Nikolaos Volakakis

Control of enteric pathogens in ready‐to‐eat vegetable crops in organic and ‘low input’ production systems: a HACCP‐based approach

Risks from pathogens such as Salmonella, Yersinia, Campylobacter and Escherichia coli O157 have been identified as a particular concern for organic and ‘low input’ food production systems that rely on livestock manure as a nutrient source. Current data do not allow any solid conclusions to be drawn about the level of this risk, relative to conventional production systems. This review describes six Risk Reduction Points (RRPs) where risks from enteric pathogens can be reduced in ready‐to‐eat vegetables. Changes can be made to animal husbandry practices (RRP1) to reduce inoculum levels in manure. Outdoor livestock management (RRP2) can be optimized to eliminate the risk of faecal material entering irrigation water. Manure storage and processing (RRP3), soil management practices (RRP4) and timing of manure application (RRP5), can be adjusted to reduce the survival of pathogens originating from manure. During irrigation (RRP6), pathogen risks can be reduced by choosing a clean water source and minimizing the chances of faecal material splashing on to the crop. Although preventive measures at these RRPs can minimize enteric pathogen risk, zero risk can never be obtained for raw ready‐to‐eat vegetables. Good food hygiene practices at home are essential to reduce the incidence of food‐borne illnesses.

Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses

Introduction: In the last years and decades more and more new plants came to the market as food or old crops have been rediscovered. Based on the presence of secondary plant metabolites specific effects are often attributed to these plants and/or derived preparations. Depending on the amount and the accompanying substances in extracts and preparations these substances can also be toxic. In many cases, plants and plant preparations are not adequately tested for their safety before marketing. In the European Union, authorization procedures and health assessments are only required for foods that are considered novel foods or produced from genetically modified organisms. A working group of federal and state governments, the BfR has worked with, has drawn up a list of nearly 600 plants and plant parts, which should facilitate the assessment of these plants (or plant parts) and derived preparations by food inspection bodies and food industry. Objectives: 18 plants or parts of plants were selected for an evaluation because of their known pharmacological or psychotropic effects or due to possible health risks. Method / Design: The risk assessments of these plants or parts of plants, including for example goji berries and yohimbe bark, were performed using the “Guidance on Safety assessment of botanicals and botanical preparations intended for use as ingredients in food supplements” of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Results: Nine of the 18 plants or parts of plants pose a risk to consumers and should not be used in food. Five plants or parts of plants might pose risks when used in food. For four plants or plant parts, no risks were seen. Conclusions: The health assessments are intended to be a first step in the process of harmonization at European level. The opinions are published in a booklet and accessible on the web(04/08/2019) Organic food for sustainable and healthy diets lessons from the nordic diet? Introduction: The New Nordic Diet (NND) was developed in 2004 by chefs and food professionals from the five Nordic countries. The goal for the NND was that it should be based on traditional regional food products but healthier than the traditional eating habits. The NND builds on four key principles: Nordic identity, health, gastronomic potential and sustainability.Objectives: Can the NND be used as a model for a sustainable diet in other geographical regions?Methods/design: The NND can be described by a few overall guidelines: 1) more calories from plant foods and fewer from meat; 2) more foods from the wild countryside and 3) more foods from sea and lakes. In many ways, the New NND is very similar to a Mediterranean diet but relies on rapeseed (canola) oil instead of olive oil and ramson instead of garlic. The diets differ in their types of produce due to regional differences in climate, soil and water.Results: The health effects and sustainability of the NND has been tested in a number of scientific studies, including the OPUS project (Optimal Well-Being, Development and Health for Danish Children through a Healthy New Nordic Diet) supported by the Nordea foundation (http://foodoflife.ku.dk/opus/english/nyheder/publikationer/) in which the NND was compared to the Average Danish Diet (ADD). The use of mostly local products and reduction of the meat intake were of both socioeconomic and environmental advantage. Including organic produce increased environmental impact of the NND.Conclusion: In line with the Mediterranean diet the NND is a predominantly plant-based diet, and although the two have not been directly compared, it would be fairly safe to assume that they are equally healthy. Overall, the NND is just a regional interpretation of the tenets of healthy eating. Basically the principles of the NND could be incorporated into any regional diet.Who are we eating with? There are always companions to relate to in a meal, both to those who are present and they who are on another place or even in a past history. The choice of food and beverag ...Objectives : The aim of the present work was to compare the effect of ALA, EPA and DHA on the development of adipose tissue and its metabolism during a high fat-high sucrose (HFHS) challenge.Ann Nutr Metab 2015; 67(suppl 1) 435 BMD (BL: -2.4±0.7, PI: -0.9±0.44), serum calcium (BL: 9.5±0.6, PI: 10.5±0.52) and vitamin D (BL: 17.63±4.9, PI: 42.72±8.9) was observed. Locomotor problems were reduced among 44.06% subjects in group B compared to 11.11% in group A. Post interventional BMD (t: -2.16, P≤0.05), serum calcium (t: -4.05, P≤0.001) and vitamin D (t: -4.20, P≤0.001) of group B was significantly higher compared to group A.Affiliation: (1) PhD Student in Food Science. Human Nutrition Unit. Department of Food Science. University of Parma. Italy; (2) Associate Professor. Department of Food Science. University of Parma. Parma. Italy; (3) Full Professor. Department of Food Science, University of Parma. Parma. Italy; (4) Post-Doc Research Assistant. Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Science, University of Turin. Torino. Italy; (5) Assistant Professor. Department of Soil, Plant and Food Science. University of Bari Aldo Moro. Bari. Italy; (6) Post-Doc Research Assistant. Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna. Bologna. Italy; (7) Full Professor. Department of Soil, Plant and Food Science. University of Bari Aldo Moro. Bari. Italy; (8) Nutritionist. Department of Food Science. University of Parma. Parma Italy.Effect on attention of a vegetable smoothie, rich in berries, fruitsand vegetables, served at the school mid-morning brake. ViktoriaOhlsson. Kristianstad UniversityPurpose:The purpose of this pilot ...Introduction: Since appetite control works differently in fluid and solid intake we wanted to analyse the energy contribution from those two types of energy sources.Objectives: The objective of thi ...Introduction: Infrequent fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is especially common among children with low parental educational level (PEL) and among boys.Objectives: Our aim was to examine whether a school-based intervention was efficient in increasing children’s FV intake especially among those whose FV intake is the lowest and which factors could explain the the group differences in the associations.Method / Design: In Finland 11-year-old (at baseline) children participated in the PRO GREENS intervention in winter 2009. In control schools were 424 and in intervention schools 386 children (response rate 77%). Children filled in validated food frequency questionnaire assessing FV intake (times/day) and a validated questionnaire about factors influencing FV intake (availability of FV, liking for FV, preferences, self-efficacy to eat FV, attitudes towards FV and knowledge of the recommendations) both at baseline May 2009 and follow-up May 2010. Parental educational level (low, middle, high) was reported by the parents. Associations were examined with linear regression and mediation analyses.Results: The intervention increased fruit intake among girls but not among boys. Intervention increased also children’s knowledge of the recommendations. Since knowledge had no impact on boys’ fruit intake, the increase in knowledge mediated only intervention’s effect on girls’ fruit intake. Intervention increased children’s fruit intake similarly in all PEL groups.Intervention increased vegetable intake only in the middle PEL group but no intervention effect was noted among children with low or high PEL. Knowledge, the only factor which mediated the intervention’s effect on children’s vegetable intake, could not explain PEL differences in the effectivity of the intervention.Conclusions: Increase in knowledge was not a sufficient prerequisite to increase FV intake among boys or the lowest PEL group. More in depth analyses are needed to find out which factors to target in interventions to reach an effect in the target groups.

