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ABSTRACT Meat preservation processes have been widely studied over time, especially those related to low temperatures (freezing and freeze‐drying); however, there is very little research that directly relates the effect of these processes on the structure of meat—and the main meat proteins—and how these changes affect some attributes of the final quality. Pork loin meat (Longissimus thoracis) was used, which was frozen–thawed and freeze‐dried‐rehydrated to subsequently evaluate changes in its chemical composition and physicochemical parameters such as water activity (aw), pH, and water‐holding capacity. Physical aspects such as color profile, surface myoglobin fraction, shear force, and histological sections were also evaluated, along with thermal analysis by modulated differential scanning calorimetry. The data obtained were analyzed through different statistical techniques. It was found that the freeze‐drying process significantly modifies the interactions of water with the rest of the meat components (p < 0.05), promoting differences concerning samples that were only frozen, allowing us to establish the importance of water and its associations with each other and with proteins on their effect on meat preservation processes at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat has been part of the human diet for centuries and it is a recognizable source of high-biologic-value protein and several micronutrients; however, its consumption has been associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, cancer). These concerns are mostly related to red meat. However, meat composition is quite variable within species and meat cuts. The present study explores the composition of pork meat, and the differences among different pork meat cuts and it reviews the evidence on the influence of its consumption on health outcomes. Pork meat contributes to 30% of all meat consumed worldwide and it offers a distinct nutrient profile; it is rich in high-quality protein, B-complex vitamins, and essential minerals such as zinc and iron, though it contains moderate levels of saturated fat compared to beef. Additionally, research on sustainability points out advantages from pork meat consumption considering that it is a non-ruminant animal and is included in one of the five more sustainable dietary patterns. In what concerns the data on the influence of pork meat consumption on health outcomes, a few clinical studies have shown no harmful effects on cardiovascular risk factors, specifically blood lipids. Several arguments can justify that pork meat can be an option in a healthy and sustainable diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a commentary on a review of the evidence regarding the composition and health effects of pork meat. The author disagrees with the conclusions of the review, stating that it overlooked adverse effects of eating red and processed meat and overestimated its sustainability. The author cites other studies that suggest red and processed meat are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and other health conditions. They also argue that pork meat negatively affects cognitive performance and contributes to the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The author concludes that eating pork has many adverse health effects, especially in mid- and late life. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, the aim was to identify and quantify antibiotic residues in pork meat samples of supermarkets and butcher shops of two main cities in northeast Mexico, using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS). The results shown seven antibiotic residues detected in the samples. Ampicillin was the main antibiotic with a higher positive rate (>59%) in supermarkets and butcher shops. Tetracycline and sulfamethazine had a high positive rate (>25%). Finally, the quantification of antibiotics shown a high positive rate of samples that exceed the minimum residues limits (MRL). The high positive rate of antibiotic residues in this study suggests an inadequate management in the food industry and represents a potential risk for the human health in the northeast from Mexico.

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of freeze-thaw (FT) cycles on meat quality, myofibrillar protein gelation and emulsification properties, and exudate metabolome changes in pork loins. Meat tenderness improved (P 0.6) with meat quality attributes. These results demonstrated the potential of using the metabolomic information from exudates to elaborate on or even predict the FT cycles, or meat quality.

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) has the potential to address some of the societal concerns regarding intensive livestock production, such as those with regard to animal health and welfare. However, information on the attitudes of consumers towards PLF is scarce. An online survey with a Discrete Choice Experiment was conducted in Flanders, Belgium to determine whether type of animal health monitoring (visual assessment without PLF, PLF at group level, PLF at individual animal level), animal welfare label (4 levels) and price influence the preference for filet mignon of consumers. In total, 454 respondents participated in the survey, of which 250 purchased filet mignon themselves. The characteristics gender, frequency of buying filet mignon, attitude towards organic and attitude towards welfare labels affected the utility (or "preferences") of the meat. The utility was highest for female respondents, for respondents who bought filet mignon less than once a month, for those who consciously bought organic meat and those with a positive attitude towards labels guaranteeing animal welfare and health. The utility of filet mignon was not affected by the type of animal health monitoring, whereas animal welfare label and price had a significant effect. Respondents were willing to pay more for filet mignon carrying a welfare label, ranging from 15.2 €/kg (Label 1) up to 18.1 €/kg (Label 3) compared to a reference price of 12 €/kg (No label). For the use of PLF for automated health monitoring, it should be further researched if consumers are neutral towards the use of PLF, or whether the technology might be relatively unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: An outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella Give, a very rarely identified serotype in human isolates in Greece, occurred in participants of a religious festival in a rural area of southern Greece, in September 2022. The objectives of this study were to describe the outbreak in terms of epidemiology, identify the vehicle of transmission of the foodborne pathogen and recommend prevention measures. Methods: The outbreak was linked to the consumption of a local traditional recipe of roasted pork meat served by a street food vendor. In 2018, the same food item, served in a restaurant in the same region, was implicated in another S. Give outbreak. Results: Outbreak investigations revealed that outbreak-associated isolates, of food and human origin, belonged to the same S. Give strain. Significant deficiencies regarding food safety practices were identified. Conclusion: Technical knowledge about pathogen transmission paths is important in order for both food handlers and consumers to follow hygiene and sanitary measures, mainly in cases of mass gatherings, where large quantities of food are prepared, handled, cooked and served. Efficient official supervision, mainly during summer festivals, is required in order to avoid recurrence of foodborne infections by different combinations of pathogens/food commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the fatty acids and elemental profiles of 53 pork cut samples were determined. To offer insights into their potential health implications, we computed 18 key nutritional indices. These indices included parameters such as saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), the MUFAs/SFAs ratio, PUFAs/SFAs ratio, atherogenic index (AI), thrombogenic index (TI), the hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic ratio (h/H), health-promoting index (HPI), hypocholesterolemic index (HI), unsaturation index (UI), saturation index (SI), peroxidizability index (PI), nutritional value index (NVI), hypocholesterolemic index of fatty acids (DFAs), hypercholesterolemic index of fatty acids (OFAs), and the DFAs/OFAs ratio. These indices were calculated based on their fatty acid composition to provide comprehensive nutritional information. A health risk assessment revealed the safety and minimum health risk for the population from consuming the investigated pork cuts using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Hazard Index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR). The ANOVA test showed significant differences in the levels of K, Fe, Mn, Zn, MUFAs, and AI among the pork cut samples. It was noted that by employing the correlation between the fatty acids profile, nutritional indices, and elemental concentrations and an unsupervised statistical method, such as PCA, a perfect separation from the different pork cuts could not be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterococci are considered valuable sentinel Gram-positive bacteria for monitoring vancomycin antibiotic resistance due to their widespread presence and characteristics. The use of antimicrobials in farming animals has a role in the increasing of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and the anthropogenic transformation of the landscape has forced wildlife into greater contact with humans and their livestock. The transmission of resistant bacteria by their meat products is a significant contributor to AMR development.The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of vancomycin resistant Enterococci spp. In antimicrobial-treated farmed pigs meat and in antimicrobial-free wild boars meat.A total of 341 Enterococci were isolated from 598 pork meat samples (57 %) and 173 Enterococci were isolated from 404 wild boar meat samples (42.8 %). Data found showed that low-resistance was detected more in wild boars meat Enterococci (52.6 %) than in pork meat once (48.4 %). However, the prevalence of resistance genes was at low level (33.9 % in pork meat Enterococci and 4.4 % in wild boar meat ones) and the only gene found was vanC1/C2, related to intrinsic AMR. Normally, Enterococci persist in the normal intestinal flora of animals including humans. However, the presence of resistance genes was frequently linked to the detection of pathogenic genes, mostly gelE in pork meat isolates and asa1 in wild boars meat isolates. Pathogenic bacteria can cause severe infections in human that can become more risky if associated to the presence of AMR. Pathogenic bacteria were characterized and a high presence of E. gallinarum and E. casseliflavus was found.Given the growing interest in wild game meat consumption the monitoring of AMR in these matrices is essential. Further surveillance studies are needed to fully evaluate the emergence and spread of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and pathogenic Enterococci from animal-derived food to humans, including the role of wildlife in this phenomenon. Giving the higher interest in wild animals meat consumption, it is important to better evaluate the spread of AMR phenomenon in the future and intensify hygienic control of wild animals derived food.

