Scientific Program

Conference Series Ltd invites all the participants across the globe to attend 6th International Conference on Food Safety & Regulatory Measures Milan, Italy.

Day :

  • Workshop
Speaker
Biography:

Nikos Mavroudis is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Food Science and leads the Laboratory of Food Engineering & Separation of Actives (FoESA) in the Dept. of Applied Sciences in Northumbria University at Newcastle. Previously, he was a Research Scientist and Project Leader for Unilever R&D for 9 years and has been responsible for developing the separation expertise within Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, the Netherlands. His research interests are focused on Food Security & Food Safety, particularly relevant is his interest on remediation using sutainable separation technologies, on bacterial flow cytometry and surface decontamination. He has published 10 research articles in peer review journals and 12 patents/patent filings and his work has attracted 351 citations excluding self-citations.

Abstract:

TBA

Marco Iammarino

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Italy

Title: Development of innovative analytical methods for meat products safety and quality assurance: The MPSQA Project

Time : 12:10-12:35

Speaker
Biography:

Marco Iammarino is a Food Technologist and Chemical Surveyor. He is a Researcher at Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata of Foggia (Italy). He deals with food quality and safety, analytical chemistry applied to food analysis, research & development and analytical methods validation. In particular, he has developed several analytical methods (HPLC, HPIC, CE and LSC) for the determinations of food additives (nitrites, nitrates, sulfites, polyphosphates, organic acids, etc.), radionuclides, mycotoxins and drugs in foods and feed materials. He has published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed and academic journals, congresses proceedings and books.

Abstract:

The possible detection of not negligible concentrations of nitrates, sulphites and ascorbic acid in fresh meat preparations was demonstrated by different authors, also in products with no added food additives. In these cases, the not compliant result, release by organisms in charge of food controls, seems to be not appropriate, since these levels are due to the natural presence, and/or to carry-over principle. In this presentation, the control activity developed by Chemistry department of Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Puglia and Basilicata (Foggia, Italy), aimed at giving a useful contribution to the evaluation and estimation of such admissible levels, is presented. Overall, 2630 samples (200 fresh meats and 2430 fresh meat preparations) were analyzed, by using validated liquid chromatography methods (HPIC-CD and HPLC-UV-DAD), and the respective compound of interest was identified and quantified.

Speaker
Biography:

Marco Iammarino is a Food Technologist and Chemical Surveyor. He is a Researcher at Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata of Foggia (Italy). He deals with food quality and safety, analytical chemistry applied to food analysis, research & development and analytical methods validation. In particular, he has developed several analytical methods (HPLC, HPIC, CE and LSC) for the determinations of food additives (nitrites, nitrates, sulfites, polyphosphates, organic acids, etc.), radionuclides, mycotoxins and drugs in foods and feed materials. He has published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed and academic journals, congresses proceedings and books.

Abstract:

The large consumption of meat products has been discouraged by WHO and FAO. Indeed, excessive consumption of meat products may cause some toxic effects on humans, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer risk, especially after cooking. Moreover, in the last years, the attention of scientific community has been focused on another aspect of meat quality: Mechanically Separated Meats (MSM). Despite of these aspects, meat consumption increased worldwide, also in developing countries. Consequently, appropriate strategies should be developed, in order to minimize the risks associated to meat consumption. Through MPSQA project, financed by Italian Ministry of Health, the involved research centers will make specific skills and expertise available to them to develop innovative analytical methods, more efficient than those currently available, for the determination of nitrosamines and food additives (food dyes) in meat products, and for the identification of mechanically separated meats.

  • Workshop

Session Introduction

Marco Iammarino

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Italy

Title: Development of innovative analytical methods for meat products safety and quality assurance: The MPSQA Project

Time : 12:10-12:35

Speaker
Biography:

Marco Iammarino is a Food Technologist and Chemical Surveyor. He is a Researcher at Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata of Foggia (Italy). He deals with food quality and safety, analytical chemistry applied to food analysis, research & development and analytical methods validation. In particular, he has developed several analytical methods (HPLC, HPIC, CE and LSC) for the determinations of food additives (nitrites, nitrates, sulfites, polyphosphates, organic acids, etc.), radionuclides, mycotoxins and drugs in foods and feed materials. He has published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed and academic journals, congresses proceedings and books.

Abstract:

The possible detection of not negligible concentrations of nitrates, sulphites and ascorbic acid in fresh meat preparations was demonstrated by different authors, also in products with no added food additives. In these cases, the not compliant result, release by organisms in charge of food controls, seems to be not appropriate, since these levels are due to the natural presence, and/or to carry-over principle. In this presentation, the control activity developed by Chemistry department of Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Puglia and Basilicata (Foggia, Italy), aimed at giving a useful contribution to the evaluation and estimation of such admissible levels, is presented. Overall, 2630 samples (200 fresh meats and 2430 fresh meat preparations) were analyzed, by using validated liquid chromatography methods (HPIC-CD and HPLC-UV-DAD), and the respective compound of interest was identified and quantified.

Speaker
Biography:

Marco Iammarino is a Food Technologist and Chemical Surveyor. He is a Researcher at Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata of Foggia (Italy). He deals with food quality and safety, analytical chemistry applied to food analysis, research & development and analytical methods validation. In particular, he has developed several analytical methods (HPLC, HPIC, CE and LSC) for the determinations of food additives (nitrites, nitrates, sulfites, polyphosphates, organic acids, etc.), radionuclides, mycotoxins and drugs in foods and feed materials. He has published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed and academic journals, congresses proceedings and books.

Abstract:

The large consumption of meat products has been discouraged by WHO and FAO. Indeed, excessive consumption of meat products may cause some toxic effects on humans, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer risk, especially after cooking. Moreover, in the last years, the attention of scientific community has been focused on another aspect of meat quality: Mechanically Separated Meats (MSM). Despite of these aspects, meat consumption increased worldwide, also in developing countries. Consequently, appropriate strategies should be developed, in order to minimize the risks associated to meat consumption. Through MPSQA project, financed by Italian Ministry of Health, the involved research centers will make specific skills and expertise available to them to develop innovative analytical methods, more efficient than those currently available, for the determination of nitrosamines and food additives (food dyes) in meat products, and for the identification of mechanically separated meats.

  • Special Session

Session Introduction

Adel Cortas

Former Minister of Agriculture, President of the Association of the Water Friends in Lebanon, Lebanon

Title: The food safety law in Lebanon: What is next?

Time : 14:00-14:35

Speaker
Biography:

Adel Cortas was Former Minister of Agriculture. He is the President of the Association of the Water Friends in Lebanon.

Abstract:

On 24 October 2016, the Food Safety Law in Lebanon was approved and published by the parliament as Law N0:35. Consumers protection advocates, in Lebanon were waiting for the government to implement the provisions of the new safety law which will improve public health. The majority of the Lebanese public and international community agreed and questioned how come that Lebanon waited so long until the end of the Twentieth century without having a Law covering Food Safety? It was until the beginning of the 21st century (in 2004) that a draft Law was introduced, discussed and finally approved by the parliament. The answer to this query came out that special private interests of some Lebanese agricultural producers and merchants were benefitting from the loose enforcement of the law and regulations to seek the highest profit possible. In fact, before the publication of the Food Safety Law, there were nine government agencies in the different ministries and independent ones. All of them were dealing with Food Safety in one or the other. But there was no coordination among them whatsoever. Responsibilities, activities and terms of reference of these agencies are described in details in the paper.

In articles 22-23 there is a detailed description of the Food Safety Lebanese Commission (FSLC) responsibilities. It is referred to as FSLC. In short it is the FDA of Lebanon. A detailed description of the FSLC will come out in the paper.

