Food Authenticity: Provenancing. A Case Study of Fish

Authentication of food products is of ongoing interest to consumers in developed countries. Recently, a general interest in the sustainability of food productions, from both societal and environmental perspectives, developed and added a new dimension. Fish and fish products are common targets for food adulteration. The most important issue is fish management, e.g., the environmental impact of overfishing. Analytical means would be helpful for verification. The aim of the present study was to evaluate various marker groups for the distinction of European plaice from the North Sea from European plaice from other geographical origins: volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fatty acids (FA), and isotope ratios. VOCs were analyzed using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS); the FA composition was analyzed using gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector, and carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen; and sulfur isotope ratios were analyzed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. In a principal component analysis, FA profiling appeared the best option to distinguish European plaice from the North Sea from those originating from other seas

Characterisation of cell wall polysaccharides from rapeseed (Brassica napus) meal

To enable structural characteristics of individual cell wall polysaccharides from rapeseed (Brassica napus) meal (RSM) to be studied, polysaccharide fractions were sequentially extracted. Fractions were analysed for their carbohydrate (linkage) composition and polysaccharide structures were also studied by enzymatic fingerprinting. The RSM fractions analysed contained pectic polysaccharides: homogalacturonan in which 60% of the galacturonic acid residues are methyl-esterified, arabinan branched at the O-2 position and arabinogalactan mainly type II. This differs from characteristics previously reported for Brassica campestris meal, another rapeseed cultivar. Also, in the alkali extracts hemicelluloses were analysed as xyloglucan both of the XXGG- and XXXG-type decorated with galactosyl, fucosyl and arabinosyl residues, and as xylan with O-methyl-uronic acid attached. The final residue after extraction still contained xyloglucan and remaining (pectic) polysaccharides next to cellulose, showing that the cell wall matrix of RSM is very strongly interconnecte

Improving the Quality of Information Exchange in a Business Chain

Despite the usage of a consistent set of EDI-messages and protocols, EDIprojects too frequenty don't produce the benefits that are expected from them. An important reason for this are discrepancies in the reference data used by the various parties in the information exchange process. In this paper we report on a project in a business chain where this problem has been tackled and discuss the solution that has been proposed and implemented.

Residual Carbohydrates from in Vitro Digested Processed Rapeseed (Brassica napus) Meal

Rapeseed meal (RSM) was subjected to different physical or chemical pretreatments to decrease residual, hard to degrade carbohydrates and to improve fermentability of RSM polysaccharides. Next, these pretreated samples were in vitro digested and fermented, with or without the addition of commercial pectinolytic enzymes. Remaining carbohydrates were quantified, and two physical characteristics were analyzed: (1) water-binding capacity (WBC) of the insoluble residue and (2) viscosity of the soluble fraction. Mild acid pretreatment in combination with commercial pectinolytic enzyme mixtures showed best digestion of RSM carbohydrates; only 32% of the total carbohydrate content remained. For most pretreatments, addition of commercial pectinolytic enzymes had the strongest effect on lowering the WBC of the in vitro incubated RSM. In the cases that less carbohydrate remained after in vitro digestion, the WBC of the residue decreased, and less gas seems to be produced during fermentation

Dietary intake and risk assessment of elements for 1- and 2-year-old children in the Netherlands.

In 2017, a total diet study (TDS) was conducted in the Netherlands to determine the intake of elements by 1- and 2-year-old children. Concentrations of 47 elements were analysed and long-term dietary intake was calculated for 24 elements. The 95th percentile (P95) intake estimates were compared with a tolerable daily or weekly intake (TDI or TWI) or tolerable upper intake level (UL), or a margin of exposure (MOE) was calculated. The P95 intake of cadmium and zinc exceeded the TWI or UL, respectively, and the P95 intake of inorganic arsenic and lead resulted in low MOEs. Food subgroups contributing most to the intake were “potatoes” for cadmium, “milk and milk-based beverages” for zinc, “concentrated fruit juices” and “rice” for inorganic arsenic, and “candies” for lead. For inorganic mercury, it could not be established if the intake was (too) high. P95 intake estimates of the other elements for which a risk characterisation could be performed were below the health-based guidance values. It was noted that the P50 intake estimate of manganese was a factor of 3 higher than the adequate intake level. Due to the absence of a UL, it is not clear if this intake is of concern