Contamination Of Raw Materials Research Articles

A tool to integrate scientific risk assessment principles into the management and prioritization of chemical contaminants in raw materials

A tool to integrate scientific risk assessment principles into the management and prioritization of chemical contaminants in raw materials

Detoxification of mycotoxin patulin by the yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

Patulin is a kind of mycotoxin, which occurs in food industry frequently and constitutes serious threats to human health. In this work, a strain of yeast with patulin degradation was screened, and identified as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (R. mucilaginosa JM19) by 26S rDNA D1/D2 region gene sequencing. Subsequently, the patulin detoxification process was analyzed by HPLC-UV. The results showed that patulin was degraded into desoxypatulinic acid by R. mucilaginosa JM19. In addition, patulin degrading capacity of R. mucilaginosa JM19 was strongly dependent on temperature, cell density and initial patulin concentration. Up to 90% of patulin was significantly reduced after 21 h in MES buffer at 35 °C when cell density of yeast was above 1 × 108 cells/L. The R. mucilaginosa JM19 is capable of detoxifying over 50% of initial patulin concentration at 100 μg/mL. The detoxification activity of R. mucilaginosa JM19 toward patulin would be a potential approach for the control of patulin contamination in food and raw materials.

NUTRITION AND THE NORTH: HYGIENIC PROBLEMS OF THE ARCTIC ZONE OF RUSSIA (THE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE)

The review shows the main strategic priorities and mechanisms for implementation of the Russian state policy in the Arctic. There is presented the characteristics of habitat factors affecting the health of the population in the North concerning extreme climate, photoperiodicity (Polar night, Polar day), lack of oxygen, the effect of magnetic storms, increased energy costs in performing any physical work, etc. There is presented information on the structure, quality, and safety of diets of the actual nutrition of indigenous and non-indigenous residents of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF). The largest deficit in terms of consumption has been established to be noted for potatoes and other vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk and dairy products. The high carbohydrate load on the body attracts attention: the consumption of sugar exceeds the recommended sizes by 44% with the deficiency of essential proteins, most vitamins, and minerals. Substantial microbiological and chemical contamination of food raw materials and food products has been revealed. The peculiarity of the real rations of the actual nutrition of the indigenous and non-indigenous population of the Arctic zone is correspondingly reflected in protein, vitamin, mineral metabolism, antioxidant status and the biological age. Problems of the organization of food supply of regions and development of local raw materials base are discussed. To achieve greater adequacy of the diet to the needs of the body, the need for correction, optimization, personalization and ensuring the safety of nutrition of various populations in order to prevent nutritional deficiencies in the northern population is justified. At the same time, there are extremely important the introduction of new technologies aimed at maximum preservation of the food value of products, provision of the population with specialized products for preventive purposes, targeted multi-vitaminization of the population, and the implementation of systematic hygienic training in the principles of balanced nutrition.

Risk Factors and Level of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination of Raw Pork in Retail Markets in China.

Listeria monocytogenes can contaminate various foods via food processing environments and contamination of raw materials. There is a limited understanding of L. monocytogenes transmission in retail market and the role of insects in L. monocytogenes transmission in the retail environments. To better understand the risk factors of raw pork contamination, the prevalence of L. monocytogenes was examined in raw pork, retail environments and insects in a retail market over a 6-month period from March to August in 2016 in Beijing, China. A total of 2,789 samples were collected, including 356 raw pork samples, 1,392 meat contact surface swabs (MCS), 712 non-meat contact surface swabs (NMCS) and 329 insect samples. Overall, 424 (15.20%) of the samples were found to be contaminated by L. monocytogenes. Analyzed by serotyping, multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, the 424 L. monocytogenes isolates were divided into three serotypes (1/2c, 1/2a and 3a), 15 pulsotypes (PTs) and nine sequence types (STs), 1/2c/PT4/ST9 (244/424, 58%) was the most prevalent type of L. monocytogenes strains. The raw pork, MCS of the environments and insects were contaminated with higher levels of L. monocytogenes than NMCS of the environments, which suggested that cross contamination of L. monocytogenes between raw pork and the environment existed in the retail market, and long-term contaminated surfaces and vector insects would act as high risk factors to transmit L. monocytogenes to raw pork. Thus more effective strategies are needed to reduce the risk of retail pork meat contamination by L. monocytogenes and prevent foodborne human listeriosis.

