Research Publications (Food Safety)

Author(s): Amaia Ereño Artabe, Hugo Cunha-Silva, Alejandro Barranco

Alternaria molds produce a variety of chemically diverse secondary metabolites with potentially adverse effects on human health. However, data on occurrence in food and human exposure is inconsistent for some of these mycotoxins. Membrane filtration is a frequent step in many sample preparation procedures for LC-MS-based methods analyzing food contaminants. Yet, little is known about the possibility of adsorptive phenomena that might result in analyte losses.

Spectroscopic techniques, electrochemical methods, nanozymes, computer vision, and modified chromatographic techniques are the emerging techniques for determining the quality and safety parameters (e.g., physical, chemical, microbiological, and classified parameters, as well as inorganic and organic contaminants) of tea products (such as fresh tea leaves, commercial tea, tea beverage, tea powder, and tea bakery products) effectively.

Author(s): Yang Wu, Chung-Yu Guan, Nicholas Griswold, Li-yuan Hou, Xin Fang, Anyi Hu, Zhi-qiang Hu, Chang-Ping Yu

Degradation-resistant chemical contaminants of health concern such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment are redistributed between different environmental compartments, where they partition between biotic heterotrophic routes and abiotic features (water and immobile soil components).

Author(s): D. Karlstetter, A. Mally

Furan is a liver toxicant and carcinogen that occurs in heat-processed foods. Due to its volatility, analysis of furan in food does not provide reliable estimates of exposure. Biomarker-based approaches offer the opportunity to more accurately assess human exposure, but a correlation between concentrations of potential biomarkers of furan exposure and external dose has not been established.

A gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry method was developed to determine the chemical composition of alcoholic beverages. Extraction was performed with 280 μl of butyl acetate added to 1.7 ml of the sample and placed into 2 ml gas chromatograph auto‐injector vial. One microliter from the upper organic layer was analyzed. Natural constituents (i.e., phenylethyl alcohol, 4‐hydroxybenzoate) found in beers and wines were profiled.

Author(s): Monica Gallo, Lydia Ferrara, Armando Calogero, Domenico Montesano, Daniele Naviglio

Author(s): Junhong Xin, Xia Wang, Na Li, Lu Liu, Yujing Lian, Minglin Wang, Ru-Song Zhao

In this work, a new mega-method of sample preparation called “QuEChERSER” (more than QuEChERS) is being presented for the first time. Fast, efficient, and cost-effective analysis of chemical contaminants in meat is useful for international trade, domestic monitoring, risk assessment, and other purposes.

Infant formulas are manufactured products to meet specific nutritional requirements for infants. However, infant formulas can contain harmful substances, such as chemical contaminants and residues, normally due to possible contamination of the raw material or from the production chain. Some studies have demonstrated that veterinary drugs, pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, packaging materials, within other chemicals are found in infant formulas from different sources of contamination.

Author(s): Jéssica Andrade Vilas–Boas, Simone Jaqueline Cardoso, Marcus Vinicius Xavier Senra, Andreu Rico, Roberto Júnio Pedroso Dias

This preliminary study describes the use of high resolution and accuracy mass spectrometry techniques combined with new generation chemical software products for detecting and identifying contaminants in food commodities. As a first step, the extracts of routine target analysis samples (obtained in our official laboratory responsible for food residues control) were acquired and processed with this method in order to search unknown and non-targeted contaminants in food.

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) treatment is an emerging food technology for product safety and quality retention, shelf-life extension, and sustainable processing. The activated chemical species of ACP can act rapidly against microorganisms without leaving chemical residues on food surfaces.

Author(s): A. Cimbalo, M. Alonso-Garrido, G. Font, L. Manyes

Author(s): S.M. Roknul Azam, Haile Ma, Baoguo Xu, Shoma Devi, Md Abu Bakar Siddique, Sarah L. Stanley, Bhesh Bhandari, Junsong Zhu

Abstract

Background

Pesticide residues (PR) present in food are potentially toxic components to humans and can be the cause of severe health problems, depending on the means and amounts of individual exposure. Among the different routes of pesticide exposure, the most likely exposure is through the direct consumption of fresh foods.

Disposal of industrial effluents (especially the textile industry) into the drains without prior treatment is a common practice that affects aquatic life and pollutes the soil and groundwater quality. Textile effluents contain organic and inorganic pollutants in terms of high pH, suspended and dissolved solids, chemical oxygen demand, heavy metals, and many other contaminants. Therefore, it is obligatory to dispose off wastewater according to environmental standards.

Author(s): Manon Pruvost-Couvreur, Bruno Le Bizec, Camille Béchaux, Gilles Rivière

Abstract

Usually health risk related to food contaminants is assessed based on consumption data collected on a few days. Consequently, this approach considers neither the evolution of exposures over time nor the potential accumulation of the substance.

The aim of the present study was to develop a method to assess lifetime dietary risk due to cadmium exposure.

Author(s): Arielle Farida Ariste, Ramón Alberto Batista-García, Vinoth Kumar Vaidyanathan, Nikila Raman, Vasanth Kumar Vaithyanathan, Jorge Luis Folch-Mallol, Stephen A. Jackson, Alan D.W. Dobson, Hubert Cabana

Author(s): Lijian Zhao, Chengyuan Su, Weihong Liu, Ronghua Qin, Linqin Tang, Xue Deng, Shumin Wu, Menglin Chen

Author(s): S.A. Viczek, A. Aldrian, R. Pomberger, R. Sarc

Author(s): Ana Domingues, Inês Correia Rosa, João Pinto da Costa, Teresa AP. Rocha-Santos, Fernando JM. Gonçalves, Ruth Pereira, Joana Luísa Pereira

In food analysis, a trend towards on-site testing of quality and safety parameters is emerging. So far, on-site testing has been mainly explored by miniaturized optical spectroscopy and ligand-binding assay approaches such as lateral flow immunoassays and biosensors. However, for the analysis of multiple parameters at regulatory levels, mass spectrometry (MS) is the method of choice in food testing laboratories.

Author(s): Xi Chen, Danhong Wang, Jie Li, Taotao Xu, Keqiang Lai, Qi Ding, Hetong Lin, Lin Sun, Mengshi Lin

Food safety is a very complex issue. The food that reaches the plate from the farm is exposed to many hazards in processing methods and each of those steps is likely to contribute, indirectly or directly, to contaminants and pathogens that ultimately make the food unsafe. Consumers would always wish for 100% product safety; even regulators want to ensure 100% safety of the product and protect consumers.