Ettore Coni's research while affiliated with Istituto Superiore di Sanità and other places

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD), 2-MCPD and glycidol (Gly) are food-processing contaminants that cause concerns about possible adverse health effects. The present study evaluates the contamination levels of the three ester classes in 130 samples of foodstuffs marketed in Italy covering 10 food categories, namely margarines, oils, roasted coffee, breakfast cereals, salted crackers, cookies, infant biscuits, rusks, breads and potato crisps. The analytical method employed is a so-called indirect method that entails MCPD/glycidol cleavage from their esterified forms, cleanup, derivatisation and GC-MS analysis. The MCPDs and glycidol concentrations (from esters) were found to be equal or a little higher than the levels reported in previous studies conducted in other European countries and described in the literature. 3-MCPD was the predominant compound in all foodstuffs analysed with the exception for rusks where Gly levels were slightly higher. Considering the sum of MCPD and Gly esters, the most contaminated foodstuffs were seed oils, followed by margarines and cookies, whereas roasted coffee, bread, rusks, cornflakes and infant biscuits were less contaminated with MCPDs and Gly concentrations often below LOQ or LOD values. Refined olive oil, potato chips and salted crackers showed contamination levels intermediate between the two above groups. The results of this study also confirm that the use of palm oil as an ingredient or frying medium is an important cause of increase of the levels of MCPD and Gly esters, especially in salted crackers, rusks and potato crisps. Finally, the Italian intake of 3-MCPD due to the various foods analysed has been calculated and related to TDI. The MoE for Gly was also estimated.

The aim of this work was to enhance the bioavailability of erythromycin base when administered orally in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Since erythromycin is normally given in the form of medicated feed, in this study three new types of feed formulation were developed. A self-emulsifying system and two types of double microemulsions (O/W/O) were prepared, characterized and adsorbed on a commercial extruded diet for fish. The emulsified systems were based on saturated polyglycolized glycerides and mono- and diglycerides of medium-chain fatty acids (as oily phase), Tween 80 (as surfactant) and, in the case of double microemulsions, distilled water. The systems differed in percentage composition and for the amount and position of erythromycin in different phases. The three medicated feed were then administered orally by means of a gastric probe to rainbow trout and their relative bioavailability was estimated in comparison with that obtained after oral administration of feed with erythromycin powder. For each medicated feed, 80 fish were tested. Finally, plasma profiles of erythromycin after single administration of medicated feeds were used to predict profiles obtainable by administering once-daily medicated feeds for 7 consecutive days. The results proved that the feeds containing microemulsified erythromycin provided largely superior oral bioavailability and the advantage of obtaining the same efficacy against bacterial infections with a much lower dose of drug.

More than 90% of the phthalic acid esters (PAEs) produced in Europe is used to plasticize polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Animal studies have shown that some PAEs can damage the liver and interfere with the endocrine system, whereas data on the toxic effects on humans are inconsistent. For the general population, the diet is believed to be the main source of PAEs. Food can be contaminated from environmental pollution, industrial food processing (PVC tubing) and certain storage containers. The present study evaluates the contamination levels of the four main PAEs named Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), in 172 samples of vegetable oils marketed in Italy. Diluted oils were directly analysed by GC–MS. PAEs concentrations in vegetable oils were lower than those reported in other studies. Olive-derived oils showed the highest levels. Considering their high consumption in Italy, this finding is significant and some hypotheses on environmental or technological causes have been made. In the case of extravirgin olive oil, the higher levels of PAEs can be ascribed to the absence of the refining process since it has been verified that this technological treatment partially decontaminates the final product while for olive and olive pomace oils, both refined oils, the reasons for a higher contamination are less clear. Probably, a different plant uptake of PAEs from the air, water and soil could give account of this finding. Finally, the percentage Italian intake of PAEs due to the various types of vegetable oils analysed has been calculated.