Identification of biphenyls - contaminants responsible for off-flavour in soft drinks

Off-flavour in soft drinks is one of the main threats to manufacturers, which can result in expensive recalls, and discredit the brand. Off-flavours can occur for a variety of reasons (e.g . chemical contamination of raw material). The presented case study has proved there is a relationship between the identification of biphenyl and its derivatives in the used preser vative (benzoate) and off-flavours in the drink . The project consisted of three phases: (1) the assessment of the probable cause of off-f lavours based on sensor y evaluation and GC-MS -Olfactometr y profiling of volatiles; (2) the quantification of biphenyls and the characterisation of their sensor y properties; (3) the screening of commercially available benzoates for the presence of biphenyls. Based on the odour threshold obtained by GC-O (0.03 mg/l for 4-methyl-1,1'-biphenyl and 0.02 mg/l for biphenyl in an aqueous solution) and the common benzoate content in soft drinks (0.14 g/l), the ‘non-obser vable sensory’ levels of contamination were determined to be maximally 0.143 mg/g of benzoate for biphenyl and 0.214 mg/g of benzoate for 4-methyl-1,1 '-biphenyl .

Aflatoxin M1 levels in sow milk

Aflatoxins (AFs) are one of the most known and investigated group of mycotoxins, which can be found as contaminants in different types of food and feed. Animals are exposed to AFs mainly through the consumption of contaminated feed, particularly products of plant origin. Among AFs, aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is the monohydroxylated derivative of AFB1 formed in the liver and excreted into the milk of lactating animals. This study encompassed the Vojvodina region of Serbia and was aimed at determining the levels of AFM1 excretion in sows’ milk in the first 3‒5 days of lactation, after consumption of naturally contaminated with AFB1 maize. A total of 110 sows’ milk samples from 11 swine farms in the specific region were analyzed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Different levels of AFM1 were detected in the majority (97%) of the examined milk samples. The obtained results showed AFM1 levels ranging from 5 to 165.4 ng/L. The results of this study pose special health concern associated with aflatoxin contamination of swine feed raw materials in this particular part of Serbia. Moreover, such high incidence of AFM1 detection in sows’ milk may suggest the occurrence of long-term low level aflatoxicosis clinical cases.

Mitigating the risk of Zika virus contamination of raw materials and cell lines in the manufacture of biologicals.

Ensuring the virological safety of biologicals is challenging due to the risk of viral contamination of raw materials and cell banks, and exposure during in-process handling to known and/or emerging viral pathogens. Viruses may contaminate raw materials and biologicals intended for human or veterinary use and remain undetected until appropriate testing measures are employed. The outbreak and expansive spread of the mosquito-borne flavivirus Zika virus (ZIKV) poses challenges to screening human- and animal -derived products used in the manufacture of biologicals. Here, we report the results of an in vitro study where detector cell lines were challenged with African and Asian lineages of ZIKV. We demonstrate that this pathogen is robustly detectable by in vitro assay, thereby providing assurance of detection of ZIKV, and in turn underpinning the robustness of in vitro virology assays in safety testing of biologicals.

Impact of minor iron content on crystal structure and properties of porous calcium silicates during synthesis

We investigate the impact of minor iron content on the crystallization behavior and thermal stability of hydrothermally treated calcium silicates for insulation at high temperatures. The impurity content of the raw materials (micro silica and quicklime), particularly iron, varies greatly with the production site and method. In this work the porous calcium silicate is synthesized with a Ca/Si molar ratio of 1. To systematically study the iron impact on crystallization during synthesis of calcium silicates, we introduce different amounts of iron (Fe/Si = 0 to 0.013) into the reactants. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy we find a pronounced decrease in the number of 3-bridging oxygen coordinated Si sites in the calcium silicate with increasing iron content. The X-ray diffraction results revealed that the fractions of tobermorite, calcite, and amorphous phases increase with iron content, whereas the fraction of xonotlite phase decreases. These phase changes affect the compressive strength and thermal shrinkage of the calcium silicates. The compressive strength decreases with increasing iron content until amorphous phase becomes dominant, and then it increases again. The shrinkage increases from 1.3% at 1050 °C for the reference sample, to 30.4% for the sample with Fe/Si = 0.01. We discuss why such a small amount of iron can greatly affect the crystal structure of calcium silicates and deteriorate the physical performances of final products. Therefore, the iron contamination of raw materials should be avoided to ensure high temperature stability of porous calcium silicates.