Introduction: An outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella Give, a very rarely identified serotype in human isolates in Greece, occurred in participants of a religious festival in a rural area of southern Greece, in September 2022. The objectives of this study were to describe the outbreak in terms of epidemiology, identify the vehicle of transmission of the foodborne pathogen and recommend prevention measures. Methods: The outbreak was linked to the consumption of a local traditional recipe of roasted pork meat served by a street food vendor. In 2018, the same food item, served in a restaurant in the same region, was implicated in another S. Give outbreak. Results: Outbreak investigations revealed that outbreak-associated isolates, of food and human origin, belonged to the same S. Give strain. Significant deficiencies regarding food safety practices were identified. Conclusion: Technical knowledge about pathogen transmission paths is important in order for both food handlers and consumers to follow hygiene and sanitary measures, mainly in cases of mass gatherings, where large quantities of food are prepared, handled, cooked and served. Efficient official supervision, mainly during summer festivals, is required in order to avoid recurrence of foodborne infections by different combinations of pathogens/food commodities.

In their recent review, Vicente and Pereira concluded that pork meat can be an option for a healthful and sustainable diet [...]

Pigs are a primary source of meat, accounting for over 30% of global consumption. Consumers' preferences are determined by health considerations, paying more attention to foodstuffs quality, animal welfare, place of origin, and swine feeding regime, and being willing to pay a higher price for a product from a certain geographical region. In this study, the isotopic fingerprints (δ2H, δ18O, and δ13C) and 29 elements of loin pork meat samples were corroborated with chemometric methods to obtain the most important variables that could classify the samples' geographical origin. δ2H and δ18O values ranged from −71.0 to −21.2‰, and from −9.3 to −2.8‰, respectively. The contents of macro- and micro-essential elements are presented in the following order: K > Na > Mg > Ca > Zn > Fe > Cu > Cr. The LDA model assigned in the initial classification showed 91.4% separation of samples, while for the cross-validation procedure, a percentage of 90% was obtained. δ2H, K, Rb, and Pd were identified as the most representative parameters to differentiate the pork meat samples coming from Romania vs. those from abroad. The mean values of metal concentrations were used to estimate the potential health risks associated with the consumption of pork meat The results showed that none of the analyzed metals (As, Cd, Sn, Pb, Cu, and Zn) pose a carcinogenic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) has the potential to address some of the societal concerns regarding intensive livestock production, such as those with regard to animal health and welfare. However, information on the attitudes of consumers towards PLF is scarce. An online survey with a Discrete Choice Experiment was conducted in Flanders, Belgium to determine whether type of animal health monitoring (visual assessment without PLF, PLF at group level, PLF at individual animal level), animal welfare label (4 levels) and price influence the preference for filet mignon of consumers. In total, 454 respondents participated in the survey, of which 250 purchased filet mignon themselves. The characteristics gender, frequency of buying filet mignon, attitude towards organic and attitude towards welfare labels affected the utility (or “preferences”) of the meat. The utility was highest for female respondents, for respondents who bought filet mignon less than once a month, for those who consciously bought organic meat and those with a positive attitude towards labels guaranteeing animal welfare and health. The utility of filet mignon was not affected by the type of animal health monitoring, whereas animal welfare label and price had a significant effect. Respondents were willing to pay more for filet mignon carrying a welfare label, ranging from 15.2 €/kg (Label 1) up to 18.1 €/kg (Label 3) compared to a reference price of 12 €/kg (No label). For the use of PLF for automated health monitoring, it should be further researched if consumers are neutral towards the use of PLF, or whether the technology might be relatively unknown.

