Worldwide, approximately one in ten people acquire a foodborne disease due to eating contaminated food. This often occurs at home and young adults in particular often lack knowledge of and adherence ...to safe food-handling recommendations. Using an experimental design, we compared two groups to investigate whether increasing knowledge and self-efficacy would improve food safety behaviour in young adults in comparison to increasing knowledge alone. All participants (N = 221) completed questionnaires assessing safe food-handling knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviour, and watched an educational safe food-handling campaign consisting of four short videos providing information on how to safely cook, clean, prepare, and chill food. The experimental group (N = 121) created an action plan, set a safe food-handling related goal, and made a commitment to change their safe food-handling behaviour. The control group (N = 100) completed a similar task not specific to safe food-handling. One week later, the questionnaires were repeated. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that self-efficacy and behaviour increased in both groups but there was a significantly greater increase in the experimental group. Knowledge increased significantly in the experimental group, but did not in the control group. No mediation of self-efficacy on safe food-handling behaviour in the experimental group was found. The intervention was successful in improving the impact of the educational materials and further, self-efficacy increased significantly even when applied to a non-related topic. This has important implications for improvements in safe food-handling media campaigns.
•This study found improvements in self-efficacy and safe food-handling behaviour.•Increases in self-efficacy and behaviour were greatest in the experimental group.•Food safety knowledge significantly increased in the experimental group.
Sustainable management of low fertile arid soils using carbon-rich organic amendments such as biochar and compost is of great concern from both agricultural and environmental points of view. The ...impact of pyrolysis, composting, and co-composting processes of different feedstocks on carbon loss and emissions, soil properties, and plant growth in arid soils with low organic matter content has not been sufficiently explored yet. Consequently, the aim of this work was to 1) investigate the effects of the pyrolysis, composting, and co-composting processes on the properties of the produced biochar, compost, and co-composted biochar from rice straw (RS) and sugarcane bagasse (SB), and 2) examine the impact of addition of RB biochar (RSB), SB biochar (SBB), RS compost (RSC), SB compost (SBC), co-composted RS biochar (RSCB), and co-composted SB biochar (SBCB) at an application dose of 10 ton/hectare on soil properties, carbon emission, and growth of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) in a sandy arid soil. Carbon loss (kg C kg−1 feedstock) was significantly (P < 0.05) lower during the preparation of the compost (90.36 in RSC, 220.00 in SBC) and co-composted-biochar (146.35 in RSCB, 125.20 in SBCB) than in biochar (176.5 in RSB, 305.6 in SBB). The C/N ratios of the compost and co-composted biochar (11–28.5) were narrower than the corresponding values of biochars (48–90). All amendments increased significantly soil organic carbon content (2.5 in RSC to 5.5 g kg−1 in RSCB), as compared to the non-amended control (1.2 g kg−1). All amendments, particularly RSCB, increased significantly (P < 0.05) the zucchini seed vigor index, dry weight, total chlorophyll content, and root and shoot length, as compared to the control. Moreover, RSCB was the only amendment that showed a positive soil carbon balance. The modified integrated two-way ecological model data also indicated that the co-composted biochar, particularly RSCB, is a promising amendment to improve soil quality and plant growth in sandy arid soils. However, those data should be verified under field conditions.
Display omitted
•Carbon loss was higher during pyrolysing than composting rice and sugarcane waste.•Co-composted rice straw biochar (RSCB) showed a positive soil C balance.•All amendments improved soil health and zucchini growth parameters.•An integrated two-way ecological model data was introduced for the first time.•This model showed that RSCB is a promising amendment for low fertile arid soils.
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), diverse fungi belonging to
section
frequently contaminate staple crops with aflatoxins. Aflatoxins negatively impact health, income, trade, food security, and development ...sectors.
