Food contamination control in European new Member States and associated candidate countries: Data collected within the SAFEFOODNET project

This paper reports the results obtained from the data collected within the European Commission funded project SAFEFOODNET regarding the state of the art in the control of chemical food contaminants in twelve European New Member States and one Associated Candidate Country (Turkey). Information has been gathered on institutions involved in food chemical contamination control, types of contaminants and matrices analyzed, procedures for data quality assurance, purposes of the analyses and accessibility of data in the participant countries. The resulting picture points out the general availability of adequate capabilities for the analysis of food contaminants in the laboratories in charge of control and the performance of the analysis of a large variety of chemicals (persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, radionuclides) in almost each country with few exceptions (dioxins in Bulgaria, Turkey, Latvia, persistent organic pollutants in Lithuania and Malta, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Malta). The application of validated analytical methods and the process of laboratory accreditation are partially fulfilled within the investigated countries, but still forthcoming for some countries, as in Romania, Turkey and Malta. Information collected on food controls is only partially available online and the language used is prevalently local and English to a lesser extent.     

中环院食品质量与安全专业2009-2011届毕业生就业情况调查与分析

为进一步提高学院食品质量与安全专业毕业生的就业质量,对2009-2011届毕业生共计147人进行了就业跟踪调查,从毕业生生源区域情况、毕业生就业率、就业情况三个方面进行分析,发现该专业毕业生以中小企业就业为主,结合专接本继续深造。为提高就业质量,围绕专业内涵建设提出几点建议。     

Gonad differential proteins revealed with proteomics in oyster (Saccostrea cucullata) using alga as food contaminated with cadmium

As mercury and lead, cadmium (Cd) is one of the highly toxic metals in both the ocean and land environments, but its toxicological mechanism in organisms including human is still unclear because of the complex toxicological pathways in vivo. Here, the alga Chlorella vulgaris were cultivated at room temperature under the stress of cadmium (1 mg L⁻¹) to obtain a toxic food, and then the contaminated food were directly supplied to oyster (Saccostrea cucullata) in seawater. After feeding with C. vulgaris contaminated with Cd (C. vulgaris-Cd), the differential proteins in the oyster gonad (OG) were effectively separated and identified with proteomic approaches. Eleven protein spots were observed to be significantly changed in the OG feeding with C. vulgaris-Cd, which seven spots of these differential proteins were down-regulated while four spots were up-regulated. These altered spots were further excised in gels and identified by a combined technique of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) and database searching. A portion of these differential proteins were further proofed by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The results indicate that the major functions of these differential proteins were described as follows: binding, protein translocation, catalysis, regulation of energy metabolism, reproductive function and skeleton structure. These differential proteins in part may effectively provide a few novel biomarkers for the evaluation of Cd pollution level via a food pathway for harming halobios, mammal and human health, and for understanding the complex mechanisms of Cd toxicity in vivo.     

Data quality assessment for studies investigating microplastics and nanoplastics in food products: Are current data reliable?

● Data quality assessment criteria for MP/NPs in food products were developed. ● Data quality of 71 data records (69 of them only focused on MPs) was assessed. ● About 96% of the data records were considered unreliable in at least one criterion. ● Improvements need to be made regarding positive controls and polymer identification. ● A mismatch between MP/NPs used in toxicity studies and those in foods was recorded. Data on the occurrence of microplastics and nanoplastics (MP/NPs) in foods have been used to assess the human health risk caused by the consumption of MP/NPs. The reliability of the data, however, remains unclear because of the lack of international standards for the analysis of MP/NPs in foods. Therefore, the data quality needs to be assessed for accurate health risk assessment. This study developed 10 criteria applicable to the quality assessment of data on MP/NPs in foods. Accordingly, the reliability of 71 data records (69 of them only focused on MPs) was assessed by assigning a score of 2 (reliable without restrictions), 1 (reliable but with restrictions), or 0 (unreliable) on each criterion. The results showed that only three data records scored 2 or 1 on all criteria, and six data records scored 0 on as many as six criteria. A total of 58 data records did not include information on positive controls, and 12 data records did not conduct the polymer identification, which could result in the overestimation or underestimation of MP/NPs. Our results also indicated that the data quality of unprocessed foods was more reliable than that of processed foods. Furthermore, we proposed a quality assurance and quality control protocol to investigate MP/NPs in foods. Notably, the characteristics of MP/NPs used in toxicological studies and those existing in foods showed a remarkable discrepancy, causing the uncertainty of health risk assessment. Therefore, both the estimated exposure of MP/NPs and the claimed potential health risks should be treated with caution.     

