JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY AND HAZARDS CONTROL
Year:2019 | Volume:6 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

During four previous issues of Journal of Food Quality and Hazards Control published in 2018, a total of 37 peer-reviewers from all over the world collaborated in peer-review processes. We would like to express our sincerely thanks to all the respectful peer-reviewers for giving their worthy time and expertise which helped us in order to improve the scientific quality of the journal. Also, our special and kindly appreciations are given to the following top five peer-reviewers of our journal for their precise, scientific, and fast reviewing of the manuscripts in 2018.

Background: The continuous worldwide increase of consumption of fresh mushrooms has registered in the recent years. The major goal of this study was to determine the microbiological characteristics of wild edible mushrooms and effect of temperature during storage of Morchella conica. Methods: Wild mushrooms of the species Boletus edulis, Cantharellus cibarius, and Leccinum aurantiacum were collected in a mixed forest of Picea abies, Betula pendula, and Pinus sylvestris located in Tartu territory, Estonia. Faecal indicators, potential pathogens, spoilage bacteria, and microfungi (yeasts and moulds) were evaluated. M. conica was microbiologically investigated for 24 days under different thermal regimes, including 4, 8, 12, 15, 20, and 28 ° C. The statistical analysis was conducted with SAS 9. 2 software. Results: The microbial counts of wild mushrooms, ranging from 6. 81 to 7. 68 log10 CFU/g for total mesophilic count, were generally higher (p<0. 05) than those registered for marketed samples ranging from 4. 60 to 7. 39 log10 CFU/g. The dynamics of total mesophilic microorganisms on M. conica stored at different temperatures indicated that stationary and death phases occurred earlier with increasing temperature and that the highest levels were registered at 28 ° C at the 2nd day of storage. Conclusion: This work highlights consistent differences in terms of microbiological properties among different mushrooms species. The results clearly showed that total mesophilic populations developed at high levels quickly at temperatures more than 15 ° C, but also the refrigeration did not stop the microbiological decay of mushrooms.

Background: Meat species adulteration has become a problem of concern. This study aimed to compare two previously published multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methods for meat species authentication. Methods: The primers used in the first multiplex PCR involved species-specific reverse primer for sheep, goat, cattle, pig, and donkey with universal forward primer. In the second multiplex PCR, the primers included species-specific forward and reverse primer for pork, lamb, ostrich, horse, and cow. The extracted DNA was then amplified with species-specific primers and with mix primers separately in the respective multiplex PCR. Results: The first multiplex PCR was accompanied with cross reactivity, whereas the second multiplex PCR was specific as expected for pork, lamb, ostrich, horse, and cow. The first set of multiplex PCR showed not always amplification of all species-specific DNAs with a mixture of DNA from mentioned animals. Regarding the second set of primers, the extracted DNA of different meat species was amplified with corresponding species primers as simplex PCR resulting in specific amplicons for species DNA prepared from sheep, ostrich, horse, pig, and cattle with the specific PCR products of 119, 155, 253, 100, and 311 bp, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the present investigation, we recommend the multiplex PCR with the second set of primers included species-specific forward and reverse primers for species authentication of five meat types, including pork, lamb, ostrich, horse, as well as cow.

Background: The increasing demand for natural preservatives results in their extended usefulness. The objective of the present study was to investigate the physicochemical and antioxidative characteristics of Rhus coriaria L. (sumac) fruit and comparison of its antioxidative and antibacterial activity with Zataria multiflora Essential Oil (ZEO) as native Iranian natural additives. Methods: Antioxidant activities of Z. multiflora Boiss and sumac were analyzed by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, 2, 2'-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS). Reducing power tests were used for measuring antioxidant activity. Total phenolic content of extract and essential oil were studied as well. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), and Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC) of a hydroalcoholic extract of sumac and ZEO against of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes were studied. Statistical analysis of data was performed using the SPSS software. Results: The phenolic content in sumac extract (305. 65 mg/g) was significantly (p˂ 0. 05) higher than ZEO (179. 42 mg/100 g). The highest level of antibacterial activity was demonstrated by ZEO with the MICs of 0. 625 for S. Typhimurium and 1. 25 mg/ml for L. monocytogenes. Conclusion: Sumac extract showed more potent antioxidative activity than ZEO. However, based on the results of antibacterial activity, ZEO had more potent than sumac extract, significantly.

