Italian Journal of Food Safety最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating <i>Escherichia coli</i> contamination in bivalve mollusks using the impedance method: a comparison with most probable number analyses and correlation with environmental parameters.","authors":"Sarah Currò,&nbsp;Luca Fasolato,&nbsp;Stefania Balzan,&nbsp;Giacomo Biziato,&nbsp;Francesco Paesanti,&nbsp;Luca Bargelloni,&nbsp;Barbara Cardazzo,&nbsp;Enrico Novelli","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The application of an electrochemical (impedance) tool for monitoring <i>Escherichia coli</i> contamination in shellfish was evaluated after 13 months of observation. The primary aim of the present study was to compare the standard most probable number (MPN) and μ-trac 4200 (log imped/100 g) for the assessment of <i>E. coli</i> contamination (log MPN/100 g) in non-depurated bivalve mollusks (BM) from five sampling areas of the Veneto-Emilian coast (Italy) (118 samples). The secondary aim was to evaluate the correlation between <i>E. coli</i> concentrations in BM and environmental factors on a large data set (690). The methods showed a moderate, positive correlation (0.60 and 0.69 Pearson and Spearman coefficients, respectively; P<i><</i>0.01) in <i>Ruditapes philippinarum.</i> The McNemar test indicated analogous sample classification between methods, and the impedance method overestimated the most contaminated class (P=0.03; >4,600 MPN/100 g). The results highlighted the suitability of the impedance method for a faster evaluation and routine use especially in clams, while in <i>Mytilus</i> it seemed less effective. Different models built by multivariate permutational variance analysis and multinomial logistic regression selected the suitable environmental features able to predict the <i>E. coli</i> load. Overall, salinity and season affected the <i>E. coli</i> contamination, whereas locally it was mainly influenced by hydrometry and salinity. The application of the impedance method coupled with environmental data analysis could help purification phase management to adhere to legal limits and could represent an advantage for local control authorities to define actions, considering extreme meteorological events' effects as a proactive reaction to climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 2","pages":"11103"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/bb/63/ijfs-12-2-11103.PMC10316231.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9858312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cadmium, lead, and mercury in two commercial squid species from the north Adriatic Sea (central Mediterranean): contamination levels and health risk assessment.","authors":"Maria Olga Varrà,&nbsp;Lenka Husáková,&nbsp;Jan Patočka,&nbsp;Adriana Ianieri,&nbsp;Sergio Ghidini,&nbsp;Emanuela Zanardi","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and total mercury (Hg) concentrations in European squids (<i>Loligo vulgaris</i>) and flying squids (<i>Todarodes sagittatus</i>) from the northern Adriatic Sea (Italy) were analyzed. The risk of the Italian population being exposed to potentially hazardous metal concentrations through the consumption of these products was also assessed. Compared to European squids, flying squids showed three times higher total Hg concentrations and one hundred times higher Cd concentrations to the point that more than 6 and 25% of the samples exceeded the maximum Hg and Cd limits established by the current legislation. From the evaluation of dietary exposure levels, it emerged that the consumption of flying squids was associated with the highest Pb intake by children and, consequently, with the lower margin of exposure values in relation to the risk of neurotoxicity (margin of exposure=33). Consumption of flying squids, especially by children, was also associated with higher intakes of Cd, inorganic, and methyl-Hg, which, respectively, accounted for 156, 113, and 23% of the tolerable weekly intakes established for these contaminants at European level. The obtained results raise concern and it may be necessary to provide specific dietary advice on the moderate dietary consumption of some cephalopod species, especially to the youngest and most vulnerable segment of the population. However, besides the highly conservative deterministic method adopted in this study, a refined consumer exposure assessment should be performed through the probabilistic methodology, which is more suitable to represent the real exposure scenario.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 2","pages":"11037"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/f0/fb/ijfs-12-2-11037.PMC10316270.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9803140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of aflatoxin M1 enrichment factor in cheese produced with naturally contaminated milk.","authors":"Sonia Sabatelli,&nbsp;Lorenzo Gambi,&nbsp;Cristina Baiguera,&nbsp;Franco Paterlini,&nbsp;Filippo Lelli Mami,&nbsp;Laura Uboldi,&nbsp;Paolo Daminelli,&nbsp;Alberto Biancardi","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a well-known carcinogenic compound that may contaminate milk and dairy products. Thus, with the regulation 1881/2006, the European Union established a concentration limit for AFM1 in milk and insisted on the importance of defining enrichment factors (EFs) for cheese. In 2019, the Italian Ministry of Health proposed four different EFs based on cheese's moisture content on a fat-free basis (MMFB) for bovine dairy products. This study aimed to define the EFs of cheese with different MFFB. The milk used for cheesemaking was naturally contaminated with different AFM1 concentrations. Results showed that all the EF average values from this study were lower than those of the Italian Ministry of Health. Hence, the current EFs might need to be reconsidered for a better categorization of AFM1 risk in cheese.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 2","pages":"11123"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/44/7b/ijfs-12-2-11123.PMC10316239.