Uma análise histórico-crítica sobre o desenvolvimento das normas brasileiras relacionadas a queijos artesanais / [A critical-historical analysis of the continuous development of Brazilian legislation related to artisanal cheeses]

Diferentes tipos de queijos artesanais são produzidos, comercializados e consumidos no Brasil, o que impulsiona o constante desenvolvimento de normas por órgãos oficiais, como o Mapa. A criação do Suasa e do Sisbi-POA foi fundamental para esse setor, por permitir um sistema de equivalência na fiscalização e por ampliar a distribuição. Ainda, o Mapa passou a permitir que queijos artesanais produzidos com leite cru pudessem ser maturados em um período inferior a 60 dias, desde que comprovada sua inocuidade. A redução do tempo de maturação é um tema controverso e polêmico, já que não há critérios específicos que estudos científicos devem contemplar, o que permite múltiplas interpretações de dados. Com a criação e a regulamentação do selo Arte, a fiscalização dos produtos artesanais foi designada aos órgãos de agricultura, pecuária e de saúde pública, em complementação à atribuição já prevista pelo Mapa e pelo Sisbi-POA. Ainda, o selo Arte atribui aos órgãos de inspeção uma função orientadora, atividade que deveria ser prioritariamente executada por agências de extensão e associações. As normas que balizam a produção e comercialização de produtos artesanais devem ser frequentemente atualizadas, devido aos constantes avanços científicos na área e para assegurar a oferta de produtos com qualidade e inócuos aos consumidores.(AU)

Different artisanal cheeses are produced, commercialized and consumed in Brazil, leading to a constant development of related rules by the MAPA and other official agencies. The establishment of two national programs (SUASA and SISBI-POA) allowed an equivalence in inspection system and an expanded distribution. Also, MAPA allowed ripening time lower than 60 days for artisanal raw milk cheeses, based on scientific studies that assure their safety. However, lowering the ripening period is still controversial, once there are no proper established criteria for such scientific studies, leading to potential multiple interpretation of data. The newly established ARTE certification transferred the inspection responsibilities of artisanal products to secretaries of agriculture, livestock and health, in support of what was already predicated by MAPA and SISBI-POA. Based on ARTE certification, the inspection service must also provide orientation guidance to producers, which should be done specifically by extension organs and associations. The norms that guide the production and commercialization of these artisanal products often need to be updated, but based on well-established methodologies and procedures, to ensure the distribution of suitable products to consumers.(AU)

Co-occurrence of mycotoxins in commercial formula milk and cereal-based baby food on the Qatar market.

The present study was conducted to explore the occurrence of mycotoxins in commercial baby foods in Doha-Qatar. LCMS/MS- and HPLC-based analysis of baby food (n = 67) for 12 mycotoxins confirmed the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1, 33%), ochratoxin A (OTA, 31%), deoxynivalenol (DON, 27%), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, 22%), fumonisin B2 (FB2, 10%), zearalenone (ZEN, 4%) and T-2 toxin (2%). Noodles exhibited the maximum contamination percentage, with 33% of the samples being contaminated above the EU maximum limits, for at least one mycotoxin. Among the multi-grain flake samples, up to 28% and for the milk and milk-based-cereal samples, 14% contained at least one mycotoxin above the EU maximum limits. From all cereal-based food samples, 22%, 5%, 2% and 2% were concurrently contaminated with 2, 3, 4 and 5 mycotoxins, respectively. The occurrence of toxicological important mycotoxins in Qatari market warrants the implementation of strict regulatory limits to protect human health.

