Phenolic Composition, Antiradical, Antimicrobial, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Propolis Extracts from North East Spain.

Antioxidant-related parameters and anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities against were assessed in eight North East Spain poplar propolis samples. Propolis extracts (PEs) were obtained using 70% ethanol (PEE) and methanol (PME). Yield and total phenol compounds were higher in PEE.

Effect of Domestic Freezing on the Viability of Toxoplasma gondii in Raw and Dry-Cured Ham from Experimentally Infected Pigs.

Abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of the parasitic disease toxoplasmosis, which is an important foodborne zoonosis. Eating undercooked meat of infected animals has been considered the major transmission route of T. gondii to humans.

Occurrence of Pesticide Residues in Spanish Honey Measured by QuEChERS Method Followed by Liquid and Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

In the current study, the QuEChERS extraction method with slight modifications, followed by liquid and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, was applied for the determination of 399 pesticide residues in 91 raw honey samples from northeastern Spain. The quality control procedure established in Document No. SANTE/12682/2019 was successfully followed: the responses in reagent blank and blank honey samples were below 30% of the reporting limit (0.

Evaluation of a Method for Rapid Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in Dry-Cured Ham Based on Impedanciometry Combined with Chromogenic Agar.

The food industry is in need of rapid, reliable methodologies for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat products, as an alternative to the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 11290-1 reference method. The aim of this study was to evaluate impedanciometry combined with chromogenic agar culture for the detection of L. monocytogenes in dry-cured ham.

Toxoplasma gondii in raw and dry-cured ham: The influence of the curing process.

The aim of this work was to analyze Toxoplasma gondii in raw hams by mouse bioassay and to evaluate the effect of curing on the viability of the parasite to assess the risk of infection from eating dry-cured ham. After a serology study of 1200 pigs in Aragón (Spain), forty-one naturally infected pigs with different serological titers against T. gondii were selected.

Toxoplasma gondii: Pig seroprevalence, associated risk factors and viability in fresh pork meat.

This study was conducted on 161 fattening pig farms located in Aragón (Northeast Spain). Serum samples from 1200 pigs were tested for antibodies against T. gondii by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA).

Bioactive properties of a propolis-based dietary supplement and its use in combination with mild heat for apple juice preservation.

This study characterizes the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of a propolis-based dietary supplement (PDS) and investigates its incorporation into apple juice to decrease the intensity of the heat treatment required to inactivate 5 log10 cycles of Escherichia coli O157:H7. As the source of propolis, we used a PDS containing 0.2 mg/μL of propylene glycol-extracted propolis (propolis).

Evaluation of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in honeys from different origins.

A survey of honey samples from different geographical and botanical origins, including some samples collected from a fire-affected area in Spain, was conducted to assess their content of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The levels of the determined toxic elements (Pb, Cd, As, and Sn) were low and were in the range of those reported by other studies. In our work the total amount of heavy metals and Pb was higher in dark honeys than in pale honeys.

Toxoplasma gondii in commercially available pork meat and cured ham: a contribution to risk assessment for consumers.

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, whose transmission has usually been attributed to ingestion of undercooked or raw meat. Dry-cured ham is a high-quality meat product of increasing economic relevance, and epidemiological studies point to cured meat products as a risk factor for acquiring toxoplasmosis. With the aim of contributing to the risk assessment process, 50 samples of fresh pork meat and commercial cured ham were collected in the city of Zaragoza (northeastern Spain), and the presence of viable forms of T.

Multiresidue determination of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in honey by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

An analytical procedure based on solid-phase extraction, using ethyl acetate as the elution solvent, and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and diode array detection was developed for the identification and quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in honey. The method has been optimized and validated in accordance with Commission Regulation 333/2007 and Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. This method allows the identification of the 15 PAHs that should be monitored in food matrices, as proposed in 2002 by the Scientific Committee on Food and later by the European Union in the Commission Recommendation 2005/108/EC, because of their genotoxic and carcinogenic properties.

Determination of the viability of Toxoplasma gondii in cured ham using bioassay: influence of technological processing and food safety implications.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and distributed worldwide. Ingestion of viable cysts from infected raw or undercooked meat is an important route of horizontal transmission of the parasite to humans. Little information is available concerning the effect of commercial curing on cysts of T.

Impact of the use of fluvalinate on different types of beeswax from Spanish hives.

Acaricides are applied in agriculture as phytosanitary products against pests and in apiculture to control the bee parasite Varroa destructor. Poor apicultural practices could result in an accumulation of residues in honeybees, in the environment, and in beeswax and other bee products by migration from the wax comb into stored honey through a process of diffusion and consequently constitute a potential risk for humans. In this study, six different types of beeswax samples were analysed for the determination of residues of fluvalinate, coumaphos, and bromopropylate and its metabolite 4,4'-dibromobenzophenone, all of which are the most commonly acaricides used by Spanish beekeepers against V.

Evaluation of daily intake of PCDD/Fs and indicator PCBs in formula-fed Spanish children.

Human exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) occurs predominantly via food intake. In this study, the exposure assessment of these contaminants has been estimated for infant formula-fed children up to 1 year of age. PCDD/F concentrations in the infant formulae was low, ranging between 0.

Evaluation of GC-ion trap-MS/MS methodology for monitoring PCDD/Fs in infant formulas.

The application of high resolution gas chromatography in combination with low resolution mass spectrometry with electron ionization and MS/MS detection (HRGC-MS/MS) is tested for its use in the analysis of PCDD/Fs in infant formulas. Development of the analytical method was based upon EPA directrices and international recommendations. Calibration linearity was tested and average relative response for any native and labelled compound over the five-point calibration range below 14% was found.

Determination of pesticides and PCBs in virgin olive oil by multicolumn solid-phase extraction cleanup followed by GC-NPD/ECD and confirmation by ion-trap GC-MS.

A multicolumn solid-phase extraction cleanup for the determination of organophosphorus (OP) and organochlorine (OC) pesticides plus PCB congeners in virgin olive oil is presented. The method involves dissolution of the olive oil in hexane, followed by a cleanup system using a diatomaceous earth column (Extrelut-QE) with reversed (C(18)) and normal (alumina) phase SPE columns. Determination of OPs was by GC-NPD, while the OCs and PCBs were analyzed using GC-ECD.

Rapid method for trace determination of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in yogurt.

A new multiresidue method was developed for the analysis of 19 organochlorine pesticides and 6 polychlorinated biphenyls in yogurt. The sample was extracted twice with acetone by homogenization with an Ultra-Turrax dispersing unit, and the combined extracts were filtered. The extract was then purified by reversed-phase C18 columns and subjected to further cleanup with neutral alumina columns.

Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Spanish Meat Products and Meat of Different Species.

The level of organochlorine pesticides in 229 samples of Spanish meat and meat products of different species (lamb, pork, beef and poultry) was investigated. Chlorinated residues were quantitated by gas-liquid chromatography with electron capture detector using packed and capillary columns. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were detected in all samples.