Cannery Research Articles

Pineapple peel waste valorization for extraction of bio-active compounds and protein: Microwave assisted method and Box Behnken design optimization

Pineapple peel waste (PPW) is obtained in huge quantities out of pineapple canning industries and it is found to be rich in bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity and an opulent source of bromelain protein having commercial importance. To fulfil the purpose, microwave assisted extraction was considered. Three parameters varied were solvent to substrate ratio, microwave power and extraction time. The independent variables were solvent to substrate ratio (10:1 mL/g to 20:1 mL/g), microwave power (300 W–600 W) and extraction time (40 min–50 min). Optimization was done with three factors and three level Box- Behnken Design (BBD). Each of the experiment has been analysed for Total phenolic content (TPC), Total flavonoid content (TFC), Total tannin content (TTC) as well as for protein content. The Folin– Ciocalteu method was utilized for analysing TPC, TTC and the colorimetric method (AlCl3) was used for the analysis of TFC, protein content was analysed by lowry's method and antioxidant activity making use of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The p values were less than 0.05 which showed all the four models were significant. The experimental values and the predicted values were harmonious for the optimum conditions. The optimum condition obtained out of BBD were solvent to substrate ratio of 20:1 mL/g, microwave power of 600 W and extraction time 40 min. Antioxidant activity for the extract was found out by DPPH assay under the optimized conditions was 75% along with proteolytic activity of bromelain as 1647.612 GDUgconcentrate−1.

Acidity and content of fluoride in canned children’s food as factors influencing caries-resistance of children’s teeth

SummaryIntroduction. The alimentary factor is recognized as one of the leading factors in the etiopathogenesis of dental caries. The organization of nutrition in young children, including the introduction of complementary foods, its composition, the content of fluorides in it and acidity, can affect the formation of hard tissues of the child’s teeth, their mineralization, and, consequently, the susceptibility to caries and the maintenance of a cariogenic situation in the oral cavity. Purpose: develop general recommendations to reduce the possible cariogenic effects of canned foods for young children based on the determination of acidity and fluoride content. Materials and methods: through interviewing 398 parents of children between the ages of three and 10 years during a routine medical examination, the algorithm of use as well as the most popular brands and types of ready-made canned foods for infants as complementary foods in St. Petersburg were identified. A chemical analysis of samples of popular canned baby food products was carried out, their acidity (pH) and fluoride content were determined. Results. It was found that the acidity indicators of canned baby food samples are in the critical range for triggering the demineralization of temporary teeth enamel, which, combined with their low fluoride content, indicates the cariogenic potential of this type of food. In addition, parents do not always follow the recommended algorithm for the introduction and withdrawal of complementary foods. Conclusions. To reduce the possible cariogenic effect of canned baby food, further work is needed with parents on the prevention of caries in milk teeth, including recommendations regarding oral hygiene, monitoring of fluoride intake, and rational, balanced nutrition of children.

Dengue outbreak after devastating floods: double trouble for Pakistan

Dengue outbreak after devastating floods: double trouble for Pakistan

On the development and deployment of an IIoT Infrastructure for the Fish Canning Industry

The introduction of IoT technologies in industrial settings is changing the way manufacturing companies perceive their production processes, allowing for more accurate monitoring of production-related parameters. Due to the introduction of IoT technologies and associated enhancements in terms of data acquisition, processing, and availability, it becomes possible for manufacturing companies to tackle complex issues, such as the efficiency of production. In this paper, the development of an Industrial IoT solution targeting the fish canning industrial sector is described, as an approach to identify and monitor raw input material losses as well as water and energy waste, an endemic issue of the sector, promoting an increased efficiency in the production processes. This paper mainly focuses on the description of the implementation of the proposed IoT technologies for monitoring waste and loss, and its deployment in three distinct environments, including at a fish canning manufacturing company.

EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL PROCESSING METHOD AND LEAF-PACKAGING ON SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF OLÈLÈ, A STEAMED COWPEA PASTE

Musa paradisiaca, Tectona grandis and Thalia geniculata leaves used in the past as wrapping materials of Olèlè (steamed dough of cowpea enriched to the shrimps and other condiments), are being abandoned in favor of metal cans. This situation contributes to the lost of identity of this traditional food product. Two traditional processing methods which differ in the dehulling techniques are practiced to obtain Olèlè also called Magni magni or Moin moin. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of processing methods and wrapping materials on sensory characteristics of Olèlè and their consumer acceptability. For this purpose, sensory difference and overall acceptability tests and a sensory profile analysis were conducted. Thus, Olèlè differently wrapped was produced the day of the sensory evaluation and appreciated by sensory panelists. Panelists clearly distinguished Olèlè according to the processing method. Sixteen representative descriptors were identified to profile Olèlè. The leaves used for wrapping Olèlè had a significant effect on its sensory characteristics noted by the consumer panel with clearly distinct sensory profiles (p ≤ 0.05). The overall acceptability test revealed that the Olèlè wrapped in Musa paradisiaca leaves is the most appreciated, followed respectively by those wrapped with Tectona grandis leaves, Thalia geniculata leaves and one packaged in recycled tin cans.

Utilization of Left over Peach Pulp for Making Puree after Canning of Peach–Halves in Peach Fruit Juice

Peach fruits of the cultivar TA-170 were lye peeled and canned in A2 ½ tin cans with a covering medium of 400 Brix containing enzymatically extracted fruit juice in a concentration of 30-40 per cent with or without ascorbic acid (500 ppm) and compared with the control (400 Brix of sucrose syrup + 0.3% citric acid). Cut out analysis carried out upto 6 months with 2 months storage interval, revealed that all the treatments met FPO specification for drained weight and showed superiority in quality over conventional canned peaches. The vitamin C fortified treatments had a higher retention of ascorbic acid throughout the storage as compared to the unfortified treatments. In comparison to peach halves canned in juice with or without ascorbic acid in the covering medium, more non-enzymatic browning was seen in the peach halves canned in plain sucrose syrup.

A Framework for Recovering Waste Heat Energy from Food Processing Effluent

Effluent water from food processing retains considerable heat energy after emission from treatment systems. Heat recovery technologies that may be appropriate for implementation in the food processing industry have been widely explored, and selection of the most suitable methodologies has been pursued. A four-stage framework is introduced in this paper to evaluate the potential recoverability of waste heat along with acceptor streams. The systematic approach utilizes thermal and temporal compatibility tools and cost–benefit analyses to determine the ideal heat-recovery equipment for food processing effluent. The applicability of this framework is demonstrated through an industrial case study undertaken in a vegetable canning processing facility. Based on the findings, the framework yields an efficient and optimized heat recovery approach to reducing the total energy demand of the facility.

Endocrine disruptors and human fertility

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) or simply endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) refer to any substance which may mimic or interfere with the normal functions of the endocrine system. They are found in everyday products like plastic bottles and containers, liners of metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food, toys, cosmetics, pesticides, and virtually every available human consumables. Due to the fact that most of them are slow in degradation or even completely non- biodegradable, they constitute great risk to the ecosystem. It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid exposure to man-made endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and environmental toxicants. This escalating yet constant exposure is postulated to partially explain the concurrent decline in human fertility that has occurred over the last 50 years. Controversy however remains as to whether associations exist, with conflicting findings commonly reported for all major EDC classes. The primary aim of this current review therefore is to identify and peer-reviewed evidence regarding the effects of environmentally-relevant EDCs on adult male and female fertility during the critical preconception period on reproductive hormone concentrations, gamete and embryo characteristics. Generally, sub-fertile individuals or couples exhibit higher EDC concentrations, endorsing a positive association between EDC exposure and sub-fertility. Finally, it will highlight future research focus as well as government, industry and social awareness strategies required to mitigate the negative effects of EDC and environmental toxicant exposure on human fertility and fecundity.

Determination of bisphenol A, B, F and S in canned foodstuffs and canned pet foods by solid-phase microextraction with polytyramine nanocomposite fiber

This research describes a nanocomposite coating consisting of polytyramine (PTy) and graphene oxide nanosheets@copper nanoparticles (GO@CuNPs) which is synthesized through one-step electropolymerization mode on the surface of a steel wire. The performance of the PTy/GO@CuNPs nanocomposite was evaluated as a new polar coating for solid-phase microextraction of bisphenol A and its analogs in canned drinks and foods, canned pet foods and empty cans preceding to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In order to attain efficient nanocomposite coating, the operative parameters related to the electrochemical approach and the microextraction implementation were considered exhaustively and optimized. Under the optimized experimental mood, the calibration curves of the target analytes were plotted with limits of detection ranges from 4.0 to 8.0 ng L−1. The relative standard deviations using a single fiber and three fibers were below 7.4% and 11.2%, respectively. Besides, the recoveries of this method for real samples were higher than 93%.

