Bio magnification (or bio accumulation) refers to the ability of living organisms to accumulate certain chemicals to a concentration larger than that occurring in their inorganic, non-living environment, or in the case of animals, in the food that they eat. Organisms accumulate any chemical needed for their nutrition.
Pesticides, even though present in exceedingly low concentration […]
Introduction
The presence of drug or antibiotic residues in milk and meat is illegal. Milk supplies containing detectable concentrations are not acceptable. Unless drug residues are avoided to protect milk’s reputation as a healthy, safe food, the market becomes jeopardized. Consumers want to be confident that their food supply is free of contamination by herbicides, […]
Aflatoxins are poisonous and cancer-causing chemicals that are produced by certain molds (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus) which grow in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains. They are regularly found in improperly stored staple commodities such as cassava, chili peppers, corn, cotton seed, millet, peanuts, rice, sorghum, sunflower seeds, tree nuts,wheat, and a variety of spices. When contaminated food is processed, aflatoxins enter the general food supply where they have been found in both pet […]
What is rancidity?
Rancidity is a term generally used to denote unpleasant odours and flavours in foods resulting from deterioration in the fat or oil portion of a food. Three different mechanisms of rancidity may occur. These are oxidative, hydrolytic, and ketonic.
Oxidative Rancidity
Oxidative rancidity arises from the decomposition of peroxides. Peroxides are the result of […]
Glutamic acid is an amino acid found in abundance in both plant and animal protein. In humans it is a non-essential amino acid, i.e., the body is capable of producing its own glutamic acid, and is not dependent upon getting glutamic acid from ingested food.
Glutamate is glutamic acid to which a mineral ion has been attached. (Researchers […]
Trans fats, or trans-unsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, are a type of unsaturated fats that are uncommon in nature but became commonly produced industrially from vegetable fats for use in margarine, snack food, packaged baked goods and frying fast food starting in the 1950s. Trans fat has been shown to consistently be associated, in an intake-dependent way, with increased […]
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to include any interaction with radiative energy as a function of its wavelength or frequency. Spectroscopic data is often represented by a spectrum, a plot of the response of […]
Water Activity in Food
Water in food which is not bound to food molecules can support the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds (fungi). The term water activity (aw) refers to this unbound water.
The water activity of a food is not the same thing as its moisture content. Although moist foods are likely to have […]
Protective outer clothing. Food processors must provide employees with the ability to create a barrier between themselves and the product. These items typically include company-provided coats/smocks, plastic aprons or plastic sleeves, hair nets and snoods, and gloves, when appropriate. Essentially, protective clothing provided by the company should never be worn outside of the plant premises, […]
OPEN VESSEL DIGESTION SYSTEM
Samples and reagents are heated on hot plates, sand baths or in microwave units in open beakers or flasks, made of glass, quartz, fluoroplastics (PTFE, PFA) or glassy carbon. Acid fumes are evaporated or (partially) condensed in reflux coolers. Max. Reaction temperature is the boiling point of the acid mixture at […]