Hearing Conservation in a Meat Processing Facility

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate personal noise exposures at a meat processing facility, and educate employees on the proper use of hearing protectors. Materials and Methods: We collected full-shift personal dosimetry on thirty-six production floor employees, one quality control employee, and four maintenance employees. These were compared to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) criteria. We also collected point source noise measurement at eight workstations from precook. We administered a questionnaire to assess production floor employees’ hearing loss perception and non-occupational source of noise exposure. We also documented how employees inserted the earplug provided by the facility (Moldex SparkPlugs) following the required three steps of inserting an earplug: (1) roll the earplug; (2) pull the ear with opposite hand across the head; (3) insert the earplug. We provided employees with two earplugs (3M Ultra Fit, and E-A-R Classic) to evaluate their preference. We used Fisher exact test to evaluate the association between employees’ questionnaire response and the way they insert earplugs, and employees’ questionnaire response and their earplug preference. Results: Thirty-three (80.48%) of the measured personal noise level exceeded the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit, twenty-nine (70.73%) of these exceeded the OSHA Action Level and nine (21.95%) exceeded the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit. The point source noise levels ranged from 81.5 dBA to 97.5 dBA using an A-weighted scale (dBA). Maximum measured sound level was 97.5 dBA and 96.1 (dBC). Loudest noise levels occurred between 2500 Hertz (Hz) – 4000 Hz at four workstations. Eight (12.90%) employees inserted earplugs correctly. Forty-two (56.76%) preferred the 3M Ultra Fit earplug over other types. Twelve (16.44%) reported they experience ringing in the ear, and of these eight reported improvements in the ear over time. Most of the employees did not report difficulty in hearing. There was a significant association (p-value 0.02) between employees’ use of hearing protection device (HPD) outside of work around loud noise and the way they inserted earplugs. Employees who used HPD outside of work around loud noise inserted earplug correctly as compared to those who did not use HPD outside of work around loud noise. There was no significant relationship between employees’ questionnaire response and their earplug preference. Conclusion: Production floor employees and maintenance employees are exposed to excessive loud noise level, and they are at risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Employees that work over full shift at workstations with the loudest exposure between 2500 Hz -4000 Hz are at risk of NIHL development. Implementation of engineering control may reduce loudest noise exposure that occurred at 2500 Hz - 4000 Hz. Adequate training on the proper use of earplugs, and provision of varieties of earplug may increase employees’ compliance with the proper use of hearing protectors

Tertiary treatment of biologically treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) using UF membrane system: effect of MWCO and transmembrane pressure

This study evaluate the performance of ultrafiltration UF membrane system in the treatment of biologically treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) by varying the effects of transmembrane pressure and using different molecular weight cut-off (MWCO). Flat sheet polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membrane of molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) 1 kDa and 5 kDa were used in this study. Biologically treated POME was subjected to physical pretreatment processes, consisting of coagulation and adsorption to remove total suspended solids. Transmembrane pressure was varied between 0.5 bar to 1.5 bar and the performance of these membrane systems were assessed in terms of reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD), color and turbidity in POME. Pretreatment processes which consist of coagulation and adsorption showed remarkable results in reducing COD, color and turbidity up to 92.8 %, 99.3 % and 99.9 % respectively. At transmembrane pressure 0.5 bar, more reduction in COD, colour and turbidity were observed. The smallest MWCO of the membrane at transmembrane pressure 0.5 bar gave a better reduction of pollutants from the pretreated POME. The increasing transmembrane pressure leads to a corresponding increase in permeate flux which starts to level off at higher transmembrane pressures. The application of membrane separation technology to treat biologically treated POME has improved the quality of the final effluent discharged. The UF membrane plays very important role in reducing pollutants present in biologically treated POME

A review of gelatin source authentication methods

Gelatin is a very popular pharmaceutical and food ingredient and the most studied ingredient in Halal researches. Interest in source gelatin authentication is based on religious and cultural beliefs, food fraud prevention and health issues. Seven gelatin authentication methods that have been developed include: nucleic acid based, immunochemical, electrophoretic analysis, spectroscopic, mass-spectrometric, chromatographic-chemometric and chemisorption methods. These methods are time consuming, and require capital intensive equipment with huge running cost. Reliability of gelatin authentication methods is challenged mostly by transformation of gelatin during processing and close similarities among gelatin structures. This review concisely presents findings and challenges in this research area and suggests needs for more researches on development of rapid authentication method and process-transformed gelatins

Moringa oleifera seed extract: A review on its environmental applications

This review focus on the use of Mornga oleifera seed extract and it application in the environment. It is usually referred to as the miracle tree because of its vast usefulness of its various parts. It is a source of protein, calcium, iron, carotenoids and phytochemicals utilized for several usage in developing countries. The plant parts have been used in various application such as medicine, cosmetics, food supplements and water purification. This review presents the various application of Moringa oleifera seed extract as an adsorbent, coagulant, dewatering agent and as a disinfectant. This review also highlight the various methods used in processing the seed extracts, different phytochemical and chemical constituents present in the seed extract. Other aspects that require further investigation were also highlighted in this review

Multivariate regression analysis of disinfection kinetics using Moringa oleifera defatted seed extract

