RESUMO
The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional characteristics of hunted wild boar (WB) meat and compare them with those of meat from analogous domestic animals (pigs) reared in two different rearing systems: indoor-intensive (PI) and outdoor-extensive (PO). WB meat showed a lower amount of lipid content compared to pork and a higher antioxidant activity compared to PI and PO. The comparison of the fatty acid composition of WB and domestic pig reveals significant differences in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), with WB having the highest PUFA level and the lowest SFA level. The omega 6/omega 3 (n-6/n-3) PUFA ratio, PUFA/SFA, atherogenic and thrombogenic indices (AI and TI), as well as the hypocholesterolemic/ hypercholesterolemic index (h/H), were calculated. The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was higher in pork independently of the rearing system. The PUFA/SFA ratio of WB meat was above the minimum ratio of 0.40 recommended to contribute to a reduction in the risk of coronary diseases in pork from both rearing systems. AI and TI were lower in WB meat compared to commercially reared pigs, while h/H was higher in WB in comparison with pork meat. WB meat shows good nutritional quality; therefore, the use of game meat as a food source could be appropriate and could benefit contemporary consumers looking for "green" and high-nutritional products.
RESUMO
In this study, the microbiota of ready-to-eat surströmming from three Swedish producers were studied using a combined approach. The pH values of the samples ranged between 6.67 ± 0.01 and 6.98 ± 0.01, whereas their aw values were between 0.911 ± 0.001 and 0.940 ± 0.001. The acetic acid concentration was between 0.289 ± 0.009 g/100 g and 0.556 ± 0.036 g/100 g. Very low concentrations of lactic acid were measured. Viable counting revealed the presence of mesophilic aerobes, mesophilic lactobacilli and lactococci as well as halophilic lactobacilli and lactococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci, halophilic aerobes and anaerobes. Negligible counts for Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and total eumycetes were observed, whereas no sulfite-reducing anaerobes were detected. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were absent in all samples. Multiplex real-time PCR revealed the absence of the bont/A, bont/B, bont/E, bont/F, and 4gyrB (CP) genes, which encode botulinic toxins, in all the samples analyzed. Metagenomic sequencing revealed the presence of a core microbiota dominated by Halanaerobium praevalens, Alkalibacterium gilvum, Carnobacterium spp., Tetragenococcus halophilus, Clostridiisalibacter spp. and Porphyromonadaceae. Psychrobacter celer, Ruminococcaceae, Marinilactibacillus psychrotolerans, Streptococcus infantis and Salinivibrio costicola were detected as minor OTUs. GC-MS analysis of volatile components revealed the massive presence of trimethylamine and sulphur compounds. Moreover, 1,2,4-trithiolane, phenols, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, esters and long chain aliphatic hydrocarbons were also detected. The data obtained allowed pro-technological bacteria, which are well-adapted to saline environments, to be discovered for the first time. Further analyses are needed to better clarify the extent of the contribution of either the microbiota or autolytic enzymes of the fish flesh in the aroma definition.
Assuntos
Alimentos Fermentados , Peixes/microbiologia , Microbiota , Alimentos Marinhos , Compostos Orgânicos Voláteis/análise , Animais , Bactérias/classificação , Bactérias/genética , Bactérias/isolamento & purificação , Bactérias/metabolismo , Contagem de Colônia Microbiana , Fermentação , Alimentos Fermentados/análise , Alimentos Fermentados/microbiologia , Microbiologia de Alimentos , Microbiota/genética , RNA Ribossômico 16S/genética , Alimentos Marinhos/análise , Alimentos Marinhos/microbiologia , Suécia , Compostos Orgânicos Voláteis/químicaRESUMO
The aim of our study was to describe the balance between health benefits and risks associated with the consumption of crawfish and nine fish species from lake Trasimeno. We thus determined both fatty acid profiles (particularly, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids) and chemical pollutants (some polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, and heavy metals) in fish muscle tissues. The contents of all fatty acids varied significantly among species. Sand smelt, carp, and tench, which have a high fat content, contained considerable amounts of EPA and DHA; lean fish, like perch, pike, and largemouth bass, which have relatively high percentages of the predominant n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, showed lower amounts of these fatty acids because of their low lipid contents. Some species contributed strongly to the Dietary Reference Intake (RDI) of EPA and DHA. The contribution of lean fish to the RDI of EPA and DHA was more limited. The concentrations of all contaminants in fish muscle tissues were lower than the regulatory limits, demonstrating the safety of the environmental conditions of the lake. The contribution to health-based reference values and benefit-risk quotients indicated that the health benefits of consumption of fish from lake Trasimeno outweigh the potential risks.
