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Prospects for Risks and Benefits in the Context of Food...
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Prospects for Risks and Benefits in the Context of Food and Health

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 5963

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ljilja Torović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
2. Center for Medical and Pharmaceutical Investigations and Quality Control, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: food safety; chemical contaminants; mycotoxins; pesticide residues; risk assessment; food bioactives; beneficial effects of foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Paula Cristina Alvito

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Food and Nutrition Department, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
2. Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: food safety; food contaminants; food toxicology; mycotoxins; risk assessment; bioavailability; risk–benefit assessment; human biomonitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The primary aim of this Special Issue is to delve into the intricate facets of food such as its role in promoting health and offering hope and opportunities for benefits beyond basic nutrition, as well as simultaneously serving as a potential source of myriad hazards that evoke concern and pose health risks. In recent times, concerns regarding food safety have surged, yet the allure of promising benefits also commands significant attention. With every bite, individuals face potential exposure to both harmful and beneficial food constituents, sometimes within the same mouthful.

The assessment of (emerging) risks associated with chemical factors (such as natural toxins and environmental and processing contaminants) or biological hazards is crucial and must, for risk management to be effective, be grounded in a scientific framework with substance and rigor. The dynamic landscape of innovative approaches aimed at enhancing health, including the potential of food bioactives, novel foods, alternative food sources, and advanced production processes, also introduces new regulatory challenges. This prompts the question: Are our expectations and prospects for safe and healthy food appropriately balanced?

The release of this Special Issue on “Prospects for Risks and Benefits in the Context of Food and Health” invites recent research and review articles to introduce the topic and provide an overview of its current status and future perspectives.

Prof. Dr. Ljilja Torović
Dr. Paula Cristina Alvito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food for health
  • food safety
  • risk assessment
  • risk–benefit assessment
  • alternative food sources
  • novel food
  • food supplements

