Parasitic Contamination of Common Vegetables Sold in Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Consumption of raw or unhygienically prepared vegetables is a potential source of parasitic infection. This study aimed to establish the prevalence and types of intestinal parasites on the freshly sold vegetables at the market. Methods: Totally, 95 vegetable samples were randomly procured from vendors at Lusaka City market (Zambia). The samples were examined for parasitic contamination using floatation and sedimentation methods. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 7.2.4.0. Results: The overall parasitic contamination of fresh vegetables was 35.8% (34 out of 95). The highest parasitic contamination rate was found in Chinese cabbage with 7.4% (7 out of 95), followed by rape with 6.3% (6 out of 95), chilli with 5.3% (5 out of 95), pigweed with 5.3% (5 out of 95), pumpkin leaves with 5.3% (5 out of 95), tomatoes with 4.2% (4 out of 95), and cabbage with 2.1% (2 out of 95). There was a significant (p=0.001) statistically difference between the type of vegetables and the presence of the parasites. The identified helminths had different prevalence rates, including Taenia spp. with 9.5%, Trichuris trichuria with 5.3%, Ascaris lumbricoides with 3.2%, Clonorchis sinensis with 2.1%, Diphyllobothrium latum with 2.1%, Paragonimus westermani with 2.1%, and Strongyloides stercoralis with 2.1%. Also, Giardia lamblia with 24.2% and Balantidium coli with 4.2% were the protozoan parasites identified. Conclusion: This study showed that some vegetables sold at the Lusaka City market (Zambia) were a potential source of parasitic infections for local consumers. G. lamblia was the most prevalent parasite found in the vegetable samples.

Microbiological Status and Quality Traits of Ready-to-Eat Minimally Processed Vegetables Sold in Córdoba, Argentina

Background: The changes and the availability of processed foods have increased the demand for ready-to-eat foods, such as Minimally Processed Vegetables (MPVs). The purpose of this work was to evaluate the microbiological status and quality traits of the MPVs obtained from retail outlets of Córdoba, Argentina. Methods: Totally, 60 MPVs of 12 brands (30 single-ingredient salads and 30 mixed salad trays) were randomly sampled from different retail outlets of Córdoba, Argentina. The samples were analyzed according to international standards for Total Coliforms (TC), Fecal Coliforms (FC), Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Yeast and Molds (YM). The quality traits (respect to physical and sensory properties) of the MPVs were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed with InfoStat. Results: All 60 MPV samples were positive for TC, ranging from 1.32 to 3.38 log Most Probable Number (MPN)/g. FC counts ranged from 0.30 to 1.95 log MPN/g. Out of 60 samples, 15 (25%) were positive for E. coli. Three brands of mixed trays were positive for S. aureus. Regarding sensory characteristics, the parameters such as freshness, turgid, normal color, decay, and dehydration were compliance in 42 out of 60 (70%) samples. Conclusion: Some MPVs sampled from Córdoba, Argentina showed low microbiological quality and imperfect quality traits.

Knowledge and Attitude of Consumers about Natural Food Toxins: A Case of Tertiary Students in the Volta Region of Ghana

Background: Natural Food Toxins (NFTs) are poisonous substances produced by the biological processes of living organisms. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of tertiary students of the Volta Region of Ghana about NFTs. Methods: During March to June 2020, semi-structured questionnaires were used to examine knowledge and attitudes about NFTs among 252 tertiary students from various institutions of the Volta Region of Ghana. Data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20.0. Results: A majority (90.48%) of students were aware of the NFTs. The male students showed significantly (p<0.05) greater knowledge than the females. Totally, 190 out of 252 (75.40%) respondents had prior-to-the-study knowledge about NFTs. Also, 245 out of 252 (97.22%) respondents desired to learn more about NFTs. Conclusion: From this study, it was observed that tertiary students from the various institutions in the Volta Region of Ghana had enough knowledge and attitude about NFTs; but there are still slight deficits in the knowledge of students about types of NFTs. Hence, there is a need for more sensitization of the subject among the students and throughout the general public.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Food Safety Issues in Pakistan

The article's abstract is not available.

Whole-Genome Sequencing in Food-borne Pathogenic Bacteria

The article's abstract is not available.

Investigation of TEM and SHV Beta-Lactamase Genes in Escherichia coli Isolated from Strawberry Samples in Sanandaj, Iran

Background: When animal manures are used, food products may include pathogenic bacteria, especially Escherichia coli. The major aim of the current study was to investigate TEM (blaTEM) and SHV beta-lactamase (blaSHV) genes in E. coli isolated from strawberry samples in Sanandaj, Iran. Methods: In this study, 150 strawberry samples were collected from farms (traditional), greenhouses, and packages in Sanandaj, Iran. E. coli contamination was done using routine culture methods. Then, isolates were investigated for Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) production and blaTEM or blaSHV genes using phenotypic and genotypic methods, respectively. Results: The most susceptibility and resistance of E. coli to antibiotics were related to chloramphenicol and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, respectively. Out of 21 isolates of E. coli, eight were resistant to ceftazidime and cefotaxime; from which, six isolates were ESBL-producer. Furthermore, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis of six ESBL- producing E. coli isolates showed that four isolates included blaTEM gene, while no isolates included blaSHV gene. Conclusion: In this study, multiple antibiotic resistance patterns were seen in E. coli isolates, especially ESBL patterns in E. coli isolated from strawberries produced in Iran.

