Food Safety Requirements Research Articles

Current status and frontier tracking of the China HACCP system.

In today's booming society and in the age of science and technology, the diversification of food processing methods, the continuous extension of the food trade chain, and the potential hazard factors in the food production process all make people pay more and more attention to the establishment, development, and improvement of the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) system. Only terminal control and post-processing supervision of food can guarantee the absolute safety of food. In the process of processing, it is particularly important to strictly identify and evaluate the food safety hazards. To better assist food production enterprises in establishing and implementing HACCP systems, to implement the primary responsibility of food safety, and to improve the theoretical level and practical application of HACCP system in China, an investigation of the current situation and development frontier of HACCP system in China was conducted. Based on the core journal database of China Knowledge Network, the Chinese Social Science Citation Index database, and the Chinese Science Citation Database as the literature search database platform, the study used the CiteSpace visual metrics software system to analyze 1,084 pieces of literature in the field of HACCP research, in order to track the dynamics and impact of research in this field by Chinese research institutions and major authors, and analyze the research hotspots in the field. It is important for further research on HACCP. The results of the study showed that (1) the number of publications in the field of HACCP in China increased steadily from 1992 to 2004 and then began to decrease; (2) the indexes of journals with more publications were more concentrated, and the journal Food Science published the most; (3) the indexes of major research institutions showed that the cultivation bases of the State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Materials in the Center of Chinese Medicine Resources of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Medicine, the Guangdong Institute of Occupational Diseases, the Nanchang University of Life Sciences, and the Guangdong Institute of Occupational Diseases were more concentrated. Prevention and Treatment Institute, School of Life Sciences of Nanchang University, China Aquatic Products Quality Certification Center, School of Food Science and Nutrition Engineering of China Agricultural University, and other research structures have the most publications and strong scientific research strength; (4) from the main author indicators, the research in the field of HACCP has formed a total of four more active research teams, involving Chinese herbal medicine, ecological planting, ecological agriculture, occupational disease prevention and treatment, light industry handicrafts, computer software and computer application, agricultural economy, and other research directions. The cooperation between the authors of each team is closer. It is suggested that in terms of food safety requirements, China should not only integrate the traditional supervision measures for food terminals and after the event but also reflect the role of food hazard analysis and assessment in the production process and comprehensively integrate the pre-production, production, and post-production management of food so that food can really be safe.

How resilience innovations in food supply chains are revolutionizing logistics, wholesale trade, and farm services in developing countries

Developing country food supply chains have been pummeled by a series (and often a confluence) of shocks over the past several decades, including the Russia-Ukraine war, COVID-19, climate shocks from hurricanes to floods to droughts, animal and plant diseases, an intensification of road banditry and local conflicts, and overlaying all these, deep transformation in markets themselves with new requirements for quality and food safety. Yet supply chains have been largely resilient, adapting and bouncing back in surprising ways. We show that this has often involves deep ‘pivoting’ by one segment or one value chain, and ‘co-pivoting’ by another to facilitate the former’s pivot. We present a conceptual framework and then illustrate with a variety of examples from Africa and Asia, such as pivoting toward e-commerce by Asian retailers and co-pivoting by delivery intermediaries; pivoting toward quality horticultural production by African and Asian farmers and co-pivoting by mobile outsource services for farming and marketing; and building of redundant ports to protect rice milling operations from climate shocks in Asia by agribusiness and logistic firms. The paper provides implications for policy to facilitate these adaptions and for resilience strategies of agribusiness firms.

