Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 78 in total

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  1. Fulltext Knowledge, attitude and practices among parents regarding food poisoning: a cross-sectional study from Palestine
    Zyoud S, Shalabi J, Imran K, Ayaseh L, Radwany N, Salameh R, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2019 May 16;19(1):586.
    PMID: 31096949 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6955-2
    BACKGROUND: Food serves as a vehicle for many pathogenic and toxigenic agents that cause food-borne diseases. Knowledge, attitude, and practices are key factors in reducing the incidence of food-borne diseases in food service areas. The main objective of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practices related to food poisoning among parents of children in Nablus, Palestine.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in primary healthcare centers in Nablus district from May to July 2015. Data were collected using structured questionnaire interviews with parents to collect information on food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices, alongside sociodemographic characteristics.

    RESULTS: Four-hundred and twelve parents were interviewed, 92.7% were mothers. The median knowledge score was 12.0 with an interquartile range (IQR) of 11.0-14.0. The median attitude score was 11.0 with IQR of 10.0-13.0, while the median practice score was 18.0 with IQR of 16.0-19.0. Significant modest positive correlations were found between respondents' knowledge and attitude scores regarding food poisoning (r = 0.24, p food poisoning (r = 0.23, p food poisoning (r = 0.30, p food poisoning (p food poisoning prevention are associated with each other and are affected by a complex interplay between socio-economic variables. The study highlights the need for health education programmes and general awareness campaigns that intend not only to enhance knowledge but also promote parents to practice food safety measures strictly and further strengthen their awareness level.

    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  2. Fulltext Preparation and characterization of curdlan/polyvinyl alcohol/ thyme essential oil blending film and its application to chilled meat preservation
    Zhang Y, Zhou L, Zhang C, Show PL, Du A, Fu J, et al.
    Carbohydr Polym, 2020 Nov 01;247:116670.
    PMID: 32829798 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116670
    With the growing interest in food safety and in environmental protection, it is more attractive to develop novel biodegradable packaging films. In this regard, one new blending film was prepared with curdlan (CD)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/thyme essential oil. Our results demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the blending film were the best when the ratio of the CD and PVA was 4:1. Further, the barrier properties of the film were optimized by incorporating with thyme essential oil. It was proved that not only water vapor permeability was lower, but also the elongation at break was improved, when 2% (w/w) thyme essential oil used. The potential interactions of the film matrix were analyzed by FTIR, XRD and Cryo-scanning electron microscopy. Importantly, both the antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity were improved. Finally, the blending film was employed for the preservation of chilled meat, while the shelf life was extended up to 10 days.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  3. Determination of trans- and cis-urocanic acid in relation to histamine, putrescine, and cadaverine contents in tuna (Auxis Thazard) at different storage temperatures
    Zare D, Muhammad K, Bejo MH, Ghazali HM
    J Food Sci, 2015 Feb;80(2):T479-83.
    PMID: 25586500 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.12752
    Scombroid fish poisoning is usually associated with consumption of fish containing high levels of histamine. However, reports indicate that some cases have responded to antihistamine therapy while ingested histamine levels in these cases were low. Potentiation of histamine toxicity by some biogenic amines, and release of endogenous histamine by other compounds such as cis-urocanic acid (UCA) are some hypotheses that have been put forth to explain this anomaly. Very little is known about the effects of storage conditions on the production of both UCA isomers and biogenic amines in tuna. Thus, the production of trans- and cis-UCA, histamine, putrescine, and cadaverine in tuna during 15 d of storage at 0, 3, and 10 °C and 2 d storage at ambient temperature were monitored. The initial trans- and cis-UCA contents in fresh tuna were 2.90 and 1.47 mg/kg, respectively, whereas the levels of putrescine and cadaverine were less than 2 mg/kg, and histamine was not detected. The highest levels of trans- and cis-UCA were obtained during 15 d storage at 3 °C (23.74 and 21.79 mg/kg, respectively) while the highest concentrations of histamine (2796 mg/kg), putrescine (220.32 mg/kg) and cadaverine (1045.20 mg/kg) were obtained during storage at room temperature, 10 and 10 °C, respectively. Histamine content increased considerably during storage at 10 °C whereas trans- and cis-UCA contents changed slightly. The initial trans-UCA content decreased during storage at ambient temperature. Thus, unlike histamine, concentrations of trans- and cis-UCA did not result in elevated levels during storage of tuna.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  4. Fulltext Antifungal activity of Boesenbergia Rotunda (temukunci) extract against filamentous spoilage fungi from vegetables
    Zakuan, Z., Mustapa, S.A., Sukor, R., Rukayadi, Y.
