scholarly journals Imprinted Polymers as Synthetic Receptors in Sensors for Food Safety

Biosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Rocio Arreguin-Campos ◽  
Kathia L. Jiménez-Monroy ◽  
Hanne Diliën ◽  
Thomas J. Cleij ◽  
Bart van Grinsven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Food Preservation ◽  
Synthetic Receptors ◽  
Safety Hazards ◽  
Integrated Sensor ◽  
Imprinted Polymers ◽  
Sensing Platforms ◽  
Biological Contaminants

Foodborne illnesses represent high costs worldwide in terms of medical care and productivity. To ensure safety along the food chain, technologies that help to monitor and improve food preservation have emerged in a multidisciplinary context. These technologies focus on the detection and/or removal of either biological (e.g., bacteria, virus, etc.) or chemical (e.g., drugs and pesticides) safety hazards. Imprinted polymers are synthetic receptors able of recognizing both chemical and biological contaminants. While numerous reviews have focused on the use of these robust materials in extraction and separation applications, little bibliography summarizes the research that has been performed on their coupling to sensing platforms for food safety. The aim of this work is therefore to fill this gap and highlight the multidisciplinary aspects involved in the application of imprinting technology in the whole value chain ranging from IP preparation to integrated sensor systems for the specific recognition and quantification of chemical and microbiological contaminants in food samples.

Microbial load of edible termites (macroterme spp.) from collection to marketing in Serenje District, Central Zambia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
I. Mumbula ◽  
R. Nyunja ◽  
D. Chungu
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Protein Energy Malnutrition ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Microbial Load ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Protein Energy ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Hygiene Education ◽  
Open Air Markets

Edible insects including termites form a suitable alternative for sustainable provision of animal protein to fight protein-energy malnutrition. It is as cardinal to study the food safety of edible termites as it is for any other food stuff. Twenty seven (27) samples were collected and analysed for total viable counts and Enterobacteriaceae. The microbial load was assessed using culture, microscopic and biochemical methods. The isolates identified in this study include Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, yeasts other than Candida albicans and Zygomycetes. Investigation of the total viable counts and Enterobacteriaceae of open air traded edible termites revealed loads higher than those recommended for minced meat 5.7 to 6.7 log10 cfu/g. The mean ranges were between 6.87 and 9.29 log10 cfu/g for total viable counts and 6.64 and 8.537 log10 cfu/g for Enterobacteriaceae. The presence of E. coli suggests faecal contamination of the sample along the value chain whereas S. aureus, yeasts other than C. albicans, and Zygomycetes indicate unhygienic handling of the food samples. Heat treatments can reduce the loads but may not be effective for enterotoxins and recontamination of the sample is possible. Poor hygiene and sanitation by handlers may contribute to contamination and recontamination of Edible termites. Food safety and hygiene education on processing and handling practices that reduce microbial loads at collection sites, transportation and display points are important especially since termites are sold as ready to eat foods in African open air Markets. Legislation on open defecation, use of toilets and promotion of hand washing hygiene can effectively reduce the risk of contamination with gastrointestinal microflora from faecal matter.

scholarly journals First Nation-Wide Analysis of Food Safety and Acceptability Data in Lebanon

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1717
Author(s):  
Samer Kharroubi ◽  
Nivin A. Nasser ◽  
Marwa Diab El-Harakeh ◽  
Abdallah Alhaj Sulaiman ◽  
Issmat I. Kassem
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Outreach Programs ◽  
Sulfate Reducing ◽  
Biological Contaminants ◽  
Safety Knowledge ◽  
Reducing Bacteria ◽  
Rejection Rates

The challenges to food safety in Lebanon are numerous and have coalesced to pose a serious public health concern. This is evident in well-documented food poisoning outbreaks and adulteration cases. In response, the Lebanese government initiated an unprecedented food safety campaign (2015–2017) that aimed to test food samples that were randomly collected from foodservices and industries across the country. The data were made available publicly, but they were never analyzed to prioritize and determine high risk foods and most prevalent contaminants nationally or across governorates. To answer these questions, we performed an in-depth statistical analysis of the data, which included 11,625 individual food samples. Our analysis showed that water (55% of tested water samples), spices (49.3%), red meat (34.4%), poultry (30.9%) and dairy (28.3%) were the main foods associated with the highest rejection rates. The most common biological contaminants detected in rejected foods were sulfate-reducing bacteria (34.7%), Escherichia coli (32.1%), coliforms (19.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (12.8%), and Salmonella (11.6%). We conclude that Lebanon needs rigorous and sustainable programs to monitor the quality and safety of foods. Given the lack of resources, we recommend putting emphasis on extensive outreach programs that aim at enhancing food safety knowledge from farm to fork.

scholarly journals Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Combined with Electrochemical Sensors for Food Contaminants Analysis

