Food hygiene practices in different food establishments

The aim of this study was to investigate three dimensions of food hygiene in three European cities Belgrade, Thessaloniki and Porto. The first dimension of the survey was to evaluate the level of hygiene in different food establishments supplying food direct to consumers. A total of 91 food businesses were included in the survey with 30 food businesses from Belgrade and Porto, and 31 from Thessaloniki. In parallel with scoring the premises, the second dimension of the study was to examine the opinion of managers of these food establishments regarding food hygiene rating. Finally, in order to justify the importance of food hygiene, the research covered consumers' perception regarding food safety and hygiene practices in the three European cities. A total of 600 respondents were interviewed in the survey, 200 respondents per city. This study confirmed that HACCP as a concept is important and major differences in the level of food hygiene in food establishments are based on HACCP status rather than type and size of food establishment. The analysis revealed hygiene and food preparation as the predominant in low ranking of food hygiene and safety procedures, followed by inadequate layout as predominant factor in evaluating structural requirements. Also, the obtained results indicated greater level of hygiene in food establishments in Thessaloniki and Porto, than in Belgrade. Managers' opinion confirms their belief that a transparent food hygiene rating of all food establishments could lead to improved business. Finally, respondents in all cities confirmed their awareness of the importance of food hygiene and indicated kitchen related statements as the most influential

Distribution patterns of fish assemblages in an Eastern Mediterranean intermittent river

The distribution patterns of fish assemblages within streams can provide insights for river type classifications and may warrant specific conservation actions. However, there is limited knowledge of how fish assemblages assort along a longitudinal axis in Mediterranean intermittent streams. Patterns in spatial and temporal distribution of fish communities were analysed in a Mediterranean intermittent river (Evrotas River) located in Southern Greece, hosting three endemic range restricted species of high conservation concern, during the period 2007−2009, with 80% of the river’s total length desiccating in the 2007 and 2008 droughts. The general trend was an increase in fish density and species richness along an upstream-downstream gradient. Fish assemblages from upstream to downstream were characterized by a decrease of the most rheophilic species (Squalius keadicus) and an increase of the most stagnophilic species (Tropidophoxinellus spartiaticus). Three river segments, characterized by a high degree of homogeneity were delineated. Habitat and environmental preferences for the studied fish species were identified, with elevation and low flowing habitats being the most important environmental factors affecting fish distribution patterns. The current study provides evidence that even in an intermittent river an assemblage pattern following a longitudinal gradient can be identified, mainly due to the lack of instream barriers that allows recolonization after flow resumption

Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Aflatoxin M1 Intake through Consumption of Milk and Yoghurt by Student Population in Serbia and Greece

The objective of this research was to perform an exposure assessment of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) intake through the consumption of milk and yoghurt by the student population in Serbia and Greece. A food consumption survey of milk and yoghurt was performed during the first half of 2018 in the two countries with at least 500 interviewees (aged between 18 and 27 years) per country, covering their dietary habits and body weight based on one-day and seven-day recall methods. Values for the concentration of AFM1 were extracted from published research. Finally, a Monte Carlo analysis of 100,000 iterations was performed to estimate the intake of AFM1 from the consumption of the two dairy products. Results revealed that the estimated average exposure of students to AFM1 was in the range of 1.238-2.674 ng kg(-1) bw day(-1) for Serbia, and 0.350-0.499 ng kg(-1) bw day(-1) for Greece, depending on the dietary recall method employed. High estimations for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases/year/10(5) individuals, depending on the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive individuals (HBsAg+), were 0.0036-0.0047 and 0.0007-0.0009 for Serbia and Greece, respectively. Presented Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Hazard Index (HI) values indicate increased risk from exposure to AFM1, particularly in Serbia

Plasticity in life history traits of a cyprinid fish in an intermittent river

The extreme seasonal environmental variation of intermittent rivers has a profound effect on freshwater fish communities. Yet, few studies have examined the consequences of the seasonal cycles of flooding and drying to fish condition and reproduction in these ecosystems. In this study, we compared the body condition, reproduction and diet of two chub populations from two adjacent sites (a perennial and an intermittent site) on the main stem of a Mediterranean river (Evrotas River, S. Greece). The study was conducted in spring 2017, three months after flow resumption and before the onset of chub reproductive period. Condition (net weight adjusted for length) of fish did not differ significantly between the two sites, despite lower aquatic macroinvertebrate availability at the intermittent site. Fish at the intermittent site compensated for the lower aquatic prey availability by increasing their feeding intensity and by shifting to higher terrestrial prey consumption. In addition, chub liver weight (adjusted for length) and gonadal weight (adjusted for length) were significantly higher at the intermittent site, indicating higher somatic and reproductive investment. These results highlight the resilience of fish populations inhabiting streams with extreme variation in flow, due to natural and/or anthropogenic drought

Nationwide tracing of two top freshwater fish invaders in Greece using environmental DNA sampling