Impacts of vitamin premix and/or yeast ingredient inclusion in a canned cat food on thiamin retention during 6 months of storage.

Low thiamin levels in thermally processed canned cat foods are concerning for the pet food industry. However, there is little information on storage stability of thiamin in this food format or if inclusion of select ingredients, such as dried yeasts, has an effect. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the storage stability of thiamin when a vitamin premix and/or yeasts ingredients were included in a canned cat food. The factorial treatment arrangement consisted of 2 levels of vitamin premix (with or without) and 4 inclusions of yeast (NY = none, LBV = Lalmin B Complex Vitamins, BY = product #1064B, or EA = BGYADVANTAGE). Diets were stored for 6 months and analyzed every month for thiamin. Data were analyzed as a mixed model (SAS v. 9.4; SAS Institute, Cary, NC) with fixed effects (vitamin premix, yeast, time, and their two-way and three-way interactions) and random effects (production day and the interaction of production day, vitamin premix, and yeast). Significance was set at P < 0.05 and Fisher's LSD was used to separate means. Diets including the vitamin premix [average 55.1 mg/kg dry matter basis (DMB)] contained more (P < 0.05) thiamin than diets that did not (average 7.5 mg/kg DMB). Inclusion of LBV (average 40.3 mg/kg DMB) resulted in the highest (P < 0.05) levels of thiamin, followed by BY (P < 0.05; average 26.9 mg/kg DMB). Diets with NY and EA contained the lowest (P < 0.05) levels of thiamin and were not different from each other (P > 0.05; average 19.3 mg/kg DMB). The diet containing vitamin premix without yeast lost (P < 0.05) 17.8% thiamin while diets containing a yeast ingredient maintained thiamin levels better during storage. This suggested that thiamin from yeast ingredients was more resistant to degradation during storage and should be considered when designing new canned cat foods.

Photo Cameroon: Studio Portraiture, 1970s-1990s

Photo Cameroon: Studio Portraiture, 1970s-1990s

Less bins, less baboons: reducing access to anthropogenic food effectively decreases the urban foraging behavior of a troop of chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in a peri-urban area.

In South Africa, chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) living near peri-urban areas may forage on anthropogenic food. Baboons have been recorded to damage crops, scatter waste from trash bins, and damage homes. A number of methods have been tested over the past 20years to solve these problems, but none proved successful over the long-term or involved considerable costs. An efficient management system requires a detailed knowledge of how baboon troops proceed and organize during these urban foraging actions. This study examines the response of a troop of baboons to an experimental reduction of anthropogenic food sources in a peri-urban environment, the George campus of Nelson Mandela University (SA). We gradually suppressed access to waste food in trash cans, reducing the amount of anthropogenic food available. This change in food availability led baboons to modify their urban foraging strategy. They compensated for the lack of anthropogenic food by spending more time foraging on natural food and less time in urban areas. However, the troop still exploited waste-free areas during the experiment and even more when the conditions were normal again. Overall, these results show the ability of baboons to adapt to changes in anthropogenic food availability but also that they are highly dependent on this type of resource. Limiting its access is a mitigation strategy that humans must absolutely develop for reaching a high level of coexistence with baboons.

Analysis of Workload, Work Environment Adaptability, and Employee Performance in the Fish Safety Industry Sector

This study aimed to describe and analyze the effect of workload and work environment adaptability on employee performance in the Fish Canning Industry of Bitung City. This research is under the umbrella of causal associative research with quantitative methodology. The location of this research was carried out in a fish canning industrial company in Bitung City, with the object of employees being fish canning companies. The results of this study indicate that the workload and adaptability of the work environment affect the performance of employees in the fish canning industry sector in Bitung City, which means that the lower the workload and the better the adaptability of an employee will improve employee performance. Based on the results of descriptive analysis of the data, it can be explained that the workload is formed by the use of time, targets to be achieved, and working conditions. The most significant role in forming an employee's workload is reflected in the feeling that using time is essential in the production process. The adaptability of the work environment is shaped by changes in legislation, technological developments and changes in market tastes. The most significant role in forming an employee's work environment adaptability is market changes reflected in the work that continuously adapts to the surrounding work environment. Performance is shaped by quality, quantity, timeliness, effectiveness and independence. The most significant role in the formation of employee performance is independence, which is reflected in employees always paying attention to the instructions given by their superiors in completing tasks.

