Journal of Nutrition, Fasting and Health
Volume:11 Issue: 4, Autumn 2023

Food hygiene is vital in food safety, and meat is essential to food. On the other hand, different types of meat are consumed worldwide. In addition, food hygiene, knowledge, attitude, and practice can directly influence the quality and marketing of food. This study evaluated meat handlers’ knowledge, attitude, and practices in Ghazni, Afghanistan.  This cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 meat handlers’ food hygiene in Ghazni, Afghanistan. The data were collected through a face-to-face questionnaire. The respondents were selected randomly, and the data were analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software version 24.  The majority of respondents were middle-aged, 26–35 years (43.4%), most of them were married (83.3%) and had primary education (43.3%). Most respondents did not have health certificates or participate in food safety-related training (96.7%). Most respondents generally had a high level of food safety knowledge and attitude, with a lower score in meat hygiene practices.  Lack of food safety and health training by meat handlers can be a risk for the consumer. Therefore, meat handler health certificates, food hygiene attitudes, and practices should be checked by governmental and non-governmental organizations for the health of consumers and better hygienic practices.

Rescue and preservation of refugees and disaster victims depend on delivering cost-effective, nutritionally sound food options. Utilizing food items enriched with vital nutrients and immune system fortifiers is imperative to bolster and sustain proper immune system functionality. This study explores the immunomodulatory impacts of two emergency rations on the immune system using a murine animal model.  In this study, four sets of ten Balb/c strain mice aged between 4 and 6 weeks, weighing 17.8 to 18.9 grams, were handpicked. Two of these groups were subjected to treatment diets designated as 1 and 2, while the other two groups were provided with control diets numbered 1 and 2 administered at 3 to 4 grams daily over eight weeks. Following the 8-week dietary intervention, blood samples were collected to evaluate interleukin-4 (IL-4), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), immunoglobulin G 1 (IgG1), and IgG2 levels.  The outcomes revealed that the treatment groups exhibited significantly higher IFN-γ levels than their control counterparts. Additionally, the IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio was consistently elevated within the treatment groups as opposed to the control groups. There was a significant enhancement in cellular immune responses within the treatment group, as indicated by an increase in Th1/Th2 cell ratios. Moreover, in the treatment group, there was a significant increase in IgG2 antibodies and a corresponding decrease in IgG1 antibodies compared to the control group.  Based on the results, using emergency rations in mice increased cellular immune responses in both treatment groups.

Probiotics have recently been included in nutritional recommendations for achieving glycemic control in diabetic patients. Probiotic foods are not standardized, and their effectiveness can vary significantly between products and species. Therefore, the results of this study may not be generalizable to all probiotics consumed. This study aimed to determine the consumption of probiotics by type 2 diabetes patients and the relationship between probiotic consumption and their fatigue levels and glycemic control.  This study was conducted in a university hospital in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey. A total of 235 diabetic patients were included in the cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a patient information form, a self-report probiotic consumption information form, and the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue. The majority of the patients (83.4%) consumed probiotic products, and the most frequently consumed probiotic products by them were yogurt (80%), ayran (67.7%), and pickles (57.9%). The fatigue levels of probiotic-consuming and non-consuming patients were similar (p > 0.05), but the energy levels of probiotic-consuming patients were higher (p<0.05). The fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels of the patients taking probiotics were low, but this difference was insignificant (p>0.05).  Since probiotics are beneficial to diabetes patients, it is essential to provide information about them and support the use of probiotics per expert recommendations.

