Research Publications (Food Safety)

Herein, an Au@Pt nanozyme-mediated magnetic relaxation switching (MRS) DNA biosensor has been developed for the rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes. Au@Pt nanoparticle was with enhanced stability and high peroxidase activity for decomposing the hydrogen peroxide. After DNA hybridization and magnetic separation, the conjugates of MNP180-probe1-L.

The presence of patulin (PAT) in fruits poses a threat to human health. Herein, a dual-enzymes-driven target recycling (dual-EATR) strategy-based PAT electrochemical aptasensor was constructed. The branched structure of the labeling material silver-palladium nanoparticles (AgPdNPs) can effectively load thionine (Thi). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)/Fe metal-organic frameworks (FeMOF)-PEI-GO with effective catalytic activity can amplify the redox signal of Thi.

Direct quantification analysis of near-infrared (NIR) spectra is challenging because the number of spectral variables is usually considerably higher than the number of samples. To mitigate the so-called curse of dimensionality, variable selection is often performed before multivariate calibration.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), is detected in milk obtained from ruminants fed AFB1-contaminated feedstuff. Considering the potential risk of aflatoxin exposure for human health, the AFM1 content in milk and dairy products is regularly monitored. A survey on AFM1 contamination in milk from retail markets consumed in Albania was conducted in 2019–2020.

Vegetables and fruits may contain pesticides, leading to several health complications after long-term exposure. The food byproducts of soybean and camellia seed cake contain abundant saponins but are poorly utilized. This study aimed to investigate the capacity of soybean byproduct-extracted saponins (SBE) and camellia seed cake-extracted saponins (CSE) to remove pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are a worldwide crop appreciated by consumers and known to have several health benefits (e.g. decreasing risk of cardiovascular diseases, lowering LDL cholesterol). Nonetheless, during the production chain, peanuts can be contaminated by mycotoxigenic fungi, especially Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, responsible for contamination of this commodity with aflatoxins (AFs).

Fresh produce remains the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks. Novel nonthermal technologies are needed to reduce the risk of pathogen contamination. The objective of this study was to develop a novel intervention technology exploiting integration of high intensity short time (10 s) pulsed light (PL) and aerosolized formic acid (AFA) for inactivation of Salmonella and maintenance of quality of cherry tomato.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the mycotoxins that occur frequently in wheat and considered a serious threaten to health. Cold plasma was used as an efficient approach for DON degradation in this study. The influences of working gas type, voltage and processing time of cold plasma system on DON degradation were investigated. It was found that 83.99% of DON solid standard could be degraded after 8 min treatment at 50 kV in air atmosphere.

Patulin is a widespread mycotoxin which constitutes serious threats to human health. Biological strategies that utilize microbial enzymes have shown to be promising in the control of patulin contamination. In this study, a lipase (RL12) from the isolated strain Ralstonia sp. SL312 was successfully purified and studied for the degradation of patulin. Degradation assays for patulin by RL12 were systematically performed both in aqueous solution and apple juice.

The objective of this study was to develop new primer-probe set to detect Cronobacter sakazakii based on comparative genomics. Among 16 candidates of gene clusters from the results of panX analysis, gene annotated as type 1 fimbrial protein was selected as target of primer and sensitivity/selectivity of designed primer were confirmed with 59 strains.

The present study sought to investigate the levels of multi-pesticide residues in highly consumed edible fungi in China's western regions. A total of 354 edible fungi samples were collected from the local markets, and the concentrations of 53 pesticides in these samples were determined through high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (HPLC/MS/MS). Carbendazim, acephate, procymidone, prochloraz, aldicarb sulfone,etc.

An analysis of the notifications in the European Union (EU) Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) portal due to residues of veterinary drugs in fish and fish products over the period 2001–2021 was conducted examining the following data: number and type of notifications; year of notification; notification basis; notifying country; country of origin; action taken; distribution status; risk decision; fish product type; residue found.

