Effects of dietary supplementation of vitamins D(3) and E on quality characteristics of pigs and longissimus muscle antioxidative capacity

The effects of addition of vitamin D₃ and vitamin E to pig diets on blood plasma calcium concentration, meat quality (longissimus muscle) and antioxidative capacity were investigated. Two treatments consisted of supplementation with vitamin D₃ (500,000 IU/d) for 5 days separately (group D) and a combination of vitamin E (500 mg α-tocopheryl acetate/kg diet) for 30 days and vitamin D₃ (500,000 IU/d) for 5 days (group D + E) to growing-finishing pigs before slaughter. Pigs fed with vitamin D₃ had higher (P < 0.01) plasma calcium concentration compared with control pigs. Dietary supplementation of vitamin E significantly (P < 0.05) increased the concentration of α-tocopherol in meat (longissimus muscle). Vitamin D₃ supplementation resulted in higher (P = 0.07) a^∗ values of loin chops at 5 days of storage. Vitamin D₃ and vitamin E supplementation did not affect other meat quality characteristics or tenderness (quantified by Warner–Bratzler shear force). Antioxidative capacity (measured as MDA production after incubation of longissimus muscle homogenates with Fe²⁺/ascorbate) was improved by vitamin E and partly by vitamin D₃ supplementation.     

Endocrine disrupting nonylphenols are ubiquitous in food

4-Nonylphenols (NPs) are common products of biodegradation of a widely used group of nonionic surfactants, the nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). These compounds are known to be persistent, toxic, and estrogen active. There is a worldwide scientific and public discussion on the potential consequences of human long term dietary exposure to such endocrine disrupters. Despite numerous determinations of NPs in environmental samples no systematical reports exist relating to concentrations of NPs in food. We analyzed NPs in 60 different foodstuff commercially available in Germany. The results indicate that NPs are ubiquitous in food. The concentrations of NPs on a fresh weight basis varied between 0.1 and 19.4 microg/kg regardless of the fat content of the foodstuff. Based on data on German food consumption rates and these first analyses of NPs in food, the daily intake for an adult was calculated to be 7.5 microg/day NPs. For infants exclusively fed with breast milk or infant formulas daily intakes of 0.2 microg/day and 1.4 microg/day NPs, respectively, can be estimated.     

European citizen and consumer attitudes and preferences regarding beef and pork

This paper presents the combined mid-term findings of the consumer research components of two EU Sixth Framework Programme integrated projects concerning meat, ProSafeBeef and Q-PorkChains. The consumer pillar of ProSafeBeef carried out eight focus group discussions in May 2008, in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. Q-PorkChains conducted a large-scale, web-based, consumer survey in January 2008 in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece and Poland. The first project provides a set of qualitative data from a small cohort of focus groups and the second a set of quantitative data from a larger consumer sample. This paper draws together the main findings of both projects and provides a comprehensive overview of European citizens’ and consumers’ attitudes towards and preferences regarding beef and pork. In general, consumers consider meat to be a healthy and important component of the diet. Consumers support the development of technologies that can improve the health attributes of meat products and guarantee eating quality, but they have a negative view of what they see to be excessive manipulation and lack of naturalness in the production and processing of beef products. In the Q-PorkChains study consumer and citizen segments are identified and profiled. Consumer segments were built upon the frequency and variety of pork consumption. The citizen segments were built upon their attitudes towards pig production systems. Overall, the relationship between individuals’ views as citizens and their behaviour as consumers was found to be quite weak and did not appear to greatly or systematically influence meat-buying habits. Future studies in both projects will concentrate on consumers’ acceptance of innovative meat product concepts and products, with the aim of boosting consumer trust and invigorating the European beef and pork industries.     

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked pork by effect-directed bioassay with confirmation by chemical analysis

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are generated during smoke curing and other heating treatments of food and represent a large class of chemical pollutants including a number of carcinogens. At present, PAHs are frequently detected by costly and time-consuming chemical analysis. Effect-directed in vitro cell-based bioassays of contaminants can offer a rapid, sensitive, and relatively inexpensive alternative for screening of contaminants in comparison to instrumental analysis. They enable estimation of total biological activity of all compounds acting through the same mode of binding. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor as a binding site plays an important role in PAH-induced carcinogenesis. The in vitro chemical-activated luciferase expression assay (using conditions to detect PAH) was investigated for its applicability for effect-directed analysis of PAH levels in smoked meat. There was an intra-assay variability of 0 to 15% and a mean coefficient of variation of 25% (3 to 50%) for the cleanup and bioassay analysis of the smoked pork samples. There was a correlation between the total responses of the bioassay and the individual amounts of the PAHs with a high molecular weight. The comparison of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and benzo[k]fluoranthene used as standard in the in vitro chemical-activated luciferase expression assay resulted in benzo[k]fluoranthene being able to be used as an alternative, nontoxic standard in the bioassay. This bioassay is an applicable effect-directed functional prescreening method for the analysis of PAHs in smoked meat and appears to have potential in being used for food control in the future.     

