Acrylamide monitoring in Switzerland, 2007–2009: results and conclusions

Parallel to the European Union acrylamide monitoring for the years 2007–2009, Switzerland performed its own monitoring, covering the whole range of products that significantly contain acrylamide (almost 300 samples per year), but focusing on those products that may result in high exposure. As reducing sugars are critical for potato products, these were included. No significant change, particularly improvement, was noticed, especially regarding those products for which substantial potential for improvement is known. ‘Western-style’ French fries continued to contain some four times more reducing sugars than ‘traditional’ fries, with correspondingly higher acrylamide in the finished product. The supply of raw potatoes low in reducing sugars by retail shops needs improvement, but there seemed to be insufficient willingness on a voluntary basis. A foreign producer was successful in penetrating the Swiss market with special potato chips containing up to 7000 µg kg^?1 acrylamide and only harsh measures could stop this. Three of about 61 products in the group of bakery ware showed a marked improvement. But there was also a store brand cracker that competed with a leading brand which contained 15 times more acrylamide (845 µg kg^?1). Cereals contained 1080 µg kg^?1 acrylamide and even a warning did not prompt the producer to sell substantially better products one year later. It seems that only measures by the authorities will achieve improvements. The following seem promising: a limit for reducing sugars in prefabricates for French fries; the improved supply of raw potatoes low in sugars for roasting and frying; a legal limit for acrylamide content in potato chips; a general provision that products must not contain substantially more acrylamide than achievable by good manufacturing practice; and fryers with a temperature profile from an initial high to a lower final value.     

Assessment of Energy Consumption in a Meat-Processing Plant—a Case Study

Meat-processing plants have their specific characteristics due to quantity of raw materials processed, production technology, degree of mechanisation of production and space utilization. These characteristics affect variability in consumption of energy carriers. This paper presents a case study of energy consumption in a small meat processing plant. It is attempting to identify and evaluate key factors which may be useful in conducting an in-depth analysis of energy consumption in the meat industry, and so this analysis may be important in selecting the best production techniques available. The results of the analysis are of critical importance for the selection of production technology selection assuming high plant efficiency.     

True morels (Morchella)—nutritional and phytochemical composition,health benefits and flavor: A review

Morels are edible mushrooms appreciated worldwide for their savory flavor. Morels have been in use in traditional medicine for centuries, due to their health-related benefits, and current research demonstrated their anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory bioactivities, in addition to immunostimulatory and anti-tumor properties. In spite of the high demand for morels and their increasing economic importance, their cultivation is limited, and they are either used as wild harvested or fermented in culture, for consumption as a functional food and for food-flavoring. Morel's health benefits were attributed mainly to polysaccharides as the active compounds, and to various phytochemicals, mainly phenolic compounds, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and vitamin D. Morel's nutritional composition was reported, including sugar, amino acid, fatty and organic acid and mineral profile. Information regarding Morel's flavor is limited, and while some of their taste attributes have been described, including the role of umami taste, details about their volatile aroma profile are scarce, and it was reported to include eight carbon volatiles, the main aroma volatiles typical to most mushrooms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review presenting morels' nutritional and phytochemical composition, health benefits and flavor, and we will review the available information in current literature regarding these aspects in light of morels phenotypic plasticity.     

Extraction of Polyphenolics from Plant Material for Functional Foods—Engineering and Technology