Mushroom poisoning is becoming a serious food safety and public health issue due to its high morbidity and mortality in some parts of the world. Identifying mushroom toxins at an early stage of suspected intoxication is crucial for therapeutic decision making. Ibotenic acid, muscimol, 2-amino-4,5-hexadienoic acid and 2-amino-4-pentynoic acid are a group of amino group-containing mushroom toxins that can lead to hallucination and neurotoxicity on humans.

Food-borne Staphylococcus aureus has shown multidrug resistance. According to our previous studies, most S. aureus isolated from retail foods in China exhibited resistance to a variety of antimicrobials. Further Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) revealed that a novel gene cluster, containing erythromycin-resistant genes, mef(D)-msr(F), existed in 19 isolates.

Pulsed light (PL) is a nonthermal treatment that kills microorganisms by exposing them to short-duration pulses of high-intensity broad-spectrum light. This study evaluated the PL inactivation of different serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. Enterica (Typhimurium, Enteritidis, Heidelberg, and Minnesota) to specifically assess how pulse width and voltage can affect treatment effectiveness.

Penicillium nordicum is the main ochratoxin A (OTA) producer in dry-cured meat products. The aim of the study was to test Debaryomyces hansenii and rosemary derivatives as biocontrol agents (BCAs) against P. nordicum during the industrial manufacturing of dry-cured fermented sausages. Eighteen batches of sausages with different combinations of the BCAs were made. D.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a notorious mycotoxin commonly present in cereal grains, poses severe health risks to both humans and livestock. A quinoprotein from Pelagibacterium halotolerans ANSP101, named deoxynivalenol dehydrogenase (DDH), was identified by comparative genome analysis of P. halotolerans ANSP101, Devosia mutan 17-2-E−8 and Devosia strain IFO13580.

The prevalent ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in food has increased the urgency to develop sensitive and accurate detection methods. This study reported a conveniently fabricated label-free electrochemical (EC) aptasensor for ultrasensitive detection of OTA based on the competitive binding of OTA with its specific aptamer without any signal amplification strategy.

Countries continue to debate the need for decontamination of cold-chain food packaging to reduce possible severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) fomite transmission among frontline workers. While laboratory-based studies demonstrate persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces, the likelihood of fomite-mediated transmission under real-life conditions is uncertain.

Ochratoxin A is a secondary metabolite produced by fungi and a major mycotoxin contaminating cereal grains and cereal-based products. Although, ochratoxin A is hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic and carcinogenic its detection is limited due to low awareness, time-consuming conventional methods and false positive results. In this study, a rapid, user-friendly dot-blot assay was developed using peptide conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a detection agent.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of gaseous or aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO2, 0.025%–90% relative to dry matter) on the detoxification and physicochemical properties of aflatoxin (AF)-contaminated peanuts and their derivative products (≈13–204 μg AFB1/kg sample). Chlorine dioxide fumigation lowered AF levels in peanuts by >72% even to an undetectable level. The detoxification effects remained relatively stable in subsequent storage.

Complementary foods (CFs) provided to infants and young children (IYC) in sub-Saharan Africa contain ingredients that are susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. Chronic dietary exposure to aflatoxins is associated with health consequences. This study assessed the risk of exposure of IYC (6-12-month-old) in Kongwa, Tanzania to aflatoxins through CFs. The intake of aflatoxin susceptible flours (ingredients) in CFs by 35 IYC was estimated through multiple-pass 24-hr dietary recalls.

Over 1 billion people rely on seafood as their primary source of protein and Vibrio spp. is the most important pathogen of foodborne disease outbreak related to consumption of seafood. Moreover, the rise of drug-resistant Vibrio strains further increases the difficulty of clinical treatment.

In this study, an ultrasensitive dual-mode assay was successfully developed for the detection of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni). Based on circular dichroism and surface-enhanced Raman scattering generated from DNA-driven double-layer core-satellite gold nanostructures, the concentration of C.

Veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, and species authentication were performed on the demand of the regulatory agency in retail catfish fillets. A total of 362 domestic and imported catfish samples collected from various retail markets in the Northeast region of the United States were tested for the presence of chloramphenicol (CAP), malachite green/gentian violet (MG/GV), As, Cd, Pb, and Hg according to the USDA - FSIS protocols.