Meat has been part of the human diet for centuries and it is a recognizable source of high-biologic-value protein and several micronutrients; however, its consumption has been associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, cancer). These concerns are mostly related to red meat. However, meat composition is quite variable within species and meat cuts. The present study explores the composition of pork meat, and the differences among different pork meat cuts and it reviews the evidence on the influence of its consumption on health outcomes. Pork meat contributes to 30% of all meat consumed worldwide and it offers a distinct nutrient profile; it is rich in high-quality protein, B-complex vitamins, and essential minerals such as zinc and iron, though it contains moderate levels of saturated fat compared to beef. Additionally, research on sustainability points out advantages from pork meat consumption considering that it is a non-ruminant animal and is included in one of the five more sustainable dietary patterns. In what concerns the data on the influence of pork meat consumption on health outcomes, a few clinical studies have shown no harmful effects on cardiovascular risk factors, specifically blood lipids. Several arguments can justify that pork meat can be an option in a healthy and sustainable diet.

Here, we report the nutritional (crude proteins, total and free amino acids, fatty acids, minerals) and biochemical (protease inhibitors and antioxidant enzymes) characterization of wild fennel seeds from ‘Valle Agricola’ (Caserta, Italy), typical local products used as a food flavouring and preservative. The comparative analysis with commercial fennel seeds revealed the higher antioxidant activity of wild fennel seeds and the considerable ability of the latter in food preservation. In light of this, both wild and commercial fennel seeds were added to minced pork meat to evaluate the effect of flavouring treatment at 0, 1, 3 and 7 days. The analysis revealed that free amino acids, fatty acids and glycosidically bound volatile compounds responsible for meat taste and aroma were mainly released following wild fennel seeds addition.Overall, these data encourage the local consumption of traditional spices, usually added to traditional dry-cured meat and open new opportunities for the niche market.

Background: Pork provides higher levels of several nutrients important for cognitive maintenance in older adults. A pilot clinical study suggests the addition of moderate amounts of pork to a Mediterranean-style diet improves cognition in older adults. There is an absence of observational research that isolates effects of pork from other red meats. Objective: To examine the relationship of pork intake on cognitive performance in older adults. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014 cycles were used in these analyses. Pork intake was assessed using data from two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls. Cognitive function was assessed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) Word Learning, CERAD Delayed Recall, Animal Fluency, and Digital Substitution tests. Statistical analyses were adjusted for sample weighting and survey design variables to account for the complex design. Student t-tests (continuous variables) and Pearson chi-squared tests (categorical variables) were employed to compare participant characteristics between the low and normal cognitive performance groups. Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship of pork intake (low, medium, and high) with prevalence of low cognitive performance, with the non-consumer group as the referent category. Results: Pork intake was not beneficially or detrimentally associated performance on the any of the cognitive tests in both the crude and multivariate models (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Prospective cohort investigations and larger/longer-term clinical trials are needed to fully elucidate effects of pork intake on cognition in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat adulteration is an important economic and social problem worldwide. Therefore, the accurate identification and quantification methods for species substitutions in meat products are needed. In this study, a precise quantitative method was performed to identify the minimum content of pork (Sus scrofa) meat in the mixture of pork: cattle (Sus scrofa :Bos taurus) using the droplet digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) method. Experiments were conducted by using a series of dilutions for heat-treated and raw meat mixtures. The detection limits in DNA fragments of this study were 0.65 copies/μL for heat-treated and 0.1 copies/μL for raw meat samples. Based on these results, the sensitivity explaining minimum pork meat in meat mixtures was 0.1% for heat-treated and 0.001% for raw samples. The results showed that the ddPCR method is effective for identifying and quantifying pork meat in meat products and has potential to be applied for other meat species also. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the fatty acids and elemental profiles of 53 pork cut samples were determined. To offer insights into their potential health implications, we computed 18 key nutritional indices. These indices included parameters such as saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), the MUFAs/SFAs ratio, PUFAs/SFAs ratio, atherogenic index (AI), thrombogenic index (TI), the hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic ratio (h/H), health-promoting index (HPI), hypocholesterolemic index (HI), unsaturation index (UI), saturation index (SI), peroxidizability index (PI), nutritional value index (NVI), hypocholesterolemic index of fatty acids (DFAs), hypercholesterolemic index of fatty acids (OFAs), and the DFAs/OFAs ratio. These indices were calculated based on their fatty acid composition to provide comprehensive nutritional information. A health risk assessment revealed the safety and minimum health risk for the population from consuming the investigated pork cuts using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Hazard Index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR). The ANOVA test showed significant differences in the levels of K, Fe, Mn, Zn, MUFAs, and AI among the pork cut samples. It was noted that by employing the correlation between the fatty acids profile, nutritional indices, and elemental concentrations and an unsupervised statistical method, such as PCA, a perfect separation from the different pork cuts could not be obtained.

Microstructural changes in meat that occur during refrigerated storage depend on the hygiene of slaughtering and primary processing of animal carcasses, their cooling conditions, storage period, and microbial contamination and reflect the processes of meat maturation and spoilage. To extend the shelf life of pork in half-carcasses in a chilled state, 20 heads of 6-month-old large white pigs were used, which were delivered to the meat processing enterprise for slaughter. All half carcasses were cooled in a refrigerating chamber using showering, 1 hour later they were divided into 2 groups: control (without treatment) and experimental with the final treatment with a suspension of lactic acid bacteria of the SafePro® B-2 strain (Lactobacillus sakei). It has been found that cooling of pork half-carcasses in a refrigerating chamber with stiving and final processing by a culture suspension of lactic-acid microorganisms of strain SafePro® B-2 (Lactobacillus sakei) on the 4th day of storage had a positive effect on the microscopic structure of the pork neck and was characterized by a uniform color distribution when histologic specimens of muscular tissue are colored with hematoxylin and eosin, and minor cracks in the sarcoplasm, preservation of transverse and longitudinal striation of muscular fibers in comparison with that of the unprocessed pork half-carcasses with cultures of lactic-acid microorganisms. The microscopic structure of the muscular tissue of the pork half-carcass neck after cooling with stiving and final processing by a culture of lactic-acid microorganisms of strain SafePro® B-2 for 7 days of storage had a more distinct histoarchitecture in comparison with that of the unprocessed pork half-carcasses, as well as was characterized by insignificant areas of muscular fibers with transverse cracks, suspended development period of autolysis processes, partial preservation of transverse and longitudinal striation of muscle fibers. This points to a positive effect of lactic acid bacteria of strain SafePro® B-2 (Lactobacillus sakei) on the quality of the pork meat and contributes to the extension of its shelf life under chilled vintage.