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (15) ◽  
pp. 4607
Author(s):  
Dounia Elfadil ◽  
Abderrahman Lamaoui ◽  
Flavio Della Pelle ◽  
Aziz Amine ◽  
Dario Compagnone
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Molecularly Imprinted Polymers ◽  
Electrochemical Sensors ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Electrochemical Analysis ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Electrochemical Sensing ◽  
Food Contaminants ◽  
Molecularly Imprinted ◽  
Imprinted Polymers

Detection of relevant contaminants using screening approaches is a key issue to ensure food safety and respect for the regulatory limits established. Electrochemical sensors present several advantages such as rapidity; ease of use; possibility of on-site analysis and low cost. The lack of selectivity for electrochemical sensors working in complex samples as food may be overcome by coupling them with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). MIPs are synthetic materials that mimic biological receptors and are produced by the polymerization of functional monomers in presence of a target analyte. This paper critically reviews and discusses the recent progress in MIP-based electrochemical sensors for food safety. A brief introduction on MIPs and electrochemical sensors is given; followed by a discussion of the recent achievements for various MIPs-based electrochemical sensors for food contaminants analysis. Both electropolymerization and chemical synthesis of MIP-based electrochemical sensing are discussed as well as the relevant applications of MIPs used in sample preparation and then coupled to electrochemical analysis. Future perspectives and challenges have been eventually given.

Recent progress of personal glucose meters integrated methods in food safety hazards detection

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Xiuguang Xing ◽  
Li Yao ◽  
Chao Yan ◽  
Zhenlin Xu ◽  
Jianguo Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Safety Hazards ◽  
Integrated Methods

Study on Food Safety and Green Food Packaging

2012 ◽  
Vol 550-553 ◽  
pp. 1915-1918
Author(s):  
Lin Lin Shang ◽  
Wei Feng
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Packaging Materials ◽  
Safety Hazards ◽  
Safety Problem ◽  
Green Food ◽  
Potential Safety ◽  
Safe Food

Safe food packaging is of great significance in solving food safety problem, which can ensure the quality of the food. At the same time protecting the environment should be taken into consideration, and therefore sound food packaging is not only safe to human health but also green to the environment. In this paper potential safety hazards in food packaging materials and how to develop green food packaging are discussed at length.

scholarly journals Assessment of Food Safety Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes of Undergraduate Students at a Kenyan University: Results of an Online Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Imathiu
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Food Preservation ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Safety Knowledge ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire to assess food safety knowledge, beliefs and attitudes among Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology undergraduate students. A total of 329 learners consented to participate in the study. The results revealed that overall respondents answered 46.2% of the food safety knowledge questions correctly with similar scores across the five colleges (Agriculture and Natural Resources 47.4%, Human Resource and Development 45.2%, Engineering and Technology 46.7%, Health Sciences 45.4%, and Pure and Applied Sciences 46.5%). Over 70% of respondents seemed to have positive beliefs and attitudes in most of the food safety beliefs and attitudes statements. A 78.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that food safety knowledge is important to them while 72.1% and 77.7% of the respondents were willing to learn how to make their food safe to eat, and how to prevent food poisoning from occurring respectively. Only a small proportion (3.3%) of respondents felt that food safety was not their responsibility. The areas of most concern in food safety knowledge were in regard to cross-contamination and temperature control/food preservation. The proportions of correct responses on; “Imagine that your electricity went off and the meat, chicken, and/or seafood in your freezer thawed and felt warm. To prevent food poisoning, what should you do?”, “A refrigerator has three shelves, on which shelf do you think raw meat should be placed?” and “What should be done if the leftovers are still not eaten completely?” were 7.3%, 24% and 24.6% respectively. These results show that students who participated in this study generally had unsatisfactory food safety knowledge regardless of their study category. There is therefore a need to offer food safety education/training to all learners, perhaps in short courses forms and not only on theory, but also on practical food safety aspects to bridge the food safety information gap.

scholarly journals Food safety investments factors in the Italian meat sector: conceptual framework and empirical evidence

New Medit ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaetano Martino ◽  
Chiara Riganelli ◽  
Andrea Marchini ◽  
Bianca Polenzani
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Decision Rights ◽  
Freedom Of Contract ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Safety Investments ◽  
The One ◽  
Meat Sector

The paper investigates how food safety investment decisions are affected on the one hand by laws and on the other by firm’s economic and organizational drivers. The paper shares findings from an empirical study that considers investments in HACCP, Certification, and Traceability in the Italian meat sector. The main finding of the study is that the allocation of the decision rights to invest in food safety explains the patterns of investment decisions observed. The conclusion is that regulatory interventions are more effective if there is a private possibility to allocate investment decision rights with respect to the distribution of information between private and public agents and the degree of uncertainty. The study contributes to the analysis of the allocation of the decision rights in the organization of value chain. Under this innovative view, it empirically shows how regulation and freedom of contract act as drivers of food safety investments. The research is particularly interesting in its policy implication: information regarding the role of these collective bodies will become relevant in the near future in the context of expected changes in the EU’s agricultural policy.

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