Prevalence, Molecular Identification, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Disinfectant Susceptibility of Listeria innocua Isolated from Ready-to-Eat Foods Sold in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background: Food contamination with Listeria spp. can occur at all stages of the food chain. The aim of this research was to investigate the prevalence, molecular identification, antimicrobial resistance, and disinfectant susceptibility of Listeria innocua isolated from Ready-To-Eat (RTE) foods sold in Johannesburg, South Africa. Methods: Eighty RTE foods were collected from Johannesburg, South Africa. The 16S rRNA region of L. innocua isolates was amplified, sequenced, and identified using Basic Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). The antimicrobial resistance and disinfectant susceptibility (against four commercial disinfectants) of the isolates were evaluated using disk diffusion and microdilution assays. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS v. 23.0. Results: Listeria strains revealed a high 16S rRNA gene sequence analogy to L. innocua of between 98-99%. The overall prevalence of L. innocua was 21.3% (17 out of 80) in the RTE food samples. Most isolates were susceptible to the studied commercial disinfectants. All the L. innocua isolates from food sources were found to be resistant to ampicillin and cephalothin, while 83 and 74% of isolates were resistant to colistin sulphate and sulphatriad. Conclusion: Prevalence of L. innocua was considerable in the RTE food samples sold in Johannesburg, South Africa. The L. innocua isolates showed high antibiotic resistance against ampicillin, cephalothin, colistin sulphate, and sulphatriad.

Proximate Compositions and Risk Assessment of Lead in Two Common Fishes (Labeo rohita and Barbonymus gonionotus) Collected from River and Farms of Bagerhat, Bangladesh

Background: Among the local fish species in Bangladesh, Labeo rohita and Barbonymus gonionotus are two popular fish species. The present work focused on proximate compositions (moisture, protein, fat, and ash) and risk assessment of lead in two common fishes (L. rohita and B. gonionotus) collected from river and farms of Bagerhat, Bangladesh. Furthermore, effect of freezing condition on fish lipid was studied. Methods: Proximate compositions of the fish samples were determined according to conventional methods. The lead contents were analyzed by wet digestion method using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The health risks models such as Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Hazard Index (HI), and Target Cancer Risk (TCR) were conducted for health risk assessment of the local people. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16.0). Results: A positive correlation was found between moisture-protein and lipid-ash of the L. rohita fish. Besides, a positive relation was observed in ash-moisture, and lipid-protein for B. gonionotus. The lead content in river L. rohita, farm L. rohita, river B. gonionotus, and farm B. gonionotus was observed as 9.00, 9.20, 8.29, and 6.39 mg/kg, respectively. The lead content found in the fish species were above the permissible limit. The TCR revealed the carcinogenic effects to the local people due to exposure of lead. Conclusion: This study reflects some data about proximate values of L. rohita and B. gonionotus fishes. The concentrations of lead in the fish samples were above the safe limits, and may have carcinogenic effects of the local consumers in Bagerhat, Bangladesh.

Benefits and Risks of Aquaculture Foods in Primary Health Care: A Mini-Review

Primary Health Care (PHC) is expected to serve as a basis for the country's health sector, of which it is the primary responsibility and priority, as well as the community's overall collective and economic prosperity. Promotion of food supply and proper nutrition are among eight elements of PHC. Protein deficiency is one of the most important health concerns in some parts of the world. A huge numbers of malnourished or hungry people have been reported particularly in the less developed countries. Advantages of aquaculture in nutrition are varied. However, there are some zoonotic microbial illnesses occurred due to consumption of infected seafood. Some of these challenges will be cor- rected by good aquaculture practices. With the right reforms in the aquaculture industry, progress can be made toward solving some of the challenges facing PHC delivery. In this mini-review, the benefits and risks of aquaculture foods in PHC are briefly discussed.

Risk Assessment of Phthalate Compounds in Bottled Water Consumed in Isfahan, Iran

Background: Phthalates are main ingredients of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles used for storage of water. These compounds can cause adverse effects on human health. The purpose of this study was the quantification of the amounts of phthalates migrated in bottled water as well as the risk assessment of those compounds. Methods: This cross sectional study was performed on 15 PET bottled water samples of popular brands distributed in Isfahan city, Iran. The samples were immediately sent to laboratory for analysis. Amounts of Phthalic Anhydride (PA), di-2 ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-buthyl phthalate (DBP), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), and terphthalic acid (TPA) in bottled water samples were measured using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Risk assessment of migrated compounds were calculated and com- pared with Hazard Quito (HQ) standards. Results: The ranges of PA, DEHP, DBP, and TPA were 2.3-26, 171-845, 30-2251, and 24-657 ppb, respectively. DEP was not found in none of the analyzed samples. HQ levels of DEHP, TPA, and DBP were more than 1 in bottled water. Conclusion: In the current study, the concentration of DEHP, TPA, and DBP in some bottled water of Isfahan, Iran were higher than the permitted limits. Also, HQ levels of these three migrated compounds were more than 1 in bottled water that is alarming for public health in this region of Iran.