The major objective of the paper will aim at preparing a proposed program on what should be done by the Lebanese Government in order to reach a better level in Food Safety conditions. A detailed analysis is made of these articles and confront them with the work done by  assisting  the nine agencies dealing with Food Safety in Lebanon. The problem is that so far, we don’t have a program or a policy dealing with Food Safety in Lebanon. The Food Safety law will help a great deal to fill this gap.

The second objective is to look into more details into the problems of education and training of professionals dealing with Food Safety in Lebanon. We pride ourselves in Lebanon, for the number universities we have. However, the number of universities dealing with agriculture will not exceed six and the those dealing with nutrition and food safety are the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Lebanese American university (LAU). Some incentives should be given to the other four universities teaching Agriculture in Lebanon to do some research and give courses dealing with Food Safety.

The third objective of this new program refers to the urgency for the Councils of Ministers in Lebanon to establish the FSLC and appoint its chairman and members. When the FSLC is established it has to organize itself and prepare all the documents mentioned in article 27 of the food safety law. Then FSLC will prepare the program or food policy in Lebanon in cooperation with representatives from the nine agencies. A food Safety System will be established this way and should contain a sub-system of monitoring and evaluation of activities and responsibilities. This would help in the preparation of the annual report referred to in article 31 of the Food Safety Law. A continuous training program should be programmed annually between FSLC and representatives of the Nine agencies, in cooperation with the universities teaching Nutrition and Food Safety. LAU, within its Food Safety program is giving annually a course with a certificate in Food Safety. This certificate was highly appreciated by the Syndicate of the Lebanese Food Industries (SLFI) and the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce. They were willing to pay higher salaries for those having the certificate on Food Safety training.

The success of this new law depends on how it will be implemented. A campaign should immediately be launched, now that the law is enacted to draw attention to its importance and added value to Lebanese citizens.

  • Special Session

Session Introduction

Alessandra Bertoli

University of Pisa, Italy

Title: The green image of processed food by MAPs raw material quality

Time : 10:05-10:40

Speaker
Biography:

Alessandra Bertoli is a Researcher in Department of Pharmacy at University of Pisa. She completed her Master’s Degree at University of Parma; Post-doctoral studies in Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Calabria and; PhD in Medicinal Plants at University of Pisa. She is involved in national and international research projects and is an invited Lecturer. She is the Co-author of more than 100 publications.

Abstract:

In the last few years, the reduction or elimination of pathogens in food has increasingly oriented to substitution of synthetic food additives with different types of MAPs (Medicinal and Aromatic Plant) derivatives, which are added directly to foods or incorporated in the food packages. These new food formulations may answer simultaneously to the WHO recommendation to reduce the consumption of salt to decrease the incidence of cardio-vascular disease as well as to satisfy the worldwide demand of products with a reduced impact on the environment. Spices, essential oils, and plant extracts have been studied for their antibacterial and antioxidant properties since long time, but it is only recently that these data are used in the food production with safe and natural or green image. In fact, the addition of MAP derivatives in processed foods can extend their shelf life without the more toxic effects of chemical preservatives. Most of essential oils (EOs) in food industry have been recognized as generally safe by the American Food and Drug Administration and have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial action against different pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. In addition, due to their wide range of phytochemicals, MAps and derivatives are still debated on the possibility they can even result in beneficial health effects for the consumer. Most studies on the raw EOs generally show that they are slightly more active against gram positive than gram negative. This activity has to be related to EO quali-quantitative composition and the interactions among the different compounds. Further data have to be recorded to quantify microbial resistance or to explain the mechanism in the foodstuffs directly as bacterial sensitivity can also influenced by several factors due to both intrinsic food properties and extrinsic processing parameters. However, whatever MAPs derivatives have been used as additives, food production protocols should make their green image coherent with their effectiveness as food preservative by guarantying first of all MAP raw material quality.

  • Oral Session 1

Session Introduction

Valentina Pavlova

University of St. Kliment Ohridski, Republic of Macedonia

Title: Sensory properties and nutritional benefits of gluten-free cookies

Time : 14:35-15:00

Speaker
Biography:

Valentina Pavlova completed her Doctor of Science in Chemistry at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Republic of Macedonia in 2007, where she worked for a period of 2002-2009 as a Teacher and Research Assistant. She has completed Post-doctoral studies in Food Technology and Nutrition at Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece in 2015. She is working at Faculty of Technology and Technical Science, St. Kliment Ohridski Bitola, and is teaching several subjects: Chemistry, Biochemistry, Nutrition, and Sensory Analysis of food. She is the author/co-author of more than 100 articles; participated in more than 90 diploma works, 12 master and doctoral dissertation and 10 research projects, Reviewer of four international journals. Her scientific interest includes “Chemical and sensory analysis of food, human nutrition”.

Abstract:

Gluten is a composite of storage proteins termed as prolamins and glutelins found in wheat and related grains, including barley, oat, rye, and all their species and hybrids (such as khorasan, emmer, triticale, etc.). A gluten-free diet is a diet that strictly excludes gluten. This type of diet has been proven to be beneficial for people struggling with inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders. The reaction to gluten ingestion by sufferers of celiac disease is the inflammation of the small intestine leading to the malabsorption of several important nutrients including iron, folic acid, calcium and fat soluble vitamins. It is wrong when a gluten-free diet is recommended as a method for weight loss and as a method for improving health. The replacement of gluten is a huge technological challenge, because it is a basic protein to create high-quality wheat supplies. The aim of this research is optimization of gluten-free cookies production in terms of sensory characteristics and comparison with conventional cookies that contain gluten. For this purpose, four types of gluten-free cookies were developed according to various recipes. Sensory evaluation is a critical component to that process because it is responsible for generating new product ideas based on unique sensory properties or unique consumer segments identified only through sensory behavior. In order to choose the most acceptable product, sensory analysis were done by trained panelists. The final gluten-free product showed differences in terms of sensory characteristics exterior designs and texture (with bright yellow color and with greater friability). The taste and smell were tied at two products, so the purpose of this research was achieved. The fact that respondents like gluten product more than a gluten-free product can be offset by targeting product target customer group that is ready to make a small compromise sensory properties for health and nutritional benefits of the aglutenic product.

Speaker
Biography:

Nihat Akın has completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering Department at Loughborough University of Technology, United Kingdom. He has been working as a Professor for 15 years and been working as Head of Department of Food Engineering at Selcuk University. He has published more than 100 scientific papers about Milk Products and Microbiology.

Abstract:

Yogurt is well known for its health promoting properties. Oleaster has been suggested to increase the growth of probiotic bacteria during yogurt production. However, studies on the effects of dried fruit flour on physico-chemical characteristics of yogurt are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of oleaster flour on the overall quality of yogurt and anticipate inventing a new fiber rich yogurt product. In this study, 3.5% whole milk was supplemented with 1-3% (v/w) oleaster flour, inoculated with a yogurt culture (Danisco YO-MIX 883 LYO 500 DCU), fermented and stored at 4ºC. The control and fortified samples were analyzed for pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), viscosity, and microbial counts over a 28-day storage period (4C). The color test, viscosity, and sensory evaluation were also performed at the initial day of production. Results demonstrated that oleaster flour stimulated the growth of Streptococcus thermophiles and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus after the initial fermentation and maintained a greater bacterial count over a 28-day refrigerated storage. Furthermore, there was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in pH and enhancement in TTA in oleaster flour containing yogurt across the whole storage period. Fermentation time was decreased by 1.5 hours with inclusion of oleaster flour (pH: 4.5). The color and viscosity value were almost constant and there was not a significant (p<0.05) difference between the control sample and the fortifying samples. There were similar results on sensory properties comparing the plain yogurt and yogurt with 1% and 2% of oleaster flour. The results suggest that oleaster fortified yogurt offers an alternative new fermented dairy product and provides a better quality.

