https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/issue/feed Journal of Food Safety and Hygiene 2025-08-27T21:30:46+0430 JFSH Editorial Office jfsh@tums.ac.ir Open Journal Systems https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/487 Implications of dietary antinutrient intake on selected micronutrients in humans and relations: a review 2025-08-27T21:30:45+0430 Yusuf Sarkingobir superoxidedismutase594@gmail.com Yusuf Yahaya Miya superoxidedismutase594@gmail.com <p>&nbsp;The objective of this paper is to identify the implications of the consumption of dietary antinutrients&nbsp;on selected micronutrients in humans or relations. Humans and animals depend on dietary sources&nbsp;of nutrients for proper functioning and living. Therewith, they consume plant-based materials that&nbsp;contain some special metabolites popularly known as antinutrients. Antinutrients interfere with how&nbsp;the human body utilizes nutrients such as Fe, Zn, I, and relations; and in turn could facilitate&nbsp;malnutrition or deficiencies, affect learning or brain functioning, as well as development of&nbsp;consumers such as young ones, pregnant women, girls. It is therefore important to make a&nbsp;conceptual or reviewed foundation to aid policymakers and the public in taking the right steps to&nbsp;control antinutrients effects on nutritional health. This work reviewed the following and related&nbsp;themes: micronutrient deficiencies involving Fe, I, selected antinutrients affecting selected&nbsp;micronutrients, methods for controlling antinutrients, chemistry of interactions of antinutrients and&nbsp;elemental micronutrients, and approaches for tackling the problems. There is a need for nutritional&nbsp;awareness on how to properly deal with food nowadays.</p> 2025-08-27T20:34:05+0430 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/523 Molecular modeling of azo-food dye metabolites in the brain and their effects on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using ArgusLab software 2025-08-27T21:30:45+0430 Rajendra Prasad rajenfcy@gmail.com Katyayani Verma katyaverma00@protonmail.com <p>This study hypothesizes that the attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) effect of azo&nbsp;food dyes could arise from their hydroxylated amine metabolites. These metabolites are generated&nbsp;either by the action of body’s enzymes or by the intestinal microbiome. The blood-brain barrier&nbsp;(BBB) penetration and competitive binding abilities of metabolites with dopamine receptors in the&nbsp;brain are investigated. Geometries of metabolites were optimized using quantum chemical Austin&nbsp;Model 1 (AM1). Lipophilicity, diffusion coefficient, topological polar surface area, and hydrogen&nbsp;bonding atom distances were calculated for the metabolites in the optimized geometries. Based on&nbsp;BBB penetrability as well as the competitive binding abilities of metabolites with dopamine&nbsp;receptors, it is concluded that the metabolites of Amaranth dye are likely to cause the strongest <br>ADHD effect, followed by Ponceau 4R and Allura Red. Dyes Sunset yellow, Azorubine and&nbsp;Tartrazine could cause milder ADHD effects in that order. Besides relative grading of water-soluble&nbsp;food dyes for their ADHD potential, the study provides an alternative model for molecular basis of&nbsp;origin of ADHD and provides plausible reasons for its differential manifestation in different&nbsp;children.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> 2025-08-27T20:37:35+0430 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/524 Cleaning and hygiene practices in the meat product area of Mexican retail supermarkets 2025-08-27T21:30:45+0430 Pedro Arriaga-Lorenzo pedro.arlorenzo@gmail.com Ema Maldonado-Siman EMALDONADOS@chapingo.mx Luis Antonio Saavedra-Jiménez 19188@uagro.mx Rodolfo Ramírez-Valverde rrv33@hotmail.com Pedro Arturo Martínez-Hernández pedroarturo@correo.chapingo.mx Deli Nazmín Tirado-González deli.tg@llano.tecnm.mx <p>The management of good hygiene and sanitation practices plays a fundamental role in the quality&nbsp;and safety of fresh meat products. An evaluation related to hygiene and sanitation was conducted in&nbsp;situ in four Mexican retail supermarkets, by visual assessment using a 5-level Likert scale. Statistical&nbsp;analysis used a completely randomized experimental design with the chi-square statistical test. The&nbsp;results showed that there were significant temperature fluctuations in the meat self-service area and&nbsp;service areas. Another essential parameter addressed was the correct use and cleanliness of&nbsp;employees' work uniforms. Therefore, it was suggested to conduct training programs for employees&nbsp;and implement activities leading to the maintenance and calibration of cooling equipment to control&nbsp;the meat products deterioration. Finally, combined participation of government authorities and retail&nbsp;companies is necessary to ensure and maintain the quality of Mexican food products available to&nbsp;consumers.