This study analyzes the impact of the addition of three different types of algae (White Chlorella vulgaris, Himanthalia elongate (sea spaghetti), and Undaria pinnatifida (wakame)) at two concentrations (1.5% and 3%) on the sensory characteristics of caseless sausages (cevap) served at two different temperatures. The aim of this study was to compare the color, smell, taste, texture, juiciness, and overall acceptability of the reheated samples with those served at room temperature. The results show that cevap with wakame had the lowest scores, while white Chlorella had no significant effect on the sensory parameters compared to the control sample. The overall acceptability of the three cevap types was significantly higher when they were served warm than when served cold, while the color, taste, texture, and juiciness parameters were different for one of the tested samples, proving that cevap needs to be served warm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pork has the potential to provide several macro and micronutrients to the diet, as it is a commonly consumed protein in the United States and across many cultures worldwide. There is an absence of clinical and observational studies that isolate the nutritional contribution of various types of pork intake from that of other red and/or processed meats. The objective of this study was to assess consumption patterns and the nutritional contribution of total, processed, fresh, and fresh-lean pork to the diets of participants aged 2+ years enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2018 data cycles. The recent National Cancer Institute method was used to disaggregate fresh and processed pork intake from the USDA Food Patterns Equivalents Database. The mean intake of total pork among consumers was estimated to be 79.5 ± 0.82, 54.2 ± 0.69, 54.6 ± 0.93, and 45.9 ± 0.73, g/d for men, women, boys, and girls, respectively. Total pork consumption subtly increased intakes of total energy and several macro and micronutrients, decreased diet quality (HEI-2015) scores (adults only), and consumption of other "healthful" food groups. Only subtle but clinically insignificant effects of pork intake on biomarkers of nutritional status were shown. These trends were largely driven by processed pork consumption and the co-consumption of foods such as condiments. Increasing the availability and education around fresh-lean cuts may help to increase intake of protein and other key nutrients across certain subpopulations, without adversely affecting diet quality and biomarkers of health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims at vertical price transmission of the agri-food market in the Czech Republic. It is focused on the analysis of price transmission in pork meat by investigating the short-run and long-run relationships within the product and the speed of establishing the equilibrium relationship. For this purpose, there is employed specially VECM (Vector Error Correction Model), impulse-response analysis, and decomposition of variance of VECM, which show the system's reaction. The applied approach considers five alternatives in the Johansen approach. The results suggest that there is an existence of the equilibrium relationship in vertical markets and this relationship is simultaneous and demand-driven. The impulse-response analyses show the response of the processing price to one standard deviation shock to the agriculture price from approximately 15–20 periods reaching long-run equilibrium. The response of the agriculture price to one standard deviation shock to the processing price reaching long-run equilibrium is also from approximately 15–20 periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective studies have failed to establish a causal relationship between animal fat intake and cardiovascular diseases in humans. Furthermore, the metabolic effects of different dietary sources remain unknown. In this four-arm crossover study, we investigated the impact of consuming cheese, beef, and pork meat on classic and new cardiovascular risk markers (obtained from lipidomics) in the context of a healthy diet. A total of 33 young healthy volunteers (23 women/10 men) were assigned to one out of four test diets in a Latin square design. Each test diet was consumed for 14 days, with a 2-week washout. Participants received a healthy diet plus Gouda- or Goutaler-type cheeses, pork, or beef meats. Before and after each diet, fasting blood samples were withdrawn. A reduction in total cholesterol and an increase in high density lipoprotein particle size were detected after all diets. Only the pork diet upregulated plasma unsaturated fatty acids and downregulated triglycerides species. Improvements in the lipoprotein profile and upregulation of circulating plasmalogen species were also observed after the pork diet. Our study suggests that, within the context of a healthy diet rich in micronutrients and fiber, the consumption of animal products, in particular pork meat, may not induce deleterious effects, and reducing the intake of animal products should not be regarded as a way of reducing cardiovascular risk in young individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a serious foodborne pathogen that has previously been isolated from pigs presented for slaughter in a rural pork value chain in western Kenya. Methods To understand varying NTS contamination along the value chain we assessed prevalence at slaughter, transport and retail. Suspect isolates from culture were confirmed using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. Results Prevalence on pig carcasses, meat transportation containers, retailed raw and cooked pork and accompanying side salads was 18.1%, 23.9%, 28.0%, 1.9% and 8.6%, respectively. Conclusion NTS contamination is propagated along the pork value chain in rural western Kenya, demonstrating the need for improved hygiene measures to prevent human exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food adulteration with pork in processed beef products is one of the most serious issues in a food sector in a Muslim-majority country since it is related to religious food ethics regarding the halal products. The goal of this research is to test the suitability of ingredients in beef floss and its Halal by knowing the presence of pork DNA and protein in those products. Methods: Meat products were prepared from two famous marketplaces in Indonesia labeled contain beef meat. In this study, a qualitative Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test was compared to a conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay to determine pork adulteration in beef floss. Results: The results of the ELISA test showed that two products labeling Halal and containing beef ingredients were positive for pork. Those two samples continued testing using conventional PCR assay. The result of the conventional PCR assay was negative for those two samples. Conclusion: It may be helpful to utilize both traditional PCR and ELISA for species detection due to the possibly inhibiting compounds contained in some processed meat products. The results of this research suggest that ELISA is better than conventional PCR method for product samples that have received an intensive heating process. DOI: 10.18502/jfqhc.9.2.10648

