High occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in Pixian Doubanjiang, a typical condiment in Chinese cuisine

Current Insights into Industrial Trans Fatty Acids Legal Frameworks and Health Challenges in the European Union and Spain

The presence of industrial trans-fatty acids (iTFAs) in processed foods poses significant public health concerns, necessitating comprehensive regulatory frameworks. In this study, the current legal landscape governing iTFA in the European Union and Spain is analyzed, with a particular focus on regulatory effectiveness and implementation challenges. The research methodology combines a systematic review of existing regulations, including EU Regulation No. 1169/2011 and Spanish Law 17/2011, with the analysis of the scientific literature on iTFA health impacts. The results reveal significant regulatory gaps, particularly in enforcement mechanisms and iTFA detection methods. Key challenges are also identified in the present study, including inconsistent compliance monitoring, varying analytical methods for iTFA detection, and contradictions between EU and Spanish regulatory frameworks. Additionally, in this work, the need for harmonized approaches to ultra-processed food regulation is emphasized. Further, the conclusion is that despite the current regulations providing a foundation for iTFA control, it is compulsory to enhance the monitoring systems, and clearer regulatory guidelines are necessary. These would contribute valuable insights for policymakers, food industry stakeholders, and public health professionals working towards effective iTFA regulation.

Aflatoxins: Occurrence, biosynthesis, mechanism of action and effects, conventional/emerging detection techniques

Aflatoxins (AFs) are toxic secondary metabolites prevalent in various food and agricultural products, posing significant challenges to global food safety. The detection and quantification of AFs through high-precision analytical techniques are crucial in mitigating AF contamination levels and associated health risks. Variousmethods,including conventional and emerging techniques, have been developed for detecting and quantifyingAFsinfood samples. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the global occurrence of AF in food commodities, covering their biosynthesis, mode of action, and effects on humans and animals. Additionally, the review discusses different conventional strategies, including chromatographic and immunochemical approaches, for AF quantification and identification in food samples. Furthermore, emerging AF detection strategies, such as solid-state gas sensors and electronic nose technologies, along with their applications, limitations, and future perspectives, were reviewed. Sample purification, along with their respective advantages and limitations, are also discussed herein.

Incidence trends of primary liver cancer in different geographical regions of China from 1978 to 2012 and projections to 2032: An age-period-cohort analysis

China accounted for 45.3% of new cases of primary liver cancer (PLC) worldwide in 2020. While variations in PLC incidence between different regions of China and decreasing incidence in overall China have been reported, incidence patterns have not been thoroughly explored by region. We examined the nearly status and temporal trends of PLC incidence in different geographical regions in China and project future trends. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) was estimated for 1978 to 2012 by different geographical regions and gender in China. Age-period-cohort model was adopted to evaluate age and birth cohort effects on the temporal trend of five registries of China (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Jiashan, Harbin and Zhongshan), Bayesian age-period-cohort model was adopted to project future trends for 2013 to 2032. PLC incidence in China exhibits marked geographical disparity, with the highest incidence in Southwest China, and gender differences being particularly pronounced in South China. While other registries exhibited decreasing trend, Zhongshan exhibited an increasing trend, with the cohort effect showing a marked upward trend for females born in 1916 to 1949 and males born in 1916 to 1962. During 2013 to 2032, the ASR appears to increase by 86.9% for men and 40.0% for women in Zhongshan, while the remaining registries will decline by around 50%. Since the high incidence of hepatitis B virus infection in early birth cohort, recent rise of nonviral risk factors and the severe aging of the Chinese population, it may be critical to tailor future prevention and control strategies for PLC to the distribution of risk factors in different geographical regions.

