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Official veterinarians (OVs) are a vital part of the food safety assurance system, as they per- form the official controls for the national veterinary competent authorities (CAs). The way official controls for food products are carried out in Europe has been recently amended by Regulation (EU) 2017/625. In this new context, the OVs play a key role as risk managers at pre-harvest and harvest levels of the meat production chain and need proper training. Un- der the framework of COST Action RIBMINS, this study utilised an online questionnaire to characterize the profile of European OVs in terms of demographics, qualifications, work ex- perience, employment situation, continuing education, training opportunities and needs. The questionnaire was completed by 1, 778 OVs of 31 nationalities working in 30 European countries. On average they were 48.7 years old (min. 23 – max. 77), 53.9% were male, 45.5% were female and 0.6% preferred not to say. On average, the degree in Veterinary Medicine was obtained 22.5 years ago. The highest academic degree is DVM for 74.8% of the respondents, while 15.6% completed an MSc and 9.6% a PhD ; 35.9% hold a national specialisation diploma and 4.4% a European one. Previous professional experience and spe- cific training were required to enter the career for 32.4% and 51.2%, respectively. For 61.8% of the respondents, the entity responsible for the training was the national veterinary CA, and 50.2% had to pass an exam. On average, the number of years of experience was 15.2 (min. 0 - max. 48) and 65.3% work full-time. Most frequently, OVs work in pig (47.4%) or cattle abattoirs (44.0%), in a team with one or more OVs (38.5%) or alone (31.3%). The most frequent employer was the regional (37.5%) or the national veterinary CA (35.0%) ; 68.9% had a long-term/permanent contract. For 69.5% of OVs, the frequency of training opportu- nities is regular, and the last training activity was less than one year ago for 68.9% ; 60.0% prefer lectures face-to-face and on-site practical sessions. The most requested topics for future training are the new legislation on official controls, zoonotic and emerging diseases and risk-based meat inspection (64.4%, 62.0% and 61.6%, respectively), despite these topics having already been approached. The data obtained enable the characterisation of this pro- fessional group and help to identify training interests and develop effective future training tools.

Bacanje hrane gorući je problem kako u zemljama u razvoju tako i u razvijenim zemljama, uključujući i Hrvatsku, u kojoj se godišnje baci oko 70 kg hrane po stanovniku. Otpad od hrane se javlja u svim fazama lanca hrane, od primarne proizvodnje do konzumacije. Iskorištavanje otpada od hrane u svrhu hranidbe poznato je desetljećima u gotovo svim dijelovima svijeta, te su obuhvaćene razne vrste otpada od hrane, uključujući nusproizvode ili poluproizvode, ostatke proizvodnje te otpad nastao od hrane iz maloprodaje, restorana ili kućanstava. U pogledu sigurnosti hrane za životinje, važno je hranu podvrgnuti odgovarajućim postupcima koji mogu uništiti bakterije i viruse koji uzrokuju bolesti prenosive hranom. Ovi se postupci uglavnom dijele na toplinsku obradu koja se razlikuje za proizvodnju mokre ili suhe hrane, te proces siliranja/fermentacije. Trenutno korištene metode obrade otpadne hrane za hranidbu životinja uključuju toplinsku obradu od 65 °C do 110 °C, čime se dobivaju proizvodi sigurni u pogledu mikrobioloških opasnosti. Osim toga, postoje i kemijski kontaminanti koji mogu biti prisutni u otpadu hrane iz kućanstva i restorana, poput olova i kadmija, te dioksina i furana, koji premašuju razine kontaminanta dopuštene u hrani za životinje. Postupci obrade koji su korišteni za dobivanje hrane za životinje mogu utjecati na njezin sastav, odnosno nutritivna svojstva, koja se odnose na sadržaj suhe tvari, sirovih proteina, masti, ugljikohidrata i sirovih vlakana. Kako bi se bačena hrana optimalno iskoristila kao hrana za životinje, potrebno je osim sigurnosti procijeniti i kakvoću dobivene hrane za životinje, koja ne ovisi samo o primijenjenom postupku prerade i mogućoj dodatnoj kontaminaciji, već i o prehrambenim navikama potrošača.

Bakery products in Croatia as foods of high nutritional value, due to the busily lifestyle and price affordability, represent a basic foodstaff and an everyday part of the diet. According to the data from Croatian chamber of Economy, the average consumption of bakery products per inhabitant is 62 kg, which is 15.1% of the total expenditure on food. The aim of the research was to determine the opinions of consumers regarding the origin of bakery products and the influence of this information on the choice of buying these products. The research was conducted in 2021 on the territory of the Republic of Croatia using the CAWI quantitative research method on a representative sample of 1, 022 adult respondents. The obtained research results confirmed a high level of purchase and consumption of bakery products, as well as a high level of awareness of the presence of semi-finished frozen mostly imported products on our market. Data analysis revealed that 70% of consumers are familiar with the country of origin of bakery products, and equally, 80% of them emphasized the importance of indicating the country of origin of the product. Further analysis indicates that 64% of the respondents do not base their knowledge about the origin of the product on the information on the product, but on the assumption that bakery products are always produced locally. A total of 92% of consumers believe that information about the origin of bakery products should be highlighted at the point of sale, and they associate the information about the origin with factors of product quality and freshness. In accordance with the results of the research, it can be concluded that when buying bread and bakery products, consumers have certain expectations that they associate with the quality and freshness of the product, and indirectly with the country of origin. This indicates that it is necessary to clearly and unambiguously inform consumers about the country of origin of bakery products, through recognizable labeling, as a confirmation of proof of traceability, quality and freshness of bakery products, but also awareness of the advantages of domestic products in the economic aspect, as a contribution to the sustainability and growth of domestic production.

Aquaculture industry is currently implementing Blue Transformation strategy to enhance sustainability of the growing production. Microbes have tremendous impact on sustainability and health in aquaculture industry. Consequently, there is a global effort for implementation of eDNA metabarcoding of microbes for routine monitoring of various environments. To assess the ecological status (ES), according to microbial assemblage composition, microgAMBI (microbial genomic-based AZTI’s Marine Biotic Index) was created. Sampling of seawater and sediment was conducted in 2018, at a small-scale seabass farm in Mali Ston Bay, Croatia near island Maslinovac and a respective control site (near island Pučenjak), in March, June, September and November. Total DNA was extracted and 16S rRNA gene (V1-V3 region) was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing technology (Illumina, UK). Based on the obtained taxonomic list, microgAMBI calculation was performed and ES of the sampling sites was assigned. Most of the samples achieved “moderate” ES, with summer farm seawater sample having “bad” ES and winter control sediment sample having “good” status. Sediment in the farm was of “poor” ecological status in warmer seasons, as did the control sediment in the summer. Overall, microgAMBI demonstrated potential in effective assessment of aquaculture and surrounding environment, providing useful information for aquaculture managers and policy makers.

