Research Publications (Food Safety)

BACKGROUND The consumption of pesticides‐contaminated sour cherry as fruit or juice has become a major health concern, and thus, intensified the search for alternative processing technologies such as pulsed electric fields (PEF), ozone (O), and ultrasonication (US).

BACKGROUND Heavy metal resistant bacterium Enterobacter sp. C1D was evaluated for cadmium (Cd) mediated exopolysaccharide production, biofilm formation and legume root colonization ability under Cd stress to alleviate metal induced stress. RESULTS The plant was sensitive to Cd (IC50 3‐ 4μg/ml), while the bacterium showed high Cd tolerance (MIC99 120 μg/ml).

BACKGROUND Baixi sufu (BS) is a traditional Chinese spicy fermented bean curd manufactured with a natural starter. In this study, the bacterial and fungal communities during BS fermentation were determined by culture and the culture‐independent method of high‐throughput sequencing (HTS), and correlation analyses were performed to select the potential fermentation‐contributing microorganisms.

BACKGROUND The research focused on the evaluation of the impact of cover cropping on trace metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Co and Cd) and nutrients in vineyard soils and Vitis vinifera L. For this purpose, two types of cover crops (Lolium perenne L. and Medicago sativa L.) and their mixture were planted between vine rows of Muscat white in the vineyard in South Crimea.

BACKGROUND Ensuring the yield, quality, and profitability of okra by preventing and controlling pests with the application of insecticides has increased in the last decade. Some insecticide residues might remain in edible parts of okra (fruits) and lead to several potential human health problems.

Background Soybean is widely used in food formulations; however, few studies on fungal or mycotoxin contamination have been undertaken. In this regard, the free, conjugated and bound phenolic compounds, as well as their antioxidant and antifungal potential, besides the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in soybeans were evaluated.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The low cost of aminoglycoside (AMG) antibiotics facilitates their excessive use in animal husbandry and agriculture sector. This scenario has led to the occurrence of residues in the food chain. After several years of AMGs use in antibacterial therapy, resistance to streptomycin has begun to appear. The method lacks AMG specificity previously reported against a single antibiotic and described as selective.

ABSTRACT In this paper the relationship between lipophilic grape seed proanthocyanidin (LGSP) and acrylamide formation in potato‐based products was investigated. The acrylamide, reducing sugar, asparagine, and 3‐aminopropionamide contents were determined by high performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS). Sensory evaluation was used to evaluate the quality of the products.

BACKGROUND Phthalates have been widely used as plasticizers in various industries and are widely focused on in the international community due to their reproductive toxicity. Recently, the exposure of Chinese residents to phthalates via edible vegetable oil often occurs.

Background Magnetic three‐dimensional graphene‐based nanoadsorbents (3DG‐Fe3O4) have unique characteristics such as large surface area, good thermal and chemical stability, and high adsorption capacity that make them efficient materials in sorbent‐based extraction techniques. In this study, four aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) were analyzed in bread samples using magnetic three‐dimensional graphene as the adsorbent phase in dispersive micro‐solid phase extraction.

Dairy farming feed can be contaminated with mycotoxins affecting animals’ health and milk quality. Additionally, dairy farming is an environment prone to occupational exposure to mycotoxins and feed is recognized as a contamination source of the workplace environment. An exploratory study was developed in a dairy farm located in Portugal intending to assess the mycotoxins present in the feed.

ABSTRACT Background Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the most important cereals worldwide, and its quality is affected by fungal contamination such as species of the genus Alternaria. No information is available about the occurrence of Alternaria mycotoxins in Argentinean barley grains, which is of concern, because they can be transferred into malt and beer.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Wheat is the most important winter crop in the world being affected by the presence of fungal mainly those belonging to the Fusarium genus. Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is a serious disease that causes important economic damages and quantitative/qualitative losses, being F. graminearum and F. poae two of the most isolated species worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction between F. graminearum and F.

BACKGROUND The application of chemical fungicides is currently the main method to control postharvest decay of fruits and vegetables. However, public concern has been growing towards the effect of fungicides on food safety, human health, and environmental pollution. Thus, interest in microbial biocontrol agent development has grown, which is considered both safe and environmentally friendly.

BACKGROUND The presence of acrylamide in food has attracted wide attention and has raised concerns due to its potential toxic and carcinogenic effects. The phenolic compounds in buckwheat display strong antioxidant activity, which may affect the acrylamide levels. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of buckwheat extracts on acrylamide formation and the quality of the bread, and to investigate possible inhibitory mechanisms.

Background Despite the growing importance of probiotics vivid health benefits, an impediment to the use of new probiotic cultures is their safety. Hence, there is a need to strictly examine the biosafety as well as health benefits of probiotics in vivo model system. Results In this study, two lactic acid bacterial (LAB) cultures Lactobacillus fermentum NCMR 2826 and FIX proven for their in vitro probiotic properties were investigated for their in vivo safety in Wistar rats.

BACKGROUND Nitroxynil (NIT) is a veterinary drug against hepatic fluke disease for food‐producing cattle and sheep. NIT has a long half‐time in animals since it is highly bound to plasma protein. Therefore, NIT possibly remains in animal edible tissues or milk due to drug abuse. Herein, a specific murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) against NIT was prepared. An immunochromatographic strip assay which was based on the mAb was developed for screening NIT in milk.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Seafood processing generates significant amounts of solid and liquid waste in the environment. These represent a potential source of high‐value biomolecules for food, pharmaceutic and cosmetic applications. There are very few studies on the valorization of wastewaters compared to solid by‐products. However, cooking waters are characterized by a high organic polluting load, which could contain valuable molecules such as proteins, pigments and flavor compounds.

BACKGROUND Several diseases and insects may cause potential damage to the normal growth of cucumber. Azoxystrobin and meptyldinocap are effective against pathogens which have developed reduced sensitivity to other fungicides because of their novel mode of action. Azoxystrobin is persistent in various crops and environment. However, there is a lack of research on dissipation of these two pesticides, especially meptyldinocap.

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.

Background Recycled oil has emerged as a big food safety issue and poses a major threat towards the public health. To date, very limited studies have been conducted to detect the adulteration of used and recycled palm olein in refined, bleached, and deodorized palm olein (RBDPO). In this study, oil samples that underwent controlled heating and deep‐frying studies were refined using the common oil refining procedure to simulate the production of recycled oil.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND T‐2 toxin (T‐2) is a potent mycotoxin and a common contaminant of aquatic animal feed, posing a serious risk to the health and aquatic animals. We investigated the effect of T‐2 on shrimp muscle proteins using proteomics and conventional biochemical methods. Shrimp were fed a diet containing T‐2 at 0 ‐ 12.2 mg kg‐1 for 20 days, and changes to the muscle protein composition, ATPase activities, and the sulfhydryl content and hydrophobicity of actomyosin were determined.

BACKGROUND Common oil‐in‐water plant‐based emulsions are allergenic and unstable to environmental stress, leading to increased consumer concerns about the food industry. To solve the problem of safety and instability, we investigated the influence of environmental stress on the stability of emulsions containing various rice protein hydrolysates, and compared the performance to whey protein, a common food emulsifier.

BACKGROUND The possible agricultural use of grape pomace could be limited by the content and mobility of metals. This is influenced by many factors. In this study, the abundance and availability of heavy metals and essential nutrients were evaluated comprehensively in different grape pomace residues from winemaking of five white and red grape varieties, before and after the distillation process.

BACKGROUND Tomato fruit is susceptible to Alternaria spp. spoilage. Correct postharvest management is necessary to prevent mold growth and mycotoxin accumulation, temperature being one of the main factors associated with these problems. The effect of different postharvest temperatures (5, 12, 25, and 35 °C) on growth, mycotoxin production, and stress‐related gene expression by two Alternaria spp. was assessed.