Polyphenolic substances or polyphenols include many classes of compounds ranging from phenolic acids, colored anthocyanins, simple flavonoids, and complex flavonoids. Polyphenolics contribute to the bitterness and astringency of fruits and fruit juices due to the interaction between polyphenolics, mainly procyanidins, and the glycoproteins in saliva. Polyphenols contribute largely to cellular processes within the body. In terms of pharmacological activity, they act against the oxidation of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Hence, they help the body retain important HDL while helping it get rid of problematic low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). In addition, polyphenols have also been found to have antiulcer, anticarcinogenic, and antimutagenic activities. The reason behind these activities is polyphenol's strong antioxidant power because they are able to quench free radicals. Green tea and grape seed extracts provide a superior source of monomers that are relatively inexpensive to extract. Comparatively, pine bark and other fruits extracts have low levels of monomers. Therefore, the nutraceutical industry has focused on optimizing extraction processes for green tea leaves and grape pomace, skins, and seeds. During extraction, a solvent is mixed with the plant material (grape seeds, grape skins, pine bark, or tea leaves). Extraction can be either completed by the addition of a solvent to the sample in a container and then removed by drying, or the solvent can be removed by concentration by ultrafiltration (UF). After any one of these processes, the extract must be dried to obtain a powder form. Alternatively, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) can also be used, which produces the final product as a powder without any use of final drying. Organic solvent extraction is efficient and simple, yet costly. Large amounts of organic solvents are needed. This, in turn, is also detrimental to human use because traces of the organic solvent are present in the polyphenol extract. Polyphenol separation and concentration by membrane separation is even more efficient than organic solvent extraction. Organic solvents are still used but in lower quantities, and UF ensures the purity of the polyphenol extract. The drawback is membrane fouling, which can disrupt the process, and the time it takes to complete the process. The separation process has to be repeated several times. Supercritical fluid extraction is the extraction process of the future. CO₂ is low cost, nontoxic, nonflammable, and noncorrosive, making it the perfect solvent for natural products. In the U.S. market, where $141 million was spent on grape seed products in 1999, it is imperative that safe and efficient extraction procedures are delivered that guarantee a pure polyphenol product.     

Adjunctive effect of orthokeratology and low dose atropine on axial elongation in fast-progressing myopic children—A preliminary retrospective study

PurposeTo investigate the adjunctive effect of orthokeratology (ortho-k) and low-dose atropine eye drops on axial length elongation in fast-progressing myopic children.MethodsAxial elongation in 60 eyes of 60 subjects who completed two years of ortho-k treatment was retrospectively reviewed. They were aged between 5.6–11.6 (mean, 8.3 ± 1.5) years old when they started ortho-k treatment. During their first year of ortho-k treatment (Phase One), they all demonstrated a faster than 0.25 mm/yr axial elongation rate. They were then treated with nightly 0.01% atropine in addition to ortho-k treatment for another year (Phase Two). Annual axial elongation rates before and after atropine treatment were compared.ResultsBaseline spherical equivalent refractive error was −2.65 ± 1.08 DS and axial length was 24.34 ± 0.92 mm for the study cohort. The mean axial elongation rate was 0.46 ± 0.16 mm/yr during Phase One, being significantly faster in younger children (t = −4.920, P < 0.001). When atropine was added, annual axial elongation rate significantly decreased to 0.14 ± 0.14 mm/yr (t = −11.988, P < 0.001), and those who were fast progressors in Phase One had a greater reduction in the rate of axial elongation during Phase Two (t = −8.052, P < 0.001).ConclusionsAxial elongation rate is faster in younger children undergoing ortho-k treatment. For fast myopia progressors, low dose atropine may significantly slow axial elongation in addition to ortho-k’s treatment effect. Those who have faster axial elongation after ortho-k treatment will benefit more from the addition of low dose atropine, regardless of their refractive error and age.     

Review: norovirus prevalence in Belgian, Canadian and French fresh produce: a threat to human health?

