AIE-active UiO-66@PtNPs nanozyme-amplified fluorescence and colorimetric dual-signal magnetic immunosensing platform for effective detection of aflatoxin B1 in food products.

Triple-signal lateral flow immunoassay for the detection of bovine casein using an M13 phage-displayed nanobody and MnO2 nanozyme conjugate.

Salmonella enterica biofilm is capable of VBNC state formation and virulence gene expression during low temperature food storage.

Chlorpyrifos residue reduction in pistachios using a saponin-rich extract from Saponaria officinalis: An eco-friendly washing approach

Front-of-pack (FOP) environmental labels have long been used to encourage more sustainable food choices. The wide range of sustainability dimensions relevant to food production and consequently food consumption, has led to an increasing number of FOP labels aiming to provide consumers with sufficient sustainability-related information. Consequently, there is currently a discussion about whether subdimensions should be included as part of an overall sustainability label, or if only an overall score should be shown, as it is the case with the Nutri-Score. This study aims to close this research gap. Focussing on water usage in food production this study investigates consumer preferences for water footprint information as a subdimension of an environmental label compared to an environmental label with no subdimensions. A choice experiment was conducted in autumn 2024 with n=998 German consumers, representative of the German population in terms of gender, age and education. The results of the random parameter logit model show that consumers’ marginal utility is highest for an environmental label that includes a low water footprint subdimension. A sole environmental label as well as the environmental label showing a high water footprint have a negative effect on consumers’ purchasing decisions. The study contributes to the scientific discourse on label design and information provision to facilitate sustainable choices. Additionally, practical recommendations can be derived regarding the importance of water footprint information in consumers’ food purchasing process.

Optimization of enzyme-assisted ultrasound extraction of polysaccharides from wild sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) plants using response surface methodology

Enhancing gelatin-based films and coatings for food packaging: The role of novel technologies in extending shelf life.

Quorum sensing (QS) is a microbial population-density communication mechanism that coordinates gene expression, affecting virulence, biofilm formation, and food spoilage activities. Its disruption, termed quorum quenching (QQ), emerged as a promising strategy for mitigating microbial pathogenicity and enhancing food preservation. This review summarizes the main bacterial QS systems and addresses QQ mechanisms, with an emphasis on autoinducers degradation and competitive receptor antagonism, focusing on natural compounds with antivirulence potential. Special attention is given to applications in food science, where QS influences spoilage, safety, and the performance of starter cultures in fermentations. Evidence shows that phenolic compounds play a central role as natural QS inhibitors, attenuating bacterial communication without imposing selective pressure for resistance. Practical examples include reducing spoilage in food products, as well as controlling biofilm formation. We discuss challenges and future directions, emphasizing technological barriers and the valorization of agro-industrial byproducts as sustainable sources of bioactive compounds. • QS drives spoilage, virulence, and biofilm formation in food systems • Quorum quenching offers antivirulence control without selecting resistance • Phenolic compounds are key natural inhibitors of bacterial QS networks • QS-targeted strategies improve food safety and shelf-life • Encapsulation enables practical use of natural QS inhibitors in foods

L-asparaginase to decrease acrylamide in traditional Chinese medicinal substances and food products: Mechanisms, applications, and developments

Encapsulation of rutin in underutilized plant protein-carbohydrate conjugates: A novel approach for enhancing polyphenols bio-accessibility and stability

Tartrazine, a synthetic azo dye that imparts a lemon-yellow color, is widely used in food products. Tartrazine has raised health concerns due to its potential to induce physiological and biochemical disruptions in different species. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of AgNPs synthesized from Azadirachta indica against tartrazine-induced reproductive toxicity using Japanese quail as an animal model. For this purpose, a total of 672, 14-day-old Japanese quails were purchased and, after a 10-day acclimatization period, were equally divided into 7 treatment groups (96 birds per group) with six replicates and a sex ratio of 1 male to 3 females. Group 1 served as the control and received a basal diet only. Groups 2 and 3 were administered tartrazine at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Groups 4 and 5 received tartrazine (10 mg/kg body weight) in combination with AgNPs at doses of 4 and 8 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Groups 6 and 7 received tartrazine (20 mg/kg body weight) combined with AgNPs at doses of 4 and 8 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The trial spanned 11 weeks. Reproductive toxicity was assessed by evaluating hen-day egg production, fertility, hatchability, embryo mortality, gonadal weight, and hormone levels. Tartrazine exposure significantly altered reproductive parameters in Japanese quails, as evidenced by reduced hen-day egg production, fertility, hatchability, gonadal weight, and disrupted hormone levels (p < 0.05). The highest reproductive toxicity was observed in quails administered Tz at 20 mg/kg body weight. However, AgNPs administration effectively restored reproductive parameters toward control levels, with the Tz (10 mg/kg) and AgNPs (8 mg/kg) co-treated group exhibiting the greatest improvement. In conclusion, tartrazine exposure induced reproductive aberrations in Japanese quails. However, green synthesized AgNPs proved effective in ameliorating tartrazine-induced toxicity, as their administration significantly improved reproductive health.

