Food Safety Assessment Research Articles

Exploring Sustainability in Wineries: Evaluating Food Safety and Environmental Management Aligning with the Farm to Fork Strategy

The Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy, a key initiative of the European Commission under the European Green Deal, strives to make the European Union’s (EU) economy sustainable. Focused on the food system, the F2F Strategy prioritizes sustainability in agriculture, eco-friendly practices, biodiversity preservation, and climate change mitigation. It targets high food safety (FS) and environmental management (EM) standards across the Agri-food Supply Chain (ASC). Addressing sustainability challenges in the wine industry, this study delves into the Wine Value Chain (WVC). Emphasizing the intricate sustainability interplay within the WVC, this study concentrates on FS and EM to ensure the long-term viability of wine production. The primary goal is to create a comprehensive sustainability evaluation method for wineries, incorporating performance indicators from FS and EM components. The methodology involves assessing Food Safety Management Systems (FSMSs), evaluating Environmental Management Systems (EMSs), investigating contamination risks, and synthesizing results into a sustainability matrix. Findings highlight commendable FS practices, such as widespread Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) adoption and underscore the need for increased EM focus. Notable figures include a 76.2% adoption of the HACCP system and 68.8% of wineries implementing an EMS. Performance indicators become critical for sustainability assessment, forming the cornerstone to gauge the industry’s effective sustainability management aligned with the F2F Strategy. This study stresses the holistic integration of FS and EM practices, providing insights into workforce engagement, regulatory compliance, and sustainable objectives. This research offers a tool for evaluating and advancing sustainability in the wine industry culminating in a sustainability matrix.

Novel Foods and Fitness

Food is a essential and basic nutritional requirements of human beings. Today malnutrition and hunger issues growing at alarming rate in world and the nation. This issue arises due to increasing population and lifestyle change. This alters the pattern and composition of food intake of human beings. Recently the emerge of novel food is visualised in the economy. The novel foods are non-traditional foods that require a food safety assessment by food standard department of a country. To eradicate all the forms of malnutrition and to bring sustainable food production, Novel foods and Novel technologies plays an important role in bridging the gap between food and nutrition. So, the present paper aims to study the novel food and its fitness.

Verification of a Rapid Analytical Method for the Qualitative Detection of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes by a Real-Time PCR Assay according to EN UNI ISO 16140-3:2021.

Microbial contamination and foodborne infections are a significant global public health concern. For this reason, the detection, monitoring, and characterization of pathogens represent a significant challenge in quality control settings. Standard approaches, such as culture methods and biochemical tests, are known to be very time-consuming and intensive. Conversely, molecular technologies based on the genomic identification of bacteria are quick and low-cost. Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen and a major concern especially in food industries. It is important to understand and implement multiple quality control measures to control Listeria infection risk and prevent the contamination of products. Standardized detection and confirmation tests such as the API Listeria test, MALDI-TOF MS, and PCR analysis are available. The aim of our work is to provide a specific molecular method, designed according to the EN UNI ISO 16140-3:2021, for the specific detection, monitoring, and characterization of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The verification of this new rapid approach by real-time PCR (qPCR) overcomes the limitations of culture-based techniques, meeting all the verification criteria required by ISO guidelines, including implementation and item confirmation. This system offers a powerful approach to the real-time assessment of food safety, useful for industry self-monitoring and regulatory inspection.

Evidence for initiating food safety policy: An assessment of the quality and safety of donated food at an Australian food bank

Food banks play a vital role in addressing the needs of people experiencing food insecurity. Food banks rely on the food industry, particularly supermarkets, for food donations, and on voluntary labor to scrutinize and sort donations for quality and safety. Currently, national food safety laws and policies in Australia regulate food businesses, but do not specifically apply to donations. There are reports of expired, spoiled, and rotten food donations and clients express dissatisfaction with the quality and safety of food provided. This study describes a novel approach to visually identify and assess the safety and quality of food donations at an Australian food bank. Data from an audit of donations to a metropolitan food bank were analyzed. Food safety assessment criterion were developed based on food safety standards and applied to 1217 items (84,996 kg) of donated food. Each product was visually inspected and assessed as ‘safe’, ‘unsuitable’, ‘potentially unsafe’, or ‘unsafe for human consumption’ upon receival. Of the 84,996 kg of donated food, 96 % was categorized as satisfactory and 4 % (3761 kg) was categorized as either unsafe (2024 kg), potentially unsafe (1313 kg) or unsuitable (424 kg) for consumption. Supermarket donations comprised 90 % (by weight) of the unsafe and unsuitable food. The overall proportion of visually unsafe and unsuitable foods was low, but consumption of any unsafe, hazardous and/or damaged products poses a risk to the consumer. Given the vulnerability of clients receiving this food, the public health risk is high. The management of potential risk is problematic too as multiple decisions to determine appropriateness for distribution, places demands on food banks and hampers efficiency. The findings underscore the clear need for a specific food safety regulatory framework for donated food in Australia.