U radu je prikazano ponašanje potrošača prilikom kupovine hrane, transporta hrane i razumijevanja navoda o roku trajanja proizvoda, koje može imati utjecaj na sigurnost hrane i doprinijeti boljoj zaštiti zdravlja potrošača.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of moulds that may be present in food and feed, and their presence depends on several factors and cannot be completely prevented. The most common and primary contaminated foods are cereals, but mycotoxins can also be found in milk and dairy products, as well as in meat and meat products, and some other processed products such as pasta, alcoholic beverages and other. Adverse effects on human and animal health can be manifested through all organic systems, while the common name for this type of disease is mycotoxicosis. The aim of the study was to determine occurrence of some mycotoxins in traditional meat products as a consequence of their presence in animal feed, in spices used in their production or the appearance of toxic moulds on their surface. The study covered mycotoxins whose presence is usually monitored in food, such as aflatoxins (AFT) B1, B2, G1, G2, and ochratoxin A (OTA), and for almost unexplored mycotoxins that were suspected to be present, like citrinin (CIT), sterigmatocystin (STC) and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). In the period 2019-2021, 250 samples of traditional meat products produced on family farms were sampled for mould identification and physicochemical properties determination. Mycotoxins were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS / MS). The meat products were classified into six categories: sausages, sausage “kulen”, prosciutto/ham, bacon, neck and loin (“pečenica”), in order to harmonize with consumption data (Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food, 2011- 2012).The presence of AFT and CIT was not detected above limit of detection (LOD) in the sampled products during the monitored period. Values above the LOD value were found in all product groups for mycotoxins OTA, STC and CPA. Since mycotoxins were not detected in all products in the group, the three scenarios approaches were used in relation to LOD values: “lower bound” (LB) scenario when the assumed value was 0, “middle bound” (MB) used value was 1/2 LOD and “upper bound” when the full LOD value was used. The obtained results for all three cases indicate extremely low exposure of people to average mycotoxins contamination from traditional meat products. However, mycotoxins monitoring is needed because of their different yearly incidence, and possible introduction of monitoring for those mycotoxins that currently have no obligation. As the food safety system is based on preventive actions, an additional contribution of this research are recommendations on the possibilities of reducing the presence of mycotoxins in traditional meat products.

Background: Assessment of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) resulting from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) requires specific calculation methods and input data. The aims of this study were to (i) identify existing NCD burden of disease (BoD) activities in Europe; (ii) collate information on data sources for mortality and morbidity; and (iii) provide an overview of NCD-specific methods for calculating NCD DALYs. Methods: NCD BoD studies were systematically searched in international electronic literature databases and in grey literature. We included all BoD studies that used the DALY metric to quantify the health impact of one or more NCDs in countries belonging to the European Region. Results: A total of 163 BoD studies were retained: 96 (59%) were single-country or sub-national studies and 67 (41%) considered more than one country. Of the single-country studies, 29 (30%) consisted of secondary analyses using existing Global Burden of Disease (GBD) results. Mortality data were mainly derived (49%) from vital statistics. Morbidity data were frequently (40%) drawn from routine administrative and survey datasets, including disease registries and hospital discharge databases. The majority (60%) of national BoD studies reported mortality corrections. Multimorbidity adjustments were performed in 18% of national BoD studies. Conclusion: The number of national NCD BoD assessments across Europe increased over time, driven by an increase in BoD studies that consisted of secondary data analysis of GBD study findings. Ambiguity in reporting the use of NCD-specific BoD methods underlines the need for reporting guidelines of BoD studies to enhance the transparency of NCD BoD estimates across Europe., peer-reviewed

Veterinarians are experts in animal health and welfare and public health, playing an essential role in controlling and defending the safety and quality of food of animal origin. Official veterinarians (OVs) are a vital part of food safety assurance as they perform the official controls for the national authorities. The way official controls will be carried out in Europe in the future is currently under revision. The ongoing implementation of modernised meat safety assurance systems, from traditional inspection to risk-based meat safety assurance, requires OVs to adapt their control processes. They need to act as risk managers who consider harmonised epidemiological indicators and food chain information. However, to date, the demography, training opportunities and training needs of OVs remain to be assessed and likely vary widely across Europe. An online anonymous questionnaire was developed, tested in a pilot study and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Porto, Portugal. The objective of this survey tool, encompassing eight groups of questions, was to characterise OVs in terms of demography and employment, and to identify continuous education and training needs. To reach as many OVs working in Europe as possible, the questionnaire was translated into 17 different languages and was available to recipients from 1st December 2021 to 31st March 2022. This survey tool was disseminated through RIBMINS national contact points, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, the European College of Veterinary Public Health as well as professional and personal networks in the countries participating in the RIBMINS project. Over 1, 700 OVs from 30 countries have completed the questionnaire. The data obtained will enable the characterisation of this professional group and help to identify training needs and develop effective future training tools.

Confectionery cakes are products obtained by mixing, shaping, baking, or other suitable processing procedures of two or more ingredients, giving the characteristic sensory properties of the product. The chemical composition and high content of water make the confectionery cakes suitable for growth and multiplication of various microorganisms. Contamination can occur at all stages of the production process thus conducting good hygiene practices is necessary to obtain a product safe for consumption. The aim of this two years’ study was to provide insight into the contamination of confectionery cakes in the Republic of Croatia by microorganisms, either potentially pathogenic or indicators of hygienic production. The results on the number and type of Enterobacteriaceae in samples in 2018. indicated the presence of certain types of bacteria from the family of Enterobacteriaceae, not listed in Regulation 2073/2005. The number of Enterobacteriaceae above 102 CFU/g was detected in 22.5% of creamy, 22.6% of chocolate, and in 34.4% of fruit cakes. Further bacteria determination was done by the MALDI-TOF method. Exposure assessment was performed by a qualitative approach. Medium to high risk of exposure was found for bacteria Enterobacter (E.). asburiae and Klebsiella (K.). oxytoca in chocolate cakes, for E. cloacae, Serratia (S.) liquefaciens and Buttiauxella (B.) gaviniae in fruit cakes and for E. kobei, E. cloacae, Pantoea (P.) agglomerans, S. liquefaciens, E. asburiae, K. oxytoca, B. warmboldiae and Ratinella in creamy cakes. Following the obtained results, it is recommended that in case of increased number of Enterobacteriaceae, food should be further analyzed for the presence of pathogens and then its safety should be assessed.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi commonly found in the environment. They contaminate a variety of foodstuffs and represent a heterogeneous group of substances with diverse and strong pharmacological and toxic effects on humans and animals. Documented cases of mycotoxin occurrence in dry-cured meat products call for further research into potential contamination sources, especially given an ever more increasing consumption of these nutritionally rich and delicious products. This study investigated into the occurrence of five unregulated mycotoxins considered to be the most important dry-cured meat products' contaminants. The study covered a total of 250 traditional homemade dry-fermented sausages and dry-cured meat products sampled in 2020 and 2021 from five Croatian regions. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), sterigmatocystin (STC), citrinin (CIT), and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) were analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC- MS/MS). As compared to dry-cured meat products (41 %), the number of sausage samples contaminated with mycotoxins was higher (59 %) As for each mycotoxin, the total incidence of CPA and STC contamination of dryfermented sausages and dry-cured meats was equal in both sampling years. The highest CPA (335.50 μg/kg) and STC concentration (3.93 μg/kg) was determined in sausages, while the highest OTA concentration was found in dry-cured meat products (4.81 μg/kg). The mean OTA 183 concentration was higher in dry-cured meat products (1.57±1.82 μg/kg) than in sausages (0.84±0.70 μg/kg). Although significant differences in concentrations of individual mycotoxins between the two types of products were not found (p > 0.05), the number of OTAcontaminated dry-fermented sausages was 3 times higher (75 %) than the number of OTAcontaminated dry-cured meats (25%). The investigated dry-cured meat products differ in their production technology, the most important parameters affecting mycotoxin occurrence thereby being ripening length and environmental conditions during production and storage. Mycotoxin presence can also be linked to physicochemical parameters characteristic of each product type, including pH, water activity (aw), and water & salt content, proven to affect the occurrence of mycotoxins in dry-cured meat products, as well.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is mycotoxin produced by certain species of Aspergillus and Penicillium genera. It can be found in feed and food, such as cereals, spices, dried fruit, but it can be also found in meat from animals intended for human consumption, coming from feed contaminated with moulds. Tradition of meat production in Croatia has a long history, and is particularly related to some parts of the country. It is common that lot of small pig producers or even households produces pork meat products intended for their consumption or for smaller amount sale. The food technology of this product is simple, since pig meat is just cured in salt and afterwards dried on smoke or wind, or in case of sausage production, minced meat is mixes with salt, red paprika powder, paper or garlic added, and also dried or smoked. In this research, samples of traditionally produced meat products were collected and analysed during period of two years, to obtain results of OTA mycotoxin contamination. The samples were collected from households in geographically different parts of Croatia. They were analysed using liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS) with the limit of detection (LOD) for OTA of 0.18 µg/kg. The OTA concentrations above LOD were found in 31 out of 288 samples. Average result was obtained using “lower bound” (LB), “middle bound” (MB) and “upper bound” (UB) scenario, because of cases when result was lower than LOD. For exposure calculation average result for OTA occurrence was used and pared with individual result of product intake, obtained from food consumption data base for adults in Croatia, for all three scenarios. Calculated body weight weekly exposures for LB, MB and UB scenario were respectively 0.0003, 0.0006 and 0.0008 µg/kg. Sausage influenced the most on consumer’s exposure, among six traditional meat product category. Although OTA occurrence was rare, it is recommended to monitor its presence in TMPs to observe the trend of human exposure. The results obtained in this paper will help to determine the main source of OTA in meat products, and to consider opportunities to reduce its presence as low as possible.