Olive Fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera, Tephritidae) Activity and Fruit Infestation Under Mass Trapping in an Organic Table Olive Orchard in Crete, Greece

Olive fly activity in a commercial organic table olive orchard was monitored for 80 weeks using McPhail traps for two successive years, a fruiting and a non-fruiting year. Mass traps were employed from the end of May to limit fruit damage. In the fruiting year, fly activity increased steadily with a peak in June–July but there was very little activity after July for both years. The lack of activity from July onward was reflected in very low fruit infestation in the fruiting year. Mean maximum temperatures were generally 34–35oC from July to September. High mortality of olive fly adults, eggs, and larvae was likely because of sustained high temperatures. The trend in Mediterranean olive growing areas appears to be for increasing summer temperatures and olive fly control measures may have to take into account aspects of climate fluctuation.

Effect of variety choice, resistant rootstocks and chitin soil amendments on soil-borne diseases in soil-based, protected tomato production systems

Soil-borne diseases are the most significant crop protection problem in soil-based, low-input and especially organic glasshouse production systems in Europe. While chemical soil disinfestation has been the control method of choice in conventional farming systems, soil steaming has been the main strategy for the control of soil-borne diseases in organic production. Both methods are extremely expensive and have been increasingly restricted for environmental reasons by governments, and integrated and organic farming standard-setting bodies. The use of disease-tolerant varieties, grafting onto resistant rootstocks and chitin soil amendments were evaluated as potential replacements for soil steaming in organic and other low-input tomato production systems. When only Pyrenochaeta lycopersici and/or Meloidogyne spp. were present in soil, grafting and/or chitin soil amendment were found to be as effective in reducing root disease and/or increasing yield as soil steaming, but the efficacy of both treatments was reduced when Verticillum albo-atrum was also present in soil. No additive effects of combining grafting and chitin soil amendments could be detected. A more widespread use of grafting and/or chitin soil amendments may therefore allow significant reductions in the use of steam and chemical soil disinfestation in glasshouse crops. It will also allow integrated and organic farming standard-setting bodies to impose further restrictions on the use of soil disinfestation treatments.

Effects of agronomic management and climate on leaf phenolic profiles, disease severity and grain yield in organic and conventional wheat production systems

Agricultural intensification over the last 40 years has increased cereal yields, but there is very limited information on the effects of intensification practices (e.g., nondiverse rotations, mineral NPK fertilizer, and pesticides) on crop health and quality. Results from the study reported here suggest that the use of mineral NPK fertilizers reduces phenolic acid and flavonoid concentrations in leaves and increases the susceptibility of wheat to lodging and powdery mildew, when compared to composted FYM inputs. In contrast, the use of herbicides, fungicides, and growth regulators reduces lodging and foliar disease severity but had no effect on phenolic acid and flavonoid concentrations. The use of composted FYM inputs also resulted in a significant grain yield reduction and not substantially reduced the severity of opportunistic pathogens such as Septoria, which remain a major yield limiting factor unless fungicides are used and/or more Septoria resistant varieties become available.