Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) techniques are becoming increasingly widespread and accessible for accurate and specific identification of chemical or microbiological contaminants in ...foodstuffs. However, the consistency and repeatability of SERS-based techniques is a challenge due to complicated detection environments. This drawback can be overcome by integrating the SERS detection into a microfluidic platform, which can provide a continuous flow condition for highly reproducible SERS measurements. Furthermore, the SERS-microfluidic platform can perform elaborating sample pre-treatments, showing great potentials for on-situ analysis of food contaminants.
This review mainly summarizes the principles and methods of SERS-microfluidic systems, as well as their applications in rapid analysis of food contaminants. Three ways of integrating SERS substrate into microfluidic channels are highlighted. Finally, the main challenges and future efforts in developing SERS-microfluidic systems for on-situ food contaminants detection are discussed.
SERS-microfluidic platform conforms to the development tendency of modern analytical technology, and has great potentials for rapid analysis of food contaminants.
•Overview of the principles and methods of SERS-microfluidic systems is provided.•Applications of SERS-microfluidic platform for food analysis are presented.•Methods for integrating SERS substrates into microfluidic channels are identified.•Future trends to apply SERS-microfluidics for contaminant analysis are discussed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites generated from toxigenic fungi in the contaminated food and agro-food, which have been regarded as a serious threat to the food safety and human health. ...Therefore, the control of mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi contamination is of great significance and has attracted the increasing attention of researchers. As we know, nano-semiconductors have many unique properties such as large surface area, structural stability, good biocompatibility, excellent photoelectrical properties, and low cost, which have been developed and applied in many research fields. Recently, nano-semiconductors have also been promisingly applied in mitigating or controlling mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi contaminations in food and agro-food. In this review, the type, occurrence, and toxicity of main mycotoxins in food and agro-food were introduced. Then, a variety of strategies to mitigate the mycotoxin contamination based on nano-semiconductors involving mycotoxins detection, inhibition of toxigenic fungi, and mycotoxins degradation were summarized. Finally, the outlook, opportunities, and challenges have prospected in the future for the mitigation of mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi based on nano-semiconductors.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Summary
Food safety is a critical public health issue for consumers and the food industry because microbiological contamination of food causes considerable social and economic burdens on health care. ...Most foodborne illness comes from animal production, but as of the mid‐1990s in the United States and more recently in the European Union, the contribution of fresh produce to foodborne outbreaks has rapidly increased. Recent studies have suggested that sterilization with nonthermal plasma could be a viable alternative to the traditional methods for the decontamination of heat‐sensitive materials or food because this technique proves capable of eliminating micro‐organisms on surfaces without altering the substrate. In the last 10 years, researchers have used nonthermal plasma in a variety of food inoculated with many bacterial species. All of these experiments were conducted exclusively in a laboratory and, to our knowledge, this technique has not been used in an industrial setting. Thus, the purpose of this review is to understand whether this technology could be used at the industrial level. The latest researches using nonthermal plasma on fresh produce were analysed. These evaluations have focused on the log reduction of micro‐organisms and the treatment time.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Listeria monocytogenes, a causative agent of listeriosis, is a major foodborne pathogen. Among pathogens, L. monocytogenes stands out for its unique ecological and physiological characteristics. This ...distinct lifestyle of L. monocytogenes has a significant impact on food safety and public health, mainly through the ability of this pathogen to multiply at refrigeration temperature and to persist in the food processing environment. Due to a combination of these characteristics and emerging trends in consumer preference for ready-to-eat and minimally processed food, there is a need to develop effective and sustainable approaches to control contamination of food products with L. monocytogenes. Implementation of an efficient and reliable control strategy for L. monocytogenes must first address the problem of cross-contamination. Besides the preventive control strategies, cross-contamination may be addressed with the introduction of emerging post packaging non-thermal or thermal hurdles that can ensure delivery of a listericidal step in a packed product without interfering with the organoleptic characteristics of a food product. This review aims to present the most relevant findings underlying the distinct lifestyle of L. monocytogenes and its impact on food safety. We also discuss emerging food decontamination technologies that can be used to better control L. monocytogenes.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Due to its divergent chemical composition and good nutritional properties, pollen is not only important as a potential food supplement but also as a good substrate for the development of different ...microorganisms. Among such microorganisms, toxigenic fungi are extremely dangerous as they can synthesize mycotoxins as a part of their metabolic pathways. Furthermore, favorable conditions that enable the synthesis of mycotoxins (adequate temperature, relative humidity, pH, and a
values) are found frequently during pollen collection and/or production process. Internationally, several different mycotoxins have been identified in pollen samples, with a noted predominance of aflatoxins, ochratoxins, fumonisins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and T-2 toxin. Mycotoxins are, generally speaking, extremely harmful for humans and other mammals. Current EU legislation contains guidelines on the permissible content of this group of compounds, but without information pertaining to the content of mycotoxins in pollen. Currently only aflatoxins have been researched and discussed in the literature in regard to proposed limits. Therefore, the aim of this review is to give information about the presence of different mycotoxins in pollen samples collected all around the world, to propose possible aflatoxin contamination pathways, and to emphasize the importance of a regular mycotoxicological analysis of pollen. Furthermore, a suggestion is made regarding the legal regulation of pollen as a food supplement and the proposed tolerable limits for other mycotoxins.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Although phosphides are utilized in stored pest control, efforts have been made to discover environmentally friendly insecticides. For insecticidal properties, essential oils (EOs) are considered to ...be novel alternatives for pesticide use. This study characterized the Origanum vulgare EO by gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) × gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and assessed the insecticidal activities against Sitophilus granarius. Mortality, post-exposure survival, behavior, and respiration caused by this EO in S. granarius were investigated. The majority of the compounds were p-cymene, carvacrol, linalool, and thymol. In dose–mortality bioassays, the lethality of this EO (LDsub.50 = 3.05 µg insectsup.−1 and LDsub.90 = 10.02 µg insectsup.−1) was confirmed in S. granarius. The survival rate was 99.9% in adults not treated with O. vulgare EOs, reducing to 44.9% and 10.3% in weevils treated with 3.05 µg insectsup.−1 and 10.02 µg insectsup.−1, respectively. The O. vulgare EO alters the behavioral pattern in terms of walking distance and resting time, displaying repellency. Additionally, this EO reduced the gas exchange of weevils from 2.78 to 2.36 µL COsub.2 hsup.−1 at 3.05 µg insectsup.−1, after 3 h EO exposure. The results suggest that O. vulgare EOs affect different biological functions in the insect, and open new perspectives for controlling stored pests, representing a first step in the innovation of green pesticides.