Assuntos
Peixes , Contaminação de Alimentos , Valor Nutritivo , Bifenilos Policlorados , Animais , Astacoidea/química , Itália , Lagos , Bifenilos Policlorados/análise , Medição de RiscoRESUMO
The most direct way to estimate the shelf life of a product is to conduct simulation tests which are time consuming and expensive. Conversely, accelerated shelf life tests can be successfully used for stable products having long expected shelf life. The aim of the study was directed to verify the possibility to apply an accelerated shelf life test to perishable food products having a short-expected shelf life, such as a new ready-to-eat processed food preparation, composed mainly by cereals, tuna and chicken, packed in thermo-sealed trays and pasteurised. Different samples of the product were stored in thermal abuse conditions, collected periodically and subjected to determinations of TVB-N, pH and sensorial characteristics. Q10 and activation energy were calculated allowing to obtain a predictive evaluation of the product shelf life at the 4°C recommended temperature. The product shelf life was assessed at 26 days vs the 30 days expected by the manufacturer, showing the possibility to apply successfully ASLT for products having short shelf life, saving both time and money.
RESUMO
Acrylamide dietary intakes from selected street foods in youth population are estimated. The intake evaluation was carried out by combining levels of acrylamide in food, analytically determined by high performance liquid chromatography, with individual consumption data recorded using a questionnaire applied to a group of 200 students aged 19 to 30. The mean value of acrylamide exposure was recorded to be 0.452 µg/kg bw/day, while the average intakes at 50th and 95th percentile were 0.350 µg/kg bw/day and 1.539 µg/kg bw/day, respectively. The street food categories that contributed the most to acrylamide intake are pizza and French fries. The margins of exposure, based on benchmark dose limits defined for neoplastic effects and peripheral neuropathy, are within the range of values that indicate a concern for public health as defined by European Authority for Food Safety (EFSA), confirming the needed effort to reduce acrylamide dietary exposure.
RESUMO
In relation to consumer demand, crustaceans and cephalopods are sold as both fresh and defrosted. It is well known that total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and volatile amine values, especially, biogenic amines and biogenic amine index, are expression of freshness of fish products, but there is a lack of knowledge of their acceptability limits, for crustaceans and cephalopods. In order to assess these limits, real-time shelf life tests were carried out, relating the results of TVB-N, biogenic amines and BAI to the sensory evaluation of crustaceans and cuttlefishes, both fresh and defrosted. TVB-N and biogenic amines have been analysed in many shrimp species and cuttlefishes purchased in Perugia (Central Italy), and BAI was calculated as the ratio between different biogenic amines. The results show levels of TVB-N and spermine different between shrimp and cuttlefish (TVB-N: 37 vs. 14 mg/100 g; spermine: 4 vs. 14 mg/kg, respectively) while the other biogenic amines and BAI are close to zero in both. Among biogenic amines, cadaverine and even more putrescine significantly affect BAI values and seem to be the most effective in assessing limits of acceptability during storage.
RESUMO
A study was carried out to verify the appropriateness of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan adopted in a school catering facility. To that end, the microbiological quality of foods, the correct implementation of special diets (lactose- and gluten-free) and the nutritional value of foods were assessed. Thirty-six samples of lactose-free and 87 samples of gluten-free special diet food preparations were subjected to microbiological, chemical, and nutritional analyses. The data collected demonstrate the effectiveness of the HACCP plan in reducing the occurrence of microbial and chemical (lactose and gluten) cross-contamination. The data obtained from the nutritional analyses showed that the dietary intake provided by the meals under study was satisfactory.