Food Safety
Veda Fandio Nanfa Ngongang; Wilfred A. Abia; Emmanuel Acha Asongalem; Beatrice Ambo Fonge
Abstract
Lead poisoning remains a significant public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, particularly among children, for whom no level of exposure is considered safe. This scoping review examines potential sources, occurrences, exposure pathways, and associated health risks of lead contamination ...
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Lead poisoning remains a significant public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, particularly among children, for whom no level of exposure is considered safe. This scoping review examines potential sources, occurrences, exposure pathways, and associated health risks of lead contamination in Cameroon. A systematic search of Web of Science, Google Scholar, MedLine, and PubMed, using “lead,” “lead occurrence,” “lead exposure,” and “Cameroon” as primary keywords, identified 16 relevant studies. Key sources of environmental lead included mining activities, informal recycling of lead-acid batteries, contaminated water sources, aluminum cookware, certain foodstuffs, and the ingestion of "Calaba" chalk. Reported mean lead concentrations ranged from 280 to 12270 mg/kg in soil and up to 8.87 mg/L in water. Food items such as condiments, vegetables, and fish showed levels between 0.019 and 3.61 mg/kg, while poultry feed contained up to 3229 µg/kg. Blood lead levels in children and pregnant women ranged from 8 to 31.19 μg/dL, which exceeded recommended safety thresholds. Overall, 95% of reported lead levels across all sample types exceeded permissible limits. These findings highlight widespread environmental lead contamination in Cameroon and underscore the urgent need for further research and public health interventions.
Food Safety
Zolaykha Shiravani
Abstract
Nitrites are one of the multifunctional additives used in meat products. Given that they have high performance such as color creation, flavor improvement, and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, they have caused consumer concern due to the formation of N-nitroso compounds and related health risks. ...
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Nitrites are one of the multifunctional additives used in meat products. Given that they have high performance such as color creation, flavor improvement, and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, they have caused consumer concern due to the formation of N-nitroso compounds and related health risks. Consumers demand natural or low-nitrite meat products. Synthetic nitrites are widely used because of their cheapness and easy access. However, due to the formation of nitrosamines, researchers are looking for a safer alternative to this additive. Plants, due to their nitrate content, can be used as natural nitrite sources by nitrate-reducing bacteria. Also, emerging non-thermal technologies such as atmospheric non-thermal plasma and pulsed electric fields can have the potential to be considered as new approaches for nitrite reduction. However, challenges regarding the stability of their sensory properties and antimicrobial efficacy remain. This review systematically evaluates the multifunctional role of nitrites, their health-related implications and potential substitution strategies, and addresses safe, effective, and acceptable solutions for producing high-quality meat and processed products with natural ingredients with a nitrite reduction approach.
Food Safety
Elahe Divsalar; Hossein Tajik; Rahim Molaei
Abstract
In this research, the white postbiotics (P) powder of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and white zinc carbon dots (Z-CDs) from zinc acetate, which were prepared in our previous studies, were used. Hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups in the P were confirmed by FTIR spectra to affect the functions, ...
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In this research, the white postbiotics (P) powder of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and white zinc carbon dots (Z-CDs) from zinc acetate, which were prepared in our previous studies, were used. Hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups in the P were confirmed by FTIR spectra to affect the functions, antioxidant, and antimicrobial capabilities. Antioxidant activity of P was confirmed based on DPPH (IC50 values, 0.28 mg/mL) and FRAP (total antioxidant capacity, 73.5 nM of Fe2SO4/L) methods. The antimicrobial properties of P solutions at concentrations of 150, 300, and 450 mg/mL were evaluated through the agar well diffusion assay against Escherichia coli, which showed acceptable antimicrobial effects. E. coli was sensitive at 4 °C and 25°C in photodynamic treatments. The effects of P (300 mg/mL), Z-CDs (5 mg/mL), and their combination (Z-CDs-P) as additives in fresh pasta filata cheese were studied by aerosolization method. The results showed that the highest inhibitory effects were observed in P, Z-CDs-P, and Z-CDs420nm-Ps treatments; so that E. coli reached 1 log10 CFU/g on days 18, 14, and 12, respectively. We concluded that the aerosolization method of P and CDs had a novel antibacterial activity and can be used for the packaging of cheese.
