When domestic animals are exposed to mycotoxins, significant amounts of the latter shall be carried over into animal products such as milk, eggs and meat. This study was carried out in order to ...determine the possible presence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA) and citrinin (CIT) in game sausages (n = 15), semi-dry sausages (n = 25) and fermented dry-meat products (n = 50), randomly taken from individual producers and the Croatian market. AFB1 and OTA were quantified using ELISA, while CIT was quantified using HPLC-fluorescence detector. Out of 90 samples, the fungi most frequently isolated from dry-cured meat products were of Penicillium species, while Aspergillus was isolated from only one sample. As much as 68.88% of the samples were positive for mycotoxins. Finally, the analysis of different types of meat products resulted in OTA identification in 64.44%, CIT identification in 4.44% and AFB1 identification in 10% of the samples. The maximum OTA concentrations established in the commercial sausage samples equalled to 7.83 μg/kg, while that of AFB1 amounted to 3.0 μg/kg. Generally, although OTA was detected in all three types of products in different percentage shares, mutual differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
•Game and semi-dry sausages and fermented dry-meat products were analysed for mould and mycotoxin contamination.•The isolated fungi were of Aspergillus and Penicillium genera.•All of the analysed meat products were predominantly OTA-contaminated.•Some of the samples were co-contaminated with AFB1, OTA and CIT.
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•Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food products of Croatia were investigated.•HPLC-FLD method was validated for fish, shellfish and meat products.•Higher level of PAHs were observed in processed ...food products.•PAH exposure through invstigated products is not a health issue for consumers.
For the first time, the levels of benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), chrysene (CHR), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and their sum (PAH4) were investigated in a total of 180 samples of fish, shellfish and meat products produced in Croatia. In addition, dietary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) intake of adult Croatian consumers was estimated for both acute and chronic ingestion circumstances. None of the food samples exceeded the currently legal PAHs levels according to the European legislation. The mean PAH4 level was 1.47 μg/kg for meat and 1.48 μg/kg for shellfish products. The acute daily ingestion of BaP and PAH4 through meat and shellfish products was 2‒ to 7‒ fold higher in comparison to chronic intake, with meat products being the major contributors. Consequently, the evaluation of consumption patterns that used the margin-of-exposure approach indicated a negligible risk to human health.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Children with food allergies are at higher risk for severe anaphylactic reactions and for key nutrient deficiency. In order to address these concerns, enable early detection, and improve the ...monitoring of children with food allergies, an innovative IT platform will be developed by IT experts (IN2 Ltd. Zagreb, Croatia, part of Constellation Software Inc. (Toronto, ON, Canada)) and Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia (SCH) for the effective implementation of personalized balanced nutrition in preschool institutions in Croatia. Additionally, the data obtained through this research, including epidemiological data on allergic diseases, clinical data (diagnostic allergy tests and others), anthropometry, and physical activity status, will be used to create a national Allergy registry. Other than being a tool for personalized and balanced nutrition for children, especially those with special dietary requirements (including food allergy and intolerance), the IT platform developed in this study will enable the continuous monitoring of these children as a part of their clinical management plan and earlier detection of food allergies, intolerance, and other conditions, even outside of the healthcare system. This research also aims at optimizing current and developing novel personalized therapeutic regimes, detecting novel early biomarkers in children with food allergies and intolerances, and involving all key stakeholders (caregivers, preschool institutions, etc.) in the shared-care approach in the management of food allergies in children.
We performed a mixture risk assessment (MRA) case study of dietary exposure to the food contaminants lead, methylmercury, inorganic arsenic (iAs), fluoride, non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls ...(NDL-PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), all substances associated with declines in cognitive abilities measured as IQ loss. Most of these chemicals are frequently measured in human biomonitoring studies. A component-based, personalised modified reference point index (mRPI) approach, in which we expressed the exposures and potencies of our chosen substances as lead equivalent values, was applied to perform a MRA for dietary exposures. We conducted the assessment for four different age groups (toddlers, children, adolescents, and women aged 18–45 years) in nine European countries. Populations in all countries considered exceeded combined tolerable levels at median exposure levels. NDL-PCBs in fish, other seafood and dairy, lead in grains and fruits, methylmercury in fish and other seafoods, and fluoride in water contributed most to the combined exposure. We identified uncertainties for the likelihood of co-exposure, assessment group membership, endpoint-specific reference values (ESRVs) based on epidemiological (lead, methylmercury, iAs, fluoride and NDL-PCBs) and animal data (PBDE), and exposure data. Those uncertainties lead to a complex pattern of under- and overestimations, which would require probabilistic modelling based on expert knowledge elicitation for integration of the identified uncertainties into an overall uncertainty estimate. In addition, the identified uncertainties could be used to refine future MRA for cognitive decline.
