Monitoring and risk assessment of biogenic amines in Korean commercial fermented seasonings.

Fermented seasonings are widely used in Korean cuisine; however, some contain high levels of biogenic amines (BAs). In this study, in order to estimate the potential BA risk from fermented seasoning, the BA contents in 50 commercial brands (n = 292) of five seasonings (soy sauce, Gochujang, Doenjang, Ssamjang, and Cheonggukjang) and their changes due to different cooking methods were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The risk assessment for consumer exposure was evaluated by computing the estimated daily intake (EDI), histamine (HIS) intake, and tyramine (TYR) intake. Maximum contents of HIS detected in Cheonggukjang, soy sauce, Doenjang, and Ssamjang were 318.46, 148.15, 123.65, and 114.07 mg/kg, respectively. However, even in the worst-case scenario, the EDI value and HIS intake results demonstrated that the seasonings had a limited impact on the risk of HIS poisoning due to their low consumption. Cheonggukjang exhibited the highest TYR content (312.89 mg/kg), and the TYR exposure results implied that those taking classical antidepressant monoamine oxidase inhibitors should pay attention to Cheonggukjang. After stir-frying, the total BA retentions in soy sauce and Gochujang were only 51.45% and 57.08%, respectively, which may be caused by high temperature. Based on the results of this study, the five seasonings contained various BAs, which can be influenced by the cooking process, and all five seasonings are safe for the general population in terms of the risk of BAs.

[Cost-benefit analysis on the intervention of application iron-fortified soy sauce for anemia in Deqing 15-54 years women, Zhejiang].

OBJECTIVE: To make a cost-benefit analysis on anemia intervention with iron-fortified soy sauce in 15-54 years old women. METHODS: The study was conducted in Deqing county, Zhejiang province in 2012-2013. A total 585 women as sampling size were estimated with statistical model and randomly selected by probability proportionate to size sampling. Hemoglobin were measured before intervention and after 15 months. The cost of the intervention project were collected with manpower, communication and other invest. The benefit was estimated with profiling model. RESULTS: After the intervention, the anemia prevalence of sampled women decreased from 31.1% to 21.9%(P<0.01). The major cost of the project was 156 400 RMB, and total benefits result ing from projects were 1 448 485 RMB. The cost-benefit ratio of the project is 1∶9.49. If investing one yuan can produce economic benefits of nearly 9.49 yuan, therefore, the intervention projectis worth to be scaling up. Sensitivity analysis showed the result of this study was stable. CONCLUSION: The intervention can significantly reduce the prevalence of anemia in women, and reduce the economic burden of the diseases. .

Contamination of Clostridium perfringens in soy sauce, and quantitative microbial risk assessment for C. perfringens through soy sauce consumption.

The objective of this study was to conduct QMRA (quantitative microbial risk assessment) of Clostridium perfringens through soy sauce consumption. Four hundred and ninety soy sauce samples from markets were analyzed to detect C. perfringens. Temperature and time were also measured during transportation and display of soy sauce. A primary model was developed by fitting the Weibull model to the C. perfringens cell counts in soy sauce at 7-35°C, and δ (the time needed to decrease 1 log CFU/ml) and ρ (curve shape) were calculated. The parameters were analyzed, using the Exponential model (secondary model) as a function of temperature. The consumption amount and percentage of soy sauce were surveyed, and a dose-response model was searched. Using all collected data, a simulation model was prepared in the @RISK program to estimate the probability of C. perfringens foodborne illness by soy sauce consumption. C. perfringens were negative in 490 samples. Thus, the initial contamination level was estimated to be -2.9 log CFU/ml. The developed predictive models showed that C. perfringens cell counts decreased during transportation and display. The average consumption amounts, and the percentage of soy sauce were 7.81 ml and 81.2%, respectively. The simulation showed that the probability of C. perfringens foodborne illness by consumption of soy sauce was 1.7 × 10-16 per person per day. Therefore, the risk of C. perfringens by consumption of soy sauce is low in Korea.

Assessment of estimated daily intake of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol from soy sauce in Korea.

Soy sauces collected from the Korean market were determined for 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and daily intake of 3-MCPD through the consumption of soy sauce was estimated. Thirty-one samples were chosen based on a market share in 2017. The amount of 3-MCPD varied from not detected to 54.97 µg/kg with a mean value of 11.62 µg/kg. Seven soy sauces, which corresponded to 23% of the analysed samples, exceeded 20 µg/kg that is a maximum limit established by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea. Daily intake of 3-MCPD was estimated as 1.22 ng/kg body weight (bw) for average consumers and 4.47 ng/kg bw for 95th high consumers, respectively. The exposure for average consumers amounted to 0.03-0.11% of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI, 4 µg/kg bw). This indicates that the exposure to 3-MCPD from soy sauce is of low concern in the Korean population.

Estimation of the dietary intake and risk assessment of food carcinogens (3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP) in soy sauces by Monte Carlo simulation.

