Measurement of Dietary Fiber: Which AOAC Official Method of AnalysisSM to Use.

A broad range of AOAC Official Methods of AnalysisSM (OMA) have been developed and approved for the measurement of dietary fiber (DF) and DF components since the adoption of the Prosky method (OMA 985.29). OMA 985.29 and other OMA were developed to support the Trowell definition of DF. However, these methods do not measure DF as defined by the "new," physiologically relevant, Codex Alimentarius definition. Methodology to support the Codex definition has been developed and updated in recent years. In this article, the relevance of each OMA in supporting the Codex definition of DF is described and suggestions are presented on the most appropriate method, together with proposals for changes in title and application statements for the "historic" OMA methods.

Review on development of assigned value microbiological reference materials used in food testing.

Evolving testing methods in food Microbiology have resulted in the need for different types of microbiological reference materials. Based on the research articles available in this area, it is evident that development has been quite substantial in chemical testing compared to Microbiology. The primary reason could be the ease of spiking, and recovery in chemical RM as compared to microbiological RM. A significant challenge faced in recovery and stability during the development of quantitative microbiological RM depends on temperature, type of microbiological media used, method of analysis including reconstitution method, interference due to antimicrobial agents in food matrices, and competitor microorganisms present in higher numbers then the target microorganisms. Most of the research papers published on microbiological reference materials are contributed by developed economies were in the information related to complex food matrices are limited. Further analysis of different International Depository Agencies under the Budapest treaty indicates that there are only three institutes based in Europe providing quantitative or assigned value RM. This, in turn, highlights the scarcity in the availability of quantitative RM in Microbiology. This article provides a global overview of the availability of microbiological RM, microbial preservation techniques, protective agents, and elaboration on developing different formats of microbiological RM used in food testing.

Development of an Unified Food Composition Database for the European Project "Stance4Health".

The European Commission funded project Stance4Health (S4H) aims to develop a complete personalised nutrition service. In order to succeed, sources of information on nutritional composition and other characteristics of foods need to be as comprehensive as possible. Food composition tables or databases (FCT/FCDB) are the most commonly used tools for this purpose. The aim of this study is to describe the harmonisation efforts carried out to obtain the Stance4Health FCDB. A total of 10 FCT/FCDB were selected from different countries and organizations. Data were classified using FoodEx2 and INFOODS tagnames to harmonise the information. Hazard analysis and critical control points analysis was applied as the quality control method. Data were processed by spreadsheets and MySQL. S4H's FCDB is composed of 880 elements, including nutrients and bioactive compounds. A total of 2648 unified foods were used to complete the missing values of the national FCDB used. Recipes and dishes were estimated following EuroFIR standards via linked tables. S4H's FCDB will be part of the smartphone app developed in the framework of the Stance4Health European project, which will be used in different personalized nutrition intervention studies. S4H FCDB has great perspectives, being one of the most complete in terms of number of harmonized foods, nutrients and bioactive compounds included.

Is the Magnesium Content in Food Supplements Consistent with the Manufacturers' Declarations?

Food supplements (FS) are gaining more and more popularity because they are a quick way to compensate for deficiencies in the diet. Due to their affordable price and easy-to-take form, they are eaten by all age groups and by healthy and sick people. There are many categories of this type of preparations on the market, and FS with magnesium (Mg) are some of the most commonly used. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the Mg content in FS and to compare the estimated value with that declared by the manufacturer. The study included 116 FS containing Mg. In order to determine the Mg content, the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) method was used. The tested FS were divided in terms of the declared content, pharmaceutical form, chemical form of Mg, composition complexity, and price. It was shown that in the case of 58.7% of the samples, the Mg content was different than the permissible tolerance limits set by the Polish chief sanitary inspectorate, which range from -20% to +45%. It has been estimated that as a result of the differences in the content, the patient may take up to 304% more Mg per day or 98% less than it is stated in the declaration. The above results indicate that the quality and safety of FS should be more closely monitored.