Historically, Mexico has distinguished itself by its strong participation in exports to the US market; however, the pork sector's main destination is the Asian market, particularly Japan. Hence, this document aims to show the competitive position of Mexican pork in Japan during the period of 2000–2020, particularly by using Mexico, the United States, Canada, Denmark, and Chile as selected countries and considering these as the leading purveyors in the supply chain to the Japanese market. To achieve the proposed objective, a competitiveness analysis is developed through the Comparative Export Advantage methodology, strengthening it through the Constant Market Share (CMS). The results convey the growing competitiveness that Mexico is gaining in pork trade for the Japanese market, as well as globally. In addition, this research suggests that Mexican pork producers take the necessary steps toward increasing their level of competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus is the causative agent of an acute and highly contagious disease affecting domestic and wild members of the family Suidae. The virus can be transmitted by direct contact among infected animals or via a contaminated environment or feed. Since the contaminated meat or products thereof have been characterised as the most probable vehicle in several outbreaks, the aim of the present study was to define viability of the virus in meat under conditions of freezing and chilling (-25 °C and 6 °C) and low temperature cooking (55 °C for 2.5 h and for 1 h). Two independent methods were employed; cell culture as a reference and real-time polymerase chain reaction combined with palladium compound (BB-PdCl2 and PdCl2COD) pre-treatment as an alternative method. Obtained results demonstrated a minimal decrease in the infectious virus titre during storage at -25 °C, and a remaining amount of viruses in meat stored at 6 °C for 14 months that can cause a disease after ingestion. The results obtained by both methods applied on the samples corresponded to each other. In contrast, results related to the virus' persistence in thermal-treated meat indicated much lower stability than previously thought; infectious viruses were not detected by infectivity assay after the treatment at 55 °C for 1 h. The observed difference of one order of magnitude of virus detected using palladium compound pre-treatment suggests presence of intact rather than infectious viruses. A better suitability of PdCl2COD compared to BB-PdCl2 pre-treatment was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructural changes in meat that occur during refrigerated storage depend on the hygiene of slaughtering and primary processing of animal carcasses, their cooling conditions, storage period, and microbial contamination and reflect the processes of meat maturation and spoilage. To extend the shelf life of pork in half-carcasses in a chilled state, 20 heads of 6-month-old large white pigs were used, which were delivered to the meat processing enterprise for slaughter. All half carcasses were cooled in a refrigerating chamber using showering, 1 hour later they were divided into 2 groups: control (without treatment) and experimental with the final treatment with a suspension of lactic acid bacteria of the SafePro® B-2 strain (Lactobacillus sakei). It has been found that cooling of pork half-carcasses in a refrigerating chamber with stiving and final processing by a culture suspension of lactic-acid microorganisms of strain SafePro® B-2 (Lactobacillus sakei) on the 4th day of storage had a positive effect on the microscopic structure of the pork neck and was characterized by a uniform color distribution when histologic specimens of muscular tissue are colored with hematoxylin and eosin, and minor cracks in the sarcoplasm, preservation of transverse and longitudinal striation of muscular fibers in comparison with that of the unprocessed pork half-carcasses with cultures of lactic-acid microorganisms. The microscopic structure of the muscular tissue of the pork half-carcass neck after cooling with stiving and final processing by a culture of lactic-acid microorganisms of strain SafePro® B-2 for 7 days of storage had a more distinct histoarchitecture in comparison with that of the unprocessed pork half-carcasses, as well as was characterized by insignificant areas of muscular fibers with transverse cracks, suspended development period of autolysis processes, partial preservation of transverse and longitudinal striation of muscle fibers. This points to a positive effect of lactic acid bacteria of strain SafePro® B-2 (Lactobacillus sakei) on the quality of the pork meat and contributes to the extension of its shelf life under chilled vintage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify biomarkers for pork quality evaluation. Firstly, the correlation between indicators of pork quality evaluation was investigated. The pH of pork meat at 45 min post slaughter showed a significant negative correlation with meat color indicators (r: −0.4868–−0.3040). Subsequently, porcine plasma samples were further divided into low pH (pH = 6.16 ± 0.22) or high pH (pH = 6.75 ± 0.08) groups. Plasma metabolites in both sample groups were investigated using untargeted metabolomics. In total, 90 metabolites were recognized as differential metabolites using partial least squares discriminant analysis. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated these differential metabolites were enriched in amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism. Correlation analysis revealed that creatinine, L-carnitine, D-sphingosine, citraconic acid, and other metabolites may constitute novel plasma biomarkers with the pH value of pork meat. The current study provides important insights into plasma biomarkers for predicting pork quality based on pH value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For real-time dynamic quality evaluation of pork meat, the thermal accumulation monitoring for the entire period is essential. The research aims to develop a novel covalent organic framework (COF) gel capable of recording such information. The COF with self-responsive irreversible color change property was synthesized using benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxaldehyde, 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzenedithiol dihydrochloride and p -phthalaldehyde as monomers. The thermal accumulation was monitored based on the COF over a broad temperature range (−22 °C–55 °C), which covered the storage temperatures of the pork meat. The results were easily readable by series visible color variations (yellow, green, blue and dark blue) displayed by COF during the thermal accumulation monitoring in the temperature range (25 °C–55 °C) of study. At the lower temperature (−22 °C–4 °C), small variation of the thermal information can be effectively represented by quantitative analysis. The color change rates were in the order of k -22 °C < k 4 °C < k 25 °C < k 35 °C < k 55 °C. The activation energy of reaction was 65.31 kJ mol−1. The indicator gel was prepared by the COF combining with carrageenan in pure aqueous medium. The potential application of the COF gel for real-time monitoring the dynamic quality change of pork samples was investigated. The response signals of the COF gel were well matched with the growth rate of microbe in pork meat. The proposed COF gel based thermal history indicator is promising for real-time monitoring dynamic quality changes of pork meat during the cold supply chain. [Display omitted] • A Covalent Organic Framework (COF), capable of tracking thermal history, was successfully synthesized. • The activation energy required for coloration was found to align with that of meat spoilage. • A self-responsive gel, indicating thermal history and based on the COF, was developed. • The indicator gel was effectively utilized for real-time monitoring of meat spoilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study carried out a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the pork production process based on a detailed Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of inputs and outputs of 3 years of the process, from the entrance of the live animal to the final packaged products. The Life Cycle Impact Analysis (LCIA) was carried out using the Environmental Footprint method to observe which impact categories are most relevant in environmental terms, excluding impacts related to production of the living animal. The results of the LCIA made it possible to identify the most relevant impact categories, such as Acidification, Climate change, Freshwater ecotoxicity, Freshwater and Marine eutrophication, Resource and Water use. The impacts detected supported the definition of critical Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and Process Performance Indicators (PPIs) in environmental aspects, establishing a cause-and-effect relationship with the organization's strategic objectives. A model for monitoring environmental impacts with established indicators was developed based on the LCA study of the pork processing. The proposed monitoring indicators were identified based on the environmental impacts and this industrial sector can utilize these findings to adopt a more sustainable process. [Display omitted] • Impact categories in swine slaughtering and indicators. • The environmental damages categories of pork meat production. • Pork Slaughter: LCA & proposal for sustainable key process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pigs are a primary source of meat, accounting for over 30% of global consumption. Consumers’ preferences are determined by health considerations, paying more attention to foodstuffs quality, animal welfare, place of origin, and swine feeding regime, and being willing to pay a higher price for a product from a certain geographical region. In this study, the isotopic fingerprints (δ2H, δ18O, and δ13C) and 29 elements of loin pork meat samples were corroborated with chemometric methods to obtain the most important variables that could classify the samples’ geographical origin. δ2H and δ18O values ranged from −71.0 to −21.2‰, and from −9.3 to −2.8‰, respectively. The contents of macro- and micro-essential elements are presented in the following order: K > Na > Mg > Ca > Zn > Fe > Cu > Cr. The LDA model assigned in the initial classification showed 91.4% separation of samples, while for the cross-validation procedure, a percentage of 90% was obtained. δ2H, K, Rb, and Pd were identified as the most representative parameters to differentiate the pork meat samples coming from Romania vs. those from abroad. The mean values of metal concentrations were used to estimate the potential health risks associated with the consumption of pork meat The results showed that none of the analyzed metals (As, Cd, Sn, Pb, Cu, and Zn) pose a carcinogenic risk.