Nanocelluloses review: Preparation, biological properties, safety, and applications in the food field

AbstractFunctional diet and food safety requirements, as well as reducing the consumption of nonrenewable resources and environmental pollution are the important development themes on food processing. The development and application of edible nanocelluloses (NCs) is an urgent need in the current food field. NCs are divided into three types, including cellulose nanofibrils, and cellulose nanocrystals from natural fibers, as well as bacterial cellulose synthesized by bacteria. In this review, recent developments in surface modification, biological properties, safety issues, and their applications in the food industry were highlighted. NCs have application limits due to native hydrophilicity, surface modification strengthens their hydrophobicity and stability in the oil phase. NCs exhibit excellent physicochemical properties and successfully be used as edible coatings, emulsion stabilizers, and functional food ingredients. In particular, NCs and modified NCs can be used as low‐calorie fat substitutes and prebiotics for improving gut microbiota. However, the biological properties and safety assessments still require more attention, as well as establishing the regulations for food applications.

Moving beyond least developed country status: Challenges to diversifying Bangladesh’s seafood exports

Bangladesh is due to graduate from Least Developed Country status, resulting in the loss of preferential market access for textiles and ready-made-garments in key import markets. The paper examines the opportunities and constraints for developing a stronger export market orientation in the Bangladesh fish and seafood sector. We discuss the role of public and private standards in food safety and quality, as well as empirical evidence for their effect on fish and seafood value chains. We assess the factors limiting diversification into fish and seafood exports and constraints to value chain enhancement. The experience of export-oriented shrimp value chains provides lessons for the aquaculture sector. High costs of compliance with public and private standards and inability to meet traceability requirements for food safety and quality present a significant challenge. In diversifying beyond domestic markets for fish and seafood, the policy challenge lies in striking an appropriate balance between intervention and guidance.

Innovative bases of technology of autonomous transportation of perishable cargo

Transportation of perishable goods is a special type of transportation that has great social significance and has an impact on the health of the population. The correct choice of transportation technology and vehicle ensures the preservation of the quality of the transported perishable cargo due to compliance with the required temperature conditions, which in turn ensures compliance with food safety requirements. This article is devoted to the development of scientifically sound recommendations for the selection of new cooling systems for perishable goods by rail and technology parameters, including requirements for specialized vehicles, compliance with which will provide conditions for maintaining the quality of cargo throughout the entire transportation. The subject of research is to ensure the possibility of changing the composition of the gas environment of vehicles for the transportation of perishable goods due to re-equipment. The aim of the work is to develop the principles of technology for autonomous transportation of perishable foodstuffs, namely, ensuring high thermal parameters of vehicle enclosing structures; autonomous operation of installations during PG transportation with the simplest and most reliable implementation; achieving maximum efficiency of the equipment used in terms of generating thermal energy or energy spent on cooling when using non-energy-intensive methods organization of mass exchange of air inside the cargo area. Through analysis and theoretical studies, the possibility of joint operation of the gasifier and the heater was confirmed, the single-line nitrogen supply scheme was adjusted. Due to the use of modern methods and devices for cooling (heating), a reduction in costs for the transportation of products is guaranteed. The result of the work is confirmation of the possibility of joint operation of the gasifier and the heater under real conditions of transportation of fruit and vegetable products by rail.

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ БЕЗПЕЧНОСТІ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ПЕТ ПЛЯШОК ІЗ ВТОРИННОЇ СИРОВИНИ ДЛЯ ПАКУВАННЯ ХАРЧОВИХ ПРОДУКТІВ

