Production of apple-based baby food: changes in pesticide residues

Apples represent the main component of most fruit-based baby food products. Since not only fruit from organic farming, but also conventionally grown fruit is used for baby food production, the occurrence of pesticide residues in the final product is of high concern. To learn more about the fate of these hazardous compounds during processing of contaminated raw material, apples containing altogether 21 pesticide residues were used for preparation of a baby food purée both in the household and at industrial scale (in the baby food production facility). Within both studies, pesticide residues were determined in raw apples as well as in final products. Intermediate product and by-product were also analysed during the industrial process. Determination of residues was performed by a sensitive multi-detection analytical method based on liquid or gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The household procedure involved mainly the cooking of unpeeled apples, and the decrease of residues was not extensive enough for most of the studied pesticides; only residues of captan, dithianon and thiram dropped significantly (processing factors less than 0.04). On the other hand, changes in pesticide levels were substantial for all tested pesticides during apple processing in the industrial baby food production facility. The most important operation affecting the reduction of residues was removal of the by-products after pulping (rest of the peel, stem, pips etc.), while subsequent sterilisation has an insignificant effect. Also in this case, captan, dithianon and thiram were identified as pesticides with the most evident decrease of residues.     

Determination of furan levels in commercial samples of baby food from Brazil and preliminary risk assessment

Commercial baby food samples available on the Brazilian market (n = 31) were analysed for furan content using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method preceded by solid-phase microextraction. A limit of detection of 0.7 µg kg^?1, a limit of quantitation of 2.4 µg kg^?1, mean recoveries varying from 80% to 107%, and coefficients of variation ranging from 5.6% to 9.4% for repeatability and from 7.4% to 12.4% for within-laboratory reproducibility were obtained during an in-house validation. The levels of furan found in the samples were from not detected to 95.5 µg kg^?1. Samples containing vegetables and meat showed higher furan levels as compared with those containing only fruits. An exposure assessment showed furan intakes up to 2.4 µg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 (99th percentile) for babies fed exclusively with commercial baby foods. Margins of exposure obtained from intakes estimated in this work indicated a potential public health concern.     

Potential silver nanoparticles migration from commercially available polymeric baby products into food simulants

In recent years, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been extensively employed in food packaging systems as a potential antibacterial agent. Although proven to be highly effective, the increased number of AgNP-containing products raises concerns among consumers regarding the migration of AgNPs from the packaging material into foods, which may exert toxic effects. To address this, five baby products were chosen (baby bottle A, baby bottle B, pacifier A, pacifier B and breastmilk storage bag) to investigate AgNPs migration into three food simulants (deionised water, 4% acetic acid (w/v) and 50% ethanol (v/v)) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). As a result, the highest level of migrated Ag was observed for 4% acetic acid in the case of baby bottle B, pacifier A, pacifier B and the breastmilk storage bag, with the detection amount ranging from 1.05–2.25 ng/mL. On the other hand, baby bottle A showed the maximum migration for 50% ethanol due to the polymer nature. Finally, a centrifugal ultrafiltration experiment was conducted to determine the fraction of dissolved Ag in acidic simulant and it was found that migrated Ag was predominantly in Ag⁺ form, with a small fraction of non-ionic AgNPs. Thus, it has been found that the amount of migrated Ag in baby products was low; however, the migration was dependent on the type of food simulant and polymer nature.     

Preliminary assessment of the risk linked to furan ingestion by babies consuming only ready-to-eat food

The risk linked to furan ingestion has been assessed in previous papers for Belgian adults and children. The present paper focuses on infants consuming only ready-to-eat baby food. As there is no Belgian baby dietary database, the furan exposure assessment was carried out by using an Italian infant consumption database and Belgian contamination data. The estimated daily intake (EDI) was calculated according to a deterministic methodology. It involved 42 commercially available ready-to-eat baby food and 36 baby consumption records. The mean EDI was 1460 ng*(kg_bw*day)^?1 which is 3.8 times higher than the 381 ng*(kg_bw*day)^?1 reported for Belgian adults, and 3.5 times higher than the 419 ng*(kg_bw*day)^?1 measured for Belgian children. To assess and characterise the risk for babies’ exposure, the margin of exposure (MoE) was calculated. It highlighted that 74% of infants have a MoE < 1000, with a minimum of 140. However, these are only preliminary results as they were calculated from a very small dataset and the infant cytochrome P450 activity is significantly different compared with the adult’s. Therefore, the risk linked to furan ingestion by babies should be assessed in a different manner. To this end, additional data regarding a baby diet as well as a better understanding of furan toxicity for babies are needed to characterise more accurately the risk for infants.     