[Suitability analysis of tolerance limit for aflatoxin M1 in foods and Chinese population dietary exposure to aflatoxin M1 from milk].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the suitability of tolerance limit for aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in foods and Chinese population dietary exposure to AFM1 from milk. METHODS: Milk and dairy products consumption data combined with the tolerance limit for AFM1 in foods as well as the concentration of AFM1 in milk were employed in assessment of both the intakes of AFM1 and the Chinese population long-time exposure to AFM1. AFM1 intake and the dietary exposure to projected risks for liver cancer attributable to either use of the maximum levels of AFM1 of 0.05 microg/kg milk or consumption of milk contaminated with AFM1 were assessed. RESULTS: Assuming that all milk and dairy products on sale contain AFM1 at the level equal to the tolerance limit of 0.5 microg/kg, the total average dietary exposure to AFM1 in Chinese population will be 0.20 ng per kilogram bodyweight per day, the increased risk of liver cancer in humans will be as 0.00062 cases per 100,000 individuals per year, if the incidence of HBs Ag carriers of 7.18% takes into account. As for the milk sample contaminated with AFM1 at the level of 1.2 microg/kg analyzed and issued by the General Adminstration of Quality Surpervision Inspection and Qarantine of China in 2011, the total average long-term exposure of the Chinese population to AFM1 from this milk sample will be 0.43 ng per kilogram bodyweight per day, the increased risk of liver cancer in humans might be 0.00133 cases per 100,000 individuals per year. CONCLUSION: The tolerance limit for AFM1 of 0.5 microg/kg implemented in China can effectively protect the whole population. In addition, although the health risk of short-term exposure to AFM1-contaminated milk is acceptable, the government still should take the effective measures to control the contamination of AFM1 in milk so as to reduce the Chinese long-time exposure to AFM1.

Assessing the research and education needs of the organic dairy industry in the northeastern United States.

Demographic and management data about organic dairies have been reported previously, but the current study is the first needs assessment of research and educational priorities of organic dairy farmers in the northeastern United States based directly upon their input. Our objectives were to (1) develop an initial understanding of the emerging research and educational needs of organic dairy farmers in the northeastern United States via focus group interviews, and (2) prioritize the needs identified by the focus groups with a broader population of organic dairy farmers via survey methods. Focus group interviews determined the questions used for the survey questionnaire distributed to 1,200 members of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance. The members were asked about demographic information, but more importantly, challenges concerning business management and marketing, organic certification, and animal nutrition, health, and reproduction. The results (183 respondents, 15% response rate) were parsed by region (New England farms compared with New York and Pennsylvania farms), herd size (i.e., 12 to 37, 38 to 59, and >60 cows), and years of organic certification (<4 yr vs. ≥ 4 yr); however, no differences between regions were observed for demographic data. The average farm consisted of 309 acres and 57 milking cows, on which most of the forage was homegrown but grains were purchased (73% of farms). Among the greatest challenges identified by the farmers were obtaining a steady, fair price for milk (85% respondents); determining dry matter intake for animals on pasture (76%); and controlling nuisance flies (89%). Needs for additional research included organic treatments for mastitis (92% respondents), growing forages for organic production (84%), and developing value-added products (84%). Farms with <4 yr of organic certification were concerned with level of knowledge and experience of local certifiers, whereas organic producers with ≥ 4 yr of organic certification were more interested in field testing of new organic products. Opportunities for educational programs included learning about direct marketing possibilities (76% respondents) and providing training to regional veterinarians interested in organic remedies (91%). In conclusion, the information obtained from the current needs assessment provides a foundation for future research proposals and educational outreach programs, germane to stakeholder needs, which could benefit the organic dairy industry within the region and beyond.

Evaluación de la calidad de productos lácteos por medio de la nariz electrónica / Assessment of dairy products quality by means of electronic nose

La nariz electrónica, instrumento que utiliza un conjunto de sensores y un sistema de reconocimiento de patrones para el análisis cualitativo de aromas, ha encontrado numerosas aplicaciones en la industria alimentaria, gracias a su versatilidad. En este trabajo una breve descripción de la nariz electrónica, de su modo de operación y de sus ventajas y desventajas, ha sido realizada. Además, las principales aplicaciones de este instrumento en la industria de alimentos, con un énfasis especial en la industria láctea, han sido revisadas. Estas aplicaciones incluyen la detección de microorganismos en la leche, la identificación de aromas indeseados en la leche, la estimación del tiempo de vida útil de la leche y de varios tipos de quesos, la identificación de leche mastítica, la clasificación de quesos en función del tiempo de maduración, la diferenciación de quesos por origen geográfico y el control de la fermentación de la leche, entre otros. Los resultados de esta revisión indican que la nariz electrónica podría ser utilizada como un instrumento para un rápido control de calidad de los productos.