Evaluation of the automated micro-solid phase extraction clean-up system for the analysis of pesticide residues in cereals by gas chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

Food analysis is a tremendously broad field that is constantly evolving. New methods have emerged to increase productivity, such as modern miniaturized and robotic analytical techniques. In this paper, a micro-solid-phase extraction system (µ-SPE) for clean-up was combined with a robotic autosampler to yield ready-to-analyze extracts. The system was evaluated for its applicability in routine laboratories. The new, automated, high-throughput µ-SPE clean-up method was applied to acetonitrile extracts and was developed for the analysis of pesticide residues in cereals by gas chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap-MS). The µ-SPE clean-up efficiency was demonstrated in the removal of matrix-interfering components and in the recovery of pesticides. The sorbent bed mixture consisted of magnesium sulfate, primary-secondary amine, C18, and CarbonX, and effectively retained matrix components without loss of target analytes. Analysis of five types of cereals (barley, oat, rice, rye, and wheat) by GC-Orbitrap-MS showed that the method removed more than 70% of matrix components. The clean-up method was validated for 170 pesticides in rye, 159 pesticides in wheat, 142 pesticides in barley, 130 pesticides in oat, and 127 pesticides in rice. Spike recovery values were 70-120% for all pesticides and the repeatability, calculated as the relative standard deviation, was less than 20%. The limits of quantitation achieved were 0.005 mg kg-1 for almost all analytes, ensuring compliance with the maximum residue limits.

Pretreatment methods for analyzing steviol glycosides in diverse food samples.

Steviol glycosides are well-known food sweeteners; their consumption has steadily increased over time. A pretreatment method was developed and validated to better separate rebaudioside A and stevioside from various protein-rich and fatty foods for quantification. This method was applied to soy sauce in liquid type and fish cake and coffee in solid type. Parameters such as linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, and precision were calculated. Calibration curves were linear in the working range of 5-100 mg/l, with coefficients of determination ≥0.99. The LOD and LOQ were in the ranges of 0.16-0.39 and 0.52-1.28 mg/kg, respectively. The percentage recoveries of the fortified samples were in the 88.01%-103.09% range, and the relative standard deviation was <10%. Method validation predicted a desirable accuracy, linearity, and precision. Therefore, the developed method can be practically applied for the quantitation of steviol glycosides in various foods, including soy sauce in liquid type and fish cake and coffee in solid type.

Intra-Laboratory Validation of Alpha-Galactosidase Activity Measurement in Dietary Supplements.

INTRODUCTION: Alpha-galactosidase (α-Gal) is an enzyme responsible for the hydrolyzation of glycolipids and glycoprotein commonly found in dietary sources. More than 20% of the general population suffers from abdominal pain or discomfort caused by intestinal gas and by indigested or partially digested food residuals. Therefore, α-Gal is used in dietary supplements to reduce intestinal gases and help complex food digestion. Marketed enzyme-containing dietary supplements must be produced in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMPs). AIM: in this work we illustrated the process used to develop and validate a spectrophotometric enzymatic assay for α-Gal activity quantification in dietary supplements. METHODS: The validation workflow included an initial statistical-phase optimization of materials, reagents, and conditions, and subsequently a comparative study with another fluorimetric assay. A final validation of method performance in terms of specificity, linearity, accuracy, intermediate-precision repeatability, and system precision was then executed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The proven method achieved good performance in the quantitative determination of α-Gal activity in commercial food supplements in accordance with the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals (ICH) guidelines and is suitable as a rapid in-house quality control test.

Detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis on bagged pre-cut salad mixes within their shelf-life and after sell by date by the U.S. food and drug administration validated method.

Recently, outbreaks of Cyclospora cayetanensis in the U.S. were linked to the consumption of a variety of salads containing romaine and/or iceberg lettuce, carrots and/or red cabbage. The Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Chapter 19b method was validated for the detection of C. cayetanensis in carrots, cabbage and romaine lettuce, but has not been previously evaluated in ready-to-eat (RTE) salad mixes. In addition, the only samples available for traceback investigations are sometimes leftovers in bad conditions. This study evaluated the validated BAM method for detection of C. cayetanensis in two different RTE mixed salads (mix 1: romaine and iceberg lettuces, carrots, and red cabbage and mix 2: romaine and iceberg lettuces, carrots, red cabbage, radish, and pea pods) in good condition and after their sell by date. Individual samples (25 g) were seeded with five and 200 C. cayetanensis oocysts. Unseeded produce was used as negative control. The method included washing of the produce, concentration and extraction of C. cayetanensis DNA and molecular detection of C. cayetanensis 18 S rRNA gene. As few as five oocysts were detected in both fresh and after sell by date mix salads. All unseeded samples were negative, and all samples of both salad types seeded with 200 oocysts were positive. In samples seeded with 200 oocysts, average 18 S rRNA C. cayetanensis CT values were significantly higher in fresh salad mix 1 compared to fresh salad mix 2; CT values were significantly higher in the after sell by date salads compared to their respective fresh mixes (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the BAM method was able to detect as few as five oocysts even in after sell by date RTE mix salads. However, the differences in detection observed, highlight the importance of evaluating the performance of the validated C. cayetanensis detection method in different food matrices and conditions, in advance for future outbreak investigations.

