The certification of the aflatoxin mass fractions in peanut butter

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-289
Author(s):  
G. Buttinger ◽  
S. Harbeck ◽  
R. Josephs

In the context of control activities contamination of food and feed with aflatoxins is a frequently observed non compliance. Pistachios, peanuts and products thereof are particularly affected. The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements has therefore produced a peanut butter material certified for its aflatoxin mass fractions. This certified reference material (CRM) allows for the evaluation of analytical method performance and the assessment of the comparability of results from different laboratories. The CRM was produced using naturally contaminated raw materials to ensure equivalent behaviour compared to samples routinely encountered. The homogeneity and stability of the CRM were thoroughly tested and certified values were determined in an inter-laboratory study. Furthermore, uncertainties of the certified values were assessed including contributions of the homogeneity, stability and certification studies to the combined uncertainty. This newly prepared CRM allows an assessment of trueness of the analytical method at a concentration level corresponding to the legal limits enforced in the European Union. The material has the following certified properties: aflatoxin B1 1.77±0.29 µg/kg, aflatoxin B2 0.48±0.07 µg/kg, aflatoxin G1 0.9±0.4 µg/kg, aflatoxin G2 0.31±0.12 µg/kg and total aflatoxins, as sum of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, 3.5±0.5 µg/kg.

2007 ◽  
pp. 273-277
Author(s):  
Zsuzsanna Szathmáry ◽  
Zoltán Győri

Today, food safety and quality is an everyday issue. Scandals in the food industry drew attention to the role and responsibility of food producers in the food chain. The European Union has set up a new integrated approach towards food safety, to which Hungary as an EU member and export-oriented country has also joined. The new “from farm to fork” principle states that food and feed production cannot be handled separately, as only feed produced from good quality raw materials can ensure safe food products. Another important issue is the traceability of products, allowing for the localization and recall of the defected item. In Hungary, there have been different documentation systems for tracking and tracing products, such as the land register in crop production, animal register in the livestock sector and hygiene registers in the food industry. In order to meet EU requirements, there is a growing number of initiatives to include primary production in the scope of food safety standards. The study introduces and compares the various management systems used in crop production.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 3798
Author(s):  
Weronika Mucha ◽  
Dorota Witkowska

Essential oils (EOs) have been used for centuries, and interest in these compounds has been revived in recent years. Due to their unique chemical composition as well as antimicrobial, immunostimulatory, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, EOs are used in pharmacology, cosmetology and, increasingly, in animal breeding and rearing, and processing of animal raw materials. Essential oils have become a natural alternative to preservatives, taste enhancers and, most importantly, antibiotics, because the European Union banned the use of antibiotics in metaphylaxis in animal husbandry in 2006. In the animal production chain, EOs are used mainly as feed additives to improve feed palatability and increase feed intake, improve animal resistance and health status, and to prevent and treat diseases. Recent research indicates that EOs can also be applied to sanitize poultry houses, and they can be used as biopesticides in organic farming. Essential oils effectively preserve meat and milk and, consequently, improve the safety, hygiene and quality of animal-based foods. Novel technologies such as encapsulation may increase the bioavailability of EOs and their application in the production of food and feed additives.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remigiusz Gałęcki ◽  
Łukasz Zielonka ◽  
Magdalena Zasȩpa ◽  
Joanna Gołȩbiowska ◽  
Tadeusz Bakuła

The selection of high-protein raw materials that could be utilized in the production of animal feed is limited in Poland. The aim of this study was to analyze the needs and possibilities associated with the utilization of insect protein in animal nutrition in Poland. In the future, insects could become an effective solution to meeting the nutritional requirements of a growing population. Insect protein is already used in the production of fish feed in the European Union (EU). Legislative decisions on the introduction of this alternative feed source have to be based on the results of studies investigating the safety of insect protein for farmed animals. Diets containing insect protein and their influence on animals need to be thoroughly analyzed. In the future, insect farming could become a novel branch of agriculture, and it could create new opportunities for Polish farmers who were affected by the African swine fever (ASF) virus. Insect farms could create new jobs, promote innovative business development, and increase food and feed production. Entomophagy is a new and controversial concept for Polish consumers, but in the future, it could offer a viable solution to feeding the world's growing population.


Author(s):  
T. Tkachenko ◽  
◽  
V. Tsedyk ◽  
V. Kornienko ◽  
V. Ischenko ◽  
...  