    International Food Research Journal, 2018;25(1):433-438.
    MyJurnal
    The filamentous spoilage fungi in vegetables can lead to significant impact in food and economic loss. In order to overcome this problem, chemical fungicide has been implemented in vegetable farming and processing but it causes problems towards environment and food safety. Thus, the utilization of natural products such as plants extracts, which exhibit antimicrobial and antifungal activity, is more acceptable to solve this problem. The aim of this study is to investigate the antifungal activity of Boesenbergia rotunda extract against ten filamentous spoilage fungi isolated from five vegetables. The extract was used to treat fungal isolates from vegetables; CRb 002 (Penicillium sp.), CHa 009 (Aspergillus sp.), TMa 001 (Geotrichum sp.), TMa 002 (Aspergillus sp), ONb 001 (Aspergillus sp.), WBb 003 and WBb 004 (Fusarium sp.) WBb 007 (unidentified), WBb 008 (Aureobasidium sp.) and WBb 010 (Penicillium sp.). The results showed that the yield of the extract of B. rotunda using ethanol (95%) was 11.42% (w/v). The 10% of B. rotunda extract exhibited antifungal activities against ten filamentous fungi after 5 days treatment with growth reduction of 41.56%, 30.68%, 86.20%, 50.62%, 26.67%, 47.44%, 50.74%, 36.39%, 42.86%, and 39.39% for WBb 008, WBb 004, WBb 007, WBb 003, CRb 002, WBb 010, CHa 009, TMa 001, ONb 001, and TMa 002, respectively. B. rotunda extract showed highest antifungal activity against fungi isolated from winged bean (WBb 007) with percentage reduction in growth was 86.20%, while the lowest activity was against fungi isolated from the carrot (CRb 002) with 26.67% reduction in growth. Generally, the TPC of fungi in the vegetable samples were reduced after treatment with 5% of B. rotunda extract at 5 min and 10 min of exposure time. The results suggested that B. rotunda extract has high potential to become natural food preservative which can reduce the fungi spoilage of vegetables.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  5. Fulltext The prevalence of microbiological contamination in ready- to- eat food and factors affecting it in Melaka
    Zaid, K., Jamal, H.H.
    Malaysian Journal of Community Health, 2011;17(1):64-73.
    MyJurnal
    Background: A cross sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of microbiological contamination in ready- to-eat food and factors affecting it in Melaka from February 2008 till May 2008 in collaboration with the Food Safety and Quality Unit and District Health Offices in Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin.

    Methods: A purposive sampling of 101 food premises was carried out and 202 ready- to-eat food samples were collected and analysed microbiologically using standard methods. A total of 202 food handlers were randomly selected for questionnaire interview while rectal and nasal swabs were taken from them to determine their healthy carrier status of pathogenic food bacteria.

    Results: Results showed that the overall prevalence of microbiological contamination in ready- to-eat food was 35.1%, while prevalence by type of food was 42.0% for main dishes and 9.8% for staple food. The majority of the contaminations were due to coliforms (14.9%), total plate counts (12.4%) and Staphylococcus aureus (3.5%). The mean score for food premise inspection was 77.21 ± 10.32 and the prevalence of healthy carrier status of pathogenic food bacteria among the food handlers was 15.8%. The level of food handling practices among food handlers was influenced by sex (p=0.012) and formal training on food handling courses (p=0.009). There was a significant negative correlation between age and level of food handling practices among the food handlers (r = -0.163; p = 0.02). Poor food handling practices (p=0.02) and poor hygiene status among the food handlers (p
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  6. Fulltext Applications of Photonics in Agriculture Sector: A Review
    Yeong TJ, Pin Jern K, Yao LK, Hannan MA, Hoon STG
    Molecules, 2019 May 27;24(10).
