Inactivation of Salmonella and Surrogate Bacteria on Cashews and Macadamia Nuts Exposed to Commercial Propylene Oxide Processing Conditions.
Propylene oxide (PPO), a chemical fumigant, has been validated to reduce Salmonella on bulk almonds but has not been evaluated for other tree nuts. There is a need to identify nonpathogenic surrogate microorganisms whose inactivation is comparable to that of Salmonella to assure effective PPO processing parameters in different packaging configurations without introducing Salmonella into the pasteurization facility. The objective of this research was to compare the reduction of Salmonella and three potential surrogate bacterial strains, Enterococcus faecium ATCC 8459, Pediococcus acidilactici ATCC 8042, or Staphylococcus carnosus ATCC 51365, on cashews and macadamia nuts processed by using PPO. Whole cashews and macadamia nuts were coinoculated with a five-strain cocktail of Salmonella and one surrogate, dried to the original water activity of 0.44 to 0.51 before being packaged in woven polypropylene bags (2.3 kg), and shipped overnight in Styrofoam containers under ambient conditions to a commercial facility for PPO treatment. Salmonella and surrogates were recovered by vigorous shaking in phosphate buffer (1:1, m/v), serial diluted, and plated onto tryptic soy agar with an overlay of xylose lysine Tergitol 4 for Salmonella or mannitol salt agar or bile esculin azide agar for each surrogate. The mean log reductions of Salmonella and each surrogate ( n = 18), within a sample and among all trials (three independent), were compared by using a matched pairs t test. Reduction in log CFU per gram of Salmonella was significantly greater than that of E. faecium on both macadamia nuts (7.3 ± 0.19 versus 6.4 ± 0.31) and cashews (5.4 ± 0.15 versus 5.1 ± 0.25) and significantly greater than P. acidilactici on both nuts (7.8 ± 0.22 versus 6.3 ± 0.33 on macadamia nuts and 4.9 ± 0.22 versus 4.1 ± 0.25 on cashews). Reduction of S. carnosus exceeded that of Salmonella. E. faecium and P. acidilactici may be considered as surrogates for Salmonella on whole macadamia nuts and cashews processed by using PPO.
Anaphylaxis to packaged foods in Australasia.
AIMS: To examine reports of anaphylaxis in Australasia from consumption of packaged food products with or without precautionary allergen labelling (PAL), where the known allergen triggers were not a listed ingredient. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all members of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (n = 548). Participants were asked to complete a survey reporting whether they have had seen any patients over the last 3 months reporting anaphylaxis following ingestion of a packaged food where the suspected food allergen was not a listed ingredient. RESULTS: Of the n = 548 members approached, n = 198 responded (response rate 36.1%).There were 14 reports of anaphylaxis to packaged foods (where the suspected allergen was not a listed ingredient), which met the case definition from a total of 198 respondents over the 9-month period. Of those reactions, 50.0% (confidence interval 95% 21-78) were reported from foods that did not have a PAL statement, and 50.0% (confidence interval 95% 21-78) were due to peanuts. CONCLUSION: Anaphylaxis to undeclared allergens was not rare and did not appear to depend on whether the product was labelled with precautionary advice. There is currently no reliable labelling system that can inform food-allergic consumers of safer food choices. Improvements in the regulation of food labelling with PAL are required.
In house validation of a high resolution mass spectrometry Orbitrap-based method for multiple allergen detection in a processed model food.
In recent years, mass spectrometry (MS) has been establishing its role in the development of analytical methods for multiple allergen detection, but most analyses are being carried out on low-resolution mass spectrometers such as triple quadrupole or ion traps. In this investigation, performance provided by a high resolution (HR) hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap™ MS platform for the multiple allergens detection in processed food matrix is presented. In particular, three different acquisition modes were compared: full-MS, targeted-selected ion monitoring with data-dependent fragmentation (t-SIM/dd2), and parallel reaction monitoring. In order to challenge the HR-MS platform, the sample preparation was kept as simple as possible, limited to a 30-min ultrasound-aided protein extraction followed by clean-up with disposable size exclusion cartridges. Selected peptide markers tracing for five allergenic ingredients namely skim milk, whole egg, soy flour, ground hazelnut, and ground peanut were monitored in home-made cookies chosen as model processed matrix. Timed t-SIM/dd2 was found the best choice as a good compromise between sensitivity and accuracy, accomplishing the detection of 17 peptides originating from the five allergens in the same run. The optimized method was validated in-house through the evaluation of matrix and processing effects, recoveries, and precision. The selected quantitative markers for each allergenic ingredient provided quantification of 60-100 μgingred/g allergenic ingredient/matrix in incurred cookies.