U Hrvatskoj se u zadnjem desetljeću bilježi pad broja mliječnih krava, koji prati pad proizvodnje mlijeka. U 2020. godini utvrđen je pad proizvodnje mlijeka u odnosu na 2019. od 0, 5 % koji je nagovijestio mogućnost zaustavljanja dotadašnjeg višegodišnjeg negativnog trenda. Kako bi se pokrenula proizvodnja mlijeka potrebno je istovremeno djelovati na više područja. Jedino od važnijih područja je i odluka potrošača prema porijeklu i kakvoći mlijeka koje kupuje, te o razlozima tog izbora. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je utvrditi stajališta potrošača mlijeka i mliječnih proizvoda u Hrvatskoj kod donošenja odluka prilikom izbora mlijeka koje se nalazi na našem tržištu. Istraživanje je provedeno u 2021. godini metodom on line intervjua (CAWI metoda) na reprezentativnom uzorku od 1022 ispitanika. Ispitanici su u 89 % slučajeva izjavili da im uglavnom važno ili vrlo važno kada je na deklaraciji jasno navedena zemlju podrijetla mlijeka iz koje se može zaključiti u kojoj zemlji je mlijeko prerađeno, potom gdje je ono pomuženo, a najmanje im je važna informacija gdje je ono zapakirano u finalni proizvod. Kada izražavaju svoje stavove prema kakvoći mlijeka, najviše ju povezuju sa zemljom podrijetla, higijenskim standardima u proizvodnji dok im je najmanje važan dizajn pakiranja. Rezultati dobiveni ovom anketom ukazuju na mogućnost korištenja pozitivnih stavova potrošača prema povezivanju kakvoće i zemlje podrijetla mlijeka kao doprinosa nastojanjima zaustavljanja pada proizvodnje mlijeka.

Confectionery cakes are products obtained by mixing, shaping, baking, or other suitable processing procedures of two or more ingredients, giving the characteristic sensory properties of the product. They can be filled or topped with fruit, chocolate and other creams or toppings. The chemical composition and high water and sugar content make confectionery cakes suitable for the growth and multiplication of various microorganisms. Since contamination can occur at all stages of the production process, conducting good hygiene practices is necessary to obtain a product safe for consumption. The aim of this study was to provide insight into the contamination of confectionery cakes at the market in the Republic of Croatia by potentially pathogenic microorganisms and microorganisms as indicators of hygienic production. The cakes were sampled during a one-year period in 12 cities in Croatia. Samples were analysed according to the microbiological criteria prescribed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs and as recommended by the Guideline of Microbiological Criteria (Ministry of Agriculture, 2011). Results of the study showed that no pathogenic bacteria whose presence could have adverse health effects, were identified in confectionery cakes.

Mikotoksini predstavljaju skupinu tvari toksičnog djelovanja kod ljudi i životinja koje kontaminiraju različite vrste hrane i hrane za životinje. Objavljeni podaci o pojavnosti mikotoksina u mesnim proizvodima, posebice obzirom na njihovu značajnu potrošnju, zahtijevaju istraživanja izvora, odnosno uvjeta kontaminacije te izloženosti potrošača. U našem istraživanju količine aflatoksina B1 (AFB1), okratoksina A (OTA), sterigmatocistina (STC), citrinina (CIT) i ciklopiazonične kiseline (CPA) analizirane su u ukupno 250 tradicionalno proizvedenih trajnih kobasica i suhomesnatih proizvoda uzorkovanih na sajmovima ili obiteljskim poljoprivrednim gospodarstvima u Republici Hrvatskoj tijekom 2020. i 2021. godine. U usporedbi sa suhomesnatim proizvodima (41%), udio uzoraka trajnih kobasica kontaminiranih mikotoksinima bio je veći (59%), a najveća razina kontaminacije određena je za CPA, OTA te STC, dok pojavnost AFB1 i CIT nije utvrđena u niti jednom uzorku. Proizvodni parametri značajno utječu na pojavnost mikotoksina, uključujući vrijeme zrenja, ali i fizikalno-kemijske parametre gotovog proizvoda, kao što su pH vrijednost, aktivitet vode (aw) i udio soli.

Monitoring vode za ljudsku potrošnju na području Grada Zagreba kontinuirano se provodi dugi niz godina. Svrha je monitoringa dobivanje osnovnih podataka o senzorskim, fizikalnim, kemijskim i mikrobiološkim parametrima sukladnosti vode za ljudsku potrošnju, ali i dobivanje podataka o svim parametrima propisanih Pravilnikom. Programom monitoringa određene su točke uzorkovanja, broj uzoraka, vrsta analize i učestalost uzorkovanja. S obzirom na značajan svakodnevni unos vode u naš organizam, mogućnost unosa određenih kontaminanata vodom ima značajnu ulogu. To se osobito odnosi na nitrate, za koje je utvrđeno da je voda, kao njihov izvor, na drugom mjestu po značajnosti. U ovom radu želimo prikazati petogodišnji trend, za razdoblje 2016. – 2020., prisutnosti slijedećih kontaminanata: aluminija, kadmija, žive, klorata, klorita i nitrata u vodi koja se može konzumirati na području grada Zagreba. Rezultati ukazuju na stabilne prosječne godišnje vrijednosti praćenih kontaminanata, osim za aluminij i klorate, za koje je utvrđeno da se vrijednosti godišnjih prosjeka razlikuju i po nekoliko puta. Međutim, i u slučajevima viših vrijednosti, unos kontaminanata u organizam vodom za ljudsku potrošnju ne predstavlja rizik za zdravlje konzumenata, niti značajnije doprinosi njihovom ukupnom unosu. Međutim, obzirom na pretpostavku da se radi o specifičnoj izloženosti konzumenata povezanoj s mjestom stanovanja, trendove pojavnosti navedenih kontaminanata potrebno je kontinuirano pratiti kako bi se rizik od izloženosti sveo na najmanju moguću mjeru. Naime, neke studije ukazuju na svojstva i djelovanje aluminija kao mogućeg etiološkog čimbenika u patofiziologiji Alzheimerove bolesti. Aluminij je prisutan u vodi za piće kao prirodno otopljeni ili kao dodatak pri pročišćavanju vode. Klorati su nusprodukti dezinfekcije vode uporabom hipoklorita. Europska agencija za sigurnost hrane mišljenja je da pretjerano izlaganje kloratima osobito utječe na zdravlje novorođenčadi i djece jer inhibira apsorpciju joda.