• Seaweeds possess valuable compounds that can add nutritional value to food products • The seaweed Macrocystis pyrifera was added to yellow, blue, and red corn tortillas • Differences in phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and tocopherols were analyzed • Phenolic compounds decreased with higher concentration of seaweed • Fucoxanthin and total carotenoids increased, while tocopherols decreased with more seaweed The seaweed Macrocystis pyrifera , mainly used as abalone feed, contains important phytonutrients that may be used to improve the nutritional profile of other food products, like tortillas. Maize tortillas , a staple food in some Latin American countries, contain bioactive compounds, including phenolics, carotenoids, and tocopherols, in concentrations that strongly depend on maize variety. The objective of this study was to identify the differences in the content of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and tocopherols in tortillas made with yellow, blue, or red maize and supplemented with different concentrations of Macrocystis pyrifera. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to analyze these phytochemicals. Fifteen phenolic compounds, nine carotenoids, and tocopherols were quantified above the threshold (0.005 µg/ml). The most abundant phenolic compound was p -hydroxybenzoic acid (4-hydroxybenzoic acid), at 3.84 ± 0.01 µg/g of sample, and was found in blue maize tortillas containing 9 % seaweed. Fucoxanthin was the most abundant carotenoid (408.38 ± 9.55 µg/g) found in red maize tortilla with 9 % seaweed. These compounds, as well as phloroglucinol and violaxanthin, increased with higher concentrations of added seaweed. γ-tocopherol (5.86 ± 0.21 µg/g) was the most abundant tocopherol; this compound, as well as other maize-derived compounds, like ferulic acid, decreased with the addition of the seaweed. Incorporating the seaweed Macroystis pyrifera into yellow, blue, and red maize tortillas led to significant differences in the carotenoid and phenolic compound content.

Assessing water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus policy trajectories under uncertainty in the Inkomati-Usuthu water management area, South Africa

• Participants gardened mostly at home, with some gardening in community gardens/other locations • Almost two-thirds of participants reported mental or physical wellbeing as important for why they gardened during lockdown • Participants prioritised gardening for physical and mental wellbeing during lockdown, over healthy food production (the primary reason for gardening before lockdown) • Food wellbeing requires consideration of cultural wellbeing when applied to food gardening contexts • Food wellbeing requires a consideration of the interrelationality of multiple aspects of physical, psychological, social, cultural and ecological wellbeing, when applied to e.g. across public health promotion, mental wellbeing, environmental and urban planning, and food system resilience domains This study provides insight into ways in which food gardening experiences may have changed for Aotearoa New Zealand food gardeners during the country’s first Covid-19 lockdown. This paper explores self-reports of food gardening practices, and of access to food gardens, reasons for gardening, and the importance of food gardens and food gardening to people engaging with them before and during lockdown. Data were collected via an anonymous quantitative and qualitative online survey. Of the participants’ responses analysed (n=266), they gardened for food mostly at home, with some food gardening in communal food gardens/other locations. Results are considered through an holistic lens of food wellbeing, with regards to food production and consumption, that considers aspects of physical, psychological, social, cultural, and ecological health. Findings indicate changes to food gardening experiences in the Covid-19 lockdown period, which have implications for wellbeing: Gardening to grow culturally relevant food increased in importance during lockdown for Māori and Pacific Island participants; and, nearly two-thirds of all participants reported food gardening for mental or physical wellbeing during lockdown compared to only half of participants before Covid-19. Further, participants deprioritised gardening for the purpose of growing healthy food during lockdown, with about two-thirds of respondents listing this in their top three reasons for food gardening compared to three-quarters before lockdown.

A near-infrared crosstalk-free FRET fluorescent probe for highly specific detection of sulfite and viscosity as well as its multi-applications.

Enhancing stable Technosols formation through iron tailing-amended sludge composting and plant colonization.

Oleogels as novel carriers for improving the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds: From design to applications in food products

NiAl-LDH nanocomposite: a promising platform for non-enzymatic electrochemical detection of nicotinic acid in food samples.

Development of functional gluten-free bread by incorporating amaranth and lentils: functional and nutritional aspects

Bees are essential to biodiversity and food production but are increasingly exposed to agricultural fungicides, such as pyraclostrobin (PYR), which is frequently detected in hive matrices. This study determined the oral lethal dose (LD50) of PYR in Africanized Apis mellifera and evaluated early transcriptomic responses in forager bees following one and four-hour exposure to contaminated syrup. Head tissues were subjected to RNA sequencing. The LD50 was 8.85 μg/bee, and a sublethal dose was selected for molecular analyses. After one hour, 432 genes were differentially expressed, with 104 shared between lethal and sublethal treatments. Upregulated genes were mainly associated with detoxification and immune pathways, indicating activation of xenobiotic processing and stress defence mechanisms. No significant transcriptional changes were observed after four hours. These findings demonstrate rapid molecular responses to PYR exposure and highlight the value of ecotoxicogenomics for detecting sublethal pesticide effects and informing risk assessment for pollinators.