Analysis of polymorphic contamination in meloxicam raw materials and its effects on the physicochemical quality of drug product

This work aims to evaluate the effect of polymorphism on the physicochemical properties of meloxicam, which is an antipyretic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Powder X-ray Diffraction, Infrared Spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance, Thermogravimetric and Differential Scanning Calorimetry techniques were used for the polymorphic characterization. Comparative tests of solubility, intrinsic dissolution and dissolution profiles were performed on meloxicam active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulated tablets. A polymorphic contamination (Forms I and III) was found in a studied meloxicam batch, which showed a higher solubility and greater intrinsic dissolution than those containing only the preconized form (Form I). Consequently, the dissolution profiles of the tablets that contained the polymorphic contamination showed higher drug release. Additionally, a thermal behavior study shows that MLX Form I and III are monotropy polymorphs being MLX Form III a metastable phase, which becomes MLX Form I at approximately 200°C in solid state phase transition governed by kinetic variables. The kinetic of conversion of Form III to Form I in saturated solutions was also studied. These results illustrate the importance of the polymorphic characterization of meloxicam APIs and formulated tablets in order to avoid potential quality and efficacy problems of drug products.

Schmallenberg virus, an emerging viral pathogen of cattle and sheep and a potential contaminant of raw materials, is detectable by classical in-vitro adventitious virus assays

Emerging viruses, as potential contaminants of raw materials used in the manufacture of biologicals represent a challenge in the safety testing of biopharmaceutical products intended for human or veterinary use. Here, we report the challenge of an in vitro adventitious virus platform used in safety testing of biologicals, where a broad panel of detector cell lines was challenged to provide evidence that Schmallenberg virus is detectable by a classical reporting endpoint of cytopathic effect with Vero, BHK-21 and CHO-K1 detector cells, within typical in vitro assay timescales. We conclude that Schmallenberg virus is robustly detectable by classical in vitro viral biosafety assays.

Aspergilli with Neosartorya-type ascospores: heat resistance and effect of sugar concentration on growth and spoilage incidence in berry products

This study focused on four different heat resistant aspergilli: two strains of Aspergillus hiratsukae (≡Neosartorya hiratsukae), one strain of Aspergillus neoglaber (≡Neosartorya glabra), and one strain of Aspergillus thermomutatus (≡Neosartorya pseudofischeri), all isolated from spoiled pasteurized products. Their heat-resistance, the sugar concentration limiting their germination and growth in berry-based media, and a possible relation between the contamination levels of the raw materials used and the spoilage incidence in strawberry jams were assessed. Heat resistance data obtained from thermal death curves showed that the D values of the strains tested ranged between 3.7 and 13.5min at 87°C; 1.5 and 3.5min at 90°C; and 0.3 and 0.4min at 95°C in glucose solution. Similarly, D values ranged between 3.3 and 15.4min at 87°C; 1.3 and 4.3min at 90°C; and 0.3 and 0.6min at 95°C in strawberry-based formulation. For all strains, the corresponding z-values ranged between 5.7 and 8.3°C in glucose solution and from 5.7 to 8.4°C in strawberry formulation. With regard to the limitation of fungal germination and growth in fruit-based media, sucrose concentrations required to avoid growth varied between 45.0 and 55.0% for strawberry medium and between 42.5% and 50.0% for blueberry medium. Spore inactivation was observed below aw 0.88–0.91 for strawberries and aw 0.87–0.90 for blueberries; above 49.7–56.5°Bx for strawberries and 49.6–56.0°Bx for blueberries. The threshold optical refractometric residue proved strain-dependent, but substrate-independent, as for each strain the highest Brix degree value at which germination occurred was the same on both media, despite their different sucrose concentrations. With regard to the relation between contamination of raw materials by heat-resistant mould spores and spoilage incidence on final product, an equation was modelled to estimate the occurrence of fungal spoilage in strawberry jams for low contamination levels (26–46CFU/kg). Although it could not be used as a definitive tool to predict final spoilage in such of products, it could give important practical information to jam producers in preventing spoilage of their products.

Aflatoxin B1 Contamination Correlation with Aspergillus flavus in Animal Feed Raw Materials Imported through the Port of Tanjung Perak Surabaya, Indonesia

This study aimed to measure the incidence rate of aflatoxin B1 contamination in feed raw materials (MBM and PPM) imported through Port of Tanjung Perak Surabaya, and its relation to the growth of the fungi that produce it. ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) competitive was conducted to identify Aflatoxin B1 and followed by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). Fungal identification was conducted as a macroscopic and microscopic observation. ELISA test showed 55 of 84 (55.95%) samples were positive for aflatoxin B1 contamination, while 3 of 7 (42.85%) samples tested by HPLC were positive. The result of fungal identification showed 1 of 12 samples positive Aspergillus flavus, and others types of fungi. AFB1 contamination in animal feed raw materials is likely to have occurred in the country of origin, whereas the growth of the fungus is due to the level of humidity and temperature during the transportation and storage process.