RF22 | PMON03 Sex-specific Effects of Bisphenol-A and its Analogs on Monoamine Levels in the Paraventricular Nucleus

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA) is known to produce adverse effects on fertility, cardiovascular, and metabolic health. The constraints placed on BPA production led companies to switch to BPA's structural analogs, Bisphenol S (BPS) and Bisphenol F (BPF). These chemicals are used in various equipment, food and drink cans, and paper, permitting widespread exposure. We recently found that prenatal exposure to low levels of these chemicals can increase blood pressure in the offspring. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanism is unclear. We hypothesized that these chemicals could alter the levels of monoamines, specifically in brain regions that regulate cardiovascular function such as the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to saline, 5 µg/kg BW of BPA or BPS, or 1 µg/kg BW of BPF from gestation day 6 to 21. Their adult Male and Female offspring were implanted with a radiotelemetry device to measure blood pressure and heart rate levels. Following telemetry, animals were sacrificed, and the brains were collected, frozen and sectioned. The PVN was microdissected, and analyzed for monoamine levels using HPLC-EC. Males exposed to BPA had significant increases in the levels of serotonin (5HT) in the PVN compared to the control group, while a marked increase in 5HT levels were only observed in females exposed to BPF and not BPA (p = 0.0002). No significant changes were observed in Dopamine (DA) or norepinephrine (NE) levels. There were significant sex differences (p&amp;lt;0.0001) and treatment effects (p=0.0003) in the DOPAC/DA turnover ratio with males exposed to BPA, BPS, and BPF having markedly less turnover rates compared to control. No changes in DOPAC/DA turnover was apparent in females. There were significant sex (p&amp;lt;0.0001) and treatment effects (p&amp;lt;0.0001) in the 5HIAA/5HT turnover ratio, with males in the BPA and BPS groups having significantly less turnover compared to controls. In contrast, Females exposed to BPS and BPF had significantly lower 5HIAA/5HT turnover ratios but higher turnover ratios in the groups exposed to BPA. These results indicate that 5-HT production increases markedly in males exposed to BPA and in females exposed to BPF. This is associated with reduced metabolism of 5-HT. This suggests that the significant increases in 5-HT activity in the PVN could possibly contribute to the development of hypertension in these animals. Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 12:35 p.m., Monday, June 13, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Aspects of life cycle in its projection onto production of meat and meat-containing canned food: systematic review

While choosing one or another product from a wide variety on the market, we intuitively focus on the quality of the food product, we pay attention to its source, raw material and how this food is made. At the same time, the same questions are being asked by food manufacturers as they want to be sure of the quality and safety of purchased raw materials and ingredients. In both cases, decisions should be based on the consequences they could entail. It must be acknowledged that any failure in the field-to-shelf chain system may harm the consumers’ health, as well as may lead to disruptions and losses in the food industry. Producers and consumers are increasingly concerned in the terms of life cycles. The life cycle is the most expressive and comprehensive approach to achieve the highest usefulness of the made decisions. The fact is that life cycle problems can be solved, and product life cycles can be managed, controlled and regulated. This is widely applied, for example, by the use of life cycle methodology in solving environmental problems highlighted in this article. However, in the meat processing industry the standards of the ISO 9000 series are not supported by this methodology. It was necessary to find and define the problem-exposed stages from the full life cycle of production of meat and meat-containing canned food within the system “from the field to the shop shelf”. Those problem-exposed stages are responsible for safety and quality of canned food and responsible for maintaining the safety and quality of ready-to-eat food products, as the most relevant stages in the meat processing industry. Here the author proposes for consideration three stages of the life cycle of canned meat and meat-containing food, including its pre-production, production process and post-production. It is assumed that the impacts at certain limited stages of the canned food production cycle will be representative in terms of consequences of applied decisions.

Trends and thresholds on bacterial degradation of bisphenol-A endocrine disruptor - a concise review.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a monomer found in polycarbonate plastics, food cans, and other everyday chemicals; this monomer and its counterparts are widely used, culminating in its presence in water, soil, sediment, and the atmosphere. Furthermore, because of its estrogenic and genotoxic properties, it has been acknowledged as an endocrine disruptor; contamination of BPA in the environment is becoming a growing concern, and ways to effectively mitigate BPA from the environment are currently explored. Hence, the focal point of the review is to collate the bacterial degradation of BPA with the proposed degradation mechanism, explicitly focusing on researches published between 2017 and 2022. BPA breakdown is dependent primarily on bacterial metabolism, although numerous factors influence its fate in the environment. The metabolic routes for BPA breakdown in crucial bacterial strains were postulated, sourced on the transformed metabolite-intermediates perceived through degradation; enzymes and genes associated with the bacterial degradation of BPA have also been included in this review. This review will be momentous to generate a conceptual strategy and stimulate the progress on bacterial mitigation of BPA as a path to a sustainable cleaner environment.