The objective of this research is to determine the disinfection inactivation kinetics of defatted Moringa oleifera salt seed extract on Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacterial strains using statistical multivariate regression analysis. The disinfection kinetics of the seed extract was carried out using a batch mode treatment of water in shake flasks and the bacterial count of E.coli bacterial cells were used as microbial indicators. The order of reaction as well as the models of different disinfection kinetics were determined. The goodness of fit for each model studied were evaluated using regression analysis in SPSS. The results revealed that modified Homs model better describes the disinfection inactivation kinetics for defatted moringa oleifera seed salt extract and the extract deviated from first order reaction. this is the first study on modified Hom’s law to describe the inactivation of E.coli using defatted Moringa oleifera seed salt extract

Gelatin-polysaccharide based materials: A review of processing and properties

The advent of green technology has flourished biomolecule applications in medical, pharmaceutical and food products. Unlike synthetic materials, gelatin-polysaccharide matrixes are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Gelatin-polysaccharide complexes are currently being utilized for the development of nano- and micro-particles, hydrogel, aerogel and films. Gelatin-polysaccharide based materials have offered improved characteristics depending on the type and concentration of polysaccharide and crosslinking agent. Gelatin-polysaccharide based materials function as bioactive compounds entrapment and encapsulation and anti-bacteria. This review provides concise information on the theory and technological applications of gelatin-polysaccharides based materials

Investigation of extraction methods on the antibacterial activity of Moringa oleifera seed extract

Moringa Oleifera is one of the most extensively studied plant materials for water treatment. It is usually referred to as a miracle plant because of its multipurpose uses. Several studies have revealed that it possesses antibacterial activity against harmful bacteria. This study investigates the effect of two extraction methods; aqueous extraction and 1M salt extraction of Moringa Oleifera seed extracts against Escherichia coli, Pseudosomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus strains using the agar well diffusion method. The effects of various concentrations of the seed extracts against the selected bacterial strains were carried out and an attempt was made to find the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) as well as the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the extracts. The results of both extraction methods showed that Moringa Oleifera seed extracts have a strong antibacterial activity against all the bacterial strains. The diameter of inhibition zone ranges from 13mm to 30mm for the two extraction methods. However, the salt extract showed a higher inhibition of 30mm at extract concentration of 5mg/ml against all the bacterial strains. The MIC of the salt extract was obtained at 1.562mg/ml for Escherichia coli, 3.125mg/ml for Pseudosomonas aeruginosa, 1.562mg/ml for Bacillus subtilis and 3.125mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus while the MBC for the salt extract was obtained at 6.25mg/ml, 6.25mg/ml, 12.5mg/ml, 12.5mg/ml for Escherichia coli, Pseudosomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. The results of these findings show that both aqueous and salt extracts of Moringa Oleifera seed have a significant antibacterial property that can be utilized for disinfection purposes for drinking water. Keywords: Agar well diffusion, antibacterial activity, Moringa Oleifera, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, Minimum Bactericidal Concentratio

Nutritional perspectives of early Muslims’ eating habits

In recent time, there has been a great influx of numerous processed foods into the market. The utilization of improved technologies in food ecosphere has not only led to the emergence of complex foods but has also raised concerns about their nutritional, safety and halal status among consumers. Consumers are confused whether to reject or adopt the proceesed foods and have become divided into various groups based on their eating habits. In order to ameliorate their concerns, consumers seek the adoption of knowledge-based eating habits. This review provides details on the nutritional perspectives of eating habits by early Muslims. Islam, as a complete way of life, entails well-defined eating habits as a comprehensive guide for mankind

Moringa oleifera seed extract: A halal friendly alternative water disinfection mechanism

The availability of good potable water and proper sanitation are important for human health but over 1.2 billion people lack access to it particularly in developing countries. The conventional treatment of water consists of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection is used worldwide in the treatment of water. The use of chemicals have caused hazardous implications such as carcinogenic disinfection by products that are generally non-biodegradable. This is generally considered abominable in the eyes of Islamic law since a general principle of maṣlaḥah (public good) is the prevention of any harm (ḍarar) to humans. Hence, conventional methods of assuring potable water especially in developing countries are unsustainable. As a result of this, the use of organic coagulants, bio-adsorbents and disinfectants derived from plant materials such as water hyacinth, chestnuts and acorns, and Moringa oleifera seed cannot be overemphasized. Despite the extensive research done for its coagulation properties, very few studies have been done to determine its disinfectant ability to kill microbes in water. This study scientifically examine the seed extract of Moringa oleifera in order to determine its disinfection ability against E.coli. Statistical optimization using surface response methodology was done to determine the optimum dose of the seed extract during disinfection process. The result of the optimization process shows that the seed extract has disinfection ability that reduced the concentration of E.coli in water. Hence, plant materials particularly Moringa oleifera can be explored for sustainable low cost water disinfection process and treatment. This provides a ḥalāl-friendly alternative water disinfection mechanism which is not only legally permissible (ḥalāl) but exquisitely pure (ṭayyib) for general usage as it seeks to avoid any harm for humans. The study finds that such green technology should be further optimised as a viable alternative water disinfection mechanism which ultimately brings benefit to the people