Search

The European Commission has established legislation for toxic metals in certain foodstuffs in order to protect public health already in 1993. After several amendments, new maximum levels for cadmium and lead in certain foods were set as per 30 and 31 August 2021 for lead and cadmium, respectively. The new Serbian Regulation on "maximum levels of certain contaminants in food" is fully harmonised with this European legislation. The concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) were determined in 832 samples of 39 species of fruits and processed fruits, collected during the period January 2015 to December 2017. Fruits and fruit products originated from 45 countries, including Serbia. Samples were analysed by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Concentrations of cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in fruits and fruit products were compared to these maximum levels (MLs). Overall, measurable Cd, Pb, Hg, and As were found in 377 samples (45.3%). According to the former regulations, the maximum levels of Cd and Pb for analysed fruits and fruit products were exceeded in only 10 samples (1.20%; n = 832): Cd in 6 and Pb in 4 samples, but according to the latest regulations, the maximum levels of Cd and Pb for fruits were exceeded in 196 of the samples (23.9%; n = 820): Cd in 191 and Pb in 5 samples. The increase of ML exceedances shows that attention needs to be paid for compliance of food to the recent MLs for these metals.

Meat is one of the most nutritious foods that humans can consume, and is defined as the flesh (skeletal muscles) of animals used as food. In addition to protein and fat, meat is a significant source of several micronutrients (minerals and vitamins). Edible offal is also a form of meat which is used as food, but which is not skeletal muscles, and in general possesses higher contents of some micronutrients, especially minerals and vitamins, than muscular tissue. Minerals are the inorganic elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, which remain behind in the ash when food is incinerated. They are usually divided into two groups – macrominerals (main elements) and microminerals (trace elements) or into three groups – main elements (macrominerals), trace elements (microminerals) and ultra-trace elements. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the existing literature on the content of nine most abundant minerals (potassium, phosphorous, sodium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, copper and manganese) in the major raw pork meat cuts (tenderloin, ham, loin and shoulder) and edible offal (tongue, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidney, brain and spinal cord) from indigenous pigs. The mineral levels in raw pork meat and pig edible offal are variable, ranging from 175.7 to 463.8 mg/100g for potassium; 159 to 502.0 mg/100g for phosphorous; 38.11 to 158.4 mg/100g for sodium; 8.3 to 28.5 mg/100g for magnesium; 4.61 to 26.02 mg/100g for calcium; 0.67 to 6.47 mg/100g for zinc; 0.55 to 45.59 mg/100g for iron; 0.10 to 0.825 mg/100g for copper; and from 0.0038 to 0.338 mg/100g for manganese. Keywords: minerals, pork, edible offal, indigenous pigs

Early post-mortem, objective and non-destructive prediction of tissue distribution in the major pork cuts is a challenge for the meat industry. Mathematical models to predict pig carcass composition using total lean meat percentage and carcass weight were evaluated in this study. The data were obtained from 455 cold pig carcasses which were dissected according to the EU reference method; total lean meat percentage and carcass weight ranged from 42.45 to 69.21% and from 23.26 to 55.22 kg, respectively. Developed empirical models gave a reasonable fit to the experimental data and successfully predicted the carcass composition and tissue distribution in primal cuts. The second order polynomial models showed high coefficients of determination for prediction of experimental results (between 0.612 and 0.929), while the artificial neural network (ANN) model, based on the Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno iterative algorithm, showed better prediction capabilities (overall r(2) was 0.889). The newly developed software, based on ANN model is easy, fast, cheap and with sufficient precision for application in the meat industry.

Concentrations of mercury (Hg) were analysed in livers (n = 26) and kidneys (n = 26) of female cattle (412–2502 days old) from farms for milk production in the area of Vojvodina. Concentration of Hg was analysed by ICP-OES, after digestion by microwave. The Hg concentrations in the livers and kidneys ranged from below detection limits (LOD < 0.006 mg/kg) to 0.206 mg/kg wet weight and from below detection limits (LOD < 0.006 mg/kg) to 0.018 mg/kg wet weight, respectively.

Concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were determined in livers (n = 52) and kidneys (n = 52) of female cattle (345–2717 days old) from dairy farms in the region Vojvodina. Cd and Pb were analysed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, after microwave digestion. Cd and Pb concentrations did not exceed the Serbian and European maximum set limits in any sample. The Cd concentrations in the livers and kidneys ranged from 0.033 to 0.151 mg kg−1 wet weight and from 0.055 to 0.510 mg kg−1 wet weight, respectively. The corresponding Pb concentrations were 0.015-0.159 mg kg−1 wet weight and 0.021-0.196 mg kg−1 wet weight, respectively. Mean Cd and Pb concentrations were significantly lower (p

Physical (pH and L*a*b* values) and chemical (moisture, protein, total fat, total ash, K, P, Na, Mg, Ca, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn) characteristics of offal consisting of the tongue, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidney, brain, and spinal cord of free-range reared Swallow-Belly Mangalica pigs were determined. Many significant differences were found among mean values of quality traits. However, except for a few cases, the determined offal quality traits were in the characteristic ranges reported in the literature. Lungs were high in pH24h (P

Goats, the earliest ruminant to be domesticated, are traditional sources of meat, milk, fibre, leather, related products of animal origin and as draught and pack animals. Meat is the major product of the goat. Meat quality is the sum of all sensory, nutritive, technological and hygienic-toxicological factors of meat. The aims of this study were to investigate the chromium content of four different muscles (M. psoas major, M. longissimus dorsi, M. semimembranosus and M. triceps brachii) of Saanen goat male kids and to determine whether the chromium contents differed between the muscles. Chromium content was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), after dry ashing mineralisation. The studied muscles did not significantly differ (P >0.05) with respect to chromium content. The chromium content ranged from 0.012 to 0.067 mg/100 g, with an average of 0.026 mg/100 g.

Concentration of cadmium was investigated in the heart, tongue, lungs, spleen, liver, kidney, testis, brain and thymus of 15 Saanen goat male kids. This element was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), after microwave digestion. The cadmium concentration was significantly influenced by the type of edible offal. Mean cadmium concentrations ranged from 0.018 mg/kg (heart) to 0.114 mg/kg (kidney). The maximum cadmium concentrations found in the kidney (0.133 mg/kg) and liver (0.075 mg/kg) were below maximum levels (1.0 and 0.5 mg/kg, respectively) set by legislation for these tissues.

The effects of pig breed (Large White and Landrace) in combination with muscle type ( M. semimembranosus and M. longissimus dorsi ) on T 45min , T 24h , pH 45min , pH 24h , colour (CIE L*a*b* values), water-holding capacity (filter paper press method: ratio of the area of pressed meat film – M and the wet area on the filter paper – T; M/T value) and moisture, protein, total fat and total ash content were investigated. Interaction effect between breed and muscle was not found ( p >0.05) for any parameter. The T 45min , T 24h , pH 45min , and M/T value were influenced by the muscle, whereas T 24h was also influenced by the breed. The pH 45min was higher ( p

Concentration of phosphorous (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) was determined in the kidney tissue of sixty-nine pigs belonging to ten different genetic lines of pigs, produced in Vojvodina (northern Serbia). Phosphorous was determined by the standard spectrophotometric method. Metals were determined by the flame atomic absorption spectrometry after mineralization by dry ashing. The order of the minerals in the kidney tissue and their content ranges in mg/100 g was P (246–347, on average 287) > K (142–236, on average 189) > Na (102–187, on average 130) > Mg (17.8–36.6, on average 23.3) > Ca (15.9–27.7, on average 20.2) > Fe (5.32–10.42, on average 7.42) > Zn (2.15–4.10, on average 2.99) > Cu (0.62–2.15, on average 1.29) > Mn (0.16–0.30, on average 0.22). Genetic lines of pigs had no influence on mineral concentrations of kidney (P>0.05). The Vojvodian pig kidney showed slightly lower K, slightly higher P and Mn, and higher Ca contents, compared to the values reported in the literature.