Comparison of three common pre-treatment methods for the determination of lead contents by GFAAS in Chinese health-care wines.

Sample pre-treatment plays an important role in sample analysis, which directly affects the accuracy and reliability of the results. In this work we studied the influence of three common sample pre-treatment methods (direct injection, microwave digestion and wet digestion) on the determination of lead (Pb) content of Chinese health-care wines by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Six different brands of Chinese health wines were selected for the research. After each Chinese health-care wine was digested by three digestion methods, GFAAS was used to detect the Pb content of the samples. For the selected six different health-care wines, the results showed that the Pb content obtained by GFAAS with different pre-treatment methods were different. Microwave digestion had the best recovery, and was proposed to be applied to the pre-treatment of many kinds of health-care wines, while the direct injection method might be suitable only for health-care wine with lesser amounts of ingredients such as sugar. In the practical work, due to the complexity of the base composition of Chinese health-care wines, currently there is no relevant standard analysis method for the pre-treatment of Chinese health wines. According to the accuracies of the three chosen common pre-treatment methods, it was proposed that microwave digestion might be more suitable as a standard digestion method for the determination of Pb in Chinese health-care wines. This work could provide theoretical support for the further establishment of a standard analytical method for the determination of lead and other (heavy) metal elements in Chinese health wines by GFAAS and other methods.

Quantification of lectins in Synsepalum dulcificum and comparison with reference foods.

A healthy life means a balance between physical activity and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, however, some plant-based foods can have certain adverse effects due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors, such as lectins, capable of binding molecules and preventing their normal assimilation. The level of lectins in Synsepalum dulcificum fruit was determined by hemagglutination assays in human blood, and its comparison with foods characterized as having high and low lectin content. The relative hemagglutinating activity of berries from Synsepalum dulcificum compared to our positive high lectin content food reference (Pinto bean) corresponds to 3.13-6.25%, representing safe levels for nutritional food.

Determination of aquacultured whiteleg shrimp (Litopanaeus vannemei) quality using a sensory method with chemical standard references.

BACKGROUND: Fresh shrimp are highly perishable seafood and a reliable spoilage assessment method is necessary to ensure sufficient quality control. The current quality evaluation method employed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses subjective terms 'odor of decomposition' to reject shrimp shipments, which lacks reference standards to anchor the concept and can cause ambiguity. The present study aimed to develop chemical reference standards to assist in a more objective and consistent sensory evaluation of shrimp quality. RESULTS: Chemical references were developed and used by the descriptive panel to demonstrate the aroma quality indicators of shrimp. The most important aroma attributes describing shrimp quality changes were 'salty water-like', 'natto water-like' and 'sour milk-like' based on the results of multiple linear regression analysis. The overall rating consistency of the key quality indicators was confirmed by trained a descriptive panel such that the intensity scores in two separated evaluation sessions (30 days apart) were not significant different (P > 0.05). The sensory ratings also corresponded well with presumed FDA/NOAA grades of shrimp. An untrained panel also confirmed 'salty water-like' as the main indicator of freshness and 'natto water-like' as the main indicator of spoilage, whereas the discriminative capacity was lower compared to the trained panel. CONCLUSION: The developed chemical references of key aroma quality indicators allowed the trained and untrained panels to distinguish shrimp of different freshness levels. The results indicate the potential of using chemical references as a new evaluation tool for on-site quality inspection or industrial quality assurance/quality control of shrimp with improved objectivity and consistency. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nutri-Score y ultra-procesamiento: dos dimensiones diferentes, complementarias y no contradictorias / Nutri-Score and ultra-processing: two different, complementary, non-contradictory dimensions

