Research Publications (Food Safety)

Ultrasound (US) is classified as a nonthermal treatment and it is used in food processing at a frequency range between 20 kHz and 1 MHz. Cavitation bubbles occur when the US strength is high enough to generate rarefaction that exceeds the intermolecular attraction forces in the medium.

Bacteriocins are defined as ribosomally synthesized antibacterial peptides/proteins that either kill or inhibit the growth of other bacteria. In the present study, the physicochemical properties, mode of action, and potential use in food preservation of a novel bacteriocin BM1122 from Lactobacillus crustorum MN047 were studied. It exhibited a broad inhibitory spectrum against selected Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria.

This paper aimed to revisit the literature on food safety in global supply chains and analyze the evolution and contemporary challenges in this research field. It conducted a systematic literature review in two steps based on a selection of 178 articles. It analyzed safety in food supply chains using the Six T's Framework to evaluate food safety management. In the supply chain literature, traceability was the most studied element of the original framework.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect of Chinese wild blueberry extract and its fractions against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Chinese wild blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) crude extract (BBE) was obtained using methanol extraction, and sugars plus organic acids (F1), phenolics fraction (F2), and anthocyanins plus proanthocyanidins (F3) fractions were separated using C‐18 Sep‐Pak columns.

In this study, triethylene tetramine–modified water‐insoluble corn flour caged in magnetic chitosan resin (TETA‐WICF/MCR) was firstly prepared, which indicates novel aspects for immobilization and chemically modification of mycotoxin adsorbents. The TETA‐WICF/MCR was characterized using zoom stereo microscope, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), and magnetic separation performance analysis.

Edible packaging films have been widely studied because of its safety, green, and effective characteristics. In this paper, chitosan (CH) edible films containing hexahydro‐β‐acids (HBA) were prepared, and its physical and mechanical properties, bioactivity, and their impact on the shelf life of pork were investigated. The infrared spectra indicated that the molecular interaction between CH and HBA was observed.

Inhalation of odors can affect physiological parameter and change gene expression‐related specific function. 2,5‐Dimethyl‐4‐hydroxy‐3(2H)‐furanone (DMHF) is one of the major odor compounds generated by the Maillard reaction. We previously reported that the inhalation of DMHF decreased systolic blood pressure via the autonomic nervous system in rats. The autonomic nervous system is also closely related to appetite regulation.

The processing of traditional poultry‐ and pork‐based semidried fermented smoked sausages needs to be modernized to improve product quality and further extend its shelf life. The aim of the present study was to apply different combinations of high pressure (300 to 600 MPa) and time (154 to 1,800 s) on the sausages using an experimental design based on response surface methodology.

Here, molecular docking simulation was used to predict and compare interactions between a recombinant Trametes sp. C30 laccase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and four aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2) as well as their degradation at a molecular level. The computational result of docking simulation indicates that each of the aflatoxins tested can interact with laccase with a binding ability of AFB1>AFG2>AFG1>AFB2.

Standard ionic equilibria equations may be used for calculating pH of weak acid and base solutions. These calculations are difficult or impossible to solve analytically for foods that include many unknown buffering components, making pH prediction in these systems impractical. We combined buffer capacity (BC) models with a pH prediction algorithm to allow pH prediction in complex food matrices from BC data.

The pH of most acid food products depends on undefined and complex buffering of ingredients but is critically important for regulatory purposes and food safety. Our objective was to define the buffer capacity (BC) of ingredients in salad dressing products. Ingredients of salad dressings were titrated individually and in combination using concentrations typical of dressing products.

The understanding of the migration of mercury from packaging materials to food stuffs is the prerequisite for the development of food safety regulations. In this article, the migration of mercury from food paper‐plastic packaging containers to four food stimulants under different migrated temperatures is studied. The results show that the mobility and the maximum migration volume of mercury increase at certain temperatures when the migration time is extended.

Hengshan goat meat produced exclusively in Shaanxi province of China is the product of national geographical indication. In current study, nutritional and safety indexes of Hengshan goat leg meat were investigated and the quality changes induced by seven commonly used processing methods were systematically evaluated.