Review on microbial degradation of aflatoxins Adebo, O. A.; Njobeh, P. B.; Gbashi, S. ...
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition,
10/2017, Volume:
57, Issue:
15
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Aflatoxin (AF) contamination presents one of the most insidious challenges to combat, in food safety. Its adulteration of agricultural commodities presents an important safety concern as evident in ...the incidences of its health implication and economic losses reported widely. Due to the overarching challenges presented by the contamination of AFs in foods and feeds, there is an urgent need to evolve cost-effective and competent strategies to combat this menace. In our review, we tried to appraise the cost-effective methods for decontamination of AFs. We identified the missing links in adopting microbial degradation as a palliative to decontamination of AFs and its commercialization in food and feed industries. Cogent areas of further research were also highlighted in the review paper.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
The fumonisins producing fungi,
spp., are ubiquitous in nature and contaminate several food matrices that pose detrimental health hazards on humans as well as on animals. This has necessitated ...profound research for the control and management of the toxins to guarantee better health of consumers. This review highlights the chemistry and biosynthesis process of the fumonisins, their occurrence, effect on agriculture and food, along with their associated health issues. In addition, the focus has been put on the detection and management of fumonisins to ensure safe and healthy food. The main focus of the review is to provide insights to the readers regarding their health-associated food consumption and possible outbreaks. Furthermore, the consumers' knowledge and an attempt will ensure food safety and security and the farmers' knowledge for healthy agricultural practices, processing, and management, important to reduce the mycotoxin outbreaks due to fumonisins.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The food industry is advancing at a rapid pace and consumer sensitivity to food safety scares and food fraud scandals is further amplified by rapid communication such as by social media. Academia, ...regulators, and industry practitioners alike struggle with an evolving issue regarding new terms and definitions including food fraud, food authenticity, food integrity, food protection, economically motivated adulteration, food crime, food security, contaminant, adulterant, and others. This research addressed some of the global need for clarification and harmonization of commonly used terminology. The 150 survey responses were received from various food‐related workgroups or committee members, communication with recognized experts, and announcements to the food industry in general. Overall food fraud was identified as a “food safety” issue (86%). The food quality and manufacturing respondents focused mainly on incoming goods and adulterant‐substances (<50%) rather than the other illegal activities such as counterfeiting, theft, gray market/diversion, and smuggling. Of the terms included to represent “intentional deception for economic gain” the respondents generally agreed with food fraud as the preferred term. Overall, the preference was 50% “food fraud,” 15% “economically motivated adulteration” EMA, 9% “food protection,” 7% “food integrity,” 5% “food authenticity,” and 2% “food crime.” It appears that “food protection” and “food integrity” are terms that cover broader concepts such as all types of intentional acts and even possibly food safety or food quality. “Food authenticity” was defined with the phrase “to ensure” so seemed to be identified as an “attribute” that helped define fraudulent acts.
Practical Application
Food Fraud—illegal deception for economic gain using food—is a rapidly evolving research topic and is facing confusion due to the use of different terms and definitions. This research survey presented common definitions and publication details to gain insight that could help provide clarity. The insight from this report provides guidance for others who are harmonizing terminology and setting the overall strategic direction.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Over the last 10 to 15 years, increasing evidence suggests that persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in food processing plants for years or even decades is an important factor in the transmission of ...this foodborne pathogen and the root cause of a number of human listeriosis outbreaks. L. monocytogenes persistence in other food-associated environments (e.g., farms and retail establishments) may also contribute to food contamination and transmission of the pathogen to humans. Although L. monocytogenes persistence is typically identified through isolation of a specific molecular subtype from samples collected in a given environment over time, formal (statistical) criteria for identification of persistence are undefined. Environmental factors (e.g., facilities and equipment that are difficult to clean) have been identified as key contributors to persistence; however, the mechanisms are less well understood. Although some researchers have reported that persistent strains possess specific characteristics that may facilitate persistence (e.g., biofilm formation and better adaptation to stress conditions), other researchers have not found significant differences between persistent and nonpersistent strains in the phenotypic characteristics that might facilitate persistence. This review includes a discussion of our current knowledge concerning some key issues associated with the persistence of L. monocytogenes, with special focus on (i) persistence in food processing plants and other food-associated environments, (ii) persistence in the general environment, (iii) phenotypic and genetic characteristics of persistent strains, (iv) niches, and (v) public health and economic implications of persistence. Although the available data clearly indicate that L. monocytogenes persistence at various stages of the food chain contributes to contamination of finished products, continued efforts to quantitatively integrate data on L. monocytogenes persistence (e.g., meta-analysis or quantitative microbial risk assessment) will be needed to advance our understanding of persistence of this pathogen and its economic and public health impacts.
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CEKLJ, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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