Determination of furan in jarred baby food purchased from the Spanish market by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS)

The aim of this paper is to offer a method based on headspace gas chromatography-mass (HS-GC-MS) spectrometry technique in-house validated and use to estimate furan concentrations in jarred baby-food samples purchased from the Spanish market. The validation was performed according to ISO 17025 and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requirements and the results obtained (limit of detection (LOD) = 0.05 µg kg^?1; limit of quantification (LOQ) = 4 µg kg^?1, lowest validated level; relative standard deviation (RSD) = 3.1–10.5%; recoveries = 85.4–101.5%) confirm that this method is fit for the routine analysis of furan in jarred baby food control. Furan was analysed in 39 different baby-food samples and the mean levels varied between 64.6 µg kg^?1 (rice and chicken samples) and less than or equal to the LOQ (fruit-based samples). The mean concentrations found for the different matrices were 5.0, 37.8, 25.2, 33.8 and 30.5 µg kg^?1 for fruit, vegetables, meat/vegetables, fish/vegetables and dairy-containing baby foods, respectively. According to the statistical analyses, fruit-based baby-food samples had significantly lower concentrations of furan. Mean values for the other matrices were at least five times higher, and this is in accordance with the levels reported in other studies.     

Effects of processing on pesticide residues in peaches intended for baby food

Peaches containing added residues of chlorpyrifos-methyl, fenitrothion, procymidone and vinclozolin were used for simulated industrial processing in the manufacture of baby food puree. Residues were determined in raw material, in intermediate products at crucial steps of the processing procedure and in final products. Determination of residues was performed by an analytical method, distinguished by high sensitivity, based on acetone extraction, a two-step clean-up/pre-concentration on graphitized carbon and SAX/PSA sorbent, and GC-ECD. The results of the study were interpreted with respect to enforcement of the stringent Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of 0.01 mg kg^-1 established by the European Commission (EC) for any pesticide in baby food. Peeling was identified as the most effective procedure in reducing residues. Thermal treatment (concentration and sterilisation) substantially reduced organophosphate (chlorpyrifos-methyl, fenitrothion) residues, whereas procymidone and vinclozolin residue levels were increased in peach puree.     

Analysis of perchlorate in baby food on Canadian (Ottawa) markets in 2009 and estimated dietary exposure

ABSTRACT

In order to determine the baseline levels of perchlorate in major brands of baby food, 200 baby food products were collected from retail stores in Ottawa, Canada and analysed for perchlorate in 2010. The seven food groups tested were fruit, juices, vegetables, meat, yogurt, mixed (vegetable mixed with meat) and other (e.g. vegetable mixed with meat and cereal, cheese, egg,). Samples were extracted with a mixture of methanol and 1% acetic acid (4:1, v/v). Determination was conducted by stable isotope dilution ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (ID-IC-MS/MS). The complexity of different food matrices required additional method validation. The perchlorate levels in 46 samples were found to be lower than the quantification limit (0.2 ng g^?1). The perchlorate levels in the other 154 baby food samples were also low; about 96.7% of the baby foods had perchlorate levels less than 10 ng g^?1 (ranged from 0.2 to 22.4 ng g^?1, median1.35 ng g^?1); only 5 samples had perchlorate levels higher than 10 ng g^?1. Dietary exposure to perchlorate from analysed baby food was conservatively estimated to range from 0.007 to 0.121 µg/kg bw/d based on the mean intake for children (1–5 years old).     

婴儿奶瓶及食品包装材料中双酚A的风险评估

双酚A作为婴儿奶瓶及食品包装材料的生产原料是否对人类的健康有潜在风险以及风险的大小如何,是公众和政府密切关注的问题.根据风险评估理论的四个步骤,即危害鉴定、危害特征描述、暴露评估和风险特征描述,对双酚A进行风险评估,结果表明人体暴露于双酚A的量是微不足道的,没有对人体健康构成已知的风险.     

