a balanced nutritional composition. The sanitary quality of commercial eggs is a bottleneck that needs to be overcome through the use of technologies that guarantee the safety of the product. This work aimed to prepare, characterize, and evaluate the coating of commercial eggs by chitosan filmogenic solutions and 1st- and 5th-generation quaternary ammonium salt components (QACs).

Fresh-cut lettuce, stored in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), is a frequent component of bagged salads. However, even in MAP, fresh-cut lettuce is highly perishable due to non-microbial deterioration manifested by tissue liquefaction. The present study investigated the effects of plant physiology, lettuce processing, storage conditions, and exogenous stimuli on the deterioration of fresh-cut lettuce stored in MAP.

Different encapsulating agents from agroindustrial waste were tested to encapsulate betalains from red pitaya for use as natural pigments. Mucilage, extracted from the fruit peel, and gelatin from nutraceutical capsules were tested in combination with maltodextrin, and the microencapsulation was done by the spray drying method.

In recent years, the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been projected as an alternative to traditional antibiotics for their superior antimicrobial properties and significant inhibition of the biofilm formation. Particularly, it is found that the effectiveness of AgNPs varies greatly with the biomaterial used in their synthesis. Mushrooms are natural resources for excellent antioxidants and bioactive compounds.

Food-related diseases are a major challenge for public health and economic development, in which Staphylococcus aureus is often associated. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Moringa oleifera (MO) leaves against the biofilm and polysaccharide slime produced by two bacterial strains, S. aureus ATCC 25923 and S. aureus isolated from the dairy industry environment, on PVC surface.

Thermal treatments are often applied during processing or preparation of muscle foods aiming to both improve the palatability and organoleptic properties and to ensure the safety of the treated food. However, the application of inappropriate or severe thermal treatments can lead to undesirable changes in the sensory and nutritional quality of heat-processed products, and especially so for foods that are sensitive to thermal treatments, such as meat and meat products.

In this study, we present a novel atmospheric air plasma discharge for the generation of plasma-activated water (PAW), with the aim of reducing pesticide residues on fresh fruit. For this purpose, a large discharge volume pin-to-plate cold plasma reactor was employed.

Multiple studies have demonstrated atmospheric cold plasma as an effective non-thermal technology for inactivating bacteria, spores, and other microbial contaminants in foods and on non-food surfaces. However, few studies have applied this technique to semi-solid food within a package. This study evaluates the efficacy and the interaction mechanism of high voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S.

This study aimed to improve the physicochemical performance of fish gelatin–based films. In this regard, the reinforced gelatin-based films were developed by covalent interaction with oxidized guar gum (OGG) containing green tea extract as an active food packaging system. The reinforced films were prepared by covalent crosslinking between the amino groups of gelatin and the aldehyde groups of OGG using the casting method.

The aim of this work was to study the impact of ionizing radiation (gamma radiation and electron beam, 1–3 kGy) on the antioxidants of the strawberry, through evaluation of the total phenolic and L-ascorbic acid contents, antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity (293 T and A549 cell lines) after storage at 4 °C for 15 days. Results showed that both gamma and electron beam radiation could preserve the phenolic content of strawberries during the storage.