ABSTRACT Nondairy fermented products, such as fruit and vegetable juices, are gaining popularity among consumers worldwide for health‐related and economic reasons. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in microbiological quality; antimicrobial and antioxidant activity; and phenolic, vitamin C, minerals, and cadmium content occurring during spontaneous fermentation of curly kale juice.

Microgreens have gained increasing popularity as food ingredients in recent years because of their high nutritional value and diverse sensorial characteristics. Microgreens are edible seedlings including vegetables and herbs, which have been used, primarily in the restaurant industry, to embellish cuisine since 1996. The rapidly growing microgreen industry faces many challenges.

Listeria monocytogenes is often responsible for postprocessing contamination of ready‐to‐eat (RTE) products including cooked ham. As an emerging technology, atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) has the potential to inactivate L. monocytogenes in packaged RTE meats. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of treatment time, modified atmosphere gas compositions (MAP), ham formulation, and post‐treatment storage (1 and 7 days at 4 °C) on the reduction of a five‐strain cocktail of L.

Efficacy of pulsed ultraviolet (PUV) to inactivate Salmonella pure culture and on inoculated black peppercorns was evaluated. Black peppercorns inoculated with Salmonella were subjected to PUV treatment (0.28 J/cm2/pulse) using two different sample holders, on a traditional flat surface or on a wave‐shaped surface to increase surface exposure of peppercorns to PUV through light reflection.

A novel dairy product, namely “chocolate cheese”, was produced with two typical Sicilian food products: Pecorino cheese, processed from ewe's milk, and Modica chocolate. The cheese, manufactured with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% (w/w) solid or molten chocolate, was evaluated after 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks of vacuum storage for its nutritional and health properties. The addition of chocolate reduced the pH, protein, fat, and ash; the addition of 5% or 10% molten chocolate reduced hardness (N/mm2).

Food supply chain is a rapidly growing integrated sector and covers all the aspects from farm to fork, including manufacturing, packaging, distribution, storing, as well as further processing or cooking for consumption. Along this chain, smart packaging could impact the quality, safety, and sustainability of food. Packaging systems have evolved to be smarter with integration of emerging electronics and wireless communication and cloud data solutions.

Chicken breast meat is considered as the main source of Salmonella infection in humans. The aim of this study was to isolate lytic bacteriophages specific for Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and examine their efficacy in a cocktail for the biocontrol of Salmonella spp. in raw chicken breast meat. Four lytic phages belonging to the Myoviridae and Siphoviridae families were isolated from a river proximate to a duck farm. They exhibited broad lytic activities against 11 strains of S.

By utilizing the coffee‐ring effect and microfluidic paper‐based analytical devices (µPADs), this study improved the sensitivity of the determination of norfloxacin in four different food matrices. Micro‐PADs in this study were fabricated by designing and embedding wax channels onto cellulose‐based filter paper through printing and subjecting the paper to heat to allow the wax to penetrate the paper.

Nuruk is a fermentation agent used to manufacture alcoholic beverages, which contains a variety of microorganisms. Most microorganisms in Nuruk are useful for the production of alcoholic beverages; however, Nuruk can be infected with Aspergillus flavus, which produces aflatoxin (AF).

Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella flexneri, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Clostridium botulinum type A, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens Alpha toxin, and Yersinia enterocolitica are 11 common foodborne pathogens. Traditional bacterial culture methods for detecting pathogens are time‐consuming and labor‐intensive.

The concentrations of heavy metals, such as chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb), in different muscles and edible offal of consumed pork from the city of Nanjing and related health risks were evaluated. The results showed that the detected Hg concentrations from 6 of 80 samples exceeded the maximum allowable concentration (GB 2762‐2017).

Insects are considered edible food resources with sufficient nutrients, but their nutrient composition and safety evaluation have not been fully investigated yet. In this study, we investigated the nutrient composition and the acute and sub‐chronic toxicity of locust powder in male rats. In the acute oral toxicological experiment, rats were administered locust powder at a dose of 10 or 20 g/kg/dose, followed by monitoring general signs of toxicity for 14 days.