Acid Food Research Articles

Effect of food simulants on stability of copper oxide in bionanocomposite food packaging film

AbstractAddition of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) to poly (butylene‐adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT)/thermoplastic starch (TPS) biopolymer blend produced bionanocomposite films with improved mechanical and oxygen barrier properties, as well as enhanced other benefits including antimicrobial activity. In this study, the PBAT/TPS‐CuO bionanocomposite films with varying CuONPs contents (0.05%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) were challenged by food simulants (10% ethanol represented to aqueous food and 3% acetic acid represented to acidic food) in accordance with European Regulation 10/2011. CuONPs in the bionanocomposite films demonstrated good stability when exposed to 10% ethanol; however, it was dissolved in 3% acetic acid. The X‐ray diffraction and the energy dispersive spectroscopy results showed that CuONPs in the film were completely lost after acid exposure, whereas CuONPs in the films exposed to 10% EtOH were preserved. The maximum overall migration value was 5.0 mg/dm2. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of Cu in the simulants. The highest soluble Cu value of 12.39 mg/kg was detected from PBAT/TPS‐CuO2%, while migration value decreased as concentration ratio in film decreased. Although both values were within the threshold limits established by current legislation for non‐specific migration limit substances in food contact materials, the properties of bionanocomposite were altered. The mechanical properties of a post‐migrated PBAT‐TPS/CuO films taken from acidic conditions were reduced by 22% in tensile strength and 53% in elongation at break due to holes and microcracks on the film surface observed by scanning electron microscope. The average sealing strength of all bionanocomposite films decreased by about 25% after acid exposure. The oxygen permeability, on the other hand, was significantly improved, with a 16.3% reduction. Because the film had lost all of its active agent, film was unable to inhibit Escherichia coli growth. While 3% acetic acid caused dissolution of CuONPs and significant changes in properties of PBAT/TPS‐CuO film, 10% ethanol caused very minor to no changes in bionanocomposite film properties.

Posterior restorations with composite resin in patients with corrosive wear – a clinical case

For patients with loss of vertical dimension of occlusion caused by parafunctional habits associated with acidic food intake, care must be taken when choosing the restorative material. The composite resin besides being a low-cost material, is a material that has better indication for treatment not only for optimum comfort, but for increased longevity under study, providing better cost-benefit from the materials of choice. However, one should know well about conditioning, adhesion and composite resin, including finishing and polishing. The main objective of this research was to report a clinical case of a patient with loss of vertical dimension of occlusion caused by parafunctional habits. During the clinical case described in the article, we can analyze research that proves that the composite resin for posterior cases is better, especially when there are multiple cases of wear and parafunction, and we can also analyze the technique used and the predictability in the treatment, causing more comfort for the patient and the Surgeon Dentist.

Characterization and sustained release study of starch-based films loaded with carvacrol: A promising UV-shielding and bioactive nanocomposite film

Present study was aimed to develop sustainable active films with starch/carvacrol for potential food packaging. The physicochemical, antioxidant, antibacterial and release kinetics were analyzed. The results demonstrated that carvacrol nanoemulsion (CNE) was uniformly dispersed in the film matrix and interacted with hydrogen bonds. The addition of carvacrol improved the thermal stability, UV shielding, water solubility and water vapor permeability of the films, but reduced their mechanical properties. Films prepared with CNE (≥10%) exhibited high antioxidant activity (>60%), and inhibition zones of the best antimicrobial activities achieved 28.6 ± 1.4 and 57.2 ± 3.7 (mm) against E. coli and S. aureus. The release kinetics of carvacrol from the nanocomposite films exhibited a higher carvacrol release in the acidic simulant than in the aqueous simulant at equilibrium. The dominant mechanism of carvacrol release was Fickian diffusion and showed minimal erosion. Overall, the sustainable composite films exhibited desirable physical properties and bioactivity, and could be used as edible materials for food preservation, especially for extending the shelf life of acidic foods.