Although goat milk production represents today a very small percentage of the world milk market, this percentage has been growing continuously during the past 20 years. Goat milk is the basic milk supply in many developing countries and provides tasteful derivative products in developed countries. Goats, as well as all milk-producing animals, can be affected by mastitis, but goats being considered a minor species, few drugs are specifically registered for these animals; most, at least for mastitis treatment, are usually tested and registered for use in cows. This situation leads often to the adoption for goat milk of withdrawal periods defined for cows even if these extrapolations prove almost never valid for goats. In the present study, the elimination of the β-lactam antibacterial agent ampicillin in goat milk was investigated. Ampicillin was chosen because it is one of the most common antibiotics used by goat farmers against mastitis due to the fact that it is well tolerated and has short elimination times in cows. Goats were treated with long-acting ampicillin at 15 mg (kg of body weight)(-1) by double intramuscular injection at 72 h interval. Milk was collected in a 12 h milking scheme. The method used to determine the levels of ampicillin in goat milk was based on a liquid-liquid extraction of this drug from the matrix, successive derivatization with formaldehyde, and final separation by HPLC with fluorescence detection. The results point out a slow depletion of ampicillin and, consequently, a withdrawal period (13 milkings) longer than that extrapolated and authorized for cows and sheep.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) are environmental contaminants belonging to a chemical group known as perfluorinated compounds (PCFs). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) considers both compounds to be carcinogenic. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the contamination levels of PFOS and PFOA in edible fish of the Mediterranean Sea. Twenty six fish muscles, 17 fish livers, five series of cephalopods (each composed of ten specimens) and thirteen series of bivalves (each composed of about 50 specimens) were used for the investigation. A fast sample treatment, followed by an LC–ESI–MS/MS method is described for the identification, and quantification of PFOA and PFOS in fish. The method was in-house-validated through the determination of precision, accuracy, specificity, calibration curve, decision limit (CCα), and detection capability (CCβ). The results showed PFOA and PFOS levels in fishes and molluscs lower than those reported for analogue matrices in different geographic areas. Therefore, our biomonitoring results did not show that the Mediterranean Sea had any particularly alarming pollution by PFCs, although it is located in a semi-closed basin with scarce water change. Nonetheless, a worrying element is that a few fish showed extremely high contamination by PFOA and PFOS. This finding needs further clarification in order to assess whether such unusual contamination is linked to “dot-like” pollutant release, which could explain the anomaly.

According to general consensus, the global climate is changing, which may also affect agricultural and livestock production. The potential impact of climate change on food security is a widely debated and investigated issue. Nonetheless, the specific impact on safety of food and feed for consumers has remained a less studied topic. This review therefore identifies the various food safety issues that are likely to be affected by changes in climate, particularly in Europe. Amongst the issues identified are mycotoxins formed on plant products in the field or during storage; residues of pesticides in plant products affected by changes in pest pressure; trace elements and/or heavy metals in plant products depending on changes in their abundance and availability in soils; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods following changes in long-range atmospheric transport and deposition into the environment; marine biotoxins in seafood following production of phycotoxins by harmful algal blooms; and the presence of pathogenic bacteria in foods following more frequent extreme weather conditions, such as flooding and heat waves. Research topics that are amenable to further research are highlighted.

The contamination of 11 commercial grape seed oils with paraffins of mineral oil origin was analyzed by online-coupled HPLC-HPLC-GC-FID and ranged from 43 to 247 mg kg(-1). The analysis of the marc and seeds indicated that the contamination is primarily from the peels. Since superficial extraction of the seeds with hexane removed most of the mineral paraffins, the contamination of the seeds is largely on the surface, perhaps transferred from the peels during storage of the marc. Mechanical purification of the seeds combined with washing with hexane reduced the contamination of the oil by a factor of about 10. The refining process removed 30% of the mineral paraffins, primarily the more volatile components. Oil obtained from the seeds of fresh grapes, including grapes not having undergone any phytochemical treatment, contained clearly less mineral paraffins (up to 14 mg kg(-1)), and the peels were less contaminated, suggesting an environmental background contamination. To this an additional contamination might be added by a treatment of the grapes used for wine making.