is the most common causal agent of contamination. However, certain
genotypes do not produce aflatoxins (i.e., are atoxigenic). An aflatoxin biocontrol technology employing atoxigenic genotypes to limit crop contamination was developed in the United States. The technology was adapted and improved for use in maize and groundnut in SSA under the trademark Aflasafe. Nigeria was the first African nation for which an aflatoxin biocontrol product was developed. The current study includes tests to assess biocontrol performance across Nigeria over the past decade. The presented data on efficacy spans years in which a relatively small number of maize and groundnut fields (8-51 per year) were treated through use on circa 36,000 ha in commercially-produced maize in 2018. During the testing phase (2009-2012), fields treated during one year were not treated in the other years while during commercial usage (2013-2019), many fields were treated in multiple years. This is the first report of a large-scale, long-term efficacy study of any biocontrol product developed to date for a field crop. Most (>95%) of 213,406 tons of maize grains harvested from treated fields contained <20 ppb total aflatoxins, and a significant proportion (>90%) contained <4 ppb total aflatoxins. Grains from treated plots had preponderantly >80% less aflatoxin content than untreated crops. The frequency of the biocontrol active ingredient atoxigenic genotypes in grains from treated fields was significantly higher than in grains from control fields. A higher proportion of grains from treated fields met various aflatoxin standards compared to grains from untreated fields. Results indicate that efficacy of the biocontrol product in limiting aflatoxin contamination is stable regardless of environment and cropping system. In summary, the biocontrol technology allows farmers across Nigeria to produce safer crops for consumption and increases potential for access to premium markets that require aflatoxin-compliant crops.
In Australia, food poisoning affects over 4.1 million people annually, with most cases occurring in domestic (i.e., household) environments. Strategies aimed at improving safe food-handling among the ...community have begun being implemented across Australia. Recently, the ‘Play it Food Safe’ mass media campaign by the Western Australian Department of Health was piloted and shown to have some effectiveness in improving safe food-handling behaviour among consumers following the campaign. However, little is known about whether these changes in safe food-handling behaviours can be maintained in the long-term. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to determine if the Western Australian ‘Play it Food Safe’ campaign could lead to long-term change of safe food-handling knowledge, behaviour, and related psychological constructs (i.e., habit, perceived risk, self-efficacy, and subjective norms) among consumers. Participants (N = 689) completed measures assessing their safe food-handling knowledge, behaviour, and psychological constructs, derived from psychological theories, following the conclusion of the ‘Play it Food Safe’ campaign that was re-run in Perth, Western Australia. Participants completed these measures again approximately eight-weeks later. Data were analysed to determine if there were any changes in these measures over time, or whether scores on these measures were maintained long-term. Results indicated that some psychological constructs improved over time, and knowledge was higher among participants who saw the campaign, however, behaviour remained the same. These findings show that the ‘Play it Food Safe’ campaign may be effective for increasing knowledge, and effective for improving some psychological constructs long-term, though further development of the campaign is needed for further impact on behaviour.
•Eight-weeks following the campaign, safe food-handling knowledge improved.•Similarly, some psychological constructs changed.•Safe food-handling behaviour did not change, eight-weeks following the campaign.
Heat-moisture treatment (HMT) and annealing (ANN) are physical modifications that change the physicochemical properties of starch without destroying its granular structure. These hydrothermal ...treatments are processes in which the starch-to-moisture ratio, temperature, and heating time are critical parameters that need to be controlled. In HMT, starch is heated to temperatures above the gelatinisation temperatures but with insufficient moisture to gelatinise. In ANN, starch is exposed to excess water for an extended period of time at a temperature above the glass transition but below the gelatinisation temperature. The impact of such hydrothermal treatments on starch pasting, morphological, crystalline, thermal, and physicochemical properties, as well as on the enzymatic and acid susceptibility of starch will be discussed. The paper also highlights some applications of hydrothermally treated starch. This review is of significance not only for the development of novel starches for food and non-food applications, but also for understanding the impact of HMT and ANN on starch and its functionality.
Food contamination and food adulteration are widely known public health issues in Bangladesh. This research explores consumers' perceptions of food hazards and safe food purchasing strategies. The ...study uses data from a survey of 450 primary household food purchasers in an urban supermarket and two traditional bazaars in urban and regional areas. This study explored the differences between consumers in urban and regional areas. The urban supermarket consumers showed more significant concerns about food hazards and safe food purchasing strategies than consumers at the urban and regional bazaars. Urban consumers indicated a higher food safety perception, whereas regional consumers were concerned about food safety deterioration. This study finds that urban supermarket consumers considered biological food hazards more during food purchasing than the regional bazaar. Most of the consumers in this study were concerned about chemical food hazards such as formalin and pesticide residues, and these consumers considered food purchasing factors such as tastes and expiry dates more while purchasing food. On the other hand, consumers concerned about biological hazards emphasised food purchasing place and product origin. Urban and regional bazaar consumers considered prices more than urban supermarket consumers. The study also explores sociodemographic variations, such as women having more concern about chemical food hazards than men and people with less formal education levels showing less concern about food hazards. Therefore, dissemination of safe food knowledge, adequate infrastructure, monitoring, and policymaking are some immediate necessary steps to improve food safety situations and safe food accessibility in Bangladesh.
