The popularity of small berries has rapidly increased in Western countries given their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities and health-promoting properties. The aim of this study was to compare the fatty acid (FA) profile, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity of extracts of 11 berries cultivated in the North West of Italy. Berry samples were extracted and evaluated for FA profile and total anthocyanin (TAC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and for their radical scavenging activities against 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical. The main polyphenols of berry extracts were characterized by HPLC-DAD-UV-ESI HRMS in positive ion mode. Results showed that the highest TAC and TFC contents were recorded in black currants, blackberries, and blueberries. Maximum and minimum DPPH• radical scavenging activities, Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity, and FRAP measurements confirmed the same trend recorded for TAC and TFC values. HPLC-HRMS analyses highlight how blueberries and blackberries have the highest concentration in polyphenols. Palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, α-linolenic, and γ-linolenic acids significantly differ between berries, with oleic and α-linolenic acid representing the most abundant FAs in raspberries. Among the berries investigated, results of phytochemical characterization suggest choosing black currants and blueberries as an excellent source of natural antioxidants for food and health purposes.

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In 2013, the European Union (EU) lifted the feed ban restriction, authorizing the use of non-ruminant (NR) processed animal proteins (PAPs) as ingredient in aquafeed. A further relaxation is soon expected, and NR PAPs will be allowed in next future in poultry and pig feed, avoiding cannibalism. Other potential hazards linked to PAPs as raw material should be evaluated. Antibiotics administered along the lifecycle of animals may leave residue in tissues and bones and still be present in PAPs. This monitoring study aimed to determine tetracyclines (TCLs), known to cumulate in bones, in PAPs and their possible residual antibiotic activity (RAC). A sensitive Liquid Chromatography coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of TCLs in PAPs was developed and applied to 55 PAPs from EU manufactures. Most PAP samples (n = 40) contained TCLs (concentrations 25.59 ÷ 456.84 µg kg−1). Among samples containing more than 25 µg kg−1 for at least three TCLs, three PAPs were chosen for RAC test before and after TCLs extraction procedure applying an in vitro acidic digestion: in two out of those three samples, RAC was observed after in vitro digestion. TCLs were determined in the digested PAPs (concentrations 26.07 ÷ 64.55 µg kg−1). The detection of TCLs in PAPs should promptly target the risk assessments of this unconsidered way of exposure to antibiotic residues.

Food allergy is a global health concern. Most food allergens are proteins which, even in small quantities, can cause an allergic reaction in sensitized persons. For the provision of food information to consumers, food products containing any of 14 food allergens must be labelled according to Regulation (EU) no. 1169/2011 of the European Parliament. Food preparation often employs high temperatures to improve conservation. Prolonged heat treatment, however, can alter food molecules. Food manufacturers and food agencies carry out tests to determine the absence of undeclared allergenic substances in food products. Laboratory tests are based on enzyme immunoassay (ELISA-based) or molecular biology (PCR-based) techniques in which proteins are the target molecules, and a portion of DNA is a marker of the allergenic ingredient, respectively. With this study we wanted to determine the effect of heat treatment on almond and hazelnut allergens. To do this, we compared the ability of the two techniques to detect allergenic proteins at different temperatures and duration of heating. The allergenic potential of almond and hazelnut ingredients after heating is crucial to consumer health and safety.

Background Following the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 2001, processed animal proteins (PAPs) reintroduction is envisaged in non-ruminant feed thanks to their high protein content, easy availability and cost-effective characteristics. PAPs must be submitted to rendering practices, providing sterilization of products, under standardized conditions of temperature and pressure, according to Regulation (EC) No 142/2011. However, the chemical risk associated to these raw materials has been never evaluated. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a reliable liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination and quantification of tetracycline residues in PAPs at µg kg− 1 level. Methods The LC-MS/MS method performances were evaluated in terms of specificity, linearity (25–500 µg kg− 1), limit of quantitation (LOQ) (25 µg kg− 1), accuracy and precision (CV% <25%), uncertainty, recovery (80–120%) and ruggedness. Results All the evaluated parameters fulfilled the analytical performance criteria and the validated LC-MS/MS method fits for purpose as confirmatory method on the occurrence of residues (µg kg− 1) of TCLs in PAPs. Conclusions PAPs are a powerful product which could be used both as raw material in feed and in organic fertilizer production in a circular economy context. Therefore the lack of regulation and control over antibiotics occurrence should be implemented to avoid a misuse and an increment of antibiotic resistance pressure over the environment and to ensure safety of the feed and food chain.

Medicated feeds are widely used to treat bacterial infection in poultry, pig and aquaculture. During feed production process, carry-over can occur as an unintentional but unavoidable presence of traces of active substances in a feed batch to the next ones. Sharing information overall among different countries is a crucial step in order to contain development of microbial drug resistance, which represent a key concern and a research priority. So far, European Union (EU) rules do not provide any carry-over action limit for antibiotics in feed, whereas since 2015 the Italian Competent Authorities established action limits based on the 'as low as reasonably achievable' (ALARA) principles. This study aimed to investigate antibiotics at carry-over level as part of the official feeding-stuffs controls carried out between 2017 and 2020 in North-West of Italy (Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley). Analyses were carried out applying accredited in-house methods, performed with high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD), with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD) and with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), to detect different classes of antibiotics. Collected data highlight a decreasing trend of non-compliant samples along the examined period. The most identified compound were tetracyclines which are widely used because of their cost-effective activity. Indeed, swine are confirmed to be the most commonly treated species. Systematic measurement of antimicrobial, at carry-over level in feed is an effective tool to contain the development of antimicrobial resistance. Focused and effective steps on the optimisation antimicrobials use may help to improve feed safety and enhance animal and human welfare.

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BackgroundHarmful botanical impurities may contaminate feed and feed materials and be a potential danger to animal or human health, or to the environment. The aim of this study was to establish rapid and sensitive methods that can be used in routine official controls to determine botanical impurities such as Datura stramonium, Ricinus communis, Crotaliaria spp., and Ambrosia spp. in animal feed and raw materials. Claviceps sclerotia were also detected in cereals, due to the similarities of the targets and the analytical procedure. Regulation (EU) 625/2017, which replaces Reg. 2004/882/EC, states that EU member states should conduct official controls in assessed and accredited laboratories and that the analytical methods must be validated before use by considering parameters such as specificity, precision, recovery, and measurement uncertainly.Results and ConclusionThe results demonstrate that all of the methods tested are suitable for the official quantitative analyses required by EU official legislation. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry