Official Control in Slaughter and Game Handling: Expectations and Prerequisites for Implementation of Remote Meat Inspection in Sweden.

Remote meat inspection is currently not permitted under the European Union food control legislation. However, the environmental impact of travelling to and from abattoirs and increasing shortages of qualified veterinary staff make remote controls a potential future scenario. This paper reports the results of a qualitative study conducted with a sample of nineteen official veterinarians and food business operators in Sweden. We investigated attitudes, perceived risks, and prerequisites for remote meat controls in semi-structured interviews. Results indicate both positive attitudes towards remote meat inspection, and concerns related to technical challenges, reliability and security of data transfer, and possibilities of manipulation of the remote system. Respondents also noted both negative effects, such as physical hurdles for good control, and positive impacts on animal welfare, such as shortened waiting times for slaughter. Considering the current regulatory framework, only 21% of the respondents have had any prior experience with (pilot) remote meat inspections and the additional 11% carried out remote inspections of Food Chain Information documents. Nevertheless, all participants, including the majority without any prior experience in remote inspections, assumed that remote inspections would be done via video streaming. The optimal setting for a remote meat inspection, according to our respondents, seems to be a combination of cameras at fixed locations with body cameras worn by assisting abattoir personnel. Overall, remote meat inspections are possible to introduce but not without significant legal and technical adaptations as well as definition of the conditions for this type of control flexibility.

Recent advances in the synthesis and applications of single-atom nanozymes in food safety monitoring.

Nanozymes are synthetic compounds with enzyme-like tunable catalytic properties. The success of nanozymes for catalytic applications can be attributed to their small dimensions, cost-effective synthesis, appreciable stability, and scalability to molecular dimensions. The emergence of single atom nanozymes (SANzymes) has opened up new possibilities in bioanalytical applications. In this regard, this review outlines enzyme-mimicking features of SANzymes for food safety applications in relation to the key variables controlling their catalytic performance. The discussion is extended further to cover the applications of SANzymes for the monitoring of various compounds/biomaterials of significance with respect to food safety (e.g., pesticides, veterinary drug residues, foodborne pathogenic bacteria, mycotoxins/bacterial endotoxin, antioxidant residues, hydrogen peroxide residues, and heavy metal ions). Furthermore, the performance of SANzymes is evaluated in terms of various performance metrics such as limit of detection (LOD), linear dynamic range, and figure of merit (FoM). The challenges and future road map for the applications of SANzymes are also addressed along with their upscaling in the area of food safety.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Safety Inspection Outcomes in Toronto, Canada: A Bayesian Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in major disruptions to the food service industry and regulatory food inspections. The objective of this study was to conduct an interrupted time series analysis to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food safety inspection trends in Toronto, Canada. Inspection data for restaurants and take-out establishments were obtained from 2017 to 2022 and summarized as weekly counts of inspections, pass ratings, and total infractions. Bayesian segmented regression was conducted to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on weekly infraction and inspection pass rates. On average, a 0.31-point lower weekly infraction rate (95% credible interval [CI]: 0.23, 0.40) and a 2.0% higher probability of passing inspections (95% CI: 1.1%, 3.0%) were predicted in the pandemic period compared to prepandemic. Models predicted lower infraction rates and higher pass rates immediately following the pandemic, with additional variability compared to the prepandemic period, that were regressing back toward pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Seasonal effects were also identified, with infraction rates highest in April and pass rates lowest in August. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an initial positive effect on food safety outcomes in restaurants and take-out food establishments in Toronto, but this effect appears to be temporary. This finding could be due to the beneficial impact of COVID-19 protection measures in these establishments or other factors such as less volume of customers. Additional research is needed to investigate causes of the identified differences as well as seasonal and long-term inspection trends postpandemic. Results can inform future food safety inspection planning, outreach, and pandemic preparedness.

Results of routine inspections in restaurants and institutional catering establishments associated with foodborne outbreaks in Finland.

Official food control is intended to ensure food safety in the food business. In Finland, inspections of food service are performed using a 4-point risk-based grading system. This study compared routine inspection results of outbreak and nonoutbreak establishments in restaurants and institutional catering to investigate whether certain inspection results were associated with the occurrence of foodborne outbreaks. Also a more specific sample of outbreak establishments was defined using strength of evidence registered for each outbreak. Grade distributions of specific inspected items were compared separately. No significant differences were seen in restaurants but in institutional catering significantly poorer inspection results (p < 0.05) were detected in items concerning the order and cleanliness of facilities, surfaces and equipment in outbreak establishments. Effective correction of noncompliances in cleanliness of the food handling environment and equipment and constant maintenance of a favourable situation is essential in ensuring a high level of consumer safety in food service.

Validation Parameters of the Magnetic Stirrer Method for Pooled Sample Digestion for Trichinella spp. in Horse Meat Based on Proficiency Tests Results.

Meat of horses may be infested with nematodes of the genus Trichinella spp. and can cause serious disease in humans. Rules for the carcasses sampling of species susceptible to Trichinella spp. infection and examination are laid down in Commission Regulation 1375/2015, where the magnetic stirrer method for pooled-sample digestion is recommended (Commission Regulation 1478/2020). All personnel involved in the examination should be properly trained and participate in quality control programs. Proficiency tests (PTs) play a key role in the quality verification process. This paper presents the results of PTs organized for 68 Polish laboratories in 2014-2019. Results were assessed qualitatively at three levels of sample contamination (0, 3, 5 larvae) and quantitatively at one level (5 larvae). The laboratories have achieved the average correct qualitative results 100%, 96.2% and 96.8% for the samples contaminated with 0, 3 and 5 larvae, respectively. In the quantitative evaluation, an average 94.1% of the reported results were correct. The data from PTs enabled us to define, for the first time, validation parameters of the digestion method for the horse meat matrix in a large-scale experiment including: specificity (100%), sensitivity (95.6%), accuracy (97.1%), the limit of detection (LOD) (1.14 ≈ 1) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) (3.42 ≈ 3).

Efficacy of an aerosol-resistant pepsin powder used in artificial digestion for the detection of Trichinella larvae in meat.

Trichinellosis is an important worldwide foodborne zoonosis. The gold standard test to detect Trichinella spp. larvae in muscle samples of animals intended for human consumption is the artificial digestion method. Handling and dispensing of conventional pepsin powder present significant safety risks for analysts. The use of pepsin powder that is resistant to aerosolization should alleviate these safety concerns. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of an aerosol-resistant pepsin powder to conventional pepsin powder in the artificial digestion method. Proficiency samples of pork diaphragm containing specific numbers of viable Trichinella spiralis larvae were tested in two laboratories. The results revealed that aerosol-resistant pepsin was simple, effective and convenient to use, and showed good solubility and larval recovery that met the requirements of the European Union regulation EU 2015/1375. Overall, the efficacy of the aerosol-resistant pepsin was comparable to the conventional pepsin and safer for analysts.

A European survey on post-mortem inspection of finishing pigs: Total condemnation criteria to declare meat unfit for human consumption.

Meat inspection (MI) is essential to verify compliance with legal requirements related to human and animal health and animal welfare protections. Judgement criteria applied during MI, resulting in condemnation data of importance, among other things, for livestock producers and for benchmarking reasons. However, although the Meat Inspection Regulation sets out judgement criteria, most are generic, favouring flexibility, but also subjectivity. To address the degree of variation on total condemnation (TC) criteria applied during post-mortem inspection (PMI) of finishing pigs, an online survey was prepared aiming to collect this information from several European countries. The focus was on TC criteria regarding the following PMI findings: abscesses, arthritis, cachexia, erysipelas, icterus, Mycobacterium-like lesions, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, pleuritis and pneumonia. From September to November 2020, a total of 44 completed questionnaires were obtained from 26 European countries. The results showed a substantial variation in the TC criteria in place in the participating countries. One of the main reasons for the variability seen in the respondents' reported answers was related to the indicators used to define a generalised condition related to the 10 PMI findings addressed, making harmonisation a challenge and avoiding to draw conclusions when comparing condemnation causes between abattoirs. This implies that it would make sense to look into how a generalised condition can be identified/described and how it should be judged. The results should be used as inspiration towards possible harmonisation, improving decision-making, and permitting comparative analysis between different reports to allow trend analyses and benchmarking.