Spray coating of edible insect waxes for liquid food packaging

In this study, insect waxes (Beeswax and Shellac wax) were spray-coated onto paper, cups, and bowls to achieve surface hydrophobicity for packaging applications. The thin coatings of wax mixtures with different ratios of waxes were employed at various annealing temperatures and studied in detail for the thermal, chemical, surface, and barrier properties of 20 coated papers. SEM confirmed the presence of multi-structured wax particles on the surface of coated papers only when annealed up to 80 °C (at 100 °C complete melting of wax particles occurred), where increasing Shellac wax in the wax mixtures resulted in large aggregates of wax particles on the paper. FTIR confirmed Beeswax with shorter fatty acid chains, comparing Shellac wax with longer fatty acid chains. Additionally, DSC confirmed a lower melting point for Beeswax, comparing Shellac wax with the higher melting point. The robustness of waxes after annealing was evident from the tape and crinkle tests. The spray-coated paper with insect wax mixture showed good repellency towards different food simulants, such as water, acetic acid, ethanol, octane, and several food products, as measured using contact angles. Lowered water absorption was noted for coated pulp-based bowls. The coating also showed self-cleaning or anti-fouling properties.

Elevated Maternal Folate Status and Changes in Maternal Prolactin, Placental Lactogen and Placental Growth Hormone Following Folic Acid Food Fortification: Evidence from Two Prospective Pregnancy Cohorts.

Folic acid (FA) food fortification in Australia has resulted in a higher-than-expected intake of FA during pregnancy. High FA intake is associated with increased insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. We aimed to establish whether maternal one-carbon metabolism and hormones that regulate glucose homeostasis change in healthy pregnancies post-FA food fortification. Circulating folate, B12, homocysteine, prolactin (PRL), human placental lactogen (hPL) and placental growth hormone (GH2) were measured in early pregnancy maternal blood in women with uncomplicated pregnancies prior to (SCOPE: N = 604) and post (STOP: N = 711)-FA food fortification. FA food fortification resulted in 63% higher maternal folate. STOP women had lower hPL (33%) and GH2 (43%) after 10 weeks of gestation, but they had higher PRL (29%) and hPL (28%) after 16 weeks. FA supplementation during pregnancy increased maternal folate and reduced homocysteine but only in the SCOPE group, and it was associated with 54% higher PRL in SCOPE but 28% lower PRL in STOP. FA food fortification increased maternal folate status, but supplements no longer had an effect, thereby calling into question their utility. An altered secretion of hormones that regulate glucose homeostasis in pregnancy could place women post-fortification at an increased risk of insulin resistance and gestational diabetes, particularly for older women and those with obesity.

Application of Encapsulated and Dry-plated Food Acidulants to Control Salmonella enterica in Raw Meat-based Diets for Dogs

There is an increasing demand for raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) for dogs, but these foods cannot be heat-pasteurized. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of encapsulated and dry-plated glucono delta lactone (GDL), citric acid (CA), and lactic acid (LA) when challenged against Salmonella enterica inoculated in a model raw meat-based diet (RMBDs) for dogs. Nutritionally complete, raw diets were formulated with different levels (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0% (w/w)) of both encapsulated and dry-plated GDL, CA, and LA with both the positive (PC) and the negative controls (NC) without acidulants. The diets were formed into patties of ∼100 g and inoculated with 3-cocktail mixtures of Salmonella enterica serovars, excluding the NC to achieve a final concentration of ∼6.0 Log CFU/patty. Microbial analyses were performed on the inoculated diets and survivors of S. enterica enumerated. Both encapsulated and dry-plated CA and LA had higher log reductions compared to GDL (P < 0.05). However, encapsulated CA and LA at 1.0% (w/w) exhibited higher log reductions (P > 0.05) and preserved product quality compared to the dry-plated acidulants at 1.0%. We concluded that 1.0% (w/w) of encapsulated citric or lactic acids could be successfully applied as an antimicrobial intervention in raw diets for dogs.

A Comparison of the Antibacterial Efficacy of Carbohydrate Lipid-like (Thio)Ether, Sulfone, and Ester Derivatives against Paenibacillus larvae.