Foodborne viruses, especially noroviruses (NoV), are increasingly reported as the cause of foodborne outbreaks. NoV outbreaks have been reported linked to fresh soft red fruits and leafy greens. Belgium, Canada and France were the first countries to provide data about the prevalence of NoV on fresh produce. In total, 867 samples of leafy greens, 180 samples of fresh soft red fruits and 57 samples of other types of fresh produce (tomatoes, cucumber and fruit salads) were analyzed. Firstly, the NoV detection methodology, including virus and RNA extraction, real-time RT-PCR and quality controls were compared among the three countries. In addition, confirmation and genotyping of the NoV strains was attempted for a subset of NoV positive samples using conventional RT-PCR targeting an alternative region followed by sequencing. Analysis of the process control showed that 653, 179 and 18 samples of the leafy greens, soft red fruits and other fresh produce types were valid for analysis based on the recovery of the process control. NoV was detected by real-time RT-PCR in 28.2% (N = 641), 33.3% (N = 6) and 50% (N = 6) of leafy greens tested in Canada, Belgium and France, respectively. Soft red fruits were found positive by real-time RT-PCR in 34.5% (N = 29) and 6.7% (N = 150) of the samples tested in Belgium and France, respectively. 55.5% (N = 18) of the other fresh produce types, analyzed in Belgium, were found NoV positive by real-time RT-PCR. Conventional RT-PCR resulted in an amplicon of the expected size in 19.5% (52/266) of the NoV positive samples where this assay was attempted. Subsequent sequencing was only successful in 34.6% (18/52) of the suspected amplicons obtained by conventional RT-PCR. From this study, using the described methodology, NoV genomes were frequently detected in fresh produce however sequence confirmation was not successful for the majority of the samples tested. Infection or outbreaks were rarely or not known to be related to the NoV positive samples. With the increase in sensitivity of the detection methodology, there is an increasing concern about the interpretation of positive NoV results by real-time amplification. Strategies to confirm the results by real-time RT-PCR should be developed in analogy with the detection of microbial pathogens in foods. Detection might indicate contact with NoV in the fresh produce chain. Consequently, a potential risk for infection cannot be excluded but the actual risk from RT-PCR NoV positive produce is still unknown. Studies should be designed determining the probability of infection related to the presence or levels of NoV genomic copies.     

Plant protection product residues in white grapes and wines of “Malvasia Istriana” produced in Istria

Monitorting of plant protection product residues was performed in 12 grape and 66 wine samples of “Malvasia Istriana” variety, produced in Istria winegrowing region of Croatia and Slovenia. The samples were analysed for the presence of 169 different active compounds using two multiresidual analytical methods: gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Residues were found in 58.3% of all the inspected grape samples and in 28.8% of all the inspected wine samples. Beside that contents of residues in grapes were below 10% of maximum residue level values and they should not represent any risk for “Malvasia Istriana” grape or wine consumers.     

Nutrition and health claims: Who is interested? An empirical analysis of consumer preferences in Italy

This paper focuses on nutrition and health claims with the aim of verifying if these claims are of interest to different types of consumers, analysing the key variables that characterise their profiles. We performed a face-to-face survey on 240 consumers in charge of grocery shopping for their household in the Milan area (Italy). The analysis is based on two OLS estimation models. Our results suggest two different profiles for consumers interested in products presenting nutrition or health-related claims. Concerning nutrition claims, the analysis outlined a consumer profile particularly focused on household wellbeing. Females, family with young children, and consumers with a higher nutritional knowledge pay particular attention to such claims. Health-related claims, instead, seem to be of interest for those consumers that are older, with limited income, and with a health condition, namely, the most vulnerable segments of population.     

Multiplex PCR in Species Authentication: Probability and Prospects—A Review

Food forgery is one of the most articulated socio-economic concerns which contributed to increase people’s awareness on what they eat and how and where it is produced. Consumers are anxious about the consequences of food falsification on their choices, religious rituals, health, and hard-earned fortunes. The recent scandals of horse and rat meats in Europe and China have given us a brainstorming apprehension on the detection, differentiation, and identification of meat products. To restore consumers’ trust and protect wildlife in natural habitats, researchers and policy-making and policy-implementing authorities have massively monitored all steps in the production of foods and food materials. Analytical approaches based on lipids, proteins, and DNA have been proposed for the authentication of meat species under pure and complex matrices. However, protein and lipid-based methods are less effective since the target biomarkers could be modified throughout the processing treatments. On the other hand, DNA-based species identification schemes have gained wider acceptance and reliability because of the superior stability and universality of DNA in all tissues and cells. We systematically presented here major species detection schemes with special emphasis on multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of both end-point and real-time platforms. We believe this short but comprehensive review would serve as a reference guide for the developers and users of multiplex PCR and others DNA-based techniques.     