This paper describes the changes in the Croatian regulations and harmonisation with European Union (EU) legislation in the field of meat inspection, before and after 2013, when Croatia joined EU. Namely, in the last 30 years, the legislative framework of the meat inspection system in Croatia has changed several times. In 1997, the Veterinary Act (OG 70/1997) stipulated that veterinary health inspection in slaughterhouses is carried out by authorised veterinarians (AVs) employed in veterinary organisations to which state authorities have been delegated, while officinal veterinarians are employed by government and have a broader spectrum of duties. The AV performed the veterinary examinations to determine the safety of products of animal origin, and only they, and not the food business operators (FBOs), were responsible in the case of any non-compliance. The conditions that AVs had to fulfil were a diploma from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, a certificate of completion of the State Professional Examination (SPE) for Veterinary Inspector, and at least three years of professional experience after passing the SPE. The next Veterinary Act (OG 41/2007) brought changes in the meat inspection in the framework of official controls of food of animal origin by dividing regulations between this Act and the Food Act (OG 46/2007), and introduced the term “control bodies” for veterinary organisations with delegated state authorities. An AV then had at least two years of professional experience, a license (issued by the Croatian Veterinary Chamber after completing one year of professional practice) and the SPE certificate (issued by the Minister of Agriculture). The Food Act introduced a shift of responsibility in the case of non-compliances to FBOs, at all stages of production, processing and distribution. The Veterinary Act of 2013 (OG 82/2013) implemented Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 in the Croatian legislative framework, but did not bring any changes related to meat inspection. The State Inspectorate Act (OG 115/2018) introduced significant changes in the organisation, as all inspections involved in the food safety system were merged, with the exception of fisheries inspections. The Act on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products (OG 52/2021) implemented the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/625. The State Inspectorate was introduced as the Competent Authority for different areas of official controls, and “delegated bodies” as the local competent authorities performing meat inspection. At the same time, amendments to the Veterinary Act (OG 52/2021) changed the requirements for AVs. The development of the legal framework over the years had less impact on the methodology of meat inspection, so riskbased meat inspection did not play a role in practice. However, since 2013, in cooperation with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Croatian Veterinary Chamber, continuous training programs have been organised for AVs, based on the EFSA scientific opinions (2011- 2013) on public health hazards posed by meat and its control in meat chain.

Na području grada Zagreba godinama se provodi opsežni monitoring vode za ljudsku potrošnju, kojim je obuhvaćeno nekoliko desetaka različitih kemijskih, bioloških i fizikalnih parametara, mjesto uzorkovanja te vremenski uvjeti tijekom uzorkovanja. S obzirom na značajan svakodnevni unos vode u naš organizam, mogućnost unosa određenih kontaminanta vodom ima svoju značajnu ulogu. To se osobito odnosi na nitrate, za koje je utvrđeno da je voda kao njihov izvor, na drugom mjestu po značajnosti. U ovom radu želimo prikazati petogodišnji trend, za razdoblje 2016. – 2020. godine, za prisutnost slijedećih kontaminanata: aluminija, kadmija, klorata i klorita, nitrata te žive u vodi koja se može konzumirati na području grada Zagreba. Rezultati ukazuju na stabilne prosječne godišnje vrijednosti praćenih kontaminanata, osim za aluminj i klorate, za koje je utvrđeno da se vrijednosti godišnjih prosjeka razlikuju i po nekoliko puta. Međutim, i u slučajevima viših vrijednosti, njihov doprinos unosu iz vode za ljudsku potrošnju ne predstavlja rizik za zdravlje konzumenata, niti značajnije doprinosi njihovom ukupnom unosu. Ipak s obzirom na pretpostavku da se radi o specifičnoj izloženosti, za koju je konzument vezan mjestom stanovanja, važno je stalno pratiti trendove, kako bi se svaka izloženost svela na najmanju moguću mjeru.

Due to their chemical composition and high water content, cakes are a suitable medium for the growth and reproduction of various microorganisms. Their contamination can occur at all stages of the production process: due to the use of contaminated raw materials (especially if the cakes are not heat treated before consumption), after heat treatment, during improper storage and / or transport and due to unhygienic handling. Bacteria from the family Enterobacteriaceae are mainly used as microorganisms indicators of process hygiene. Bacterial species such as Salmonella spp. or Escherichia coli, which are also part of this family, are pathogenic and considered important for food safety, and their presence must be further confirmed by laboratory analysis. The aim of this study was to determine the spectrum of bacterial species from the family Enterobacteriaceae in cake samples, and to investigate whether they have pathogenic characteristics, which is important in context of the protection of consumer health. The conducted research included 201 samples of cakes sampled in the area of the city of Zagreb. After determining the presence of Enterobacteriaceae in an amount greater than 100 CFU/g, the MALDI-TOF method (VITEK® MS, Biomeriux) was used for determination specific enterobacteria that were present in the sample. Determination results confirmed presence of 10 species: Enterobacter kobei, Enterobacter cloacae, Pantoea agglomerans, Serratia liquefaciens, Enterobacter asburiae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Buttiauxella gaviniae, Buttiauxella warmboldiae, Ratinella and Cedecea neteri. According to the literature, the Enterobacteriaceae identified in this study, other than Ratinella, were previously isolated from humans, while E. kobei, E. cloacae, P. agglomerans, E. asburiae and B. warmboldiae were isolated from food or water. However, for none of the Enterobacteriaceae identified in this study, in literature references was found that the disease was derived by causative bacteria from food. Even assuming that such situations do exist, it can be concluded that these are extremely rare cases.

Slastičarski kolači su proizvodi dobiveni miješanjem, oblikovanjem, pečenjem ili drugim odgovarajućim postupcima obrade smjese dva ili više sastojaka, čime se postižu karakteristična senzorska svojstva proizvoda. Mogu biti punjeni ili preliveni voćnim, čokoladnim i drugim kremama ili preljevima. Kemijski sastav i visoki udio vode čine slastičarske kolače pogodnim medijem za rast i razmnožavanje različitih mikroorganizama. Budući da do kontaminacije može doći u svim fazama proizvodnog procesa, pridržavanje dobre higijenske prakse nužan je preduvjet kako bi proizvod bio siguran za konzumaciju. Da bi se dobio uvid u kontaminaciju slastičarskih kolača u RH potencijalno patogenim mikroorganizmima i mikroorganizmima pokazateljima higijene proizvodnje, u uzorcima kolača koji su uzorkovani 2017. godine provedene su analize u skladu s mikrobiološkim kriterijima prema Uredbi komisije (EZ) br. 2073/2005 od 15. studenoga 2005. o mikrobiološkim kriterijima za hranu i preporukama Vodiča o mikrobiološkim kriterijima (Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, 2011). Istraživanjem nisu utvrđene patogene bakterije čije bi prisustvo moglo imati štetan utjecaj na zdravlje te nije bilo potrebe za izradom karakterizacije rizika za dobivene rezultate. Nastavak istraživanja usmjeren je na detaljniju analizu vrsta enterobakterija. U 2018. godini ponovljeno je uzorkovanje kolača na području Grada Zagreba pri čemu je utvrđena prisutnost sljedećih vrsta enterobakterija: Enterobacter kobei, Enterobacter cloacae, Pantoea agglomerans, Serratia liquefaciens, Enterobacter asburiae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Buttiauxella gaviniae, Buttiauxella warmboldiae, Ratinella i Cedecea neteri. Budući da su za neke od njih utvrđeni slučajevi izazivanja bolesti, ali pod okolnostima koje su drugačije od prijenosa mogućeg slastičarskim kolačima, ili hranom općenito, te su bakterije opisane kao potencijalno patogene i rizik nije prikazan kroz štetni utjecaj na zdravlje, već kao rizik od moguće izloženosti tim bakterijama u slučaju konzumacije slastičarskih kolača. Niti u jednom uzorku slastičarskih kolača nisu bili prisutni patogeni mikroorganizmi za koje je propisano ispitivanje sukladno zahtjevima Uredbe 2073/2005.