Paenibacillus larvae is the causative agent of American foulbrood (AFB), the most serious bacterial disease affecting developing honeybee larvae and pupas. In this study, a library of 24 (thio)glycosides, glycosyl sulfones, 6-O-esters, and ethers derived from d-mannose, d-glucose, and d-galactose having C10 or C12 alkyl chain were evaluated for their antibacterial efficacy against two P. larvae strains. The efficacy of the tested compounds determined as minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) varied greatly. Generally, dodecyl derivatives were found to be more potent than their decylated analogs. Thioglycosides were more efficient than glycosides and sulfones. The activity of the 6-O-ether derivatives was higher than that of their ester counterparts. Seven derivatives with dodecyl chain linked (thio)glycosidically or etherically at C-6 showed high efficacy against both P. larvae strains (MICs ranged from 12.5 μM to 50 μM). Their efficacies were similar or much higher than those of selected reference compounds known to be active against P. larvae-lauric acid, monolaurin, and honeybee larval food components, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, and sebacic acid (MICs ranged from 25 μM to 6400 μM). The high efficacies of these seven derivatives suggest that they could increase the anti-P. larvae activity of larval food and improve the resistance of larvae to AFB disease through their application to honeybee colonies.

Black Tea Extracts/Polyvinyl Alcohol Active Nanofibers Electrospun Mats with Sustained Release of Polyphenols for Food Packaging Applications

The efficiency in the capabilities to store and release antioxidants depends on the film morphology and its manufacturing process, as well as on the type and methodology used to obtain the polyphenol extracts. Here, hydroalcoholic extracts of black tea polyphenols (BT) were obtained and dropped onto different polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solutions (water or BT aqueous extract with and without citric acid, CA) to obtain three unusual PVA electrospun mats containing polyphenol nanoparticles within their nanofibers. It was shown that the mat obtained through the nanoparticles precipitated in BT aqueous extract PVA solution presented the highest total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity, and that the addition of CA as an esterifier or PVA crosslinker interfered with the polyphenols. The release kinetics in different food simulants (hydrophilic, lipophilic and acidic) were fitted using Fick's diffusion law and Peppas' and Weibull's models, showing that polymer chain relaxation is the main mechanism in all food simulants except for the acidic, which presented an abrupt release by Fick's diffusion mechanism of about 60% before being controlled. This research provides a strategy for the development of promising controlled-release materials for active food packaging, mainly for hydrophilic and acidic food products.

Degradation behavior of multilayer packaging films in the presence of a highly acidic sauce

Highly acidic condiments such as hot sauce can deteriorate multilayer packaging films. To date, only a multilayer polymeric film (polyethylene terephthalate/ink/polyethylene/foil/polyethylene/SiO x coated polyethylene terephthalate/adhesives/Barex®) utilizing a proprietary resin, Barex® as one of its polymeric layers can preserve hot sauce for military rations. However, the production of Barex® stopped in 2016. To identify substitutes for Barex®, an immersion study of films in hot sauce was conducted with several commercially available multilayer films (Polyethylene terephthalate/ink/adhesive/polyamide/adhesive/polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate/waste low-density polyethylene/aluminum foil/adhesive/polyester/low-density polyethylene) and a monolayer Barex® (acrylonitrile methyl acrylate copolymer) film. All films were immersed in hot sauce, acetic acid, and sodium chloride solutions at 50 °C for 12 weeks. The mass, thickness, morphology, and chemical compositions of each film were analyzed every three weeks. Hot sauce and acetic acid solution similarly deteriorated multilayer films, causing delamination and oxidative degradation, but not sodium chloride solutions. This indicates that the failure of the multilayer packaging of hot sauce was likely caused by the low pH environment, not heat or salt ions. The two primary innovations in this study are: 1) the finding that acidic components in hot sauce deteriorate multilayer packaging by transforming aluminum foil into a soluble salt and by oxidizing polyethylene, and 2) surface erosion plays a significant role in inducing polyethylene oxidation. This is the first study to describe how a highly acidic food deteriorates multilayer packaging used for military rations. Possible deterioration mechanism of the multilayered structure (Film 2) in presence of a highly acidic hot sauce. • Acetic acid in hot sauce reacts with aluminum foil used in multilayer films. • Acids in hot sauce oxidatively degrade polyethylene (PE) layers in multilayer films. • PE in multilayer films oxidizes more in hot sauce than in acetic acid solutions. • PE in multilayer films surface erodes when immersed in hot sauce and acetic acid. • Potential multilayer film is identified for replacing Barex® for military rations.

PHBV-based polymers as food packaging: Physical-chemical and structural stability under reuse conditions

Until recently, reuse models for food packaging plastics were generally considered burdensome. Today, reuse is placed second in the waste management hierarchy of the plastics circular economy. This work addresses, for the first time, the reuse of biobased and biodegradable materials such as PHBV and PHBV-quercetin. The safety and structural integrity of the materials were evaluated in two scenarios: (i) within a full reuse cycle including: food contact/detergentwashing/food contact; and (ii) successive washing operations in water, detergent and NaOH aqueous solutions. PHBV material that underwent the full reuse cycle using aqueous (10% ethanol) and acidic (3% acetic acid) food simulants showed an overall migration close to zero with a maintenance of its physical-chemical properties. It was also able to withstand up to 20 cycles of washing in water and detergent with slight changes in its intrinsic properties. Its washing with a 1 wt% aqueous NaOH solution, for one cycle, led to the removal of its external surface without altering its physical-chemical properties. The use of quercetin as additive had no consequence in the first scenario (the full reuse cycle). Even the migration of a part of it (2 wt% from the initial amount in the polymer) in the first contact with the food was far below the admissible daily intake. However, the release of quercetin during detergent washing steps and the production of acidic oxidation products during NaOH washing contributed to accelerate material degradation, questioning the use of such additives for PHAs.

Chitosan Gel Prepared with Citric Acid as the Food Acidulant: Effect of the Chitosan Concentration and Gel pH on Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Fish Protein Emulsion Sausages.

Citric acid is a popular food acidulant with versatile utility as a preservative and acidity regulator in the meat industry, owing to its unique three pK a values, which can be combined with the natural biopolymer chitosan to improve food quality. The scientific incorporation of a minimal range of chitosan and pH through organic acid additions for chitosan solubilization in the fish sausages can effectively improve their quality through their synergistic effect. Optimum conditions for emulsion stability, gel strength, and water holding capacity were found to be at a low concentration of chitosan, that is, 0.15 g at pH of 5.0, with their corresponding values of 42.55 ± 0.43 N mm, 94.91 ± 0.24, and 90.67 ± 0.50%. Lower pH ranges increased hardness and springiness values, and higher pH levels increased cohesiveness values at varying ranges of chitosan. Sensory analysis revealed tangy and sour flavors in the samples with lower pH.

Integrated surveillance strategy to support the prevention of neural tube defects through food fortification with folic acid: the experience of Costa Rica.

(1) To describe how Costa Rica implemented an integrated surveillance strategy of folate deficiency, neural tube defects (NTDs) prevalence, NTDs-associated infant mortality rate (NTDs-IMR), and folic acid food fortification (FAFF), to support with evidence NTDs prevention policies; (2) to disseminate updated data from monitoring programs. We performed a cross-sectional analysis, using the databases of national surveillance systems for NTDs outcomes to compare NTDs-prevalence and NTDs-IMR observed in the pre-fortification (1987-1998) and post-fortification (2010-2020) periods. In addition, using data from FAFF monitoring program (2010-2020), means of folic acid concentration (mg/kg) and folic acid daily intake (μg/day) were calculated for each fortified food (corn and wheat flour, rice and milk), as well as its contribution to folic acid estimated average requirement (EAR). After FAFF Costa Rica showed a decrease of 84% in folic acid deficiency in women of childbearing age, as well as a 53% decrease in the prevalence of NTDs, falling from 11.82/10,000 to 5.52/10,000 livebirths. In addition, there was a 76% reduction in the NTDs-IMR from 77.01/100,000 to 18.66/100,000 livebirths. Between 2010 and 2020, all fortified foods provided an average contribution of 119% of the EAR of folic acid in the population. To reduce NTD risk, an integrated surveillance strategy is essential not only to base prevention strategies on evidence, but also to demonstrate their impact and improve interventions over time. The experience in Costa Rica provides evidence that this type of surveillance is feasible to be implemented in developing countries.