Fresh pork is susceptible to microbial contamination and lipid oxidation, which leads to food safety and quality issues. This study aimed to develop a kappa-carrageenan (KC) coating embedded with cinnamon essential oil (CEO) for antimicrobial and antioxidant purposes in pork meat. The uncoated controls and coated samples were subjected to microbial (total viable count, lactic acid bacteria, and H2S-producing bacteria), chemical (DPPH and pH), and physical (surface color) analyses during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 7 days. It was observed that KC coatings exhibited a better preservation effect on pork meat after the addition of CEO. The KC–CEO coatings were effective in retarding the growth of total viable count, lactic acid bacteria, and H2S-producing bacteria. In a DPPH test, the level of lipid oxidation in pork meat was also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by the KC–CEO coatings. Furthermore, these coatings displayed pronounced activity in inhibiting the adverse alterations of pH value and surface color. Practically, KC–CEO-coated samples still exhibited an attractive bright red color at the end of refrigerated storage. Taken together, the developed KC–CEO coatings exerted pronounced antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in pork, thus providing a potential approach to preserving perishable meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, oregano essential oil (OEO)-loaded soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) -nisin nanoparticles (ONSNPs) were formulated through electrostatic attraction-driven and hydrophobic interactions utilizing SSPS, nisin, and OEO as raw materials. ONSNPs were integrated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and soybean protein isolate (SPI) matrices to create composite pads (PS-ONSNPs) by physically cross-linked using a simple freeze-thaw cycling process. The effects of ONSNPs content on the structure and physicochemical properties were evaluated. The results revealed that strong intermolecular interactions between ONSNPs and the PS matrices affected the crystallinity, microstructure, and thermal stability of the pads. Upon incorporating 5 % to 15 % ONSNPs, the structure of composite pads became denser, and the mechanical properties and water resistance were enhanced. Concurrently, the PS-ONSNPs pads facilitated the protection and controlled release of OEO. Furthermore, ONSNPs significantly improved the antioxidant activity of the pads and effectively inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The prepared PS-ONSNPs 15 % pad was applied to storage experiments of fresh pork, which could extend the shelf life of meat to 10-12 days under 4 °C storage conditions. Therefore, the composite pad devised in this research holds promise as a viable option for intelligent active packaging of fresh meat., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To improve the functions of Pleurotus ostreatus polysaccharide (POP), POP-EGCG conjugates were prepared using free radical graft polymerization reactions and were characterized using UV-vis, FT-IR, SEM, XRD, DSC, TG, particle size and potential, three-phase contact angle, and rheological tests; The antioxidant and antibacterial ability in vitro were detected. Moreover, effects of POP-EGCG on the quality of refrigerated minced pork were investigated. The results showed the optimal preparation conditions of POP-EGCG were 1 % POP, 1.3 % EGCG, 0.25 % Vc, 16 % concentration of H 2 O 2 , and reaction 17 h. The POP-EGCG showed the characteristic peak of EGCG and was a mesh honeycomb with rough and porous surface; It had higher crystallinity, increased particle size, but decreased thermal stability, solubility, and viscosity, and significantly enhanced antioxidant and antibacterial ability. The POP-EGCG effectively improved the sensory quality and inhibited lipid oxidation of chilled minced pork, and extended the shelf life of minced pork up to 9 days at 4 °C. Specifically, the TVB-N and TBARS of minced pork in the POP-EGCG group were respectively 14.93 mg/100 g and 0.9 mg MDA/kg, which were lower than the spoilage thresholds in the national standard. This study provides a theoretical basis for further development of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appea red to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of freeze-thaw (FT) cycles on meat quality, myofibrillar protein gelation and emulsification properties, and exudate metabolome changes in pork loins. Meat tenderness improved ( P  < 0.05), whereas water-holding capacity (WHC), meat color attributes declined ( P  < 0.05) with FT cycles. Multiple FT accelerated meat lipid and protein oxidations. Decreases in strength and WHC of myofibrillar protein gels with FT cycles were confirmed. Myofibrillar protein emulsions with more FT cycles showed a decrease in the emulsifying activity index ( P  < 0.001) and larger oil droplets, resulting in poorer storage stability. A total of 501 metabolites were tentatively identified in pork exudates, with 21 metabolites significantly correlated ( P  < 0.05 and r  > 0.6) with meat quality attributes. These results demonstrated the potential of using the metabolomic information from exudates to elaborate on or even predict the FT cycles, or meat quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