Abstract To preserve life and promote health, it is critical to have access to appropriate quantities of safe food. Foodborne illness is an infectious illness or poisoning caused by viruses, ...bacteria, or chemicals that contaminate food or water. Food safety and health are the responsibility of everyone, from the agricultural chain to the consumer who comes into touch with food, in order to limit the amount of food poisonings. Nutritionists feel that the home, or the location where the consumer prepares food, is one of the least supervised steps all the way from the farm to the table. Dr. Lotfi Zadeh invented fuzzy logic as a superset of classical logic. This article covers the mathematical foundations of fuzzy logic, as well as membership functions, fuzzy sets, and reasoning rules. Input numbers are converted into linguistic values by fuzzy expert systems, which are subsequently modified by if-then rules provided by a human expert. The notion of a fuzzy expert system is explored in-depth, along with its rule-base and set membership functions.
Frequent food safety incidents have increased Chinese consumers' concerns about food quality and safety. This has resulted in an expansion of the safe food market, a segment that includes hazard ...free, green and organic food. This paper evaluates Chinese consumers' decision-making processes in relation to safe food. It specifically focuses on consumers' use of and trust in information about safe food and their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards safe food. The findings show that Chinese consumers have a high awareness of safe food but limited knowledge about the concept of safe food, low recognition of the relevant labels and limited ability to identify safe food. Despite limited knowledge about safe food, Chinese consumers generally hold positive attitudes towards it, particularly with regard to its safety, quality, nutrition and taste. They are willing to pay more for safe food products. The implications of this review for the food industry, food policy decision makers and future scientific research are discussed.
In previous reports large-scale EDTA-based soil washing using ReSoil® technology was demonstrated. In the current study, we established a vegetable garden with nine raised beds (4 × 1 × 0.5 m), three ...with original (contaminated) soil, three with remediated soil, and three with remediated soil vitalized by addition of vermicompost, earthworms, and rhizosphere inoculum. The garden was managed in 6 rotations between July 2018 and November 2019. Buckwheat was sown first as a green manure followed by spinach, lamb's lettuce, chicory, garlic, onion, leek, lettuce, carrot, kohlrabi and spinach again. Buckwheat growth on the remediated soil was reduced by half. Throughout the gardening process there were no remarkable differences in bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, available water capacity, and aggregate stability of the original and remediated soil. Biomass yield and plant performance, as measured by NDVI, also remained similar regardless of soil treatment. Remediation reduced Pb concentration in edible parts of vegetables from 76 (garlic) to 95% (kohlrabi), Zn concentration from 14 (lettuce) to 76% (first cutting of chicory), and Cd concentration from 33% (carrot) to 91% (leek and second cutting of chicory). The transfer of metals from soil to root and from root to shoot occurred in the order: Pb < Zn < Cd. The bioconcentration of toxic metals in edible plant parts was generally lower in the remediated soils. Application of ReSoil® technology and growing vegetables that exclude metals, especially Cd, has potential for safe food production on remediated soils. Vitalization had little effect on the properties of the remediated soil.
Display omitted
•Vegetable garden with remediated soil was established and realistically managed.•Eleven produces were sown in 6 rotations, first buckwheat as a green manure.•Physical properties of original/remediated soil were similar throughout gardening.•Biomass yield and plant performance remained similar regardless of soil treatment.•Remediation reduced Pb, Zn and Cd concentration in roots and edible parts of plants
This study employed the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) to predict the intention of adult consumers towards safe food handling at home. A self-administered survey was distributed to a total ...of 623 respondents who lived in the Sibu district, Malaysia and analyzed the data using the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique. The empirical results revealed that consumers' attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control were statistically significant and positively linked to the intention of safe food handling. Furthermore, the results indicated that the main predictor of consumer safe food handling intention was subjective norm. This study confirmed that food safety knowledge had a positive impact on consumer's attitude. From a practical standpoint, this study provided justification in highlighting the roles of family that encouraged consumers to perform safe food handling at home.
•All the TPB antecedents showed a significant effect on the intention of safe food handling.•Subjective norm was the strongest predictor in food safety intention.•Food safety knowledge had a significant effect on attitude.
PDF