Sigurnost i kvaliteta mlijeka te dobrobit životinja koje se uzgajaju radi proizvodnje mlijeka pobuđuju sve veće zanimanje opće i stručne javnosti (EFSA 2009., 2009a., 2012., 2012a., 2015). Uzimajući u obzir takve okolnosti Hrvatska agencija za poljoprivredu i hranu provela je istraživanje koje je imalo za cilj utvrditi stanje dobrobiti krava na farmama u Republici Hrvatskoj, utvrditi sigurnost i kvalitetu mlijeka te njihovu međusobnu povezanost. Za procjenu dobrobiti korištena je metoda talijanskog nacionalnog referentnog centra za procjenu dobrobiti CReNBA (Bertocchi i Fusi, 2014.). Za provođenje istraživanja odabrano je šest farmi, a uzorci za laboratorijske pretrage uzeti su od životinja u drugoj i trećoj laktaciji. Procijenjena je dobrobit na farmama, analizirano je mlijeko na kemijske i mikrobiološke pokazatelje , utvrđen je broj somatskih stanica u mlijeku brzim testovima i laboratorijskom metodom te su određeni biokemijski pokazatelji u krvi krava. Prema ocjenama dobrobiti dvije farme pripadaju gornjem ocjenskom razredu, a ostale sred njem. S obzirom da protokol procjene dobrobiti uvažava ocjenu o životinji, infrastrukturi i menadžmentu, a broj somatskih stanica samo je jedan od pokazatelja dobrobiti, nije utvrđen utjecaj dobrobiti na broj somatskih stanica. Utvrđeno je da je porasla svijest o važnosti provođenja mjera dobrobiti , dok mnoštvo pokazatelja ukazuje da se implementiraju suvremena znanja o hranidbi, kvaliteti vode i zraka u objektima, kao i o postupanju sa životinjama. Međutim, utvrđeno je da još uvijek ima prostora za poboljšanje u kontekstu povećanja površina ležišta po grlu. Evidentno je da postojeća kontrola kvalitete mlijeka mjerenjem broja somatskih stanica mlijeka iz četiriju četvrti zajedno, može maskirati pravo stanje zdravlja vimena. Visoki broj somatskih stanica u jednoj četvrti može biti prikriven(smanjen)ukupnim brojem somatskih stanica (lažno negativni rezultat), a oboljenje neće biti detektirano na vrijeme. Mikroorganizmi uzročnici mastitisa, identificirani su neovisno o broju zahvaćenih četvrti, podjednako u slučajevima kliničkog i supkliničkog mastitisa. Ako se promatra raspodjela povišenog broja somatskih stanica prema četvrtima (>400 000), vidljivo je kako je 34 % krava imalo zahvaćenu jednu četvrt, 22 % dv ije četvrti, 11 % tri četvrti, a 5 % krava imalo je upalu u sve četiri četvrti vimena. Potvrđeno je da su postojeći brzi testovi prikladni za detekciju mastitisa, a u otkrivanju supkliničkog mastitisa valja razviti osjetljivije testove.

Komercijalni uzgoj ribe značajan je doprinos u osiguranju visokovrijedne proteinske hrane na tržištu RH. Lubin (Dicentrarchus labrax) i komarča (Sparus aurata) najzastupljenije su vrste u marikulturi, dok se od slatkovodnih riba najviše uzgajaju šaranske i pastrvske vrste. Kako sigurnost hrane predstavlja osnovnu predispoziciju za distribuciju na tržište, cilj ovog rada bio je identificirati bakterijsku mikrofloru lubina, šarana i potočne pastrve (Salmo trutta) iz uzgoja. Brisevi kože i škrga uzimani su tijekom tri godine kroz sva godišnja doba na uzgajalištima lubina kod Pelješca, šarana kod rijeke Ilove i pastrve na rijeci Krki. MALDI TOF metodom detektirano je 70 vrsta bakterija iz 25 rodova. Na lubinu je utvrđeno 42 vrste iz 19 rodova, na šaranu 26 vrsta iz 10 rodova, a na potočnoj pastrvi 23 vrste iz sedam rodova. Rodovi Achromobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas i Shewanella utvrđeni su u sve tri vrste riba. U lubina i šarana utvrđeni su rodovi Acinetobacter, Delftia i Stenotrophomonas. Rodovi Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Exiguobacterium, Leclercia, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Pantoea, Photobacterium, Providencia, Psychrobacter, Rhizobium i Vibrio utvrđeni su samo u lubina, Enterococcus, Morganella i Proteus samo u šarana, a Carnobacterium, Hafnia i Serratia samo u potočne pastrve. Rezultati upućuju na potrebu daljenjeg praćenja stanja mikrobiološke flore uz primjenu dobre higijenske prakse i drugih mjera za smanjenje potencijalnog štetnog utjecaja na zdravlje ljudi i samih riba.

Cilj rada bio je istražiti pojavnost T-2 i HT-2 toksina u različitim žitaricama uzgojenim u istočnoj i sjeverozapadnoj regiji Republike Hrvatske, uz praćenje utjecaja klimatskih čimbenika na njihovu pojavnost. Tijekom razdoblja 2017.-2019. godine uzorkovano je ukupno 300 uzoraka pet različitih žitarica te su određene pojedinačne koncentracije T-2 i HT-2 toksina, njihova suma i omjer. Rezultati u promatranom razdoblju pokazuju različitu pojavnost T-2 i HT-2 toksina u analiziranim žitaricama, s tim da su najčešće bili prisutni u zobi (63 %), potom u kukuruzu (44 %), ječmu (28 %), pšenici (22 %) i raži (8 %). Prosječna koncentracija bila je najveća u uzorcima zobi, zatim u kukuruzu, ječmu te pšenici. Suma koncentracija T-2 i HT-2 toksina iznad propisanih indikativnih vrijednosti dobivena je u dva uzorka kukuruza, s vrijednostima 252, 8 μg kg-1 u 2017. godini i 282, 4 μg kg-1 u 2019. godini. Prosječna vrijednost omjera koncentracija glavnog spoja (T-2) i njegovog toksičnog metabolita (HT-2) u razdoblju 2017.-2019. po godinama iznosi 1:4, 1:3 te 1:2. Tijekom predmetnog trogodišnjeg razdoblja najveća razina pojavnosti T-2 i HT-2 toksina određena je tijekom 2019. godine. Takvi rezultati bi mogli biti posljedica vremenskih prilika koje su u 2019. godini obilježene prosječno većom količinom padalina u regijama uzorkovanja, tijekom razdoblja uzgoja i žetve žitarica (travanj–listopad 2019.).

Živa je kemijski element koji ovisno o kemijskom obliku, količini unosa, duljini i načinu izloženosti može imati za posljedicu štetni utjecaj na zdravlje konzumenata svih dobnih skupina. Iako je njezin unos moguć iz više izvora, značajnim se smatra onaj putem konzumacije ribe. Nasuprot tome, riba je korisna namirnica, bogat izvor proteina animalnog podrijetla, koja pozitivno utječe na zdravstveno stanje. Poželjno je stoga utvrditi dobru ravnotežu za unos ribe, kako bi korist od njezinog unosa bila veća od štetnog djelovanja žive. Konzumacija ribe razlikuje se od države do države, a nerijetko se uočavaju razlike i unutar regija iste zemlje. Na temelju višegodišnjih rezultata monitoringa žive u ribi i prehrambenih navika stanovništva Republike Hrvatske, napravljena je procjena izloženosti ovom kontaminantu. Prilikom izrade procjene izloženosti, uočene su razlike u kvantiteti podataka monitoringa žive i prehrambenih navika, te su napravljene dvije procjene: procjena izloženosti pojedinoj vrsti ribe i procjena izloženosti ribama svrstanim u grupe (bijela, plava, riječna riba i proizvodi, školjke, glavonošci i rakovi). U obje procjene korišten je deterministički pristup, metodologija niže, srednje i više granice kontaminacije, te scenarij s prosječnim i visokim vrijednostima kontaminacija (za dvije grupe riba koje najviše doprinose izloženosti). Dobiveni rezultati za obje procjene ukazuju kako prosječna izloženost živi iz ribe stanovništva u Hrvatskoj, iznosi 0, 296 i 0, 363 µg/kg/t.m., dok izloženost na 95. percentilu iznosi 1, 288 i 1, 585 µg/kg/t.m., te je niža od vrijednosti podnošljivog tjednog unosa (eng. Tolerable weekly intake -TWI) koji za ukupnu živu iznosi 1, 6 µg/kg/t.m..