SIAL-Paris 2018
The INC Nuts and Dried Fruits Pavilion will participate in the event. Click HERE for more information.
Gulfood 2019
Gulfood is the world’s biggest annual food & hospitality show. Established over 25 years, Gulfood has a well deserved reputation amongst exporters for delivering spectacular return on investment. For the exporter seeking new sales from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Gulfood provides a trade and sourcing platform without equal, where international flavours find world-class business. Benefit from the region’s premier knowledge exchange from education, training, competitions & live events. Gulfood strives to inspire and inform.
The INC Nuts and Dried Fruits Pavilion will participate in the event. Click HERE for more information.
GulFood 2018 Hosts the 2nd Edition of the INC Pavilion in Dubai
The space, of 180 m2, hosted 19 co-exhibitors’ booths of 6 m2 each, following the design already displayed in the past edition. Once again, the facility served its main purpose of becoming a continuous trading hub for the nut and dried fruit business, with hundreds of commercial and also informal meetings and contacts being held both at the co-exhibitors’ booths and at the hospitality area. The Pavilion therefore turned the ZA’ABEEL Hall 2 of GulFood 2018 into a vivid and lively place, with a non-stop flow of visitors willing to do business and network with top industry leaders. Activity and contacts were remarkably numerous during the Welcome Cocktail held on February 18. The event drew a great number of attendees and this new INC concept served to promote meetings in a different and more relaxed atmosphere. Find a full gallery of pictures of the INC Pavilion at GulFood in our Flickr album or watch the video.
The INC Pavilion is already planning to attend GulFood 2019: Book your space NOW by completing the online form! Remember that our space is limited. Don't miss your chance! After its presence in Dubai’s GulFood, the INC Pavilion will next be seen on the forecoming edition of SIAL, to be held in Paris (France) between October 21 and 25 2018. Please note that the available space at the INC Pavilion for Sial 2018 is already complete. However, for those who are interested, there is still the possibility to book a cocktail sponsorship during the event by applying online.
GulFood 2018 Hosts the 2nd Edition of the INC Pavilion in Dubai
The space, of 180 m2, hosted 19 co-exhibitors’ booths of 6 m2 each, following the design already displayed in the past edition. Once again, the facility served its main purpose of becoming a continuous trading hub for the nut and dried fruit business, with hundreds of commercial and also informal meetings and contacts being held both at the co-exhibitors’ booths and at the hospitality area. The Pavilion therefore turned the ZA’ABEEL Hall 2 of GulFood 2018 into a vivid and lively place, with a non-stop flow of visitors willing to do business and network with top industry leaders. Activity and contacts were remarkably numerous during the Welcome Cocktail held on February 18. The event drew a great number of attendees and this new INC concept served to promote meetings in a different and more relaxed atmosphere. Find a full gallery of pictures of the INC Pavilion at GulFood in our Flickr album or watch the video.
The INC Pavilion is already planning to attend GulFood 2019: Book your space NOW by completing the online form! Remember that our space is limited. Don't miss your chance! After its presence in Dubai’s GulFood, the INC Pavilion will next be seen on the forecoming edition of SIAL, to be held in Paris (France) between October 21 and 25 2018. Please note that the available space at the INC Pavilion for Sial 2018 is already complete. However, for those who are interested, there is still the possibility to book a cocktail sponsorship during the event by applying online.
Effects of blueberry and cranberry consumption on type 2 diabetes glycemic control: a systematic review.
