Risk of Gluten Cross-Contamination Due to Food Handling Practices: A Mini-Review.

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease triggered by the ingestion of gluten in genetically predisposed individuals, affecting 1.4% of the world population. CD induces an inflammatory reaction that compromises small intestine villi, leading to nutrient malabsorption, and gastro and extraintestinal manifestations. Although other treatment approaches are being studied, adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only effective intervention to date. Despite this, about 50% of patients experience persistent inflammation, often associated with unintentional gluten ingestion through contaminated food. There are regulations for labeling gluten-free foods which specify a limit of 20 mg/kg (20 ppm). The risks of gluten cross-contamination above that level are present throughout the whole food production chain, emphasizing the need for caution. This review explores studies that tested different procedures regarding the shared production of gluten-containing and gluten-free food, including the use of shared equipment and utensils. A literature review covering PubMed, Scielo, Web of Science, VHL and Scopus identified five relevant studies. The results indicate that shared environments and equipment may not significantly increase gluten cross-contamination if appropriate protocols are followed. Simultaneous cooking of gluten-containing and gluten-free pizzas in shared ovens has demonstrated a low risk of contamination. In general, shared kitchen utensils and equipment (spoon, ladle, colander, knife, fryer, toaster) in controlled experiments did not lead to significant contamination of samples. On the other hand, cooking gluten-free and gluten-containing pasta in shared water resulted in gluten levels above the established limit of 20 ppm. However, rinsing the pasta under running water for a few seconds was enough to reduce the gluten content of the samples to less than 20 ppm.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of mangaba / Compostos bioativos e atividade antioxidante da mangaba

The present study aimed to assess the behavior of bioactive compounds and total antioxidant activity of two mangaba varieties (H. speciosa var. gardneri and H. speciosa var. cuyabensis) during storage, in two ripening stages. The fruit were harvested from the Germplasm bank of the School of Agronomy, at two ripening stages: "mature green" (mature fruit picked from the tree) and "fallen" (ripe fruit collected from the ground). After collection, they were transported to the laboratory, washed under running water, immersed in chlorine solution at 100 mg L-1 for 10 minutes, left to dry and stored under ambient conditions (22±1ºC and 90±5% RH). The fruit were analyzed to determine ascorbic acid content, total extractable polyphenols, yellow flavonoids and antioxidant activity using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid). Analyses were performed dailyuntil the mangaba were unfit for sale, using 3 repetitions with 3 fruit each. The maximum conservation time was eight days for "mature green" and two days for "fallen" fruit. The cuyabensis variety exhibited greatest ascorbic acid content at both ripening stages, in addition to higher antioxidant activity, and was therefore found to have the best potential to be marketed as a "superfruit"

O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar o comportamento dos compostos bioativos e da atividade antioxidante total de duas variedades de mangaba (H. speciosa var. gardneri e H. speciosa var. cuyabensis) durante o armazenamento, em dois estádios de maturação. Os frutos foram colhidos no banco de Germoplasma da Escola de Agronomia, em dois estádios de maturação, "de vez" (frutos maturos colhidos da árvore) e "de caída" (frutos maduros coletados no chão). Após a colheita, foram transportados para o laboratório, onde foram selecionados, lavados em água corrente, imersos em solução de cloro a 100 mg L-1 por 10 minutos, deixados secar e armazenados sob condição ambiente (22±1ºC e 90±5%UR). Os frutos foram analisados quanto aos teores de ácido ascórbico, flavonoides amarelos e polifenóis extraíveis totais, além da atividade antioxidante total determinada pelo método de redução do ferro (FRAP) e ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid). As análises foram realizadas diariamente até que os frutos se tornassem impróprios para a comercialização, utilizando-se 3 repetições com 3 frutos cada. O período máximo de conservação foi de oito dias para os frutos "de vez" e dois dias para os frutos "de caída". A variedade cuyabensis apresentou maiores teores de ácido ascórbico em ambos os estádios de maturação avaliados, além da capacidade antioxidante mais elevada, mostrando ser a variedade com maior potencial para "superfruta" na comercialização

Prediction of meat quality traits in Nelore cattle by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy.

