Search results for "contamination"
showing 10 items of 916 documents
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in food safety.
2010
Abstract The use of powerful mass spectrometric detectors in combination with liquid chromatography has played a vital role to solve many problems related to food safety. Since this technique is especially well suited for, but not restricted to the analysis of food contaminants within the food safety area, this review is focused on providing an insight into this field. The basic legislation in different parts of the world is discussed with a focus on the situation within the European Union (EU) and why it favors the use of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). Main attention in this review is on the achievements that have been possible because of the latest advances and novelties…
Combining reformulation, active packaging and non-thermal post-packaging decontamination technologies to increase the microbiological quality and saf…
2018
Abstract Background Cooked ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products are subjected to contamination of spoilage microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria and pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes. These microorganisms contaminate cooked RTE meat products after the cooking step and may further grow during shelf-life potentially leading to spoilage or foodborne diseases, respectively. In the current context of salt, fat and chemical preservatives reduction in meat products formulations, a combined strategy that considers the development of more robust formulations, active packaging and the use of non-thermal post-packaging decontamination strategies seems required to ensure shelf-stable and safe …
Multi-Mycotoxin Analysis in Durum Wheat Pasta by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Quadrupole Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry.
2017
A simple and rapid multi-mycotoxin method for the determination of 17 mycotoxins simultaneously is described in the present survey on durum and soft wheat pasta samples. Mycotoxins included in the study were those mainly reported in cereal samples: ochratoxin-A (OTA), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZON), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-AcDON and 15-AcDON), nivalenol (NIV), neosolaniol (NEO), fusarenon-X, (FUS-X), T-2 toxin (T-2) and HT-2 toxin (HT-2), fumonisin B1 and B2 (FB1 and FB2), and four emerging mycotoxins: three enniatins (ENA, ENA1, and ENB), and beauvericin (BEA). Twenty-nine samples were analyzed to provide an overview on…
Distribution of soil animals in patchily contaminated soil
1996
Abstract Distribution of soil animals with respect to patchy chemical contamination was studied in microcosms containing reconstituted coniferous forest floor. Soil materials were defaunated and soil organisms were reinoculated into a mesh basket in the centre of each microcosm. Part of the humus layer was contaminated with three concentrations of sodiumpentachlorophenate (0, 50 or 500 mg PCP kg −1 of dry humus) and put into mesh baskets (two per concentration) around the central patch. No differences in dispersion ability from the reinoculated patch were found between microarthropod species. PCP decreased microbial biomass in the humus. Numbers of collembolans were significantly lower in t…
Assessment of the microbiological quality of fresh produce on sale in Sicily, Italy: preliminary results
2015
Background Fresh produce occupies an increasingly important place in the human food supply because of its health-promoting nutritional properties. Most fresh produce is eaten raw or after minimal processing and, consequently, pathogen contamination can represent a serious health risk. There has been an increase in foodborne outbreaks and cases associated with fresh produce, but literature data about the prevalence of pathogen contamination are inconsistent. This study was undertaken to assess the hygienic quality and the prevalence of the most common bacterial pathogens in fresh produce sold in retail markets in Sicily. A total of 125 samples of different types of vegetables were examined b…
Dynamics of fungal colonization in a new medical mycology laboratory
2012
International audience; Objective of the study. - Study of the spatio-temporal fungal colonization in a new medical mycology laboratory. Methods. - A 17-month survey of airborne fungal contamination was conducted in a new medical mycology laboratory at a tertiary care university hospital. This survey was implemented at three different periods: before the new premises were occupied (period A), during the move into the new laboratory (period B) and after resumption of the mycological activities in these new premises (period C). Results. - During period A, the airborne fungal load ranged from 2.3 to 6 cfu/m(3). The most frequently recovered airborne fungi were Penicillium spp. (75 to 100%). Du…
Neural network models for prediction of trichothecene content in wheat
2008
Fusarium graminearum is a mould that causes serious diseases in cereals worldwide and that synthesises mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON), which can seriously affect human and animal health. Predicting the level of mycotoxin accumulation in food is very difficult, because of the complexity of the influencing parameters. In this work, we have studied the possibility of using artificial neural networks (NN) to predict DON level attained in F. graminearum wheat cultures taking as inputs the fungal contamination level of the cereal, the water activity as a measure of the available water for fungal growth in the cereal, the temperature and time. DON analysis was performed by gas chromatogr…
Fungicide multiresidue monitoring in international wines by immunoassays
2015
24 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. -- Available online 10 November 2015.
Exposure estimates to Fusarium mycotoxins through cereals intake.
2013
Abstract Mycotoxins are harmful substances produced by fungi in several commodities with a widespread presence in foodstuffs. Human exposure to mycotoxins occurs mainly by contaminated food. The quantitation of mycotoxins in cereal-based food, highly consumed by different age population, is of concern. In this survey, 159 cereal-based samples classified as wheat, maize and rice-based, have been evaluated for the occurrence of patulin, deoxynivalenol, 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, fusarenon-X, diacetoxyscirpenol, nivalenol, neosolaniol, HT-2, T-2 and zearalenone by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Intakes were calculated for average consumers among adults, children and infants and com…
Target Analysis and Retrospective Screening of Multiple Mycotoxins in Pet Food Using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS
2019
A comprehensive strategy combining a quantitative method for 28 mycotoxins and a post-target screening for other 245 fungal and bacterial metabolites in dry pet food samples were developed using an acetonitrile-based extraction and an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) method. The proposed method showed satisfactory validation results according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Average recoveries from 72 to 108% were obtained for all studied mycotoxins, and the intra-/inter-day precision were below 9 and 14%, respectively. Results showed mycotoxin contamination in 99% of pet food samples (n = 89) at concentratio…