    PMID: 31137897 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24102025
    The agricultural industry has made a tremendous contribution to the foundations of civilization. Basic essentials such as food, beverages, clothes and domestic materials are enriched by the agricultural industry. However, the traditional method in agriculture cultivation is labor-intensive and inadequate to meet the accelerating nature of human demands. This scenario raises the need to explore state-of-the-art crop cultivation and harvesting technologies. In this regard, optics and photonics technologies have proven to be effective solutions. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of three photonic techniques, namely imaging, spectroscopy and spectral imaging, in a comparative manner for agriculture applications. Essentially, the spectral imaging technique is a robust solution which combines the benefits of both imaging and spectroscopy but faces the risk of underutilization. This review also comprehends the practicality of all three techniques by presenting existing examples in agricultural applications. Furthermore, the potential of these techniques is reviewed and critiqued by looking into agricultural activities involving palm oil, rubber, and agro-food crops. All the possible issues and challenges in implementing the photonic techniques in agriculture are given prominence with a few selective recommendations. The highlighted insights in this review will hopefully lead to an increased effort in the development of photonics applications for the future agricultural industry.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  7. Fulltext Phytopathogenic organisms and mycotoxigenic fungi: Why do we control one and neglect the other? A biological control perspective in Malaysia
    Yazid SNE, Jinap S, Ismail SI, Magan N, Samsudin NIP
    Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf, 2020 03;19(2):643-669.
    PMID: 33325175 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12541
    In this review, we present the current information on development and applications of biological control against phytopathogenic organisms as well as mycotoxigenic fungi in Malaysia as part of the integrated pest management (IPM) programs in a collective effort to achieve food security. Although the biological control of phytopathogenic organisms of economically important crops is well established and widely practiced in Malaysia with considerable success, the same cannot be said for mycotoxigenic fungi. This is surprising because the year round hot and humid Malaysian tropical climate is very conducive for the colonization of mycotoxigenic fungi and the potential contamination with mycotoxins. This suggests that less focus has been made on the control of mycotoxigenic species in the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium in Malaysia, despite the food security and health implications of exposure to the mycotoxins produced by these species. At present, there is limited research in Malaysia related to biological control of the key mycotoxins, especially aflatoxins, Fusarium-related mycotoxins, and ochratoxin A, in key food and feed chains. The expected threats of climate change, its impacts on both plant physiology and the proliferation of mycotoxigenic fungi, and the contamination of food and feed commodities with mycotoxins, including the discovery of masked mycotoxins, will pose significant new global challenges that will impact on mycotoxin management strategies in food and feed crops worldwide. Future research, especially in Malaysia, should urgently focus on these challenges to develop IPM strategies that include biological control for minimizing mycotoxins in economically important food and feed chains for the benefit of ensuring food safety and food security under climate change scenarios.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  8. Health risk assessments of heavy metal exposure via consumption of marine mussels collected from anthropogenic sites
    Yap CK, Cheng WH, Karami A, Ismail A
    Sci Total Environ, 2016 May 15;553:285-96.
    PMID: 26925739 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.092
    A total of 40 marine mussel Perna viridis populations collected (2002-2009) from 20 geographical sites located in two busy shipping lanes namely the Straits of Malacca (10 sites; 16 populations) and the Straits of Johore (8 sites; 21 populations) and three populations (2 sites) on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, was determined for Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations. In comparison with the maximum permissible limits (MPLs) set by existing food safety guidelines, all metal concentrations found in all the mussel populations were lower than the prescribed MPLs. In terms of the provisional tolerable weekly intake prescribed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and oral reference doses (ORDs) by the USEPA, all the studied metals (except for Pb) were unlikely to become the limiting factors or unlikely to pose a risk for the consumption of the mussel populations. The estimated daily intake (EDI) for average level mussel (ALM) and high level mussel (HLM) consumers of mussels was found to be lower than the ORD guidelines for Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni and Zn. Furthermore, the target hazard quotient (THQ) was found to be less than 1 for ALM consumers but higher than 1 for HLM consumers in some sites. Therefore, there were no potential human health risks to the ALM consumers of the mussels. However, for Pb THQ values, the Pb levels in some mussel populations could create a health risk problem. Present results indicate that the consumption amounts of mussels should be limited for minimizing potential health risks of heavy metals to the HLM consumers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  9. Nonlinear effects of increasing nitrogen deposition on rice growth and heavy metal uptake in a red soil ecosystem of southeastern China
    Wang J, Yi X, Cui J, Chang Y, Yao D, Zhou D, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2019 Jun 20;670:1060-1067.