Al logotipo nutricional Nutri-Score se le ataca a veces porque clasifica como A y B algunos alimentos ultraprocesados. Esto no es sorprendente si se tiene en cuenta que la calidad nutricional (evaluada por Nutri-Score) y el ultraprocesamiento (evaluado por la clasificación NOVA) no abarcan las mismas «dimensiones de salud» de los alimentos, sino que cada una de ellas puede impactar en la salud por mecanismos específicos propios. Al mismo tiempo que cubren dimensiones diferentes y complementarias, sigue existiendo una asociación global entre el grado de transformación y la calidad nutricional de los alimentos. Dentro de los alimentos ultraprocesados existen diferencias en términos de número, tipo y dosis de aditivos, pero también en términos de calidad nutricional, por lo que Nutri-Score permite, dentro de la amplia categoría de productos ultraprocesados (como en todas las categorías de la clasificación NOVA), distinguir su calidad nutricional, lo que es primordial en términos de impacto sobre la salud. Cualquiera que sea el nivel de procesamiento de los alimentos, se ha demostrado que el consumo de alimentos mejor clasificados por Nutri-Score es beneficioso para la salud y tiene un menor riesgo de patologías crónicas. Esto es importante porque, incluso si se recomienda reducir el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados, para aquellos que no quieren o no pueden evitar consumirlos o para quienes es complicado cocinar (por razones de tiempo, facilidad, preferencia, etc.) la elección de un alimento mejor clasificado en la escala Nutri-Score tiene un impacto favorable en el plano de la salud. En consecuencia, Nutri-Score y el ultraprocesamiento deben considerarse como dos dimensiones diferentes y complementarias

The front-of-pack nutritional labeling system Nutri-Score is sometimes under attack because it classifies as A and B certain ultra-processed foods. In fact, this is not surprising given that nutritional quality (assessed by Nutri-Score) and ultra-processing (assessed by the NOVA classification) do not cover the same "health dimensions" in foods but rather different dimensions likely to affect health through specific mechanisms. Although they cover different and complementary dimensions, there is nevertheless an overall association between the degree of processing and nutritional quality of foods. But within the group of ultra-processed foods there are differences in the number, type and doses of additives, as well as differences in nutritional quality. Therefore Nutri-Score allows, within the category of ultra-processed foods (as for all categories of the NOVA classification), to differentiate the nutritional quality of foods, which is essential in terms of health impact. Indeed, regardless of the level of food processing, it has been shown that consuming foods that are better ranked on the Nutri-Score scale is associated with a health benefit and a lower risk of chronic diseases. This is important because, even if it is recommended to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods, for those who do not want to or cannot avoid consuming them, for those for whom cooking is difficult (for reasons of time, ease, taste, etc.), the choice of foods better ranked on the Nutri-Score scale has a positive impact on health. Nutri-Score and ultra-transformation must be considered two different and complementary dimensions

Modifications of the U.S. food and drug administration validated method for detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts in prepared dishes: Mexican-style salsas and guacamole.

Although multiple outbreak clusters of Cyclospora cayetanensis have been traced back to consumption of dishes in Mexican-style restaurants, the FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) does not currently provide methods to detect C. cayetanensis in dishes that contain multiple produce ingredients, such as salsas and guacamole. These complex food matrices also may contain high levels of fats, which can interfere with the detection. Several modifications to the BAM Chapter 19b method (washing produce, DNA extraction, and a TaqMan real-time PCR assay targeting the 18S rRNA gene of C. cayetanensis) were assessed with the goal to detect as few as 5 oocysts of C. cayetanensis in 25 g samples of commercial salsa/pico de gallo, guacamole, and salsa verde. Both freshly prepared and frozen versions of these foods were seeded with 5, 10 and 200 oocysts. For salsa samples, using a gentler washing step than recommended by BAM, we achieved detection of 5 oocysts in the samples (81.8%, n = 11). Increasing the amount of Alconox® in the wash solution to 1%, rather than the 0.1% used in BAM, and adjusting the DNA extraction protocol to process large wash pellets, enabled detection of 5 oocysts in guacamole. To reach the desired level of detection in salsa verde, two types of modifications were necessary: gentler washing and DNA extraction modifications. The use of these same method modifications on previously frozen food samples, provided levels of detection similar to those achieved with fresh dishes. Our modifications enabled robust and reproducible detection of C. cayetanensis in multi-ingredient Mexican dishes, detecting as few as 5 oocysts in 25 g samples. Validating and deploying effective methods to detect C. cayetanensis in high risk fresh produce and prepared dishes are critically important for prevalence studies and outbreak investigations of this parasite.

Iodine determination in animal feed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry - results of a collaborative study.