AFB1 Triggers Lipid Metabolism Disorders through the PI3K/Akt Pathway and Mediates Apoptosis Leading to Hepatotoxicity.

As the most prevalent mycotoxin in agricultural products, aflatoxin B1 not only causes significant economic losses but also poses a substantial threat to human and animal health. AFB1 has been shown to increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but the underlying mechanism is not thoroughly researched. Here, we explored the toxicity mechanism of AFB1 on human hepatocytes following low-dose exposure based on transcriptomics and lipidomics. Apoptosis-related pathways were significantly upregulated after AFB1 exposure in all three hES-Hep, HepaRG, and HepG2 hepatogenic cell lines. By conducting a comparative analysis with the TCGA-LIHC database, four biomarkers (MTCH1, PPM1D, TP53I3, and UBC) shared by AFB1 and HCC were identified (hazard ratio > 1), which can be used to monitor the degree of AFB1-induced hepatotoxicity. Simultaneously, AFB1 induced abnormal metabolism of glycerolipids, sphingolipids, and glycerophospholipids in HepG2 cells (FDR < 0.05, impact > 0.1). Furthermore, combined analysis revealed strong regulatory effects between PIK3R1 and sphingolipids (correlation coefficient > 0.9), suggesting potential mediation by the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) /protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway within mitochondria. This study revealed the dysregulation of lipid metabolism induced by AFB1 and found novel target genes associated with AFB-induced HCC development, providing reliable evidence for elucidating the hepatotoxicity of AFB as well as assessing food safety risks.

Applications of chemically modified screen-printed electrodes in food analysis and quality monitoring: a review.

Food analysis and food quality monitoring are vital aspects of the food industry, ensuring the safety and authenticity of various food products, from packaged goods to fast food. In this comprehensive review, we explore the applications of chemically modified Screen-Printed Electrodes (SPEs) in these critical domains. SPEs have become extremely useful devices for ensuring food safety and quality assessment because of their adaptability, affordability, and convenience of use. The Introduction opens the evaluation, that covers a wide spectrum of foods, encompassing packaged, junk food, and food quality concerns. This sets the stage for a detailed exploration of chemically modified SPEs, including their nature, types, utilization, and the advantages they offer in the context of food analysis. Subsequently, the review delves into the multitude applications of SPEs in food analysis, ranging from the detection of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, which are significant indicators of food spoilage and safety, to the identification of pesticide residues, food colorants, chemicals, toxins, and antibiotics. Furthermore, chemically modified SPEs have proven to be invaluable in the quantification of metal ions and vitamins in various food matrices, shedding light on nutritional content and quality.

FooDOxS: a database of oxidized sterols content in foods.

Dietary oxidized sterols (DOxS) are cholesterol-like molecules known to exert pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant, and pro-apoptotic effects, among others. We present the FooDOxS database, a comprehensive compilation of DOxS content in over 1680 food items from 120 publications across 25 countries, augmented by data generated by our group. This database reports DOxS content in foods classified under the NOVA and What We Eat in America (WWEIA) systems, allowing a comprehensive and statistically robust summary of DOxS content in foods. Notably, we evaluated the efficacy of using NOVA and WWEIA classifications in capturing DOxS variations across food categories. Our findings provide insights into the strengths and limitations of these classification systems, enhancing their utility for assessing dietary components. This research contributes to the understanding of DOxS in food processing and suggests refinements for classification systems, holding promise for improved food safety and public health assessments.

A nano-biosensing platform based on CuS-BSA for label-free fluorescence detection of Escherichia coli.