    PMID: 31018421 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.245
    With the population growth, urbanization and industrialization, China has become a hotspot of atmospheric deposition nitrogen (ADN), which is a threat to ecosystem and food safety. However, the impacts of increased ADN on rice growth and grain metal content are little studied. Based on previous long-term ADN studies, greenhouse experiment was conducted with four simulated ADN rates of 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (CK, N1, N2 and N3 as δ15N, respectively) to assess rice growth and metal uptake in a red soil ecosystem of southeast China during 2016-2017. Results showed that simulated ADN could promote rice growth and increase yields by 15.68-24.41% (except N2) and accumulations of cadmium (Cd) or copper (Cu) in organs. However, there was no linear relationship between ADN rate and rice growth or Cd or Cu uptake. The 15N-ADN was mainly accumulated in roots (21.31-67.86%) and grains (25.26-49.35%), while Cd and Cu were primarily accumulated in roots (78.86-93.44% and 90.00-96.24%, respectively). 15N-ADN and Cd accumulations in roots were significantly different between the two growing seasons (p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  10. Fulltext Microplastics Pollution as an Invisible Potential Threat to Food Safety and Security, Policy Challenges and the Way Forward
    Usman S, Abdull Razis AF, Shaari K, Amal MNA, Saad MZ, Mat Isa N, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 Dec 21;17(24).
    PMID: 33371479 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249591
    Technological advances, coupled with increasing demands by consumers, have led to a drastic increase in plastic production. After serving their purposes, these plastics reach our water bodies as their destination and become ingested by aquatic organisms. This ubiquitous phenomenon has exposed humans to microplastics mostly through the consumption of sea food. This has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to make an urgent call for the assessment of environmental pollution due to microplastics and its effect on human health. This review summarizes studies between 1999 and 2020 in relation to microplastics in aquatic ecosystems and human food products, their potential toxic effects as elicited in animal studies, and policies on their use and disposal. There is a paucity of information on the toxicity mechanisms of microplastics in animal studies, and despite their documented presence in food products, no policy has been in place so far, to monitor and regulates microplastics in commercial foods meant for human consumption. Although there are policies and regulations with respect to plastics, these are only in a few countries and in most instances are not fully implemented due to socioeconomic reasons, so they do not address the problem across the entire life cycle of plastics from production to disposal. More animal research to elucidate pathways and early biomarkers of microplastic toxicity that can easily be detected in humans is needed. This is to create awareness and influence policies that will address this neglected threat to food safety and security.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety*
  11. Fulltext The effectiveness of food handler training programmes in Malaysia and Ireland to prevent food-borne disease
    Tirmizi, L.I.T., Brand, H., Son, R., New, C.Y.
    Food Research, 2018;2(3):247-257.
    MyJurnal
    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), globally 600 million people suffer
    from food-borne diseases (FBD), and 420,000 people die as a result. The European Food
    Safety Authority (EFSA) has stated that FBD are linked to the food industry, with the
    most common means of transmission being due to poor food handling and hygiene by
    food handlers working in the food industry. The aim of this research was to investigate the
    effectiveness of mandatory food handler training programmes (FHTP) to prevent FBD in
    Malaysia and Ireland. To do this, the FHTP existing in Malaysia and Ireland were
    analysed, in addition to the legislation they fall under in each respective country.
    Effectiveness was determined by investigating the level of food safety knowledge (FSK)
    and food safety practices (FSP) of food handlers in Malaysia and Ireland. A systematic
    literature review (SLR) and a narrative literature review (NLR) were conducted for this
    research. The SLR was based on the PRISMA diagram, using the Confidence in the
    Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (CERQual) approach to evaluate the
    studies used for this research. A total of 8 Malaysian studies and 1 Irish study were used to
    determine the level of FSK and FSP of food handlers in each respective country, to
    examine the effectiveness of FHTP. The results of the studies used for this research have
    depicted overall good FSP and FSK of food handlers in Malaysia and Ireland; yet trends
    continue to show that food handlers are one of the biggest contributors to FBD,
    demonstrating that FHTP are not effective in preventing FBD. The findings from this
    research highlights that although these trainings can be an effective tool to prevent FBD, if
    they are not executed correctly, food handlers will continue to contribute to FBD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  12. Advances in paper-based sample pretreatment for point-of-care testing
    Tang RH, Yang H, Choi JR, Gong Y, Feng SS, Pingguan-Murphy B, et al.
