Listeria monocytogenes is an important bacteria that can contaminate meat and meat products, having an important impact on public health, being a potential cause of foodborne diseases. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of multidrug resistance cases of L. monocytogenes isolated from fresh meat and meat products, from the North of Portugal. Samples of fresh meat preparations and meat products were undertaken from hypermarkets and small traditional local shops. Of the total samples, 20% were meat-based products, 12% were meatballs and hamburgers, 12% were meat skewers, 8% were breaded meat, 40% were minced meat and 8% were fresh sausage. Samples were transported to the laboratory in refrigeration conditions in 10 minutes. After, samples were subjected to microbiological analysis and antimicrobial resistance tests. The strains were identified using morphological and molecular methods. Antibiotic resistance was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The overall prevalence of L. monocytogenes among screened samples was 32% and 9 isolates obtained from minced meat, displayed a multidrug-resistance profile. This study showed a frequent occurrence of multidrug resistance in L. monocytogenes which represent a major concern of public health, since most antimicrobial resistances detected were against antimicrobials considered to be essential and frequently used in human medicine.

Goat milk is a vital, sustainable dairy product source that contributes significantly to the global dairy market. Different goat breeds may produce milk with varying compositions during different lactation seasons. Therefore, milk composition and quality need to be monitored. As a versatile and non-destructive method, Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) offers the potential for evaluating various milk parameters. In this study, we aim to establish NIRS models for classifying goat's milk samples between the native Red and Alpine Breeds at the first and fifth lactation seasons. Our objective is to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of NIRS as a viable alternative to traditional laboratory techniques.

Forty-five milk samples were collected from two breeds, French Alpine goats, and native Red goats. Within each breed, half of the samples originated from goats in their first lactation season and the other half from goats in their fifth lactation season. The NIRS measurements were conducted using treated, untreated, and diluted milk samples. The experiment was performed with a benchtop spectrophotometer (740-1700nm).

Qualitative analysis using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was conducted, demonstrating the feasibility of NIRS in effectively classifying samples. The achieved accuracy ranged between 67.19% to 100%, depending on the breed and lactation period.

These findings underscore the potential of NIRS as a rapid, non-destructive analytical tool for quality monitoring and milk analysis. Its insights guide decision-making in nutrition, agriculture, food production, and public health. By exploiting on the distinct attributes of goat milk originating from various breeds at different lactation periods, we can offer a wide range of appropriate and varied food choices tailored to distinct population groups.

The aim of this study was to assess the risk of S. aureus contamination in bottled drinking water and identify the factors that influenced the presence of S. aureus in raw water. Samples were collected at different stages of two drinking water plants, including raw water, soft water, reverse osmosis (R.O.) water, and finished water. Additionally, raw water samples and risk parameters such as pH, temperature, and residual chlorine were collected during the washing step at the packing house. Our findings revealed that the key factors contributing to S. aureus contamination in water were the processing time and pH of the water. The pH values for raw water, soft water, R.O. water, and finished water samples were 7.17, 7.24, 6.69, and 5.92, respectively, for Factory A (small scale), and 7.9, 7.44, 6.97, and 6.8, respectively, for Factory B (medium scale). The number of S. aureus detected in all water samples from both Factory A (2 CFU/ml) and Factory B (1 CFU/ml) were within the safe range for consumer consumption. Based on these findings, it is recommended to maintain a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5 for raw water and finished water to minimize pathogen contamination in bottled drinking water.

Abstract: Consumption of nutritious and useful foods has increased recently. Because cereal granola bars can satisfy the needs of health-conscious consumers by having a high content of nutrients, nutraceutical compounds, and antioxidants, their consumption is rising. The objective of this study was to investigate the optimal ratio of a mixture of Thai-coloured indica rice flour (Oryza sativa cv. Riceberry) or rice berry rice flour, Job’s tears flour, and black sesame seeds in developing a healthy cereal granola bar. Based on the experimental mixture design of 10 formulations of a granola bar, the mixture ratio of rice berry rice flour, Job’s tears flour, and black sesame seeds affected the quality of the cereal granola bar in terms of physicochemical and sensory properties, and the differences were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). The main ingredients of the granola bar formulation that was well-accepted were rice berry rice flour (5%), Job’s tears flour (35%), and black sesame seeds (5%). The peak viscosity of Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) of rice berry rice flour and Job’s tears flour was 943.67 ± 49.60 cP and 1329.00 ± 10.71 cP, respectively. This product showed the highest overall liking score of 7.27 ± 0.64 with a water activity of 0.53 and moisture content of 11.54%. These results suggest that the prepared local cereal granola bar can be a promising food product with nutritional value and antioxidant content. The addition of Job's tears flour and rice berry rice flour improved the texture of the granola bars.