Quantifiable levels of 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) were found in domestically manufactured soy-based sauces. Selected commercial foods in the Malaysian market (n = 43) were analyzed for their 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP contents using a validated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique. The 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP contents of the analyzed food samples varied from not detectable levels to 0.1223 ± 0.0419 mg kg-1 and not detectable levels to 0.025 ± 0.0041 mg kg-1, respectively. High concentrations of 3-MCPD, exceeding Malaysia's maximum tolerable limit of 0.02 mg kg-1, were found in chicken seasoning cubes (mean = 0.0898 ± 0.0378 mg kg-1). Monte Carlo simulation-based health risk assessment revealed that 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP intakes in the 50th, 95th, and 99th percentiles were lower than 4 µg kg-1 bw day-1, the limit recommended by JECFA in 2016. Hence, it was concluded that the exposure of Malaysian citizens to chloropropanols through soy sauce consumption does not present a health risk.

Analysis of 4(5)-methylimidazole in soy sauce by a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe approach and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

4(5)-Methylimidazole (4(5)-MI) is a potential carcinogen with low molecule weight, highly polarity, and weak basicity. The traditional way to extract and clean-up 4(5)-MI in soy sauce using solid phase extraction is tedious and time consuming. Here we proposed a method for the determination of 4(5)-MI in soy sauce by combining a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The impacts of solution pH, water addition, and cleanup procedure on 4(5)-MI extraction efficiency were studied. An optimized sample preparation approach involved a single step liquid-liquid extraction between acetonitrile and soy sauce under alkaline conditions, followed by primary and secondary amine clean-up. The analytical method was validated with soy sauce at three spiking levels (10, 50, 500 ng/g). The method recovery (96.2-107%) and intra-day/inter-day precision (4.1-8.4%/6.9-11.7%) were satisfactory. The method quantification limit was 10 ng/g. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of 4(5)-MI in fourteen commercial soy sauces from local markets. The results obtained in this work suggests that the method is suitable for the analysis of 4(5)-MI at low concentrations in high-salting and protein-containing soy sauce matrix.

Simple and sensitive analysis of histamine and tyramine in Japanese soy sauces and their intermediates using the stable isotope dilution HILIC-MS/MS method.

We established a simple, sensitive, and reproducible method to analyze the histamine and tyramine levels in Japanese soy sauce and its mash (called moromi) using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS). Histamine and tyramine quantification was performed using their stable isotopes for electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry in the selected reaction monitoring mode. The sample pretreatment process was a simple, one-step liquid-liquid extraction. HILIC separation was performed with a gradient elution of aqueous ammonium formate and acetonitrile. Because of validation tests, the linearity, the accuracies, and precisions were sufficient. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification were 0.09 and 0.29 ppm for histamine and 0.13 and 0.42 ppm for tyramine, respectively. We successfully applied this method to histamine and tyramine determination in four kinds of commercial Japanese soy sauces and also in moromi samples during soy sauce production.

3-Monochloro-1,2-propandiol (3-MCPD) in soy sauce from the Bulgarian market.

The 3-monochloro-1,2-propandiol (3-MCPD) levels in soy sauces which contained hydrolysed vegetable protein were evaluated for the Bulgarian market. For analysis of 3-MCPD, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was applied with a linear range of 0.03-2.00 µg mL⁻¹ and a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.3 µg kg⁻¹ and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3.4 µg kg⁻¹. At these levels, the standard deviation was 5.1%, with recoveries between 81% and 102%. The method was applied to the analysis of 21 samples of soy sauce from the Bulgarian market. Results ranged from 3.7 to 185.6 µg kg⁻¹. Soy sauces produced from hydrolysed soy protein contained higher levels of 3-MCPD than naturally fermented sauces. In 38.4% of samples of Bulgarian origin, the 3-MCPD content was above the EU limit of 20 µg kg⁻¹. In all analysed samples, 33.3% had a 3-MCPD content above the EU limit.

Survey and risk assessment of trace elements in foods from Taiwan containing red mould rice (Monascus) by ICP-MS.

The concentrations of seven trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Se, Cu and Zn) in 93 red mould rice (Monascus) food samples in Taipei, Taiwan, were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after wet digestion. The results, calculated in mg kg(-1) (wet weight) for each sample, revealed the general scenario of food safety in Taiwan: As (0.005-12.04), Cd (<0.0005-2.22), Cr (0.014-6.95), Cu (0.012-8.70), Pb (0.001-0.64), Se (<0.001-1.29) and Zn (0.020-67.02). Three food samples were identified with As concentrations higher than regulatory limits: a dietary supplement sample and a seaweed sample with As concentrations that exceeded the limit of Taiwan's health food standard of 2 mg kg(-1), and a canned eel sample with an As concentration that exceeded the limit of Canada's fish standard of 3.5 mg kg(-1). This study suggests that the estimated intakes of these seven trace elements from the consumption of foods containing Monascus pose little risk, as the trace element contents in the majority of samples were lower than the permissible/tolerable intakes per week according to the guidelines recommended by the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO). Moreover, their concentrations in foods containing Monascus differ widely for different food varieties, suggesting that external contaminants and raw materials are the main sources of trace elements. This study shows that ICP-MS is a simple method proposed for the determination of As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Se, Cu, and Zn in foods containing Monascus.