Anti-microbial Use in Animals: How to Assess the Trade-offs

Antimicrobials are widely used in preventive and curative medicine in animals. Benefits from curative use are clear – it allows sick animals to be healthy with a gain in human welfare. The case for preventive use of antimicrobials is less clear cut with debates on the value of antimicrobials as growth promoters in the intensive livestock industries. The possible benefits from the use of antimicrobials need to be balanced against their cost and the increased risk of emergence of resistance due to their use in animals. The study examines the importance of animals in society and how the role and management of animals is changing including the use of antimicrobials. It proposes an economic framework to assess the trade-offs of anti-microbial use and examines the current level of data collection and analysis of these trade-offs. An exploratory review identifies a number of weaknesses. Rarely are we consistent in the frameworks applied to the economic assessment anti-microbial use in animals, which may well be due to gaps in data or the prejudices of the analysts. There is a need for more careful data collection that would allow information on (i) which species and production systems antimicrobials are used in, (ii) what active substance of antimicrobials and the application method and (iii) what dosage rates. The species need to include companion animals as well as the farmed animals as it is still not known how important direct versus indirect spread of resistance to humans is. In addition, research is needed on pricing antimicrobials used in animals to ensure that prices reflect production and marketing costs, the fixed costs of anti-microbial development and the externalities of resistance emergence. Overall, much work is needed to provide greater guidance to policy, and such work should be informed by rigorous data collection and analysis systems

Handbook of good practices for participation in Codex Alimentarius meetings.

Índice: 1 Descripción de la organización. 2 Funcionamiento de los comités del CODEX. 3 Procedimientos internos. 4 Documentos del Codex Alimentarius. 5 Proceso de trámites para la aprobación de documentos en el Codex Alimentarius. 6 Cómo prepararse antes de las reuniones? 7 Cómo preparo mis intervenciones para cada punto de agenda? 8 La reunión.Publicado en inglés y español.Este documento es un manuel de buenas prácticas de participación en las reuniones del Codex Alimentarius, el cual presenta una descripción de la organización Codex Alimentarius, sus principios, estructura y la importancia del Codex Alimentarious para el país. Además se presentan los procedimientos internos, como lo son actas, quórum, presentación de propuestas, entre otras. Igualmente presenta los documentos que genera el Codex Alimentarius y cuál es el proceso para la aprobación de documentos de esta organización.This document is a manual of good practices for participation in Codex Alimentarius meetings, which presents a description of the Codex Alimentarius organization, its principles, structure and the importance of Codex Alimentarious for the country. In addition, the internal procedures are presented, such as minutes, quorum, presentation of proposals, among others. It also presents the documents generated by the Codex Alimentarius and what is the process for the approval of documents of this organization

Preliminary characterization of a Moroccan honey with a predominance of Bupleurum spinosum pollen

Honey with Bupleurum spinosum (zandaz) as a main pollen source has not been the subject of previous detailed study. Therefore, twelve Moroccan samples of this honey were subjected to melissopalynological, physicochemical and microbiological quality characterization, as well as antioxidant activity assessment. From a quality point of view, almost all samples were within the limits established by Codex Alimentarius, and/or the European legislation. All samples presented predominance of B. spinosum pollen (more than 48%). Relatively high levels of trehalose (1.3-4.0 g/100 g) and melezitose (1.5-2.8 g/100 g) were detected. Those sugars, not common in monofloral honeys, could be used as an important factor to discriminate zandaz honey. Flavonoid content correlated positively with the honey color, melanoidin and polyphenol content, and negatively with the IC50 values of scavenging ABTS (2,2' - azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) free radicals, while proline amount correlated negatively with IC50 values of nitric oxide scavenging activity and chelating power. This correlation supports the use of anti-oxidant activities as important variables for PCA (principal component analysis). Both components explained 70% from the given data, and showed certain homogeneity upon analyzed samples independent of the region, suggesting the importance of B. spinosum nectar in the resulting honey characteristics.Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia for Research Center [UID/BIM/04773/2013 CBMR 1334, UID/AGR/00239/2013, UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569)]; ERDF through the COMPETE - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI

The Variations in Religious and Legal Understandings on Halal Slaughter

Purpose: This paper attempts to provide an overview of different understandings regarding the concept of "what constitutes halal" and "who determines this concept?" In practice, this equates to contemporary legal understandings versus religious understandings. The paper further aims to provide an overview of competing Muslim understandings regarding the concept of "What does or does not constitute halal slaughter?" In practice, this equates to evaluating the application of no stunning at all upon an animal (unanimous acceptance) versus the application of reversible stunning upon an animal (contested). Design: The study includes a review of priori literature and considers the current scenario of the halal poultry trade and raises important questions regarding Islamic dietary practices, halal food integrity, religious and animal welfare understandings. Three key questions were raised: "To what extent does stunning impact halal slaughter?’, ‘Who determines what is halal slaughter?’ and ‘What are the variations and tensions between legal and religious understandings of halal slaughter?’ Findings: The examination of such requirements and concomitant consumer and provider expectations is underpinned by a study of an operational framework, i.e. industry practices with poultry (hand slaughter, stunning, mechanical slaughter, etc.), ethical values and market forces to appraise whether there is a point of convergence for these that can be beneficial for both seller and consumer concerns. This paper has considered different perspectives on the religious slaughter and provided an overview of competing understandings regarding the above concepts. Originality/value – This study although academic and philosophical in nature, raises questions on route to suggesting future research directions. It provides real value in stimulating more research in the area of halal food production and contributes to the understanding of different slaughter requirements for religious slaughter and the meat industry. It further sheds light on not only the religious and secular legal frameworks on animal slaughter and welfare but also the variations in understanding between them and provides examples of attempts to bridge any gap. The paper highlights the importance of halal food based on religious values and its implications for wider society

The emergence of international food safety standards and guidelines: understanding the current landscape through a historical approach

Following the Second World War, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) teamed up to construct an International Codex Alimentarius (or 'food code') which emerged in 1963. The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) was charged with the task of developing microbial hygiene standards, although it found itself embroiled in debate with the WHO over the nature these standards should take. The WHO was increasingly relying upon the input of biometricians and especially the International Commission on Microbial Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) which had developed statistical sampling plans for determining the microbial counts in the final end products. The CCFH, however, was initially more focused on a qualitative approach which looked at the entire food production system and developed codes of practice as well as more descriptive end-product specifications which the WHO argued were 'not scientifically correct'. Drawing upon historical archival material (correspondence and reports) from the WHO and FAO, this article examines this debate over microbial hygiene standards and suggests that there are many lessons from history which could shed light upon current debates and efforts in international food safety management systems and approaches