Nowadays, there is a growing need to explore methods for increasing the shelf life of food. In the food industry, severe food security industrial techniques are employed, including canning, pasteurization, smoking, salting, freezing, heating, vacuum sealing, the use of chemical materials, and      irradiation. This study focuses on the effects of gamma irradiation on changes in the chemical, biological, and organoleptic properties of ostrich meat. Fifteen male ostriches, aged between 10 and 14 months, underwent evaluation. Initially, the ostriches were slaughtered, and their meat) from thigh (was subjected to different irradiation doses (0, 2, 4, 6 KGY) at intervals of0, 5, 10, and 15 days. The various meat groups were then stored at 4°C.In this study, ostrich meat samples were divided into two groups: one group received no irradiation (0 kg) and the other received irradiation at doses of2, 4, and 6 kg. These samples were then stored in a refrigerator for15 days, and microbial, chemical, and organoleptic tests were conducted. The results of our investigation indicate that the 4 kg irradiation dose effectively reduced the counts of mesophilic bacteria, coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, and psychrophilic bacteria, while also eliminating Salmonella spp and E. coli spp. Additionally, it led to a reduction in Total Volatile Nitrogen (TVN) and prevented adverse organoleptic changes, including alterations in odor and color, over the 15-day refrigerated storage period. The irradiated groups also demonstrated a remarkable reduction and elimination of Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli spp, and Salmonella spp bacteria during refrigerated storage, with significant differences from the control group. Additionally, Total Volatile Nitrogen (TVN) in the control group exhibited a significant increase onthe15th day compared to the other groups. To sum up, irradiation proves to be a viable method for preserving various foods, especially meats like ostrich, and is highly recommended to safeguard against food spoilage and contamination.

Food safety and hygiene are important principles for food hygiene officials and the majority of large food industries around the world. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the safety and quality of beef meat sausages produced in the local factories using the HACCP and non-HACCP systems.  One hundred and twenty samples of beef meat sausages from the non-HACCP and HACCP local meat product markets were examined for three months in terms of microbial (total viable count, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., coliforms, and mold/yeast) and chemical (total volatile basic nitrogen and pH) properties based on the HACCP standard of meat products.  The levels of microbial population and chemical properties of raw materials and beef meat sausages in the HACCP factory samples were significantly lower than those of non-HACCP factory samples (P < 0.05). Moreover, 100% of the examined spices in HACCP factory were found to have microbial populations below the critical limit of plants, while 100% of the examined spices in non-HACCP factory was contaminated.  The results of the present study indicated that the HACCP principle effectively controls the microbial hazards and chemical property of prepared beef meat sausages.

The tendency to consume turkey meat and meat products is increasing due to its high nutritional value. But due to its perishability, many researchers are looking for new solutions to increase its storage time and maintain its quality. Thus the purpose of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of orange peel essential oil (OPEO) and its effect on the microbial, physicochemical and sensory properties of turkey meat during 12 days of storage at refrigerator temperature.  The chemical composition of OPEO was identified using GC/MS device. Three groups of turkey meat samples (control, 0.5 and 1%) of OPEO were packed and kept in the refrigerator and at regular intervals (days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12) for microbial tests (total count of aerobic, Pcychrotrophic, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, lactic acid, MIC and MBC), chemical (pH, TV-N, TBARS) and sensory (taste, aroma, appearance, texture and overall acceptance) were evaluated.  The results of GC/MS showed the presence of effective compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, especially D-limonene (71.47%). The results of microbial tests showed that treatments of turkey meat containing 1% OPEO had a significant effect (P<0.05) on the reduction of the bacteria population compared to the treatment of 0.5% OPEO and control samples. The MIC for Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was determined as 4 mg/ml and MBC was determined as 8 and 4 mg/ml, respectively. Lower values ​​of pH, TV-N and TBARS, the highest sensory scores in terms of taste, aroma, appearance, texture and general acceptability were obtained in turkey meat treatments containing orange peel essence compared to the control group.  It can be said that due to its antimicrobial properties OPEO can be used as a natural preservative to increase the shelf life and sensory improvement of turkey meat samples during storage at refrigerator temperature.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nanocomposite film based on soy protein isolate-montmorillonite nanoclay (SPI-MMT) containing Zataria multiflora essential oil emulsion (ZEO) and nanoemulsion (ZNE) on the quality of chilled chicken burgers.  Nanoemulsion, nanocomposite film, and chicken burgers were prepared based on instructions. The hamburgers were divided into six different groups with four replicates. The experimental groups were Control, SPI-MMT, SPI-MMT+1% ZEO, SPI-MMT+2% ZEO, SPI-MMT+1% ZNE, and SPI-MMT+2% ZNE, which were analyzed for microbial, physicochemical, and sensory parameters during 16 days of storage at refrigerator (days include 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16).  The treated groups, including SPI-MMT+1% ZEO, SPI-MMT+2% ZEO, SPI-MMT+1% ZNE, and SPI-MMT+2% ZNE, showed the lower mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Enterobacteriaceae count than the control and SPI-MMT groups during storage. The treatments also reduced the increasing rate of total volatile nitrogen, lipid oxidation, pH, and cooking loss during storage. The SPI-MMT+2% ZNE treatment was the best treatment to reduce the microbial population, retard physicochemical and sensory changes, and increase the shelf-life of chicken burgers.  Based on the results, the nanocomposite film based on soy protein isolate-montmorillonite nanoclay containing Z. multiflora essential oil emulsion and nanoemulsion can improve the microbiological and physicochemical quality and is recommended for the preservation of chicken burgers during chilled storage.

