Research Publications (Food Safety)

Fresh grapes are characterized by a short shelf life and are often subjected to quality losses during post-harvest storage. The quality assessment of grapes using image analysis may be a useful approach using non-destructive methods. This study aimed to compare the effect of different storage methods on the grape image texture parameters of the fruit outer structure.

Vacuum impregnation is a novel methodology for adding various substances to porous foods. This study aimed to develop a cost effective automate system for vacuum impregnation of food materials to enhance their nutritional, functional and sensory properties depending on the functionality of the impregnation solution.

SUMMARY Seed vigor has major impact on the rate and uniformity of seedling growth, crop yield, and quality. However, the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of crop seed vigor remains unclear. In this study, a (jumonji C) JmjC gene of the histone lysine demethylase OsJMJ718 was cloned in rice, and its roles in seed germination and its epigenetic regulation mechanism were investigated. OsJMJ718 was located in the nucleus and was engaged in H3K9 methylation.

Green and blue molds and sour rot, caused by Penicillium digitatum, P. italicum, and Geotrichum citri-aurantii, are postharvest diseases which represent an important economic issue in lemon production. Conventionally, their control involves the intensive use of synthetic fungicides, leading to the emergence of resistant strains and harmful residue accumulation on fruits.

Minimally processed fresh-cut leafy vegetables are becoming one of the fastest growing segments in the food industry. In this context, new strategies to extend the preservation, such as the application of edible coatings, represent a key issue for the research community. In this study, the effects of emulsion-based edible coatings on the quality parameters of ready-to-eat Salanova lettuce were investigated.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a tropical fruit originating from southern China that is currently cultivated in subtropical and tropical regions worldwide. Litchi anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum fructicola, a dominant species of Colletotrichum spp., is an important disease of litchi that damages the fruits in fields and in post-harvest storage.

Traditional methods of preserving loquats are summarized. Nanotechnology can extend the shelf‐life of fruits and vegetables through antioxidant, antimicrobial and ethylene removal, thus promising to solve the drawbacks of traditional preservation methods and to have a positive effect on the improvement of loquat in terms of post‐harvest quality. Abstract The loquat fruit is liked by many people for its rich nutritional value.

Food safety and sustainability have recently emerged as the key drivers of fresh horticultural produce supply and consumption.

Abstract The prevention and control of bacterial contamination on ready‐to‐eat (RTE) fresh produce is an essential task to ensure food safety. Therefore, the development of novel and effective decontamination technologies to ensure microbiological safety of fruits and vegetables has gained considerable attention and new sanitisation methods are needed.

Abstract Background Understanding the role of adjuvants in pesticide persistence is crucial to develop effective pesticide formulations and manage pesticide residues in fresh produce.

Large‐spored Alternaria species lose pathogenicity after treatment with the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor 2‐aminoethoxyvinyl glycine (AVG), while for small‐spored species pathogenicity increased. Abstract Alternaria species are notorious pathogens of solanaceous crops and are known to produce a plethora of toxins. Nevertheless, the involvement of toxins or other virulence factors in Alternaria infections on potato plants has never been investigated.

Abstract BACKGROUND Fresh‐cut fruit are convenient ready‐to‐eat products increasingly demanded by consumers, but highly susceptible to oxidation. To increase the shelf life of these products, this industry is currently facing the challenge of finding sustainable natural preservatives capable of maintaining fresh‐cut fruit quality while meeting consumers’ expectations regarding health and environmental concerns.

SUMMARY Horticultural plants contribute immensely to the quality of human's life. The rapid development of omics studies on horticultural plants has resulted in large volumes of valuable growth‐ and development‐related data. Genes that are essential for growth and development are highly conserved in evolution. Cross‐species data mining reduces the impact of species heterogeneity and has been extensively used for conserved gene identification.

Wild birds pose a difficult food safety risk to manage because they can avoid traditional wildlife mitigation strategies, such as fences. Birds often use agricultural fields and structures as foraging and nesting areas, which can lead to defecation on crops and subsequent transfer of foodborne pathogens.

Ethylene is a primary plant hormone associated with the ripening process of fruits. Ethylene can initiate the ripening process in fruits even at sub-parts per million concentrations. Therefore, ethylene monitoring during fruit transport and storage is very important in order to ensure optimum quality control and shelf-life extension.

Summary This study investigates the development of Poly‐vinyl alcohol (PVA) and essential oil‐based biocomposite films incorporating halloysite nanotubes (HNT) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as reinforcement materials for the packaging of papaya fruits to extend their postharvest shelf‐life. The fabrication process involves the dispersion of filler materials within the PVA polymer matrix, followed by the casting of the films using the solvent‐evaporation technique.

Apple is classified as a climacteric fruit, characterized by a rapid surge in ethylene levels at the onset of ripening. However, there is significant variation in the degree and timing of ripening and softening among different apple cultivars. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit softening and the associated changes in cell wall integrity is crucial for improving fruit quality and extending shelf life.

Introduction

Understanding fitness costs associated with fungicide resistance is critical to improve resistance management strategies. E198A in b-tubulin confers resistance to the fungicide thiophanate-methyl and has been widely reported in several plant pathogens including Colletotrichum siamense.

Method

The continual emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the slow development of new antibiotics has driven the resurgent interest in the potential application of bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents in different medical and industrial sectors. In the present study, the potential of combining phage biocontrol and a natural plant compound (carvacrol) in controlling Escherichia coli on fresh-cut mixed vegetable was evaluated.

Organic acids and essential oils are commonly used in the poultry industry as antimicrobials and for their beneficial effects on gut health, growth performance, and meat quality. A common postharvest storage fungal colonist, Aspergillus flavus, contaminates corn, the primary component of poultry feed, with the highly detrimental mycotoxin, aflatoxin.

by Jacob J. Capelle, Eva Hartog, Tony Wilkes, Tjeerd J. Bouma Aggregation into groups may affect performance of individuals through the balance and strength of facilitative versus competitive interactions. We studied in situ how seasonal variation in abiotic environment affects this balance for blue mussels, a semi-sessile species. We hypothesize that seasonal variation in stresses and resources affects the strength of the interaction.

Abstract Browning discoloration is a critical issue that negatively affects the quality of fresh‐cut products and their industrial growth. Although many individual anti‐browning technologies have been adopted, very few reports on the combination use of natural product extracts and physical methods exist.

Summary Improving tolerance to ethylene‐induced early senescence of flowers and fruits is of major economic importance for the ornamental and food industry. Genetic modifications of genes in the ethylene‐signalling pathway have frequently resulted in increased tolerance but often with unwanted side effects. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to knockout the function of two CpEil1 genes expressed in flowers of the diploid ornamental plant Campanula portenschlagiana.

The aims of the present work were to evaluate consumers’ perceptions and purchasing habits in relation to fruit and vegetables and to determine the importance of the production type, price and geographical origin of such products for consumers’ purchasing decisions. For this purpose, an online consumer survey was conducted to determine Spanish people's opinions and consumption habits in relation to fruit and vegetables, especially those from organic farming.

Food chain contamination by soil lead (Pb), beginning with Pb uptake by leafy vegetables, is a threat to food safety and poses a potential risk to human health.