Changes in cocoa properties induced by the alkalization process: A review

[EN] Alkalization, also known as "Dutching," is an optional, but very useful, step taken in the production chain of cocoa to darken its color, modify its taste, and increase natural cocoa solubility. Over the years, various attempts have been made to design new and more effective alkalization methods. Moreover, different authors have attempted to elucidate the impact of alkalization on the physicochemical, nutritional, functional, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of alkalized cocoa. The aim of this review is to provide a clear guide about not only the conditions that can be applied to alkalize cocoa, but also the reported effects of alkalization on the nutritional, functional, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of cocoa. The first part of this review describes different cocoa alkalization systems and how they can be tuned to induce specific changes in cocoa properties. The second part is a holistic analysis of the effects of the alkalization process on different cocoa features, performed by emphasizing the biochemistry behind all these transformations.European Regional Development Fund, Grant/Award Number: Project RTC-2016-5241-2; Ministerio deEconomia y Competitividad, Grant/Award Number: Project RTC-2016-5241-2Valverde-Garcia, D.; Pérez-Esteve, É.; Barat Baviera, JM. (2020). Changes in cocoa properties induced by the alkalization process: A review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 19(4):2200-2221. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12581S22002221194Ilesanmi Adeyeye, E. (2016). Proximate, Mineral And Antinutrient Compositions Of Natural Cocoa Cake, Cocoa Liquor And Alkalized Cocoa Powders. Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Science And Technology, 1(3), 12-28. doi:10.14302/issn.2328-0182.japst-15-855Ajandouz, E. H., Tchiakpe, L. S., Ore, F. D., Benajiba, A., & Puigserver, A. (2001). 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Trends in Food Science & Technology, 86, 199-208. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2019.02.035Huang, Y., & Barringer, S. A. (2010). Alkylpyrazines and Other Volatiles in Cocoa Liquors at pH 5 to 8, by Selected Ion Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS). Journal of Food Science, 75(1), C121-C127. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01455.xHurst, W. J., Krake, S. H., Bergmeier, S. C., Payne, M. J., Miller, K. B., & Stuart, D. A. (2011). Impact of fermentation, drying, roasting and Dutch processing on flavan-3-ol stereochemistry in cacao beans and cocoa ingredients. Chemistry Central Journal, 5(1). doi:10.1186/1752-153x-5-53International Cocoa Organization(2017).Annual report 2014/2015 Retrieved fromhttps://www.icco.org/about-us/international-cocoa-agreements/cat_view/1-annual-report.html.Mazor Jolić, S., Radojčić Redovniković, I., Marković, K., Ivanec Šipušić, Đ., & Delonga, K. (2011). Changes of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in cocoa beans processing. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 46(9), 1793-1800. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.2011.02670.xKofink, M., Papagiannopoulos, M., & Galensa, R. (2007). (-)-Catechin in Cocoa and Chocolate: Occurence and Analysis of an Atypical Flavan-3-ol Enantiomer. Molecules, 12(7), 1274-1288. doi:10.3390/12071274Kongor, J. E., Hinneh, M., de Walle, D. V., Afoakwa, E. O., Boeckx, P., & Dewettinck, K. (2016). Factors influencing quality variation in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) bean flavour profile — A review. Food Research International, 82, 44-52. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2016.01.012Kopp G. M. Hennen J. C. Seyller M. &Brandstetter B.(2010).Process for producing high flavour cocoa. EP2241190A1.Kruszewski, B., & Obiedziński, M. W. (2020). Impact of Raw Materials and Production Processes on Furan and Acrylamide Contents in Dark Chocolate. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 68(8), 2562-2569. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.0c00412Lan, X., Liu, P., Xia, S., Jia, C., Mukunzi, D., Zhang, X., … Xiao, Z. (2010). Temperature effect on the non-volatile compounds of Maillard reaction products derived from xylose–soybean peptide system: Further insights into thermal degradation and cross-linking. Food Chemistry, 120(4), 967-972. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.11.033Li, Y., Feng, Y., Zhu, S., Luo, C., Ma, J., & Zhong, F. (2012). The effect of alkalization on the bioactive and flavor related components in commercial cocoa powder. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 25(1), 17-23. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2011.04.010Li, Y., Zhu, S., Feng, Y., Xu, F., Ma, J., & Zhong, F. (2013). Influence of alkalization treatment on the color quality and the total phenolic and anthocyanin contents in cocoa powder. Food Science and Biotechnology, 23(1), 59-63. doi:10.1007/s10068-014-0008-5Lima, L. J. R., Kamphuis, H. J., Nout, M. J. R., & Zwietering, M. H. (2011). Microbiota of cocoa powder with particular reference to aerobic thermoresistant spore-formers. Food Microbiology, 28(3), 573-582. doi:10.1016/j.fm.2010.11.011MALEYKI, M. J. A., & ISMAIL, A. (2010). ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF COCOA POWDER. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 34(1), 111-128. doi:10.1111/j.1745-4514.2009.00268.xMartín, M. Á., & Ramos, S. (2017). Health beneficial effects of cocoa phenolic compounds: a mini-review. Current Opinion in Food Science, 14, 20-25. doi:10.1016/j.cofs.2016.12.002Martin, M. A., Goya, L., & Ramos, S. (2013). Potential for preventive effects of cocoa and cocoa polyphenols in cancer. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 56, 336-351. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2013.02.020Méndez-Albores, A., De Jesús-Flores, F., Castañeda-Roldan, E., Arámbula-Villa, G., & Moreno-Martı́nez, E. (2004). The effect of toasting and boiling on the fate of B-aflatoxins during pinole preparation. Journal of Food Engineering, 65(4), 585-589. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2004.02.024Miller, K. B., Hurst, W. J., Payne, M. J., Stuart, D. A., Apgar, J., Sweigart, D. S., & Ou, B. (2008). Impact of Alkalization on the Antioxidant and Flavanol Content of Commercial Cocoa Powders. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(18), 8527-8533. doi:10.1021/jf801670pOlam. (2017).The De Zaan cocoa manual. The Netherlands: Archer Daniels Midland Company BV.ODUNS, A. A., & LONGE, O. G. (1998). Nutritive value of hot water- or cocoa-pod ash solution-treated cocoa bean cake for broiler chicks. British Poultry Science, 39(4), 519-525. doi:10.1080/00071669888700Ofosu, I. W., Ankar-Brewoo, G. M., Lutterodt, H. E., Benefo, E. O., & Menyah, C. A. (2019). Estimated daily intake and risk of prevailing acrylamide content of alkalized roasted cocoa beans. Scientific African, 6, e00176. doi:10.1016/j.sciaf.2019.e00176Okiyama, D. C. G., Navarro, S. L. B., & Rodrigues, C. E. C. (2017). Cocoa shell and its compounds: Applications in the food industry. 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A., Lerma‐García, M. J., Pérez‐Esteve, É., Talens, P., & Barat, J. M. (2020). Roadmap of cocoa quality and authenticity control in the industry: A review of conventional and alternative methods. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 19(2), 448-478. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12522Razzaque, M. A., Saud, Z. A., Absar, N., Karim, M. R., & Hashinaga, F. (2000). Purification and Characterization of Polyphenoloxidase from Guava Infected with Fruit-rot Disease. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 3(3), 407-410. doi:10.3923/pjbs.2000.407.410Rimbach, G., Melchin, M., Moehring, J., & Wagner, A. (2009). Polyphenols from Cocoa and Vascular Health—A Critical Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 10(10), 4290-4309. doi:10.3390/ijms10104290Rodríguez, P., Pérez, E., & Guzmán, R. (2009). Effect of the types and concentrations of alkali on the color of cocoa liquor. 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Allergic sensitization: screening methods