The electronic nose, instrument that uses a group of sensors and a system of pattern recognition for the qualitative analysis of aroma, has found many applications in the food industry, because of its versatility. In this work a brief description of the electronic nose, its operation mode and its advantages and disadvantages were carried out. Moreover, the main applications of this instrument in the food industry, with special emphasis on the dairy industry, have been reviewed. These applications include the detection of microorganisms in milk, the identification of off-flavours in milk, the shelf life of milk and various types of cheeses, the identification of mastitic milk, the classification of cheeses according to their time of ripening, the discrimination of cheeses by geographic origin and the control of the milk fermentation, among other. The results of this review indicate that electronic nose could be used as an instrument for the rapid quality control of dairy products.

Removal of cadmium and lead from aqueous solution by Enterococcus faecium strains.

Foods may be contaminated with heavy metals, which, even in small quantities, possess detrimental effects on human health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the uptake of cadmium or lead from an aqueous medium frequently found in foods, by 2 Enterococcus faecium strains (E. faecium EF031 and E. faecium M74). Also, the effects of the bacterial viability, incubation (contact) time, and pH on the binding capacities and binding stability were assessed. The results showed that both of the strains efficiently removed cadmium and lead. While EF031 removed 77.3% to 98.1% of cadmium and 66.9% to 98.9% of lead, M74 removed 53.5% to 91% of cadmium and 42.9% to 93.1% of lead throughout a 48 h incubation period at pH 5. It was found that, at 1 h, EF031 and M74 strains removed cadmium and lead, which was more than 60% of total removed cadmium and lead throughout the whole incubation period of 48 h. It suggests that the uptake of cadmium and lead by EF031 and M74 strains is a rapid process. The binding of both heavy metals increased with increasing pH of an aqueous medium and was the highest at pH 5. Also, the complexes formed between both heavy metals and bacterial cells were found to be stable. These findings indicate that E. faecium strains used in the study are able to bind the 2 heavy metals and may be used in the production of fermented functional foods, which will be healthy via its detoxification properties.

[Milk and dairy products for human nutrition: contribution of technology]. / Laits et produits laitiers en alimentation humaine Apports des procédés technologiques.

The complex composition of milk has led to the development of innovative technological processes such as membrane separation. The dairy industry is now able to offer consumers safe classical products (liquid milk, raw-milk cheeses) with little or no heat treatment. Indeed, heat treatment undermines the organoleptic qualities and bioactivity of many molecules found in milk. New technologies, and especially membrane microfiltration, have allowed researchers to identify two groups of milk proteins in terms of their human absorption kinetics: slow micellar casein and fast whey proteins. The highly purified products thus obtained are used for infant foods and slimming aids, and as functional ingredients. The same technologies have been applied to colostrum, yielding a sterile "serocolostrum" containing biologically active immunoglobulins, growth factors, and polypeptides. Combined with other separation techniques, membrane technologies should soon allow the separation and purification of minor milk proteins described as having essential roles in bone calcium uptake and vitamin transport, for example. The use of enzymatic membrane reactors has led to the identification of several bioactive peptides, such as--kappa-caseinomacropeptide, which induces CCK (cholecystokinin) secretion and thus regulates food intake and lipid assimilation,--alpha(S1) CN (91-100), a compound with benzodiazepine activity,-- kappaCN (106-116), which has anti-thrombotic activity by inhibiting blood platelet binding to fibrinogen, and--alpha(S) and beta casein phosphopeptides, which are thought to increase iron and calcium absorption.

Scenario analysis of changes in consumption of dairy products caused by a hypothetical causal link between Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and Crohn's disease.

