Journal of Food Quality and Hazards Control
Volume:8 Issue: 2, Jun 2021

Primary Health Care (PHC) is expected to serve as a basis for the country's health sector, of which it is the primary responsibility and priority, as well as the community's overall collective and economic prosperity. Promotion of food supply and proper nutrition are among eight elements of PHC. Protein deficiency is one of the most important health concerns in some parts of the world. A huge numbers of malnourished or hungry people have been reported particularly in the less developed countries. Advantages of aquaculture in nutrition are varied. However, there are some zoonotic microbial illnesses occurred due to consumption of infected seafood. Some of these challenges will be cor- rected by good aquaculture practices. With the right reforms in the aquaculture industry, progress can be made toward solving some of the challenges facing PHC delivery. In this mini-review, the benefits and risks of aquaculture foods in PHC are briefly discussed.

Fruits and vegetables are potential vehicle of transmission of intestinal parasites. The main aim of this study was to determine prevalence of intestinal parasitic contamination in fruits and vegetables sampled from Caborca region, Northwest Mexico.

A total of 400 fruit and vegetable samples were collected from unregulated open-air markets and closed (i.e., regulated) markets in Caborca region of Northwest Mexico; including melon, peach, asparagus, and grapes. Faust, Kinyoun, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) techniques were used to detect and identify the genus and species of all parasites found in the examined samples. Data were statistically analyzed using STATA/SE (version 12.0).

An overall prevalence (45%) of parasitic contamination was found in the 400 fruit and vegetable samples. Endolimax nana (27.5%) and Entamoeba coli (17.5%) were the most common nonpathogenic parasites, while the most prevalent parasitic pathogens were Cryptosporidium spp. (11.7%), Cyclospora spp., (11.0%), and Blastocystis hominis (9.2%). Asparagus (31%) and grapes (38.9%) had significantly (p<0.05) higher percentages of overall and multiple parasitic contamination than melon (10.6%) and peaches (19.4%). The fresh produce from the open-air markets had significantly (p<0.05) higher overall parasitic contamination (53.5%) than those of the closed establishments (36.5%). 

The parasitic contamination in the fresh produce sold in the Northwest region of Mexico is a serious public health concern.

Phthalates are main ingredients of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles used for storage of water. These compounds can cause adverse effects on human health. The purpose of this study was the quantification of the amounts of phthalates migrated in bottled water as well as the risk assessment of those compounds.

This cross sectional study was performed on 15 PET bottled water samples of popular brands distributed in Isfahan city, Iran. The samples were immediately sent to laboratory for analysis. Amounts of Phthalic Anhydride (PA), di-2 ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-buthyl phthalate (DBP), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), and terphthalic acid (TPA) in bottled water samples were measured using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Risk assessment of migrated compounds were calculated and compared with Hazard Quito (HQ) standards.

The ranges of PA, DEHP, DBP, and TPA were 2.3-26, 171-845, 30-2251, and 24-657 ppb, respectively. DEP was not found in none of the analyzed samples. HQ levels of DEHP, TPA, and DBP were more than 1 in bottled water. 

In the current study, the concentration of DEHP, TPA, and DBP in some bottled water of Isfahan, Iran were higher than the permitted limits. Also, HQ levels of these three migrated compounds were more than 1 in bottled water that is alarming for public health in this region of Iran.

Blackberry is a seasonal harvested fruit that is also very fragile and perishes quickly. A comparative study was conducted to find out influence of cold storage on physicochemical parameters of wild and cultivated blackberry over a period of 12 days.

The plant materials were composed of the blackberry fruit, including a compound of cultivated blackberry (Rubus spp.), and wild blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L. agg) which were harvested in the North of Morocco. The temperature of the storage of wild and cultivated blackberry was 5 °C for 4, 8, and 12 days, and then transferred to 25 °C for 1 day to simulate transport and commercialization. After that, the physicochemical parameters were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS.

During 12 days of storage, the pH of samples was decreased from 3.69 to 3.22 for wild blackberry, and from 4.85 to 3.43 for cultivated blackberry. The titratable acidity was increased from 1.61 to 3.28 for wild blackberry, and from 2.07 to 3.25 for cultivated blackberry. Flavonoids also showed a remarkable increase in values from 30 to 70.66 mg QE/100g of wild blackberries and from 25.33 to 60.66 mg QE/100g in cultivated ones between harvest and the last day of storage. The variation in skin color revealed a decrease during storage of L* brightness, a* redness, and yellowness b* for both blackberries. 

The most suitable storage time of blackberry components during cold storage at 5 °C was 12 days. The temperature at 5 °C preserves the quality of the blackberry for both wild and cultivated ones. However, the wild blackberry was more resistant than cultivated one to cold storage.

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) strains are predominant cause of gastrointestinal tract illnesses. The main objective of the study was to determine antibiotic resistance in various types of DEC isolated from chicken broilers farmed in Pakistan.

A total of 200 feces and 200 meat samples from broiler chickens were collected from the slaughtering shops in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. The confirmed fecal (n=150) and meat (n=150) E. coli isolates were investigated against 16 antibiotics. Fourteen virulence genes specific for Enteropathogenic (EPEC), Shiga Toxin-producing (STEC), Enteroinvasive (EIEC), Enteroaggregative (EAEC), and Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) E. coli were identified using Polymerase Chain Reaction.

EPEC was the most detected pathotype in both feces (76%) and meat (90%) samples, followed by STEC, EIEC, and ETEC. The highest resistance (40-90%) was observed against penicillin, oxytetracycline, and nalidixic acid in fecal isolates. More than 50% EPEC and EAEC fecal isolates, and 60% EAEC meat isolates were simultaneously resistant to 6 or more antibiotics.

Conclusively, the broiler meat sold in open markets of Pakistan was considerably contaminated with multi-drug resistant DEC. To mitigate the issue, the government should regulate the use of antibiotics at poultry farms and monitor slaughtering practices in slaughterer houses.

Aflatoxins (AFs) are natural toxins produced by fungus belonging to genus Aspergillus. These toxins are the secondary metabolites, which may cause teratogenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects due to contamination of food. Peanut is an economically important crop, grown in many parts of the world. The main aim of this survey was to detect AFs in peanut oils marketed in Peshawar, Pakistan.   

During September 2020 to February 2021, a total of 60 peanut oil samples were obtained from retail stores and markets; 20-each from three different areas of Peshawar (University, City, and Cantt), Pakistan. AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2 were determined using Thin Layer Chromatography. Data analysis was done using SPSS 21.0.

Prevalence rates of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2 in peanut oils were 70, 51.7, 3.3, and 0%, respectively. The mean of total AFs was 8.59 μg/kg ranged from 0.12 to 55 μg/kg. Totally, 5% (3 out of 60) of the samples were found contaminated with AFB1 above the permissible limits (20 μg/kg) according to national regulation. There was significant difference (p<0.05) between AF levels in the samples from different three areas of Peshawar.

Although, the majority of samples of peanut oils in Peshawar (Pakistan) were safe for consumption, monitoring of AFs must be carried out on a regular basis in the case of peanut oil consumed in this region. This study suggested that farmers, food processors, and local processors should be aware of acceptable hygiene practices for the cultivation, protection, transportation, processing, and handling of peanut oil.