In the food industry, various materials are used for packaging, including polymeric ones. Containers made from them have a number of advantages and conveniences both during transportation and in the process of storing packaged products, but they create significant risks of environmental pollution. It is disposable and needs to be disposed of or recycled after use.Packaging food products in containers made from secondary raw materials allows solving a number of environmental problems and reducing dependence on disposable containers. The introduction of innovative technologies using polymer waste of polyethylene terephthalate as a raw material for manufacturing, for example, bottles, also has economic feasibility.Polymer packaging is a potential source of pollution, harmful substances can migrate from it into food products, and therefore research is needed on the safety of using polymer materials made from secondary raw materials for packaging food products with regard to the migration of toxic components from them. Milk, alcoholic and low-alcohol products, oil, drinking water, vinegar, etc. are packed in polyethylene terephthalate bottles.The analysis of research and publications showed that special attention is paid to the safety of the use of secondary polymer containers in the food industry. To determine its compliance with food safety requirements, organoleptic and sanitary-chemical studies are performed, the level of migration of chemicals into the studied environment is monitored. The possibility of safe use of bottles made of secondary polyethylene terephthalate for packaging water and vegetable oil was investigated. But research on the migration of toxic components from bottles to other food environments is needed.The purpose of the article is to study the migration of toxic substances from bottles made from secondary raw materials into drinking pasteurized cow's milk, water-alcohol solutions, aqueous solutions of acetic and lactic acid of various concentrations.The article presents the results of a study of the safety of using bottles made entirely of secondary polyethylene tereph-thalate for packaging milk with a 2.5% fat content, alcohol-containing products with an alcohol content of 5% and 40%, as well as aqueous solutions of acetic and lactic acid of various concentrations. The determined indicators of migration of acet-aldehyde, acetone, butanol, isopropanol, methanol, ethylbenzene, dimethyl terephthalate and other toxic components into the studied environment comply with the established hygienic standards and do not exceed the permissible amount of migration. Bottles made entirely from recycled materials meet the requirements for containers. which is in contact with food products, and can be recommended for packaging the studied types of products

Effect of heavy metals on soil fertility and crop yields

One of the important tasks of modern agroecology is the study of the patterns of circulation in the biosphere of chemical elements that are regulators of biological processes. The goal – is to determine the quantitative and qualitative effect of heavy metals in soil on crop yields and beneficial properties of products obtained. At the same time, it was found that soil contaminated with heavy metals not only worsens the quality of products and food, but also reduces cadastral value of land. Methods – economic and statistical in analysis and assessment of the current state, abstract and logical, used to identify industry and regional characteristics. Results – urgent problem of degradation of agricultural lands, their desertification in the Republic of Kazakhstan is considered. The conducted research shows that the content of lead and arsenic corresponds to the norm, and cadmium and mercury exceed the normative indicators and do not meet food safety requirements. Conclusions – heavy metals lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic are toxic even in very low concentrations. Heavy metals enter agricultural lands from mineral fertilizers and plant protection products. It is generally accepted that their effect is negative if the yield is significantly reduced by 10% or more. It is necessary to carry out a detailed survey of the sphere of agricultural production on contaminated soils. It is practically impossible to reduce total concentration of heavy metals in unproductive arable land, but it is possible to significantly reduce their mobility and make them less accessible to plants, reduce accumulation of toxic substances in their biomass, improve the quality of land plots and, accordingly, their cadastral price.

Adapting Digital Technologies to Reduce Food Waste and Improve Operational Efficiency of a Frozen Food Company—The Case of Yumchop Foods in the UK

Cold storage is an essential operation for many food products in cold supply chains. The main objective of this kind of storage is to preserve the food products for a certain period of time. However, often due to a lack of accurate technology, humidity and temperature in food storge are not monitored in real-time, which will affect the food quality. At present, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a very popular choice for businesses in food supply chains. This is mainly because of the easy availability of internet, which helps monitor and control the quality of food in storage and transport. In this paper, the experiences of adapting and testing IoT sensors and Big Data technology for reducing food waste in a frozen food manufacturer in the UK are presented. The temperature and humidity monitoring within the operations of this ready-to-eat frozen meal company are also expected to maintain food quality and adhere to legal food safety requirements. Our reflection of experience gained in the installation of the sensors, collecting the data to a cloud server, and conducting data analytics with the data are also described. During the implementation of the technology, the company was able to identify optimal and non-optimal storage conditions for their food products and pre-processed ingredients. This allowed the further development of an alert system and corrective action protocol assisted using the technology installed. Results of the case study evidenced and reported a thorough real-time monitoring system that was able to reduce food waste and assure product quality, which could be applied in different stages of the food supply chain. This case can influence several food businesses to start adapting technology in their routine operations to ensure food quality and safety.