Speaker
Biography:

John Sammon III is a Leader in Information Systems and Food Safety. He has a passion for technology solutions that breed operational efficiencies while improving and protecting human health. He helped to develop and now leads SureCheck®, a cloud-based food safety solution. He is also a champion for the use of machine to machine (M2M), internet of things (IoT) and mobility solutions to improve global food chain tracking, monitoring and safety. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at Colgate University and Master’s Degree at University of Rochester.

Abstract:

As the advancements in technology improve; large, distributed, food businesses must adapt, adopt or die. The leading businesses know that food safety and compliance are cost centers and while extremely important to quality and safety, erode product margins. New technologies not only lower operating costs, they improve nearly all metrics and greatly impact your overall food safety culture. The best employees embrace technological tools and take pride in driving quality. Using cloud and mobility are second nature to all of us now and so it should be with compliance and quality monitoring. This presentation will discuss a number of different technologies such as mobility, internet of things (IoT) devices and sensors, wireless, internet, business intelligence, GS 128 barcodes and cloud reporting. While there are many global factors in the information age that make food safety more challenging, there are also many new and exciting technologies which can provide visibility and control. Food businesses must look into new ways to monitor critical control points and use real time information to drive food safety culture in their operations. Global enterprises need to leverage modern day technologies to monitor and enforce food safety cultures throughout their operations. Adoption of technologies should assist and facilitate better knowledge and understanding for the people that manage these dispersed procedures. 

Speaker
Biography:

Sarah Zecchin is a microbial ecologist, specialized in the analysis of environmental microbial communities using Next-Generation Sequencing techniques. She graduated in Biology as a bachelor and master student in 2010 (University of Padova) and in 2013 (University of Milano-Bicocca) respectively. She started working on rice rhizospheric sulfate-reducing bacteria during her master traineeship at the Division of Microbial Ecology at the University of Vienna (Austria). During her PhD (obtained in 2017) in Food Systems at the University of Milano, she studied the rice rhizospheric microbial communities involved in arsenic contamination. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biology at the University of Konstanz (Germany), dealing with novel species of sulfate-reducing bacteria living in rice rhizosphere. 

Abstract:

Rice is one of the crops with highest levels of arsenic (As) contamination. Italy, the first European rice producer, is affected by this health issue. The European commission recently established specific limits for As content in rice grain (Commission regulation (EU) 2005/1006). Continuous flooding, commonly employed in rice cultivation, has been identified as the main factor inducing high solubilisation of As from soil minerals and consequent uptake by the plant. Microorganisms influence As biogeochemistry both directly, by converting different oxidation states of the metalloid or by methylation, and indirectly, acting on As containing soil minerals. Since little is known on the actual role of rhizosphere microorganisms in driving As contamination in rice, our work aimed at deciphering how water managements influence the development of bacterial populations involved in the biogeochemical cycle of As, thus determining As contamination of rice grain. High throughput sequencing, PCR-based as well as microscopy methods were applied to study the microbial communities inhabiting different rhizosphere compartments of rice. We demonstrated that under continuous flooding, iron-reducing and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria emerged, explaining As solubilization from iron- and sulfide-containing minerals. Moreover, As-methylating bacteria were enhanced, resulting in organic As accumulation in rice grains. On the other hand, As- and iron oxidizing bacteria were enhanced in limited water usage condition (aerobic rice), where rice grains contained negligible As concentration. In this study, a direct involvement of specific rhizosphere microbial populations in determining As fate in rice paddy soil was assessed. Agronomic practices promoting beneficial rhizosphere population should be further refined in order to achieve the safety requirements for rice grain production.

Figure 1 Effect of two different water regimes (continuous flooding and aerobic rice) on rhizospheric microbial populations and on As content in rice grains.

Cho-il Kim

Korea Health Industry Development Institute, South Korea

Title: Dietary exposure of the Korean population to acrylamide and furan: Total diet study

Time : 16:35-17:00

Speaker
Biography:

Cho-il Kim is an invited Research Fellow at Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), a government-affiliated research institute in Korea. She recently retired from her last position, Director General of the Bureau of Health Industry Promotion at KHIDI. She completed her Under-graduate Degree and MS at Seoul National University in Food & Nutrition and, PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. She worked at Mount Sinai School of Medicine for her Post-doctoral research and subsequent positions of Lecturer and Research Assistant Professor for six years. Returning to Korea, she joined KHIDI to support government in developing nutrition policies and programs. With more than 100 research projects conducted, she developed methodology and tools for national nutrition survey, special supplemental nutrition program ‘NutriPlus’, Korean total diet study, and DHRA (diet-related health risk appraisal) for Koreans.

Abstract:

Introduction & Aim: Acrylamide (AA) and furan (F) have been classified as probably carcinogenic (group 2A) and possibly carcinogenic (group 2B) respectively by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. They are produced by Maillard reaction during production, processing, and/or cooking of foods, unintentionally. With the recent amendment on the Food Sanitation Act in Korea, the Ministry of Food & Drug Safety decided to evaluate dietary exposure of the Korean population to those hazardous materials produced involuntarily throughout steps from farm to fork. Hence, we attempted to estimate AA and F exposure of the Korean population and assess the relevant risk.

Materials & Methods: Using the dietary intake data of individuals collected through nutrition survey component of the Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we established a nationwide representative data set of six years from 2008 through 2013. To draw a representative food list for total diet study, we considered foods consumed in higher amount, foods consumed by more people more frequently, and foods contributes more to fat intake (figure 1) resulting in a list covering 97.4% of mean food intake. Based on the type of dishes (cooked foods), about 1,200 pairs of ‘food X cooking methods’ were identified for chemical analysis sample preparation. AA was analyzed using LC/MS and automated HS-SPME-GC/MS was used for F analysis.

Results: Mean exposure to AA and F were estimated to be 0.086 μg/kg bw/day and 0.210 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. Corresponding MOE values (2,045-3,522 and 4,137 based on the BMDL10 set by JECFA) fell into the category of possible concern. Food contributes the most to AA exposure was black pepper (18.2%), and only five foods were needed to cover half of AA exposure in contrast to more than a dozen of foods in F exposure.

Conclusion: Korean government is working on measures to minimize the exposure.

Figure 1. Flow of representative food selection process

Cho-il Kim

Korea Health Industry Development Institute, South Korea

Title: Dietary exposure of the Korean population to acrylamide and furan: Total diet study

Time : 16:40 - 17:05

Speaker
Biography:

Cho-il Kim is an invited Research Fellow at Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), a government-affiliated research institute in Korea. She recently retired from her last position, Director General of the Bureau of Health Industry Promotion at KHIDI. She completed her Under-graduate Degree and MS at Seoul National University in Food & Nutrition and, PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. She worked at Mount Sinai School of Medicine for her Post-doctoral research and subsequent positions of Lecturer and Research Assistant Professor for six years. Returning to Korea, she joined KHIDI to support government in developing nutrition policies and programs. With more than 100 research projects conducted, she developed methodology and tools for national nutrition survey, special supplemental nutrition program ‘NutriPlus’, Korean total diet study, and DHRA (diet-related health risk appraisal) for Koreans.

Abstract:

Introduction & Aim: Acrylamide (AA) and furan (F) have been classified as probably carcinogenic (group 2A) and possibly carcinogenic (group 2B) respectively by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. They are produced by Maillard reaction during production, processing, and/or cooking of foods, unintentionally. With the recent amendment on the Food Sanitation Act in Korea, the Ministry of Food & Drug Safety decided to evaluate dietary exposure of the Korean population to those hazardous materials produced involuntarily throughout steps from farm to fork. Hence, we attempted to estimate AA and F exposure of the Korean population and assess the relevant risk.

