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Simple Summary: In surveillance studies conducted in industrialized EU nations, a rise has been noted in hepatitis E infections that are unrelated to travel. According to previous research studies, eating undercooked or uncooked meat and organs, as well as products from pigs or other wild animals (wild boars and deer), was predominantly linked to human hepatitis caused by the hepatitis E virus genotype 3. Furthermore, domestic pigs and wild boars represent nature's primary reservoirs of this virus, and the liver is the main organ for hosting this virus. The goal of this study conducted in Serbia was to detect HEV in pig liver samples from slaughterhouses, retail outlets, and environmental swabs over the course of a year. All positive HEV samples were measured and expressed as HEV gene copy numbers per gram of sample, and a representative number of samples were sequenced using the Sanger approach. A total of 45 HEV-positive samples were re-amplified using nested RT-PCR employing CODEHOP primers targeting ORF2 (493 nucleotides). The average prevalence of the HEV genotype 3 in all pig liver samples from the slaughterhouses was 29%, while HEV prevalence was 44% in liver samples from animals younger than 3 months. HEV RNA was found in thirteen out of sixty (22%) environmental swab samples that were taken from different surfaces along the slaughter line. Our findings confirmed seasonal patterns in HEV prevalence, with two picks (summer and winter periods) during the one-year examination. Among HEV-positive samples, the average viral particles for all positive liver samples was 4.41 ± 1.69 log10 genome copies per gram. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the majority of HEV strains (43/45) from Serbia were grouped in the HEV-3a subtype, while two strains were classified into the HEV-3c subtype, and one strain could not be classified into any of the HEV-3 subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Serbian market, fish is available from aquaculture (such as carp and trout) and from fishing (commercial and recreational catch). In the past ten years, from 2012 to 2021, there has been a decrease in the production of carp due to reduced farming areas, but trout production has increased. On average, during this period, aquaculture production yielded approximately 5,491 tons of carp and 2,977 tons of trout, while the fish catch averaged around 2,979 tons. The yield per hectare in carp ponds was 800 kg, while in trout ponds, it was 20 kg per square meter. As the demand for fish exceeds the domestic supply, the market is supplemented with imported fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal standards specifically describe the need for allergy labelling on foods, beverages and other non-pre-packaged items because food allergies have developed as a concealed problem that seriously jeopardizes public health. The growing number of people who have food allergies has made it difficult for the foodservice business to control them appropriately. Current efforts in order to protect vulnerable customers include recognized standards for producers aiming to eliminate an allergen from their products and the inclusion of food allergy education in the training for people in food service and those in charge of enforcing food standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the results related to changes in aw value and bacteriological status of fermented sausages during maturation without and with added starter culture, stuffed into a narrower and wider casing. Values of aw of narrower and wider diameter sausages with and without added starter cultures decreased during ripening, and were close to values of 0.9. Enterobacteriaceae in narrower diameter sausages were not detected on day 18, i.e., the end of the ripening process, and these bacteria were not detected in wider diameter fermented sausages on day 25 or at the end of ripening (day 35). The increase in the lactic acid bacteria in narrow and wider diameter sausages without added starter culture was slower than the increase in the number of these bacteria in sausages with added starter culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of the meat chain is well-known, beginning with the Pre-harvest (feed, farm biosecurity, herd/flock health status, animal welfare, transportation, livestock market/abattoir lairage), followed by Harvest (slaughter, dressing, chilling) and Post-harvest (deboning, meat processing, packaging, distribution, retail, consumer) modules. Over the previous decade, consumer awareness increased globally towards animal health, animal welfare and food safety issues, including food quality, food fraud, sustainability and climate change impact on meat production. Therefore, consumers demand proper and accurate information on the aforementioned issues in real time for making informed choices when buying their preferred meat/meat products. The transformation of traditional meat value chains towards sustainability needs reliable and affordable tools to optimize such transformation and achieve higher levels of food safety. Sensing systems (biosensors) and their regular use within an integrated meat production chain, from farm-to-fork, can play an important role and be a part of the solution for climate-smart and sustainable agri-food chain considering biosensor function in early and accurate detection of food(meat)-borne pathogens and other food contaminants (residues). The application of biosensors can provide accurate and concentrated data on animal health and welfare, including food borne hazards, to support food safety risk assessment in both, 'traditional' and 'novel' (cell-based meat) meat value chains for the benefit of the global population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exponentially increasing annual production of plastic waste at a global level has raised concerns regarding the prospective infiltration of microplastics into terrestrial ecosystems. The transport of microplastics via wind advection and stormwater runoff presents a substantial hazard to food resources. The most recent studies reveal that chicken, pork, and beef samples are contaminated with microplastic particles, encompassing polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene. However, the employment of various non-standardized detection methodologies poses a significant obstacle in the interpretation of acquired results. Furthermore, the thorough clarification of the correlation between human exposure to microplastics and various health consequences, such as carcinogenicity, infertility, metabolic disorders and pregnancy complications, remains inadequately explored and necessitates additional investigation to enhance public awareness and propose solutions and integrated strategies for the mitigation of microplastic contamination in meat chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Meat Technology is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper assesses fiscal sustainability in 28 European Union economies in the period 1995-2018, using panel cointegration analysis for fiscal sustainability testing. The research is based on econometric framework of nonstationary, heterogeneous, and cross-sectional dependent panels, using robust Westerlund (2007) panel cointegration test, Mean Group, and Pooled Mean Group method of estimations. The results of cointegration analysis for EU-28 point to weak fiscal sustainability, with significant fiscal adjustment in average. However, heterogeneous coefficients show in which economies fiscal sustainability is achieved (whether it is strong or weak fiscal sustainability) and heterogeneous fiscal reactions. Robustness check confirmed existence of fiscal sustainability with heterogeneous fiscal adjustments in European Union economies, and indicated strong fiscal sustainability in the shorter period of time, namely after 1997 when Stability and Growth Pact is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of different feed composition and cultivation on the composition of fatty acids, their relationships, and the cholesterol content in the tissue of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss). Trout were reared in ponds at two different altitudes and raised on different feeds. The total amount of monounsaturated fatty acids in fillets of both groups showed no statistically significant difference. However, higher levels of n-6 fatty acids were found in Pond I trout fillets than in Pond II fillets, while Pond II fillets contained almost even amounts of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. Total cholesterol content in Pond I trout fillets was significantly lower ( p < 0.05) than in Pond II fillets. The results indicate that the final composition of the trout fillets was mostly dependent on the feed the live fish had consumed; the altitude of the ponds had less effect. Also, both groups of trout could be used in the human diet as biologically valuable foods. Practical application: Our results show influence of altitude, feed, and fatty acid composition of feed on trout fillets. The average fatty acid level in the trout fillets increased in the order SFA

This paper analyses food industry labelling behaviour in regulated and unregulated markets of products with nutrition and health claims (N&H claims) in the Western Balkans. The aim is to find out whether the intervention of the lawmakers in the form of labelling regulation improves transparency of labelling behaviour and facilitates a more informed consumer choice. The analysis is based on a shop survey of 475 products with N&H claims, conducted in six Western Balkan countries (WBC). Statistical inference is derived from the results of the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests as well as the Dunn post-test for all pairwise comparisons as a form of simultaneous nonparametric inference. Differences among the countries constituting the region are significant. In comparison with regulated markets in the region, unregulated WBC markets are characterized by a higher level of 'spurious' statements dominated by regional/domestic producers not obliged to use scientifically-approved claims in their corporate practices. In these conditions, differences in labelling behaviour are expected as well, which is only partly confirmed by our testing results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industry / Industrija is the property of Economics Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Meat Technology / Tehnologija Mesa is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper analyses basic outcome and effects of the privatisation process in Serbia. The first two parts of the paper deal with general achievements of the newest privatisation plan adopted in 2001. We present a brief background of the results of the privatisation process, analysing changes in the structure of enterprises by ownership status, the number of privatised firms, revenues earned through privatisation, the rate of successful transactions, and other relevant privatisation indicators. The paper continues with an analysis of a survey conducted within a sample of Serbian enterprises offering some evidence about performance, competition, and restructuring within different types of firms: socially owned, privatised, and new private. Contrary to the broadly accepted statement that new private firms are leading in transition economies, according to our estimation of the effects of the ownership type on firm performance, it appears that the privatised sector seems to be more active. A comparison of the survey results with findings for three neighbouring countries indicates that there is no general conclusion about the way how ownership status of a firm affects its performance in a transition economy. Although conclusions drawn from our survey analysis should be regarded as preliminary and limited by the quality of survey data and could not be generalised for the privatisation process in other transition countries, the findings we present, including the comparison made with other economies, could contribute to the understanding of both privatisation effects in general and effects remarkable for the Serbian economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]