Alien fish invasions are causing devastating impacts on native freshwater fauna; thus, rigorous, non-invasive and cost-effective biomonitoring of lotic and lentic freshwaters to design and implement appropriate prevention and control measures is now a priority. In this study, we used a species-specific qPCR eDNA assay to monitor two of the most invasive fish species (Gambusia holbrooki and Pseudorasbora parva) in 15 river basins of Greece and validated these results with conventional fish sampling as well as existing field sampling data. Our monitoring provided new records of invasive species indicating basins for rigorous future monitoring and possible eradication attempts. The eDNA proved more sensitive as a detection tool (56% detection rate) compared to conventional electrofishing (50% detection rate) for G. holbrooki. In contrast, it proved less sensitive for detecting P. parva (38% accuracy) compared to electrofishing (44% accuracy), as evident by the two locations where the eDNA failed to detect the target species. Our study illustrates the potential of the eDNA method for regular, standardised monitoring of riverine habitats for invasive fish species by local managers for early detection. Finally, we discuss the application of eDNA in management interventions for identifying invasive species’ hotspots for management prioritisation, for early detection of invaders and for the monitoring of eradication/control actions

New boundaries: Redefining the geographical range of a threatened fish through environmental DNA survey

Accurate data on the distribution and population status of threatened fish species are fundamental for effective conservation planning and management. In this work, in order to reassess the distribution of the globally threatened Evia barbel, Barbus euboicus, we undertook an environmental DNA (eDNA) survey coupled with conventional electrofishing, focusing on major river basins in Evia Island in proximity to its known occurrence in a single Evian basin (Manikiatiko stream). For comparison purposes, we conducted eDNA sampling in several locations in the geographically closest continental river basin, the Sperchios basin (Central Greece) which hosts the closely related Barbus sperchiensis. Our results expand the known range of the Evia barbel on Evia adding four new river basins, apart from its type locality (Manikiatiko stream (EV3)). In a single Evian River, where the species had never been located before, there was also a positive eDNA signal for Barbus sperchiensis within the same basin. The research confirms the occurrence of Evia barbel in a wider geographical area, highlighting however the sensitive conservation status of the species due to its still very narrow geographical distribution. The biogeographical implications of our study, as well as potential conservation interventions, are discussed

HELLAS-ALIENS. The invasive alien species of Greece: time trends, origin and pathways

The current paper presents the first effort to organize a comprehensive review of the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of Greece. For this purpose, a database was developed with fields of information on the taxonomy, origin, ecology and pathways of introduction of terrestrial, freshwater and marine species. Our database includes a) taxa in the Union’s list that are present in Greece, b) taxa already present in Greece and considered to be invasive, and c) taxa highly likely to enter Greece in the next 10 years and become invasive. The Database served as the starting point for the compilation of the National List of Alien Invasive Species (HELLAS-ALIENS) in compliance with the EU Regulation 1143/2014. Overall, the HELLAS-ALIENS comprises 126 species, i.e. 32 terrestrial and freshwater plant species, 14 terrestrial invertebrates, 28 terrestrial vertebrates, 30 freshwater fishes and invertebrates and 22 marine species. Terrestrial invertebrates, birds and mammals are mainly of Asiatic origin. Most of the terrestrial plants have their native geographical distribution in the Americas (North and South). Most of the freshwater invertebrates and fishes are of North American origin, while the majority of the marine species are of Indo-Pacific origin. The first records of IAS concern terrestrial plant species, and date back to the 19th century, while those in freshwater and marine ecosystems seem to have been systematically recorded some decades later. Regarding the pathways of introduction, most of the taxa arrived in Greece or are expected to arrive through escape from confinement and unaided. The majority of the terrestrial, freshwater and marine species have been evaluated as of High-risk for the indigenous biodiversity and only 3% of the species listed have been evaluated of Low-risk. Our results provide an important baseline for management and action plans, as required by the priorities set by the European Union through the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030

Particle bound pollutants in rivers: Results from suspended sediment sampling in Globaqua River Basins

Transport of hydrophobic pollutants in rivers such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals is often facilitated by suspended sediment particles, which are typically mobilized during high discharge events. Suspended sediments thus represent a means of transport for particle related pollutants within river reaches and may represent a suitable proxy for average pollutant concentrations estimation in a river reach or catchment. In this study, multiple high discharge/turbidity events were sampled at high temporal resolution in the Globaqua River Basins Sava (Slovenia, Serbia), Adige (Italy), and Evrotas (Greece) and analysed for persistent organic pollutants such as PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) or PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and heavy metals. For comparison, river bed sediment samples were analysed as well. Further, results are compared to previous studies in contrasting catchments in Germany, Iran, Spain, and beyond. Overall results show that loadings of suspended sediments with pollutants are catchment-specific and relatively stable over time at a given location. For PAHs, loadings on suspended particles mainly correlate to urban pressures (potentially diluted by sediment mass fluxes) in the rivers, whereas metal concentrations mainly display a geogenic origin. By cross-comparison with known urban pressure/sediment yield relationships (e.g. for PAHs) or soil background values (for metals) anthropogenic impact – e.g. caused by industrial activities – may be identified. Sampling of suspended sediments gives much more reliable results compared to sediment grab samples which typically show a more heterogeneous contaminant distribution. Based on mean annual suspended sediment concentrations and distribution coefficients of pollutants the fraction of particle facilitated transport versus dissolved fluxes can be calculated