Background: Milk is considered as one of the highly nutritious food for human. This study was undertaken to evaluate the physicochemical as well as the microbial quality of pasteurized milk of different brands available in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Methods: Five types of branded pasteurized liquid milk were collected from retail markets of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Physicochemical analyses were carried out in order to determine the levels of pH, acidity, fat, protein, casein, specific gravity, Solids-Not-Fat (SNF), and total solids of the samples. Also, the samples were analyzed microbiologically to assess the total microbial loads and coliforms. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 23. 0. Results: The ranges of physicochemical parameters of the samples were determined, including specific gravity (1. 024-1. 031), pH (5. 8-6. 7), acidity (0. 17± 0. 01-0. 37± 0. 01%), total solids content (8. 17-12. 27%), SNF (7. 28-8. 49%), fat (0. 89-3. 78%), protein (3. 42± 0. 09-3. 63± 0. 02%), and casein content (2. 66± 0. 07-2. 82± 0. 02%). Statistically significant differences (p<0. 05) were recorded among different milk brands for all physicochemical parameters except specific gravity. The highest and lowest amounts of total bacterial counts were 1150400 and 35500 CFU/ml, respectively. A significant difference (p<0. 05) was found in bacterial loads among different brands of pasteurized milk. Conclusion: This survey revealed that different brands of Bangladeshi pasteurized milk did not maintain the standard and acceptable quality.

Background: Muscle foods, notably red meat, poultry meat, and fish are the first choice of animal source food with adequate protein for human. The present study was undertaken to analyze the load and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of microorganisms in muscle foods sold in Akure, Southwest Nigeria. Methods: Hundred muscle food samples, including meat and fish were collected from different locations (A-E) of Akure, Nigeria and examined microbiologically using cultural techniques, biochemical tests, and analytical profile index. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns were also determined in isolated microorganisms from muscle foods against different antibiotics. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 17. 0. Results: The highest (p<0. 05) total viable bacterial count (8. 3×106 CFU/g) were obtained from pork, including with 6. 0×105 CFU/g for Staphylococcus and 5. 8×105 CFU/g for Salmonella-Shigella. Mackerel collected from location D (Kings market) had the highest (p<0. 05) bacterial count of 9. 97×105 CFU/g, followed by 8. 57×105 CFU/g, and 7. 03×105 CFU/g in locations C and E, respectively. Low fungal counts were recorded ranged from 1. 0×102 to 1. 30×102 spore forming unit/g. The highest (p<0. 05) occurrence of 26. 50% was observed for Escherichia coli. The isolated microorganisms displayed varying degree of resistance (33. 3 to 100%) to commonly used antibiotics. Conclusion: The microorganisms found in muscle foods from Akure, Nigeria could be considered as result of poor hygiene of the retailers or handlers. Also, presence of the multidrug resistant bacteria in muscle foods distributed in this region could pose a serious risk factor to public health.

Background: Fish meat is outlined with high nutritional value having essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, mineral and vitamins. In this short report, we compared the meat quality of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) farmed in Bulgaria. Methods: Ten fishes from each species were purchased from a fish farm and their morphological parameters were determined. The technological properties of meat were analyzed such as water holding capacity and cooking loss as well as chemical composition such as water content, protein, fat, dry matter, and ash. Results were processed by STATISTICA 6. 0 software. Results: Higher values were significantly determined in brown trout for standard body length (p<0. 05), body height (p<0. 001), and body width (p<0. 01); while differences in total body length were not relevant (p>0. 05). Water holding capacity of rainbow trout meat (9. 49± 3. 86%) was considerably better (p<0. 001) than that of brown trout meat (15. 85± 1. 11%). Cooking loss in rainbow trout (31. 78± 6. 17%) was lower (p<0. 001) than that of brown trout meat (44. 48± 4. 20%). Protein, fat, and dry matter contents were higher in brown trout (p<0. 001). No statistically significant differences were found out with respect to ash content (p>0. 05). Conclusion: Meat of rainbow trout cultivated in Bulgarian farm exhibited better technological properties than that of cultivated brown trout; however, nutritional value of brown trout meat was superior.

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