ABSTRACT In the last decade, other quality attributes have emerged as the main aspects that impact pork consumers acceptance, such as environmentally friendly production, nutritional value, and animal welfare. This study applies a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) questionnaire for sensory characterization of loins from genetically lean immunocastrated male pigs fed diets containing either a standard commercial diet with 1.5 % soybean oil (control) or 3 % oil from either soybean oil (SO), canola oil (CO), or fish oil (FO) during the growing-finishing phases. Twenty CATA attributes for loin samples were generated. We interviewed 101 consumers to select all the CATA terms that they considered suitable to characterize sensory attributes of longissimus lumborum muscle samples of pigs from each dietary treatment. The CATA results indicated differences among pork loin samples depending on the source and inclusion level of dietary oil. Loins from pigs fed 3 % SO were characterized by a higher frequency of the “juicy texture” attribute (p < 0.05) and a lower frequency of the “dry texture” attribute (p < 0.05) compared to loins from 3 % FO-fed pigs. Moreover, loins from pigs fed 3 % SO had a lower citation frequency of the “tasteless” attribute (p < 0.05) compared to loins from 3 % FO-fed pigs. The attributes “cooked pork meat-like taste”, “juicy texture”, “tender texture”, and “brightness” were placed close to the overall liking. “Tender texture”, “juicy texture”, “pork meat-like” (odor and taste), and “cooked pork meat-like taste” attributes were considered drivers of liking. Feeding genetically lean immunocastrated male pigs with diets containing 3 % SO may be advisable from a pork sensory quality perspective.

The paper aims at vertical price transmission of the agri-food market in the Czech Republic. It is focused on the analysis of price transmission in pork meat by investigating the short-run and long-run relationships within the product and the speed of establishing the equilibrium relationship. For this purpose, there is employed specially VECM (Vector Error Correction Model), impulse-response analysis, and decomposition of variance of VECM, which show the system’s reaction. The applied approach considers five alternatives in the Johansen approach. The results suggest that there is an existence of the equilibrium relationship in vertical markets and this relationship is simultaneous and demand-driven. The impulse-response analyses show the response of the processing price to one standard deviation shock to the agriculture price from approximately 15–20 periods reaching long-run equilibrium. The response of the agriculture price to one standard deviation shock to the processing price reaching long-run equilibrium is also from approximately 15–20 periods.

Pork has the potential to provide several macro and micronutrients to the diet, as it is a commonly consumed protein in the United States and across many cultures worldwide. There is an absence of clinical and observational studies that isolate the nutritional contribution of various types of pork intake from that of other red and/or processed meats. The objective of this study was to assess consumption patterns and the nutritional contribution of total, processed, fresh, and fresh-lean pork to the diets of participants aged 2+ years enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2018 data cycles. The recent National Cancer Institute method was used to disaggregate fresh and processed pork intake from the USDA Food Patterns Equivalents Database. The mean intake of total pork among consumers was estimated to be 79.5 ± 0.82, 54.2 ± 0.69, 54.6 ± 0.93, and 45.9 ± 0.73, g/d for men, women, boys, and girls, respectively. Total pork consumption subtly increased intakes of total energy and several macro and micronutrients, decreased diet quality (HEI-2015) scores (adults only), and consumption of other “healthful” food groups. Only subtle but clinically insignificant effects of pork intake on biomarkers of nutritional status were shown. These trends were largely driven by processed pork consumption and the co-consumption of foods such as condiments. Increasing the availability and education around fresh-lean cuts may help to increase intake of protein and other key nutrients across certain subpopulations, without adversely affecting diet quality and biomarkers of health status.

Storage temperature is considered one of the most important factors that affect the microbial spoilage of fresh meat. Chilling and superchilling are the most popular storage techniques on the market, but during transportation, the temperature may reach 10 °C and may even reach room temperature during local retail storage. In the present study, we stored fresh pork meat at different temperatures, −2 °C, 4 °C, 10 °C, and 25 °C. The composition and functional potential of fresh or spoiled meat resident microbes were analyzed based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The microbial composition exhibited high similarity between pork meat stored at −2 °C and 4 °C, with Pseudomonads and Brochothrix being the dominant taxa. Acinetobacter sp., Myroides sp., and Kurthia sp. were markers for spoiled pork meat stored at 25 °C. Both psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria were observed to grow under a storage temperature of 10 °C, but the overall composition and functional potential based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were found to be similar to that of meat stored at room temperature. Our results broaden the knowledge of possible microbial changes in pork meat during storage, transportation, or retail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of pork meat quality is a significant issue in food safety. In this paper, a novel strategy was proposed for identifying pork meat samples at different storage times via Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy and fuzzy clustering algorithms. Firstly, the FT-NIR spectra of pork meat samples were collected by an Antaris II spectrometer. Secondly, after spectra preprocessing with multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), the orthogonal linear discriminant analysis (OLDA) method was applied to reduce the dimensionality of the FT-NIR spectra to obtain the discriminant information. Finally, fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering, K-harmonic means (KHM) clustering, and Gustafson–Kessel (GK) clustering were performed to establish the recognition model and classify the feature information. The highest clustering accuracies of FCM and KHM were both 93.18%, and GK achieved a clustering accuracy of 65.90%. KHM performed the best in the FT-NIR data of pork meat considering the clustering accuracy and computation. The overall experiment results demonstrated that the combination of FT-NIR spectroscopy and fuzzy clustering algorithms is an effective method for distinguishing pork meat storage times and has great application potential in quality evaluation of other kinds of meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food adulteration with pork in processed beef products is one of the most serious issues in a food sector in a Muslim-majority country since it is related to religious food ethics regarding the halal products. The goal of this research is to test the suitability of ingredients in beef floss and its Halal by knowing the presence of pork DNA and protein in those products. Methods: Meat products were prepared from two famous marketplaces in Indonesia labeled contain beef meat. In this study, a qualitative Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA ) test was compared to a conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay to determine pork adulteration in beef floss. Results: The results of the ELISA test showed that two products labeling Halal and containing beef ingredients were positive for pork. Those two samples continued testing using conventional PCR assay. The result of the conventional PCR assay was negative for those two samples. Conclusion: It may be helpful to utilize both traditional PCR and ELISA for species detection due to the possibly inhibiting compounds contained in some processed meat products. The results of this research suggest that ELISA is better than conventional PCR method for product samples that have received an intensive heating process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty different sample preparation methods were tested to obtain the most informative MALDI-TOF MS protein profiles of pork meat. Extraction by 25% formic acid with the assistance of zirconia-silica beads followed by defatting by methanol:chloroform mixture (1:1, v /v) and deposition by using the layer-by-layer method was determined as the optimum sample preparation protocol. The discriminatory power of the method was then examined on samples of pork meat and meat products. The method was able to discriminate between selected salami based on the production method and brand and was able to monitor the ripening process in salami. However, it was not able to differentiate between different brands of pork ham or closely located parts of pork meat. In the latter case, a more comprehensive analysis using LC-MS/MS was used to assess the differences in protein abundance and their relation to the outputs of MALDI – TOF MS profiling. • Method for MALDI-TOF MS profiling of meat samples was optimized. • The method distinguished salamis of different production methods and brands. • MALDI-TOF MS profiles reflected changes during the meat ripening process. • Closely located pork muscles and brands of pork hams were not distinguishable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective studies have failed to establish a causal relationship between animal fat intake and cardiovascular diseases in humans. Furthermore, the metabolic effects of different dietary sources remain unknown. In this four-arm crossover study, we investigated the impact of consuming cheese, beef, and pork meat on classic and new cardiovascular risk markers (obtained from lipidomics) in the context of a healthy diet. A total of 33 young healthy volunteers (23 women/10 men) were assigned to one out of four test diets in a Latin square design. Each test diet was consumed for 14 days, with a 2-week washout. Participants received a healthy diet plus Gouda- or Goutaler-type cheeses, pork, or beef meats. Before and after each diet, fasting blood samples were withdrawn. A reduction in total cholesterol and an increase in high density lipoprotein particle size were detected after all diets. Only the pork diet upregulated plasma unsaturated fatty acids and downregulated triglycerides species. Improvements in the lipoprotein profile and upregulation of circulating plasmalogen species were also observed after the pork diet. Our study suggests that, within the context of a healthy diet rich in micronutrients and fiber, the consumption of animal products, in particular pork meat, may not induce deleterious effects, and reducing the intake of animal products should not be regarded as a way of reducing cardiovascular risk in young individuals.