A quantitative risk metric to support individual sanitary measure reviews in international trade.

In order for the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to make an equivalence determination for a foreign meat, poultry or egg products inspection procedure that differs from FSIS inspection procedures (an Individual Sanitary Measure or ISM), a country must demonstrate objectively that its food safety inspection system provides the same level of public health protection as the FSIS inspection system. To evaluate microbiological testing data that such countries may submit to this end, we present a possible risk metric to inform FSIS's assessment of whether products produced under an alternative inspection system in another country pose no greater consumer risk of foodborne illness than products produced under FSIS inspection. This metric requires evaluation of prevalence estimates of pathogen occurrence in products for the foreign country and the U.S. and determining what constitutes an unacceptable deviance of another country's prevalence from the U.S. prevalence, i.e., the margin of equivalence. We define the margin of equivalence as a multiple of the standard error of the U.S. prevalence estimate. Minimizing the margin of equivalence ensures the maximum public health protection for U.S. consumers, but an optimum choice must also avoid undue burden for quantitative data from alternative inspection systems in the foreign country. Across a wide range of U.S. prevalence levels and sample sizes, we determine margin of equivalence values that provide high confidence in conclusions as to whether or not the country's product poses no greater risk of foodborne illness from microbiological pathogens. These margins of equivalence can be used to inform FSIS's equivalence determination for an ISM request from a foreign country. Illustrative examples are used to support this definition of margin of equivalence. This approach is consistent with the World Trade Organization's concept of risk equivalence and is transparent and practical to apply in situations when FSIS makes an equivalence determination for an ISM requested by a foreign country.

Effects of species and geo-information on the 137Cs concentrations in edible wild mushrooms and plants collected by residents after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), much of the wild and edible mushrooms and plants in the surrounding areas were contaminated with radiocesium (137Cs). To elucidate their concentration characteristics, we analyzed 137Cs radioactivity data in edible forest products brought in for food inspection by the residents of Kawauchi Village, 12-30 km away from the FDNPP, from 2012 to 2019. A Bayesian model to estimate 137Cs concentration was constructed. Parameters of the normalized concentration of species (NCsp) for mushrooms were similar to those of the same species obtained in a previous study. Although NCsp values were highly varied among species, mycorrhizal mushrooms tended to have high NCsp values, followed by saprotrophic mushrooms, and wild edible plants values were low. Also, half of mycorrhizal mushroom species (8 of 16) showed an increasing trend in concentration with time; however, saprotrophic mushrooms and wild plants generally demonstrated a decreasing trend (22 of 24). The model considering the sub-village location information decreased the error of individual samples by 40% compared to the model not considering any location information, indicating that the detailed geo-information improved estimation accuracy. Our results indicate that the radioactivity data from samples collected by local residents can be used to accurately assess internal exposure to radiation due to self-consumption of contaminated wild mushrooms and plants.

Avaliação das boas práticas na produção de alimentos em escolas públicas do município de Currais Novos, RN / Evaluation of good practices in food production of public schools in Currais Novos, RN

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os aspectos higiênico-sanitários de Unidades de Alimentação e Nutrição Escolares (UANE) de duas escolas públicas do município de Currais Novos (RN) quanto à adoção das Boas Práticas na Alimentação Escolar. Os dados foram coletados por meio de lista de verificação própria para UANE, durante as visitas realizadas nas unidades de uma escola estadual e uma municipal. As unidades avaliadas se encontravam em risco sanitário regular, com pontuações de 74% e 54% para a escola estadual e municipal, respectivamente. As principais inadequações encontradas foram relacionadas às edificações e instalações; aos manipuladores; à higienização dos hortifrutis e ao controle de pragas e vetores urbanos. Pode-se concluir que a produção de refeições nas UANEs das escolas avaliadas não atende a requisitos importantes previstos pelas Boas Práticas na Alimentação Escolar.(AU)