The metabolic effects of cranberry and blueberry consumption on glycemic control have been evaluated in vitro and in animal models as well as in human studies, although findings have not been systematically reviewed yet. Therefore, a systematic review was carried out of relevant randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in order to assess the effect of berries (blueberry and cranberry) consumption on type 2 diabetes (T2DM) glycemic control. Some evidences were also discussed on the anti-diabetic mechanisms exerted by berries polyphenols. Studies were identified by searching electronic databases: LILACS, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Three authors independently searched and extracted RCTs in which the effect of berries (cranberry or blueberry) consumption on T2DM glycemic control was assessed. A total of 7 RCTs, involving 270 adults with type 2 diabetes were included. Despite the heterogeneity of the administration forms (in natura, dried, extract, preparations - juice), dosage, duration of the intervention and type of population of the studies involving these two berries some studies highlight the potential benefit of berries, especially of blueberry, on glucose metabolism in T2DM subjects. Daily cranberry juice (240 mL) consumption for 12 weeks and blueberry extract or powder supplementation (9.1 to 9.8 mg of anthocyanins, respectively) for 8 to 12 weeks showed a beneficial effect on glucose control in T2DM subjects. Those results indicate a promising use of these berries in T2DM management; although more studies are required to better understand the mechanisms involved.
Total nut, tree nut, peanut, and peanut butter consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer in the Netherlands Cohort Study.
BACKGROUND: Nut intake has been associated with decreased cancer-related mortality, but few studies have examined the potential of nuts in the chemoprevention of pancreatic cancer. We prospectively investigated the association of total nut, tree nut, peanut, and peanut butter consumption with pancreatic cancer risk. METHODS: In the Netherlands Cohort Study, 120,852 men and women completed a baseline questionnaire, including a food frequency questionnaire, in 1986. After 20.3 years of follow-up, 583 incident pancreatic cancer cases, including 349 microscopically confirmed pancreatic cancer (MCPC) cases, were included in multivariable case-cohort analyses. RESULTS: Increased total nut consumption was associated with a non-significantly decreased MCPC risk in men (HR (95% CI) for 10+ g/day vs. nonconsumers = 0.72 (0.47-1.11), P-trend = 0.163). No clear association was found in women. For tree nut and peanut consumption, non-significant inverse associations were observed in men. In women, no or unclear associations were found for tree nut and peanut consumption. Peanut butter intake was related to a significantly reduced risk of MCPC in men (HR (95% CI) for 5+ g/day vs. nonconsumers = 0.53 (0.28-1.00), P-trend = 0.047), but this relation was not clear in women. Evidence for a nonlinear dose-response relation with MCPC was found for tree nut intake only. The associations were weaker when looking at total pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that nuts and peanut butter might reduce pancreatic cancer risk in men. In women, no or unclear associations were found. IMPACT: Nut consumption might reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer in men.
Cashew Nut Consumption Increases HDL Cholesterol and Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure in Asian Indians with Type 2 Diabetes: A 12-Week Randomized Controlled Trial.
Background: There is increasing evidence that nut consumption decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, there are few data on the health effects of cashew nuts among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Objective: The study aimed to investigate the effects of cashew nut supplementation on glycemia, body weight, blood pressure, and lipid profile in Asian Indians with T2DM. Methods: In a parallel-arm, randomized controlled trial, 300 adults with T2DM [mean ± SD age: 51 ± 9.3 y; body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2): 26.0 ± 3.4; 55% male] were randomly assigned to receive advice to follow a standard diabetic diet (control) or similar advice plus 30 g cashew nuts/d (intervention) for 12 wk. The macronutrient composition of the prescribed diabetic diet was 60-65% energy from carbohydrates, 15-25% from fat, and the rest from protein. Differences between groups in changes in anthropometric and biochemical variables were analyzed using linear models with robust variance estimation under an assumed independence working correlation. Results: Participants in the intervention group had a greater decrease in systolic blood pressure from baseline to 12 wk than did controls (-4.9 ± 13.7 compared with -1.7 ± 11.6 mm Hg; P = 0.04) and a greater increase in plasma HDL cholesterol compared with controls (+1.7 ± 5.6 compared with +0.1 ± 4.6 mg/dL; P = 0.01). There were no differences between the groups with respect to changes in body weight, BMI, blood lipid, and glycemic variables. Plasma oleic acid concentrations and self-reported dietary intake of nuts, oleic acid, and monounsaturated fatty acids suggested excellent compliance with the nut consumption. Conclusion: Cashew nut supplementation in Asian Indians with T2DM reduced systolic blood pressure and increased HDL cholesterol concentrations with no deleterious effects on body weight, glycemia, or other lipid variables. This study was registered at the clinical trial registry of India as CTRI/2017/07/009022.