In the European Union, official food safety monitoring data collected by member states are submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and published on Zenodo. This data includes 392 million analytical results derived from over 15.2 million samples covering more than 4000 different types of food products, offering great opportunities for artificial intelligence to analyze trends, predict hazards, and support early warning systems. However, the current format with data distributed across approximately 1000 files totaling several hundred gigabytes hinders accessibility and analysis. To address this, we introduce the CompreHensive European Food Safety (CHEFS) database , which consolidates EFSA monitoring data on pesticide residues, veterinary medicinal product residues, and chemical contaminants into a unified and structured dataset. We describe the creation and structure of the CHEFS database and demonstrate its potential by analyzing trends in European food safety monitoring data from 2000 to 2024. Our analyses explore changes in monitoring activities, the most frequently tested products, which products were most often non-compliant and which contaminants were most often found, and differences across countries. These findings highlight the CHEFS database as both a centralized data source and a strategic tool for guiding food safety policy, research, and regulation. • CHEFS unifies 392M EU food safety analytical results into one structured dataset. • Covers pesticides, vet drugs, and chemical contaminants in 15.2M food samples. • Enables AI use for trend analysis, risk prediction, and early warnings. • Solves access issues by merging 1000+ files into one clean database. • Reveals key trends in food safety monitoring across Europe (2000–2024).

Background: Table olives are key elements of Mediterranean cuisine, yet their contribution within traditional Greek culinary preparations remains underexplored. Aim: This study evaluated the nutritional composition of 70 Greek recipes (appetizers, salads, and main courses) incorporating table olives. Methods: We conducted nutritional analysis based on a previous study, integrating the USDA food composition database and the official Greek food composition tables, yield and retention factors, and standardized portion measures. Energy content was assessed against cut-off points for nutritionally balanced meals. Principal component analysis (PCA) and ternary plots were applied to examine the relationship between macronutrients, energy, and fatty acid profiles. Results: Mean energy density was 154.5 kcal/100 g, with fat as the dominant macronutrient (11.0 g/100 g), primarily monounsaturated. Proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, and dietary fiber contributed less to total energy, and fiber levels were moderate (1.24 g/100 g). Conclusions: These findings highlight that traditional olive-based recipes deliver energy predominantly through fat-rich ingredients, mainly monounsaturated fatty acids. The study underscores the need for portion awareness and potential recipe adjustments to enhance nutritional balance and offers a framework for assessing the dietary value of Mediterranean culinary traditions.

Digital technologies offer opportunities to transform the way we conduct official food safety control, shaping a future that increases its value through greater effectiveness, consistency and transparency. Traditionally, the data collection during inspections has been paper-based. However, we do not know to what extent control authorities already use a digital environment during inspections. Considering the benefits of using such an environment, this study aims to assess the use of a digital environment during on-site inspections in the retail sector in Spain. A survey was administered among regional and municipal authorities. A total of 26 authorities responded to the survey, 34.6% of which use a digital environment. Of these, the main reason for the use of such an environment was the standardisation of data collection during inspections. The most frequently mentioned result was the reduction of paperwork. The automatic generation of inspection reports based on templates was the most indicated process carried out through such an environment. Of the authorities that do not use a digital environment (65.4%), the reasons for not using such an environment most indicated were technological limitations, lack of budget and specialised staff. The results show that authorities mostly do not use a digital environment during inspections, but there is significant interest in using it. There are still opportunities to harness the potential of technology and drive change to protect health equally at the national level.

The importance of fermentation as a food preservation technique that enhances food value, nutrition, and food security in South Africa is examined in this review. Poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, and food insecurity are among the many issues the nation still faces, especially in rural and low-income areas. As a traditional and scientifically proven food-processing technique, fermentation provides an affordable, environmentally friendly answer to these problems. A comprehensive review of the literature of peer-reviewed works covering 1980 to 2025 was conducted in databases like Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. The review concentrated on the microbial components, nutritional advantages, and socioeconomic effects of both conventional and contemporary fermentation processes. While modern technologies have improved product consistency and safety, traditional fermented foods like amasi, umqombothi, amahewu, and incwancwa continue to be nutritionally significant and culturally relevant. However, obstacles like microbial contamination, uneven quality, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of regulations prevent widespread commercial adoption. The review concludes that by fusing traditional wisdom with cutting-edge biotechnology, fermentation has the potential to greatly improve South Africa’s food system. In order to scale fermentation practices and incorporate them into official food and nutrition programs, it is suggested that more funding be allocated to research, infrastructure, and supportive policies. Utilizing fermentation could improve the quality of food, encourage economic growth in rural areas, and provide a long-term route to increased food and nutrition security for the country.