High-Gravity Fermentation for Bioethanol Production from Industrial Spent Black Cherry Brine Supplemented with Whey

By-products from different industries could represent an available source of carbon and nitrogen which could be used for bioethanol production using conventional Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. Spent cherry brine and whey are acid food by-products which have a high organic matter content and toxic compounds, and their discharges represent significant environmental and economic challenges. In this study, different combinations of urea, yeast concentrations, and whey as a nutrient source were tested for bioethanol production scale-up using 96-well microplates as well as 7.5 L to 100 L bioreactors. For bioethanol production in vials, the addition of urea allowed increasing the bioethanol yield by about 10%. Bioethanol production in the 7.5 L and 100 L bioreactors was 73.2 g·L−1 and 103.5 g·L−1 with a sugar consumption of 81.5% and 94.8%, respectively, using spent cherry brine diluted into whey (200 g·L−1 of total sugars) supplemented with 0.5 g·L−1 urea and 0.5 g·L−1 yeast at 30 °C and a pH of 5.0 after 96 h of fermentation for both systems. The results allow these by-products to be considered low-economic-value alternatives for fuel- or food-grade bioethanol production.

The Effect of Isotonic Drinks on The Solubility of Calcium and Phosphate in Tooth Enamel

Introduction: Tooth enamel is a tissue that undergoes a high mineralization process but is susceptible to acidic foods and drinks. Calcium and phosphate are the main components of tooth enamel. Isotonic drinks are soft drinks that people like because they can replace body fluids when dehydrated, but these drinks are high in acid content, which accelerates tooth enamel decay. Material and methods. Laboratory experimental study (in vitro), a sample of 16 maxillary first premolars were divided into two groups. All teeth are separated by crowns and roots. In group one, the isotonic solution measured calcium levels with a wavelength of 420 nm, and in the second group of isotonic solutions, the phosphate level was measured at a wavelength of 590 nm. Furthermore, the teeth were immersed in 20 ml of isotonic drink for 60 seconds, then the levels of dissolved calcium and phosphate were measured again with a UV-vis spectrophotometer. Results. There was a significant difference in the increase in the solubility of calcium and phosphate in tooth enamel before and after immersed in isotonic drink P=0.012 (P&lt;0.05) Conclusion. Isotonic drink affects the solubility of calcium and phosphate in tooth enamel.

Development of a Novel LC-MS/MS Multi-Method for the Determination of Regulated and Emerging Food Contaminants Including Tenuazonic Acid, a Chromatographically Challenging Alternaria Toxin.

The regulation of food contaminants in the European Union (EU) is comprehensive, and there are several compounds in the register or being added to the recommendation list. Recently, European standard methods for analysis have also been issued. The quick analysis of different groups of analytes in one sample requires a number of methods and the simultaneous use of various instruments. The aim of the present study was to develop a method that could analyze several groups of food contaminants: in this case, 266 pesticides, 12 mycotoxins, 14 alkaloid toxins, and 3 Alternaria toxins. The main advantage of the herein described approach over other methods is the simultaneous analysis of tenuazonic acid (TEA) and other relevant food contaminants. The developed method unites the newly published standard methods such as EN 15662:2018, EN 17194:2019, EN 17256:2019, EN 17425:2021, EN 17521:2021, which describes the analysis of both regulated and emerging contaminants. The developed method is based on a QuEChERS sample preparation, followed by LC-MS/MS analysis under alkaline mobile phase conditions. The pH of the aqueous eluent was set to 8.3, which resulted in baseline separation among ergot alkaloids and their corresponding epimers, a symmetric chromatographic peak shape for analyzing TEA and fit-for-purpose sensitivity for MS/MS detection in both positive and negative ionization modes. Those compounds, which possess the corresponding isotopically labeled internal standards (ISTD), allowed for direct quantification by the developed method and no further confirmation was necessary. This was proven by satisfactory analyses of a number of quality control (QC), proficiency test (PT), and validation samples.