</p> 2025-08-27T20:40:12+0430 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/527 Bacteriological and parasitological assessment of vegetables collected from markets in Mbouda, West Cameroon 2025-08-27T21:30:45+0430 Honorine Ntangmo Tsafack tsafackhonorine@yahoo.fr Cédric Aimé Saah Fokou cedricsaah@yahoo.com Franck Robéan Wamba2 wfranckrobean@yahoo.fr Teh Exodus Akwa exodusakwateh@gmail.com Godfroy Rostant Pokam Djoko godfroydjoko@gmail.com Emile Temgoua emile.temgoua@univ-dschang.org <p>Implication of the consumption of vegetables in the resurgence of water-borne diseases is less&nbsp;explored in Cameroon. This study aimed at exploring the microbiological quality of vegetables&nbsp;consumed in Mbouda, which is one initial step within quantitative microbial risk assessment&nbsp;(QMRA). A total of 75 vegetable samples comprising different types (celery, parsley, leek, green&nbsp;cabbage, red cabbage, African eggplant, tomato, cucumber, and carrots) collected from markets in <br>Mbouda were analysed bacteriologically and parasitologically. Bacteriological analysis was carried&nbsp;out by plating the samples on selective media after serial dilutions had been performed. The search&nbsp;for parasitic elements was done using the sedimentation technique on samples, followed by&nbsp;microscopy. Four parasitic elements or stages, which included Cysts of Entamoeba spp., Nematode&nbsp;larvae, eggs of Ascaris spp. and Ankylostoma spp., were detected in these vegetables, with&nbsp;prevalences of 17%, 16%, 12% and 8% respectively. Bacterial contamination was high with six&nbsp;bacteria species isolated (Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli, fecal coliform, Shigella spp., fecal&nbsp;streptococci, and Vibrio spp). These bacteria had loads exceeding the WHO standard (103&nbsp;cfu/g),&nbsp;with Shigella spp. 108&nbsp;to 109&nbsp;, Salmonella spp. 102&nbsp;to 105&nbsp;, fecal coliforms 104&nbsp;to 105&nbsp;, and E. coli 102&nbsp;to 104&nbsp;times higher. It is likely that these pathogens resulted from unsanitary conditions of the&nbsp;production and sale of these vegetables. One of the major risks linked to the poor quality of these&nbsp;vegetables is the resurgence of water-borne diseases in Mbouda. It is therefore urgent to sensitize&nbsp;the population on the health risks linked to the contamination of the vegetables sold in Mbouda.</p> 2025-08-27T20:42:08+0430 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/538 Awareness and factors associated with the practice of routine medical examination among market food handlers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2025-08-27T21:30:46+0430 Manase Kilonzi manasekilonzi@gmail.com Fathia Kimboy fathiakimboy@gmail.com Fathia Kimboy fathiakimboy@gmail.com Linda B Mlunde lindasozy@gmail.com Erick G Philipo erickjr022@gmail.com Emili Yondu yonduemil@gmail.com Nancy Kileo nancykileo33@gmail.com Joseph Matobo Thobias matobo.joseph1@gmail.com Tusaligwe Mbilinyi tusaligwembilinyi@gmail.com Joan Masatu joanmasatu@gmail.com Dickson Kalongo dicksmabula@gmail.com Nathanael Sirili drnsirili@gmail.com <p>Most foodborne diseases (FBDs) occur due to unhygienic and unsafe food practices among food&nbsp;handlers. Routine medical examination (RME) is one of the recommended methods to prevent the&nbsp;occurrence of FBDs. This study aimed to determine the awareness, practice, and factors associated&nbsp;with the practice of RME among market food handlers. In 2022, a community-based cross-sectional&nbsp;study was conducted among 232 market food handlers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A questionnaire&nbsp;was used to collect information on social-demographic, awareness, and practice of RME among&nbsp;food handlers. Of 232 study participants, 202 (87.1%) were female, and 128 (55.2%) were married.&nbsp;Food handling was the primary occupation for most 218 (94.0%) participants, and 112 (48.3%) had&nbsp;less than five years of working experience. The Majority, 211 (90.9%) and 192 (82.8%) of&nbsp;participants knew about FBDs and RME, respectively. The overall awareness of RME services was&nbsp;162(69.8%), and 168 (72.8%) had ever undergone RME. Duration of work as a food handler (AOR=3.9, 95%CI= 1.120-13.493), participation in food hygiene training (AOR= 4, 95%CI = 1.501-10.618), and being aware of the RME services (AOR= 21, 95%CI= 8.454-52.246) were factors&nbsp;associated with good RME practice. Food handlers showed good awareness of FBDs and&nbsp;satisfactory knowledge and practices on RME. Adherence to RME was influenced by work&nbsp;experience, hygiene training, and awareness of RME services. Findings should be interpreted&nbsp;cautiously, as the tool used was not validated for the Tanzanian context. We recommend local&nbsp;validation of the tool and qualitative studies to explore barriers and facilitators of RME among food&nbsp;handlers.