Ensuring food safety requires robust screening approaches capable of detecting the administration of growth-promoting agents in livestock. While previous metabolomics studies have demonstrated proof-of-concept, most were limited to a single class of compounds and offered only partial metabolome coverage due to the use of individual analytical platforms. The present study aimed to develop a comprehensive classification model through a more global exploration of the metabolome. This integrative workflow represents a major step towards implementing effect-based metabolomics screening within official food control frameworks. A total of 502 urine samples from six experiments (n = 59 cattle) involving β-agonists, steroids, and SARMs were analysed using four complementary LC-HRMS platforms. This multi-platform approach expanded metabolome coverage by capturing a wide range of molecular fingerprints. Multiblock Consensus-OPLS analysis was applied to integrate the four datasets into a joint modelling strategy, thereby enhancing data interpretation. This strategy provided an innovative framework that increased the predictive power of the classification model and underscored the complementarity of the LC-HRMS techniques. Overall, this comprehensive workflow enabled the efficient classification of samples from animals subjected to multiple anabolic treatments within a single analysis. Such advances not only strengthen detection capabilities but also offer a versatile tool to address key public health concerns.

This dataset provides seasonally estimated monthly costs of healthy and sustainable diets for five demographic profiles: infants, adolescents, adult women, adult men, and the elderly. The estimates cover all Italian provinces across 12 seasonal periods from 2021 to 2024. Food baskets are based on nationally recommended nutritional guidelines that are specific to age, gender, and season. They include 167 food items, ranging from fresh produce to processed foods. Costs are calculated by matching these dietary requirements with official provincial-level food price data from the Osservatorio Prezzi e Tariffe. Missing prices in provinces not covered by the survey are imputed using a spatial model that accounts for neighboring prices, local income levels, and seasonal variation. For each basket, the dataset reports minimum, average, and maximum monthly costs, depending on the variation in item-level prices. This dataset allows for spatial and temporal analysis of the affordability of healthy diets and supports applications in public health, food policy, and targeted support for vulnerable populations across Italian provinces.

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is an environmental pathogen that can contaminate a wide variety of food products, leading to foodborne listeriosis outbreaks. In this context, ready-to-eat (RTE) foods of animal and plant origin are of particular relevance as the source of infection. In Germany, the official food and veterinary control laboratories, under the sovereignty of the federal states, examine foodstuffs for the presence of foodborne pathogens, including Listeria. The German National Reference Laboratory for L. monocytogenes regularly organizes inter-laboratory proficiency tests (PTs) to monitor the accuracy and comparability of analyses performed by these official control laboratories. In our study, we provide summary data on frequently contaminated RTE food products in the European Union and present the outcome of five consecutive PTs. RTE food matrices provided by the German National Reference Laboratory for L. monocytogenes included processed meat, fish, vegetable, and dairy products. Overall, the official control laboratories achieved excellent results in the PTs. In total, 91 participants were documented. Flawless results were reported in 93.4% of the cases. Only four times, participants did not pass the PT in the first attempt. By performing official food and veterinary controls along the food chain, control laboratories make a significant contribution to food safety. To keep the excellent standard of the official control laboratories in Germany in line with future challenges in food safety, PTs with relevant RTE food matrices are indispensable.

Pistachio (Pistacia vera) is widely consumed among tree nuts but capable of triggering severe IgE-mediated reactions in allergic individuals. Due to the similarity of cashew-borne and pistachio-borne allergen proteins and DNA, traditional detection methods, such as ELISA and PCR, often suffer from cross-reactivity, limiting their ability to discriminate between these two allergens. This study presents a sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous detection of pistachio and cashew allergens in processed food with a screening detection limit (SDL) equal to 1 mg/kg. The method was validated for specificity, SDL, β error, precision, and ruggedness, and applied to various matrices (cereals, chocolate, sauces, and meat products). Ruggedness testing showed that all considered parameters must be carefully monitored by the operator, and sample preparation must be carried out without any modification in parameter values, under strictly controlled conditions. Good reproducibility was achieved for pistachio detection, while ongoing investigations should be carried out to overcome existing constraints for cashew. The LC-MS/MS method described in this work is a discriminatory method suitable for official food allergen control to selectively differentiate pistachio from cashew allergens, overcoming the limitations of PCR and ELISA when cross-reactivity occurs. It represents a validated tool for pistachio detection and a promising approach toward improving cashew allergen analysis.