The genus Vibrio consists of more than 100 species, a number of which could be pathogenic for humans. Besides in molluscs, Vibrio spp. can also be found in fish which can represent a risk to human health. In this work we present the diversity of Vibrio spp. in farmed and wild fish from the Adriatic Sea in the Malostonski Bay. Total of 51 European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) from the fish farm and 37 wild fish caught around cages were sampled for microbiological assessment of Vibrio spp. Gills and skin swabs (below dorsal fin) were taken using sterile swab sticks, swabbing an area of 1 cm2. After swab sampling, wild fish were returned alive to the sea. Samples were inoculated on the Marine agar and TCBS agar. Plates were incubated on 22 °C and 35 °C and the number was estimated as CFU for 1 cm2 of gills and skin. Nine different Vibrio species were found in farmed European seabass samples. The most frequent were V. alginolyticus, V. anguillarum and V. parathaemolyticus. Other six species were present in less than five samples (V. chagasii, V. fortis, V. harveyi, V. mytili, V. scophthalmi and V. tasmaniensis). In wild seabass, six different Vibrio species were found but only V. harveyi was found in more than one sample and it was present in the highest number in other wild fish species, folowed by V. ichthyoenteri. Other present Vibrio spp. in wild fish were V. alginolyticus, V. chagasii, V. furnissii, V. gigantis, V. neptunius, V. orientalis, V. parahaemolyticus, V. pomeroyi, V. rotiferianus and V. tasmaniensis. Highest Vibrio spp. diversity was present in farmed fish, but we also found high diversity in different wild fish species, although fewer in number. Beside proven pathogen V. parathaemolyticus, we found other Vibrio species that may cause harm to human health. These findings indicate necessity to follow good hygiene practice in cases fish are intended for human consumption and to monitor Vibrio spp. regularly.

Akrilamid nastaje kao prirodni nusproizvod prilikom pečenja ili prženja hrane, spajanjem bjelančevina i šećera pod utjecajem visoke temperature u novu molekulu, pri čemu nastaju pigmenti i aromatične tvari (tamna boja i specifičan okus pečenih proizvoda, hrskavost). U hranu koja najviše doprinosi unosu akrilamida ubrajaju se proizvodi od krumpira, kava te pekarski i ostali proizvodi od žitarica. Zbog male molekularne mase, akrilamid se brzo i lako apsorbira u crijevima te se putem krvožilnog sustava distribuira po organizmu. Zbog svega navedenog, količina akrilamida u hrani treba biti što je niže moguća. Za procjenu izloženosti koristili su se podaci monitoringa hrane za tri godine (2014. – 2016.) te podaci o potrošnji hrane u Hrvatskoj dobiveni iz istraživanja koje je provela Hrvatska agencija za hranu tijekom 2011. i 2012. godine. Kako je akrilamid kontaminant koji ima kancerogen i genotoksičan učinak, koristio se MOE pristup (eng. margin of exposure) pri kojem se uzela u obzir vrijednost kronične izloženosti odrasle populacije RH. Uzimajući u obzir dobivene rezultate može se zaključiti kako se zabrinutost zbog unosa akrilamida ne može isključiti, te da ukupnoj izloženosti unosu akrilamida najviše doprinosi pomfrit (23, 94 %), turska kava (13, 95 %), kruh i peciva (12, 83 %), čips (12, 28 %), keksi (10, 74 %), grickalice (8, 98 %) te žitarice (5, 18 %).

Malostonski zaljev je poluzatvoreni dio istočnog dijela Jadranskog mora, koji je zbog važnosti za uzgoj kamenica proglašen posebnim rezervatom u moru. Međutim, uzgojne aktivnosti mogu dovesti do promjena u brojnosti mikrobnih vrsta te potencijalno do pojave bolesti kod uzgajanih morskih organizama i/ili njihove zdravstvene neispravnosti pri konzumaciji. U razdoblju od 2016.-2018. provedeno je sezonsko istraživanje mikrobioloških pokazatelja morske vode i sedimenta na dvije lokacije Malostonskog zaljeva: u središnjem nenaseljenom dijelu zaljeva u Malostonskom kanalu, kod otoka Pučenjak (OP) te na kaveznom uzgajalištu riba kod otočića Maslinovac (OM). Rezultati istraživanja su ukazali na sezonske promjene fizikalno-kemijskih i mikrobioloških pokazatelja u vodenom stupcu i sedimentu. U stupcu morske vode kod OP, vrijednosti mikrobioloških pokazatelja, posebno indikatora fekalne kontaminacije, bile su značajno veće nego kod OM. Istovremeno, uzgoj ribe utjecao je na razinu mikrobiološke aktivnosti u morskom sedimentu ispod uzgojnih kaveza. Veće vrijednosti mikrobioloških pokazatelja kod OP mogle bi biti posljedica povećane mikrobne abundancije do koje dolazi tijekom ili neposredno nakon turističke sezone, a najvjerojatnije su posljedica nepostojanja kanalizacijskog sustava na području ovog posebnog rezervata u moru i/ili donosa onečišćenja dotokom rijeke Neretve.

Eterična ulja i njihove komponente uvelike se koriste u tovu pilića. Zbog njihovih antimikrobnih i antioksidativnih svojstava, te djelovanja na poboljšanu probavljivost hrane može se očekivati njihov pozitivan utjecaj na zdravstveni status životinja, a time i bolje krajnje rezultate tova. Pokus je proveden na 96 pilića hibrida Ross u kojemu je pokusnoj skupini dodan u hranu pripravak AromaCorm® (Ireks Aroma, Hrvatska) u koncentraciji od 0, 4 %. U ovom istraživanju utvrđeno je da su pilići pokusne skupine imali značajno (P˂0, 05) veću tjelesnu masu 25. dana pokusa, dok kasnije te razlike nisu bile značajne. Konverzija hrane bila je podjednaka, što je rezultiralo većom masom trupa i podjednakim randmanom. Veća masa krila, batka sa zabatkom i leđa utvrđena je u skupini hranjenoj s dodatkom eteričnih ulja limuna i komorača, ali bez značajnih razlika. Sve praćene senzorske karakteristike mesa prsa i batka sa zabatkom bile su bolje u mesu pokusne skupine, a značajno (P˂0, 05) bolje bile su boja, tekstura, sočnost, mekoća i prihvatljivost mirisa u mesu prsa, a u mesu batka sa zabatkom tekstura, sočnost i mekoća.

Znanstveno izvješće pilot projekta donosi iznimno značajne rezultate koji proširuju spoznaje o pojavnosti epidemijskog proljeva svinja u najistočnijim županijama Republike Hrvatske. Rezultati serološkog pretraživanja ukazuju na proširenost epidemijskog proljeva svinja ne samo u Osječko-baranjskoj, nego i u Vukovarsko-srijemskoj županiji. Prvi dokazani izolat virusa epidemijskog proljeva svinja u Republici Hrvatskoj pripada skupini S-INDEL virusa epidemijskog proljeva svinja. Ovaj pilot projekt otvara područje istraživanja problematike i značaja različitih vrsti virusa pripadnika porodice Coronaviridae važnih u svinjogojstvu na područj u cijele Republike Hrvatske. Takva će istraživanja biti od velike važnosti jer virusi porodice Coronaviridae, a naročito virus epidemijskog proljeva svinja, mogu imati izuzetno veliki utjecaj na hrvatsko gospodarstvo i lanac prehrane zbog relativno visokog mortaliteta kojeg mogu uzrokovati u određenoj fazi svinjogojske proizvodnje.