Bacterial contamination is a serious issue for public health and food safety. In this work, a simple and label-free fluorescence detection nanoplatform for Escherichia coli (E. coli) was established on the basis of the competitive relationship for the reduction of Cu2+ in CuS-BSA between E. coli and O-phenylenediamine (OPD). OPD could be directly oxidized by Cu2+ to produce 2,3-diaminophenazine (ox OPD) with fluorescence properties. When OPD was introduced into an aqueous solution containing CuS-BSA and E. coli, the oxidation of OPD was inhibited owing to the reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+/Cu0 by NADH-2 dehydrogenase in the bacterial copper homeostasis mechanism, thus decreasing the fluorescence response signal of the system. Meanwhile, our strategy exhibited a satisfactory performance with a broad linear response to E. coli ranging from 12 to 1.2 × 107 CFU mL-1, and the limit of detection was 9 CFU mL-1. The practicability of the developed fluorescence biosensing platform in real samples was evaluated by successful determination of E. coli in drinking water and orange juice. These findings provide a new sensing strategy for analyzing other foodborne bacteria and ensuring food safety assessment.

Ensuring food safety by artificial intelligence-enhanced nanosensor arrays.

Current analytical methods utilized for food safety inspection requires improvement in terms of their cost-efficiency, speed of detection, and ease of use. Sensor array technology has emerged as a food safety assessment method that applies multiple cross-reactive sensors to identify specific targets via pattern recognition. When the sensor arrays are fabricated with nanomaterials, the binding affinity of analytes to the sensors and the response of sensor arrays can be remarkably enhanced, thereby making the detection process more rapid, sensitive, and accurate. Data analysis is vital in converting the signals from sensor arrays into meaningful information regarding the analytes. As the sensor arrays can generate complex, high-dimensional data in response to analytes, they require the use of machine learning algorithms to reduce the dimensionality of the data to gain more reliable outcomes. Moreover, the advances in handheld smart devices have made it easier to read and analyze the sensor array signals, with the advantages of convenience, portability, and efficiency. While facing some challenges, the integration of artificial intelligence with nanosensor arrays holds promise for enhancing food safety monitoring.

Healthy food design and early childhood nutrition: Nutritional and food safety assessment of fermented and malted multi-grains instant weaning porridge fortified with defatted pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seed flour

Poor-quality diets are one of the most significant barriers to children's survival, growth, development, and learning today. In the context of this experiment, weaning porridge from complementary flour blends of locally available foodstuffs (millet, sorghum, green beans, and pumpkin seeds) was formulated for nutritional, functional, microbiological, and sensory acceptability. The results outlined that all the developed weaning porridge complied with the energy and nutrient density (zinc, iron, and protein) criteria. Energy (2.06-2.08 Kcal/g), protein (4.09-5.44% g/100 Kcal), iron (3.96-4.59 mg/100 Kcal), and calcium (0.39-1.37 mg/100 Kcal) were the nutrient density values identified. The functional features revealed an excellent reconstitution index (5.25-4.53) with a significant difference (P&amp;lt;0.05), a swelling index ranging from 1.03% to 0.57%, and a viscosity ranging from 195.5 cp to 204.5 cp. This study provides valuable insight that complementary foods made from locally available foods are potential solutions for mitigating childhood malnutrition and providing adequate complementation to breastfeeding in resource-poor and technologically underdeveloped countries by providing the needed energy and nutrient densities for immunity, well-being, growth, and development of young children and infants without fortification.

Legal Aspects of Microalgae in the European Food Sector.

The interest in microalgae as food in Europe is growing due to its remarkable features that can foster a sustainable economy. The lack of tradition on their use among Europeans is changing and a demand for more sustainable products is increasing. The legal framework from the microalgae stakeholders' point of view has been consistently identified as a bottleneck, regardless of its nutritional value and potential to provide added-value metabolites. Microalgae-based products have been mostly consumed as food supplements, which are characterized by some general uncertainty with regards to food security of products sourced from non-European countries. The novel foods regulation is a landmark in Europe's food law defining the conditions in which a new type of food can be commercialized. Currently, a more simplified and centralized version is in place, and around eleven microalgae-based products are on the market; however, more than half are represented by Schizochytrium sp. derived products (DHA-rich oil). Microalgae have immense potential as a sustainable food source; nonetheless, there is limited experience in assessing the safety of these microorganisms, considering the uncertainty around undesirable substances present in the way they are produced and their diverse metabolites. Here, we overview the regulatory use of microalgae as food in Europe with a focus on market introduction, highlighting the administrative procedures and scientific requirements to assess food safety. We also discuss the implications of the Transparency regulation related to microalgae as novel foods and provide considerations for a more solid interaction between academia and industry.