Healthy lifestyle and sustainable behaviors: A proposal for the food pyramid in the Brazilian context.

This project conducted targeted surveillance sampling of retail food products for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to identify emerging food safety risks and enhance the FSA’s intelligence on the food system. The programme was delivered in partnership with 3 Local Authority Official Food and Feed Laboratories (OLs) and 2 private OLs in England and Wales. A total of 822 food samples from 24 different food commodity types were purchased from physical and online retailers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and were tested for compliance with relevant food regulations. The samples were categorised into basket or frequently consumed foods, surveillance foods to inform the FSA’s knowledge of risk, and science and research foods to inform the FSA’s scientific knowledge and policy development. The overall findings showed that most foods were compliant with the testing and assessments undertaken. Of the samples tested for allergens 96% were deemed compliant whilst 4% indicated the presence of an undeclared allergen. Milk was the most common undeclared allergen found. In terms of authenticity, 94% of samples were deemed authentic. Reasons why samples were inauthentic included Basmati rice which contained more non-Basmati rice varieties than allowed, and non-pork meat found in pork sausages. The compliance rate for unauthorised ingredients was 93%, with issues including non-permitted sweeteners, and unauthorised and excess use of colours. For composition, 87% of samples were compliant, with issues including less meat content than declared in chicken ready meals and pork sausages, and incorrect fat content in milk. No mycotoxins or heavy metals were detected at levels of concern, but some oregano samples contained foreign bodies. Labelling irregularities were found in 21% of food products. These issues largely related to technical aspects such as incorrect typographical format of allergen information and durability dates, or missing or incorrect nutritional information.

Lulo or naranjilla (Solanum quitoense Lam.) is an Andean fruit with a sour and refreshing flavor, widely used in the preparation of juices and sweets. Despite its potential for international markets, it remains largely unknown outside its native regions, and most existing studies have focused on the whole fruit or its juice. This study investigated the nutritional and phenolic profiles of the peel, pulp, and seeds of S. quitoense using official food analysis methods and chromatographic techniques. In addition, the in vitro antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effects against foodborne fungi and bacteria were assessed. The peel was rich in ascorbic acid (25.2 mg/100 g fw), α-tocopherol (7.9 mg/100 g fw), dietary fiber (16.5 g/100 g fw), macrominerals (Na, Ca, K), and flavonoids (14.2 mg/g extract); the pulp contained high levels of citric acid (4.22 g/100 g fw) and sucrose (2.7 g/100 g fw); and the seeds stood out for their contents of trace elements (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe), oleic acid, and spermidine-derived phenolamides (37.8 mg/g extract). Hydroethanolic extracts showed antioxidant activity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and oxidative hemolysis, with the seed extract exhibiting the strongest antifungal effect against Aspergillus versicolor, likely due to its high spermidine derivative content. These findings shed light on the potential of S. quitoense fruit for the development of functional foods, antioxidant-rich beverages, and nutraceutical products.

Monitoring economic access to food is fundamental to implement strategies to reduce food insecurity and enhance the affordability of healthy diets. The aims of the present study were to develop a healthy food basket (HFB) and analyze its cost from 2011 to 2024, in Uruguay, a high-income Latin American country. The HFB was conceptualized as a set of foods that allows the achievement of the nutritional needs of a person at the lowest possible cost, considering the dietary patterns of the local population. Its construction was based on national and international dietary intake recommendations, local food acquisition patterns, and food prices. The daily cost of the HFB in May 2024 was USD 7.5, considering purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factors. The cost of the basket was higher than the Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet elaborated by FAO for the country and the region and higher than the cost of the official food baskets of the country. The cost of the HFB increased 202.3% from January 2011 to May 2024, while inflation increased by 178.4%. Fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy products, and processed cereals made the largest contribution to the cost of the HFB. Results highlight the need to reassess the country's poverty estimation criteria and implement strategies to improve the affordability of healthy foods, such as adjusting cash transfer amounts and introducing targeted subsidies. The proposed methodological approach can contribute to the standardization of approaches to measure and monitor the cost of healthy diets in other countries.