Co-occurrence of mycotoxins in commercial formula milk and cereal-based baby food on the Qatar market

The present study was conducted to explore the occurrence of mycotoxins in commercial baby foods in Doha-Qatar. LCMS/MS- and HPLC-based analysis of baby food (n = 67) for 12 mycotoxins confirmed the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1, 33%), ochratoxin A (OTA, 31%), deoxynivalenol (DON, 27%), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, 22%), fumonisin B2 (FB2, 10%), zearalenone (ZEN, 4%) and T-2 toxin (2%). Noodles exhibited the maximum contamination percentage, with 33% of the samples being contaminated above the EU maximum limits, for at least one mycotoxin. Among the multi-grain flake samples, up to 28% and for the milk and milk-based-cereal samples, 14% contained at least one mycotoxin above the EU maximum limits. From all cereal-based food samples, 22%, 5%, 2% and 2% were concurrently contaminated with 2, 3, 4 and 5 mycotoxins, respectively. The occurrence of toxicological important mycotoxins in Qatari market warrants the implementation of strict regulatory limits to protect human health.     

Effect of grain storage and processing on chlorpyrifos-methyl and pirimiphos-methyl residues in post-harvest-treated wheat with regard to baby food safety requirements

A study was undertaken to assess the effects of storage intervals and of milling procedures on the dissipation of chlorpyrifos-methyl and pirimiphos-methyl residues in post-harvest-treated wheat grain and to obtain scientific data on the compliance of the processed products with safety requirements concerning baby foods. The insecticide formulations were applied on stored wheat at recommended rates (20 ml t^-1). The initial concentration levels in whole grain were determined in samples taken 1 h after treatment. The dissipation of residues and their distribution in different fractions of the milled grain were studied after various storage intervals, from 7 to 270 days after treatment. Samples of treated grain were milled in a fractionating laboratory mill and eight fractions — bran, semolina, three types of groats and three types of flour — were collected and analysed for pesticide residues. The residues were determined by an analytical method based on acetone extraction, graphitized carbon clean-up and GC-ECD, respectively, and GC-NPD determination of residues. The limits of determination of both pesticides were 0.005 mg kg^-1, which is high enough for enforcement of the European Commission Directive that established a maximum residue level of 0.01 mg kg^-1 for any pesticide in cereal-based baby food. The results showed that the pesticides chlorpyrifos-methyl and pirimiphos-methyl applied post-harvest on wheat as grain protectants were distinguished by relatively low rates of degradation in the grain under practical storage conditions. Milling did not significantly reduce the bulk of the chemicals but resulted in the distribution of residues in various processed products. The main part of the insecticides deposited on the grain remained in the bran and partly in semolina fractions. After 270 days of treatment, the residues of chlorpyrifos-methyl were within the range 0.8-2.1 mg kg^-1 and of pirimiphos-methyl — between 0.6 and 3.7 mg kg^-1 in the various types of flour.     

婴幼儿配方食品及婴幼儿辅助食品中呋喃污染特征及膳食暴露概率评估

目的 了解我国市售婴幼儿配方食品及婴幼儿辅助食品中呋喃污染特征,并对其健康风险进行评估.方法 基于方便抽样法,于2017—2018年在北京市、浙江省、山东省和四川省采集260份市售婴幼儿配方食品及婴幼儿辅助食品,采用同位素稀释-顶空气相色谱-质谱法测定呋喃的含量,结合2015年婴幼儿食品消费量调查数据,通过概率评估方法...     

