Fish‐processing plants still face food safety (FS) challenges worldwide despite the existence of several quality assurance standards and food safety management systems/s (FSMSs). This study assessed ...performance of FSMS in fish exporting sector considering pressure from the context in which they operate. A FSMS diagnostic tool with checklist was used to assess the context, FSMS, and FS output in 9 Kenyan fish exporting companies. Majority (67%) companies operated at moderate‐ to high‐risk context but with an average performance in control and assurance activities. This situation could be insufficient to deal with ambiguity, uncertainty, and vulnerability issues in the context characteristics. Contextual risk posed by product characteristics (nature of raw materials) and chain environment characteristics was high. Risk posed by the chain environment characteristics, low power in supplier relationships, and low degree of authority in customer relationships was high. Lack of authority in relationship with suppliers would lead to high raw material risk situation. Even though cooling facilities, a key control activity, was at an advanced level, there was inadequate packaging intervention equipment which coupled with inadequate physical intervention equipment could lead to further weakened FSMS performance. For the fish companies to improve their FSMS to higher level and enhance predictability, they should base their FSMS on scientific information sources, historical results, and own experimental trials in their preventive, intervention, and monitoring systems. Specific suggestions are derived for improvements toward higher FSMS activity levels or lower risk levels in context characteristics.
The effects of existing food safety management systems and size of the production facility on microbiological quality in the dairy industry in Kenya were studied. A microbial assessment scheme was ...used to evaluate 14 dairies in Nairobi and its environs, and their performance was compared based on their size and on whether they were implementing hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) systems and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 22000 recommendations. Environmental samples from critical sampling locations, i.e., workers' hands and food contact surfaces, and from end products were analyzed for microbial quality, including hygiene indicators and pathogens. Microbial safety level profiles (MSLPs) were constructed from the microbiological data to obtain an overview of contamination. The maximum MSLP score for environmental samples was 18 (six microbiological parameters, each with a maximum MSLP score of 3) and that for end products was 15 (five microbiological parameters). Three dairies (two large scale and one medium scale; 21% of total) achieved the maximum MSLP scores of 18 for environmental samples and 15 for the end product. Escherichia coli was detected on food contact surfaces in three dairies, all of which were small scale dairies, and the microorganism was also present in end product samples from two of these dairies, an indication of cross-contamination. Microbial quality was poorest in small scale dairies. Most operations in these dairies were manual, with minimal system documentation. Noncompliance with hygienic practices such as hand washing and cleaning and disinfection procedures, which is common in small dairies, directly affects the microbial quality of the end products. Dairies implementing HACCP systems or ISO 22000 recommendations achieved maximum MSLP scores and hence produced safer products.
Basic objective of synthesis of cam displacement functions is minimizing the acceleration and jerk of the cam-follower especially in high-speed drives. Here classical splines of 6-, 7- and 8-orders ...and
B-splines of 6- and 8-orders are taken for designing cam displacement functions. Multiple control points are introduced. Acceleration and jerk are minimized by manipulating the control point parameters. A searching procedure is adopted, based on GA and fuzzy membership function. It establishes that introduction of control points largely minimizes acceleration and jerk.
The aim of this work was to introduce new ways to model the I-V characteristic of a photovoltaic (PV) cell or PV module using straight lines and Bézier curves. This is a complete novel approach, ...Bézier curves being previously used mainly for computer graphics. The I-V characteristic is divided into three sections, modeled with lines and a quadratic Bézier curve in the first case and with three cubic Bézier curves in the second case. The result proves to be accurate and relies on the fundamental points usually present in the PV cell datasheets: V o c (the open circuit voltage), I s c (the short circuit current), V m p (the maximum power corresponding voltage) and I m p (the maximum power corresponding current), and the parasitic resistances R s h 0 (shunt resistance at I s c ) and R s 0 (series resistance at V o c ). The proposed algorithm completely defines all the implied control points and the error is analyzed. The temperature and irradiance influence is also analyzed. The model is also compared using the least squares fitting method. The final validation shows how to use Bézier cubic curves to accurately represent the I-V curves of an extensive range of PV cells and arrays.
We propose a methodological framework for managing mycotoxin risks in the food processing industry. Mycotoxin contamination is a well-known threat to public health that has economic significance for ...the food processing industry; it is imperative to address mycotoxin risks holistically, at all points in the procurement, processing, and distribution pipeline, by tracking the relevant data, adopting best practices, and providing suitable adaptive controls. The proposed framework includes (i) an information and data repository, (ii) a collaborative infrastructure with analysis and simulation tools, (iii) standardized testing and acceptance sampling procedures, and (iv) processes that link the risk assessments and testing results to the sourcing, production, and product release steps. The implementation of suitable acceptance sampling protocols for mycotoxin testing is considered in some detail.
