Food Safety Update: March 2023

EU: MRLs Update Draft MRLs: Pesticide Commodity Proposed MRL (mg/kg) Pyriproxyfen(1) Tree nuts 0.01 Teflubenzuron(2) Diuron(2) Etoxazole(2) (1) Proposed date of entry into force: May 1, 2024. More information (2) Proposed date of publication: October 11, 2023. More information New MRLs: Pesticide Commodity New MRL (mg/kg) Triadimenol Tree nuts 0.01 Peanuts 0.02 Didecyldimethylammonium chloride Tree […]

Latest Trade News and Agreements: March 2023

Chile: Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership In February 2023, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) entered into force in Chile, making it the eleventh country to become a member of this free trade agreement along with Australia, Brunei, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. More information […]

Sustainability Update: March 2023

2023 Corporate Circular Target-Setting Guidance At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the Circular Economy Indicators Coalition released its 2023 Corporate Circular Target-Setting Guidance. This guidance seeks to provide businesses with a clear launching point for selecting and reporting against impactful circular targets. The coalition is co-hosted by the Platform for Accelerating the Circular […]

First report of leaf spot on pecan caused by Choanephora cucurbitarum in China.

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis K. Koch) is an important and widely planted nut tree species in Jiangsu Province, China (Mo et al. 2018). In July 2020, leaf spot symptoms were frequently observed on pecan in Jurong, Jiangsu Province (119°15’36″E, 32°1’6″N). Disease incidences ranged from 40 to 65% among 150 mature pecan trees from three nurseries. The […]

Development of a simple and reliable LC-MS/MS method to simultaneously detect walnut and almond as specified in food allergen labelling regulations in processed foods.

We developed a simple and reliable analytical method using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to simultaneously detect walnut and almond as specified in regulations for food allergen labelling in processed foods. Five specific target peptides derived from walnut 2S albumin and 7S globulin and three target peptides from almond 11S globulin were selected by […]

Metabolomic Profile of Volatile Organic Compounds from Leaves of Cashew Clones by HS-SPME/GC-MS for the Identification of Candidates for Anthracnose Resistance Markers.

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides affects the leaves, inflorescences, nuts, and peduncles of cashew trees (Anacardium occidentale). The use of genetically improved plants and the insertion of dwarf cashew clones that are more resistant to phytopathogens are strategies to minimize the impact of anthracnose on cashew production. However, resistance mechanisms related to the biosynthesis of […]

Experimental–theoretical study of laccase as a detoxifier of aflatoxins.

We investigate laccase-mediated detoxification of aflatoxins, fungal carcinogenic food contaminants. Our experimental comparison between two aflatoxins with similar structures (AFB1 and AFG2) shows significant differences in laccase-mediated detoxification. A multi-scale modeling approach (Docking, Molecular Dynamics, and Density Functional Theory) identifies the highly substrate-specific changes required to improve laccase detoxifying performance. We employ a large-scale density […]

Thermal tolerance responses of the two-spotted stink bug, Bathycoelia distincta (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), vary with life stage and the sex of adults.

Temperature tolerance is an essential component of insect fitness, and its understanding can provide a predictive framework for their distribution and abundance. The two-spotted stink bug, Bathycoelia distincta Distant, is a significant pest of macadamia. The main goal of this study was to investigate the thermal tolerance of B. distincta across different life stages. Thermal […]

Quantitative analysis of almond yield response to irrigation regimes in Mediterranean Spain.

Almond plantations are expanding worldwide, specifically in Spain; the new orchards are often designed under more intensive systems in comparison to the traditional rainfed orchards frequently found in the Mediterranean Sea basin. In these new areas, water is the main limiting factor, and therefore, the present research is aimed at quantitatively analyzing previous findings obtained […]