Special Issue "The Formation, Control and Risk Assessment of Harmful Substances during Food Processing"

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2023 | Viewed by 6568

Special Issue Editors

Department of Food Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
Interests: food safety; thermal processing; formation mechanism; mitigation strategies; food-born hazardous
College of Light Industry and Food Sciences, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
Interests: food authenticity analysis; food nanotechnology; food quality control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: food safety; thermal processing; formation mechanism; mitigation strategies; food-born hazardous

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food processing, such as cooking, drying, pasteurization, and preservation, provides products with longer shelf lives, prefered organoleptic characteristics, and the enhanced digestibility of nutrients. However, at the same time, processing introduces or generates diverse harmful substances, including endogenously-derived hazards (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic amines, acrylamide, 3-monochloropropanodiol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and acrolein), environmental contaminants, food packaging migrants, mycotoxins, bacterial toxins, etc.

Numerous novel food-borne hazards have been continuously discovered in recent decades. Therefore, research on the determination, formation mechanisms, mitigation strategies, and risk assessment of hazardous food substances are extremely necessary to control food safety and improve public health. This research topic aims to fill the knowledge gap concerning the harmful substances derived from food processing by introducing the latest research to related areas. The control of food-borne hazards is necessary to guarantee public health, which relies on the theoretical elucidation of the mechanisms related to the formation and mitigation of the hazards.

Dr. Jie Zheng
Dr. Hao Dong
Dr. Yuchen Zhu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • food safety
  • processing
  • hazardous substance
  • formation mechanism
  • mitigation
  • risk assessment
  • control

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Article
Synergistic Inhibitory Effect of Multiple Polyphenols from Spice on Acrolein during High-Temperature Processing
Foods 2023, 12(12), 2326; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12122326 - 09 Jun 2023
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Abstract
Acrolein (ACR) is a toxic unsaturated aldehyde that is produced during food thermal processing. Here, we investigated the synergistic effect of polyphenols in binary, ternary, and quaternary combinations on ACR by the Chou–Talalay method, and then explored the synergistic effect of cardamonin (CAR), [...] Read more.
Acrolein (ACR) is a toxic unsaturated aldehyde that is produced during food thermal processing. Here, we investigated the synergistic effect of polyphenols in binary, ternary, and quaternary combinations on ACR by the Chou–Talalay method, and then explored the synergistic effect of cardamonin (CAR), alpinetin (ALP), and pinocembrin (PIN) in fixed proportion from Alpinia katsumadai Hayata (AKH) combined with curcumin (CUR) in the model, and roasted pork using LC–MS/MS. Our results showed that their synergistic effect depended on the intensification of their individual trapping ACR activities, which resulted in the formation of more ACR adducts. In addition, by adding 1% AKH (as the carrier of CAR, ALP, and PIN) and 0.01% CUR (vs. 6% AKH single) as spices, more than 71.5% (vs. 54.0%) of ACR was eliminated in roast pork. Our results suggested that selective complex polyphenols can synergistically remove the toxic ACR that is produced in food processing. Full article
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Article
Implementation of the HACCP System for Apple Juice Concentrate Based on Patulin Prevention and Control
Foods 2023, 12(4), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040786 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2639
Abstract
Patulin (PAT) is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp., which acts as a contaminant of most apples and their products. The internationally recognized HACCP system is selected as the theoretical basis to more effectively reduce the PAT in [...] Read more.
Patulin (PAT) is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp., which acts as a contaminant of most apples and their products. The internationally recognized HACCP system is selected as the theoretical basis to more effectively reduce the PAT in apple juice concentrate (AJC). Through field investigation of apple juice concentrate (AJC) production enterprises, we collected 117 samples from 13 steps of AJC production, including whole apple, apple pulp, and apple juice. PAT contents were analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and compared with samples from the different production processes. The result demonstrated that the PAT content was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by five processes, receipt of raw apples, sorting of raw apples, adsorption step, pasteurization, and aseptic filling. These processes were determined as the CCPs. Monitoring systems for maintaining CCPs within acceptable limits were established, and corrective actions were proposed in case a CCP was surpassed. Based on the above-identified CCPs, critical limits, and control methods (corrective actions), a HACCP plan related to the production process of AJC was established. This study provided important guidance for juice manufacturers wishing to effectively control the PAT content in their products. Full article
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Article
Reduction in Five Harmful Substances in Fried Potato Chips by Pre-Soaking Treatment with Different Tea Extracts
Foods 2023, 12(2), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12020321 - 09 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1747
Abstract
Thermally processed food always contains various types of harmful substances. Control of their levels in food is important for human health. This work used the extracts from green tea dust, old green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, and black tea to [...] Read more.
Thermally processed food always contains various types of harmful substances. Control of their levels in food is important for human health. This work used the extracts from green tea dust, old green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, and black tea to simultaneously mitigate diverse harmful substances in fried potato chips. The six tea extracts (30 g/L) all showed considerable inhibitory effects on the formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (reduced by 19.8%–53.2%), glyoxal (26.9%–36.6%), and methylglyoxal (16.1%–75.1%). Green tea and black tea extracts exhibited better inhibitory abilities than the other three teas and were further investigated for other harmful compounds by various concentration treatments. Finally, pre-soaking of fresh potato slices in 50 g/L extracts of green tea dust displayed, overall, the most promising inhibitory capacity of HMF (decreased by 73.3%), glyoxal (20.3%), methylglyoxal (69.7%), acrylamide (21.8%), and fluorescent AGEs (42.9%) in fried potato chips, while it exhibited the least impact on the color and texture. The high level of catechins in green tea dust may contribute most to its outstanding inhibitory effect, whereas the distinguished inhibitory effect of black tea extract was speculated to be attributable to the high levels of theaflavins and amino acids in the fully fermented tea. This study indicated that green tea dust, a predominant waste of the tea industry, had great potential to be exploited to improve food quality and safety. Full article
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Communication
Influence of Seasonings and Spice Essential Oils on Acrylamide Production in a Low Moisture Model System
Foods 2022, 11(24), 3967; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11243967 - 08 Dec 2022
Viewed by 929
Abstract
Acrylamide (AA) is a typical contaminant produced during the heating process. In the present study, two seasonings (soy sauce and rice vinegar) and three spice essential oils (chive, ginger, and pepper) were added to the asparagine (Asn)/glucose (Glc) diethylene glycol model system to [...] Read more.
Acrylamide (AA) is a typical contaminant produced during the heating process. In the present study, two seasonings (soy sauce and rice vinegar) and three spice essential oils (chive, ginger, and pepper) were added to the asparagine (Asn)/glucose (Glc) diethylene glycol model system to investigate the production of AA in a low moisture model system. The generation of AA was significantly enhanced when low levels of soy sauce (1% and 3% v/v) were added (p < 0.05). The Asn/Glc model system was heated for 15 min with 0%, 1%, or 3% (v/v) soy sauce, containing 43 mg/L, 63 mg/L, and 53 mg/L AA, respectively. However, the addition of a high level of soy sauce (5% v/v) showed significant inhibition of AA production after heating for 10 min (p < 0.05). About 36% of AA was inhibited in the Asn/Glc/soy sauce (5%) model system after heating for 15 min. The addition of low levels of rice vinegar (1% and 3% v/v) showed comprehensive effects on AA production. Nevertheless, the addition of rice vinegar at 5% v/v had an inhibitory effect on AA generation (p < 0.05). All kinds of spice essential oils promoted the production of AA (p < 0.05). There was a dose–response relationship between the level of spice essential oils and the generation of AA. This study proposes the importance of seasonings and spice essential oils for AA production in food preparation. Full article
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