Finnish food inspectors' experiences and perceptions of remote inspections' suitability and reliability and their willingness to use remote inspections in the future were studied by using an electronic questionnaire survey and interviews. In addition, their perceptions of the sufficiency of the official guidance of remote inspections was studied. In total, 111 food control officials representing 44 out of the 62 (71%) municipal food control units responded to the questionnaire. In addition, 12 food inspectors were interviewed from six municipal food control units (9.7%). Most of the respondents considered remote inspections suitable for inspecting own-check entries (94.5%) and documents (92.7%). The reliability of remote inspections was influenced by the inspection issue, preconditions for the inspection and the food business operator's history of compliance. Official guidance on remote inspections was under-utilized and mostly replaced with local practices during the pandemic. All respondents and interviewees wanted to use remote inspections as one inspection method in the future. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the willingness to inspect operations remotely was influenced by the inspector's opinion on whether the outcome of a remote inspection would be as reliable as the outcome of an on-site inspection (p = 0.036). This study indicates that remote inspections are suitable for inspecting documentation but should only be used to complement on-site inspections. In addition, guidance and education are needed for further development of remote inspections. • Remote inspections are most suitable for own-check entries and documents. • Technical preconditions and FBO's previous compliance history influenced reliability. • Remote inspections can be used to complement on-site inspections.

The presence of mycotoxins in cheese is a significant concern due to their potential health risks. Mycotoxins can contaminate cheese through two main routes: indirectly via contaminated animal feed, and/or directly, because of mold growth on dairy products. It has been reported that cheese may contain metabolites of aflatoxin B1 such as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), aflatoxicol (AFL), and, its precursor, sterigmatocystin (STC). This study presents a reliable method for the simultaneous determination of AFM1, AFL, and STC in cheeses made from ovine, goat, or buffalo milk. The method was developed using single liquid extraction, clean-up by an immunoaffinity column (IAC), and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) determination. The method was subjected to initial validation according to EU regulations, which outline the required performance parameters and criteria of analytical methods for official food control. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of the method for AFM1, AFL, and STC are 2.0 ng/kg, 5.0 ng/kg, and 1.0 ng/kg, respectively. The method was applied in a study for the assessment of mycotoxin transfer from milk to cheeses and also their growth.

Brominated flame retardants (BFR) are a broad class of substances with great economic importance. They can accumulate in the environment and become persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Two major substance classes are the 1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). Because of their known toxicity and potential accumulation in the food chain, their detection in food is crucial. A sensitive method was developed and successfully validated to quantify the three most pertinent HBCDD isomers, α-, β- and γ-HBCDD and TBBPA in a wide variety of food matrices, including fish, meat, oil and insect powder. As an improvement to the methods described in the Guidance Document on the Determination of Organobromine Contaminants of the European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) POPs our method is a time- and cost-saving alternative fulfilling all relevant parameters required for official food control by using commercially available laboratory equipment. The powdered sample is extracted without further clean-up on a sulfuric silica gel column and analysed via ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The method performance was demonstrated for the matrices insect flour, fish and olive oil with focus on the parameters linearity (0.1 to 10.0 ng mL−1 for HBCDDs and 1 to 50 ng mL−1 for TBBPA), trueness (89.7–118.6%), repeatability (1.59–9.46%), recovery of deuterated standard (63.8–105.6% for HBCDDs), limit of detection (≤ 0.005 µg/kg for HBCDDs and ≤ 0.046 µg/kg for TBBPA) and limit of quantification (≤ 0.016 µg/kg for HBCDDs and ≤ 0.147 µg/kg for TBBPA). The method was successfully applied in proficiency tests organised by the EURL POPs on the determination of HBCDDs and TBBPA in various food matrices.

The Working Group on Method Performance Requirements (WG-MPR) of the European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL) and the EU Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EURL GMFF) have extended the scope of its guidance document on the “Definition of minimum performance requirements for analytical methods of GMO testing”. This document establishes criteria for the development and validation of methods for GMO analysis, both for EU market authorization applications and for official food and feed control. The guidance outlines definitions and performance requirements for methods used to detect and quantify GMOs and has recently been expanded to include digital PCR methods, the detection of genetically modified animals, and the analysis of products developed using new mutagenesis techniques. The guidance document is freely available on the EURL GMFF website (https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC125975 accessed 25.02.2025).

