Toxoplasma gondii in Commercially Available Pork Meat and Cured Ham: A Contribution to Risk Assessment for Consumers

2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSANA BAYARRI ◽  
MARÍA J. GRACIA ◽  
CONSUELO PÉREZ-ARQUILLUÉ ◽  
REGINA LÁZARO ◽  
ANTONIO HERRERA
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Meat Product ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Immunofluorescence Assay ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Pork Meat ◽  
Dry Cured Ham ◽  
Two Samples

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, whose transmission has usually been attributed to ingestion of undercooked or raw meat. Dry-cured ham is a high-quality meat product of increasing economic relevance, and epidemiological studies point to cured meat products as a risk factor for acquiring toxoplasmosis. With the aim of contributing to the risk assessment process, 50 samples of fresh pork meat and commercial cured ham were collected in the city of Zaragoza (northeastern Spain), and the presence of viable forms of T. gondii was analyzed. A mouse concentration bioassay technique was used, and the presence of the parasite in mice was determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay. T. gondii was detected in two samples of rib, reflecting a frequency of 8% positive fresh pork meat (4% positivity of total samples analyzed). Brains of seropositive mice were analyzed by histology and PCR, although the parasite was not isolated in the seroconverted mice. No viable forms were detected either in other types of fresh meat or in the samples of cured ham.

Risk Assessment of Veterinary Drug Residues in Meat Products

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 779-789
Author(s):  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Qin Chen ◽  
Bing Niu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Meat Product ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Product Safety ◽  
Veterinary Drugs ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Veterinary Drug ◽  
Veterinary Drug Residues ◽  
Drug Residues

With the improvement of the global food safety regulatory system, there is an increasing importance for food safety risk assessment. Veterinary drugs are widely used in poultry and livestock products. The abuse of veterinary drugs seriously threatens human health. This article explains the necessity of risk assessment for veterinary drug residues in meat products, describes the principles and functions of risk assessment, then summarizes the risk assessment process of veterinary drug residues, and then outlines the qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methods used in this field. We propose the establishment of a new meat product safety supervision model with a view to improve the current meat product safety supervision system.

Determination of the Viability of Toxoplasma gondii in Cured Ham Using Bioassay: Influence of Technological Processing and Food Safety Implications

2010 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 2239-2243 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSANA BAYARRI ◽  
MARÍA J. GRACIA ◽  
REGINA LÁZARO ◽  
CONSUELO PÉREZ-ARQUILLUÉ ◽  
MONTSERRAT BARBERÁN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Meat Product ◽  
Immunofluorescence Assay ◽  
Nitrite Concentration ◽  
Bioassay Technique ◽  
Technological Processing ◽  
Undercooked Meat ◽  
Porcine Tissues

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and distributed worldwide. Ingestion of viable cysts from infected raw or undercooked meat is an important route of horizontal transmission of the parasite to humans. Little information is available concerning the effect of commercial curing on cysts of T. gondii. This study is the first in which the influence of processing of cured ham on the viability of T. gondii has been evaluated, using bioassay to assess the risk of infection from eating this meat product. Naturally infected pigs were selected for the study, and a mouse concentration bioassay technique was used to demonstrate viable bradyzoites of T. gondii in porcine tissues and hams. No viable parasites were found in the final product (14 months of curing) based on results of the indirect immunofluorescence assay and histological and PCR analyses. Our results indicate that the consumption of hams cured as described here poses an insignificant risk of acquiring toxoplasmosis. However, additional studies are required to evaluate the safety of ham products cured under different conditions of curing time, salt, and nitrite concentration.

scholarly journals Flesh ID: Nanopore Sequencing Combined with Offline BLAST Search for the Identification of Meat Source

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1392
Author(s):  
Jonas Kissenkötter ◽  
Susanne Böhlken-Fascher ◽  
Ahmed Abd El Wahed
Keyword(s):  
Gold Standard ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Meat Product ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Nanopore Sequencing ◽  
Pork Meat ◽  
Blast Search ◽  
International Regulations ◽  
Pcr Assays