The Adhesion of Protective Coatings to Novel Trivalent Cr Metal / Cr Oxide Coatings Used for Packaging Applications

When manufacturing canned goods, the aim is to create a shelf-stable product that will keep for anywhere between one and five years (under ambient storage conditions). It is for this reason that steel, which offers desirable mechanical properties, is often used. However, steel is known to undergo corrosion thus impacting final product quality. It is therefore common for packaging substrate materials to have a protective metallic coating which is further coated with a lacquer to shield both the substrate material from the cans contents and vice-versa.One example of a coated packaging product is Electrolytic Chromium Coated Steel (ECCS) which is typically used for lacquered applications [1]. This chrome coating is deposited from a chromic acid bath containing Cr (VI) and results in a steel substrate covered in a bi-layer chromium metal (~20 nm) /chromium (hydr)oxide (~7 nm) layer. This substrate is then overcoated with lacquer which is usually epoxy based.Once the can is lacquered and filled, a retort process is used to pressure cook its contents. This is undertaken at 121 °C at a pressure of 1 bar for 90 minutes. This retort process has proven to be detrimental to the adhesion of protective lacquers applied to the substrate material which serve to prevent corrosion caused by the cans contents [2,3]. At elevated temperatures and pressures, the lacquers exhibit porosity which creates an ion pathway for the cans chemical contents to migrate through the coating and interact with the substrate. This interaction initiates localised corrosion on the surface causing de-adhesion of the lacquers through localised anodic metal dissolution.However, both Cr (VI) and Bisphenol-A, a chemical commonly added to epoxy lacquers to enhance thermal and chemical stability, have been identified as substances of concern by REACH - a regulation associated with the restriction of chemicals that are harmful to human health. Thus, a dual issue exists of finding a suitable substrate replacement for ECCS and investigating the adhesion of lacquers to this substrate. Coatings made with Trivalent Chromium Coating Technology (TCCT®) are currently being developed as a potential replacement for ECCS. TCCT® production has developed to consist of a two-electrolyte process. Various issues including coating in-homogeneity have previously been reported [4]. Additionally, lacquers to which Bisphenol-A have not intentionally been added (BPANI) have been manufactured.To ensure that TCCT® substrates are successful, it is important that they perform comparably to existing products such as ECCS. For this reason, a range of TCCT® substrates varying in Cr (III) oxide coating weight (1.8 mg.m-2 to 23.35 mg.m2) have been experimentally analysed for their lacquer adhesion (both epoxy-phenolic and BPANI) in simulated industrial retort conditions, using scratch testing. They have also been analysed for their surface electrochemical activity utilising the scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) which is a technique designed to spatially resolve areas of dissimilar electrochemical activity.A Cr (III) oxide coating weight of approximately 8-10 mg.m2 was found to be critical to the adhesion of the lacquers. In addition, the SVET scans illustrated a pronounced rate of increase in anodic activity on the substrates coated with smaller amounts of Cr (III) oxide. Indeed, higher coating weights exhibited a lower total anodic and cathodic activity alluding to the insulating and inert nature of Cr (III) oxide.[1] B. Boelen, H. den Hartog, H. van der Weijde, Product performance of polymer coated packaging steel, study of the mechanism of defect growth in cans, Prog. Org. Coatings. 50 (2004) 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PORGCOAT.2003.09.011.[2] A. Allman, E. Jewell, A. de Vooys, R. Hayes, Inter-layer Adhesion Performance of Steel Packaging Materials for Food Cans Under Retort Conditions, J. Packag. Technol. Res. 2 (2018) 115–124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41783-018-0033-6.[3] A. Allman, E. Jewell, A. Vooys, R. Hayes, H.N. McMurray, E. Jewell, R. Hayes, Food packaging simulant failure mechanisms in next generation steel packaging, Packag. Technol. Sci. 32 (2019) 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/pts.2448.[4] A. Allman, J. Whiteside, E. Jewell, C. Griffiths, N. McMurray, A. de Vooys, Surface modification of Cr(III) packaging substrates for enhanced adhesion via citric acid processing, Surfaces and Interfaces. 20 (2020) 100545. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SURFIN.2020.100545.

