The extensive use of pesticides in agriculture plays an important role in bees die-off and allows the presence of residues in hive products, particularly in honey. An accurate and reliable analytical method, based on QuEChERS extractive technique, has been developed for the quantitative determination by high-performance liquid chromatography UV-visible detector of 5 pesticides (Deltamethrin, Dimethoate, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Chlorfenvinphos) in honey. The method, according to Commission Directive 2002/63/EC and Regulation 882/2004/EC, provided excellent results with respect to linearity (correlation coefficient up to 0.993), limits of detection and quantification (0.005 and 0.01 μg/mL for Dimethoate, Deltamethrin and Chlorfenvinphos; 0.02 and 0.05 μg/mL for Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid), recovery values (86.4 to 96.3%), precision and relative expanded uncertainty of a measurement, demonstrating the conformity of the this method with the European directives. The proposed method was applied to 23 samples of Apulian honey. None of the investigated pesticides was detected in these samples

The variety of labelling legislations of single European (EU) Member States hinders legal certainty for consumers. The standardisation pursued by EU Regulation 1169/2011 will at long last provide the 28 EU Member States with a common legislation. The present article carries out a summary benchmarking analysis of the new legislative framework

Data on 657 lactation from 163 Maltese goat, collected over a 5-year period were analyzed by a mixed model to estimate the variance components for heritability. The considered lactation traits were: milk yield (MY) and lactation length (LL). Year, parity and type of birth (single or twin) were significant sources of variation for lactation length; on the other hand milk yield was significantly influenced only by the year. The average MY was 352.34 kg and the average LL was 230 days. Estimates of heritability were 0.21 and 0.15 for MY and LL respectively. These values suggest there is low correlation between genotype and phenotype so it may be difficult to evaluate animals directly on phenotype. So, the genetic improvement of this breed may be quite slow without the support of progeny test aimed to select Maltese breeders.

Sarcocystis spp. are protozoa belonging to the Phylum Apicomplexa, order Eucoccida, family Sarcocystis that cause sarcocystosis in humans, other primates and in many animal species. In this study the authors report the results of a survey on the presence of these parasites, in 50 horses slaughtered in the province of Bari. The inspection visit, by a veterinarian inspector, resulted positive for tne examined animals. On the contrary, the microscopic investigations revealed the presence of sarcocystis in 5 of 50 examined and permitted to classify the parasite as belonging to the species equicanis.

Ochratoxins are fungal secondary metabo- lites that may contaminate a broad variety of foodstuffs, such as grains, vegetables, coffee, dried fruits, beer, wine and meats. Ochratoxins are considered powerful nephrotoxins, car- cinogens, teratogens in rats and likely in humans. In 2011, during a programme aimed to survey the presence of ochratoxin A in 35 regularly slaughtered wild boars in Calabria region (Southern Italy), ochratoxin A (OTA) was detected in 35 kidneys, 33 urinary blad- ders, 33 livers and 32 muscles of 35 animals at the following levels: 1.05 ppb (0.1-3.9 ppb), 0.5 ppb [not detected (ND)-2.6 ppb], 0.4 ppb (ND- 2 ppb), 0.2 ppb (ND-0.5 ppb), respectively. A total of 12 samples of kidney, 4 samples of liver, and 4 samples of urinary bladder showed levels of OTA higher than the level (1 ppb) estab- lished by the guidelines of the Italian Ministry of Health circular No. 10.

Given that changes in consumer food behaviours have led to an increase in the demand for pre-cut ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables, and that few data are currently available on the occurrence of Arcobacter spp. in such foods, the aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of Arcobacter spp. that carry virulence-associated genes on pre-cut RTE vegetables, using cultural and molecular methods. Arcobacter was detected using biomolecular iden- tification methods in 44/160 (27.5%) of the samples, of which 40/44 (90.9%) isolates corresponded to A. butzleri and 4/44 (9.1%) to A. cryaerophilus. Studying the incidence of 9 virulence-associated genes revealed the wide- spread distribution of these genes among the Arcobacter isolates tested. The results obtained in our research provided plenty of information on the health risks associated with the direct consumption of raw vegetables, and highlight the need to implement further studies at each level of the produc- tion chain, in order to obtain further information to help protect human health.

Radio frequency (RF) applications to food process are well known due to the possibility of quickly and uniformly heating food matrix (1). Fresh stuffed pasta conventional production technology consists of a first steam pasteurization for a period varying from 2 to 10 min depending on pasta size and weight, initial microbial density and wet steam or superheated steam, followed by a drying phase with forced hot air at a temperature not exceeding 65°-70°C to increase pasta consistency and stabilize the shape. Fresh semolina pasta RF pasteurization/pre-drying process is already used by some companies a reduction of microbiological parameters, reduced time pasteurization, a better cooking bheavior, keeping g a great intensity taste and aroma the typical of fresh semolina pasta. Fresh stuffed pasta production has several healthy and technology problems with respect to fresh semolina pasta, thus RF pasteurization/pre-drying process requires a proper implementation and evaluation of effects on different types of products. In this study we have examined three different types of fresh stuffed pasta, cappelletti stuffed with ham, fagottini stuffed with cheese and tortellini stuffed with meat. Three different RF treatments were carried out: 3 kV were applied to fresh pasta stuffed with ham and meat and 2 kV to fresh pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese for a total time of 10 and 8 min, respectively. RF plant consists of a single steel tunnel, in which electrodes are placed and kept at 27.12 MHz, were simultaneously pre-drying and pasteurization of fresh pasta occurs (2). Microbiological analysis of fresh stuffed pasta different samples, pre-and postpasteurization, were made by the Tempo® System (bioMériux, France). Preliminary results in different types of fresh stuffed pasta show that RF pasteurization/ pre-drying process cause reduction of some microbiological parameters.

Monitoring animal welfare at a slaughterhouse is somehow different from the situation on the farm. The throughput numbers can be very high, and there is no possibility to know the individual history, background or habits of each animal. The animals are unfamiliar to the staff and viceversa. Furthermore, most animals will be unknown to each other even if they may be delivered in groups or batches, and it is not rare to see mixing of completely unfamiliar animals. The slaughter plants’ environment is of course completely unknown to the animals, with large areas not always designed to minimize noise or visual distraction for animals. Sub-optimal handling of animals can unfortunately be seen at many slaughterhouses, where animals are coerced roughly, using sticks or prods and loud voices, forcing the animals to move fast in the desired direction. Vets need to be aware of these factors because they can cause excessive prodding for animals, which may become balking, excited and stressed. A survey of 10 italian slaughter plants revealed that: 5 plants had slick floors that would cause animals to slip and fall, 9 plants had high pitched motor noise or hissing air that made animals balking; air drafts blowing down the chutes, which will often impede animal movement, were a problem in 9 of the observed plants. Simple modifications of lighting and elimination of air drafts and hissing will often greatly improve animal movement.

Ochratoxins are fungal secondary metabolites that may contaminate various foods and beverages. The intake of ochratoxins by humans may result in typical syndromes (nefrotoxicity, carcinogenity, teratogenicity and immunotoxicity) and has been associated with Balkan Endemic Nephropathy. In this study the authors describe a simple and highly specific method for the determination of Ochratoxin A in infant milk products and human breast milk. The method involves: the extraction of Ochratoxin A, clean-up with immunoaffinity columns having specific antibodies and quantification using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The minimum detectable concentration values of OTA obtained were appropriate for the analytical findings, designed to detect OTA in low concentrations.