Carotenoid profile and retinol content of baby food products

 The contents of provitamin A carotenoids, non-provitamin A carotenoids and retinol were investigated in two types of 65 commercially available baby food products by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The content of β-carotene in vegetable products for babies from 5 months was 57% of the total amount of carotenoids (7.83 mg/100 g); the contents of other carotenoids were lycopene 19%, α-carotene 18%, lutein 4%, cryptoxanthin 1% and zeaxanthin 1%. All together, the content of provitamin A carotenoids was 76% and that of non-provitamin A carotenoids was 24%. A similar carotenoid profile was found in vegetable products for babies from 8 months and from 12 months, although the total carotenoid content was lower (3.07 mg/100 g). In fruit and cereal products the contents of β-carotene and lycopene were 36% and 39% of the total amount of carotenoids (0.44 mg/100 g). The contents of α-carotene, lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin ranged from 3% to 9% of the total carotenoids. The contents of provitamin A and non-provitamin A carotenoids were equal for this group (both 50% of all carotenoids). The calculated average content of retinol equivalents (mg RE/100 g) was between 0.33 and 0.88 for the vegetable products and 0.03 for the fruit and cereal products. Received: 27 May 1999 / Revised version: 2 August 1999     

European survey of contamination of homogenized baby food by epoxidized soybean oil migration from plasticized PVC gaskets

The results are reported of a European survey of the contamination of baby food with epoxidized soyabean oil (ESBO). Fat from the sample was extracted, transmethylated and derivatized for analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Analysis was carried out of 248 samples of various types of foodstuffs from the 15 European Union Member States as well as Switzerland. ESBO was found in 95 of 248 samples analysed at levels from 1.5 to 135.2 mg kg^-1. The highest concentrations were found in main dish mixed foods such as vegetables and meat or carbohydrate- and vegetable-based mixes. Levels exceeded 30 mg kg^-1 in 15% of the samples, and 4% exceeded the overall migration limit fixed for plastics in the European Union of 60 mg kg^-1. This level of contamination is significant, confirming results from previous surveys and indicating a risk for the tolerable daily intake to be exceeded. These results suggest that an emphasis must be placed for more systematic research with a focus on the parameters for migration.     

The future of functional food: Emerging technologies application on prebiotics,probiotics and postbiotics

This review was the first to gather literature about the effect of emerging technologies on probiotic, prebiotic, and postbiotic products. Applying emerging technologies to probiotic products can increase probiotic survival and improve probiotic properties (cholesterol attachment, adhesion to Caco-2 cells, increase angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities, and decrease systolic blood pressure). Furthermore, it can optimize the fermentation process, produce or maintain compounds of interest (bacteriocin, oligosaccharides, peptides, phenolic compounds, flavonoids), improve bioactivity (vitamin, aglycones, calcium), and sensory characteristics. Applying emerging technologies to prebiotic products did not result in prebiotic degradation. Still, it contributed to higher concentrations of bioactive compounds (citric and ascorbic acids, anthocyanin, polyphenols, flavonoids) and health properties (antioxidant activity and inhibition of ACE, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase). Emerging technologies may also be applied to obtain postbiotics with increased health effects. In this way, current studies suggest that emerging food processing technologies enhance the efficiency of probiotics and prebiotics in food. The information provided may help food industries to choose a more suitable technology to process their products and provide a basis for the most used process parameters. Furthermore, the current gaps are discussed. Emerging technologies may be used to process food products resulting in increased probiotic functionality, prebiotic stability, and higher concentrations of bioactive compounds. In addition, they can be used to obtain postbiotic products with improved health effects compared to the conventional heat treatment.     

Balanced diets in food systems: Emerging trends and challenges for human health

ABSTRACT

Processed foods, generally known as modified raw foods produced by innovative processing technologies alters the food constituents such natural enzymes, fatty acids, micronutrients, macronutrients and vitamins. In contrast to fresh and unprocessed foods, processed foods are guaranteed to be safer, imperishable, long lasting and consist high level of nutrients bioactivity. Currently, the evolution in food processing technologies is necessary to face food security and safety, nutrition demand, its availability and also other global challenges in the food system. In this scenario, this review consists of information on two food processing technologies, which effects on processed foods before and after processing and the impact of food products on human health. It is also very well established that understanding the type and structure of foods to be processed can assist food processing industries towards advancement of novel food products. In connection with this fact, the present article also discusses the emerging trends and possible modifications in food processing technologies with the combination of conventional and modern techniques to get the suitable nutritional and safety qualities in food.     

