ObjectivesParticularly in the Middle East, few studies have explored the attitude of cancer patients and their families toward cancer diagnosis disclosure (CDD). This study was conducted to investigate the preference and attitude of a sample of cancer patients and their families in Saudi Arabia toward CDD.MethodsWe constructed a questionnaire based on previous studies. The questionnaire assessed preference and attitude toward CDD. Participants were recruited from the King Abdullah Medical City, which has one of the largest cancer centers in Saudi Arabia.ResultsThree hundred and four cancer patients and 277 of their family members participated in the study. The patient group preferred CDD more than the family group (82.6% vs 75.3%, P<0.05). This preference is especially more evident toward disclosure of detailed cancer information (status, prognosis, and treatment) (83.6% vs 59.9%, P<0.001). In a binary logistic regression, factors associated with preference toward CDD included having information about cancer (odds ratio [OR] 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–2.84) and being employed (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1–2.82) while being from the patient group was the only factor associated with preference toward detailed cancer information (OR, 3.25; 95% CI, 2.11–5.05). In terms of patient reaction after CDD, “fear” was the attitude expected by the family group more than the patient group (56.3% vs 70.4%, P<0.001) while “acceptance” was the attitude anticipated by the patient group more than the family group (38% vs 15.2%, P<0.001).ConclusionPatients preferred CDD and disclosure of related information, while their families were more inclined toward scarce disclosure. Family members seem to experience negative attitudes more than the patients themselves.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) meat product sandwiches have become one of the most important sources of nutrition, especially with changing consumer's dietary and social habits. Unfortunately, it may be loaded with many microorganisms especially accidental postcooking cross-contamination. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the bacteriological quality of 120 ready to eat meat product sandwiches (beef kofta, bovine liver, fish fillet, and chicken nuggets), 30 of each, which were collected randomly from restaurants and street vendors located in Benha city, Qalubiya Governorate, Egypt. Results revealed that kofta samples were the most contaminated samples where mean values of aerobic plate count (APC) and coliforms were 9.6x10 6 , and 1.9x10 2 CFU/g, respectively; followed by chicken nuggets, fish fillet, and bovine liver samples. Furthermore, E. coli and salmonellae of different serological types were detected in 5.8% and 2.5% of examined samples, respectively. Obtained results indicated that RTE meat-based sandwiches may pose a risk to consumer's health in the absence of food safety knowledge and hygiene application; strict hygienic measures and authority inspection is strongly recommended.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products sandwiches are one of the most popular fast foods on which consumers depend. Unfortunately, it may be exposed to many contamination sources and harbored many food poisonings factors, especially with street vendors emerging in the developing world. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and its enterotoxins (SEs) are one of the most recorded food intoxications causes which contribute a health hazard risk. Therefore, one-hundred and twenty samples of beef kofta, bovine liver, chicken nuggets, and fish fillet RTE sandwiches (30 of each) were collected randomly from different street vendors and restaurants at Benha city, Qalubiya Governorate, Egypt, for bacteriological and molecular detection of coagulase-positive enterotoxigenic S. aureus contamination. Results revealed that beef kofta sandwich samples recorded the highest incidences and mean counts of S. aureus detection 40% and 12×10 3 CFU/g, respectively; followed by chicken nuggets, fish fillet, and bovine liver sandwich samples. Antimicrobial sensitivity on the isolated strains revealed high resistance to nalidixic acid, while mostly sensitive to erythromycin. On the other hand, molecular detection of SEs genes revealed detection of SeA, SeC, and SeD genes carrying strains where SeA was the most frequently detected. Mixed strain carrying both SeC and SeD was also detected. SeB gene was failed to be detect in any of examined isolates. It is obvious that RTE meat product sandwiches may pose a risk to consumer's health and encourage the authorities to exert more control over street vendors and fast food restaurants.

Meat adulteration with different species has become a considerable problem worldwide. It means that meat products contain undeclared meat species; so, the meat ingredients are not consistent with the label. It has direct impact on public health, religious faith, fair-trades and food safety standers. This study focused on species adulteration detection in meat products by applying accurate, slandered and fast techniques. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique and Raw Meat FlowThrough TM Test were performed as fast techniques. Thirty samples of beef meat products (10 each of hawawshi, sausage and burger) were subjected to analysis by PCR technique using specific primers sets for equine, chicken and pig species on samples' Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). The adulteration rates with equine were 10%, 10% and 30% in hawawshi, sausage and beef burger samples, respectively. The adulteration rates with chicken were 80%, 50% and 100% in hawawshi, sausages and beef burger samples, respectively. While none of the examined samples was contaminated with pork. Results showed that 80% of all examined samples contained undeclared meat species. Out of the adulterated samples examined by PCR technique, eight samples were reanalyzed by the onsite Raw Meat FlowThrough TM Test which had taken only about 12 minutes to be performed. It was an on-site test for qualitative determination of species by visual inspection. The results confirmed those obtained by PCR technique by 100% in case of detection of poultry species. While in case of detection of adulteration by equine species, the FlowThrough TM Test gave negative results which indicated that it had the ability to detect horse specie only but could not detect other equine species as donkey and mule. This study suggests that these methods of detection can be applied by quality control laboratories and inspection services for fast and rapid determination of adulteration with poultry products in different meat products, but the FlowThrough TM Test is horse specific inside the equine species and this could be limitation to the test needs to improve it or beneficial points to differentiate between horse and donkey meat adulation combining with other methods.

Thirty six random healthy Oreochromusnilotica (O. niloticus) collected from Manzala Lake, wild Nile River "El-Ryiah El-Tawfiky", El-Abbasa private fish farm and Gesrbahr el-baar agricultural drainage (9 fish from each source). Concentrations of organochlorine pesticide residues (OCPs) were investigated in both raw and grilled fish (dry heat treatment). Fish musculature samples were analysed for detection the effect of grilling on level of organochlorine pesticides residues. Examination revealed that, samples collected from El-Ryiah El-Tawfiki recorded the highest concentration of organochlorine pesticide residues in raw O. niloticus followed by Manazla Lake, El-Abbasa fish farm and Gesrbahr el-baar agricultural drain, respectively. Application of grilling revealed a great reduction in organochlorine pesticides residues concentrations by ratio of 11% to 100% depending upon the type of pesticide residue, its sensitivity to heat and locality of fish collection. In some cases thermal treatment showed unexpected results represented by appearance of some residues which not detected in raw samples. This study concluded that fish from some water resources in Egypt is highly contaminated with organochlorine pesticide residues which greatly supposed to come from agricultural contaminated water. Moreover, grilling is a good and highly recommended method to reduce organochlorine residues with uneven degrees in fish muscles before consuming.