Does hunted wild boar meat meet modern consumer nutritional expectations?

The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional characteristics of hunted wild boar (WB) meat and compare them with those of meat from analogous domestic animals (pigs) reared in two different rearing systems: indoor-intensive (PI) and outdoor-extensive (PO). WB meat showed a lower amount of lipid content compared to pork and a higher antioxidant activity compared to PI and PO. The comparison of the fatty acid composition of WB and domestic pig reveals significant differences in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), with WB having the highest PUFA level and the lowest SFA level. The omega 6/omega 3 (n-6/n-3) PUFA ratio, PUFA/SFA, atherogenic and thrombogenic indices (AI and TI), as well as the hypocholesterolemic/ hypercholesterolemic index (h/H), were calculated. The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was higher in pork independently of the rearing system. The PUFA/SFA ratio of WB meat was above the minimum ratio of 0.40 recommended to contribute to a reduction in the risk of coronary diseases in pork from both rearing systems. AI and TI were lower in WB meat compared to commercially reared pigs, while h/H was higher in WB in comparison with pork meat. WB meat shows good nutritional quality; therefore, the use of game meat as a food source could be appropriate and could benefit contemporary consumers looking for "green" and high-nutritional products.

Estimation of acrylamide exposure in Italian schoolchildren consuming a canteen menu: health concern in three age groups.

Acrylamide (AA) is a food process contaminant with carcinogenic and genotoxic properties that is formed in thermally treated foods, especially carbohydrate-rich. Dietary exposure to AA, due to school canteen foods, was estimated in schoolchildren aged 3-13 years by combining the AA concentration in foods with the amount and frequency of food consumption. Potato products and bakery products presented the highest mean levels of AA (841 and 244 µg/kg, respectively) followed by meat (222 µg/kg) and egg products (151 µg/kg). The mean total AA intake was estimated at 2.16 µg/kg bw/d, with the highest percentages provided by potato products (34.5%), meat products (26.1%) and bread (24.5%). The calculated margins of exposure (MOEs) for the average AA exposure (84 and 212 for the benchmark dose lower confidence limits (BMDL) of 0.17 and 0.43 mg/kg bw/d) suggest that there is a health concern with respect to students eating in school canteens.

Contribution of vegetables and cured meat to dietary nitrate and nitrite intake in Italian population: Safe level for cured meat and controversial role of vegetables.

Nitrate and nitrite content was determined on a total of 900 samples of vegetables and cured meat and the nitrite and nitrate exposure assessment was evaluated for central Italy population based on the food consumption data reported by the national dietary surveys. The highest average content of nitrate was detected in rocket salad (4415 mg/kg) and radish (3817 mg/kg) and for cured meat in "Bresaola" (188 mg/kg) and in Bacon (178 mg/kg). The nitrite content was negligible both in vegetables than in cured meat. The average consumption among population resulted 3.45 g/kg bw/die and 0.62 g/kg bw/die for vegetables and cured meat respectively. The obtained data confirm that nitrate ADI was higher than the limits of 3.7 mg/kg bw/die for infants and was the highest exposure level for people of all ages. Cured meat consumption did not contribute to nitrate ADI exceedance neither as a mean nor as 99th percentile of exposure.

A rapid high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for unambiguous detection of different milk species employed in cheese manufacturing.

The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility to differentiate the 4 most important species in Italian dairy industry (cow, buffalo, sheep, and goat), applying a bottom-up proteomic approach to assess the milk species involved in cheese production. Selective peptides were detected in milk to use as markers in cheese products. Trypsin-digested milk samples of cow, sheep, goat, and buffalo, analyzed by HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry provided species-specific peptides, some of them recognized by Mascot software (Matrix Science Ltd., Boston, MA) as derived from well-known species specific proteins. A multianalyte multiple reaction monitoring method, built with these specific peptides, was successfully applied to cheeses with different composition, showing high specificity in detection of species involved. Neither aging nor production method seemed to affect the response, demonstrating that chosen peptides well act as species markers for dairy products.

Foreign Bodies in Dried Mushrooms Marketed in Italy.

The presence of foreign bodies in mushrooms affects their marketability and may result in health risks to consumers. The inspection of fresh or dried mushrooms today is very important in view of the increased consumption of this kind of food. Ten samples of dried mushrooms collected in supermarkets were examined for evidence of entomological contamination by macro and microscopic analytical methods, the so-called filth-test. A total of 49 46 determinations, comprising 15 g of the vegetable matrix, were made. The microscopic filth test consistently detected an irregular distribution of physical contaminants following repeated determinations of the same sample. Visual examination, on the other hand, was not sufficient to ensure a product free of contaminants.