This work intends to evaluate the hygiene-health aspects of Food and Nutrition Units (SFNU) of two public schools in the city of Currais Novos (RN) regarding the adoption of best practices in school food and nutrition. Data were collected through SFNU checklist, during visits to the units of a state and a municipal school. The health risk of units evaluated was regular, with scores of 74% and 54% for the state and municipal schools, respectively. The main inadequacies found were related to structure and facilities; food handlers; the hygiene of fruit and vegetables; and pest control and urban vectors. It could be concluded that the production of meals in SFNU of schools evaluated does not comply with important requirements established by the Good Practices in School Food and Nutrition.(AU)

Phage Biocontrol Applications in Food Production and Processing.

Bacteriophages, or phages, are one of the most, if not the most, ubiquitous organisms on Earth. Interest in various practical applications of bacteriophages has been gaining momentum recently, with perhaps the most attention (and most regulatory approvals) focused on their use to improve food safety. This approach, termed 'phage biocontrol' or 'bacteriophage biocontrol', includes both pre- and post-harvest application of phages as well as decontamination of the food contact surfaces in food processing facilities. This review focuses on post-harvest applications of phage biocontrol, currently the most commonly used type of phage mediation. We also briefly describe various commercially available phage preparations and discuss the challenges still facing this novel yet promising approach.

Assessing the value of bacteriological examination as a diagnostic tool in relation to meat inspection in cattle.

In Denmark, lesions indicating acute generalised infection identified at meat inspection will result in total condemnation. An official bacteriological examination (BU) protocol can be used for slaughtered animals with lesions such as endocarditis and endophlebitis as an assisting diagnostic tool to confirm whether the condition is local or generalised. If local, the carcass can be approved after condemnation of the relevant organs. The BU involves cultivating samples from the spleen and muscle. The aim of this study was to assess the value of the BU protocol. The study was conducted from February to May 2019 at a Danish cattle abattoir. Three groups of slaughtered cattle were included: 24 cases consisting of cattle with endocarditis and endophlebitis, 25 control animals consisting of cattle fully approved at inspection and 16 animals condemned at inspection due to endocarditis and endophlebitis with complications. Samples were taken from the heart, liver, kidney, lung, spleen and muscles of each animal. The BU protocol was used for cultivation. Different types of colonies were identified using MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. One or more samples with bacterial growth were found in all condemned animals - in 16 out of the 24 case animals and in two out of 25 control animals. In all three groups, Trueperella pyogenes was the most frequently isolated bacterium (60%) followed by Fusobacterium necrophorum (10%). For the case animals, the organ most commonly found with bacterial growth was the liver (46%), followed by the lung (38%) and the kidney (38%), while 96% of the muscle samples were negative. For the condemned group, bacterial growth was found in 75% of the spleen samples, 56% of liver and lung samples, and 50% of the muscle samples. A statistical analysis of the samples from cases and controls showed strong pair-wise associations for the presence of bacteria between organs, but no pair-wise associations between presence of bacteria in the muscle and any of the organs. Hence, if bacteria are found e.g. in the liver, they are likely to be found in other organs, but not in the muscle. In total, 20 of the 24 case animals were fully or partly approved in accordance with the current rules for judgement. It was concluded that the BU protocol using spleen and muscle samples would be suitable as a diagnostic tool for the judgement of slaughtered animals in cases where there is doubt about the stage of the lesions observed.

Source attribution at the food sub-product level for the development of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency risk assessment model.