The development of biotechnology in the field of GMOs requires states to take specific decisions to regulate the spread of genetically modified crops. In the European Union all GM crops that circulation are subject to mandatory registration, which regulates the placing on the market and circulation of genetically modified raw materials, food and feed. The article presents systematized data about the registration of genetically modified soybean, maize and rapeseed in the European Union. It was established that most of the GM crops have introduced genes that give them tolerance to herbicides of different groups. The register of the European Union currently includes 12 events of soybean (GTS 40-3-2, A2704-12, Mon 89788, MON87705, DP 356043, A5547-127, FG 72, SYHTOH 2, DAS-44406-6, DAS-68416- 4, Mon 87708, BPS-CV127-9), 5 events of maize (MZHG0JG, DAS-40278-9, GA 21, NK 603, T 25), 3 events of rapeseed (GT 73, T45, TOPAS 19/2) with tolerance to herbicides. It has been shown that a significant number of registered GM plants have a combination of several events, including tolerance to herbicides and resistance to certain insects or improving quality features of crops. Among them are one event of soybean (DP305423-1), 9 events of maize (TC 1507, DP 4114-3, MON 87411-9, MON 87427, MON 88017, DAS59122-7, Bt 176, Bt 11, DAS 1507) and one event of rapeseed (MS8xRF3). Many GM crops (one event of soybean and 6 events of maize) have introduced genes that determine the plant's tolerance to insects. Only a tiny amount of GM crops are being with altered consumer or technological qualities. In the register of genetically modified crops, all events of GM crops are currently authorized for usage for food, supplements, feed and other product. А single event of maize (Mon 810), that was allowed for cultivation at the time of this analysis was at the stage of renewal of the permit.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-19
Author(s):  
Tasnia Ahmed ◽  
Md Aftab Uddin

Spreads are used widely for making the fast foods more amazing and tasty. Varieties and cross combinations of ingredients are used to make many flavours of fast foods. Different restaurants prepare their signature spreads for attracting people but this can cause opposite result if not prepared using high quality raw materials and proper hygienic conditions are not maintained. Current study was conducted on ten different types of spreads (pesto, cilantro, queso, tomato sauce, peanut butter, honey, mustard, cream cheese, chocolate sauce and butter) which are used by the local restaurants in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Almost all the samples (nine out of ten) harbored total viable bacteria exceeding the standard limit. Four spread samples showed high fungal count (102 cfu/gm). Four samples showed to be positive (˃101/ml recommended acceptable count) for Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. which indicates that these spread cannot be recommended for public consumption. Among all the samples examined, only chocolate sauce showed acceptable result without the presence of coliforms, Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. This finding suggests proper maintenance of sanitation in spread preparation and selling area. A proper guidelines and monitoring can help keep up the quality of food additives. Stamford Journal of Microbiology, Vol.10 (1) 2020: 16-19


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.V. Ratner

Subject. The article considers the concept of circular economy, which has originated relatively recently in the academic literature, and is now increasingly recognized in many countries at the national level. In the European Union, the transition to circular economy is viewed as an opportunity to improve competitiveness of the European Union, protect businesses from resource shortages and fluctuating prices for raw materials and supplies, and a way to increase employment and innovation. Objectives. The aim of the study is to analyze the incentives developed by the European Commission for moving to circular economy, and to assess their effectiveness on the basis of statistical analysis. Methods. I employ general scientific methods of research. Results. The analysis of the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy enabled to conclude that the results of the recent research in circular economy barriers, eco-innovation, technology and infrastructure were successfully integrated into the framework of this document. Understanding the root causes holding back the circular economy development and the balanced combination of economic and administrative incentives strengthened the Action Plan, and it contributed to the circular economy development in the EU. Conclusions. The measures to stimulate the development of the circular economy proposed in the European Action Plan can be viewed as a prototype for designing similar strategies in other countries, including Russia. Meanwhile, a more detailed analysis of barriers to the circular economy at the level of individual countries and regions is needed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-82
Author(s):  
А. Trubnikova ◽  
О. Chabanova ◽  
S. Bondar ◽  
Т. Sharakhmatova ◽  
Т. Nedobijchuk

Optimization of the formulation of synbiotic yogurt ice cream low-lactose using lactose-free protein concentrate of buttermilk and yogurt with low lactose content is the goal of expanding the range of low-lactose dairy products and improving the functional and health properties of ice cream. Low-lactose ice cream formulation optimization was performed using a gradient numerical method, namely conjugated gradients (Conjugate Gradient). The optimization algorithm is implemented in Mathcad. An array of data with a set of indicators for the choice of a rational ratio of lactose-free protein concentrate of buttermilk and yogurt base and inulin content for ice cream mixtures is presented. The influence of the ratio of the main components of the mixtures on the foaming ability, which determines the quality of the finished product, has been studied. An important indicator is taken into account - the concentration factor of buttermilk, which is additionally purified from lactose by diafiltration. The graphic material presented in the work clearly demonstrates that the rational ratio of yogurt base and lactose-free protein concentrate of buttermilk, obtained by ultrafiltration with diafiltration purification at a concentration factor of FC = 5 is 40.6: 59.4. The content of additional components included in the recipe of a new type of ice cream is optimized in the work, the mass fractions of which were: inulin - 3.69 %; lactulose – 1 %; ginger - 0.3 %; citric acid - 0.15 %; stabilization system - 0.2 %. The chemical composition and quality indicators of the mixture for ice cream low-lactose synbiotic yogurt, consisting of raw materials in the optimal ratio, were determined. The lactose content in the test sample of the ice cream mixture was 0.99%, the antioxidant activity was 3.1 times higher than in the mixture for traditional yogurt ice cream. The most likely number of lactic acid microorganisms, CFU / cm3 is (2.8 ± 0.9) · 108, the number of bifidobacteria, CFU / cm3 is (2.5 ± 0.2) · 109. The results of the research will be implemented in dairy companies in the production of ice cream.


