Recent developments for controlling microbial contamination of nuts
In recent years, the consumption of nuts has shown an increasing trend worldwide. Nuts are an essential part of several countries’ economies as an excellent source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. They are contaminated by environmental factors, improper harvesting practices, inadequate packaging procedures, improper storage, and transportation. The longer storage time also leads to the […]
Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Dried Fruits Worldwide, with a Focus on Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A: A Review.
Dried fruits are popular and nutritious snacks consumed worldwide due to their long shelf life and concentrated nutrient content. However, fruits can be contaminated with various toxigenic fungal species during different stages, including cultivation, harvesting, processing, drying, and storage. Consequently, these products may contain high levels of mycotoxins. This risk is particularly pronounced in developed […]
Levels and Distribution of Salmonella in Naturally Contaminated Cashews
Raw materials associated with foodborne illness outbreaks are rarely available for evaluation. The levels and distribution of Salmonella were determined in naturally contaminated raw cashews linked to a salmonellosis outbreak associated with a fermented cashew cheese analog. Two unopened 22.7-kg boxes from a single lot of cashew kernel pieces were each divided into seven approximately […]
Efficient Inhibition of Aspergillus flavus to Reduce Aflatoxin Contamination on Peanuts over Ag-Loaded Titanium Dioxide.
Peanuts are susceptible to aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus. Exploring green, efficient, and economical ways to inhibit Aspergillus flavus is conducive to controlling aflatoxin contamination from the source. In this study, Ag-loaded titanium dioxide composites showed more than 90% inhibition rate against Aspergillus flavus under visible light irradiation for 15 min. More importantly, this method […]
Effect of different storage conditions on the stability and safety of almonds
Almond production in Portugal is of great importance for the economy of their main producing areas. However, the contamination of these nut fruits with fungi and mycotoxins poses a significant risk to food safety and security. This work intended to evaluate the influence of storage conditions on the microbial and mycotoxin stability and safety of […]
Practice and Progress: Updates on Outbreaks, Advances in Research, and Processing Technologies for Low-moisture Food Safety.
Large, renowned outbreaks associated with low-moisture foods (LMFs) bring to light some of the potential, inherent risks that accompany foods with long shelf lives if pathogen contamination occurs. Subsequently, in 2013, Beuchat et al. (2013) noted the increased concern regarding these foods, specifically noting examples of persistence and resistance of pathogens in low-water activity foods (LWAFs), […]
Determination of Amygdalin in Apricot Kernels and Almonds Using LC-MS/MS.
Background: Cyanogenic glycosides are secondary metabolites in plants. In almonds and apricot kernels, amygdalin is an abundant cyanogenic glycoside. Upon consumption, amygdalin is enzymatically metabolized into hydrogen cyanide. Depending on the number of kernels consumed and the amygdalin concentration, ingestion of amygdalin-containing kernels may result in adverse effects. To better understand the U.S. marketplace, the […]
MOF-Based Mycotoxin Nanosensors for Food Quality and Safety Assessment through Electrochemical and Optical Methods.
Mycotoxins in food are hazardous for animal and human health, resulting in food waste and exacerbating the critical global food security situation. In addition, they affect commerce, particularly the incomes of rural farmers. The grave consequences of these contaminants require a comprehensive strategy for their elimination to preserve consumer safety and regulatory compliance. Therefore, developing […]
Risk Assessment of Food Allergens – Part 2: Review and establish threshold levels in foods for the priority allergens.
Knowledge of thresholds constitutes a critical requirement to assessing the risk from allergens, as they are a characteristic of the hazard that allergens present to the food-allergic population. FAO and WHO reconvened the Ad hoc Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Food Allergens for a second meeting to provide scientific advice on review […]
Pulsed Light (PL) Treatments on Almond Kernels: Salmonella enteritidis Inactivation Kinetics and Infrared Thermography Insights.
Extending the shelf-life and ensuring microbiological safety of food products while preserving the nutritional properties are key aspects that must be addressed. Heat processing of food matrices has been the golden standard during the last decades, while certain non-thermal processing options have recently gained ground. In the present study, experimental pulsed light (PL) surface inactivation […]