Use Case on Environmental Impact Assessment in the Fish Canning Industry

This paper covers the environmental impact of manufacturing industrial production processes for addressing the Sustainability dimension of Industry 5.0. The model implemented by the GOGreen solution – an AI based software solution for the calculation and monitoring of the food waste and carbon and water footprints - integrated in the European Connected Factory Platform for Agile Manufacturing (EFPF), is presented as an enabler to support the environmental impact assessment in industrial SMEs. The requirements to be fulfilled by the overall system are presented together with the architecture of the integrated solution. As a use case, its implementation in a fish canning industrial process is presented to provide an exemplary scenario illustrating the process workflow and the role of the solution. The main goal of this paper is empowering non-professional users to perform the assessment of the environmental impact of their industrial processes, which is indeed a capability key in Industry 4.0 and will be even more relevant in Industry 5.0.

Prevalence of vegan/vegetarian diet and eating behavior among Saudi adults and its correlation with body mass index: A cross-sectional study.

BackgroundGlobalization has steered the spread of vegetarianism around the world. Vegetarianism has achieved increased acceptance by different populations.ObjectiveThe present study aims to assess vegetarian diet, and eating behavior prevalence among Saudi adults and their association with demographics and body mass index.MethodA cross-sectional study conducted on 1,143 Saudi adults [418 (36.6%) males and 725 (63.4%) females]. An online survey questionnaire containing questions on demographics, type of diet, eating behavior and physical activity was provided to participants for self-administration. Statistical analysis was performed to associate demographic and eating behavior variables with the type of diet using Pearson's Chi-square test and Spearman's partial correlation test was used to correlate BMI and eating behavior.ResultsPrevalence of veganism was 4.7% (n = 54/1,143) and vegetarianism was 7.8% (89/1,143). A significantly higher prevalence of vegan diet was observed in females than males (79.6% vs. 20.4%, p < 0.0001). A significantly higher proportion of participants on vegetarian diet selected “Always” as response for eating breakfast, vegetables and fruits as well as for eating or drinking dairy foods, and for eating canned food than participants on non-vegetarian diet (p < 0.0001). A significantly higher proportion of participants on vegan diet selected ‘Never' for eating fast-food and fried food as well as for drinking fizzy or soft drinks (p < 0.0001). A positive moderate correlation was found between BMI and eating fast-food and fried food [r(1, 140) = 0.529, p < 0.0001], drinking fizzy or soft drinks with meals [r(1, 140) = 0.495, p = 0.001], and eating canned food [r(1, 140) = 0.510, p < 0.0001].ConclusionOur study shows that vegan and vegetarian diet have gained access into the lifestyle of Saudi adults with a prevalence of 4.7 and 7.8%, respectively. Participants on vegetarian diet showed better lifestyle like higher physical activity level, higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and low intake of fast-foods and fizzy beverages.

Microbiological safety of commercial canned and dry pet food products in Lebanon.

Estimating the microbiological quality of pet food is essential in providing healthy and safe foods to pets. The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological safety of pet food marketed in Lebanon, namely cat and dog products. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have been conducted in Lebanon nor the Middle East region with reference to pet food quality. Lebanese market was screened and a total of 165 dry and canned pet food products were identified, collected and analyzed for their load of total aerobic microbial count, Enterobacteriaceae species, yeasts and molds, and for the presence of Salmonella and Listeria species. Dry pet food products had higher contamination level compared to canned ones. In terms of non-conformity to the European commission regulations, out of the 165 brands, 11 (7%) had a total aerobic microbial count above 106 cfu/g, and 27 (16%) exceeded 3 × 102 cfu/g as a maximum limit of presumptive Enterobacteriaceae. Among the dry brands, 8 out of 66 (12%) had a contamination level of yeasts and molds above 104 cfu/g. Presumptive Salmonella spp. was detected in 68 (41%) and presumptive Listeria spp. in 106 (64%) of brands. These alarming results necessitates setting and monitoring microbiological standards for pet food in Lebanon. This study contributes as well to the building of a database for knowledge development regarding the potential contamination of pet food by the abovementioned microorganisms.