Johne's disease is an infectious disease of cattle caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Crohn's disease (CD) is a human disease of unknown etiology that is characterized by chronic bowel inflammation. No causal link has been scientifically established between MAP and CD, but it is important to understand possible impacts on society should such a causal link be established. The goal of this paper is to analyze the implications and the possible economic impacts that finding such a link would have on milk demand in the dairy industry and to provide a framework for further discussion among stakeholders. Three scenarios were developed based on the effectiveness of possible risk-mitigation strategies. In the first scenario, it was assumed that an effective strategy exists; therefore, a negligible demand decrease in the consumption of dairy products was expected. In the second scenario, it was assumed that new risk mitigation would need to be implemented to minimize the health hazard for humans. In this case, a small milk demand decrease was expected, but larger demand decreases were also possible. The third scenario assumed that no fully effective risk mitigation was available, and this resulted in a considerable demand decrease and a potential reduction in milk supply as a result of regulatory measures. A milk demand reduction of 1 or 5% resulted in a reduction in consumer surplus of $600 million and $2.9 billion, and a reduction in dairy farm income of $270 million and $1.3 billion, respectively. A decrease in milk supply would cause a slight increase in total losses, but would cause the greatest losses to test-positive dairy farms. Given the current scientific knowledge about MAP and CD, we conclude that if a link were established, it is most likely that the first or second scenario would occur. Thus, consumer response and economic consequences to the discovery of such a link are expected to be limited, but could be large if the consumer's perception of risk is large or if risk-mitigation strategies were ineffective.

Compendio de normas técnicas obligatorias de alimentos / Compendium of mandatory technical standards for food

El documento proporciona una herramienta para el desarrollo del trabajo técnico de los inspectores sanitarios del Ministerio de Salud, a fin de hacer cumplir las normas en los establecimientos de alimentos

Compendio de Normas Técnicas Obligatorias de Alimentos / Summary of Obligatory Technical Norms of Foods

Presenta el Primer Compendio de Normas Técnicas Obligatorias de Alimentos, el cual contiene las principales normas aprobadas por la Comisión Nacional de Normalización Técnica del país, de la cual forma parte el Ministerio de Salud-Nicaragua. Este Compendio es una herramienta básica para desarrollar un trabajo técnico, eficaz de los Inspectores Sanitarios del Ministerio de Salud, quienes tienen la misión de velar por el cumpliento de estas normas en los establecimientos de alimentos. Asi también es de gran apoyo para la industria alimentaria, para el proceso de aplicación y autoevaluación, con la finalidad de asegurar la inocuidad de los alimentos

Enriquecido lácteo en base a leche y extensores lácteos precocidos, en polvo, para la alimentación complementaria escolar - requisitos / Enriched milk product on the basis of milk and precooked milk extensors, in powder, for the school suplementary feeding - requirements

Esta norma establece los requisitos que debe cumplir el enriquecido lácteo en base a leche y extensores lácteos precocidos, para la alimentación complementaria escolar, en el momento de su consumo.

Bebidas lácteas fermentadas para la alimentación complementaria escolar - requisitos ICS67.100.10 Leche y productos lácteos / Milk beverages fermented for the school supplementary feeding - requirements ICS67.100.10 Milk and dairy products

Esta norma establece los requisitos que deben cumplir las bebidas lácteas fermentadas, con microorganismos viables, destinados a la alimentación complementaria escolar (fortificada), en el momento de su consumo.

Leche saborizada para la alimentación complementaria escolar - requisitos ICS 67.100.10 leche y productos lacteos / Saborizada milk for the school suplementary feeding - requirements ICS 67.100.10 milk and dairy products

Esta norma establece los requisitos que cumplir la leche saborizada pasteurizada o ultrapasteurizada, fortificada, con o sin extensor, destinada a la alimentación complementaria escolar, en el momento de su consumo.

[The effect of pesticides on dairy product quality]. / Vliianie pestitsidov na kachestvo molochnykh produktov.

Coming into the milk and dairy products from animals, pesticides exert a high effect on human health. Depending on the fatness of dairy products and a process, the levels of pesticide residues vary greatly. Toxic agents and their metabolic products are most completely removed by vacuum deodorization. Monitoring the levels of pesticides in the milk and dairy products requires introduction of new methods for determining toxic agents and use of well-studied and less toxic compounds.

Food preservation using ionizing radiation.