High-performance thin-layer chromatography analysis of industrial bamboo tableware for genotoxins, melamine and formaldehyde

Bamboo tableware became popular as ecofriendly material. However, industrial tableware products made of bamboo-melamine–formaldehyde resin material are not biodegradable. In addition, harmful compounds were detected if such consumer articles were used with hot drinks or hot food, and risk assessment found that maximum daily dosages of melamine and formaldehyde were exceeded. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) methods for analysis of such samples have not been demonstrated so far, despite available HPTLC methods for the mentioned analytes. In this work, the potential and limitation of HPTLC analysis for bamboo-melamine–formaldehyde resin tableware was studied regarding the extractable presence of melamine, formaldehyde and genotoxins. The bamboo tableware was extracted with a food simulant, i.e. aqueous acetic acid simulating hot beverages, and analyzed neutralized and non-neutralized, directly without sample preparation to ensure sample integrity and to avoid loss of sample components. As a result, melamine was not detected in the acidic food simulant. Unfortunately, the existing formaldehyde method was not applicable due to the acidic milieu of the food simulant. The non-target HPTLC−(S9)-SOS-Umu-C bioassay with and without simulated S9 liver enzyme metabolization found no genotoxic substances in 50 µL food simulant, which volume and thus acidity was the maximum tolerated by the Salmonella cells.

Proporties and Synthesis of Biosilver Nanofilms for Antimicrobial Food Packaging.

In this original research, biodegradable corn starch (CS) and wheat gluten (wg)-based silver nanofilms were synthesized and analyzed by using goji berry extract taurine (ta), garlic extract (GC), whey powder (wh), and montmorillonite clay nanoparticles. Antibacterial-corn-starch-based nano films were analyzed by using the methods of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic and mechanical (DMA) analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, the antibacterial resistances of the corn starch nano films against the bacteria Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Listeria monocytogenes were examined and the migration assays were carried out. The migration analysis results of CS1, CS2, and CS3 nanocomposite films were found as 0.305, 0.297, and 0.297 mg/dm2, respectively. The inhibition zone of CS1, CS2, and CS3 nanocomposite films were found as 1547, 386, and 1884 mm2 against Salmonella bacteria. The results show that silver nanofilms are suitable as packaging films for the production of packaging in milk and dairy products, liquid foods, and acidic foods.

Analysis of living habit risk factors for esophageal cancer in central China: A bi-center case-control study.

Esophageal cancer remains a public health problem in many countries, especially developing countries. The early lifestyle preventive measures mentioned in the treatment guidelines for esophageal cancer are very limited. We aimed to evaluate the risk factors for esophageal cancer in a high-incidence area in China and to provide evidence for clinical intervention in esophageal cancer prevention. Symptom and lifestyle/habit questionnaires including 19 items were designed. The correlation between the occurrence of esophageal cancer and living habits was analyzed retrospectively through questionnaire survey. A total of 708 subjects (365 esophageal cancer, 343 non-esophageal cancer) enrolled from two hospitals in central China (Linzhou Esophageal Cancer Hospital and The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University) completed symptom and lifestyle/habit questionnaires. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate the odds ratio (OR) with consideration of 95% confidence interval (CI). The composition ratio analysis showed that the top five lifestyle factors related to esophageal cancer were eating too fast, drinking, hot drinks, smoking and overeating. Univariate analysis showed that 15 factors, including male sex, smoking, drinking, eating too fast, overeating, hot drinks, greasy food, acidic food, hard food, strong tea, coffee, bedtime immediately after meals, eating food before bedtime, difficult defecation, and an overtight belt, were associated with esophageal cancer (all P <0.05). Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed, drinking (OR 3.609, 95%CI 2.223-5.859; P=0.000); hot drinks (OR 2.672, 95%CI 1.786-3.997; P=0.000); overeating (OR 2.110, 95%CI 1.411-3.154; P=0.000); eating too fast (OR 1.879, 95%CI 1.274-2.772; P=0.001); strong tea (OR 1.882, 95%CI 1.171~3.023; P=0.009); hard food (OR 1.723, 95%CI 1.113-2.667; P=0.015); smoking (OR 1.686, 95%CI 1.045-2.720; P=0.032), which were significantly associated with the development of esophageal cancer. The unhealthy lifestyles of patients in high-incidence areas of esophageal cancer in central China are significantly associated with the incidence of esophageal cancer. Lifestyle changes that address these factors, especially overeating and eating too fast, which are rarely studied or discussed despite being common, may improve esophageal cancer management and treatment outcomes. The present results may be used as a reference for preventive education and treatment.