Traceability is becoming an essential tool for both the industry and consumers to confirm the characteristics of food products, leading industries to implement traceability to their merchandise. In order for the Computer Technology Institute and Press "Diophantus" (CTI) to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) implement traceability systems based on open innovation, principles were introduced. This paper presents market research that was carried out in order to determine the significant concerns of the Greek consumers about pork meat and pork products, their opinion on traceability information, and their preferences regarding how they would like to receive this information. The survey was conducted online and took place from mid-February to mid-March 2021 on a sample of 224 participants. The market research showed a very high interest concerning traceability, especially on the expiry date of the meat (87.9%), while the way and conditions of transport of the meat products follow (79%). Furthermore, consumers showed that they believe that the quality and safety of pork products would be improved with traceability (70.1%) and (79%) would prefer to buy traceable compared with untraceable pork, signifying the importance of traceability for consumers. Additionally, it was found that consumers and SMEs have common concerns regarding traceability. The information gathered from this market research will be used to adapt the traceability system to consumers' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied peptidomics to investigate potential biomarkers for evaluating pork-meat freshness. The spoilage time points of pork meat stored at −2, 4, 10, and 25 °C were defined by evaluating meat freshness indicators (color, total viable count, pH, and total volatile basic nitrogen). Peptide MVHMASKE was identified as a potential peptide marker via multivariate analysis. Pearson correlation revealed a negative correlation between intensity of MVHMASKE and total viable count/total volatile basic nitrogen. In addition, the correlation between peptide content and the change in pork-meat freshness was verified using real-life samples, and the content of MVHMASKE showed a significant decline during storage under 4 and 25 °C, correspondingly reflecting the change of pork meat from fresh to spoiled. This study provides favorable evidence to evaluate pork-meat freshness by monitoring the change of peptide MVHMASKE in content based on mass spectrometry-based peptidomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of the parasitic disease toxoplasmosis, which is an important foodborne zoonosis. Eating undercooked meat of infected animals has been considered the major transmission route of T. gondii to humans. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of domestic freezing for inactivation of T. gondii bradyzoites in ham. Raw and dry-cured ham from a pig experimentally inoculated orally with 4,000 oocysts of T. gondii VEG strain was subjected to domestic freezing at −20°C for up to 14 days. The effect was evaluated by bioassay in mice and a quantitative PCR assay. In raw and dry-cured ham, −20°C for 7 and 14 days, respectively, did not inactivate T. gondii. More studies are needed to find the correct temperature and time needed to render the bradyzoites noninfectious for humans. Meanwhile, the recommendations for freezing to inactivate T. gondii in raw or dry-cured meats must be revisited because domestic freezing conditions do not reduce the risk of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal and plant extracts are being applied for a wide range of foods against different types of food-borne pathogens. In the present study, ethanolic and aqueous extracts (2% w/v) from cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) plants were applied alone or in combination with two essential oils (thyme and oregano in a concentration of 0.150 μg/g) in pork meatballs and their antimicrobial activity was estimated. The extracts exhibited promising results (aqueous and ethanolic extracts of pomegranate and cranberry in a food-compatible concentration of 2% w/v) were applied to raw pork meatball production and their antimicrobial activity was recorded versus Enterobacteriaceae, total mesophilic bacteria, yeasts/molds, Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp. and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The outcome demonstrated that meatballs containing aqueous extracts of pomegranate were more resistant to spoilage compared to all the other samples since they were preserved for more days. The chemical profiles of plant extracts were determined through LC-QTOF/MS and the chemical composition of the essential oils applied was determined with the use of GC/MS in order to identify the substances involved in the observed antimicrobial activity. Phenolic acids (quinic acid, chlorogenic acid), monoterpenes (p-cymene, carvacrol, thymol, limonene), organic acids (citric acid) and phenols were the main constituents found in the plant extracts and essential oils applied. These extracts of plant origin could be used as natural preservatives in meat products, even in low concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]