Concentrations of cadmium (Cd) were determined in the samples of 144 animals around 1 and of 144 animals around 4years old. Cd was analysed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), after microwave digestion. Cd concentrations were higher (p lt 0.05) in kidney than in liver and higher (p lt 0.05) in older animals than in young ones. In domestic Balkan goat which was raised in a free-ranged system Cd accumulation was lower (p lt 0.05) than in Alpine goat raised in an intensive production system. Geographic region did influence Cd accumulation only in older animals. Higher Cd levels (p lt 0.05) were determined in goats from Serbia. The highest obtained Cd concentrations in both tissues were lower than maximum levels set by European and national legislation for ruminants (cattle and sheep). This is the peer-reviewed version of the following article: Tomović, V.; Jokanović, M.; Tomović, M.; Lazović, M.; Šojić, B.; Škaljac, S.; Ivić, M.; Kocić-Tanackov, S.; Tomašević, I.; Martinović, A. Cadmium in Liver and Kidneys of Domestic Balkan and Alpine Dairy Goat Breeds from Montenegro and Serbia. Food Additives & Contaminants Part B-Surveillance 2017, 10 (2), 137–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/19393210.2017.1282987.

Effects of rapid chilling of carcasses (at − 31 °C in the first 3 h of chilling, and then at 2–4 °C) and earlier deboning (8 h post-mortem ), compared to rapid (till 24 h post-mortem ) and conventional chilling (at 2–4 °C, till 24 h post-mortem ), on quality characteristics of pork M. semimebranosus and cooked ham were investigated. Quality measurements included pH value, colour (CIE L*a*b* values) and total aerobic count of M. semimebranosus , as well as sensory (colour, juiciness, texture, and flavour), physical (pH value, colour – CIE L*a*b* values and texture – Warner–Bratzler shear and penetration forces) and chemical (protein, total fat, and moisture content) characteristics of cooked ham. The cooked ham was manufactured from pieces of M. semimebranosus with ultimate lightness (CIE L* value) lower than 50. Rapid chilling and earlier deboning significantly increased quantity of M. semimebranosus desirable for cooked ham manufacturing. Earlier start of pork fabrication did not affect important quality characteristics of cooked ham.

Concentration of cadmium was investigated in the kidney of 480 pigs from 10 different genetic lines, produced in Vojvodina (northern Serbia). This element was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after mineralisation by dry ashing. The genetic line of pigs had no influence on the cadmium levels of kidney ( P > 0.05). The cadmium levels ranged from 0.168 to 1.160 mg/kg, with an average of 0.368 mg/kg. Only 1.9% of kidney slightly exceeded the maximum level set by EU and Serbian legislation.

The content of phosphorous (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) was investigated in the M. semimembranosus and liver of 69 pigs from 10 different genetic lines, produced in Vojvodina (northern Serbia). Phosphorous was determined by the standard spectrophotometric method. Metals were determined by the flame atomic absorption spectrometry after mineralisation by dry ashing. The difference in the mineral content among the different genetic lines of pigs, reared under the same conditions, was not significant (P > 0.05) in the analysed muscle and liver tissues. The order of the minerals in the meat samples and their content ranges in mg/100 g was K (214–328, on average 280) > P (200–263, on average 225) > Na (39.0–82.7, on average

Cadmium concentrations were determined in 480 liver samples from 10 different pig genetic lines produced in Vojvodina (Serbia). Cadmium levels were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after mineralization by dry ashing. The difference in cadmium levels in analysed liver tissues was not significant (p > 0.05) between the various genetic lines. However, large variations in cadmium levels (from 0.03 to 0.27 mg/kg) in liver tissues indicated its availability in the local agricultural environment in Vojvodina. The average level of cadmium (0.13 mg/kg) was higher than the levels reported in pork liver from some developed countries.