The bioaccumulation of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in aquatic organisms, including aquatic vegetables, makes their consumption a significant route of human exposure. OPEs are ubiquitous in terrestrial food systems, yet their presence in wild freshwater vegetables and associated dietary risks remain poorly understood. This study investigated species-specific and tissue-specific accumulation, bioaccumulation, and potential human dietary exposure risks of OPEs in wild freshwater vegetables (n = 109). A total of 16 target OPEs were analyzed, of which 15 were detected (7.38 to 395 ng/g dw). Tri-OPE concentrations (3.28–388 ng/g dw, mean: 48.1 ng/g dw) were higher than di-OPEs (1.53–9.70 ng/g dw, mean: 5.79 ng/g dw). Pronounced interspecies differences were observed: Nelumbo nucifera leaves showed the highest accumulation, while Euryale ferox showed the lowest. Nelumbo nucifera (lotus seeds, leaf tips, lotus rootlets, and lotus roots) exhibited pronounced intra-species heterogeneity: leaf tips showed the highest levels (208 ng/g dw), while rhizomes showed the lowest (29.8 ng/g dw). Tissue-specific analysis revealed elevated OPE levels in surface tissues relative to internal edible portions. Apparent field accumulation ratios for OPEs in wild freshwater vegetables varied considerably among species and tissues. Monte Carlo simulation-based screening, using risk-based screening intake thresholds, identified tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate as the compound of greatest carcinogenic screening concern.
Fruit ripening is a complex physiological process that determines fruit quality and influences consumer acceptance. Among the various indicators of ripeness, visual appearance plays a decisive role, as it is the first attribute perceived and often defines expectations regarding flavor, freshness, and overall quality. However, conventional maturity assessment frequently relies on analytical procedures that require destructive sampling, are time-consuming, or have limited applicability for real-time and large-scale monitoring. In this context, this review critically examines the potential of visual biomarkers to connect fruit ripening physiology, non-destructive sensing, predictive modeling, and sensory quality. A bibliometric mapping identifies major research trends, while the critical synthesis distinguishes instrumental quality prediction, associations with sensory attributes, and direct prediction or validation of consumer-relevant outcomes. The review integrates the biochemical foundations of ripening with practical approaches, examining how changes in pigments, sugars, texture, and other ripening-related attributes are translated into measurable visual and spectral features. Imaging and sensing technologies, including RGB, near-infrared, hyperspectral, and thermal approaches, are discussed alongside image processing, chemometrics, and machine learning. Although these technologies can achieve strong performance in maturity classification and physicochemical quality prediction, high instrumental predictive accuracy does not necessarily establish sensory relevance. Sensory evaluation can address this gap either by providing prediction targets or by serving as an independent reference for validating whether instrumentally detected changes correspond to perceived quality. Overall, standardized protocols, external validation, model transferability, and sensory integration from the experimental design stage are needed to advance robust and consumer-relevant fruit ripeness prediction.
Biogenic amines (BA) are bioactive nitrogenous compounds that accumulate in ripened cheeses due to microbial activity, representing both quality indicators and potential food safety concerns. Despite the economic and cultural relevance of Manchego cheese, a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), representative data on BA occurrence in commercial cheeses remain scarce. In this work, a comprehensive study on the BA content was conducted across all cheese factories within the PDO Manchego cheese, comprising 55 cheeses made from raw milk and 60 from pasteurized milk. Seven BAs were quantified by RP-HPLC, and the individual effects of milk treatment, ripening time, season of manufacture, and geographical origin were evaluated using univariate and non-parametric statistical analyses. Histamine and tyramine were the predominant BAs, reaching concentrations of 835 and 598 mg/kg, respectively, whereas the other amines were detected at low concentrations or were absent. With some exceptions, raw milk cheeses showed significantly higher concentrations of BAs than pasteurized milk cheeses (p < 0.05), with median concentrations of 981 and 350 mg/kg, respectively. Both ripening time and season significantly influenced BA formation in both types of cheeses, while geographical origin also significantly affected most BAs in pasteurized milk cheeses, highlighting the importance of post-pasteurization factors. Estimated dietary exposure to BAs from Manchego cheese intake would be well below the available toxicity thresholds. This study provides the first comprehensive and representative survey of BA occurrence in commercial Manchego PDO cheeses, demonstrating that milk treatment is an important determinant of BA accumulation, while ripening, season, and geographical origin also contribute to BA variability.
Postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables worldwide drive the search for natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives. This critical review examines clove essential oil (CEO) as a natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agent for fruits, vegetables, and edible fungi. CEO is rich in eugenol and shows broad-spectrum antimicrobial action against important postharvest pathogens and reduces enzymatic browning through polyphenol oxidase inhibition and radical scavenging, while delaying physiological deterioration as indicated by suppressed respiration rate, reduced weight loss, and maintained firmness. However, CEO volatility, poor water solubility, and strong sensory impact, phytotoxicity above crop-specific thresholds, and inconsistent comparative performance limit its direct use. Edible coatings, nanoemulsions, microencapsulation, and active packaging films have been shown, mainly under laboratory conditions, to improve stability and control release. CEO efficacy varies with crop type, requiring crop-specific optimisation of concentration and formulation. This review synthesises current knowledge to guide sustainable, CEO-based preservation methods, and identifies key research gaps in standardisation, sensory acceptability and industrial scalability.
Marine fish oil authentication is challenging due to the similarity of lipid compositions among different biological origins. In this study, an ESII-REIMS-based lipid fingerprinting strategy coupled with interpretable machine learning was developed for rapid characterization and biological origin discrimination of marine fish oils. Six fish oil types were analyzed, yielding 143 lipid ions, and their lipid profiles showed substantial similarities among different biological origins, highlighting the challenge of biological origin authentication. Among ten evaluated machine learning models, CatBoost exhibited the best classification performance with a test accuracy of 99.33 ± 0.77%. SHAP-based interpretation was further introduced into REIMS data analysis, enabling interpretation of model decision mechanisms and identification of key lipid discriminant markers. Twelve key discriminant markers selected by global feature importance enabled the construction of a simplified CatBoost model, achieving a test accuracy of 99.83 ± 0.33%. This study demonstrates that ESII-REIMS combined with SHAP-guided interpretable machine learning provides a rapid and effective workflow for fish oil authentication and the identification of chemically interpretable markers from complex lipid fingerprints.