Materials & Methods: Using the dietary intake data of individuals collected through nutrition survey component of the Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we established a nationwide representative data set of six years from 2008 through 2013. To draw a representative food list for total diet study, we considered foods consumed in higher amount, foods consumed by more people more frequently, and foods contributes more to fat intake (figure 1) resulting in a list covering 97.4% of mean food intake. Based on the type of dishes (cooked foods), about 1,200 pairs of ‘food X cooking methods’ were identified for chemical analysis sample preparation. AA was analyzed using LC/MS and automated HS-SPME-GC/MS was used for F analysis.

Results: Mean exposure to AA and F were estimated to be 0.086 μg/kg bw/day and 0.210 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. Corresponding MOE values (2,045-3,522 and 4,137 based on the BMDL10 set by JECFA) fell into the category of possible concern. Food contributes the most to AA exposure was black pepper (18.2%), and only five foods were needed to cover half of AA exposure in contrast to more than a dozen of foods in F exposure.

Conclusion: Korean government is working on measures to minimize the exposure.

Speaker
Biography:

Marie Markantonis is an environmental microbiologist. Her research interest is dedicated to interdisciplinary studies, dealing with mitigation and remediation of industrial and pesticide pollution in soil, groundwater and plants. Her expertise lies in the establishment of different scale model systems, such as constructed wetlands, micro- and mesocosms, to monitor mitigation processes. She wants to push forward environmental friendly and economical sustainable assessment strategies and measures to mitigate and eliminate man-made environmental pollution, which harm animals and humans when entering the food chain through livestock and food plants. She focused on the analytical and biological assessment and distribution of pesticides, solvents and heavy metals, and their metabolism in the environment and the risk of food ingestion and the associated risks for humans.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: The global problem of uptake and accumulation of toxic elements (e.g. arsenic, As) in food plants (e.g. rice) urges for solutions, in order to satisfy the demand of food-safe plants for the growing world population (ML: 0.2 mg/kg rice). High bio-available silicate (Si) and phosphate (P) contents in soil lower As accumulation in the grain. Sustainable advancements in future farming practices may involve the use of silicate and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (SPSB) that could increase soil fertility and minimize As uptake. This study aimed at elucidating the role of SPSB in the mitigation of As contamination of rice in relation with Si addition as part of future farming practices in paddy rice soils. Methodology: Three mitigation strategies were tested in lab-to-field approaches (hydroponic growth pouches, soil-plant-pots): i) amendment of Si, ii) rice seed inoculation with natural rice root SPSB with As(III)-oxidation activity iii) and the combination of i) and ii). Findings: The combination of two factors resulted in a positive synergy that significantly increased germination and root development compared to no treatment or Si amendment only. In simplified hydroponic systems, presence of As(III) oxidising SPSB- inoculum reduced uptake of As, possibly due to enhancement of competition between the two ions on aquaporin transporters in the roots. In soil-plant-pots, presence of Si decreased the concentration of As in plants, emphasizing possible competition between Si and As on radical level conveyors. However, the SPSB inoculum promoted As mobilization, thus resulting in higher As uptake. Conclusion & Significance: The characterization of rice rhizosphere bacteria indicated that most of SPSB are hold in the endosphere and that their application improved plant germination and decreased As uptake. When in soil, addition of Si reduced As uptake into the rice plant and seems to be a good application for future farming practices.

Figure 1 Conceptual model arsenic transformation and uptake in to rice root, mediated by root bacteria in presence of phosphates and silicates

Maristela Martins Pereira

Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil

Title: Brazil nuts: Determination of natural elements and aflatoxin

Time : 17:25-17:50

Speaker
Biography:

Maristela Martins Pereira completed her PhD in Food Science at Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. She is a Professor in Department of Agricultural Engineering and Soil at Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil.

Abstract:

A study was carried out to evaluate the association of levels of radioactivity, selenium and aflatoxin in shelled Brazil nuts, which were classified in different sizes, for export. The selenium determinations were performed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (LOQ=3.0 µg g-1) and aflatoxins were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LOQ=0.85 µg kg-1), recovery rates were between 92 and 100%. Radioactivity was measured by high-resolution gamma spectrometry. The selenium mean concentration was 22.7±7.4 µg g-1, n=30. Mean activities determined for the following radium isotopes were: 15.77 Bq kg-1 for 224Ra, 104.8 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra and 99.48 Bq kg-1 for 228Ra. For 226Ra, the levels did not vary significantly with nut sizes, although such differences were observed for 224Ra and 228Ra. There was no statistically significant association between the level of selenium and the activity of radionuclides, however, there was correlation between the radionuclides. Aflatoxins above the quantification limit were not found.

  • Oral Session 2

Session Introduction

Kathy Van Den Houwe

Scientific Institute of Public Health, Belgium

Title: A safety evaluation of printed paper and board contaminants: Photo-initiators as a case study

Time : 11:00-11:25

Speaker
Biography:

Kathy Van Den Houwe completed her Graduation in Chemistry and Bioprocess Technology as Bio-engineer at Free University of Brussels. In 2012, after research on the stability of migrants in food simulants at University of Ghent and the ILVO (Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research), she started working for the Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP) in Brussels where she gained her expertise in Food Contact Materials.

Abstract:

Consumers are exposed to a range of substances that can damage their health. Until recently, food packaging as a source of contaminants has received little attention despite its ubiquitous use. Several food crises at the end of the previous decade highlighted the need for more information about compounds used in food contact materials (FCM). At present, there is no specific European legislation for the use of printing inks on FCM. However, the Council of Europe has established general recommendations for various non-harmonized materials containing inventory lists of starting substances, together with their toxicological evaluation - whenever this information is available. In practice, for thousands of substances used in FCM, no safety evaluation has been performed at the European level. Specific classes of substances are photo-initiators that are widely used in UV-cured inks. First, a Belgian market survey was conducted in order to investigate the presence of photo-initiators in dry food. 97 dry foods were analyzed as marketed. At least one photo-initiator was found in 85% of the food samples and the photo-initiators that were most frequently found were benzophenone, 2, 2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl acetophenone (DMPA) and ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EDMAB). Next, the potential genotoxicity of these substances was evaluated using a battery of in silico assays. Finally, a preliminary risk assessment was performed. For the evaluated substances, the concentrations in the food were below their Specific Migration Limit (SML). For the unlisted substances, the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approach was applied. The estimated exposure of the unlisted substances, EDMAB, DMPA and 4-dimethylaminobenzophenone, exceeded the human exposure threshold determined by the TTC-concept. For these substances, a more in-depth risk assessment was performed based on the toxicological information collected from the database of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The current study illustrates how the TTC approach can be used to perform a preliminary risk assessment of substances migrating from FCM. However, the safety evaluation of these migrants remains challenging.

Speaker
Biography:

Eric Tung-Po Sze is an Assistant Professor since August 2013 at Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK), while maintaining as an Adjunct Faculty in Department of Chemistry, Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has his specialties and research interests in Analytical Chemistry, Laboratory Management, Chemical Metrology, Chinese Medicines, Environmental Science and Development of Novel Foods and Supplements, etc. 

Abstract:

Cordyceps sinensis, also known as “Dong Chong Xia Chao”, has been deemed as the cornerstone of Chinese materia medica (CMM) for centuries. It is a composite CMM consisting of stromata of fungus parasitized on subterranean caterpillar or fruiting bodies of truffles. It is one of the most expensive and the rarest ingredients for use as food supplement due to its increasing demand but declining yield. People nowadays intend to falsify Cordyceps sinensis with some common counterfeit species with similar morphological features, such as Cordyceps militaris, Cordyceps hawkesii and Metacordyceps taii, threatening the quality and safety of however as of today, not many techniques in the market authenticate Cordyceps sinensis. It is thus essential to develop a new and effective method to authenticate Cordyceps sinensis from those counterfeit species, especially when the ingredients in the food supplement have been grounded into powder or as an extracted form, where proteomics could be one of the alternatives. This is the first study to develop an optimized protocol for extracting proteins from Cordyceps sinensis; and to evaluate the proteins extracted from the counterfeits of Cordyceps using two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. Results of this study indicate that extraction using lysis buffer only obtained the best yield of protein extracted from Cordyceps sinensis, and 2-D gel electrophoresis can be used for authentication of Cordyceps sinesis and its counterfeits species. Findings of this study can warrant further investigations on the identification of biomarker of Cordyceps species using analytical techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).