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2000 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Food Safety Knowledge and Practices Among Medical Students
by Maria Nițescu, Mirela Maria Nedelescu, Elena Moroşan, Anca Angela Simionescu, Florentina Ligia Furtunescu, Bianca Eugenia Ştefănescu, Mihail Tusaliu, Eugenia Panaitescu, Alin-Marian Stanciu and Irina Mihaela Stoian
Foods 2025, 14(9), 1636; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091636 - 6 May 2025
Abstract
Food safety is an important requirement for protecting human health worldwide. In particular, medical students’ education on food safety is essential for them as future physicians, and university education is the first step in acquiring this knowledge. We performed an online survey with [...] Read more.
Food safety is an important requirement for protecting human health worldwide. In particular, medical students’ education on food safety is essential for them as future physicians, and university education is the first step in acquiring this knowledge. We performed an online survey with 1277 respondents among medical students to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) related to food safety regarding microbiological contamination. Our findings showed that more than half of the respondents presented a low level of food safety knowledge, with a score between 11–60 points, and only 6% managed to score between 81 and 100 points, which was considered a high level of knowledge. On the contrary, we found that most participants had a high level of good practice: 58% scored more than 25 points, 39% had an average level of good practice (scoring between 21 and 25 points), and 3% of respondents had a low level of good practice (scoring below 21 points). We also noticed a statistically significant difference between total scores of preclinical and clinical years of study among medical students (p = 0.005) regarding food safety knowledge. The frequency of cooking was positively correlated with the level of food safety knowledge, but not with food safety practices. Our study shows that better knowledge on food safety is needed among medical students. Improving knowledge and awareness of food safety in relation to microbiological contamination is a good way to protect themselves and to promote the correct food safety knowledge and measures among their patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Risks and Benefits in the Context of Food and Health)
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16 pages, 18975 KiB  
Article
Exposure Scenarios for Estimating Contaminant Levels in Healthy Sustainable Dietary Models: Omnivorous vs. Vegetarian
by Helena Ramos, Ana Reis-Mendes, Marta Silva, Mafalda Ribeiro, Ana Margarida Araújo, Cristiane Borges, Olga Viegas, Armindo Melo, Zita Martins, Miguel A. Faria and Isabel M. P. L. V. O. Ferreira
Foods 2024, 13(22), 3659; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223659 - 17 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 961
Abstract
Consumers are regularly exposed to well-known food contaminants (FCs), which are typically assessed for risk on an individual basis. However, there is limited knowledge about the overall levels and combinations of these compounds depending on dietary choices. The goal of this study was [...] Read more.
Consumers are regularly exposed to well-known food contaminants (FCs), which are typically assessed for risk on an individual basis. However, there is limited knowledge about the overall levels and combinations of these compounds depending on dietary choices. The goal of this study was to estimate the real-life mixtures of FCs in different dietary models by integrating extensive data from the scientific literature concerning the reliable quantification of FCs in foods. A FAIR database detailing the occurrence of 73 FCs in 16 foods commonly consumed was built. The data were integrated into an omnivorous and a vegetarian dietary model. A weighted estimate of the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of FCs in both dietary models revealed that the omnivorous model presented slightly higher levels of FCs than the vegetarian. At the 25th percentile, the FC levels in both dietary models fall within the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reference exposure levels for chemical hazards, except for arsenic, lead, cadmium, fumonisin B1, and OTA. At the 75th percentile, the FC levels exceed the EFSA reference levels for those FCs and additional mycotoxins. Using in vitro models, the 25th percentile can mimic real-life FC exposure, while the 75th percentile simulates a possible worst-case scenario. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Risks and Benefits in the Context of Food and Health)
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15 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
Factors Associated with Dietary Diversity in Community-Dwelling Brazilian Older Adults
by Ligiana Pires Corona, Graziele Maria Silva and Carolina Neves Freiria
Foods 2024, 13(21), 3449; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13213449 - 29 Oct 2024
Viewed by 975
Abstract
Background: Older populations are at high risk of nutritional inadequacy and monotonous diets, and assessing dietary diversity can be a practical measure to indicate groups at nutritional risk. We aimed to explore the dietary diversity of older adults enrolled in primary health care [...] Read more.
Background: Older populations are at high risk of nutritional inadequacy and monotonous diets, and assessing dietary diversity can be a practical measure to indicate groups at nutritional risk. We aimed to explore the dietary diversity of older adults enrolled in primary health care services in Brazil and to evaluate its associated factors. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the dietary diversity score (DDS) of 581 participants (≥60 years) registered in primary care services. All foods mentioned in a 24 h food recall were classified into 10 groups, and factors associated with the DDS were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression models in two blocks: (1) sociodemographic and (2) health conditions and lifestyle. Results: The mean DDS was 5.07 (±1.34), and 67.5% of the sample reached the minimum dietary diversity (≥5 groups). In the final model, income, previous diagnosis of cancer, and sporadic intake of alcohol were positively associated with DDS. In contrast, cognitive decline, sedentary lifestyle, and anorexia of aging were negatively associated with DDS. Conclusions: These findings show that the entire structural, economic, and social system needs to facilitate access to quality food, adequate places and conditions for the practice of physical activity, and policies regarding tobacco and alcohol abuse, in addition to nutritional guidance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Risks and Benefits in the Context of Food and Health)
13 pages, 1252 KiB  
Article
Challenges of the Application of In Vitro Digestion for Nanomaterials Safety Assessment
by Nádia Vital, Ana Catarina Gramacho, Mafalda Silva, Maria Cardoso, Paula Alvito, Michel Kranendonk, Maria João Silva and Henriqueta Louro
Foods 2024, 13(11), 1690; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13111690 - 28 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1676
Abstract
Considering the increase in the production and use of nanomaterials (NM) in food/feed and food contact materials, novel strategies for efficient and sustainable hazard characterization, especially in the early stages of NM development, have been proposed. Some of these strategies encompass the utilization [...] Read more.
Considering the increase in the production and use of nanomaterials (NM) in food/feed and food contact materials, novel strategies for efficient and sustainable hazard characterization, especially in the early stages of NM development, have been proposed. Some of these strategies encompass the utilization of in vitro simulated digestion prior to cytotoxic and genotoxic assessment. This entails exposing NM to fluids that replicate the three successive phases of digestion: oral, gastric, and intestinal. Subsequently, the resulting digestion products are added to models of intestinal cells to conduct toxicological assays, analyzing multiple endpoints. Nonetheless, exposure of intestinal cells to the digested products may induce cytotoxicity effects, thereby posing a challenge to this strategy. The aim of this work was to describe the challenges encountered with the in vitro digestion INFOGEST 2.0 protocol when using the digestion product in toxicological studies of NM, and the adjustments implemented to enable its use in subsequent in vitro biological assays with intestinal cell models. The adaptation of the digestion fluids, in particular the reduction of the final bile concentration, resulted in a reduced toxic impact of digestion products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Risks and Benefits in the Context of Food and Health)
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Review

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29 pages, 424 KiB  
Review
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) and Mycotoxins: Analytical Approaches, Prevalence, and Innovative Detoxification
by Beatriz Melo, João Robalo, Fernando Ramos and Ana Sanches Silva
Foods 2025, 14(5), 902; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050902 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1479
Abstract
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites originating from several species of fungi that have proven to demonstrate high toxicity. In addition, potential contamination sources can promote increased human exposure to the adverse effects of these toxins. For this reason, it was necessary to develop several [...] Read more.
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites originating from several species of fungi that have proven to demonstrate high toxicity. In addition, potential contamination sources can promote increased human exposure to the adverse effects of these toxins. For this reason, it was necessary to develop several analytical methods that allow detection with the highest possible sensitivity for these toxic metabolites. Furthermore, since these methods involve high cost, are lengthy, and have sensitivity requirements, the development of multi-analyte detection methods is indispensable. The increasing consumption of groundnuts (legumes) as well as nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, and pistachios) and dried fruit (raisins and dried figs) has increased the risk of poisoning and the harmful effects of mycotoxins, which has encouraged studies for the creation of these methods. This review addresses the most representative methods applied to analyze and quantify mycotoxins in groundnuts (peanuts) together with decontamination techniques. The methodologies presented in this review are primarily based on analytical techniques for nuts and dried fruits. However, each of these methodologies can also be applied to peanut analysis for comparison and use. It is also relevant to highlight the importance of the development of multi-analyte methods in order to identify multiple mycotoxins using a single method, saving time, costs, and resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Risks and Benefits in the Context of Food and Health)
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