Food Safety-Internationally Agreed Framework.

Food safety is very important to protect the health of consumers. In this manuscript, internationally agreed concepts and requirements of food safety and risk analysis are beiefly explained along with the topics of symposium.

Research on Food Safety Issues in the Catering Industry from the Perspective of Business Ethics

With the development of society, people’s requirements for food safety are rising. As a product of western economics, business ethics play a vital role in the development of an industry. This paper analyzes the current situation and causes of corruption in the catering industry from the perspective of business ethics and puts forward corresponding solutions. In order to solve this problem, we must work together in many ways and abide by the business ethics of the catering industry, so as to promote better and faster development of the catering industry.

Biomass-Derived Plant Extracts in Macromolecular Chitosan Matrices as a Green Coating for PLA Films.

Due to the growing problem of food and packaging waste, environmental awareness, and customer requirements for food safety, there is a great need for the development of innovative and functional packaging. Among these developments, the concept of active packaging is at the forefront. The shortcoming in this area is that there is still a lack of multifunctional concepts, as well as green approaches. Therefore, this work focuses on the development of active chemical substances of natural origin applied as a coating on polylactic acid (PLA) films. Biopolymer chitosan and plant extracts rich in phenolic compounds (blackberry leaves-Rubus fruticosus, needles of prickly juniper-Juniperus oxycedrus) obtained from plant biomass from Southeastern Europe were selected in this work. In order to increase the effectiveness of individual substances and to introduce multifunctionality, they were combined in the form of different colloidal structural formulations. The plant extracts were embedded in chitosan biopolymer particles and dispersed in a macromolecular chitosan solution. In addition, a two-layer coating, the first of a macromolecular chitosan solution, and the second of a dispersion of the embedded extracts in chitosan particles, was applied to the PLA films as a novel approach. The success of the coatings was monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and the wettability was evaluated by contact angle measurements. Scanning electron microscopy SEM tracked the morphology and homogeneity of the coating. Antioxidation was studied by DPPH and ABTS spectrophotometric tests, and microbiological analysis of the films was performed according to the ISO 22196 Standard. Desorption of the coating from the PLA was monitored by reducing the elemental composition of the films themselves. The successful functionalization of PLA was demonstrated, while the XPS and ATR-FTIR analyses clearly showed the peaks of elemental composition of the extracts and chitosan on the PLA surface. Moreover, in all cases, the contact angle of the bilayer coatings decreased by more than 35-60% and contributed to the anti-fogging properties. The desorption experiments, due to decrease in the concentration of the specific typical element (nitrogen), indicated some migration of substances from the PLA's surface. The newly developed films also exhibited antioxidant properties, with antioxidant ABTS efficiencies ranging from 83.5 to 100% and a quite high inhibition of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, averaging over 95%. The current functionalization of PLA simultaneously confers antifogging, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties and drives the development of a biodegradable and environmentally friendly composite material using green chemistry principles.

Postbiotics and Their Health Modulatory Biomolecules.

Postbiotics are a new category of biotics that have the potential to confer health benefits but, unlike probiotics, do not require living cells to induce health effects and thus are not subject to the food safety requirements that apply to live microorganisms. Postbiotics are defined as a "preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host". Postbiotic components include short-chain fatty acids, exopolysaccharides, vitamins, teichoic acids, bacteriocins, enzymes and peptides in a non-purified inactivated cell preparation. While research into postbiotics is in its infancy, there is increasing evidence that postbiotics have the potential to modulate human health. Specifically, a number of postbiotics have been shown to improve gut health by strengthening the gut barrier, reducing inflammation and promoting antimicrobial activity against gut pathogens. Additionally, research is being conducted into the potential application of postbiotics to other areas of the body, including the skin, vagina and oral cavity. The purpose of this review is to set out the current research on postbiotics, demonstrate how postbiotics are currently used in commercial products and identify a number of knowledge gaps where further research is needed to identify the potential for future applications of postbiotics.