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A mixture risk assessment (MRA) for four metals relevant to chronic kidney disease (CKD) was performed. Dietary exposure to cadmium or lead alone exceeded the respective reference values in the ...majority of the 10 European countries included in our study. When the dietary exposure to those metals and inorganic mercury and inorganic arsenic was combined following a classical or personalised modified reference point index (mRPI) approach, not only high exposure (95th percentile) estimates but also the mean exceeded the tolerable intake of the mixture in all countries studied. Cadmium and lead contributed most to the combined exposure, followed by inorganic arsenic and inorganic mercury. The use of conversion factors for inorganic arsenic and inorganic mercury from total arsenic and total mercury concentration data was a source of uncertainty. Other uncertainties were related to the use of different principles to derive reference points. Yet, MRA at the target organ level, as performed in our study, could be used as a way to efficiently prioritise assessment groups for higher-tier MRA. Since the combined exposure to the four metals exceeded the tolerable intake, we recommend a refined MRA based on a common, specific nephrotoxic effect and relative potency factors (RPFs) based on a similar effect size.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Chemical additives are considered to be one of the main contributors to the toxicity of plastics, especially when they fragment into microplastics (MPs) in the environment. Bisphenols (BPs), as ...plasticizers, are a group of dozens of organic compounds that have been used as building blocks in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins and other products. This review provides an overview of the most commonly produced BPs (BPA, BPB, BPF, BPS, BPAF, BPAP) detected in the marine environment, the methods available for their detection and quantification, particularly in bivalves, and the potential risks of human exposure to BPs as endocrine disrupting chemicals and emerging contaminants. This work shows that the presence of BPA in bivalve molluscs has been investigated worldwide, with most studies conducted on the Asian coast, while the main analogues acting as estrogenic, progesteronic and anti-androgenic compounds have not been studied. The estimated daily intake (EDI) for BPA, BPB, BPF, BPS, BPP, BPAF, BPAP and for the sum of these BPs (ΣBPs) found in bivalves on the South African and Asian coasts at both median and maximum exposure exceeded the tolerable daily intake (TDI), suggesting that the EDI of bivalves with BPs pose a human health hazard. There is a need to conduct and implement studies on the distribution of BPs in the environment and the risk of consumption of bivalves as a potentially significant source of their intake.
Kemijski su aditivi prepoznati kao jedan od glavnih čimbenika koji doprinose toksičnosti plastike, osobito kada se plastika u okolišu fragmentira u mikroplastiku. Bisfenoli su skupina umjetno proizvedenih kemikalija koje se upotrebljavaju u izradi polikarbonatne plastike i epoksi smola. Ovaj rad donosi prikaz najzastupljenijih bisfenola (BPA, BPB, BPF, BPS, BPAF, BPAP) iz morskog okoliša i dostupnih analitičkih postupaka za njihovo prepoznavanje i kvantifikaciju, s posebnim osvrtom na školjkaše. Kako su bisfenoli kao endokrini disruptori štetne kemikalije procijenjen je rizik izloženosti konzumenata školjaka. U dosadašnjim istraživanjima prisutnosti bisfenola širom svijeta najviše je bio zastupljen BPA, a većina studija su istraživanja duž azijske obale. Utvrđen je nedostatak istraživanja analoga bisfenola, koji djeluju kao estrogenski. progesteronski i anti-androgeni spojevi. Procijenjeni dnevni unosi (EDI) za BPA, BPB, BPF, BPS, BPP, BPAF i BPAP te za zbroj ovih bisfenola ΣBPs utvrđenih u školjkašima duž južnoafričke i azijske obale. U oba scenarija srednje i maksimalne izloženosti prekoračen je podnošljivi dnevni unos (TDI), što ukazuje na to da EDI školjkaša s BP predstavljaju zdravstvenu prijetnju konzumentima. Istražena je potreba za provedbom istraživanja distribucije bisfenola u okolišu i opasnosti konzumacije školjkaša kao mogućnost znatnog izvora njihovog unosa.
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the essential oil of Thymus serpyllum L. and of its components thymol and total phenols (total phenolic content, TPC) extracted from the plant on ...the growth and mycotoxin production of Aspergillus ochraceus, A. carbonarius, and A. niger. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determined for the essential oil and thymol, and selected concentration of the TPC extract inhibited fungal growth and ochratoxin A biosynthesis by more than 60 %, depending on the conditions and duration of incubation with the fungi. Essential oil showed the strongest inhibitory effect which may have been related to the synergistic or cumulative effects of its components.
A total diet study (TDS) provides representative and realistic data for assessing the dietary intake of chemicals, such as contaminants and residues, and nutrients, at a population level. Reproducing ...the diet through collection of customarily consumed foods and their preparation as habitually eaten is crucial to ensure representativeness, i.e., all relevant foods are included and all potential dietary sources of the substances investigated are captured. Having this in mind, a conceptual framework for building a relevant food-shopping list was developed as a research task in the European Union's 7th Framework Program project, 'Total Diet Study Exposure' (TDS-Exposure), aimed at standardising methods for food sampling, analyses, exposure assessment calculations and modelling, priority foods, and selection of chemical contaminants. A stepwise approach following the knowledge translation (KT) model for concept analysis is proposed to set up a general protocol for the collection of food products in a TDS in terms of steps (characterisation of the food list, development of the food-shopping list, food products collection) and pillars (background documentation, procedures, and tools). A simple model for structuring the information in a way to support the implementation of the process, by presenting relevant datasets, forms to store inherent information, and folders to record the results is also proposed. Reproducibility of the process and possibility to exploit the gathered information are two main features of such a system for future applications.
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