N-aminomorpholine-functionalized bromine-doped carbon dots for hypochlorous acid detection in foods and imaging in live cells

Hypochlorous acid (HClO) is used in food preservation. However, excessive HClO can deteriorate nutritional composition of food, compromise its quality, and potentially induce various diseases. Consequently, the development of multifunctional fluorescent probes for the sensitive and selective detection of HClO is highly anticipated for food safety. In this work, we designed a nanoprobe using N-aminomorpholine (AM)-functionalized bromine-doped carbon dots (Br-CDs-AM) for sensing HClO. This nanoprobe exhibits pH stability, strong resistance to photobleaching, superior long-term photostability (12 weeks), high sensitivity (19.3 nM), and an ultrarapid response (8 s) for detecting HClO residues in food matrices with percentage recovery (96.5 %–108 %) and RSDs less than 5.34 %. In addition, extremely low cytotoxicity and outstanding biocompatibility enable the nanoprobe to be used primarily for lysosome tracking and rapidly visualizing HClO in live cells. Thus, this study provides a new pathway to design unconventional nanoprobes for food safety assessment and subcellular organelle-specific imaging HClO.

DEVELOPMENT AND DETERMINATION OF THE METHODOLOGY FOR ASSESSING THE LEVEL OF FOOD SECURITY IN THE RA

Food security is one of the main goals of the agrarian and economic policy of the state. It forms the vector of movement of any national food system towards an ideal state. In this sense, ensuring food security is an ongoing process. At the same time, to achieve this, there is often a change in development priorities and mechanisms for the implementation of agricultural policy. The definitions of food security formulated in the Rome Declaration on World Food Security (1996) contain the following main areas: physical access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, economic access to food of adequate quantity and quality for all social groups of the population, autonomy and economic independence of the national food system, reliability, sustainability, which means that the national food system is developing in an expanded reproduction mode. A proper food policy is seen as a system of measures aimed at a systematic and effective solution not only to the problems of production, foreign trade, storage and processing, but also to the equitable distribution of basic foodstuffs, as well as the social development of rural areas. Taking into account the importance of ensuring a high level of food security for the Republic of Armenia and the fact that there is a strategy or doctrine for ensuring food security, a comprehensive, methodological development of the methodology for food production, analysis of availability and definition of food was carried out. security in RA. For this, a system of indicators, mechanisms for assessing food safety, assessment criteria and a definition model were developed.

A (not) new Rx: Quality Improvement for NAM

New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) are a rapidly growing set of tools/methods for use food, drug, consumer product, or chemical safety assessment paradigms. The massive growth in NAMs tech development, publication, and legislation has been paralleled by a growing sense of frustration. The challenge of realizing the systems-level changes needed to catalyze the broad-scale adoption and use of NAMs is substantial. This Commentary asserts that these challenges may be less unique than perceived to date, and points to specific opportunities to learn from decades of experience (both positive and negative) from the Quality Improvement (QI) movement in the public health and healthcare arenas. Specific recommendations to inform and guide NAMs development are offered.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Food Quality Control and Safety Assessment

Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Food Quality Control and Safety Assessment

Food safety and quality assessment of an automated vending machine for smoothies – A case study

AbstractThe food robotics revolution is driving a shift in the vending machine sector from conventional pre-packaged sales to on-site food manufacture. As these machines develop into small-scale food processing points, it is critical to guarantee food safety. The implementation of automated Clean-in-Place (CIP) techniques, in addition to manual cleaning, is modelled after food production practices, where hygiene is maintained without direct human intervention. These days, running these modern, multifunctional vending machines requires giving the highest priority to food safety and putting rigorous control measures in practice.This case study aimed to implement a CIP procedure in a vending machine and assess microbial contamination. Water, blender, and smoothies were microbiologically analyzed to evaluate the microbial safety of ingredients, equipment, and the final product.Microbiological analysis showed that none of the samples was contaminated with three major pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli. This study showed the importance of the Clean-in-Place (CIP) process in automated vending machines.

Identification of foreign matter and histological elements in plant-based beverages marketed in Brazil