The main definition for meat quality should include factors that affect consumer appreciation of the product. Physical laboratory analyses are necessary to identify factors that affect meat quality and specific equipment is used for this purpose, which is expensive and destructive, and the analyses are usually time consuming. An alternative method to performing several beef analyses is near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), which permits to reduce costs and to obtain faster, simpler, and nondestructive measurements. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of NIRS to predict shear force [Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF)], marbling, and color (*a = redness; b* = yellowness; and L* = lightness) in meat samples of uncastrated male Nelore cattle, that were approximately 2-yr-old. Samples of longissimus thoracis (n = 644) were collected and spectra were obtained prior to meat quality analysis. Multivariate calibration was performed by partial least squares regression. Several preprocessing techniques were evaluated alone and in combination: raw data, reduction of spectral range, multiplicative scatter correction, and 1st derivative. Accuracies of the calibration models were evaluated using the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), coefficient of determination in the calibration (R2C), and prediction (R2P) groups. Among the different preprocessing techniques, the reduction of spectral range provided the best prediction accuracy for all traits. The NIRS showed a better performance to predict WBSF (RMSEP = 1.42 kg, R2P = 0.40) and b* color (RMSEP = 1.21, R2P = 0.44), while its ability to accurately predict L* (RMSEP = 1.98, R2P = 0.16) and a* (RMSEP = 1.42, R2P = 0.17) was limited. NIRS was unsuitable to predict subjective meat quality traits such as marbling in Nelore cattle.

Effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) levels on quality of 'Palmer' mangoes under controlled atmosphere storage.

With the objective to evaluate the modifications in the fruit quality, 'Palmer' mangoes were stored at 12.8 °C for 30 days in controlled atmosphere storage that contained a low level of oxygen (5 kPa) which was associated with increasing levels of carbon dioxide CO2 (0, 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 kPa CO2). Controlled atmosphere storage did not effect mango respiration. However, transfer mangoes, that were previously stored at high levels of CO2 (5 kPa O2 + 15 kPa CO2 and 5 kPa O2 + 20 kPa CO2) to ambient temperature presented higher respiratory rates. No significant effects of increasing CO2 levels on color (L*, chromaticity, and hue angle), firmness, physical-chemical parameter and carbohydrate metabolism (total and reducing sugars, soluble pectin) were observed. After transfer to ambient temperature the mangoes ripened normally without any signs of CO2 injury. Therefore, the increment levels of CO2 neither improved the quality of the 'Palmer' mangoes nor presented a synergistic effect with low-oxygen when compared to 5 kPa O2-control.

NIRS and iSPA-PLS for predicting total anthocyanin content in jaboticaba fruit.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of the successive projection algorithm for interval selection in partial least squares (iSPA-PLS) together with near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as a feasible method to determine the total anthocyanin content (TAC) of intact jaboticaba fruit [Myrciaria jaboticaba (Vell.) O. Berg]. A total of 579 jaboticaba fruit were collected in three different harvests in three separate years (2011 and 2013). The correlation coefficients between the predicted and measured TAC were between 0.65 and 0.89, the RMSEPs were 7.55 g kg(-1) and 9.35 g kg(-1) (good accuracy) for prediction set, respectively. The RPD ratios for TAC were in the range of 2.57-3.19 with iSPA-PLS, which showed better predictive performance (acceptable precision). These results suggest that the NIR spectroscopy and wavelength selection (iSPA-PLS) algorithm can be used to determine the TAC of intact jaboticaba fruit.

Predicting soluble solid content in intact jaboticaba [Myrciaria jaboticaba (Vell.) O. Berg] fruit using near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR) as a rapid and non-destructive method to determine soluble solid content (SSC) in intact jaboticaba [Myrciaria jaboticaba (Vell.) O. Berg] fruit. Multivariate calibration techniques were compared with pre-processed data and variable selection algorithms, such as partial least squares (PLS), interval partial least squares (iPLS), a genetic algorithm (GA), a successive projections algorithm (SPA) and nonlinear techniques (BP-ANN, back propagation of artificial neural networks; LS-SVM, least squares support vector machine) were applied to building the calibration models. The PLS model produced prediction accuracy (R(2)=0.71, RMSEP=1.33 °Brix, and RPD=1.65) while the BP-ANN model (R(2)=0.68, RMSEM=1.20 °Brix, and RPD=1.83) and LS-SVM models achieved lower performance metrics (R(2)=0.44, RMSEP=1.89 °Brix, and RPD=1.16). This study was the first attempt to use NIR spectroscopy as a non-destructive method to determine SSC jaboticaba fruit.