Figure 1 2-Dimension gel electrophoresis of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) and some common counterfeits species in the market, including Cordyceps militaris (CM), Cordyceps hawkesii (CH) and Metacordyceps

Speaker
Biography:

Md Omar Ali is a distinguished Scientist of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh. He is a cropping system Agronomist. He has been working as a Principal Scientific Officer (Agronomy) at Pulses Research Centre (PRC) of BARI, Bangladesh since 1992. He has awarded his PhD degree in Agronomy especially in the field of Conservation Agriculture through the joint venture research program of ICARDA, Syria and Bangladesh. He is the program Leader of agronomic research and development activities of PRC of BARI, Bangladesh. He is also working with the collaboration of International Institute like-ICARDA, ICRISAT, AVRDC, IITA, ACIAR and World Bank etc. for the pulses research and development. He has developed 61 technologies. He has published four books/chapters and about 130 papers in the national and international journals. He has awarded Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award for the valuable contribution in lentil improvement in Bangladesh through ICARDA, 2004.

Abstract:

Pulses as a member of legumes is a wonderful gift of nature which is a store house of nutrition. Among the pulses lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus subsp. Culinaris), grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L) and pea (Pisum sativum L) are the important cool season legume crops grown in Bangladesh under rice-based cropping systems which have significant contribution to food, feed and sustainable development of agriculture. These pulses are mainly grown after the harvest of monsoon-rice in the winter season (October-March) in Bangladesh. But in most cases, these pulses cultivation, after the monsoon-rice harvesting is delayed in medium high - medium low lands and further aggravated by higher infestation of diseases and insect pests and forced maturity, resulting in lower yields. It was also identified that global climatic changes lead to more frequent high temperature during the end of crop cycle, resulting in lower yields. In this situation relay cropping, a conservation technology in the standing monsoon rice field, 10-15 days before rice harvest has a great opportunity which ensures timely sowing and best use of residual soil moisture and also reduces cost of production by 45%. It was found that, lentil, grass pea and pea as relay crop produced higher seed yield (2050 kg/ha), (1650 kg/ha) and (1850 kg/ha) which was higher by 46%, 32% and 37% over conventional practice (1400 kg/ha), (1250 kg/ha) and (1350 kg/ha), respectively. Now this technology is gaining popularity among the farmers of medium low land areas where the lands would have remained fallow otherwise. The increased production of pulses also has multi-dimensional impacts on livelihood improvement and nutritional security of Bangladeshi people. Besides this, inclusion of pulses in the rice-based cropping system ensures soil health improvement for sustainable production system. Finally, sustainable agriculture will be helpful for safety food production in the farm level as well as food will be secured.

Speaker
Biography:

TBA

Abstract:

This study aimed to examine whether a company that provides a catering service used proper hygiene practices against food-borne microorganisms threatening public health and to investigate the efficiency of the detergent used in the company on some microorganisms isolated from the various places of the company. For this purpose, samples were taken from different surfaces and the staff of the company as well as the air various places of the company. Although Salmonella spp ve Listeria spp bacteria cannot found in the samples of the company but Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Micrococcus spp. were isolated. The antimicrobial activity of the detergent has been examined on these bacteria. In conclusion, it was observed that proper hygiene practices were inadequate against microorganisms in the investigated company, and the detergent used by the company did not have the same amount of antimicrobial influence on the bacteria isolated from the company.

Muhammad Afzaal

Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan

Title: Salmonellosis: A food based societal issue

Time : 12:40-13:05

Speaker
Biography:

Muhammad Afzaal is a Lecturer in Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Home Economics at Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan since 2013. His area of research and interest is Food Microbiology, Food Biotechnology, Food Safety and Marketing of value added products. He has executed many research projects as a team member and coordinator. He is currently supervising MPhil students. He has been the part of organizing many national and international conferences.

Abstract:

Foodborne diseases (FBD) comprehend a wide range of illnesses and are a growing public health problem and are considered as one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Almost 30% of all deaths are in children under the age of 5 years from food borne diseases. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 351,000 people die of foodborne diseases globally every year. Salmonellosis, a Salmonella infection, caused by non-typhoid strains is the most common reported foodborne pathogen conquering more societal burden than any other FBD. Out of the significant pathogens including Shigella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Yersinia, Vibrio, and Cyclospora, the Salmonella is the utmost communal microbe causing maximum number of associated outbreaks. It also creates negative economic influences because of the high cost of investigation, treatment and prevention of food borne illness. Million cases of gastroenteritis are caused by Salmonella species across the globe each year, generally a self-limited disease, with the symptoms of fever (normally resolves within 48 to 72 h.) and diarrhea (3 to 7 days) occasionally with unembellished dehydration, shock, collapse and septicemia severely in young children, infants, elderly and immune-compromised. The most common mode of Salmonella transmission is through the ingestion of the bacterium in food (milk, water, poultry, uncooked eggs etc.) derived from an infected animal or contamination sources. The incidence of salmonellosis outbreak cannot be ignored due to the devastating effects to human. The situation in developing world is even more alarming because of poor public health and regulation enforcements. Intervention approaches are hence imperative to control Salmonella from farm to fork.

 

Speaker
Biography:

Fulden Karadal is a Lecturer and Researcher at Omer Halisdemir University, Turkey. She has done research on “Foods of animal origin and foodborne pathogens”. In previous works, she studied on antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype distribution of L. monocytogenes, prevalence of E. coli O157 H7 and Salmonella spp. in different foods (processed poultry products, meat and milk products) and AFM1 content of milk products.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Coagulase-positive S. aureus strains are considered as the most pathogenic bacteria of all the staphylococci because of their ability to produce toxins. Foods of animal origin are the foods mostly incriminated for staphylococcal food poisonings which may be contaminated during slaughtering, processing or handling.

Aim: The aim of this study was to detect Staphylococcus aureus in some foods of animal origin and to determine staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs), enterotoxin genes (sea to see) and the toxic shock syndrome toxin (tst) gene in the isolates.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A total of 170 samples including soudjouk, salami, sausage, pastrami and raw chicken meat were randomly collected and examined. Positive samples were confirmed by PCR using the femA gene as an internal positive control for S. aureus. Multiplex PCR was used to detect se and tst genes and SEs were determined by ELISA.

Findings: Of the 66 (38.8%) isolates characterized as S. aureus, 27 (40.9%) were obtained from raw chicken meat, 17 (25.7%) from salami, nine (13.6%) from soudjouk, nine (13.6%) from pastrami and four (6.06%) from sausage. SEs were identified in 5 out of 66 (7.5%) isolates including three (4.5%) SEA, two (3.03%) SEC. However, the sea and sec genes were detected in 3 (4.5%) of 66 isolates. None of the isolates were positive for tst genes.

Conclusion & Significance: The results of this study indicate that the prevalence of S. aureus in foods of animal origin was high but low number of samples had a potential health risk with regard to staphylococcal enterotoxins. Carriers and origins of enterotoxigenic S. aureus contaminants should be followed up further studies to understand to and prevent sources of contamination.

  • Special Session
Speaker
Biography:

Giancarlo Cravotto after 4-year experience in pharmaceutical industry became a researcher in the Department of Drug Science and Technology (University of Turin). He is currently Full Professor of Organic Chemistry and Department Director since 2007 as well as President of the European Sonochemistry Society (ESS) since 2012. His research activity is documented by more than 330 scientific peer-reviewed papers, more than 20 book chapters and 15 patents. His research activity has been centered on natural products extraction, purification and chemical modification. These studies have paved the road to new chemical procedures by means of non-conventional energy sources (ultrasound, hydrodynamic cavitation, microwaves, ball milling, flow reactors etc.). These studies prompted the development of innovative hybrid reactors and innovative green protocols applied in different fields: pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food processing and biomass valorization. 