    Crit Rev Biotechnol, 2016 Apr 14.
    PMID: 27075621 DOI: 10.3109/07388551.2016.1164664
    In recent years, paper-based point-of-care testing (POCT) has been widely used in medical diagnostics, food safety and environmental monitoring. However, a high-cost, time-consuming and equipment-dependent sample pretreatment technique is generally required for raw sample processing, which are impractical for low-resource and disease-endemic areas. Therefore, there is an escalating demand for a cost-effective, simple and portable pretreatment technique, to be coupled with the commonly used paper-based assay (e.g. lateral flow assay) in POCT. In this review, we focus on the importance of using paper as a platform for sample pretreatment. We firstly discuss the beneficial use of paper for sample pretreatment, including sample collection and storage, separation, extraction, and concentration. We highlight the working principle and fabrication of each sample pretreatment device, the existing challenges and the future perspectives for developing paper-based sample pretreatment technique.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  13. Umai Dish Preparation Practices and Food Safety Behaviors in Bintulu Locals on Borneo Island, Malaysia
    Sukirman AN, Khalex HB, Mustafa S, Sarbini SR, Hassan S, S-Hussain SS, et al.
    J Food Prot, 2020 Oct 01;83(10):1764-1774.
    PMID: 32463874 DOI: 10.4315/JFP-19-543
    ABSTRACT: Umai is a popular, traditional, native dish of the Melanau ethnic group in Sarawak. It is prepared using thin slices of raw marine fish marinated with calamansi juice and seasoned with other ingredients. The local people believe that the acidity of the citrus juice, along with the use of salt and spice, can slightly cook the fish and remove the fishy smell. The aim of this study was to investigate (i) the different umai handling and preparation practices and (ii) the personal experience of umai consumption among respondents. A purposive sample of 100 umai makers, divided into two equal groups, professionals and nonprofessionals, participated in the study. We found that Spanish mackerel and hairfin anchovy were ranked first and second in the list of species chosen for making umai, with the former mostly preferred by the professional group, as opposed to the latter, which was preferred by the nonprofessional group. Black pomfret was ranked third, where it is equally preferred by both groups. About 20% of respondents would freeze the raw fish chunks prior to preparing umai, as opposed to 26% who would sun dry their fish. Other techniques, such as salting and marinating (using calamansi juice), were also used during the preparation of umai. Most of the respondents indicated that they would consider the umai ready to eat soon after marinating (with all ingredients) the raw fish. One-third of both respondent groups indicated that they would chill the umai dish at 4°C for 30 min before serving. The respondents could not provide any rationale behind these food preparation practices. Overall, this study provides evidence of the different preparation methods for umai. These practices can thus be considered important targets for public health education campaigns seeking to improve food safety surrounding this food group.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety*
  14. Fulltext Microbiological quality evaluation of goat milk collected from smallscale dairy farms in Penang Island, Malaysia
    Suguna, M., Rajeev Bhat, Wan Nadiah, W. A.
    International Food Research Journal, 2012;19(3):1241-1245.
    MyJurnal
    Microbiological qualities of fresh goat milk collected from two selected, popular dairy farms in Penang Island, Malaysia were evaluated, as a measure of food safety. Milk samples were screened for total plate counts, yeast and mould counts, psychrotrophic counts, Staphylococcus aureus, presumptive Escherichia coli, Coliforms and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which were in the range of (mean values) 4.2- 4.5, 4.2- 4.6, 3.1- 4.3, 2.7- 3.2, < 2- 4.6, 2.2- 4.0 and 4.1- 4.8 log CFU/ml, respectively in the two farms. Milk samples were also screened for the presence of selected foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella sp. Results
    showed the presence of only Salmonella sp. (at 2.9 log CFU/ml) with the absence of Listeria monocytogenes. The outcome of this study assumes importance as the presence of microbial contaminants amounts indicates poor milk quality, which requires immediate consideration as it can pose serious health risk to consumers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  15. Fulltext Structural equation modelling of food safety knowledge, attitude and practices among consumers in Malaysia
    Soon JM, Wahab IRA, Hamdan RH, Jamaludin MH
    PLoS One, 2020;15(7):e0235870.
