Research Publications (Food Safety)

Cadmium has long been recognized as an environmental contaminant that poses risks to human health. Cadmium is of concern since nearly everyone in the general population is exposed to the metal through the food supply and the ability of the element to accumulate in the body over a lifetime.

Antibiotics are one of the most widely used types of drugs in pharmaceutics. However, efficiency of these drugs has decreased recently owing to the threat of antibiotic resistance. One of the important factors causing antibiotic resistance is the excessive use of antibacterials in animals. Therefore, detection of antibiotics in foods of animal origin is crucial. The aim of this study was to develop a novel whole‐cell based bioassay to be used for detection of some antibiotics.

Campylobacter species are known as biofilm‐forming bacteria in food systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of cinnamaldehyde against Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from chicken meat. The biofilm‐forming C. jejuni and C. coli strains from chicken meat were investigated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Campylobacter spp. characteristics. The MIC value was 31.25 µg/mL for the Campylobacter strains tested.

Sufu is a form of food derived from traditional Chinese fermented soybean. It has a unique flavor and contains abundant nutrients. With demands for healthy food on the rise, a higher level of sufu functionality is required. In fermentation of soybean‐derived products, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used as an adjunct culture, which provides health benefits and enhances flavor of food.

Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) is an indole‐tetramine mycotoxin commonly produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus and is widely found in agricultural products, fermented food, and feed. Food contaminated with CPA poses a substantial health risk to consumers. Therefore, eco‐friendly immunoassays, including an indirect competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ic‐ELISA) and a lateral flow immunochromatographic strip (LFICS), were developed to monitor CPA in maize and rice samples.

The production of films and coatings from onion (Allium cepa L.) to be applied as packaging is attractive, due to its high nutritional and therapeutic value. Also, it can collaborate to minimize environmental impacts caused by the improper disposal of products made from plastics. However, despite it being an innovative and novel proposal, onion films for the development of edible packaging should be evaluated before being considered nontoxic and safe for human consumption.

Concern about the safety of acrylamide in french fries led to the identification of potato varieties low in the acrylamide precursors asparagine and reducing sugars that vary with variety, nitrogen (N) fertilizer applications, and other factors, but produce light‐colored fries, which may not appeal to consumers.

Mycotoxins presence was evaluated in animal feed marketed in Tunisia for the first time ever.

Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a versatile pathogen bearing multiple virulence determinants, is increasingly being detected in various food‐producing animals, including fish. In addition, it is a potential food poisoning agent. MRSA is not an inherent microbiota of fish; its presence is attributed to pre‐ or postharvest contamination through fish handlers, water, ice, and processing equipment.

The abuse of pesticides in home gardens may lead to contamination of home‐grown eggs. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), aldrin, and malathion pesticides residues in egg white and egg yolk of home‐grown eggs in Jordan; and the effect of refrigerated storage and heat treatment (boiling and frying) on residues level.

The public assumes that some foods, such as milk and ground beef from cattle receiving steroidal implants, are associated with estrogenic hormones, while other foods are presumed “safe” or nonestrogenic.

Approximately 90% of Americans consume more than the 2,300 mg of sodium recommended daily; therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended short‐ and long‐term sodium reduction goals in food products. Reduced sodium products have not been previously liked, so flavor enhancers may increase their palatability.

Thermal treatment of proteinaceous foods generates heat‐induced Maillard reaction substances including toxic advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and heterocyclic amines (HAs). It is known that plant phenolic compounds may influence Maillard reaction. This study investigated the impact of lingonberry leaf extracts on the formation of Nε‐(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and Nε‐(2‐furoylmethyl)‐L‐lysine (furosine) in milk model system and HAs in meat‐protein and meat model systems.

The antibacterial effects of ultrasound (US) and cinnamon essential oil (CEO), individually and combined, were investigated against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium in low‐ and high‐fat milk during 6‐day storage. At the end of storage, CEO alone decreased 2 and 2.2 log cycles of Salmonella Typhimurium and 2.5 and 3 log cycles of L. monocytogenes populations in low‐ and high‐fat milk, respectively.

This work aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition, nutritional value, antioxidant, antihemolytic, antihyperglycemic, and antiproliferative activities of flaxleaf fleabane (Conyza bonariensis) leaves.

Low‐temperature cooking, such as sous vide, has become a favored method for processing seafood. For this method to be applicable for retail products, combinations with other processing steps are needed to keep the products safe and durable while maintaining high quality.

Seven bisphenols, endocrine‐disruptor chemicals, were analytically determined for risk assessment in 52 large‐consumption beverages collected from the Italian market. The analytes under examination were bisphenol A, bisphenol F, bisphenol E, bisphenol B, bisphenol AF, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, and bisphenol M. The concentration levels of all bisphenols detected ranged from

Food poisoning caused by Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) produced in foods. Staphylococcal food poisoning is mostly caused by staphylococcal enterotoxin type A (SEA) among SEs. Growth/no growth for S. aureus under various environmental conditions was well studied with a logistic regression model so far. Recently we successfully described the boundaries of SEA production and growth of S.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important foodborne pathogen and has been implicated in numerous food poisoning outbreaks worldwide. Although several microbiological and molecular methods have been developed to detect E. coli O157:H7, the difficulty to rapidly detect low levels of the foodborne bacteria persists. Here, the optimization of a filtration technique to concentrate and rapidly detect E. coli O157:H7 was conducted.

The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the occurrence of transferable genes conferring resistance to tetracyclines, macrolide‐lincosamide‐streptogramin B (MLSB), vancomycin, beta‐lactams, and aminoglycosides in 32 samples from eight batches of ready‐to‐eat crickets (Acheta domesticus) commercialized by four European Union producers (two batches per producer).

Carbofuran residue in vegetables is a concern to human health. Direct competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (dcELISA) and dipstick immunoassay were developed in the present study. The dcELISA showed a 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) and working range of 1.3 and 0.2 to 7.5 ng/mL, respectively, while the cutoff value of dipstick immunoassay was 20 ng/mL.

A multilayer film containing star anise essential oil and thymol coating layers (SAEO and TH, respectively), with insect repellent and antimicrobial properties, has been developed using bar coating and adhesive lamination processes. Our previous study reported the in vitro activities of this polypropylene film (PP)/SAEO/polyethylene terephthalate film (PET)/TH/low‐density polyethylene film (LDPE) multilayer film.

The present work studied, for the first time, the effect of two technologies on the hydration and germination process of beans: ionizing irradiation and ultrasound. In addition, this work proposed a possible biological effect of ultrasound to describe its effect on grain hydration. Carioca beans were irradiated at doses of 2.3 and 3.8 kGy using γ‐rays, establishing different metabolic activities for the beans.

Controlling the free chlorine (FC) availability in wash water during sanitization of fresh produce enhances our ability to reduce microbial levels and prevent cross‐contamination. However, maintaining an ideal concentration of FC that could prevent the risk of contamination within the wash system is still a technical challenge in the industry, indicating the need to better understand wash water chemistry dynamics.

This study provides phenotypic and molecular analyses of the antibiotic resistance of Ensifer adhaerens strain YX1 (CICC 11008s), a strain that was identified using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. The antibiotic resistance profile of E. adhaerens YX1 was assessed using the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Inst. (CLSI) method.