Abstract:

This report aims to highlight best practices in food safety and processing through the synergy of academia and industry in the development of green enabling technologies. In particular the use of cavitational reactors  (ultrasound and hydrodynamic cavitation) and microwaves. These technologies combine food safety with process intensification. Typical processes under ultrasound are: emulsification, degassing, de-foaming, and extraction, while for dielectric heating: drying, cooking, defrosting. Of course scale up design, investment costs and environmental impact of new technologies requires multidisciplinary expertise. In the last three decades, several specific industrial applications of these technologies have been reported: flavour isolation, molecular encapsulation, enhanced hydrodistillation in lab and industrial scale, extraction in edible oils, fresh milk treatment and even in the degradation of allergens. 

  • YRF

Chair

Jose S. Torrecilla

Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Speaker
Biography:

Anisa S Khan completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Honours degree at University of West Indies. She is currently pursuing Master of Philosophy in Veterinary Public Health. She has an interest in Veterinary Public Health, Food Safety and One Health. Her primary aim is to educate the population about the implications of zoonotic diseases thus bridging the existing gap between animal health and human health.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Salmonellosis is an important foodborne disease worldwide, responsible for gastroenteritis and other ailments in animals and humans. Poultry is considered an important reservoir of Salmonella spp. Small retail processors called pluck shops are widely patronized as sources of dressed poultry across Trinidad and Tobago. To date, there is a dearth of up-to-date information on the prevalence of Salmonella spp. from poultry and the prevailing serotypes. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in dressed chickens (whole or parts) sold at selected pluck shops in counties across the country, to identify the risk factors for carcass contamination and to determine the Salmonella serotypes.

 

Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 133 dressed whole chickens and 87 chicken parts were sampled across 44 outlets in 7 counties between April and December 2016. Isolation and identification of Salmonella spp. were performed using standard techniques.

 

Findings: The prevalence of Salmonella spp. was 20.5% (45/220). The frequency of isolation of Salmonella spp. was 22.4% (26/116), 23.0% (17/74), 7.1% (1/14) and 10.0% (1/10) for fresh whole, fresh chicken parts, chilled whole chicken and chilled chicken parts respectively. Salmonella spp. was recovered at a rate of 2.3% (5/220) and 9.5% (21/220) by the rinse and swab methods respectively. Among the isolates serotyped the predominant serotypes were Kentucky (30.0%), Javiana (15.0%) and Aberdeen (15.0%). Sanitation scores based on practices by handlers of chickens at outlets, conditions of bird cages, practices in defeathering, evisceration, packaging and sale, did not appear to affect the frequency of isolation of Salmonella spp. Data from the study indicate the extent of contamination by Salmonella spp. in the selected pluck shops studied and, of significance is the risk of salmonellosis posed to consumers of contaminated chickens sold at the pluck shops in the country.

Processing of broiler chickens at a “pluck shop” in Trinidad and Tobago

Pospisilova Eliska

University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic

Title: Chemical analysis and nutrition quality of selected species of tuna

Time : 15:25- 15:45

Speaker
Biography:

Eliska Pospisilova is pursuing her PhD at Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology in Brno. Currently, she works at Veterinary Research Institute in Brno as a Researcher. She deals with the adulteration of food (especially of animal origin). She completed her Graduation in Food Safety and Quality at Veterinary University in Brno. She also studied at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague.

Abstract:

Food authenticity testing is one of the major challenges facing the food safety authorities. Pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1536/1992, tunas are classified into true tunas (Thunnus thynnus, T. albacares, T. alalunga, T. obesus etc., Euthynnus sp. (Katsuwonus pelamis) or pseudo-tunas, i.e. bonito (Sarda sp., Euthynnus sp. (except Euthynnus pelamis) and Auxis sp.). With regard to this classification of tunas as true tunas and bonitos pursuant to the legislation, it could be beneficial to determine potential differences in their nutrient composition. A comparison between the chemical profiles of tuna and bonito species has not yet been scientifically described. Within the proposed experiment, a comparative chemical analysis of selected characteristics of the muscle tissue of tuna and bonito representatives will be carried out, and by this means chemical profiles of muscles of several representatives of the selected species of tuna (T. albacares) and bonito (Sarda sarda) will be created in order to compare their nutritional values. The chemical analysis will focus on the determination of basic chemical parameters (fats, n-3, n-6 FA, and proteins) using validated analytical techniques and advanced analytical instrumentation, with subsequent detection based on mass spectrometry and other standardized methods. The monitored parameters will be determined in both the raw muscle and muscle treated by the canning process in its own juice under pre-defined conditions, in order to determine the effect of high temperature and pressure on the given parameters. 

Speaker
Biography:

Bridgette Naa Deedei Tagoe is currently an MPhil student pursuing her Master’s programme in Post-harvest Technology in Crop Science department of School of Agriculture, at University of Ghana, Legon. She holds a BSc degree in Agriculture at University Cape Coast and a Diploma in Post-harvest Technology at University of Ghana. She is also a trained Teacher by profession.

Abstract:

Probiotics are live microbial feed supplements which beneficially affect host animal by improving microbial intestinal balance. The field study assessed effects of a probiotic (RE3) on growth performance of broiler finisher chickens. 80 day-old Ross breed broiler chickens were brooded together for four weeks and assigned randomly thereafter to ten floor pens, representing two treatments: A broiler finisher control diet i.e. without RE3 (T2) and the same diet with RE3 incorporated at a rate of 68 ml per 45 kg of feed (T1). Birds were finished on the experimental diets for four weeks on deep litter; treatments had five replicates, each with eight birds. Birds were offered feed and water and consumption of each measured daily for each pen. Weekly body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency on the feed additive were not significantly (P>0.05) improved compared with the control. Similarly, birds in both treatments did not show significant (P>0.05) improvements in feed and water intake, as well as in dressing percentage. It was concluded that inclusion of the probiotic RE3 in the diet of broilers at the finisher stage, under conditions of this study, did not have any significant (P>0.05) effect on the performance characteristics assessed, as claimed by the manufacturers. These results were contrary to several other studies that appeared to show positive effects of inclusion of the additive on performance. Based on results from this trial, it is recommended that small-scale poultry producers, particularly fresh graduates trying to earn a living, should exercise caution before deciding to take on the extra cost of using the additive, as profit margins are already quite small and effects of additive are reported to vary depending on sanitary conditions on farms. It might be necessary to also test samples of the RE3 on sale for their efficacy under local storage conditions.

Carol Hull-Jackson

University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago

Title: Microbiological quality of ready-to-eat foods in Barbados, West Indies

Time : 15:45-16:05

Speaker
Biography:

Carol Hull-Jackson is pursuing her PhD in Veterinary Public Health and a part-time Lecturer at University of the West Indies. Her main areas of research include Zoonotic Diseases such as Leptospirosis, Food Safety and Food Microbiology.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands and derives a large part of its economic stability from tourism. The Barbados Ministry of Health’s Public Health Department regularly conducts food safety training sessions with food handlers and inspects food businesses annually. However, it is also important that the microbiological quality of foods prepared for consumption can be assessed as an indicator of proper food safety and hygienic practices.

Methodology: Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods include those that are raw or cooked, hot or chilled that can be consumed without further heat-treatment including re-heating. RTE food safety guidelines indicate that these foods should be free of E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter and Salmonella spp. E. coli contamination should not exceed 100 cfu/g and the Total Aerobic Plate Count (TAPC) should not exceed a range of 104–107 cfu/g, depending on the food type. Counts exceeding these limits indicate poor hygienic practices, failure of process or cross contamination. In two separate studies conducted between 2014 and 2016, samples of ready-to-eat foods were collected from food businesses located in popular tourist districts in Barbados. In the first study, 206 samples were processed for Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. and in the second study, 120 samples were processed for TAPC, coliform, E. coli counts and also screened for Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7.