Detection of animal species in meat product is crucial to prevent adulterated and unnecessary contamination during processing, in addition to avoid allergy and religious consequences. Gold standard is the real-time PCR assays, which has a limited target capability. In this study, we have established a rapid sequencing protocol to identify animal species within hours. Sequencing was achieved by nanopore sequencing and data analysis via offline BLAST search. The whole procedure was conducted in a mobile suitcase lab. As per national and international regulations, the developed assay detected adulteration of pork meat with 0.1% of horse, chicken, turkey, cattle, sheep, duck, rabbit, goat, and donkey. The developed test could be used on-site as a rapid and mobile detection system to determine contamination of meat products.

Proximate Chemical Analysis, Fatty Acid Profile and Microstructural Characteristics of Dromedary Camel Fats (Hump, Renal and Mesentery)

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Fatty Acid Profile ◽  
Meat Product ◽  
Oxidation Stability ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Dromedary Camel ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Animal Fat ◽  
Mesenteric Fat

The quality, safety, and suitability of animal fat for processing of a specific meat product is a critical issue. Increasing the human awareness about the health aspects associated with increased intake of animal fat, makes camel fat a suitable raw material for meat processing due to its excellent nutritional contribution. Therefore, the target of this study is examination of the sensory, physicochemical, fat oxidation, fatty acid profile, and other quality parameters of camel fat to evaluate the feasibility for processing of different meat products. To achieve this goal, 30 fat samples each from the hump, renal, and mesentery of Arabian male camels were investigated. The results showed that both the renal and mesenteric fat had honey color and medium-soft texture, while the hump had greyish-white color and hard texture. The sensory panel scores were significantly different between the hump and other fats. Hump fat had significantly (P<0.05) higher moisture, protein, and collagen content, while higher fat content was recorded in mesenteric fat. The fatty acid analysis showed that hump had high SFA and very low PUFA in comparison with both renal and mesenteric fat. Camel fat had high oxidation stability, and the mean values were very low in comparison with the levels of quality and acceptability. The ultrastructural analysis showed that hump fat had high elastin fibers which increase its hardness. The results indicated that both renal and mesenteric fat were more suitable for the production of various meat products than the hump.

scholarly journals A Methodology for Harmonizing Safety and Health Scales in Occupational Risk Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4849
Author(s):  
Zuzhen Ji ◽  
Dirk Pons ◽  
John Pearse
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
Risk Assessment Method

Successful implementation of Health and Safety (H&S) systems requires an effective mechanism to assess risk. Existing methods focus primarily on measuring the safety aspect; the risk of an accident is determined based on the product of severity of consequence and likelihood of the incident arising. The health component, i.e., chronic harm, is more difficult to assess. Partially, this is due to both consequences and the likelihood of health issues, which may be indeterminate. There is a need to develop a quantitative risk measurement for H&S risk management and with better representation for chronic health issues. The present paper has approached this from a different direction, by adopting a public health perspective of quality of life. We have then changed the risk assessment process to accommodate this. This was then applied to a case study. The case study showed that merely including the chronic harm scales appeared to be sufficient to elicit a more detailed consideration of hazards for chronic harm. This suggests that people are not insensitive to chronic harm hazards, but benefit from having a framework in which to communicate them. A method has been devised to harmonize safety and harm risk assessments. The result was a comprehensive risk assessment method with consideration of safety accidents and chronic health issues. This has the potential to benefit industry by making chronic harm more visible and hence more preventable.

scholarly journals Development of a Methodology for Estimating the Ergosterol in Meat Product-Borne Toxigenic Moulds to Evaluate Antifungal Agents

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 438
Author(s):  
Micaela Álvarez ◽  
Alicia Rodríguez ◽  
Elena Bermúdez ◽  
Elia Roncero ◽  
María J. Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Meat Product ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Ergosterol Biosynthesis ◽  
Array Detector ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Ergosterol Content ◽  
Validation Parameters ◽  
Toxigenic Moulds