Occurrence and infant exposure assessment of nitrates in baby foods marketed in the region of Lisbon,Portugal

Commercial baby food labelled as from organic or conventional origin, including vegetable-based baby foods, fruit purees and fruit juices (n?=?80), were analysed for nitrate content by an in-house validated HPLC method. Nitrate contents ranged from 5 to 230?mg?kg^?1 with a mean concentration of 102?mg?kg^?1 for vegetable-based baby foods, and a median of 5?mg?kg^?1 for both fruit purees and juices. One sample of vegetable-based baby food was higher than the legislated value (200?mg?kg^?1). There were no significant differences between average nitrate levels in analysed samples regarding both farming systems. The estimated nitrate intake through baby foods for a mean nitrate concentration of 47?mg?kg^?1 ranged between 0.5 (15% of ADI) and 1.3?mg?kg^?1?bw?day^?1 (35% of ADI). The ADI level was exceeded (107–146% of ADI) only for the 95th and 99th percentiles of nitrate concentration.     

Energy issues in microwave food processing: A review of developments and the enabling potentials of solid-state power delivery

The enormous magnitude and variety of microwave applications in household, commercial and industrial food processing creates a strong motivation for improving the energy efficiency and hence, sustainability of the process. This review critically assesses key energy issues associated with microwave food processing, focusing on previous energy performance studies, energy performance metrics, standards and regulations. Factors affecting energy-efficiency are categorised into source, load and source-load matching factors. This highlights the need for highly-flexible and controllable power sources capable of receiving real-time feedback on load properties, and effecting rapid control actions to minimise reflections, heating non-uniformities and other imperfections that lead to energy losses. A case is made for the use of solid-state amplifiers as alternatives to conventional power sources, magnetrons. By a full-scale techno-economic analysis, including energy aspects, it is shown that the use of solid-state amplifiers as replacements to magnetrons is promising, not only from an energy and overall technical perspective, but also in terms of economics.     

Semicarbazide in baby food: a European survey

The concentration of semicarbazide (SEM) in baby food packed in glass jars with lids sealed with plastic gaskets was determined in more than 100 samples, produced in 11 European countries, and purchased at local supermarkets in 14 countries. The method used for the analyses has been recently validated in a collaborative study. A correlation between the measured SEM concentration and the type of food (fruit, vegetables, meat and combinations of those) was found. The lowest values of SEM were found in samples containing only fruit with a mean concentration of 5.5±3.8 μg/kg. Some brands were characterised by low levels of SEM regardless of the composition. The levels of SEM found were comparable for the different countries of production. Both, high and low semicarbazide levels were found among organic and conventional samples.     

Why chlorate occurs in potable water and processed foods: a critical assessment and challenges faced by the food industry

Recently, reports have been published on the occurrence of chlorate mainly in fruits and vegetables. Chlorate is a by-product of chlorinating agents used to disinfect water, and can be expected to be found in varying concentrations in drinking water. Data on potable water taken at 39 sampling points across Europe showed chlorate to range from < 0.003 to 0.803 mg l^–1 with a mean of 0.145 mg l^–1. Chlorate, however, can also be used as a pesticide, but authorisation was withdrawn in the European Union (EU), resulting in a default maximum residue limit (MRL) for foods of 0.01 mg kg^–1. This default MRL has now led to significant problems in the EU, where routinely disinfected water, used in the preparation of food products such as vegetables or fruits, leaves chlorate residues in excess of the default MRL, and in strict legal terms renders the food unmarketable. Due to the paucity of data on the chlorate content of prepared foods in general, we collated chlorate data on more than 3400 samples of mainly prepared foods, including dairy products, meats, fruits, vegetables and different food ingredients/additives. In total, 50.5% of the food samples contained chlorate above 0.01 mg kg^–1, albeit not due to the use of chlorate as a pesticide but mainly due to the occurrence of chlorate as an unavoidable disinfectant by-product. A further entry point of chlorate into foods may be via additives/ingredients that may contain chlorate as a by-product of the manufacturing process (e.g. electrolysis). Of the positive samples in this study, 22.4% revealed chlorate above 0.1 mg kg^–1. In the absence of EU levels for chlorate in water, any future EU regulations must consider the already available WHO guideline value of 0.7 mg l^–1 in potable water, and the continued importance of the usage of oxyhalides for disinfection purposes.