Research Publications (Food Safety)

The aim of this study was to monitor the aflatoxin M1 contamination in raw milk and drinking milk in Hungary over a one-year period. A total of 474 milk samples of raw milk (n=278) commercial milk (n=196) were collected and analysed between September 2021 and November 2022. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) determined the concentration of AFM1.

Like many other small crops across the world, Goji berries are sprayed with a variety of unlicensed insecticides in China to protect them from insect pests. If the global pesticide business is unwilling to engage in pesticide registration for minor crops, this incorrect practice presents consumer health and safety concerns relating to pesticide residues.

Edible oil-based switchable-hydrophilicity solvent liquid–liquid microextraction (EO-SHS-LLME) was used prior to the determination of lead as its metal chelate with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) by flame-atomic absorption spectrometry.

Toxic pesticide residues in edible vegetables cause major health risks for consumers, hence quantifying them is essential. However, simultaneous and trace level determination of xenobiotic residues of various classes in complex food matrices is still a challenging analytical task.

In this study, an efficient and simple analytical approach for the preconcentration and extraction of cadmium from sunflower oil, olive oil and hazelnut oil samples using environmentally friendly, easy and efficient vortex assisted reverse phase spray-based fine droplet formation liquid phase microextraction (VA-RP-SFDF-LPME) prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) measurement was proposed.

The excessive and unreasonable use of fungicides can inevitably lead to increased residues in food and ultimately cause harm to human health. To detect the residues of 8 fungicides in agro-products from 2018-2021 in Hebei province China, the method with modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) by Ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed.

A method was first developed based on MIL-101(Cr) dispersive solid-phase extraction for determining fumonisins in edible vegetable oil. Fumonisins contain hydroxyl and carboxyl groups and were easily adsorbed by MIL-101(Cr) with intermolecular force.

A national survey of sixteen commonly used antibiotics in chicken meat was conducted for three consecutive years (2016–2018). A total of 4591 chicken meat samples were collected from 24 provinces in China and measured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results revealed that all of the antibiotics studied were detected with an overall detection frequency of 20.47% and an exceeding standard rate of 2.94%.

In China, the status and risks of pesticide residues in edible mint is essentially unknown. In this study, we evaluated the residual status and associated risks of 208 pesticides in edible mints. Among the 16 pesticide residues detected, there were eight fungicides, six insecticides, and two herbicides, with difenoconazole exhibiting the highest detection rate of 25.55%. A proportion of 53.28% of the mint samples were detected with at least one pesticide residue.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a low-weight molecule toxin which can cause great damage to human health. A multicolor immunosensor for determination of ZEN was developed based on etching gold nanobipyramids (Au NBPs) mediated by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In this new immunosensor, the anti-ZEN monoclonal antibody (McAb) induced the formation of ternary immunocomplex BSA-ZEN@McAb@HRP-IgG. Then, TMB was converted to TMB+ under the catalysis of HRP.

High concentrations of total arsenic (As) has been found in Agaricus blazei Murrill and Tricholoma matsutake samples. It is important to study the As species in A. blazei and T. matsutake for accurate health risk assessment. Total As was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Food pollution caused by Patulin (PAT) seriously threatens the safety of human diets and has attracted extensive attention. Early and accurate detections of PAT are essential to prevent further toxin spreading and contamination. A surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor was fabricated by combining a gold-silver core-shell structure containing signal molecule (ADANRs) and chitosan modified magnetic nanoparticles (CS-Fe3O4).

Corn is the second most plentiful cereal grown for human consumption. Corn has several pests and diseases and various kind of pesticides are used for controlling these, and reducing their damage.

The main purpose of this study was to determine pesticide contamination levels in commonly consumed vegetable and fruit samples collected from three different regions of Gujarat state, India.

Although gas chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) has been applied to the determination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) in various food samples, there is insufficient evidence to evaluate its equivalence with gas chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS).

Flour samples spiked with ochratoxin A (OTA) (3,10 and 20 μg kg–1), zearalenone (ZEA) (75, 100, and 200 μg kg–1), and deoxynivalenol (DON) (500, 750, and 1000 μg kg–1), and combined mycotoxins (OTA, ZEA and DON at 20,

Metals and pesticides pose risk to human health if accumulated in date fruits eaten for their distinctive sweetness and beneficial minerals. The present study evaluated the concentrations of metals and pesticides in Mazafati date fruit, soil, and irrigation water from three locations of Kerman province in Iran to show potential pollution hazards to consumers of date fruit in Iran.

A total of 57 pesticide residues were analyzed in 155 litchis and 153 longan samples collected from the three main producing provinces of China.

Transfer rate and processing factor (PF) for thirteen most commonly recommended fungicides in grape is assessed during wine making. Validated a rapid and cost effective multi-residue method for thirteen fungicide residues in grapes, pomace and wine. The average recoveries varied 81.52–109.26%. Comparatively higher matrix effect was observed in pomace.

The potential ingestion of food products contaminated with ochratoxin A (OTA) is cause of concern for public health. Currently, several detection methods are available to detect OTA in singles spices but not in spice mixtures such as merkén. The present study modified, optimized, and validated a method for successful OTA quantification in merkén, paprika, and chili.

This study evaluated toxic metal concentration in raw milk and related potential health risks. 100 raw milk samples and 30 water samples consumed by cows were gathered from 10 dairy farms in Behbahan county, and Pb and Cd were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). In raw milk samples, mean Pb and Cd levels were 0.55±0.09 and 0.0031±0.0004 mg/l, respectively.

A QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, Safe) method, for reliable semi-quantitative screening of 27 organic contaminants including phthalates (PAEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in edible oil, was developed.

To assess the health risks from antibiotic residues in freshwater fish, this study analyzed residues of 65 antibiotics in 10 freshwater fish species sampled in southeast China. Eight antibiotics were detected by UPLC-MS/MS at an overall detection rate of 53.9%, with 3.48% of samples exceeding MRLs and 13.0% suggesting the misuse of human antibiotics. Quinolones, particularly enrofloxacin, were the most frequently detected residues.

The detection of ochratoxin A (OTA), a harmful toxic contaminant of foods causing serious health problems, is of great importance. Common analytical methods for this purpose are expensive, time- and labor-consuming.

Preparing matrix-matched calibration curves for each matrix type makes multiresidue methods for pesticides determination in foods a labor-intensive endeavor.