Estádios de maturação de goiabas Kumagai e Pedro Sato para o processamento mínimo / Maturity stages of Kumagai and Pedro Sato guava fruits for fresh cut

O ponto de colheita é um dos fatores mais importantes no processamento mínimo de goiabas. O objetivo do trabalho foi determinar o estádio de maturação ideal para o processamento mínimo de goiabas 'Kumagai' e 'Pedro Sato'. Os frutos de ambas as variedades foram colhidos em três estádios de maturação, definidos pela coloração da casca em verde, verde-claro e verde-amarelado. As goiabas foram sanitizadas, refrigeradas, processadas em rodelas, acondicionadas em bandejas envoltas com filme de PVC e armazenadas a 5±1°C e 80±5 por cento UR. Análises físico-químicas e sensoriais foram realizadas no início do experimento e a cada três dias, durante nove dias. As goiabas colhidas e processadas nos estádios de maturação mais avançados apresentaram intensa perda de firmeza e escurecimento da polpa na região da placenta, características comuns de senescência. Porém, foram os tratamentos que receberam as maiores notas na análise sensorial de aparência. Já as goiabas do estádio verde obtiveram notas abaixo do limite de aceitabilidade durante as avaliações. Portanto, os estádios verde-claro e verde-amarelado são indicados ao processamento mínimo de goiabas. Porém, há necessidade de associar técnicas de controle da senescência visando a aumentar sua vida útil.

The harvest point is one of the most important factors to minimal processing of guavas. The objective of this research was to determine the ideal maturity stage of 'Kumagai' and 'Pedro Sato' guavas for fresh-cut. Both varieties of guavas fruits were harvested in three maturity stages defined by the skin color in green, light-green and yellowish-green. Guavas were sanitized, refrigerated, processed in round slices, packed in trays with PVC film and stored at 5±1°C e 80±5 percent RH. Physical-chemical and sensorial analyses took place in the beginning of the experiment and every three days during nine days. Guavas in advanced maturity stages showed severe loss of firmness and browning of the pulp, which are characteristics of senescence. However, these treatments had the highest grades for the sensorial analysis of appearance. Already, guavas at green maturity stage showed low acceptability grades during evaluations. Therefore, the light-green and yellowish-green maturity stages are indicates to the minimal processing of guavas. However, it is necessary to involve technical control of senescence to increase the shelf life of fresh-cut guavas

Firmeza de mangas 'Palmer' tratadas com 1-metilciclopropeno e armazenadas sob refrigeração / Firmness of mangos 'Palmer' treated with 1-methylcyclopropene and stored under refrigeration

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do 1-MCP na firmeza de mangas ´Palmer', armazenadas sob refrigeração. As mangas foram tratadas com 1-MCP nas concentrações de 0, 100 e 150nL.L-1, durante 12 horas à 22ºC. Em seguida, foram armazenadas em câmara fria a 10 ± 1ºC e 80 a 90 por cento de UR, por um período de 35 dias. A cada 7 dias foram retirados 6 frutos de cada tratamento para as seguintes avaliações: firmeza, pectina total, percentagem de solubilização de pectinas, atividade da pectinametilesterase, poligalacturonase e â-D-galactosidase. O tratamento com 1-MCP, associado à refrigeração mostrou ser eficiente em prolongar a vida útil dos frutos. Os frutos tratados com 150nL.L-1 apresentaram menor percentagem de solubilização de pectina e mais firmes no final do armazenamento, quando comparados aos outros tratamentos. Após 35 dias de armazenamento refrigerado, todos os frutos estavam aptos para o consumo, indicando que outros estudos deverão ser realizados aumentando o tempo de armazenamento.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the 1-MCP in the firmness of mangos ´Palmer' stored under refrigeration. The mangos were treated with 1-MCP in concentrations of 0, 100 and 150nL.L-1, during 12 hours at the 22ºC. Soon after, they were stored in a cold chamber (10 ± 1ºC and 80 to 90 percent of UR), for a period of 35 days. Every 7 days were retired 6 fruits of each treatment for to the following evaluations: firmness, total pectin, percentage of solubilization of pectins, activity of the pectinmethylesterase, polygalacturonase and â-D-galactosidase activities. The treatment with 1-MCP, associated to the refrigeration showed to be efficient in prolonging the useful life of the fruits. The treated fruits with 150nL.L-1 presented smaller percentage of pectin solubilization and firmness in the end of the storage, when compared to the other treatments. After 35 days of refrigerated storage, all the fruits were capable for the consumption, indicating that other studies should be accomplished increasing the time of storage.