Antifungal agents are commonly used in the meat industry to prevent the growth of unwanted moulds, such as toxigenic ones, on dry-cured meat products. For enhancing the application of antifungals, their mode of action must be evaluated. Their effect on the mould ergosterol content is one of the most studied ones, since it is the target site of some commercialised antifungals or of those that are in development. The aim of this study was to develop a methodology for determining how the antifungal agents used in the meat industry work. A method for analysing ergosterol was firstly developed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-FLD/DAD). The chromatographically optimised conditions (gradient and mobile phases) allowed us to reduce the time per analysis with respect to previously published methods up to 22 min. Withing the six checked extraction methods, method 5, showing the best mean recovery values (99.51%), the shortest retention time (15.8 min), and the lowest standard deviation values (9.92) and working temperature (60 °C), was selected. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.03 and 0.1 µg/mL, respectively. All the validation parameters corroborated the method’s suitability. Finally, its feasibility for evaluating the effect of a commercial antifungal preparation (AP) and different herbs that are frequently added to meat products on the ergosterol content of several toxigenic moulds was studied. Differences at the strain level were obtained in the presence of AP. Moreover, the addition of herbs significantly reduced the ergosterol content in Penicillium nordicum up to 83.91%. The developed methodology is thus suitable for screening the antifungals’ role in altering mould ergosterol biosynthesis before their application in real meat products.

scholarly journals Exposure Assessment of Multiple Mycotoxins and Cumulative Health Risk Assessment: A Biomonitoring-Based Study in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Qingwen Huang ◽  
Keqiu Jiang ◽  
Zhanmin Tang ◽  
Kai Fan ◽  
Jiajia Meng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Yangtze River ◽  
Yangtze River Delta ◽  
River Delta ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Cumulative Exposure ◽  
The Yangtze River ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
The Yangtze River Delta

The extensive exposure to multiple mycotoxins has been demonstrated in many countries; however, realistic assessments of the risks related to cumulative exposure are limited. This biomonitoring study was conducted to investigate exposure to 23 mycotoxins/metabolites and their determinants in 227 adults (aged 20–88 years) in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Eight mycotoxins were detected in 110 urine samples, and multiple mycotoxins co-occurred in 51/227 (22.47%) of urine samples, with deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin B1 (FB1), and zearalenone (ZEN) being the most frequently occurring. For single mycotoxin risk assessment, FB1, ZEN, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and ochratoxin A (OTA) all showed potential adverse effects. However, for the 12 samples containing DON and ZEN, in which none had a hazard risk, the combination of both mycotoxins in two samples was considered to pose potential endocrine disrupting risks to humans by hazard index (HI) method. The combined margin of exposure (MOET) for AFB1 and FB1 could constitute a potential health concern, and AFB1 was the main contributor. Our approach provides a blueprint for evaluating the cumulative risks related to different types of mycotoxins and opens a new horizon for the accurate interpretation of epidemiological health outcomes related to multi-mycotoxin exposure.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in domestic pigs raised from Cuba

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio César Castillo-Cuenca ◽  
Álvaro Martínez-Moreno ◽  
José Manuel Diaz-Cao ◽  
Angel Entrena-García ◽  
Jorge Fraga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Weaning Pigs ◽  
Associated Risk Factors

AbstractA cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in pigs in the largest pork-producing region in Cuba. Serum samples from 420 pigs, including 210 sows and 210 post-weaning pigs, were tested for antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 56 animals (13.3%, 95% CI: 10.1–16.6). A generalized estimating equations model revealed that the risk factors associated with higher seropositivity in pigs were altitude (higher in farm’s location < 250 m above sea level (masl) versus ≥ 250 masl) and age (higher in sows compared to post-weaning pigs). The results indicated that this protozoan parasite is widely distributed on pig farms in the study area, which is a public health concern since the consumption of raw or undercooked pork meat products containing tissue cysts is considered one of the main routes of T. gondii transmission worldwide. Control measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of exposure to T. gondii in pigs in Cuba.

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