A collaborative study was conducted in order to fully validate the performance characteristics and to evaluate the suitability of a method for determination of iodine in animal feed. The method consists of an alkaline extraction in tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution followed by the determination of iodine by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The method was validated for different types of feed and feed materials with a broad concentration range of 0.65-622 mg I/kg. Good agreement was found between the overall mean mass fraction values from the collaborative trial (13.8 ± 1.3 mg I/kg and 0.657 ± 0.228 mg I/kg) and the values previously determined in proficiency tests for two of the test materials (12.65 ± 2.47 mg I/kg and 0.72 ± 0.22 mg I/kg) indicating satisfactory accuracy of the method. Reproducibility standard deviations were between 7.85% and 34.65% and the HorRat values were under the acceptable limit of 2 so the between-laboratory precision was considered acceptable. Based on the statistical evaluation of the results it was concluded that the method is suitable for its intended purpose; it has been accepted as European Standard EN17050:2017 by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).

Standardized Extraction Techniques for Meat Analysis with the Electronic Tongue: A Case Study of Poultry and Red Meat Adulteration.

The electronic tongue (e-tongue) is an advanced sensor-based device capable of detecting low concentration differences in solutions. It could have unparalleled advantages for meat quality control, but the challenges of standardized meat extraction methods represent a backdrop that has led to its scanty application in the meat industry. This study aimed to determine the optimal dilution level of meat extract for e-tongue evaluations and also to develop three standardized meat extraction methods. For practicality, the developed methods were applied to detect low levels of meat adulteration using beef and pork mixtures and turkey and chicken mixtures as case studies. Dilution factor of 1% w/v of liquid meat extract was determined to be the optimum for discriminating 1% w/w, 3% w/w, 5% w/w, 10% w/w, and 20% w/w chicken in turkey and pork in beef with linear discriminant analysis accuracies (LDA) of 78.13% (recognition) and 64.73% (validation). Even higher LDA accuracies of 89.62% (recognition) and 68.77% (validation) were achieved for discriminating 1% w/w, 3% w/w, 5% w/w, 10% w/w, and 20% w/w of pork in beef. Partial least square models could predict both sets of meat mixtures with good accuracies. Extraction by cooking was the best method for discriminating meat mixtures and can be applied for meat quality evaluations with the e-tongue.

Sensory evaluation of seafood freshness using the quality index method: A meta-analysis.

The quality index method (QIM) is a leading method of assessing the freshness (and thus quality) of seafood that is based on relatively few sensory attributes considered relevant. These characteristics are scored using a 0 to 3 demerit points' scale, the sum of which is designated the quality index (QI) and quantifies the specimens' lack of freshness. The linear relationship between QI and storage time allows for the estimation of remaining shelf-life. Moreover, QIM is deemed species-specific. Meta-analysis was carried to attest the species-specificity of QIM schemes or if, otherwise, biological, ecological, procedural and methodological parameters, alone or in combination, justify schemes' categorization. The variation among the QIM schemes was analyzed using random/mixed-effects models of 68 primary studies. The correlation coefficient associated with linear relationship between the QIM scores and storage time was the designated effect. This study is the first to use of meta-analysis to summarize QIM schemes developed since the inception of the method in the early 1980s. The initial random-effects meta-analysis model indicated that the correlation coefficients associated with QIM averaged 0.982 (95% CI: 0.978-0.986). The considerable remaining heterogeneity (Q = 152.06, p < 0.0008) was further investigated as a function of moderator variables. Several moderator variables, per se or in combination, namely seafood group (bluefish, whitefish, Selachii, cephalopods and crustaceans), storage procedure (ice, water, air, vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging) and temperature (°C), family and habitat (marine and freshwater), and maximum number of demerit points in QIM were found to have significant effects (QM, 0.0002 < p < 0.0919) on correlation coefficients derived from QIM schemes. Notwithstanding, at this stage of the analysis none clearly justified the categorization of QIM schemes since substantial residual heterogeneity remained unexplained in almost every case and there were issues with influential studies. Then, in a mixed-effects meta-analysis of a subset of studies for whole specimens stored in ice, seafood groups and maximum number of demerit points were found to be significant moderators (QM, p = 0.0018 and p = 0.0173, respectively). Correlation coefficients were higher in studies developing QIM schemes for cephalopods compared to the other seafood groups and in studies with lower sum of demerit points. The potential issues with publication bias and influence analysis are discussed. We cannot rule out the species-specificity of QIM schemes that have been stated previously and that constitutes a relative advantage compared to other methods of assessment seafood freshness based on sensory analysis, particularly the EU grading scheme.