Argentina holds a prominent position in the global honey industry due to its significant honey production and exports. The argentinian vast agroecological diversity offers a unique opportunity to obtain honeys with distinct organoleptic profiles and nutritional properties. Therefore, a study was conducted to assess the impact of geographical origin on the physicochemical characteristics of honeys from the southeast region of Entre Ríos. Additionally, chemometric methods were employed to discriminate and classify the honey samples based on their origins. The study involved the analysis of 104 honey samples collected between 2020 and 2022, representing three departments in Entre Ríos: Gualeguaychú (GU), Islas del Ibicuy (II), and Concepción del Uruguay (CU). The results of the analysis revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in all the studied parameters among the different departments. Specifically, honeys from II exhibited lower acidity, color, and pH, while GU honey had the lowest humidity. Moreover, the conductivity and ash content also displayed significant differences among the three departments. Chemometric analyses were applied to the data to gain deeper insights. The PCA effectively explained 76% of variability using the first two components. Additionally, the LDA successfully classified 80% of the honey samples, enabling the prediction of their geographical origins. By recognizing and understanding the specific characteristics of honeys from different areas, producers can better differentiate their products and enhance their value in the market. Furthermore, this research provides a foundation for future studies aimed at improving quality control measures and preserving the unique qualities of honey from this region of Argentina.

Balanced infant nutrition is essential for a good physical and intellectual development. The importance of nutrition in preventing nutritional deficiencies requires the search for new food ingredients of natural origin that promotes health and enriches the diet with vitamins, mineral elements, fibre, and polyunsaturated fatty acids of sustainable sources. Micro and macro algae are a good source of protein, fibre and minerals, amongst other nutrients that enrich any diet. However, products supplemented with such ingredients are still hard to find in western culture.

Pasta is a nutritious option suitable for the incorporation of such ingredients since it is a staple food in many countries and it is consumed daily by millions of people due to its adaptability to different recipes from different cultures. Apart from this, pasta presents itself as a product of good nutritional quality for the general consumer’s needs, mostly because of its starchy content.

In this work, we present an innovative formula of dry pasta containing macro and micro algae and field crops such as beets or spinach.

After developing the algae-enriched products, a sensory analysis was performed to find the best formulation and then, nutrients and vitamins were assessed. The developed Kids Pasta is tricoloured, composed of 3 different formulations containing a unique blend in each of them, of rich ingredients. The pasta provided high mineral and vitamin contents, so that could bear nutritional claims: vitamin B12 (17,77±13,5µg/kg), vitamin B3 (5,28±5,59mg/kg), phosphorus (1008,42±7,45mg/kg), iron (4,87±0,16mg/kg), iodine (0,16±1,33E-04mg/kg), potassium (456,65±7,19mg/kg), magnesium (73,64±3,26mg/kg) and zinc (2,69±0,13mg/kg) [1][2].

The addition of algae as base ingredient, also allowed to obtain 9.34 g of protein/100g pasta. Furthermore, the consumer acceptance to different sensory attributes was tested. Appearance, colour, texture, odour, taste, and overall acceptance were evaluated using a 9-point hedonic scale with extremes ranging from “really disliked” to “really liked”. Besides the nutritional potential, the developed pasta also showed great overall sensorial acceptance, at 75% above 7 on the scale. Also, purchase intent prevailed in score 9.

[1] Regulation (EC) N◦ 1924/2006 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTE AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods.

[2] Regulation (EU) N◦ 1169/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers.

Acknowledgements:

Authors are grateful to FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) for the financial support attributed to MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Polytechnic of Leiria (UIDB/04292/2020 and UIDP/04292/2020) and the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET. This work was financially supported by project HP4A - HEALTHY PASTA FOR ALL (co-promotion no. 039952), co-funded by ERDF - European Regional Development Fund, under the Portugal 2020 Regional Development Fund, under the Portugal 2020 Programme, through COMPETE 2020 - Competitiveness and Competitiveness and Internationalisation Operational Programme.

The present work aims at measuring the natural radioactivity and annual effective dose in vegetables collected from an agricultural area in El-Jadida located on the North-western side of Morocco. The activity concentrations of ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra, and ⁴⁰K were determined using a high-resolution gamma spectrometry technique. The results show that the specific activities in vegetable samples of ²¹⁰Pb ²²⁶Ra and ⁴⁰K vary between 3.44 ± 0.55 Bq.Kg^-1 and 12.80 ± 0.57 Bq.Kg^-1; 2.25 ± 0.6 Bq.Kg ^-1 and 5.15 ± 0.60 Bq.Kg^-1 and between 507.5 ± 27.76 and 1808.6 ± 93.19 Bq.Kg ⁻¹ respectively. The total average annual effective dose calculated for investigated vegetable samples varied from 0.07 to 1.03 mSv/y with an average of 0.71 mSv/y. The total average annual effective dose found in all samples is lower than the worldwide median values for all groups. Accordingly, the obtained values of natural radioactivity and annual effective dose in the vegetable of the El Jadida region are safe and do not exceed the International limit values. However, further analysis of other types of vegetables needs to be investigated all around different periods of the year.