Findings: A low prevalence of Salmonella spp. [S. enteritidis, 1.5% (3/206) and 0.0% (0/120)] and Campylobacter spp., 3.4% (7/206) and 2.5% (3/120) and E. coli O157: H7, 0.0% (0/120) was found. Total aerobic plate counts were border line to unsatisfactory in 22.5% (27/120) of food sampled. The low prevalence of pathogens in RTE foods in Barbados may indicate that food preparation and hygienic practices are satisfactory.

Speaker
Biography:

Francis B Kolo completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He worked as a Veterinary Officer in Nigeria and was primarily responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of different animal diseases. He facilitated sensitization lectures sponsored by UNICEF to human healthcare practitioners in various local government councils in Niger State, Nigeria on Biosecurity. He completed his MSc in Veterinary Science at University of Pretoria in December 2015. His research was focused on “Dog population demographics, as it relates to herd immunity in the control of rabies in dog and human populations”. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD at University of Pretoria and research is focused on “Brucellosis in abattoirs and in abattoir workers”.

Abstract:

Brucellosis is one of the neglected zoonotic disease, a highly infectious and contagious zoonotic disease of humans, and a wide range of domestic animals. Globally, abattoirs are used for passive and active surveillance of diseases of both economic and public health significance.

This research goal was to determine the prevalence of Brucella spp. in slaughter livestock in abattoirs in Gauteng province, and the risk posed to consumers of Brucella-contaminated meat.

11 livestock abattoirs were included in the study from where 266 serum samples and 798 tissue samples comprising lymph nodes, spleen and liver were collected from 266 animals. An 11.5% and 5% sero prevalence were detected from RBT and iELISA respectively from cattle. 89% of iELISA positive samples were also tissue-positive for Brucella spp. by PCR. The PCR positive samples originated from 54.5% of the abattoirs were visited. It was concluded that meat from slaughtered Brucella spp. infected livestock pose a potential food safety risk to consumers.

Abattoir workers dressing carcasses at an abattoir in Gauteng Province, South Africa

  • Poster Session
Speaker
Biography:

Anoop Kumar Agarwal is an Associate Dean and Professor of Pharmacology at Gulf Medical University (UAE) with more than 25 years of experience in Teaching and Research. He has supervised several student studies in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Research apart from his expertise in Psychopharmacology. He has presented his work at several international conferences and has over 50 publications to his credit. He represents various university committees and has been a resource person in several workshops and seminars. He is currently associated with three different university projects.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a toxic fungal metabolite produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium species which contaminate coffee beans during processing, storage or transportation.

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate if the ochratoxin A levels in the coffee beans can be associated with the geographical source, moisture and caffeine content or level of roasting.

Methodology: 16 samples (four mild roasted+four medium roasted+four dark roasted+four decaffeinated) each from three different countries (UAE, Brazil and Turkey) were analyzed for moisture (loss on drying method), caffeine (selective solvent extraction method) and OTA (ELISA technique) concentration.

Findings: The OTA levels ranged from 409 to 742 ng/100 g in coffee bean samples from different countries. Decaffeinated beans had minimum moisture (0.7%) and caffeine content (0.02%), whereas mild roasted beans had highest the moisture (2.83%) and caffeine content (1.3%). In UAE samples, the OTA concentration was significantly lower in decaffeinated samples and moderate roasted beans as compared to mild or dark roasted beans, but significantly higher in decaffeinated samples and dark roasted beans from Brazil and Turkey (p<0.01).

Conclusion & Significance: The OTA levels showed a positive relationship with moisture and a negative relationship with caffeine content with quantitative differences between samples from different countries. The fungal growth and OTA content can be evaded by monitoring factors such as temperature, humidity, storage condition, processing, harvesting, transportation etc. thus refining the quality of coffee beans. The OTA content present in the tested coffee beans was within the acceptable daily intake limits posing minimum health risk to the consumers.

Speaker
Biography:

Horia Radid possess laboratory experiments in “Microbiology and genomic biology, medical, bacteriological and microbiological of food, water and food hygiene analysis”. She is working as a researcher at National Institute of Hygiene-Rabat, Morocco.

Abstract:

Among the most popular origins of diseases that have relation with feeding, we find, the perishable commodities and particularly the milk and its products especially during the very hot summer days. The matched methods for conservation of milk and the hygiene measures have never been respected. The objective of this study allows estimating the microbiological quality of raw cow’s milk of 120 taken samples, at sale, from four farms, four peddlers and four dairies during spring 2013. In all the samples that we analyzed, we looked for many micro-organisms, like the total aerobic mesophilic flora, the total coliforms and fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus β-hemolyticus, Listeria monocytogenesSalmonella and Brucella abortus. The synthesis of the obtained global results during the microbiological tests of the cow’s raw milk which is collected from farms, peddlers and dairies, doesn’t show any specific fluctuations during all the way long of the trial period. Indeed, it doesn’t matter if the raw milk has been collected from a farm, peddler or a dairy; the microbiological quality test is always the same whether it is qualitatively or quantitatively. It is then necessary to create some effective control measures, in order to protect the health of the consumer. For the best milk quality, the dairy farmers must submit the most efficient hygienic methods.

Speaker
Biography:

Kun Taek Park completed his DVM and MS at College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, and PhD at College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University. After completion of his PhD, he served as Co-director of Flow-Cytometry and Monoclonal Antibody Center at Washington State University for five years. During this period, his research focused on “Development of new live vaccines for paratuberculosis and analysis of bovine immune system”. Since then, he has worked at Seoul National University as a Research Professor. His research interest includes Epidemiology of Foodborne Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance in Industrial Animals.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance is rapidly increasing worldwide and considered as a serious threat to the public health. FQ has been prohibited as a feed additive since 2009 in an effort to reduce antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals in Korea. Consequently, FQ-resistant bacteria are expected to decrease in the animal industry in Korea.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The study was performed to investigate the prevalence of FQ resistance and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes in E. coli isolated from swine; and the antimicrobial resistance profile and FQ resistance mechanisms of FQ-resistant E. coli. E. coli were isolated from a total of 237 swine feces. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed against 16 different antimicrobial agents including FQ, and the three major FQ resistance mechanisms were investigated by sequencing of quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDR), detection of PMQR, and measuring of efflux pump activity.

Findings: Of 171 E. coli isolates, 59 (34.5%) isolates were determined as FQ-resistant. Of 59 FQ-resistant isolates, PMQR genes were detected in nine isolates (15.3%). Efflux pump activity was found in 56 isolates (94.9%), but this was not correlated with the increased FQ resistance. Point mutation in QRDR was detected in all 59 isolates (100%) and the main cause of FQ resistance. Of 59 FQ-resistant E. coli, 54 isolates (91.5%) were classified as multi-drug resistant E. coli.

Conclusion & Significance: Although the use of FQ as a feed additive has been prohibited in Korea, the prevalence of FQ resistance and PMQR genes has increased considerably in swine. The increased FQ resistance observed in this study may be, in part, due to the increased use of FQ for self-treatment and therapeutic purposes. Therefore, prudent use of FQ in animal farms is warranted to reduce the evolution of FQ-resistant bacteria in the animal industry.