Determination of glyphosate and AMPA in oat products for the selection of candidate reference materials.

The use of reference materials (RMs) is critical for validating and testing the accuracy of analytical protocols. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is in initial stages of developing a glyphosate in oats RM. The first aim of this study was to optimize and validate a robust method for the extraction and analysis of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). The optimized method was used to screen thirteen commercially available oat products to identify candidate RMs. Glyphosate was detected in all samples, with the highest glyphosate mass fraction of 1100 ng/g; lower levels were measured in grains from organic agriculture. AMPA was quantified in nine samples up to 40 ng/g. The findings of this study led to the identification of candidate RMs, with "high" and "low" glyphosate levels. A preliminary stability study determined that glyphosate is stable in oat material at room temperature for six months.

[Validation Study on Developed Methods for Total Organic Carbon in Some Kinds of Mineral Water].

Total organic carbon (TOC) was measured in some kinds of mineral water, and the method was validated. In mineral water, there are many kinds of elements such as carbon dioxide and a wide range of hardness. The official method for amount of TOC in tap water was validated in non-carbonated mineral water regardless of the degree of hardness. However, the amount of TOC was not accurately measured in two kinds of carbonated mineral water with medium or high degree of hardness. In our method of this study, the removal of carbon dioxide from the two kinds of mineral water was achieved by making bubbling time longer and additive rate of HCl upper than the official condition of tap water. And then, the method we developed was validated in the two kinds of mineral water. Our results suggested that the method we developed could be useful to measure the amount of TOC in many kinds of mineral water on the market.

A review of pretreatment and analysis of macrolides in food (Update Since 2010).

Macrolides are versatile broad-spectrum antibiotics whose activity stems from the presence of a macrolide ring. They are widely used in veterinary medicine to prevent and treat disease. However, because of their improper use and the absence of effective regulation, these compounds pose a threat to human health and the environment. Consequently, simple, quick, economical, and effective techniques are required to analyze macrolides in animal-derived foods, biological samples, and environmental samples. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the pretreatment and analytical methods used for macrolides in various sample matrices, focusing on the developments since 2010. Pretreatment methods mainly include liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, matrix solid-phase dispersion, and microextraction methods. Detection and quantification methods mainly include liquid chromatography (coupled to mass spectrometry or other detectors), electrochemical methods, capillary electrophoresis, and immunoassays. Furthermore, a comparison between the pros and cons of these methods and prospects for future developments are also discussed.

Development of a Comprehensive Food Literacy Measurement Tool Integrating the Food System and Sustainability.

The concept of food literacy is evolving and expanding, increasing the need for a comprehensive measurement tool for food literacy. This study aimed to develop a validated food literacy questionnaire based on an expanded conceptual framework for food literacy. A literature review of existing frameworks and questionnaires for food literacy and focus group interviews (n = 12) were conducted to develop a conceptual framework and candidate questions. A Delphi study (n = 15) and pilot survey (n = 10) to test the preliminary questionnaire's content and face validity were conducted, which were followed by the main survey (n = 200). Construct validity and reliability were assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing food literacy scores with food knowledge scores (FN-score) and nutrient quotient scores (NQ-score). By integrating and revising the six existing conceptual frameworks and focus group interview results, we proposed a two-dimensional conceptual framework comprising a literacy dimension and a food system dimension. After reviewing 560 items and categorizing them into 18 domains (3 in the literacy dimension × 6 in the food system dimension), 32 questions were selected. As a result of the Delphi study, two items were deleted, and content validity was confirmed for the remaining 30 items (content validity ratio (CVR) = 0.92). Ten items were revised during the face validation process, and five items were excluded as a result of the EFA. The final food literacy questionnaire comprised 25 questions related to five factors: production, selection, preparation and cooking, intake, and disposal. Food literacy scores were positively associated with FN- and NQ-scores, confirming the reliability and criterion validity of the final questionnaire. The two-dimensional food literacy conceptual framework developed in this study systematically encompasses complex food literacy concepts by adding a food systems dimension (production, selection, preparation and cooking, intake, and disposal domain) to the existing literacy dimension (functional, interactive, and critical literacy domain). Based on this integrated conceptual framework, a 25-item food literacy questionnaire was developed and validated for practical use.