SOCIAL INEQUALITIES INFLUENCING AWARENESS OF GOOD AGRICULTUAL PRACTICES AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN MURANG’A COUNTY IN KENYA

Awareness of GLOBAL G.A.P. standards is the bedrock for the growth of export horticulture as it provides livelihoods to many small-scale farmers in developing countries. However, non-compliance with food safety requirements has evoked questions about farmers’ levels of awareness. Previous studies have overlooked the awareness-seeking behavior of smallholder farmers with diverse social characteristics. Therefore, this study was conducted in Murang’a County in Kenya to investigate the influence of social characteristics on awareness-exposure behavior among smallholder French bean farmers. The study systematically selected 115 small-scale French bean farmers. Questionnaires were administered through face-to-face interviews to elicit the data. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics by employing Pearson’s correlation and the Chi-square test. The study found that farmers differed in their awareness of different components that constitute GLOBAL G.A.P. Gender, farmer’s position in household, occupation, and wealth status were among the social inequalities that had a significant influence on the awareness of GLOBAL G.A.P. standards. In addition, farmer’s participation in awareness forums and affiliation with multiple sources of information on GLOBAL food safety standards had a significant influence on their level of awareness. This study recommends that proponents of farming innovations should always consider the socioeconomic status of potential adopters.

A Study on the Technology Content Assessment Based on Aspects of Food Safety in the Food Ingredient Company

Technological complexity assessment is one of ways to implement the continuous improvement process. This company is a food ingredient company that assure that their products do indeed meet customer requirements of food safety and quality. This study aims to assess the level of technological sophistication based on food safety aspects using technometric and AHP integration. Technological assessment is carried out on the production process of pregelatinized starch as premium and specialty product and its supporting processes within the company. The technometric approach will assess the level of sophistication of each technology component (technoware, humanware, infoware, and orgaware). And AHP is used to determine the contribution of each technology component. After that, computation of the technology contribution coefficient is done to determine the company’s technology level. The results showed that the highest to lowest value of the contribution of sophistication of each component of technology is orgaware with a sophistication value of 1.064, then infoware with a value of 1.047, followed by humanware 0.868, and lastly is the technoware component which is 0.692. The TCC value of the company is 0.909 which indicates that the company has a highly sophisticated technological with modern technology levels.

New Advances in Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFI) Technology for Food Safety Detection.

With the continuous development of China’s economy and society, people and the government have higher and higher requirements for food safety. Testing for food dopants and toxins can prevent the occurrence of various adverse health phenomena in the world’s population. By deploying new and powerful sensors that enable rapid sensing processes, the food industry can help detect trace adulteration and toxic substances. At present, as a common food safety detection method, lateral flow immunochromatography (LFI) is widely used in food safety testing, environmental testing and clinical medical treatment because of its advantages of simplicity, speed, specificity and low cost, and plays a pivotal role in ensuring food safety. This paper mainly focuses on the application of lateral flow immunochromatography and new technologies combined with test strips in food safety detection, such as aptamers, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, quantum dots, electrochemical test strip detection technology, biosensor test strip detection, etc. In addition, sensing principles such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer can also more effective. Different methods have different characteristics. The following is a review of the application of these technologies in food safety detection.

Ultrasensitive indirect electrochemical sensing of thiabendazole in fruit and water by the anodic stripping voltammetry of Cu2+ with hierarchical Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 for signal amplification

The development of effective electrochemical methods for the determination of pesticide residues is highly desirable for food safety requirements. Herein, a novel electrochemical sensing strategy for indirect detection of thiabendazole (TBZ) was achieved by monitoring the anodic stripping peak signal change of media Cu2+ induced by a significant activity difference between active Cu2+ and inactive Cu2+-TBZ complexes. In this sensing system, a heterostructured Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 composite synthesized via a simple in-situ-oxidization strategy is used as the electrode material to boost the anodic stripping peak signal. After optimizing various conditions, the developed sensor presents satisfactory analytical performance for TBZ assay with a linear range from 0.3 to 100.0 nM and a limit of detection as low as 0.1 nM (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the proposed sensing platform also exhibits outstanding anti-interference, repeatability, and stability, which is effective for the determination of TBZ in fruit and water samples.