Food Safety
Omar Alizadeh; Fatemeh Rezaei
Abstract
Whey protein hydrolysates (WPHs) are recognized as a valuable source of bioactive peptides with multifunctional properties, especially their potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These characteristics make them attractive natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives and align with the growing ...
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Whey protein hydrolysates (WPHs) are recognized as a valuable source of bioactive peptides with multifunctional properties, especially their potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These characteristics make them attractive natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives and align with the growing consumer demand for clean-label and functional foods. In this study, lyophilized whey protein hydrolysates (LWPH) were incorporated into a butter-based model system to assess their potential as natural preservatives. Four formulations were prepared: (1) control (without additives), (2) butter with 1% (w/w) LWPH, (3) butter with 0.02% (w/w) butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and (4) butter with a combination of 1% (w/w) LWPH + 0.02% (w/w) BHT. All samples were stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 60 days, and quality parameters were periodically monitored. Lipid oxidation was determined by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay, and microbial quality was evaluated through total viable count method. The results showed that the LWPH + BHT formulation significantly retarded lipid oxidation, but had weak antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the treated samples maintained better overall sensory acceptability throughout storage. These findings indicate that LWPH can serve as effective natural preservatives for extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality of lipid-rich foods such as butter.
Food Safety
Ata Kaboudari
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in antibiotic susceptibility /resistance of bacteria isolated from biofilms in the presence of freezing stress in different meat juices (beef, mutton and goat). Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria of food origin (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella ...
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The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in antibiotic susceptibility /resistance of bacteria isolated from biofilms in the presence of freezing stress in different meat juices (beef, mutton and goat). Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria of food origin (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium) were selected. Meat juice model was selected as a nutritious and complex environment containing a wide range of different compounds. Biofilms were studied in 96-well microplates and disk diffusion method was used to measure the antibiotic susceptibility. The results showed that the bacteria isolated from biofilms in meat juice models and freezing conditions exhibited significant changes in their antibiotic susceptibility. Long-term freezing (3 weeks and 1 month) significantly increased the antibiotic resistance. Both bacteria became resistant to chloramphenicol. The results indicated that foods should not be subjected to long-term freezing conditions so that existing pathogens do not acquire the ability to resist antibiotics.
Food Safety
Riziki Salehe Msangi; Abdulsudi-Issa Zacharia; Lucy Mlipano Chove
Abstract
Aflatoxin contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural systems and public health, particularly in regions such as Dodoma, where favorable climatic conditions promote the growth of aflatoxin-producing fungi. Various interventions were initiated to address the problem of aflatoxin contamination ...
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Aflatoxin contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural systems and public health, particularly in regions such as Dodoma, where favorable climatic conditions promote the growth of aflatoxin-producing fungi. Various interventions were initiated to address the problem of aflatoxin contamination among maize farmers in Dodoma. This study aimed to assess maize farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) following intervention programs designed to mitigate aflatoxin contamination in Chamwino district, Dodoma. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five wards of Chamwino District: Chilonwa, Msanga, Chamwino, Majeleko, and Buigiri. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 300 maize farmers to assess their KAP related to aflatoxin contamination. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Among 300 farmers surveyed, 221 (73.7%) demonstrated awareness of aflatoxin-related interventions, whereas 79 (26.3%) did not exhibit such awareness. Of the 221 informed farmers, 123 (55.7%) demonstrated good knowledge, 51 (23.1%) exhibited medium knowledge, and 47 (21.3%) displayed poor knowledge regarding aflatoxin contamination and its mitigation. Of the participants, 186 (84.2%) exhibited positive attitudes, 34 (15.4%) displayed medium attitudes, and only 1 (0.5%) demonstrated poor attitudes. Of the participants, 157 (71.0%) exhibited good practices, while 64 (29.0%) were categorized as having medium-level practices. No farmers demonstrated poor practices regarding aflatoxin contamination and mitigation. The interventions effectively enhanced awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding aflatoxin mitigation among maize farmers in Chamwino District. Future interventions should strengthen collaboration between government agencies, Non-Government Organizations, farmer groups, and local communities to sustain and expand these gains.