Experimental in silico, in vitro, and rodent models for screening and predicting protein sensitizing potential are discussed, including whether there is evidence of new sensitizations and allergies since the introduction of genetically modified crops in 1996, the importance of linear versus conformational epitopes, and protein families that become allergens. Some common challenges for predicting protein sensitization are addressed: (a) exposure routes; (b) frequency and dose of exposure; (c) dose-response relationships; (d) role of digestion, food processing, and the food matrix; (e) role of infection; (f) role of the gut microbiota; (g) influence of the structure and physicochemical properties of the protein; and (h) the genetic background and physiology of consumers. The consensus view is that sensitization screening models are not yet validated to definitively predict the de novo sensitizing potential of a novel protein. However, they would be extremely useful in the discovery and research phases of understanding the mechanisms of food allergy development, and may prove fruitful to provide information regarding potential allergenicity risk assessment of future products on a case by case basis. These data and findings were presented at a 2012 international symposium in Prague organized by the Protein Allergenicity Technical Committee of the International Life Sciences Institute’s Health and Environmental Sciences Institute

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) for assessment of microbial water quality: current progress, challenges, and future opportunities

Water quality is an emergent property of a complex system comprised of interacting microbial populations and introduced microbial and chemical contaminants. Studies leveraging next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are providing new insights into the ecology of microbially mediated processes that influence fresh water quality such as algal blooms, contaminant biodegradation, and pathogen dissemination. In addition, sequencing methods targeting small subunit (SSU) rRNA hypervariable regions have allowed identification of signature microbial species that serve as bioindicators for sewage contamination in these environments. Beyond amplicon sequencing, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses of microbial communities in fresh water environments reveal the genetic capabilities and interplay of waterborne microorganisms, shedding light on the mechanisms for production and biodegradation of toxins and other contaminants. This review discusses the challenges and benefits of applying NGS-based methods to water quality research and assessment. We will consider the suitability and biases inherent in the application of NGS as a screening tool for assessment of biological risks and discuss the potential and limitations for direct quantitative interpretation of NGS data. Secondly, we will examine case studies from recent literature where NGS based methods have been applied to topics in water quality assessment, including development of bioindicators for sewage pollution and microbial source tracking, characterizing the distribution of toxin and antibiotic resistance genes in water samples, and investigating mechanisms of biodegradation of harmful pollutants that threaten water quality. Finally, we provide a short review of emerging NGS platforms and their potential applications to the next generation of water quality assessment tools.Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology. Center for Environmental Sensing and Modelin