Campylobacter infection is the leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide and chicken meat is the main reservoir of this pathogen. Campylobacter spp. are fragile and fastidious in their growth requirements but, paradoxically, they can be easily transmitted from animals to human through the food production chain. Biofilm formation is suggested as a key survival and persistence mechanism used by campylobacteria. During food animal processing, organic acids may be used to remove pathogens from carcasses and decrease their microbial load. In this work, the effect of lactic acid (LA) on biofilm production by eight Campylobacter spp. raw chicken meat isolates (five C. jejuni and three C. coli), was investigated. Initially, the minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MICs and MBCs, respectively) of LA were determined against each Campylobacter isolate, through the broth microdilution and agar spot assays, respectively. Subsequently, the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs) of LA against the biofilm growth of each isolate were determined, through the crystal violet assay. Lastly, the inhibitory effect of LA on multistrain biofilms (composed of three isolates) was determined using 96-well polystyrene microplates and stainless steel coupons as the abiotic substrata. Results revealed that the MIC, MBC and MBIC values of LA against the eight isolates ranged from 1024 to 2048 μg/mL depending on the isolate and the growth medium. The inhibitory effect of LA on mixed culture biofilm production was higher when SS coupons were used as the abiotic substrata. Taken together, the results of this work offer insight into biofilm management of a pathogen of public health importance.

The healthier and natural alternatives to traditional dairy based products are in demand nowadays, that’s why the use of soy milk as a dairy substitute has gained popularity due to its numerous health benefits and suitability for lactose-intolerant individuals. Soymilk is produced from soybean, a leguminous plant that is widely cultivated for its edible beans. Soy milk is produced by soaking, grinding, and boiling soybeans and then straining the liquid. In this research yogurt, a fermented form of milk was produced from nutrient-dense soy milk with several health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart diseases, improving bone health, favorable for the digestive system, and helping in weight management. Additionally, stevia a natural zero-calorie sweetener derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant and date syrup, also known as date honey or date molasses, made from dates, the fruit of the date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) rich in vitamins and minerals, aims to enhance the sweetness and nutritional profile of the soy-based yogurt were added. The four treatments were conducted, T₁ control without stevia and date syrup only (100%) yogurt and other treatments T₂ (95%) and (5%), T₃ (90%) and (10%), T₄ (85%) and (15%) soy yogurt and date syrup with 1.5% stevia were prepared. All the treatments were subjected to different proximate analyses to determine protein, fat, fiber, minerals and moisture. The various tests were performed to check the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) along with the determination of antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the flavored yogurt. Also, the physicochemical properties, including pH, viscosity, and sensory attributes, were assessed to evaluate the textural and sensory characteristics of the soy yogurt with varying sweetener levels. The findings of this research demonstrated that the incorporation of stevia and date syrup in soy milk-based yogurt effectively provided a balanced and natural sweetness while maintaining a low-calorie profile. The resulting product exhibited a smooth texture and appealing taste, with antimicrobial and antibacterial properties with high TPC and TFC content, making it an attractive option for health-conscious consumers seeking a dairy-free and nutritious yogurt alternative.

Food waste is seen as a societal, economic, and environmental challenge threatening food security and causing natural resources overconsumption and nutrition losses. There is inequality in the distribution of food resources in the world and many countries have been suffering from hunger where others have excess food thrown away with waste. Indeed, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that we entered 2022 with 828 million hungry people whose majority are women and children suffering from malnutrition, wasting, and stunting. Moreover, the UNEP Food Waste Index 2021 indicated that nearly 931 million tonnes of food waste were produced in 2019 of which 61% originated from households, 26% from restaurants and food service, and 13% from retail. This, of course, hinders the achievement of the zero hunger goal by 2030. In this order, we analyze the main challenges and opportunities for using food waste released from touristic activities using an S-(Strength)-W (Weakness) O- (Opportunities) and T-(threats) analysis. The analysis shows that the challenges could be a source of creation of important opportunities while it is recommended to enhance the awareness of restaurants and business foods owner’s about the impacts of the food waste increase on the economy and environment and the importance of waste selection and circular bio-economy concept adoption for the sustainable development of their businesses.