2019 ◽  
pp. 145-154
Author(s):  
Svitlana Ishchuk ◽  
Lyubomyr Sozanskyy

Sufficient supply of woodworking with raw materials while preserving the ecology and rational use of wood is a necessary condition for the functioning of the woodworking industry as one of the key segments of the national economy. The issue is of particular importance given the deepening of world integration processes and the introduction of a moratorium on timber exports from Ukraine. It actualizes the study of the state and dynamics of the formation of raw materials potential of domestic woodworks. The purpose of the article is a structural and dynamic assessment of the economic and environmental aspects of formation of the resource potential of Ukrainian woodworks in comparison with the countries of the European Union, as well as in the regional section by types of wood. In the structure of merchantable wood harvested in Ukraine, fuel wood share increased by 4.3 pp. during 2011-2016, whereas in 2017 it increased by 3.8 pp. compared to 2016 and amounted to 61.4%. Unlike in Ukraine, in the vast majority of EU countries business timber is the basis of the structure of harvested merchantable timber. Thus, in the neighboring countries with similar forest landscape – Poland and the Czech Republic – the share of fuel wood in 2017 was 11.6% and 12.3%, in Slovakia – only 6.3%, and in the EU as a whole – 23. 2%. Hence, the significant deterioration of the structure of the harvested merchantable timber in Ukraine can be interpreted as a threat to environmental, and therefore to national security. On the other hand, the results of the assessments revealed an increase in the volume of commercial timber harvesting in Ukraine (in 18 regions) in 2018, as well as in the level of forest reproduction in the leading regions from the harvesting of merchantable timber (Zhytomyr, Kyiv and Rivne regions) and a decrease in the death rate. The restoration of the logical patterns between the dynamics of the loss of stands and the harvesting of commercial and fuel wood are signs of the beginning of positive tendencies in ensuring the preservation and rationalization of raw potential of domestic woodworks and, at the same time, improving the conditions for deepening the level of wood processing. Further authors’ research in this area will be devoted to the search for effective forms of wood industry development in Ukraine, in particular in the Western region.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1899
Author(s):  
Fabiana Gatto ◽  
Ilaria Re

Reducing the environmental pressure along the products life cycle, increasing efficiency in the consumption of resources and use of renewable raw materials, and shifting the economic system toward a circular and a climate-neutral model represent the heart of the current macro-trends of the European Union (EU) policy agendas. The circular economy and bioeconomy concepts introduced in the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan and the Bioeconomy Strategy support innovation in rethinking economic systems focusing on market uptaking of greener solutions based on less-intensive resource consumption. In recent decades, industrial research has devoted enormous investments to demonstrate sustainable circular bio-based business models capable of overcoming the “Valley of Death” through alternative strategic orientations of “technological-push” and “market-pull”. The study highlights industrial research’s evolution on bio-based circular business model validation, trends, and topics with particular attention to the empowering capacity of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to close the loops in renewable biological use and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The research methodology involves a bibliographic search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Data Hub investigation to understand SMEs’ key success factors and start-ups of the circular bioeconomy sector. Eco and bio-based materials, nutraceuticals, and microalgae represent the most sustainable industry applications, leading to circular bioeconomy business models’ future perspective.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7572
Author(s):  
Gigliola D’Angelo ◽  
Marina Fumo ◽  
Mercedes del Rio Merino ◽  
Ilaria Capasso ◽  
Assunta Campanile ◽  
...  

Demolition activity plays an important role in the total energy consumption of the construction industry in the European Union. The indiscriminate use of non-renewable raw materials, energy consumption, and unsustainable design has led to a redefinition of the criteria to ensure environmental protection. This article introduces an experimental plan that determines the viability of a new type of construction material, obtained from crushed brick waste, to be introduced into the construction market. The potential of crushed brick waste as a raw material in the production of building precast products, obtained by curing a geopolymeric blend at 60 °C for 3 days, has been exploited. Geopolymers represent an important alternative in reducing emissions and energy consumption, whilst, at the same time, achieving a considerable mechanical performance. The results obtained from this study show that the geopolymers produced from crushed brick were characterized by good properties in terms of open porosity, water absorption, mechanical strength, and surface resistance values when compared to building materials produced using traditional technologies.


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