Irradiation processing has been researched extensively and is now in use worldwide for many food commodities. Irradiation has been successfully used to reduce pathogenic bacteria, eliminate parasites, decrease postharvest sprouting, and extend the shelf life of fresh perishable foods. Although food irradiation is widely accepted in world food markets, U.S. markets have been slower to accept the idea of irradiated food products. For fruits and vegetables, irradiation is not a cure for shelf life problems; cost and quality problems damage preclude its general use. It appears that the most likely use of irradiation in fruits and vegetables is as an insect control in those commodities for which there is no effective alternative method. For grains such as rice and wheat, irradiation has been used primarily to control insect infestation when insects have been shown to develop resistance to the traditional fumigation methods. Treatment of spices with irradiation doses of 10 kGy has proved to extend shelf life without causing significant changes in sensory or chemical quality. Higher doses that effectively sterilize spices, however, may cause undesirable chemical and sensorial changes. For meat, especially red meat, irradiation is considered a viable alternative in the effort to improve the safety of meat products. With time, the authors believe that economic realities and the technical superiority of irradiation for specific poultry products will lead to public acceptance of the process. Irradiation of seafood products is still being considered for approval by the USFDA, although it is currently used in Asian and European markets, especially for shrimp. It is our belief that scientifically based research in food irradiation and the positive results thereof will also prove economical in the twenty-first century. As we move to a more peaceful world with reduced threat of nuclear holocaust, these valid opinions will prevail and will overshadow the distortions and misinformation generated by the opponents of irradiation.

A review of the significance of animal food products as potential pathways of human exposures to dioxins.

The polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (dioxins) are groups of compounds with similar chemical and toxicological properties. Carcinogenicity was considered the most serious toxic end point when setting previous regulatory policies, but recent concerns have focused on the possible endocrine-disrupting activities of the dioxins. Toxicity is related to the 2,3,7,8 pattern of chlorine substitution, a pattern that also leads to chemical and metabolic stability. Dioxins are practically insoluble in water and concentrate in lipids of biological systems, leading to low background concentrations in fat of the general human population. Major environmental sources of dioxins are emissions from industrial chlorination processes and combustion of materials containing chlorine. Inhalation and water have been ruled out as significant exposure pathways, which suggests that food is the primary source. Pathways of entry into food chains are atmospheric transport of emissions and their subsequent deposition on plants, soils, and water. The major food sources seem to be fat-containing animal products and some seafoods. This conclusion is based on evaluations of potential environmental pathways involving dioxins and related compounds. Generally, dioxins and other lipophilic compounds are not taken up and translocated by plants, so residues in foods and feeds derived from seeds should be negligible. Animals on high-roughage diets, or those that ingest contaminated soil, are the most likely to accumulate dioxin residues from the environment. The conclusion that animal products are a major source of human exposure requires verification by appropriate food sampling programs and animal metabolism studies. If it is desirable to reduce human exposure to dioxins via the food supply, reduction of sources would be a more effective strategy than changing agricultural practices and food consumption patterns.

The potential of lactic acid bacteria for the production of safe and wholesome food.

By tradition lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are involved in the production of fermented foods. These constitute one quarter of our diet and are characterized by a safe history, certain beneficial health effects, and an extended shelf life when compared with raw materials. The various fermenting substrates are habitats for specific LAB that differ in their metabolic potential. The health effects exerted by LAB are the following: 1. Production of lactic acid and minor amounts of acetic and formic acid. These cause: a drop in pH and thereby growth inhibition of food spoiling or poisoning bacteria; killing of certain pathogens; detoxification by degradation of noxious compounds of plant origin (usually in combination with plant-derived enzymatic activities). 2. Production of antimicrobial compounds (e.g. bacteriocins, H2O2, fatty acids). 3. Probiotic effects as live organisms in food. The wholesomeness of LAB can also be extended to fields outside human nutrition, as they may act as probiotics in animal production or as plant protectives in agriculture and thus contribute to healthy raw materials for food production. Modern concepts or perspectives of the application of LAB include the following: 1. Selection of the best adapted and safely performing LAB strains. 2. Selection of strains with probiotic effects. 3. Selection of strains with health-promoting effects (e.g. production of vitamins or essential amino acids, anti-tumour activity). 4. Selection of strains with food protective activities (inhibiting spoilage or food pathogens). These strains can be added to food or used as starters in food fermentations. They may be found as wild-type organisms or can be obtained by genetic engineering.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)