Brown trout (Salmo trutta) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are the most consumed freshwater fish species among Croatian consumers. Contamination of fish with pathogenic bacteria from the aquatic environment may pose a risk for human health. This study documents the bacteria contamination associated with farm-raised and wild-caught brown trout and common carp in order to assess bacteriological safety for human consumption. During 2016-2018, in total 159 samples (72 farmed) of the brown trout on Krka river and attached to commercial farm (CF) and 67 samples (62 farmed) of the common carp on Ilova river and attached to CF were collected seasonally (spring, summer, autumn and winter). Swabs from gills and skin were incubated on Marine agar (22°C), CHROMagar™ Acinetobacter (37°C), Slanetz-Bartley (35°C), Pseudomonas agar F (22°C) and Thiosulphate Citrate Bile Salt Sucrose (22°C) for isolation, followed by MALDI-TOF MS identification. Predominant bacterial genera in both fish species, farm-raised and wild-caught, were comprised mostly of Pseudomonas, followed by Acinetobacter and Aeromonas. The less numerous bacteria were from the genera Achromobacter, Carnobacterium, Hafnia, Serratia, Shewanella, Bacillus, Delftia, Erwinia, Enterococcus, Morganella, Proteus and Stenotrophomonas Microorganisms play a pivotal role in the area of food safety. Results obtained from this study enables better assessment of various microbiological safety and quality parameters of the most consumed fresh water fish in Croatia, and may help to optimise product safety and quality as well as resource utilisation.

Background Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED) is an emergent/reemergent viral disease (family Coronaviridae, genus Alphacoronavirus) of pigs with worldwide importance. Clinical appearance is characterized by acute diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration in all age categories with possible high mortality in suckling piglets. The disease got a lot of media attention in 2013 when it emerged in the USA causing heavy production losses (highly pathogenic non-S-INDEL genotype). Since 2014 PED has reemerged in Europe spreading around western European countries, but causing milder consequences. The causative agent responsible for European outbreaks (apart from Ukraine) is S-INDEL PEDV genotype which represents a variant of non-S-INDEL genotype having insertions and deletions in spike (S) genomic region. Croatia had been considered free of PED until 2016 when the first outbreak was reported in Osijek-Baranja County. In the present study we report molecular characterization of the first Croatian PEDV strain and following serological investigation of sows in eastern Croatia. Methods In April 2016 we received small intestines from two 8-10 days old diarrhoeic piglets. The holding of origin was located in Osijek-Baranja County and reported 20-30% mortality in suckling piglets. Initial diagnostics included detection of PEDV by two real-time RT-PCR protocols (N and S genome fragments) together with TGEV and RVA real-time RT-PCRs. NGS sequencing was performed on Illumina MiSeq platform and Sanger sequencing on conventionally amplified complete PEDV S gene (Geneious and MEGA7 software for data analysis). Serological investigation was carried out in 2017 on 266 sow sera collected from 39 holdings in Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem Counties by commercial ELISA test (ID Screen® PEDV Indirect ELISA test ; IDVet, France). Results The presence of PEDV genome was confirmed by both real-time RT-PCR protocols (TGEV and RVA were excluded). NGS sequencing was rather unsuccessful as majority of virus related reads corresponded to bacteriophages and only four reads were PEDV related. However conventional RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing resulted in a complete S gene sequence sharing high identity with S-INDEL genotype strains from Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy and Romania. Serosurveillance resulted in three positive holdings (7.7%), located in both counties with 15.4% of positive sows. Seroprevalence within a positive holding went up to 82.8%. Conclusions PEDV has emerged in Croatian pig population causing moderate losses. Expectedly the circulating strain was a member of S-INDEL genotype. Serological surveillance revealed additional three holdings of the same enterprise that didn’t previously reported PED, demonstrating the importance of strict biosecurity measures.

Riba je namirnica izuzetno je bogata bjelančevinama, nezasićenim masnim kiselinama i mineralima te je sastavni dio mediteranskog tipa prehrane. Hrvatska agencija za hranu provela je istraživanje o prehrambenim navikama tijekom 2011. i 2012. godine, kako bi prikupila podatke o količini i vrsti konzumirane ribe, te procijenila potencijalni rizik. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo 2002 ispitanika u dobi od 18 do 64 godine. U podacima dobivenim istraživanjem, osim podataka o potrošnji hrane (g/dan) nalaze se i demografski podaci kao što su: dob, spol, tjelesna masa i regija iz koje ispitanik dolazi (Dalmacija (D), Istra, Primorje i Gorski Kotar (IPGK), Lika i Banovina (LB), Sjeverna Hrvatska (SH), Slavonija (S), te Zagreb i okolica (ZO)). Od ukupnog broja ispitanika, otprilike trećina ispitanika je prijavila konzumaciju ribe ili proizvoda na bazi ribe, od toga 73 % konzumiralo je morsku ribu, slatkovodnu 13 %, a konzerviranu ribu i proizvode 14 % ispitanika. Najviše se morske ribe konzumira u D (28, 32 %), pa kako slijedi u ZO (27, 06 %), IPGK (18, 28 %), SH (12, 72 %), S (6, 99 %) i LB (6, 63 %). Slatkovodna riba se najviše konzumira u S (29, 70 %), u ZO (28, 71 %), u D (21, 78 %), SH (9, 90 %), LB ( 6, 93 %) i najmanje u IPGK (2, 97 %). Konzervirana riba i proizvodi najviše se konzumiraju u ZO (36, 36 %), dosta ujednačeno u IPGK, LB, SH, D (17, 27 ; 17, 27 ; 15, 45 ; 14, 55 %) i najmanje u S (8, 18 %). Prosječna dnevna potrošnja ribe i proizvoda na bazi ribe po konzumentu iznosi nešto manje od 30 g. Ukoliko se uzme u obzir preporučeni unos ribe (1 serviranje tjedno), gotovo 47 % konzumenata uspije unijeti preporučeni minimum, dok preostalih 53 % unosi manje. Ovi rezultati ukazuju na činjenicu da se u RH češće konzumira morska riba, u odnosu na slatkovodnu ribu. Gledano po regijama, u Zagrebu i okolici, te Dalmaciji se ima 4 puta više konzumenata morske ribe nego u Slavoniji i Lici i Banovini. Slatkovodna riba se nasuprot tome, najviše konzumira u Slavoniji, ali gotovo podjednako i u Zagrebu i okolici.

S obzirom na trenutnu epizootiološku situaciju vezanu za pojavu afričke svinjske kuge (ASK) u državama članicama Europske unije te činjenicu da je posljednje izbijanje ASK potvrđeno u susjednoj Republici Mađarskoj, Stručno tijelo za afričku svinjsku kugu Ministarstva poljoprivrede odlučilo je kako će se obaviti brza procjena rizika od unosa virusa ASK korištenjem semikvantitativnog modela brze procjene rizika „Pandora“. Uzimajući u obzir trenutno raspoložive epizootiološke informacije te dostupne znanstvene činjenice, pomoću kojih je provedena semikvantitativna procjena rizika od unosa virusa ASK u Republiku Hrvatsku, utvrđen je visoki ukupni rizik od unosa virusa ASK u predstojećem vremenskom razdoblju. Utvrđena razina rizika ukazuje na opravdanost postojećih i donošenja novih preventivnih i nadzornih mjera, usmjerenih na sprječavanje unosa i širenje virusa ASK te sprečavanje nastanka endemičnosti ASK u populacijama domaćih i divljih svinja.

