Search

Compared to the large amount of data on wild samples, only a few studies reported microplastic occurrence in store-bought bivalves in which the production chain can be the main contamination route. Microplastic occurrence was herein investigated in 100 samples of store-bought clams sold as fresh or processed (vacuum-frozen or in brine) in Italy. A 10 % KOH was used for soft tissue digestion and FT-IR spectroscopy for polymer identification. A total of 135 potential microplastics ranging in size between 20 μm and 5000 μm were enumerated estimating an annual dietary intake via clam consumption of 59.472 microplastics/person. No significant difference in the average abundance between the two commercial conditions was observed, while a prevalence of smaller particles was detected in processed samples suggesting a detrimental effect of cooking during production. Polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS) were identified posing an overall low risk (class II). Microplastic occurrence in store-bought seafood requires additional and specific attention and future studies should investigate microplastic contribution linked to the production chain. • Microplastics were detected in different species of store-bought clams. • No difference in microplastic abundance between fresh and processed clams • Polyethylene was identified as the dominant polymer by spectroscopic analysis. • Estimated annual dietary intake via clam consumption was ~59 microplastics/person. • FT-IR revealed the occurrence of PE, PET and PS posing an overall risk of class II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R(+)limonene (LMN) is the major aromatic compound in essential oils obtained from oranges, grapefruits, and lemons. The improvement of preservation techniques to reduce the growth and activity of spoilage microorganisms in foods is crucial to increase their shelf life and to reduce the losses due to spoilage. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of LMN on the shelf life of fish fillets. Its effectiveness was preliminarily investigated in vitro against 60 strains of Specific Spoilage Organisms (SSOs) and then on gilt-head sea bream fillets stored at 2 ± 0.5 °C for 15 days under vacuum. LMN showed a good inhibitory effect against tested SSOs strains. On gilt-head sea bream fillets, LMN inhibited the growth SSOs effectively, and its use resulted in a shelf-life extension of ca. 6–9 days of treated fillets, compared to the control samples. The LMN addition in Sparus aurata fillets giving a distinctive smell and like-lemon taste to fish fillets that resulted pleasant to panellists. Its use contributed to a considerable reduction of fish spoilage given that the fillets treated with LMN were still sensory acceptable after 15 days of storage. LMN may be used as an effective antimicrobial system to reduce the microbial growth and to improve the shelf life of fresh gilt-head sea bream fillets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), is a natural compound found in plants belonging to the family Cruciferae and has strong antimicrobial activity and a biocidal activity against plants parasites. Anisakidosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the ingestion of larval nematodes in raw, almost raw. and marinated and/or salted seafood dishes. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of AITC against Anisakis larvae and to study its potential use during the marinating process. The effects of AITC against Anisakis larvae were tested in three experiment: in vitro with three liquid media, in semisolid media with a homogenate of anchovy muscle, and in a simulation of two kinds of anchovy fillets marinating processes. For all tests, the concentrations of AITC were 0, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1%. Significant activity of AITC against Anisakis larvae was observed in liquid media, whereas in the semisolid media, AITC was effective only at higher concentrations. In anchovy fillets, prior treatment in phosphate buffer solution (1.5% NaCl, pH 6.8) with 0.1% AITC and then marination under standard conditions resulted in a high level of larval inactivation. AITC is a good candidate for further investigation as a biocidal agent against Anisakis larvae during the industrial marinating process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European Commission Regulation (EU) 1276/2011 requires that fishery products intended for raw consumption be frozen at --20°C for not less than 24 h or at --35°C for at least 15 h in order to kill viable parasites other than trematodes. But because marinating processes are not always effective in destroying nematode larvae, raw marinated fish preparations should be frozen before consumption. This study evaluated the performance of a standardized histological method to distinguish between fresh and frozen-thawed raw marinated fish. Sixty anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) fillets were sampled: 30 were marinated at -t-4°C for 24 h, and 30 were frozen at --20°C for 24 h before being marinated for 24 h. All 60 samples were fixed in formalin, processed for paraffin embedding, cut, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The slide preparations were examined microscopically by three independent histopathologists and classified as frozen-thawed or negative according to standard operating procedure criteria in use at our laboratory. Performance evaluation of the method showed 100% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [Cl], 88.4 to 100%) and 100% specificity (95% Cl, 88.4 to 100%), and the interrater agreement (Cohen's kappa) was 1 (95% Cl, 0.85 to 1). Histology proved a valid and reliable tool to distinguish fresh from frozen-thawed marinated fish. It can be applied to deliver safe raw fishery products to consumers in order to minimize the risk of anisakidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nile Red is a lipophilic, metachromatic and solvatochromic dye used as an alternative or complementary method to aid identification of microplastics in routine analysis of biological samples. It was rarely used in biota since organic residues after the digestion step can be co-stained with possible overestimation of microplastics. The limits of using Nile Red in biota were investigated in marine mussels experimentally contaminated with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics. Stained particles were detected through magnified images obtained by stitching together thirty photographs of the filter surface of each sample. LDPE particles appeared yellowish and fluorescent and could be confused with certain organic residues. The smaller the fragments, the greater the difficulty in recognizing them. In particular, it was difficult to recognize LDPE particles based on their fluorescence if <180 μm in size. Regardless of the size, fluorescence of the items aids the operator in LDPE particles identification also in biota. • Nile red aids the detection of microplastics in biota during the visual sorting. • Effective biota digestion is crucial to detect microplastics stained with Nile red. • Nile red also stains organic residues that can be mistaken for microplastics. • Nile red in biota could be used to identify microplastics bigger than 180 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnic foods are nowadays increasingly consumed by Western citizens. However, deficiencies in traceability and poor hygiene conditions have been often reported for ethnic foods. In this study, seafood products (fish, crustaceans and seaweeds) purchased in Southern Italy from ethnic food stores were analysed to assess their labelling compliance with EU law (Regulation EU No 1169/2011 and Regulation EU No 1379/2013) and the presence of microbiological, chemical and physical hazards. Over 96% of the collected products were found as non-compliant with EU law on labelling. Regarding biological contamination, the quantification of enterococci (22.1% of the samples), moulds -including the potential aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus - (36.4% of samples) and the detection of Vibrio alginolyticus (7.8% of samples) should be emphasized. The presence of foreign bodies (physical contamination) in 18.2% of the samples highlighted the lack of targeted control systems. Overall, the major concerns arose from the chemical contamination related to the presence of variable percentages of metals derived from anthropogenic activities. This hazard was especially found in seaweeds products, which should be therefore better monitored throughout the food chain in order to protect public health. Outcomes from this study integrates the scarce data present in the literature and provide an overview of the major risks related to the consumption of ethnic seafood sold within EU market. • In this study, seafood products purchased in Southern Italy from ethnic food stores were analysed. • The percentage of products non-compliant EU labelling requirements was high (96%). • Biological, chemical and physical contamination were found in some products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Field-caught phlebotomine sand flies were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. • The MALDI-TOF MS power is connected with the protein mass spectra database quality. • Protein mass spectra database for S. minuta and P. perniciosus were generated. • Findings confirmed MALDI-TOF MS usefulness for phlebotomine species identification. Abstract Phlebotomine sand flies are vectors for many pathogens responsible for human and animal diseases worldwide. Their identification at species level is of importance in epidemiological studies and control programmes. MALDI-TOF MS has been increasingly investigated as an alternative approach to the conventional identification of arthropods species. To establish an in-house protein spectra database for a quick and reliable species identification of phlebotomine sand flies, 166 field-caught sand fly specimens, morphologically identified as Phlebotomus perniciosus (no = 56; 26 males and 30 females), Phlebotomus neglectus (no = 4 males), Phlebotomus sergenti (no = 6; 4 males and 2 females) and Sergentomyia minuta (no = 100; 45 males and 55 females), were subjected to MALDI-TOF MS analyses. Out of 166, 149 specimens (89.8%) produced consistent species-specific protein spectra. Good quality database for P. perniciosus and S. minuta were generated; no databases have yet constructed for P. neglectus and P. sergenti due to the low number of specimens examined. The identification of 80 sand flies (no = 20 P. perniciosus ; no = 60 S. minuta) were confirmed using the new generated SuperSpectra as validation test. The results reported support the use of MALDI-TOF MS for rapid, simple and reliable phlebotomine sand fly species identification suggesting its usefulness in accurate survey studies, ultimately improving biological and epidemiological knowledge on these important vectors of pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the chemical composition of Thymus zygis subsp. gracilis collected from Ifrane, Morocco, along with the evaluation of the antibacterial, anti-biofilm of Listeria monocytogenes activities, larvicidal effect against L3 larvae of Anisakis , and antioxidant properties of its essential oil (TZG-EO), are reported. GC–MS and GC-FID analyses highlighted the presence of 84 volatile components and strong bactericidal and anti-biofilm activities against L. monocytogenes at a concentration of 0.02 % were demonstrated. Also, larvicidal effect against Anisakis larvae at concentrations of 0.01 and 0.005 % was attained leading to the death of all tested larvae within 4 h. The in situ antibacterial activity of TZG-EO (0.01 and 0.005 %) in smoked fish showed high efficiency against L. monocytogenes growth. TZG-EO could be used as potential antibacterial and larvicidal agents for fighting against foodborne pathogens and extending shelf life of food products. • 84 components were identified in TZG-EO, with dominance of p- cymene and thymol. • TZG-EO exhibited strong bactericidal/anti-biofilm activities against L. monocytogenes. • TZG-EO displayed significant larvicidal effect against Anisakis larvae. • TZG-EO could be used for improving the safety and quality of smoked salmon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Total bacteria count reached the limit level of 7.7 log CFU/g after more than 6 days. • During the storage the α- and β-carotene levels decreased starting from the 3rd day. • Sensory features detrimentally changed already at the 3rd day of storage. • The consumer acceptability significantly decreased with storage time. • From the survival analysis, a shelf-life of 4 days can be estimated for fresh-cut carrots. The shelf-life of minimally processed carrots is considered strictly correlated to the microbial outgrowth and appearance deterioration. However, during storage minimally processed carrots undergo also to a nutritional and sensory quality decay that can affect the consumer's acceptance of the product. This research aimed to verify the importance of considering the interaction between product and consumer's quality perception in the shelf-life definition of minimally processed carrots. For this purpose, changes of the microbial population, pH, a w , carotenoid content, volatile profile, sensory features, and consumer acceptability of minimally processed carrot samples were investigated during 9-day refrigerated storage (labeled shelf-life). The recorded results highlighted that whereas the microbial counts remained below the maximum acceptable contamination values for more than 6 days of storage, significant changes (P < 0.05) occurred in most of the considered quality parameters starting already from the 3rd day of storage. This quality decay was perceived also by consumers that, evaluating the global acceptability of the minimally processed carrots attributed significantly (P < 0.05) lower scores at samples stored for three days or more. Based on the consumer acceptance/rejection responses, a preference distribution function was obtained by applying the Survival Analysis methodology and a shelf life of four days at 4 °C were estimated. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the shelf life of fresh-cut carrots is strongly dependent on sensory quality, as a consequence the shelf life estimation based on consumer perception, by the application of the Survival Analysis methodology, resulted to be more reliable than that estimated on the basis of the microbial load of the produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]