The aim of the study was to analyse the frequency and sources of food safety hazards based on the results of research performed within the framework of official food control and monitoring, by the District Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. Basing on the published references, the concept of food safety was discussed, as well as the legal regulations in this respect at EU and national level. Hazards present in food (chemical, biological, physical) were also characterized. The analytical part was based on data from 558 food samples taken as part of official food control and monitoring performed by the District Sanitary Inspectorate over three consecutive years. It was found that during the analysed period, the largest number of samples tested for food hazards came from the groups: confectionery and pastry products; poultry, offal and poultry products, eggs and eggs products; milk and milk products. Samples were mostly collected at hypermarkets, food discounters, bakeries and confectioneries and convenience stores. The directions of the analyses varied significantly between product groups, with the most common being microbiological hazards and the content of additives, including preservatives, dyes and substances other than sweeteners and dyes. Confectionery and pastry products were most frequently tested for microbiological contaminants, while additives were mainly determined in delicatessen and culinary products. During the inspections, 15 food samples were called in question, and in one case the product labeling was questionable. The reasons for questioning the quality of food were the presence of microbiological contaminants such as: thermophilic Campylobacter bacteria, Salmonella bacteria, including S. enteritidis, an excess of Enterobacteriaceae, the presence of biological contaminants and inappropriate caloricity of the meal.

A literature search was conducted in Russian and in English using the peer reviewed sources database PubMed, Russian on-line scientific platforms eLibrary and CyberLeninka, official European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on-line platform. The paper describes current approaches to safe intake level determination for micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) based on the risk assessment. Both scientific and regulatory sources in the field of setting safe levels of intake for micronutrients and bioactive compounds were reviewed. The four steps risk assessment process for establishing ULs for vitamins and minerals is given. The process is based on the complex assessment of possible adverse health effects on humans. The need to update the ULs is identified for the following micronutrients: vitamin A (retinol) and carotenoids, vitamin B9 (folates), vitamins D and C; minerals - calcium, magnesium, potassium; trace elements - iodine and iron. Actual data based on the latest scientific information for the purpose of consumption levels substantiation and, in turn, micronutrient content standardization in food - is a necessary element to ensure the disease prevention efficiency using fortified foods, SN and DS. For the vitamin A (retinol) and carotenoids; vitamins B9 (folates), D and C; minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium); trace elements (iodine and iron) - it is advisable to provide an action plan allowing to update the existing Russian ULs for DS and SN dedicated to the adult population.

This work aimed to assess the nutritional and antioxidant profiles of two traditional foods widely consumed in the Eastern Region of Cameroon (ERC). An ethnofood survey highlighted that the ERC has a great diversity of traditional recipes, among which Koko and Mbol, prepared with Beilschmiedia anacardioides and Gnetum africanum , respectively, are the most consumed. Koko and Mbol contained 67.46% and 75.29% of carbohydrates, 20.21% and 13.43% of fat, 423.68 mg/100 g and 81.19 mg/100 g of iron, 0.918 ± 0.12 and 0.622 ± 0.27 mg GAE/100 g of phenolic components and 0.541 ± 0.21 and 0.332 ± 0.23 mg CE/100 g of flavonoids, respectively. These results indicate that both foods can contribute substantially to dietary energy and micronutrient intake and therefore combat anaemia, caused by iron deficiency in the population of ERC. Consequently, promoting the consumption of these traditional foods, which can be inserted into the official food composition table of Cameroon, might support nutritional strategies aimed at improving public health in the region.

Loco Moco as a must try dish for tourists to Hawaii, its variation of ingredients and format shows the story of layered immigration, adaptation and identity transformation. Loco Moco’s dual role as spirit of local Hawaiian and culinary experiences for outsiders have been developed through the process of globalization and development of economics. Through the recipes and official food guides, the change of Loco Moco’s format and ingredients showing the effect of globalization on Hawaii as a tourist and cultural center. The ethnography and social science resources prove details of Hawaii cuisine development. This research paper argues that Loco Moco has evolved into an epitome of Hawaiian identity shaped by tourism from a working-class comfort food, its transformation also reflects the dynamic interplay between local identity, cultural hybridity and the commodifying forces of the global food economy.