Patulin is mycotoxin produced by particular moulds species, like Penicillium (particular P. expansum), Aspergillus i Byssochlamys which can grow on fruits, cereals, cheese and some other food. Main source in human consumption is apple juice. Other juices mixed with apple juice can also contribute to exposure. Apple juice consumption is the most frequent among other juices in Croatia, and juice production expanded with small family economy production. In this production, home growth apples are used and due to lack of experience in it, higher juices patulin contamination was observed. Result from three-year monitoring included 122 apple juice samples were analysed. Food consumption data on apple juice are coming from National Food Consumption Survey (2011-2012). Regarding different types of apple juices on Croatian market, in our scenario was assumed consumption of juice with 100%, 50% and 17% of apple content, and in case when it was not known what type of juice was consumed, 56% of apple content was used as an assumption that all three juices type can be equally randomly picked. According to result under limit of quantification (LOQ), lower bound (LB) – concentration equal to 0, middle bound (MB) – concentration equal to half LOQ, and upper bound (UB) – concentration equal LOQ, scenarios were used. The results were statistically analysed in the programming language "R" using the appropriate diagrams, while the conclusions were made regarding the results of the t-test and the MWU test. Exposure assessment was calculated for whole adult population, separately for male and female, age groups and geographic region. In worst case scenario average exposure to patulin from apple juice was 0, 07 µg/kg b.m., what is five time less than actual PMTDI. In comparison with man, women are more exposed to patulin, also population living in Dalmatia region compared to other regions and persons between 18 and 30 years compared with other age groups, but exposure was not above PMTDI value. It can be concluded that health risk from patulin from apple juice is negligible for adult population in Croatia.

Mikotoksini su sekundarni metaboliti plijesni koji mogu izazvati niz štetnih učinaka na ljude i životinje. Najvažnijim mikotoksinima u hrani za životinje smatraju se aflatoksini, za koje su najveće dozvoljene količine propisane u Uredbi 2002/32/EZ Europskog parlamenta i Vijeća od 7. svibnja 2002. o nepoželjnim tvarima u hrani za životinje. Za fumonizine, okratoksin A, deoksinivalenol i zearalenon orijentacijske vrijednosti su navedene u Preporuci EK od 17. kolovoza 2006. o prisutnosti, deoksinivalenola, zearalenona, okratoksina A, T-2 i HT-2 i fumonizina u proizvodima namijenjenim za hranjenje životinja (2006/576/EZ), a za T-2 i HT-2 nisu navedene. Razvoj plijesni koje sintetiziraju mikotoksine i intenzitet pojavnosti pojedinih mikotoksina uvjetovana je ponajviše mikroklimatskim čimbenicima u okolišu, a odgovarajuće agro-tehničke mjere mogu utjecati na njihovu manju pojavnost. Višegodišnji monitoring mikotoksina u hrani za životinje u Hrvatskoj pokazao je učestalu kontaminaciju žitarica različitim mikotoksinima i u različitim koncentracijama što daje posebnu važnost daljnjoj sustavnoj kontroli mikotoksina u hrani za životinje. Na taj se način može utvrditi prosječna višegodišnja kontaminiranost hrane za životinje kao i godišnja odstupanja, a osobito utjecaj klimatskih čimbenika na pojavnost određene plijesni odnosno mikotoksina, kako bi se izbjegli negativni učinci na zdravlje i ekonomski gubici u poljoprivredi. U ovom radu prikazani su rezultati trogodišnji monitoringa mikotoksina u hrani za životinje koji su zakonski regulirani ili za koje postoji preporuka Europske Komisije. Statističkom obradom rezultata utvrđeno je prisutnost pojedinog mikotoksina prema kategorijama hrane za životinje propisane Uredbom ili Preporukom EK te je dan prikaz godišnjeg odstupanja pojedinog mikotoksina od trogodišnje prosječne vrijednosti. U radu su također prikazane vremenske prilike (temperatura i padaline) tijekom razdoblja rasta i razvoja žitarica kako bi se povezao utjecaj vremenskih prilika s pojavnošću pojedinih mikotoksina. Za očekivati je da, u godinama kada odgovarajuće vremenske prilike pogoduju razvoju pojedinih plijesni, količina mikotoksina u hrani za životinje pokazuje odstupanje od prosječne vrijednosti.

Salmonella infections area serious medical and veterinary problem worldwide and cause great concerning the food industry. In humans can produce symptoms ranging in severity from intestinal disturbances to death. Due to complex preventive measures in poultry production, mostly targeted to S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium the number of salmonellosis in Europe gradually decreases, but still, represent a matter of concerns among food-borne diseases. The most frequently reported serovars in Europe in 2015 for Gallus gallus were S. Infantis, S. Enteritidis and S. Mbandaka, and the two most common serovars isolated from broiler meat were S. Infantis and S. Enteritidis.

Salmonella Infantis are pathogenic bacteria which can cause gastroenteritis in humans, and human isolates in EU countries are on the 4th place among Salmonella serovars. Reservoirs for human salmonellosis serovars of S. Infantis are mainly in animals, especially poultry. S. Infantis is the most frequent serovar in layers’ flocks (Galus galus), broiler flocks and broiler meat, according to the yearly joint report of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). S. Infantis presence in poultry, together with S. Enteritidis, S. Kentucky and S. Heilderberg, is much higher than in the feed. In comparison with other serovars, S. Infanis is much more present in gastrointestinal tract in broilers, while its presence in the reproductive organs and transmission to the eggs is still unknown. In 2015, for the first time, surprisingly high prevalence (about 10%) of S. Infantis in poultry meat, especially broiler meat, was observed. In 2016 prevalence in poultry meat continued to grow. On the other hand, from 2016, a more precise recording of human salmonellosis disease followed into serovars is possible. In human salmonellosis cases the prevalence of S. Infantis was on the 4th place in Croatia, but still in a much smaller number than S. Enteritidis, which is still in the first place. However, it is inevitable to determine that almost 42% of human salmonellosis is not serotyped or no serotype is reported, and it can be assumed that the number of salmonella-induced S. infanits is greater than officially recorded. Due to the lack of long-term data on the prevalence of S. Infanits in food and humans, some risk assessment models used in Europe (eg Salmonella Attribution Model using EFSA) are not applicable for risk assessment in Croatia. Therefore, the risk assessment of S. Infantis from poultry meat was made in a model that was adjusted to the data in Croatia. This approach has a high degree of uncertainty of the final result, but the obtained indicative values should not be ignored.

Ergot alkaloids are mycotoxins produced by pathogens that contaminate grains, mainly Claviceps purpurea. Rye and triticale are especially susceptible to fungal contamination, but wheat, oats and barley are also potential fungal hosts. Ingestion of contaminated cereals may cause adverse health effects in humans and animals, and it is therefore important to monitor their presence in food and feed, as prescribed by the Commission Recommendation (2012/154/EU). A three-year monitoring of ergot alkaloids and ergot sclerotia on different types of cereals and cereal products from Croatia has included 80 samples in total. Samples were analysed for six main ergot alkaloids and their corresponding –inine epimers. Besides, 28 samples were analysed visually on ergot sclerotia (only rye samples). Ergot sclerotia was found in 36% of the samples with an average content of 0.0242 g/kg, and with a highest value of 0.25 g/kg, which means that all the samples were below the recommended levels of 0.5 g/kg, according to the Regulation 2015/1940. At least one of ergot alkaloids was quantified in 62% of the samples and the mean concentration was 136 mg/kg, with the highest recorded concentration of 1816 mg/kg in a rye sample. Correlation analyses between the incidence of ergot sclerotia in a sample and the concentration of ergot alkaloids, were not sufficient to establish a cause – effect relationship between presence of ergot sclerotia and ergot alkaloid contamination.