    PMID: 32639978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235870
    Factors contributing to foodborne illnesses in Malaysia were identified as insanitary food handling procedures and lack of hygiene in food preparation area. Food safety at home is a critical point as consumers represent the final step in food preparation and prevention of foodborne diseases. This study aims to investigate the food safety knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices among consumers in Malaysia. An online survey was conducted, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. A model linking food safety knowledge and attitude and their direct effects on practices were confirmed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The proposed model fulfilled the goodness of fit indices and is deemed acceptable. Respondents demonstrate good level of food safety knowledge and positive attitudes and self-reported practices. Food safety knowledge has a negative and insignificant relationship with food safety practices (β1 = -0.284, p>0.05) while attitude significantly affects food safety practices (β1 = 0.534, p<0.05). The findings clearly indicate that food safety knowledge does not directly affect food safety practices This is also the first study to provide new empirical findings on thermometer usage among consumers in Malaysia. This study establishes an important point of reference where consumers use visual appearances to determine if food is thoroughly cooked and practice washing raw chicken prior to cooking. Food safety practices at home play a critical role in protecting consumers in reducing risks of foodborne illnesses.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  16. Food allergen labelling: "May contain" evidence from Malaysia
    Soon JM
    Food Res Int, 2018 06;108:455-464.
    PMID: 29735079 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.03.068
    Food allergen labelling is mandatory and regulated whilst precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) remains voluntary in most countries. It is the aim of this study to identify the food allergens declared in food products sold in a developing country and to what extent food allergens and PAL are emphasised in the products. A total of 505 food and beverages (snacks, baked goods, confectionary, baby food, condiments & jams, beverages, powder & paste, instant food, chilled & frozen food and canned food) were evaluated in Malaysia. Soybean represents the largest group of food allergen declared in labels, followed by wheat and milk products. Thirteen variations of contains statement were found with "Contains [allergen(s)]" being the most common (55.02%). There were 22 different types of "may contain" statements with 'May contain traces of [allergen(s)]' being the most common advice labelling used (55.41%). Different font type or emphasis such as brackets (51.57%) and bold font (33.86%) were used to inform consumers about presence of allergens. The national regulations on food allergen labelling are then critically contrasted with other Asian countries and the EU Regulation No. 1169/2011, which represents one of the most stringent food regulations in the world. Improving current allergen labelling limitations and practices would be of great benefit to consumers to prevent risk of food hypersensitivity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety/methods*
  17. Consumers' Awareness and Trust Toward Food Safety News on Social Media in Malaysia
    Soon JM
    J Food Prot, 2020 Mar 01;83(3):452-459.
    PMID: 32065648 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-415
    ABSTRACT: Social media offers numerous advantages for personal users and organizations to communicate, socialize, and market their products. When used correctly, social media is an effective tool to communicate and to share food safety news and good practices. However, there have been reports of fake food safety news shared via social media, fueling panic and resulting in a loss of revenue. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the consumers' awareness, trust, and usage of social media in communicating food safety news in Malaysia. A questionnaire divided into five sections-(i) demographics, (ii) reaction to food safety news, (iii) consumers' awareness, (iv) social media truth and level of trust, and (v) social media uses and content creation-was created and shared online. A total of 341 questionnaires were returned of which 339 surveys were valid. This study revealed that less than one-third of the study group (27.1%) knew which of the food safety news were fake. Most respondents (67.8%) were less likely to purchase the affected foods if the foods were featured in social media as problematic, although no differences were made between true and fake news and how that would influence respondents' willingness to purchase affected foods. Overall, 62% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed about the usage of social media and its ability to prevent food poisoning cases, while more than 50% of the respondents were in total agreement that social media allow consumers to act more responsibly by sharing food safety news. Respondents tended to trust information shared by scientists (67.5%) and family members and friends (33%). Respondents would most often share the news after verifying its authenticity (46%). If respondents experienced a personal food safety issue (e.g., discovered a fly in their meal), they seldom or never took photos to post online (56.1%). It is possible that the respondents preferred to inform the food handlers and/or shop owners about the affected products rather than post the photos online. It is suggested that targeted food safety information and media literacy be provided to improve consumers' awareness and to positively influence self-verification of the food safety information before sharing. This study provides crucial insights for a range of stakeholders, particularly public authorities, food bloggers, and the public, in using social media effectively to build consumers' awareness and trust in food safety information.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety*
  18. Fulltext Motivations for Industry Stakeholders in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to Improve Livestock Welfare
    Sinclair M, Idrus Z, Nhiem DV, Katawatin S, Todd B, Burn GL, et al.