Risk analysis is increasingly promoted as a tool to support science-based decisions regarding food safety. An online survey comprising 45 questions was used to gather information on the ...implementation of food safety risk analysis within the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Professionals working in food safety in academia, government, and private sectors in Latin American and Caribbean countries were contacted by email and surveyed to assess their individual knowledge of risk analysis and perceptions of its implementation in the region. From a total of 279 participants, 97% reported a familiarity with risk analysis concepts; however, fewer than 25% were able to correctly identify its key principles. The reported implementation of risk analysis among the different professional sectors was relatively low (46%). Participants from industries in countries with a long history of trade with the United States and the European Union, such as Mexico, Brazil, and Chile, reported perceptions of a higher degree of risk analysis implementation (56, 50, and 20%, respectively) than those from the rest of the countries, suggesting that commerce may be a driver for achieving higher food safety standards. Disagreement among respondents on the extent of the use of risk analysis in national food safety regulations was common, illustrating a systematic lack of understanding of the current regulatory status of the country. The results of this survey can be used to target further risk analysis training on selected sectors and countries.
High-altitude Himalayan terrain exhibits extreme geometric distortion along north-facing (dilation) and south-facing (compression) slopes as observed in satellite stereo data with high look angles. ...In the present study, Cartosat-1 stereo pairs have been used for generating Digital Elevation Model (DEM) using Differential Global Positioning System based Ground Control Points. DEM quality assessment through stereoscopic visualization revealed distortions especially in E-W oriented steep valleys. The study highlights issues and challenges in DEM generation for Himalayan terrain and articulates density of editing required. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the DEM produced showed considerable improvements after post processing.
In recent years, consumer interest in health and health foods (e.g., dietary supplements) has increased, and the types of and market for health foods have also expanded rapidly. The safety of health ...foods is a significant concern in many countries. Numerous adverse events associated with the consumption of health foods have been reported. There are cases that have resulted in serious liver failure, renal failure, and death in other countries. These products may contain undeclared medical ingredients and toxic chemical compounds that are illegally and intentionally added or contain natural plant toxins. Products containing high levels of heavy metals have also been reported to cause such adverse events. Some products remain on the market, even after regulatory agencies alert consumers and issue warnings to their sellers. Moreover, because people can buy health foods from sources overseas via the Internet, adverse effects associated with the use of such products remain a concern. Two cases of adverse events were reported in Japanese individuals who purchased “OxyElite Pro” products imported privately. They are advertised as weight-loss and muscle-building products and have been associated with many cases of liver failure and hepatitis in the USA. In this paper, regulatory systems and adverse events associated with the use of health foods in other countries are discussed.
The assessment of health risks resulting from the intake of genotoxic carcinogens in food depends essentially on a valid exposure assessment. The reliability of the external exposure estimation is ...restricted by various factors, e. g. inaccurate data from dietary protocols and variations of food contaminant contents. As an alternative, the individual internal exposure to genotoxic substances may be described by specific biomarkers in different matrices. For example, mercapturic acids formed after glutathione conjugation of electrophilic metabolites can be detected in the urine. This typically reflects the exposure to the parent compound over a period of one to two days. The determination of adducts in the blood proteins serum albumin (SA) and hemoglobin (Hb) allows for conclusions to be drawn about the external exposure within the last three weeks (SA) or within the last four months (Hb). Protein adducts are used routinely in occupational medicine as biomarkers of internal exposure to substances in the ambient air of the workplace. The availability of increasingly sensitive analytical techniques also makes it possible to detect numerous adducts in proteins from human blood samples that are formed after the continuous intake of very small doses of toxic substances from foods. Here, we present the current state of science exemplified by protein adducts of the food contaminants acrylamide, aflatoxin B
and glycidol. The biomarker can be used in the future to investigate previously unknown relationships between internal exposure and disease incidences.
Myricitrin, a flavonol rhamnoside of myricetin extracted from the Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Siebold) plant, has been used in Japan since 1992 as a flavour modifier in snack foods, dairy ...products, and beverages. It is affirmed as generally recognised as safe (GRAS) by the US Flavour and Extract Manufacturer Association (FEMA) and is considered safe by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) at current estimated dietary exposures. In anticipation of expanded marketing, 97% pure myricitrin was fed to male and female Sprague–Dawley rats at dietary concentrations of 0.5%, 1.5% and 5.0% in a 90-day toxicity study. There was increased food consumption and decreased body weight gain in males exposed to 5% myricitrin. Blood values were within laboratory reference ranges except for mean increases in basophils in low- and high-dose males and serum phosphorus in high-dose males. In the absence of abnormal clinical or histopathological changes, these changes are not considered adverse. Based on the 90-day rat toxicity study, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) is 2926 mg kg –¹ day –¹ in males and 3197 mg kg –¹ day –¹ in females. Gavage administration of myricitrin resulted in blood levels of myricitrin within 1 h after single oral doses of 250, 500 or 1000 mg kg –¹ body weight, indicating direct absorption of the glycosylated form of this flavonoid. Blood levels of myricetin, a metabolite of myricitrin, were not present in rats dosed orally with 1.6 mg kg –¹ myricetin, but were present only at 12 or 24 h in one of five, in three of five, and in four of five rats dosed with 250, 500 and 1000 mg myricitrin kg –¹ body weight, respectively, possibly a result of hepatic conversion of myricitrin to myricetin and enterohepatic recirculation of the resulting myricetin. The current studies further support prior safety assessments of myricitrin as a food flavouring.
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