</p> 2025-08-27T20:45:05+0430 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/539 Assessment of Aeromonas species prevalence and virulence in fresh meats around Chennai, India 2025-08-27T21:30:46+0430 Dharani Manivannan msdharani16@gmail.com Sureshkhannan Sundaram sureshveeru@gmail.com Porteen Kannan rajavet2002@gmail.com Narendra Babu Ravindran nbabu.ravindran@gmail.com <p>The present study was conducted to identify various Aeromonas species and assess their virulence&nbsp;potential in meat samples, including fish, chicken, mutton, and pork, collected from retail markets&nbsp;and slaughterhouses in and around Chennai. A total of 200 samples (50 each from fish, chicken,&nbsp;mutton, and pork) were analyzed. Isolation and identification of Aeromonas species were performed&nbsp;using conventional culture techniques, biochemical tests, and multiplex PCR assays targeting the&nbsp;16S rRNA, gyrB, and rpoB genes. Out of the 200 samples, 95 (47.5%) were confirmed as&nbsp;Aeromonas species, comprising 22 (44%) from fish, 18 (36%) from chicken, 24 (48%) from mutton,&nbsp;and 31 (62%) from pork. Among the isolates, A. veronii was the most prevalent species with 59&nbsp;(62.11%) isolates, followed by A. hydrophila (20; 21.05%), A. caviae (11; 11.58%), and A. mediae<br>(5; 5.26%). The virulence genes hlyA, aerA, ast, alt, and act were detected in 63 (66.32%) of the 95&nbsp;isolates by multiplex PCR. Specifically, 85% of A. hydrophila, 62.71% of A. veronii, 60% of A.&nbsp;mediae, and 54.55% of A. caviae harbored one or more of these virulence genes. The presence of&nbsp;multiple virulence genes, along with the high prevalence of Aeromonas spp. in various meat sources,&nbsp;highlights the potential public health risk associated with the consumption of contaminated meat.&nbsp;This study underscores the need for routine monitoring and hygienic handling practices to limit the&nbsp;spread of pathogenic Aeromonas in the food chain.</p> 2025-08-27T00:00:00+0430 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/540 Characterization of fungi (Aspergillus aculetus) isolated from fermented Ogi (Zea mays) and sorghum (Sorghum vulgar) fortified with Tigernut (Cyperus esculentus) 2025-08-27T21:30:46+0430 Jadesola Omowumi Sanusi jadesolasanusi02@gmail.com Eniola Oluyemisi Oni onieo@funaab.edu.ng Racheal Oluwayemisi Fashogbon fashogbon@yahoo.com Sherifat Abdulgany Sherifat55@yahoo.com Amina Omodolapo Badmos badmosao@funaab.edu.ng Rukayat Abiodun Olayemi Abiodunruka@gmail.com <p>Fermentation of traditional Nigerian foods like Ogi plays a vital role in shaping their safety,&nbsp;nutritional value, and sensory attributes through complex microbial interactions. This study&nbsp;evaluates the microbial and physicochemical aspects of fermented maize, sorghum, and tigernut&nbsp;mixtures to enhance their quality and health benefits. The investigation carried out includes:&nbsp;microbial count, cultural growth, pH level determination, proximate composition, vitamins,&nbsp;minerals, and organoleptic property assessment. The microbial count analysis of isolated Ogi fungi&nbsp;revealed varying growth patterns across different substrates. Notably, maize on Potato Dextrose&nbsp;Agar (PDA) at a 10-7 dilution exhibited robust fungal colonies, reflective of its nutrient-rich nature.&nbsp; Conversely, lower fungal counts were observed at higher dilutions on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar&nbsp;(SDA), indicating effective microbial load reduction. Cultural growth characteristics exhibited a&nbsp;diverse array of shapes, colors, textures, and growth rates among the fungi isolates. The&nbsp;identification of suspected organisms based on morphological features revealed the presence of&nbsp;Saccharomyces sp. and Aspergillus sp., known for their roles in fermentation and spoilage,&nbsp;respectively. The study tracked pH levels over three days, indicating progressive acidity and ongoing&nbsp;fermentation typical of lactic acid fermentation processes. Proximate and vitamin analyses <br>showcased the nutritional enhancements in maize-sorghum-tigernut mixtures, with elevated fat,&nbsp;fiber, protein, and vitamin content. Organoleptic evaluations demonstrated consumer preference for&nbsp;maize-sorghum Ogi due to its appealing appearance and aroma. In conclusion, the study highlights&nbsp;that strategic blending of maize, sorghum, and tigernut enhances the microbial safety, nutritional&nbsp;composition, and sensory appeal of Ogi. These findings support the development of nutritionally&nbsp;improved, consumer-acceptable fermented foods with potential health benefits and extended shelf&nbsp;life.</p> 2025-08-27T20:47:50+0430 ##submission.copyrightStatement##