Using the Proteolytic Properties of the Biomass of Lactic Acid Microorganisms to Create New Food Products

Introduction. Lactic acid microorganisms are widely used in the production of lactic acid foods, including for the creation of new products with functional properties. The ability of some types of lactic acid organisms to produce proteolytic enzymes can be used in other food industries, in particular in the meat industry. This issue has not been studied enough in the scientific literature. Purpose. The purpose of this work is to substantiate the feasibility of using biomass of lactic acid microorganisms — producers of proteolytic enzymes to modify the properties of hard meat raw materials. Materials and Methods. The paper monitors the scientific literature on the use of proteolytic enzymes in the food industry and in the production of animal feed, on the influence of various factors on the properties of enzymes, the dependence of food quality on the state of the protein component. Experiments were carried out on the cultivation of microorganisms — producers of proteolytic enzymes and their effect on meat raw materials. Results . The efficiency of using subsurface serum for the cultivation of a consortium of microorganisms is shown. The efficiency of using the obtained biomass for processing hard meat raw materials is shown. Conclusion . As a result of such processing, meat raw materials have acquired improved functional and technological properties (maturation time, moisture binding ability, water retention ability, shear stress limit, texture, and color of meat), which allows the use of modified raw materials for the production of new meat products with good consumer properties (taste, aroma, tenderness of meat product, protein digestibility). In addition, proteolytic enzymes are a protective factor against many unfavorable microorganisms.

Additives in polypropylene and polylactic acid food packaging: Chemical analysis and bioassays provide complementary tools for risk assessment

Plastic food packaging represents 40 % of the plastic production worldwide and belongs to the 10 most commonly found items in aquatic environments. They are characterized by high additives contents with >4000 formulations available on the market. Thus they can release their constitutive chemicals (i.e. additives) into the surrounding environment, contributing to chemical pollution in aquatic systems and to contamination of marine organism up to the point of questioning the health of the consumer. In this context, the chemical and toxicological profiles of two types of polypropylene (PP) and polylactic acid (PLA) food packaging were investigated, using in vitro bioassays and target gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses. Plastic additives quantification was performed both on the raw materials, and on the material leachates after 5 days of lixiviation in filtered natural seawater. The results showed that all samples (raw materials and leachates) contained additive compounds (e.g. phthalates plasticizers, phosphorous flame retardants, antioxidants and UV-stabilizers). Differences in the number and concentration of additives between polymers and suppliers were also pointed out, indicating that the chemical signature cannot be generalized to a polymer and is rather product dependent. Nevertheless, no significant toxic effects was observed upon exposure to the leachates in two short-term bioassays targeting baseline toxicity (Microtox® test) and Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas fertilization success and embryo-larval development. Overall, this study demonstrates that both petrochemical and bio-based food containers contain harmful additives and that it is not possible to predict material toxicity solely based on chemical analysis. Additionally, it highlights the complexity to assess and comprehend the additive content of plastic packaging due to the variability of their composition, suggesting that more transparency in polymer formulations is required to properly address the risk associated with such materials during their use and end of life.