The use of plant-based proteins for the production of plant-based foods is already a reality in the food industry, and an increasing number of successful applications has been reported. However, these products still present bottlenecks linked with the lack of systematic information about functional and health claims, including food safety assessment. Analysis involving food microscopy have been used for a long time to identify product authenticity and potential fraudulent products. Therefore, this study evaluated the presence of foreign matter and histological elements in 30 plant-based beverages sold in Brazil using microscopic techniques. Microscopic foreign matter was found in 23 % of the samples and 60 % of assessed brands, so monitoring by authorities and manufacturers is recommended to determine whether or not a foreign matter limit should be established for this class of food. Foreign matter of larger diameter such as whole insects, textile fibers, metal and plastic particles were not found in the samples, indicating good plant hygiene and sanitation. In the analysis of histological elements, the main ingredients listed on the product labels were found, and no fraud was observed in relation to the addition of inferior raw materials. Identification of histological elements using microscopic techniques proved to be feasible, but required knowledge and experience of analysts. This study demonstrates that plant-based beverages are a safe option for consumers seeking alternative beverages to milk or allergens. Despite not being a simple technique, the histological analysis of food remains an effective method while screening techniques, such as real-time PCR and chemometrics, which are more precise, are more used in food fraud. These results have not been reported before and may support future regulations for plant-based products.

Self-ratiometric fluorescent platform based on upconversion nanoparticles for on-site detection of chlorpyrifos

Monitoring organophosphorus pesticides is significant for food safety assessment. Herein, we developed upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)-based self-ratiometric fluorescent platform for the detection of chlorpyrifos. The UCNPs have the ability to confine the detection and reference functions in one nanoparticle. Specifically, the blue upconversion (UC) emission (448 nm) in the shell layer of UCNPs is quenched by the product of the acetylcholinesterase-mediated reaction, while the red UC emission (652 nm) from the core remains constant as a self-calibrated reference signal. Employing the inhibition property of chlorpyrifos, self-proportional fluorescence is employed to detect chlorpyrifos. As proof-of-concept, test strips are fabricated by loading the UCNPs onto filter paper. Combined with the smartphone and image-processing algorithm, chlorpyrifos quantitative testing is achieved with a detection limit of 14.4843 ng mL−1. This portable platform displays anti-interference capability and high stability in the complicated matrix, making it an effective candidate for on-site application.

Microbial Food Safety Assessment of Organic Food and Feed: Notifications in the EU RASFF during 2020–2022. A Systematic Review

The presence of pathogenic bacteria in organic feed and food is a topic of current subject of study due to concerns that certain organic practices may heighten the risk of contamination and contribute to the spread of foodborne pathogens. The primary objective of this research is to analyze the main microbial contaminants exclusively associated with organic products, as reported in the literature. The search and selection of suitable studies were conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Databases consulted included Web of Science Core Collection, Medline (PudMed) database, and UE Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database. Using the EU RASFF System, we have summarized the notifications in relation to these products during the last 3 years in Europe. Eligibility criteria were studies published in English between 2000 and 2022. All authors performed critical appraisal and independent data extraction. Analysis of RASFF notifications related to organic products over the period from January 2020 to October 2022 revealed that 61.7% of notifications were related to food, while only 38.2% were related to feed. Salmonella emerged as the predominant pathogen reported in both organic food and feed. Notably, only one food outbreak linked to Salmonella Enteritidis in eggs was reported during the study period. Among food commodities, seeds were the most frequently affected, with the highest percentage of food products with alerts originating from India. Regarding antimicrobial resistance, a noteworthy trend was observed, with a decrease in multidrug-resistant strains favoring organic production compared to conventional methods. In conclusion, this research aimed to investigate the presence of pathogenic bacteria in organic feed and food, considering the potential risk factors associated with organic practices and their implications for food safety.

Elemental profiling of red seaweed Neopyropia yezoensis used in fast authenticating the geographical origin and food safety assessment

The red seaweed Neopyropia yezoensis is one of the predominant seaweeds cultivated and consumed in China. Its quality characteristics and economic value are closely influenced by the environmental conditions. So developing a fast method to trace the geographical origins of N. yezoensis is urgent because it concerns consumers knowing the origin of the product, nutritional value and safety. In present work, the elemental profiling in a total of 132 subsamples of N. yezoensis collected from five areas along the eastern and northern coast of China was established. Results showed that the content of K was the highest among the analyzed elements, and the Na/K ratio in N. yezoensis was 0.37. The consumption of N. yezoensis was confirmed to be a good source of essential dietary elements. However, high levels of Cd must attract consumers’ attention, because about 20.5% of the samples was not compliant with the current European regulations. The influence of the geographical origin have a great difference on element profile. The linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with the stepwise method showed that the samples from Liaoning Province and Shandong Province could be well distinguished from those from Jiangsu Province. Based on the leave-one-out cross-validation method, the predictive ability was 80.3%, indicating a good performance of elemental fingerprints in fast authenticating of the origin of N. yezoensis in China. This discrimination made it possible to simultaneously characterize the samples according to their nutritional value and human consumption safety levels.