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This study evaluated the health implications and oncological impact of consuming glycidyl esters (GE) and 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol esters (3-MCPDE) in selected Asian and European populations. Data on dietary GE and 3-MCPDE were compiled from 10 studies conducted in China, Taiwan, Poland, and Spain, identified through a systematic search in PubMed and ScienceDirect databases from 2012 to 2022. Studies on food supplements and analytical methods were excluded from the analysis. Health metrics for these nations, spanning 2015 to 2019, were sourced from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, among others. A Monte Carlo Simulation was employed for data analysis. The results showed that “grains and grain products” was the most consumed food category (260.45-395.35 g/day), whereas “food for infants and children” was the least consumed (0.01-0.09 g/day). Additionally, “fats from animal or plant origin” had the highest contamination levels. While 3-MCPDE exposures remained within safe limits, median GE exposure correlated with an incidence of colon cancer ranging from 3.66 × 10 −8 to 0.744%, lung cancer from 0.00256 to 0.287%, and breast cancer from 0.0262 to 2.42% within the study areas. This translated to a total cancer burden of 6.69 to 1020 Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) per 100 000 individuals. The population in China recorded the highest DALY rate (1,020), followed by Spain (30.2), Poland (19.7), and Taiwan (6.69). Projections suggest an uptick in GE-related cancer cases and associated burdens in the coming decades attributed to demographic shifts, ageing populations, and dietary changes. The study underscores the urgency of mitigating GE and 3-MCPDE food contamination, bolstering public health awareness, and establishing safety guidelines.

The ever-increasing demand for wildlife-derived raw or processed meat commonly known as bushmeat, has been identified as one of the critical factors driving the emergence of infectious diseases. This study focused on examining the bacterial community composition of smoked and fermented bushmeats, specifically grasscutter, rat, rabbit, and mona monkey. The analysis involved exploring 16Sr RNA amplicon sequences isolated from bushmeat using QIIME2. Microbiome profiles and their correlation with proximate components (PLS regression) were computed in STAMP and XLSTAT, respectively. Results indicate the predominance of Firmicutes (70.9%), Actinobacteria (18.58%), and Proteobacteria (9.12%) in bushmeat samples at the phylum level. Staphylococcus, Arthrobacter, Macrococcus , and Proteus constituted the core microbiomes in bushmeat samples, ranked in descending order. Notably, significant differences were observed between the bacterial communities of bushmeat obtained from omnivores and herbivores (rat and mona monkey, and grasscutter and mona monkey), as well as those with similar feeding habits (rat and monkey, and grasscutter and rabbit) at the family and genus levels. Each type of bushmeat possessed unique microbial diversity, with some proximate components such as fat in rat samples correlating with Staphylococcus , while proteins in Mona monkey correlated with Arthrobacter and Brevibacterium , respectively. The study underscores public health concerns and highlights probiotic benefits, as bushmeat samples contained both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria. Therefore, future research efforts could focus on improving bushmeat quality.

The safety of vegetable oils has come under intense scrutiny ever since the International Agency for Research on Cancer issued an alert on the carcinogenic properties of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol fatty acid esters (3-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE). In this study, a total of 114 samples of artisanal palm oil (PO), palm kernel oil (PKO), and coconut oil (CO) were sourced from three regions in Ghana. The concentrations of 3-MCPDE and GE were quantified using the indirect method with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Subsequently, the statistical distribution functions of the concentrations of the esters were fitted using the Palisade @risk software. The relationships between the esters in the oils were determined using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed no correlation (p > 0.05) between the concentrations of 3-MCPDE and GE. However, 18–60 % of the sampled PO contained 3-MCPDE above the European Commission's 2.5 mg/kg limit. In comparison, 24–35 % of the PO contained GE at levels exceeding the Commission's 1 mg/kg limit. Similarly, 25–35 % of PKO samples had GE concentrations above the limit. CO was the least contaminated oil, with little or no evidence of 3-MCPE and GE formation. Though the most frequently occurring (modal) concentrations of the esters were below the limits imposed by the Commission, it is the 95th percentile level of concentrations, especially for PO, that pose a health concern. Serious education and control must be exercised over the production of PO to enhance safety at the national and international markets.

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPDE) and glycidol (GE) are potentially harmful heat-induced contaminants produced during food processing. In this study, 100 heat-treated oil-based food samples covering fried, smoked, grilled, and baked food groups were collected in Koforidua, Ghana and analysed for the two esters using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The dietary exposures were estimated by a probabilistic approach using Monte Carlo Simulation. Levels of 3-MCPDE and GE in the foods ranged from

3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), 2,3-epoxy-1-propanol (glycidol), and their fatty acid esters are heat-induced food toxicants that have widely been investigated. This review study presents an overview of current knowledge about the dietary toxicity of 3-MCPD, glycidol, and their fatty acid esters. A literature search in two databases from January 2012 to December 2023 yielded 75 eligible articles for this review. The majority (73%) of the articles focused on 3-MCPD- and 3-MCPD fatty acid ester-induced toxicities. Nephrotoxicity (32%) was the most studied toxicity, whereas the least studied were carcinogenicity (4%) and hematotoxicity (4%). The metabolism of glycidol and its esters to 3-MCPD in the gastrointestinal tract remained a subject of contention as studies reported opposing findings. There was also new evidence of 3-MCPD-induced reproductive toxicity, hematotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity and 3-MCPD- and glycidol-induced neurotoxicity and genotoxicity. Findings suggest animal species-dependency in 3-MCPD’s carcinogenicity expression. Meanwhile, the 3-MCPD toxicity mechanism in obese rats is poorly understood. The review recommends further studies into the 3-MCPD toxicity mechanism in obese rats and the possible conversion of glycidol to 3-MCPD in gastrointestinal tracts.

The preparation practices, handling and raw materials for street food vending could be sources of toxic metals in street food vending business which is yet to be explored in-depth as microbial contamination. The concentrations and dietary risk of the toxic metals Al, Fe, and Pb were assessed in fufu and fried-rice, two commonly consumed street-vended foods in Ghana. The mean concentrations for Pb found to be between 3.30 and 11.25 mg kg−1 in the cooked foods, far exceeded the maximum tolerable daily intake of 0.3 mg kg−1 body weight per day for consumers. Al and Fe concentrations were between 3.04 and 18.49 mg kg−1 and 1.44 and 7.82 mg kg−1, respectively. Hazard index was less than 1 at the 5th percentile level of consumption, but greater than 1 at the 50th and 95th percentile level of consumption; indicating risk of metal toxicity with increasing probability as the level of consumption and HI increase. The patronage of street vended foods is unlikely to reduce. Hence vendors must be educated on safe preparation and handling processes such as the use of stainless steel utensils will likely reduce the levels of the toxic metals to acceptable levels. Keywords: Food contamination, Metal toxicity, Toxicology, Human health risk