This study aims to enrich Turkish white cheese with blueberry powder, owing to its exceptional bioactive properties, to enhance its functionality. Five cheese samples were prepared by adding different concentrations [0 (control), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2%] of blueberry powder to the cheese curd. The cheese samples were ripened in vacuum packages for 90 days at 7±1°C. The pH, dry matter, salt, fat, total protein, titration acidity, water-soluble nitrogen, ripening index, electrophoretic casein fractions, color and sensory analyses were performed on the 3rd, 30th, 60th, and 90th days of ripening period. The data obtained were compared in terms of cheese types and ripening times. The addition of blueberry powder to cheese curd and the storage time affected the pH values significantly (p<0.05). Similarly, the addition of blueberry increased the titratable acidity values of white cheese and the differences in acidity between cheese samples were found to be significant (p<0.05). The highest decrease in the amount of αS1-casein was recorded in C2 (1% blueberry added cheese) samples and the least decrease was in the control group cheeses. Color analysis indicated that the L value was reduced with increasing concentrations of blueberry addition because of darkening. In conclusion, blueberry added Turkish white cheese could be produced as an alternative dairy product with acceptable sensory properties.

Cysticercosis is a worldwide disease that affects farm animals and, in some cases, like bovine and porcine cysticercosis, is considered zoonosis. This condition, in sheep and goats, results in economic losses especially due to the condemnation of edible offals or meat. In this concern, the aim of this study was to examine cysticercosis and factors influencing the frequency and weight of relevant meat or red offals condemnation among the sheep and goats slaughtered at a slaughterhouse in Iran.  A one-year retrospective cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out to examine the presence of cysticercosis at postmortem inspection. Data regarding the date of slaughter, animal species, sex, and the type of cysticercosis infection (Cysticercus ovis or Cysticercus tenuicollis) were recorded.  A total of 17530 carcasses were contaminated with different types of cysticercosis, and among them, 9072 offals were rejected and 291 cases were totally condemned. During winter the number of contaminated samples was higher compared to the other seasons. Goats were only infected with C. ovis and none of them were totally condemned. The mean proportion of condemned tissues in each contaminated sample was higher in sheep (0.5 kg/case). The damaging effects of cysticercosis in male carcasses were greater than in females, and C. ovis infection resulted in higher weight and rate of offal and carcass condemnation.  In conclusion, it seems that a comprehensive antihelminth strategy must be followed by the relevant food animal producers to decrease the economic losses and zoonoses problems caused by cysticercosis.

Food coatings are a promising strategy to improve the safety and shelf life of food products by inhibiting or retarding the growth of harmful microorganisms. The current study assessed the in vitro antibacterial and antioxidant characteristics of a coating based on natural ingredients, including whey protein isolate (WPI), nanochitosan (NCH), bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), and cinnamon essential oil (CEO). The in vitro antibacterial assay of the edible coating solution was performed against four food-born pathogens, consisting Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Typhimurium. The antioxidant potency of the edible coating solution was evaluated by measuring its capability to scavenge free radicals. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of the coating decreased as the CEO concentration increased. The most significant difference in MIC and MBC was observed between the pure coating and the essential oil enriched coating group, which had the maximum essential oil concentration (1.5%). For Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria, this difference was 20% for MIC and 15% for MBC. For Escherichia coli, it was 15% for MIC and 20% for MBC. For Staphylococcus aureus, it was 20% for MIC and 20% for MBC. For Listeria monocytogenes, it was 15% for MIC and 20% for MBC. The antibacterial charachtristics of the coating were evaluated using the disc diffusion technique. The results showed that the coating exhibited considerable antibacterial efficacy against all tested pathogens. The coating also exhibited significant antioxidant activity (up to 5.7% more than the control group). These findings suggest that the coating based on WPI, NCH, BNC, and CEO has potential applications to improve the food safety.