Safety evaluation and application of lactic acid bacteria and yeast strains isolated from Sichuan broad bean paste

Broad bean paste is one of the most popular characteristic traditional fermented bean products in China, which is prepared by mixed fermentation of a variety of microorganisms, among which lactic acid bacteria and yeast played an important role in the improvement of the fermented broad bean paste quality. However, the traditional open-air fermentation of broad bean paste brought some risks of harmful microorganisms. In this study, the safety and fermentation ability of lactic acid bacteria and yeast strains isolated from traditional broad bean paste was evaluated. The results showed that the protease activity of the strain Lactobacillus plantarum DPUL-J5 (366.73 ± 9.00 U/L) and Pichia kudriavzevii DPUY-J5 (237.18 ± 10.93 U/L) were the highest. Both strains produced little biogenic amines, and did not exhibit α-hemolytic activity or antibiotic resistance for some of the antibiotics most used in human medicine. Furthermore, the broad bean paste fermentation involving DPUL-J5 and DPUY-J5 was beneficial for accumulating higher total acid (1.69 ± 0.01 g/100 g), amino-acid nitrogen (0.85 ± 0.03 g/100 g), and more volatile flavor compounds, meanwhile, reducing the levels of biogenic amines and aflatoxin B1. Therefore, this study provided a new strategy to improve the safety and quality of traditional broad bean paste.

Determination of aflatoxin B1 in Pixian Douban based on aptamer magnetic solid-phase extraction

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB₁) is considered as the most prevalent and toxic mycotoxin in food, and is the indispensable index in the monitoring of Pixian Douban, a traditional chinese fermented bean paste from Sichuan. However, the effeciency of AFB₁ detection in Pixian Douban is influenced by the traditional extraction, which is usually complex and time consuming. Therefore, an aptamer-based magnetic solid-phase extraction method was designed for the pretreatment of AFB₁ in this sample, for which Fe₃O₄ was synthesized via the solvothermal method and then a Fe₃O₄@SiO₂–NH₂ with a core–shell structure was prepared, followed by an AFB₁-aptamer attachment. The validation was performed via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with HPLC-MS/MS. The linearity range of this method was 0.5–2.0 ng mL ⁻¹ with R² of 0.981, and recoveries of AFB₁ ranged from 80.19% to 113.92% with RSDs below 7.28% with no significant differences compared to HPLC-MS/MS. The three-time reusability efficiencies of aptamer-MNPs were averaged at 78.24%. The results proved that aptamer-MNPs were high-performance adsorbents for extracting and enriching AFB₁, facilitating quick and effective detection of AFB₁ in Pixian DouBan samples.

An aptamer-based magnetic solid-phase extraction method was designed for the pretreatment of AFB1 from a Pixian Douban sample. It was developed based on aptamer–Fe₃O₄@SiO₂–NH₂ with subsequent ELISA validation, showing an efficient result.

Fermentation characteristics of Pixian broad bean paste in closed system of gradient steady-state temperature field

A closed system of gradient steady-state temperature field (GSTF) was constructed to ferment Pixian broad bean paste (PBP). The contents of physicochemical factors and organic acids in the fermentation under GSTF (FG) were closer to those in the traditional fermentation (TF). The taste intensities of 8 free amino acids in the FG were higher than those in the constant temperature fermentation (CTF), but 14 in the TF showed the highest among the processes of FG, CTF and TF. The FG product had the most volatiles with 87, and its flavor properties were more stable. The FG produced great effects on the microbe evolutions especially improved the fungal diversity. Bacillus were identified as the core microbes in the FG while the roles of Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus and Pantoea were strengthened. The results indicated that the fermentation characteristics in the FG had been further improved compared with the CTF.

Characteristics, Occurrence, Detection and Detoxification of Aflatoxins in Foods and Feeds

Mycotoxin contamination continues to be a food safety concern globally, with the most toxic being aflatoxins. On-farm aflatoxins, during food transit or storage, directly or indirectly result in the contamination of foods, which affects the liver, immune system and reproduction after infiltration into human beings and animals. There are numerous reports on aflatoxins focusing on achieving appropriate methods for quantification, precise detection and control in order to ensure consumer safety. In 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, M1 and M2 as group 1 carcinogenic substances, which are a global human health concern. Consequently, this review article addresses aflatoxin chemical properties and biosynthetic processes; aflatoxin contamination in foods and feeds; health effects in human beings and animals due to aflatoxin exposure, as well as aflatoxin detection and detoxification methods.