    Animals (Basel), 2019 Jul 04;9(7).
    PMID: 31277448 DOI: 10.3390/ani9070416
    Understanding what might motivate livestock stakeholders to improve animal welfare is useful information when developing initiatives that benefit from stakeholder engagement. This study was designed to assess the strength of motivating drivers in the development of attitudes to animal welfare, and the factors that impacted their ability to improve animal welfare. During a series of qualitative focus group sessions with livestock leaders across the same countries (Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Thailand), the current study presented livestock leaders (n = 139) with the most significant results in their country, and collected data pertaining to the meaning and applicability of these results. This data was then subject to thematic analysis to identify salient and repeated motivating factors and meanings. This process revealed a complex picture of relationships between motivators and the contexts that drive them. Figures are presented to begin illustrating these relationships. Some strong motivators were uncovered that were previously rated low in the survey (i.e., financial benefit) or not included at all (e.g., food safety). This paper also presents the opportunity to better understand the strength and relationship of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational forces behind animal welfare improvement.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  19. Legal situation and consumer acceptance of insects being eaten as human food in different nations across the world-A comprehensive review
    Siddiqui SA, Tettey E, Yunusa BM, Ngah N, Debrah SK, Yang X, et al.
    Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf, 2023 Nov;22(6):4786-4830.
    PMID: 37823805 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.13243
    Insect consumption is a traditional practice in many countries. Currently, the urgent need for ensuring food sustainability and the high pressure from degrading environment are urging food scientists to rethink the possibility of introducing edible insects as a promising food type. However, due to the lack of the standardized legislative rules and the adequate scientific data that demonstrate the safety of edible insects, many countries still consider it a grey area to introduce edible insects into food supply chains. In this review, we comprehensively reviewed the legal situation, consumer willingness, acceptance, and the knowledge on edible insect harvesting, processing as well as their safety concerns. We found that, despite the great advantage of introducing edible insects in food supply chains, the legal situation and consumer acceptance for edible insects are still unsatisfactory and vary considerably in different countries, which mostly depend on geographical locations and cultural backgrounds involving psychological, social, religious, and anthropological factors. Besides, the safety concern of edible insect consumption is still a major issue hurdling the promotion of edible insects, which is particularly concerning for countries with no practice in consuming insects. Fortunately, the situation is improving. So far, some commercial insect products like energy bars, burgers, and snack foods have emerged in the market. Furthermore, the European Union has also recently issued a specific item for regulating new foods, which is believed to establish an authorized procedure to promote insect-based foods and should be an important step for marketizing edible insects in the near future.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  20. The potential hazards of Aspergillus sp. in foods and feeds, and the role of biological treatment: a review
    Sheikh-Ali SI, Ahmad A, Mohd-Setapar SH, Zakaria ZA, Abdul-Talib N, Khamis AK, et al.
    J Microbiol, 2014 Oct;52(10):807-18.
    PMID: 25269603 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-014-4294-7
    The contamination of food and feed by Aspergillus has become a global issue with a significant worldwide economic impact. The growth of Aspergillus is unfavourable to the development of food and feed industries, where the problems happen mostly due to the presence of mycotoxins, which is a toxic metabolite secreted by most Aspergillus groups. Moreover, fungi can produce spores that cause diseases, such as allergies and asthma, especially to human beings. High temperature, high moisture, retarded crops, and poor food storage conditions encourage the growth of mold, as well as the development of mycotoxins. A variety of chemical, biological, and physical strategies have been developed to control the production of mycotoxins. A biological approach, using a mixed culture comprised of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus rhamnosus resulted in the inhibition of the growth of fungi when inoculated into fermented food. The results reveal that the mixed culture has a higher potential (37.08%) to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus flavus (producer of Aflatoxin) compared to either single culture, L. rhamnosus NRRL B-442 and S. cerevisiae, which inhibit the growth by 63.07% and 64.24%, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
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