Speaker
Biography:

Nitu Kumar completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Veterinary Medicine at College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Chhattisgarh-Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, India. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Veterinary Microbiology in Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. Her PhD thesis is entitled “Molecular analysis of Salmonella enterica strains carried by poultry entering the food chain in Trinidad”.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Salmonella is one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses worldwide impacting on public health in Trinidad. Salmonella infections are usually associated with the consumption of contaminated food products and infections in humans generally lead to acute gastroenteritis that may become complicated depending on the strain, serotype and host-specific factors. Changes in agricultural practices and antimicrobial misuse in food producing animals may be accelerating factors for the evolution of more virulent and multidrug-resistant strains. The objective of this study was to identify types of antimicrobial resistance and their associated genes, virulence-associated genes, and to analyze the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of Salmonella enterica serotypes isolated from poultry sale outlets in Trinidad.

Methodology: A total of 1503 caecal samples were collected from different ‘pluck shops’ in Trinidad and confirmed to be Salmonella using standard techniques. PCR-based assays were performed on 88 Salmonella isolates to detect 13 virulence-associated genes. Isolates were further assessed for their susceptibility to five antimicrobial agents using tube dilution method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Resistant isolates were subsequently examined for the presence of 11 resistance genes. PFGE was used, after DNA digestion by XbaI, to investigate the genetic relatedness among Salmonella enterica isolates recovered from poultry in Trinidad.

Findings: 11 (84.6%) of the 13 virulence genes investigated were detected and their frequency ranged from 1.3% (sefC) to 84.2% (mgtB).  Only 4 (36.4%) of the 11 resistance genes tested for were detected and their frequency ranged from 1.3% (ampicillin) to 63.2% (quinolones). Of the five antimicrobial agents tested for MIC, the range was 7.5 µg/ml (gentamicin), 10-20 µg/ml (streptomycin), 1.25-10 µg/ml (ceftriaxone), 20-80 µg/ml (kanamycin) and 20-40 µg/ml (ampicillin). The PFGE patterns of Salmonella spp. of the same serotypes from chickens and ducks sampled from various outlets were distinctly different.

Pulsed Field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of Salmonella enterica isolates following digestion by restriction enzyme  XbaI
Lanes 1: 5 10: Standard controls (Salmonella serotype Braenderup H9812 )

Lane 2: SD21 Salmonella Sub Species Enterica I from outlet S

Lane 3: A149 Salmonella Sub Species Enterica I from outlet A

Lane 4: A159 Salmonella Sub Species Enterica I from outlet A

Lane 6: R41 Salmonella Sub Species Enterica I from outlet R

Lane 7: SD22 Salmonella Typhimurium from outlet S

Lane 8: SD55 Salmonella Typhimurium from outlet S

Lane 9: A142 Salmonella Typhimurium from outlet A

Speaker
Biography:

Sheen Hee Kim is a Research Scholar at National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South Korea.

 

 

Abstract:

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are toxins present in many plants belong to the families of Asteraceae, Boraginaceae and Fabaceae. PAs are secondary plant metabolites with carcinogenic and genotoxic properties. The toxins in comfrey include PAs and their N-oxides, which are generally the predominant natural form of PAs. The purpose of this study is to develop the LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of PAs in plant material. Mass spectral acquisition was done in the positive or negative ion mode applying multiple reactions monitoring for PAs. The results indicated that the solvent mixture of 0.05 M sulfuric acid in 50% methanol was the best compromise for extracting the analytes from food supplements. The estimated recovery rates at spiking levels 1 to 10 µg/kg ranged from 78.4 to 116.6% with relative standard deviations <25%. The applicability of this method will be used in the chromatographic determination test of PAs to analyze plant material and its products in Korea.

Speaker
Biography:

Sheen Hee Kim is a Research Scholar at National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South Korea.

 

Abstract:

Ochratoxin A is a well-known nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin, produced by several fungal species of the genera such as Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus spp. under various environmental conditions. The aim of this study is to optimize analytical method for determination of ochratoxin A in cereal-based foods. The chromatographic separation is performed by reversed phase HPLC with fluorescence detector. The method optimization is validated by extraction with solvent and clean-up on immune affinity column. The estimated recovery rates, at spiking levels 0.1 to 0.5 µg/kg, ranged from 94 to 114% with relative standard deviations <25%. This method show good sensitivity, accuracy and precision in cereal-based foods. The applicability of this method will be used in the chromatographic determination test of ochratoxin A to analyze cereal-based foods in Korea.

Yongwoo Shin

Gyeongin Regional Office of Food & Drug Safety, South Korea

Title: Simultaneous analysis of β-phenyl ethyl amine derivatives in food and dietary supplements
Speaker
Biography:

Yongwoo Shin is a Scientific Officer in Gyeongin Regional Food and Drug Administration at Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South Korea. He has proficiency and knows how to analyze hazardous chemicals in foods.  He has contributed to Food Safety in Korea. 

Abstract:

PEA (β-phenyl ethyl amine) is a naturally occurring monoamine with psychoactive effects. Orally ingested PEA is primarily metabolized in the small intestine by monoamine oxidase (MAO) before it even reaches the brain. PEA is substituted with alkyl group to become more resistant against MAO. The most widely known alkylated form of PEA is amphetamine (α-methyl PEA) which is pharmaceutically used in the treatment of ADHD, narcolepsy and obesity. PEA derivatives are illegal to be included in food and dietary supplements since abuse intake of the drugs via food without medical prescription can cause life-threatening side effects. Governmental agencies of food and drug safety invest their efforts to screen out food and dietary supplements illegally containing PEA derivatives. We developed an accurate, simple, rapid and simultaneous analysis method of seven PEA derivatives in food and dietary supplements using liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection (LC/PDA). The developed method was fully validated and showed good results with respect to specificity, linearity (r2>0.999), limit of detection (0.05 µg/mL), limit of quantification (0.20 µg/mL), precision (RSD<4.0%) and recovery (96-107%). It also satisfied all standards suggested by AOAC. To confirm the detected PEA derivatives, we also developed a qualitative analysis method by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). LC/PDA and LC/MS/MS methods described in this study were simple, rapid and reliable; the methods may be suitable for a rapid and sensitive analysis of synephrine, oxilofrine, PEA, BMPEA, fenfluramine, phentermine and lorcaserin in food and dietary supplements.

Speaker
Biography:

Victor Raj Mohan Chandrasekaran is an Assistant Professor of Toxicology at Gulf Medical University, UAE. He has completed his Doctorate in Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Madras in 2006. He completed his Post-doctorate at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. His research interests include “Studying the heavy metal contamination in food and cosmetic products, drugs and chemicals induced hepatotoxicity”. He has published more than 20 original research articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored two book chapters. His research work has been presented at various international conferences and critically acclaimed. Currently, his research is focusing on “The migration of toxic substances includes phthalates, BPA from storage containers into the food material”. 

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Honey, a natural product produced by honeybees, is a sweet quick energy source frequently used by humans. Heavy metals and caffeine contamination, depending upon the environmental factors (soil, air, water, temperature, vegetation etc.) and use, may lead to several symptoms such as anxiety, aggression, convulsions, insomnia etc., when present above permissible limits. Thus, their concentrations should be monitored for public health safety.

Aim: The study was undertaken with the objective of analyzing heavy metals and caffeine levels in different brands of honey available in UAE market.

Methodology: Three brands of honey from 10 different countries (n=30) were analyzed in duplicates for heavy metals (iron, zinc, lead and cadmium) using atomic absorption spectrophotometer and caffeine by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

Findings: All four heavy metals were present in all the samples in varying concentrations. The highest levels of iron, cadmium, lead and zinc were found in samples from Sudan (1.9 µg/ml), Yemen (0.08 µg/ml), Bulgaria (0.54 µg/ml) and UAE (0.44 µg/ml), respectively. However, all levels were below the permissible limits. Caffeine was highest in samples from Afghanistan (62.0 µg/ml) and Lebanon (52.8 µg/ml), whereas most of other samples contained caffeine between 0-20 µg/ml.

Conclusion & Significance: It was concluded that the heavy metals and caffeine levels in honey samples available in UAE were below the permissible levels and did not pose any health risk to the consumers.