Natural Antimicrobial as an Alternative Food Preservatives in the Dietary Systems of Human and Livestock

Natural antimicrobials have gained immense importance for researchers in the food industries in preserving food and increasing its shelf life by inhibiting the growth of microbial cells or by killing them. It can be an alternative to the critical complications of microbial resistance and combat various side effects of some synthetic compounds, alongside fulfilling the food safety requirements. In contrast to the benefits imparted by the natural preservatives, the emerging negative impacts exerted by synthetic preservatives on the health and safety of consumers are leading to the obligation for more systematic research to assess the toxicity and mechanism of action of bio preservatives. This review summarizes the natural antimicrobials that can be utilized in dietary systems of humans and livestock, their mechanism of action, various factors affecting their antimicrobial activity, and their incorporation into nano-system to ensure their safety and efficacy.

Hygiene and Food Safety Habits among Slovenian Mountaineers

The study provides a deeper insight into Slovenian mountaineers’ and excursionists’ habits regarding food safety knowledge, food handling practices, and hygiene on expeditions. The objective of the study is to identify gaps in food safety knowledge and food handling practice at home and during mountaineers’ activities. Data were collected using an anonymous online questionnaire (n = 330) and eight semi-structured interviews. The research participants take most of their food with them when they set off, mountaineers more often than excursionists (p < 0.05, p = 0,000). Few interviewees indicated that it is important to them that food is safe while consuming it. Almost 90% of mountaineers and excursionists believe they can identify food safety by smell and taste. Significantly more mountaineers prioritise food enjoyment over hygiene compared to excursionists (p < 0.05, p = 0.001). Mountaineers also feel that they are more resistant to foodborne diseases and are much less concerned about foodborne disease than excursionists (p < 0.05, p = 0.011). The respondents highlighted the need for the Alpine Association of Slovenia to organise food safety education for its members. The greatest emphasis has to be put on food safety education material that has to be put in general training programme for mountaineers. Informing mountaineers and excursionists about food safety requirements needs to be improved with target strategy.

A case study on closed-loop recycling of co-polyester plates – Assessment of material quality and life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas performance

Material quality, and opportunities for multiple reprocessing, need to be considered when analysing the overall carbon footprint and energy efficiency of plastic products in life cycle assessments. This is rarely done today. This paper presents a case study evaluating a closed-loop recycling system involving a plastics manufacturer in Sweden which produces and reprocesses multiple-use plastic dining plates. The study involves (i) analysing the physical properties and food safety and (ii) assessing the life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of the closed-loop recycling system and three other conventional options. The results show certain deterioration in material quality of the plastic plates after six reprocessing cycles but maintained functionality and fulfilment of the food safety requirements. Furthermore, the results show that the life-cycle GHG emissions for the closed-loop recycling system correspond to 20–60% of those of the alternative systems. The primary energy use for the closed-loop recycling system amounts to 50–60% of that of two alternative systems, while it is higher compared to the system that involves one recycling loop followed by waste incineration with energy recovery. This study demonstrates the importance of taking material quality into account in life cycle assessments and confirms the GHG benefits of closed-loop systems. • This case study evaluates a closed-loop recycling system of plastic dining plates. • The evaluation focuses on physical properties and environmental performance. • Functionality and food safety are maintained after six reprocessing cycles. • Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions are 40–60% of those of alternative systems.

2022–2023 Florida Citrus Production Guide: Food Safety Requirements and Considerations for the Florida Citrus Grower

2022–2023 Florida Citrus Production Guide: Food Safety Requirements and Considerations for the Florida Citrus Grower