Element contents and food safety of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.) cultivated with wastewater in Hanoi, Vietnam

Extensive aquatic or semi-aquatic production of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.) for human consumption takes place in Southeast Asia. The aim of this study was to assess the concentrations of 38 elements in soil and water spinach cultivated under different degrees of wastewater exposure in Hanoi, Vietnam. The results showed no effect of wastewater use on the overall element concentrations in soil and water spinach. Mean soil concentrations for selected potentially toxic elements at the studied field sites had the following ranges 9.11–18.7 As, 0.333–0.667 Cd, 10.8–14.5 Co, 68–122 Cr, 34.0–62.1 Cu, 29.9–52.8 Ni, 32.5–67.4 Pb, 0.578–0.765 Tl and 99–189 Zn mg kg⁻¹ dry weight (d.w.). In all samples Cd, Pb and Zn soil concentrations were below the Vietnamese Guideline Values (TCVN 7209-2002) for agricultural soils whereas As and Cu exceeded the guideline values. Maximum site element concentrations in water spinach were 0.139 As, 0.032 Cd, 0.135 Cr, 2.01 Cu, 39.1 Fe, 57.3 Mn, 0.16 Ni, 0.189 Pb and 6.01 Zn mg kg⁻¹ fresh weight (f.w.). The site and soil content of organic carbon were found to have high influence on the water spinach element concentrations whereas soil pH and the total soil element concentrations were of less importance. The estimated average daily intake of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn for adult Vietnamese consumers amounts to <11% of the maximum tolerable intake proposed by FAO/WHO for each element. It is assessed that the occurrence of the investigated elements in water spinach will pose low health risk for the consumers.     

二次指数平滑法的成都市餐厨垃圾产量预测

餐厨垃圾的产生量直接影响其处理规模,指数平滑法是对于缺乏基础数据的模型预测的一种有效方法。本文以2001～2009年成都市餐厨垃圾产量数据为基础,运用二次指数平滑预测法对成都市餐厨垃圾产量进行预测,预测结果显示2010年成都市餐厨垃圾产量将达到514.96 t/d。     

Synthesis and characterization of antibacterial bio-nano films for food packaging

This study prepared antibacterial nanocomposite films for food packaging from Montmorillonite, which was modified by quaternary ammonium salts such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CT), hexadecyl-tributyl phosphonium bromide (HD) and corn starch (CS). After this, it determined the antimicrobial activity of CS nanofilms against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Dispersion of silicate layers and starch nanocomposite films was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the results indicated that presence of quaternary ammonium salts enhanced clay dispersion, and the starch films incorporated with quaternary ammonium salts would provide potential use in food packaging as nanostructural materials. The nanofilms that were obtained based on the results of the antibacterial analysis were confirmed to have much stronger antibacterial properties than those in similar studies in the literature.     

Food Security: Crops for People Not for Cars

Humankind is currently faced with the huge challenge of securing a sustainable energy supply and biofuels constitute one of the major options. However, the commercially traded edible crops are barely sufficient to meet food demand of the present world population. Certain regions, for example EU-27, do not even have a sufficient indigenous crop production. Of this follows that motor biofuels based on edible crops should be avoided. To replace more than some percent of the fossil motor fuels, non-edible biomass—rest products and wastes—should instead be considered for conversion to biofuels. In this way, about 10% of the current fossil fuels can be replaced. Feeding a world population expected to grow by some 50% during the next 50 years will be a major challenge. For environmental reasons it seems that agricultural land cannot be expanded very much, maybe not at all. The solution to the increasing food demand seems therefore to be using the present crop production more efficiently and increasing output from present agricultural land, maintaining biodiversity and climate stability within reasonable limits. In the future, agriculture will need more energy and more water irrigation. Food production is, however, already very energy demanding, requiring several times more externally provided energy than the energy content of the food itself. A sufficient energy supply will be a key issue for the future farming!     

Agriculture as Provider of Both Food and Fuel

A database of global agricultural primary production has been constructed and used to estimate its energy content. The portion of crops available for food and biofuel after postharvest losses was evaluated. The basic conditions for agriculture and plant growth were studied, to ensure sustainable scenarios regarding use of residues. The available energy contents for the world and EU27 was found to be 7,200–9,300 and 430 TWh, respectively, to be compared with food requirements of 7,100 and 530 TWh. Clearly, very little, or nothing, remains for biofuel from agricultural primary crops. However, by using residues and bioorganic waste, it was found that biofuel production could theoretically replace one-fourth of the global consumption of fossil fuels for transport. The expansion potential for global agriculture is limited by availability of land, water, and energy. A future decrease in supply of fossil energy and ongoing land degradation will thus cause difficulties for increased biofuel production from agriculture.     

Factors affecting the concentration in seven-spotted ladybirds (Coccinella septempunctata L.) of Cd and Zn transferred through the food chain

The transfer of Cd and Zn from soils amended with sewage sludge was followed through a food chain consisting of wheat, aphids and the predator Coccinella septempunctata. Multiple regression models were generated to predict the concentrations of Cd and Zn in C. septempunctata. No significant model could be generated for Cd, indicting that the concentration of this metal was maintained within relatively narrow limits. A model predicting 64% of the variability in the Zn concentration of C. septempunctata was generated from of the concentration of Zn in the diet, time and rate of Zn consumption. The results suggest that decreasing the rate of food consumption is an effective mechanism to prevent the accumulation of Zn and that the availability of Zn in the aphid prey increased with the concentration in the aphids. The results emphasise the importance of using ecologically relevant food chains and exposure pathways during ecotoxicological studies.