Decreasing the health burden caused by foodborne pathogens is challenging and it depends on the identification of the most significant hazards and food sources causing illnesses, so adequate mitigation strategies can be implemented. In this regard, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has developed the Establishment-based Risk Assessment (ERA) model, so that a more effective and efficient allocation of resources can be assigned to the highest food safety risk areas. To assess risk, the model considers the type of food sub-products being manufactured by establishments and its scope is limited to the 17 most important foodborne pathogens representing the highest level of food safety risk. However, the information on source attribution at the sub-product level based on a structured approach is limited. To overcome this challenge, an expert elicitation was conducted in 2016 to estimate the relative contribution and associated certainty of each sub-product for 31 pathogen-commodity combinations to the total Canadian health burden associated with foodborne illnesses (expressed in DALYs). These DALYs represent 78% of the total Canadian health burden associated with federally-regulated food commodities considered within the model. A total of 49 Canadian experts recruited using a "snow ball" sampling strategy participated in the study by completing an electronic survey. Results of the elicitation displayed variable levels of health burden allocation between the pathogens and the different commodity sub-products. Assessment of the certainty levels showed some combinations being evaluated with more confidence (e.g., Campylobacter and eggs/poultry sub-products) than others, where a bimodal distribution of certainty was observed (e.g., Toxoplasma in pork sub-products). Furthermore, no participant raised concerns on the food classification scheme, suggesting their agreement with the proposed sub-products categorization of the elicitation. Relative contribution estimates will be included in the CFIA ERA model and used to enhance its applicability for risk prioritization and effective resource allocation during food establishment inspections. While substantial uncertainty around the central tendency estimates was found, these estimates provide a good basis for regulatory oversight and public health policy.

Comparison of postmortem inspection procedures for detecting caseous lymphadenitis of Australian sheep and goats.

Alternative postmortem inspection procedures for the detection of gross abnormalities due to Caseous Lymphadenitis (CLA) of sheep and goats were compared quantitatively against the current Australian Standard (AS4696). Studies on sheep and goats in Australia during 2016 addressed data gaps regarding current prevalence, combinations of multiple lesions within affected carcases and sensitivity of inspection procedures enabling a comparison of alternative with current procedures. Using these contemporary inspection data from 54 915 sheep and 48 577 goats a desktop study estimated the effect of implementing alternative procedures of reduced palpation from eleven carcase sites to the four sites most commonly affected. Under current procedures it was estimated that 86 sheep and 34 goat carcases with CLA lesions are missed per 10,000 carcases. Under alternative procedures it is estimated that an additional 48.4 sheep and 10.5 goat carcases with CLA lesions would be missed per 10 000 carcases. Of these, 38.2 sheep and 5.6 goat per 10 000 carcases would contain CLA only in routinely discarded, non-edible tissue sites. Hence, only an additional 10.2 sheep and 4.9 goat carcases per 10 000 inspected, with CLA in edible tissue sites are estimated to be missed. These alternative procedures have now been officially implemented in the Australian domestic standard.

Development of a fast real-time PCR assay based on TaqMan probe for identification of edible rice grasshopper (Oxya chinensis) in processed food products.

Interest in using insects as an alternative source of food for humans is increasing. However, few analytical methods provide accurate information about the presence of insect species in processed foods. In this study, we developed a fast real-time PCR assay based on a TaqMan probe that can be performed within 40 min to detect edible rice grasshopper in commercial food products. A rice grasshopper-specific primer pair and probe targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene were newly designed, having an amplicon size of 110 bp. The specificity of this primer pair and probe was verified using 19 insects and five crustaceans and no cross-reactivity was obtained against the non-target species. The absolute limit of detection (LOD) was 0.5 pg of rice grasshopper DNA, and as low as 0.1% of rice grasshopper was detected in raw, heat-treated, and autoclaved binary insect mixtures. To evaluate the effect of food matrix, binary mixtures containing rice grasshopper in wheat were used additionally, and at least 0.1% of target species was detected using this assay. The applicability of this assay was confirmed using nine commercial food samples labeled as containing rice grasshopper or locust. The fast real-time PCR developed in this study is a specific and sensitive method for identifying edible rice grasshopper in various food samples.

The Use of Feathers from Racing Pigeons for Doping Control Purposes.

The development of accurate and reliable analytical methodologies to detect the abuse of doping agents in sport animals is crucial to ensure their welfare, as well as to support continuing social acceptance of these sports. The detection of doping agents in racing pigeons is difficult, especially owing to the disadvantages and limitations of obtaining samples from conventional matrices. The present study aimed to develop and validate an analytical methodology combining a two-step extraction procedure (liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction) in feathers from racing pigeons with analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) that enabled the simultaneous detection of a beta-agonist drug (clenbuterol) and three corticosteroids (prednisolone, betamethasone and budesonide). The method was validated concerning linearity (with coefficients of determination always higher than 0.99), accuracy (87.3-112.4%), precision (repeatability and intermediate precision coefficient of variation (CV%) always below 15%), recovery (71.6-98.2%), limits of detection (0.24-0.52 ng/g) and quantification (0.79 and 0. 1.74 ng/g) and specificity. The applicability of the method was performed using feathers from pigeons administered orally with a daily dose of 0.075 mg of betamethasone. The drug was administered during 60 days and successive analyses of feathers were performed, at the end of the administration protocol and also after ceasing the oral administration of the drug, for a three weeks period.

Estudio comparativo de la valoración nutricional de menús de comedores mediante análisis bromatológico y tablas de composición de alimentos / Comparative study of the nutritional assessment of dining room menus through bromatological analysis and food composition tables

Introducción: El análisis de la composición nutricional de los alimentos mediante análisis bromatológico es una ardua tarea; por ello, gracias a la recopilación de los datos obtenidos de estos análisis en diferentes países se han elaborado las tablas de composición de alimentos (TCA). Estas suponen la base de los programas informáticos nutricionales, con los que se consigue agilizar el cálculo de la composición en nutrientes de la dieta. Objetivo: comprobar sí hay diferencias significativas entre los resultados obtenidos para el cálculo de proteínas, glúcidos, lípidos, fibra dietética y hierro mediante análisis bromatológico, y el obtenido mediante el cálculo por programas informáticos. Métodos: para el análisis bromatológico se han utilizado las técnicas recomendadas por la AOAC y para los valores obtenidos mediante cálculo se han utilizado los programas informáticos nutricionales de distintas épocas: Programa utilizado por la Subdirección general de protección del comercio de la Comunidad de Madrid, Dietowin, Dietsource y Dial. Se han estudiado veintitrés platos diferentes: doce primeros y once segundos, correspondientes al menú de siete comedores colectivos de una empresa de la Comunidad Valenciana, en un estudio transversal y longitudinal durante un periodo de dos años. Resultados: se ha comprobado que los valores promedio determinados por análisis directo y los obtenidos por cálculo, muestran diferencias significativas tras aplicar el estadístico de la t de Student. En el caso de los valores obtenidos para los distintos programas informáticos no se encuentran diferencias significativas. Conclusión: Los programas informáticos que se han utilizado presentan un 65% e incluso superior, de diferencias significativas en los valores calculados para los distintos nutrientes, con respecto a los valores obtenidos mediante análisis bromatológico. Una de entre las posibles causas que se podrían considerar por la que se dan estas diferencias sería: porque en TCA la mayoría de los valores de los nutrientes son obtenidos a partir de alimentos en crudo; mientras que en el análisis directo se han analizado platos completos en los cuales los alimentos se han sometido a técnicas culinarias o de procesado. En cuanto a la segunda hipótesis planteada, decir que no hay diferencias entre los valores obtenidos por los diferentes programas informáticos utilizados, ya que los valores para todas las TCA están valorados en crudo