Some plants that are processed into foods often contain natural substances that may be hazardous to human health. One example is coumarin, which is known to cause liver and kidney damage in rats, mice and probably humans. The main source of coumarin in the diet is cinnamon. The name 'cinnamon' is correctly used to refer to Ceylon cinnamon, also known as 'true cinnamon'. However, other plant species are sometimes sold with the label of cinnamon. This is the case of Cinnamomun aromaticum (cassia). In recent years, due to its cheaper price, cassia is replacing true cinnamon in the European food market being largely used in the preparation of some kinds of sweets. Several European health agencies have recently warned against consuming high amounts of cassia due to its high content of coumarin. In this study, 34 samples of cinnamon and 50 samples of cinnamon-containing foodstuffs were collected from the Italian market. Quantitative determinations of coumarin and cinnamaldehyde were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD). The analytical method was in-house validated assessing recovery, repeatability, linearity, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ). The results showed that about 51% of cinnamon samples consisted of cassia, 10% were probably a blend of cassia and Ceylon cinnamon, whereas only 39% were actually Ceylon cinnamon. As far as cinnamon-containing foods are concerned, the samples often exceeded the maximum level fixed in the European Flavourings Directive of 2 mg kg(-1).

The distribution and potential bioaccumulation of dietary arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and selenium in organs and tissues of rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss Walbaum, 1792), a major aquaculture species, was studied in relation to fish growth over a period of >3 years. Fish were reared under normal farming conditions, that is, fed a standard fish food and exposed to negligible levels of waterborne trace elements. The age-related variations in the content of each trace element in gills, kidney, liver, muscle, and skin were studied through nonparametric regression analysis. A buildup of all elements in all tissues and organs was observed, but due to dilution with growth, the concentrations did not increase, except in a few cases such as cadmium and mercury in liver and kidney. In muscle tissue, the concentrations of mercury, lead, and selenium did not alter significantly with growth, whereas cadmium increased but remained at exceedingly low levels. The concentration of arsenic in muscle tissue peaked at 14 months and then decreased in adult specimens. Arsenic speciation by high-performance liquid chromatography--inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry revealed that arsenic in muscle was almost exclusively present in the form of nontoxic arsenobetaine. Application of a mercury mass balance model gave predicted concentrations in agreement with measured ones and showed that in farmed rainbow trout the ratio of mercury concentrations in feed and in fish is about 1:1. Therefore, rainbow trout does not approach the limits established for human consumption even when reared with feed at the maximum permitted levels. These findings highlight the low bioaccumulation potential of toxic trace elements such as cadmium, lead, and mercury in rainbow trout following dietary exposure. On the other hand, selenium concentrations in muscle (about 0.2 microg g (-1) of fresh weight) show that rainbow trout may be a good source of this essential element.

Acrylamide is a food toxicant suspected to be carcinogenic to humans. It is formed in the heat processing of carbohydrate-rich food. A current issue in food safety is whether acrylamide actually represents a risk for human health. At present, available information is insufficient to reach any conclusions. Inter alias, a still unclear matter is the fraction of acrylamide ingested by food that is absorbed and metabolized. This study compared the in vivo relative absorption of acrylamide formed in cooked food with that of the pure compound dissolved in drinking water using the pig (25 Italian Large White females) as the animal model. Acrylamide intakes of about 0.8 and 8 microg kg(-1) pig body wt day(-1) equal to one and ten times, respectively, the maximum average acrylamide daily intake for humans from the diet (expressed on a body wt basis) in industrialized countries, were chosen for the study. Adducts with the N-terminal valine of haemoglobin formed by acrylamide and its epoxide metabolite glycidamide, were used as exposure markers. Analyses were carried out by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry following in-house method validation. Both for the low and the high dose regimen, the glycidamide adduct levels in swine globins were lower of the limit of quantification of the method. As concerns acrylamide adducts, it was found that the relative absorption of acrylamide from feed and water was the same and that there is a direct proportionality between the adduct concentration and acrylamide intake.