Fungi colonizing and damaging different parts of some medicinal plants

Summary Introduction: Many fungal species infect medicinal plants during their cultivation, causing great damage to the yield and decreasing the quality of raw material. Objective: Due to the increase in contamination of raw material and the damage caused by pathogenic fungi, the main species of medicinal plants cultivated in Poland were subject to the investigation. Methods: In 2012–2014, an experiment was conducted on eight medicinal plant species breeding nurseries grown in the field in Plewiska. The following species and cultivars were investigated: lemon balm, peppermint, St. John’s wort cv. ‘Topaz’, lovage cv. ‘Amor’, valerian cv. ‘Polka’, caraway cv. ‘Kończewicki’, sweet basil cv. ‘Wala’, marjoram cv. ‘Miraż’. Results: Fourteen species of eleven genera of pathogenic fungi were isolated from the investigated medicinal plants: Fusarium avenaceum, F. culmorum, F. equiseti, F. oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Septoria sp., Boeremia exiqua, Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Penicillium sp., Ramularia sp., and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The most severe infection was caused by Fusarium sp. and Botrytis cinerea. Also Cladosporium sp. (4 species), A. alternata and Septoria sp. (3 species) infected plant tissue. Leaves and stems were the most infected parts of the tested plants. Lemon balm, lovage and valerian were the most infected species, while marjoram was infected only with Fusarium sp.

SELECTION OF DNA MATRIX FOR JUSTIFICATION OF THRESHOLD FOR CONTAMINATION OF PROCESSED MEAT PRODUCTS WITH UNDECLARED POULTRY COMPONENTS

Differentiation between adulteration and accidental meat raw material contamination in meat industry enterprises that carry out the combined processing of slaughtering products from farm animals and poultry is necessary to establish a threshold of technically non-removable impurities. Justification of the thresholds, e.g. for chicken meat, requires determination of the target analytical matrix, which content in meat raw material is stable. In the Russian certified methods, the species-specific DNA matrix for chickens is a multi-copy gene of cytochrome B in mitochondrial DNA. Taking into consideration that mitochondrial DNA copy number can depend on a muscle fiber type, animal age, and other factors, the effectiveness of using multi-copy mitochondrial genes for quantifying the poultry content in meat products was justified in this study. Analysis of the samples from the pectoral and hip muscles of three chicken carcasses and one duck carcass obtained from different manufacturers showed that the poultry pectoral and hip muscles contained approximately equal amounts of mitochondrial DNA, which allows its use as a matrix to justify the level of technically non-removable chicken impurities in finished meat products.

Microbiological nutrient media the new format in the veterinary-sanitary assessment food and raw materials of animal origin

The main task of veterinary-sanitary examination is to prevent infectious and parasitic diseases that spread among humans and animals through food, feed and industrial products of animal and vegetable origin. This is very important conduct microbiological raw material quality control, food production and disinfection measures carried out, aimed at the reorganization of the production environment. In this connection, development of methods acquires relevance rapid microbiological analysis to identify organisms of sanitary illustrative and other pathogens in a variety of materials. The aim of this work is the comparative study of the effectiveness of the practical use of classical bacteriological culture media and nutrient media of a new format in the veterinary and sanitary evaluation of food and animal feed. As part of this work the traditional media (agar Baird-Parker) and culture media of the new format - 3M™ Petrifilm™ Staph Express Count Plate (STX) were subjected to comparative study in terms of sensitivity and the time required to identify cells S. aureus . The procedures described in ISO 31746-2012 and MUK 42.2884-11 were taken as research algorithms. For the purity of the experiment using artificially contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus cells of the raw milk of cows. 3M™ Petrifilm™ Staph Express Count Plate (STX) may be used in the food industry and regulatory authorities in monitoring to obtain objective information on the contamination of raw materials and food products dangerous pathogens in a very short period of time. This in turn is necessary for the removal of low-quality products from the retail network and avoid poor-quality raw materials to produce products without heat obrabotku. Takzhe it should be noted that due to the simplicity of seeding procedure there is no need for qualified personnel at the stage of sowing and the initial evaluation results. Also achieved significant savings in time, consumables and media at the stage of the primary planting material using the 3M™ Petrifilm™.

Food safety assurance using methods of chemical analysis

A review of state-of-the-art methods of sample preparation and chemical analysis for the control of contaminants in foodstuffs and food raw materials is presented. The main achievements and performance characteristics of methods for the determination of pesticides and veterinary drugs, their metabolites, natural toxins, trace amounts of chemical elements, first of all toxic, allergens, food additives, and contaminants from packaging materials in foodstuffs and for the identification of falsifications by methods of chemical analysis are considered.

MYCOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND AFLATOXIN B1 CONTAMINANT ESTIMATION OF HERBAL DRUG RAW MATERIALS.

Background:The present study explores the fungal contamination of important herbal drug raw materials (HDRM), which are widely used in the preparation of many herbal drugs. Understanding of the microbial contamination status of HDRM is one of the important steps to ensure the safety and efficacy of herbal drugs.Materials and Methods:Eighteen samples of six herbal drug raw materials (HDRM) viz., Acorus calamus Linn., Cassia angustifolia Vahl., Centella asiatica (Linn.) Urban, Myristica fragrans Houtt., Tinospora cardifolia (Wild) Miers and Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal, were screened for fungal contamination, by employing serial dilution method. All the isolates of Aspergillus flavus were screened for their ability to produce aflatoxin B1 (AB1) and highly contaminated samples were subjected to AB1 estimation by using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), spectrophotometric method and occurrence of Aflatoxin B1 was confirmed by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis (LCMS).Results:A total of 302 isolates of 42 fungal species belonging to 17 genera were found in association with test the samples. More than 61% of A. flavus isolates tested positive for production of AB1 and highest yield recorded was 5008.20 ppb from the isolates of T. cordifolia. Amongthesix highly contaminated samples three samples tested positive for AB1. Highest AB1 was recorded from T. cordifolia (104.19 μg/kg), followed by A. calamus (13.73 μg/kg) and M. fragrans (12.02 μg/kg).Conclusion:Assessment of fungal and mycotoxin contamination should be a part of the quality check while selecting HDRM for manufacture of herbal products. Safe processing and storage practices are necessary.

Epiphytic and regulated microbial contaminants of food vegetable raw materials and products

Epiphytic and regulated microbial contaminants of food vegetable raw materials and products

Risk assessment of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum in canned foie gras

In this study, a risk assessment of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum in canned foie gras was performed, the number of illnesses per year in France due to C. botulinum in foie gras was estimated. Data on initial level in raw materials were collected at manufacturers and analysed using a Negative Binomial distribution. The effect of the usual foie gras heat treatment (equivalent time at 121°C: F0=0.5min) was considered at two levels: first, it led to an inactivation (estimated to 2.3 log); second it led to a spore injury and then to a spore inhibition. This latter effect was assessed by analysing data from a challenge test study carried out with Clostridium sporogenes spores in the foie gras product. The probability of spore recovering after thermal inhibition was estimated to 9.5×10−8 (corresponding to 7.0 log). The data on the consumption pattern were collected on the French market. The Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMRA) model and all the assumptions are reported in detail in the study. The initial contamination of raw materials, effect of thermal treatment on microbial inactivation and spore inhibition were handled mathematically using a probabilistic framework, considering only the variability dimension. The model was implemented in Excel and run through Monte Carlo simulation, using @Risk software. In parallel, epidemiological data collected from the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance during the period 2001–2012 were used to estimate an Appropriate Level Of Protection (ALOP) and then a Food Safety Objective (FSO): ALOP equalled to 2.5×10−3 illnesses per million inhabitant per year, FSO equalled to 1.4×10−9 foie gras portions containing C. botulinum spore (expressed in decimal logarithm, FSO=−8.9). The QMRA model output values were smaller, but on the same order of magnitude as these two figures: 8.0×10−4 illnesses per million inhabitants per year, and, 4.5×10−10 (−9.3 log) foie gras portions containing C. botulinum spores able to recover. It was then possible to conclude that the current practices regarding thermal treatment of canned foie gras are sufficient to control the risk of C. botulinum in foie gras in France.

Ochratoxin A contamination of the autochthonous dry-cured meat product “Slavonski Kulen” during a six-month production process

The aim of the study was to investigate OTA contamination of “Slavonski Kulen” during a six-month production process. Raw meat & spices (n = 7) used with the production and final products with either intact or damaged casings (n = 99) were sampled on the production day 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180, and analysed for OTA presence using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed among the intact samples on any above-given production day, the maximal OTA value attributable to raw material contamination thereby being 3.18 μg/kg. As for the damaged samples, the mean OTA concentration established on the production day 180 was 7.92 ± 6.50 μg/kg, while the maximal observed OTA value equalled to 17.0 μg/kg. The results demonstrated that casing damaging witnessed during a long-term dry-cured meat products' ripening can result in OTA entry from the surface into the product, causing a significant OTA contamination.