Introduction: The analysis of the nutritional composition of foods by bromato- logic analysis is an arduous task; for this reason, thanks to the collection of the data obtained from these analyses in different countries, the food composition tables have been developed. These are the basis of nutritional software, which gets speed up the calculation of the composition of nutrients in the diet. Objective: check if there are significant differences between the results obtained for the calculation of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, dietary fiber and iron through bromatological analysis, and the one obtained by the calculation with computer programs. Methods: for the bromatological analysis have been used the techniques recommended by the AOAC and for the values obtained by calculation, the nutritional computer programs of different periods have been used: Program used by the General Subdirectorate for Commercial Protection of the Community of Madrid, Dietowin, Dietsource and Dial. 23 different dishes were studied: twelve starters and eleven main dishes, corresponding to the menu of seven collective dining rooms of a company from the Valencian Community, in a transversal and longitudinal study over a period of two years. Results: it has been verified that the average values determined by direct analysis and those obtained by calculation, show significant differences after applying the t of Student. In the case of the values obtained for the different computer programs, no significant differences were found. Conclusion: The computer programs that have been used present about 65% and even higher significant differences in the values calculated for the different nutrients, with respect to the values obtained by bromatolo- gical analysis. One of the possible causes that could explain these differences would be: because in TCA most of the values of the nutrients are obtained from raw foods; While in the direct analysis, complete dishes have been analyzed in which the food has been subjected to culinary or processing techniques. Regarding the second hypothesis, it could be said that there are no differences between the values obtained by the different computer programs used, since the values for all TCAs are valued in crude

Selection of risk factors to be included in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency risk assessment inspection model for food establishments.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is developing a risk assessment model for food establishments. Previous research on the significance of food safety risk factors determined by literature review and expert advice served as the bases for the current study, to further refine, discriminate and select the most important criteria to be included in the model. This process considered the availability of data sources, the clarity and measurability of the selected factors, undertook the elimination of lower-rated risk factors and grouped those with similar focus of attention, enabling the selection of a final list of risk factors for the model. A method of assessment for the remaining factors was then proposed to allow the quantification of individual risk factors within the model. From the 155 risk factors initially identified, 17 consolidated factors were kept and will be considered for the development of the risk assessment model.

Application of a LC-MS/MS method for multi-mycotoxin analysis in infant formula and milk-based products for young children commercialized in Southern Brazil.

An analytical method based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was validated and applied for the analysis of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in infant formula and milk-based products for young children commercialized in Brazil. A total of 38 samples were evaluated, including 12 infant formula, 14 follow-on formula and 12 samples of milk-based products. AFM1 was detected in 12 (32%) samples, and seven (18%) samples contained AFM1 levels above the method limit of quantification in a concentration range between 0.013 and 0.067 ng mL-1 (0.026 ± 0.019). Two samples of milk-based products exceeded the maximum level (ML) fixed by the European Union for AFM1 in baby foods, however, all samples were in agreement with the levels established by the Brazilian regulation. OTA and DON were not detected in any of the analyzed samples.

Brucellosis Prevalence in Brazilian Slaughterhouses with Different Meat Inspection Systems.

In Brazil, meat inspection occurs in a decentralized manner and consists of three types: (i) federal inspection (SIF), (ii) state inspection (SISP), and (iii) municipal inspection (SIM). The objective of this work was to discuss the three current inspection systems through the apparent prevalence of bovine brucellosis, a zoonosis that has an eradication program implemented by the Brazilian government. Nine abattoirs from federal, state, and municipal inspection systems were assessed and 1,490 animals were sampled. Serology for brucellosis was determined by the rose bengal test and the complement fixation test. The overall apparent prevalence (and 95% confidence interval) of brucellosis was 2.2% (1.5 to 2.9%). Apparent prevalence stratified by inspection system for SIF, SISP, and SIM was 0.4% (0.0 to 0.9%), 2.0% (0.8 to 3.2%), and 4.3% (2.5 to 6.1%), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed the odds ratio for finding an animal positive for brucellosis among inspection systems. A statistical difference ( P < 0.0015) was observed among surveillance systems, with SISP × SIF, SIM × SISP, and SIM × SIF having an odds ratio of 4,996, 2,304, and 11,494, respectively. Hence, the need for increasing official surveillance in state and municipal inspection systems seems to be necessary and could assist in the surveillance of bovine brucellosis and other diseases of interest to the federation. In addition, an increase in official presence would help to improve the selection of slaughtered cattle during ante- and postmortem inspection, with consequent impact on food safety and public health.