Purification and characterisation of relevant natural and recombinant apple allergens

Apple (Malus domestica) is the most widely cultivated fruit crop in Europe and frequently causes allergic reactions with a variable degree of severity. So far, four apple allergens Mal d 1, Mal d 2, Mal d 3 and Mal d 4 have been identified. Mal d 1, a Bet v 1 related allergen, and Mal d 4, apple profilin, are sensitive to proteolytic degradation, whereas Mal d 2, a thaumatin-like protein and Mal d 3, a nonspecific lipid transfer protein, are rather stable to proteolytic processes. Mal d 1 and Mal d 4 were purified after expression in Escherichia coli expression system, while Mal d 2 and Mal d 3 were purified from apple fruit tissue. All purified proteins were subjected to detailed physicochemical characterisation to confirm their structural integrity and maintained IgE binding capacity. Detailed investigations of carbohydrate moieties of Mal d 2 demonstrated their involvement in the overall IgE binding capacity of this allergen. It was concluded that the folded structure and IgE binding capacity of all four allergens were preserved during purification.     

Isotachophoretische Bestimmung von Konservierungsstoffen

Zusammenfassung Die Konservierungsstoffe Sorbinsäure, Benzoesäure, PHB-Ester und Propionsäure können nebeneinander in einem Analysengang nach einer isotachophoretischen Trennung auf Grund ihrer unterschiedlichen Beweglichkeiten quantitativ bestimmt werden. Störende Lebensmittelinhaltsstoffe (Lipide) werden vor der eigentlichen Bestimmung durch Äther-Extraktion unter Verwendung von Extrelut-Säulen entfernt. Der hier mitgeteilte Analysengang zeichnet sich nach unserer Erfahrung durch einen geringen zeitlichen Aufwand bei gleichzeitig hohen Wiederfindungsraten aus. Zumindest bei den von uns untersuchten Lebensmittelgruppen konnte eine Störung der quantitativen Bestimmung durch Begleitsubstanzen nicht beobachtet werden. Der erfaßte Bereich ist groß und bestreicht praktisch das ganze Konzentrationsgebiet, in dem Konservierungsstoffe üblicherweise angewendet werden.

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Isotachophoretic determination of preservatives

Summary The preservatives sorbic acid, benzoic acid, methyl-, ethyl-, propylester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and propionic acid can be determined quantitatively in one step by isotachophoretic separation based on the different electrophoretic mobilities of these compounds. The determination involves a direct extraction step in the so called Extrelut-columns, where the preservatives are separated from the food sample, mainly from the lipid phase. The whole analysis procedure is short and recoveries for the preservatives in the samples tested are very good. There is no interference by other substances and the range of concentrations for which a determination is possible is large and encompasses virtually all concentrations used in commercial practices.

     

Nutrient contents,rumen protein degradability and antinutritional factors in some colour- and white-flowering cultivars of Vicia faba beans

Six colour-flowering (Scirocco, Alfred, Carola, Condor, Tina and Herz Freya) and six white-flowering (Caspar, Albatros, Gloria, Tyrol, Vasco and Cresta) cultivars of Vicia faba were studied. The crude protein contents of colour- and white-flowering cultivars were 267±13·6 and 283±18·8 g kg⁻¹, respectively, which did not differ significantly at P<0·05. The levels of lipids, crude fibre, starch and ash varied from 14 to 22 g kg⁻¹, 88 to 143 g kg⁻¹, 407 to 485 g kg⁻¹ and 32 to 42 g kg⁻¹, respectively. The calculated organic matter digestibility (OMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) of the white-flowering cultivars were significantly higher (P<0·001) than those of the colour-flowering cultivars (OMD: 889·1±26·6 g kg⁻¹ vs 797·5±17·1 g kg⁻¹; ME: 13·97±0·49 vs 12·30±0·34 MJ kg⁻¹). In all cultivars, sulphur amino acids were lower than adequate concentration when compared with recommended amino acid pattern of FAO/WHO/UNO reference protein for a 2–5-year-old child. The in vitro rumen nitrogen degradability of colour-flowering cultivars was significantly lower (P<0·01) compared to that of white-flowering cultivars (71·4±9·3% vs 88·0±11·1%). Amongst colour-flowering varieties, the contents of total phenols (TP), tannins (T) and condensed tannins (CT) were highest in Alfred (28·3, 21·0 and 35·4 g kg⁻¹, respectively). The contents of TP and T were similar (about 15 and 10 g kg⁻¹, respectively) in Carola, Tina and Herz Freya, and the CT were in the order: Condor>Herz Freya>Carola. The CT were not detected in white-flowering varieties, T were virtually absent and TP were extremely low (4·0–4·9 g kg⁻¹). The activities of other antinutritional factors (white- and colour-flowering cultivars, respectively: trypsin inhibitor activity 3·05±0·34 and 1·85±0·09 mg trypsin inhibited g⁻¹; lectin 27·2±9·4 and 27·1±5·1 mg ml⁻¹ assay medium producing haemagglutination; phytate 15·0±2·7 and 16·6±2·3 g kg⁻¹) were very low. A strong negative correlation (r=-0·92, P<0·001) between tannins and in vitro rumen protein degradability was observed which suggested that tannins have adverse effect on protein degradability. Similarly negative correlations between tannin levels and metabolisable energy (r=-0·89; P<0·001) and organic matter digestibility (r=-0·89; P<0·001) were observed. The correlation coefficient between trypsin inhibitor activity and tannins was negative and highly significant (r=-0·88, P<0·001), whereas between tannins and saponins it was significantly positive (r=0·96, P<0·001). ©1997 SCI