The effects of O 3 concentration, exposure time and grain mass were evaluated on the levels of deoxynivalenol, aflatoxins and total fungal count (TFC) in wheat grains, using a full 2 3 factorial design. Grain samples were contaminated with fungal conidia and spiked with mycotoxins standards and then submitted to ozonation treatments. The most significant reductions obtained for deoxynivalenol and total aflatoxins corresponded to 64.3 and 48.0%, respectively. TFC reduced approximately 3.0 cycles log cfu/g of wheat grain. O 3 concentration and exposure time influenced (P < 0.05) positively the reductions of both mycotoxins and TFC, while the grain mass had a negative effect on both responses. The most significant reduction in TFC and mycotoxin levels was achieved by using 60 mg/L of O 3 for 300 min, with 2 kg samples. Gaseous O 3 can be considered an excellent method for remediation of these contaminants. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSGaseous ozonation is an interesting nonthermal technology that can be applied to reduce fungal and mycotoxin contamination in wheat grains (Triticum aestivum L.). The O 3 concentration and exposure time positively influence reductions in mycotoxins and fungi count, while grain mass has a negative effect on both variables. Using 60 mg/L of O 3 at 300 min of exposure and 2 kg grain samples (11.3% moisture content) is possible to obtain reductions of 3.0 cycles log cfu/g in total fungal count, 64.3% in DON levels and 48.0% in total aflatoxin levels. Data found in this research should contribute in greater interest of ozonation by the food industry and consequently a wider popularization of ozonized products by consumers.

Corn is one of the most cultivated cereals in Brazil. However, its grains are constantly exposed to contamination by mycotoxins. Corn grits are used by the food industry to produce a large variety of corn products such as canjiquinha, a cultural food easily purchased by the Brazilian consumer at low prices. Some studies have demonstrated high contamination of this product by aflatoxins (AFs), representing a potential risk of exposure due to such a contamination. In this study, the efficacy of gaseous ozonation was evaluated on the levels of aflatoxins and on the microbial contamination of corn grits. The application of gaseous ozone was tested in different combinations of exposure time, ozone concentration, and canjiquinha mass. After the ozonation treatment, samples were collected for aflatoxin and microbiological analyses. Aflatoxins were evaluated using a high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) system using pre-column derivatization, and the microbiological analyses were carried out for toxin-producer fungi and mesophilic bacteria. After ozone detoxification, results showed reductions up to 57% in aflatoxin levels. Total fungal count was reduced around 3.0 cycles log CFU g−1 and total mesophilic counts were reduced to non-detectable levels. These results demonstrated that ozonation is an effective alternative for reducing aflatoxin and microbial contamination in products like canjiquinha, thereby improving food safety.

Gaseous ozonation, an emerging technology, is applied to microbiological decontamination and to the degradation of residues and contaminants in wheat grains. However, due to its high oxidizing capacity, ozone may cause undesirable effects on the quality of grains or in their derivatives. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of ozone gas on wheat grain quality when exposed to different levels of ozone concentration, exposure time, and grain mass, using a full 2 3 factorial design. After the milling of ozonized grains, two fractions were evaluated: flour (A) and bran plus germ (B). In fraction A, the quality of the wheat flour was analyzed by both alveography and farinography. The flour extraction rate, falling number and gluten contents were also measured. The chemical and mineral profiles were determined in both fractions. A sensory evaluation, using the difference-from-control test, was applied to investigate the possible differences in aroma or in overall appearance of the flour obtained from the ozonized grains. The results showed that ozone concentration (60 mg/L) positively affected (p < 0.05) the toughness and the falling number of the flour. The other parameters of alveography, as well as farinography, gluten content, chemical composition, mineral, and sensory profiles were not affected (p > 0.05) by ozonation. This study demonstrated that gaseous ozonation, when applied under the conditions of 10 to 60 mg/L, from 2 to 5 h of exposure, grain mass from 2 to 5 kg, does not cause any negative impact on the wheat quality.

The consumption of wheat bran, whole-wheat grains and other whole-wheat products has grown in recent years in Brazil. These foods are considered more nutritious than the refined ones and have been associated with a reduced risk of some major chronic diseases. On the other hand, other research, carried out in Brazil, has found different groups of fungi toxins, called mycotoxins, contaminating these wheat products. Among these mycotoxins, are the aflatoxins, a group of genotoxic and carcinogenic compounds produced by Aspergillus spp. This study aimed to determine the levels of aflatoxins B 1 , B 2 , G 1 and G 2 in samples of whole-wheat grains and derivatives, intended for human consumption, marketed in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One hundred and eight samples of whole-wheat grains (n=35), wheat bran (n=32), whole-wheat flour (n=26) and refined wheat flour (n=15) marketed in hypermarkets, supermarkets and health food stores were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL). Thirty-three samples (30.6%) were positive for at least one aflatoxin and the B 1 form had the highest prevalence in the samples. The overall average was 0.69 µg/kg and the contamination was the highest in the grain samples, followed by bran, whole-flour and refined flour. Just one sample showed total aflatoxins levels (B 1 +B 2 +G 1 +G 2) higher than the limit established by Brazilian legislation (5 µg/kg). The levels found in this study indicated that the presence of aflatoxins in wheat and wheat products consumed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are not a hazard for public health.

The present study aimed to characterize, through descriptive statistics, data from scientific articles selected in a systematic integrative review that performed a microbiological diagnosis of Salmonella spp. in aquaculture. Data were obtained from research articles published in the BVS, Scielo, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The selected studies were published between 2000 and 2020 on samples of aquaculture animal production (fish, shrimp, bivalve mollusks, and other crustaceans) and environmental samples of aquaculture activity (farming water, soil, and sediments). After applying the exclusion criteria, 80 articles were selected. Data such as country of origin, categories of fish investigated, methods of microbiological diagnosis of Salmonella spp., sample units analyzed and most reported serovars were mined. A textual analysis of the word cloud and by similarity and descending hierarchical classification with the application of Reinert’s algorithm was performed using R® and Iramuteq® software. The results showed that a higher percentage of the selected articles came from Asian countries (38.75%). Fish was the most sampled category, and the units of analysis of the culture water, muscle and intestine were more positive. The culture isolation method is the most widespread, supported by more accurate techniques such as PCR. The most prevalent Salmonella serovars reported were S. Typhimurium, S. Weltevreden and S. Newport. The textual analysis showed a strong association of the terms “Salmonella”, “fish” and “water”, and the highest hierarchical class grouped 25.4% of the associated text segments, such as “aquaculture”, “food” and “public health”. The information produced characterizes the occurrence of Salmonella spp. in the aquaculture sector, providing an overview of recent years. Future research focusing on strategies for the control and prevention of Salmonella spp. in fish production are necessary and should be encouraged.