Legislation — Impact and Trends in Nutrition Labeling: A Global Overview

The need for accurate nutrition labeling on food products has never been greater. Obesity has assumed near-epidemic levels in both industrialized and emerging nations in recent years, and governments and consumer groups around the world are looking for ways to improve the nutritional choices for their citizenry while simultaneously balancing their freedom of choice through the use of nutrition labeling. Despite increasingly aggressive efforts by government and industry organizations to raise consumer awareness, though, many consumers either do not consult nutrition labels or they are not in a position to interpret the information on these labels accurately. To gain some fresh insights into nutrition labeling practices worldwide, this paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed, scholarly, and government literature to describe regulations enacted to date, evolving and future trends, and the likely impact of food product labels. In this regard, the paper highlights similarities and discrepancies that exist, identifies gaps, and gives directions for the future.     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins,dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in food and feed in Latvia in 2009–2011

During 2009–2011 a monitoring programme for 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs)/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) was conducted in the Latvian food and feed market. Using ISO 17025-accredited analytical methodology, investigation of 121 food (milk, dairy products, meat, eggs, fish, fish products) and 66 feed samples (fish meal and oil, compound and mineral feed, vegetable and animal fats) was performed. Most samples showed contamination below the European Commission (EC) Regulation No. 1881/2006 and Commission Directive 2006/13/EC limits. Average total toxicological equivalent (total-TEQ₍₁₉₉₈₎) concentrations within the food sample groups, except fish and fish products, ranged between 0.41 and 15.1 pg total-TEQ₍₁₉₉₈₎ g^?1 fat. Fish and fish products showed contamination levels from 0.18 to 46.0 pg total-TEQ₍₁₉₉₈₎ g^?1 fresh weight (f.w.). Fifty-seven per cent of cod liver samples were non-compliant. The most contaminated feed samples were fish meal and fish oil. A comparison with WHO-TEF₍₂₀₀₅₎ data is given.     

Dietary exposure and health risk assessment for 11 minerals and trace elements in Yaoundé: the Cameroonian Total Diet Study

Dietary exposure to 11 elements was assessed by the Total Diet Study (TDS) method. Sixty-four pooled samples representing 96.5% of the diet in Yaoundé, Cameroon, were prepared as consumed before analysis. Consumption data were sourced from a household budget survey. Dietary exposures were compared with nutritional or health-based guidance values (HBGV) and to worldwide TDS results. Elevated prevalence of inadequate intake was estimated for calcium (71.6%), iron (89.7%), magnesium (31.8%), zinc (46.9%) and selenium (87.3%). The percentage of the study population exceeding the tolerable upper intake levels was estimated as <3.2% for calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and cobalt; 19.1% of the population exceeded the HBGV for sodium. No exceedance of the HBGV for inorganic mercury was predicted in the population. The margin of exposure ranged from 0.91 to 25.0 for inorganic arsenic depending on the reference point. The “Fish” food group was the highest contributor to intake for calcium (65%), cobalt (32%) and selenium (96%). This group was the highest contributor to the exposure to total arsenic (71%) and organic mercury (96%). The “Cereals and cereal products” highly contributed to iron (26%), zinc (26%) and chromium (25%) intakes. The “Tubers and starches” highly contributed to magnesium (39%) and potassium (52%) intakes. This study highlights the dietary deficiency of some essential elements and a low dietary exposure to toxic elements in Yaoundé.     

Include mushroom in daily diet—A strategy for better hepatic health

Liver, the most important metabolic organ of the body, is also the major organ for the detoxification of the blood stream. If the accumulation of toxins is faster than their removal by liver, hepatic damage occurs. Although synthetic drugs are available in the market, long-term use of such drugs has consequential side effects. Therefore, the growing need to find safe, cost-effective drugs devoid of adverse effects is spawning extensive research. Mushrooms are rising as a major medicinal food and pharmaceuticals. This review summarizes the medicinal value of different edible mushrooms on free radical–, xenobiotic-, and drug-induced hepatotoxicity.     

Protein denaturing conditions in beef deep semimembranosus muscle results in limited μ-calpain activation and protein degradation

The objective was to determine the effect of muscle location on protein solubility and protein degradation in deep (DSM) and superficial (SSM) portion of beef semimembranosus. At 24 h postmortem, the semimembranosus was removed from beef carcasses (n = 10), packaged in high-oxygen modified atmosphere (80% O₂ + 20% CO₂), and displayed for 7 d at 1 °C. DSM had higher (P < 0.05) L*, a*, b*, and hue values than SSM throughout display. DSM had significantly higher protein denaturation and less protein concentration than SSM. Western blotting for μ-calpain autolysis revealed that DSM maintained more (P < 0.05) unautolyzed μ-calpain than SSM. This result coincided with less desmin and troponin-T degradation in samples from the DSM. These results confirm the hypothesis that increased protein denaturation in DSM results in minimal proteolysis by negatively affecting μ-calpain activation. This demonstrates a potential to alter progression of proteolysis and improvement in tenderness associated with postmortem storage.     

Transition cow nutrition and management strategies of dairy herds in the northeastern United States: Part II—Associations of metabolic- and inflammation-related analytes with health,milk yield,and reproduction

The objectives were as follows: (1) establish cow-level thresholds for prepartum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and postpartum NEFA, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations associated with negative health events; (2) evaluate cow-level associations between biomarkers and 305-d mature equivalent milk at the fourth test day (ME305) and reproductive performance; and (3) identify herd-alarm levels (proportion of cows sampled above the critical threshold) for biomarkers that are associated with herd-level changes in disorder incidence (displaced abomasum and clinical ketosis), reproductive performance, and ME305. In a prospective cohort study, 1,473 cows from 72 farms were enrolled from the northeastern United States. Blood samples were collected from the same 11 to 24 cows per herd during the late-prepartum and early-postpartum periods. Whole blood was analyzed for postpartum BHB concentrations; plasma was analyzed for prepartum and postpartum NEFA and postpartum Hp concentrations. Critical thresholds for the biomarkers associated with health events for all cows were established using a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Poisson, linear mixed effects, and Cox proportional hazards models investigated the association of the biomarkers with health and performance. The prepartum NEFA and Hp threshold associated with culling was ≥0.17 mmol/L and 0.45 g/L, respectively. The postpartum NEFA and BHB thresholds associated with diagnosis of metritis, displaced abomasum, or clinical ketosis were ≥0.46 mmol/L and ≥0.9 mmol/L, respectively. Multiparous cows with prepartum NEFA concentration ≥0.17 mmol/L produced 479 kg less ME305. Multiparous and primiparous cows with postpartum NEFA concentration ≥0.46 mmol/L produced 280 kg less and 446 kg more ME305, respectively. Cows with BHB concentration ≥0.9 and ≥1.1 mmol/L produced 552 kg more ME305 and had a 20% decreased risk of pregnancy within 150 d in milk, respectively; however, multiparous cows with BHB concentration ≥1.5 mmol/L produced 376 kg less ME305. Cows with Hp concentration ≥0.45 g/L produced 492 kg less ME305 and had 28% decreased risk of pregnancy within 150 DIM. Cows with Hp concentration ≥0.45 g/L had 19% decreased pregnancy risk to first service (PRFS). Herds above the herd-alarm levels for prepartum NEFA had a 6.0-percentage unit increase in disorder incidence and a 6.0-percentage unit decrease in 21-d pregnancy rate (PR) for multiparous cows, a 3.9-percentage unit increase in PR and a 5.8-percentage unit increase in the probability of pregnancy for primiparous cows. Herds above the herd-alarm levels for postpartum NEFA had a 5.8- and 4.2-percentage unit increase in disorder incidence for multiparous and primiparous cows, respectively, a 789 kg decrease in ME305 for multiparous cows, and a 6.8- and 6.3-percentage unit decrease and increase in PR and PRFS for multiparous cows, respectively. Herds above the herd-alarm levels for BHB had an 8.5-percentage unit increase in disorder incidence, a 332 and 229 kg increase in ME305 for primiparous and multiparous cows, respectively, and a 3.2-, 5.2-, and 7.0-percentage unit decrease in PR, probability of pregnancy, and PRFS, respectively. Herds above the herd-alarm levels for postpartum Hp had a 5.3-percentage unit increase in disorder incidence. At the cow level and herd level, elevated biomarker concentrations were associated with an increased disorder risk and varied performance responses.