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9805464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preliminary data on the microbial profile of dry and wet aged bovine meat obtained from different breeds in Sardinia.","authors":"Maria Pina Meloni,&nbsp;Francesca Piras,&nbsp;Giuliana Siddi,&nbsp;Rita Sanna,&nbsp;Roberta Lai,&nbsp;Fabrizio Simbula,&nbsp;Daniela Cabras,&nbsp;Maria Maurichi,&nbsp;Giovanna Asara,&nbsp;Enrico Pietro Luigi De Santis,&nbsp;Christian Scarano","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to evaluate the influence of dry and wet aging on microbial profile and physicochemical characteristics of bovine loins obtained from four animals of two different breeds, namely two Friesian cull cows and two Sardo-Bruna bovines. During dry and wet aging aerobic colony count, <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i>, mesophilic lactic acid bacteria, <i>Pseudomonas</i>, molds and yeasts, <i>Salmonella enterica</i>, <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> and <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i>, pH and water activity (a_w) were determined in meat samples collected from the internal part of the loins. Moreover, the microbial profile was determined with sponge samples taken from the surface of the meat cuts. Samples obtained from Friesian cows were analyzed starting from the first day of the aging period and after 7, 14, and 21 days. Samples obtained from the Sardo Bruna bovines were also analyzed after 28 and 35 days. Wet aging allowed better control of <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. during storage that showed statistically lower levels (P>0.05) in wet-aged meats with respect to dry-aged meats during aging and particularly at the end of the period (P>0.01) in both cattle breeds. At the end of the experiment (21 days), aerobic colony count and <i>Pseudomonas</i> in Fresian cows' dry-aged meats showed mean levels >8 log, while lactic acid bacteria mean counts >7 log were detected in wet-aged meats of both cattle breeds. In meats submitted to dry aging, pH was significantly higher (P<i><</i>0.01) with respect to wet-aged meats at all analysis times and in both cattle breeds. A_w showed a stable trend during both dry and wet aging without significant differences. These preliminary results highlight the critical importance of the strict application of good hygiene practices during all stages of production of these particular cuts of meat intended for aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 2","pages":"11060"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/95/e4/ijfs-12-2-11060.PMC10316274.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10160543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Re-determination of the primary shelf-life of food products: what are the guarantees for the consumer?","authors":"Massimo Renato Micheli,&nbsp;Leonardo Carosielli,&nbsp;Chiara Guarnieri,&nbsp;Alfonso Rosamilia","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11325","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11325","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Except in rare cases, the determination of the shelf-life of food products is left up to the food business operator. The extension of this period, which for years has been the subject of debate among the various actors in the food chain, has become a topic of fundamental importance also following the recent economic/financial, environmental, and health crises, which have had an inevitable impact on consumption and food waste. While there is no requirement to indicate durability for some categories of food products, for example, those not directly intended for consumers, this debate has raised questions and perplexities about the potential re-evaluation of the origin conditions established by the manufacturer, particularly when it comes to maintaining the guarantees for the consumer in terms of health and hygiene. In addition, the increasing consumer demand for accurate information has prompted the European authorities to request a public consultation on the actual understanding and perception of the mandatory terms on labels such as <i>use by</i> or <i>date of minimum durability</i> of a food, provided for by Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, often not correctly understood, which can assume great significance in the application of rules to reduce food waste. In this regard, it is useful to remember that the recent measures adopted by the European Union legislator, together with the case law of recent years, have led the judges of merit to comply with the principles and requirements of food safety laid down since 2002 in Regulation (EC) No. 178, thus paying greater attention to the analysis, assessment, and management of the risk of the entire production chain. The purpose of this work is to provide technical-legal elements to encourage a possible extension of the shelf-life of food products while ensuring the safety of consumers.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 2","pages":"11325"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/4e/d3/ijfs-12-2-11325.PMC10316245.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9803137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preliminary survey on the occurrence of microplastics in bivalve mollusks marketed in Apulian fish markets.","authors":"Nicoletta Cristiana Quaglia,&nbsp;Flavia Capuozzo,&nbsp;Edmondo Ceci,&nbsp;Stefania Cometa,&nbsp;Angela Di Pinto,&nbsp;Anna Mottola,&nbsp;Roberta Piredda,&nbsp;Angela Dambrosio","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10906","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10906","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microplastics (MPs) are a relevant threat to food safety because they are ingested by humans through various foods. Bivalves are at high risk of microplastic contamination due to their filter-feeding mechanism and pose a risk to consumers as they are ingested whole. In this work, microplastics were detected, quantified, identified, and classified in samples of mussels (<i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>) and oysters (<i>Crassostrea gigas</i>) marketed in the Apulia region. The total number of plastic debris was 789 particles in the mussel samples and 270 particles in the oyster samples, with size ranging from 10 to 7350 μm. Fragments with size within the category of 5-500 μm were the predominant findings in both species, with blue as the predominant color in mussels and transparent in oysters; most of the debris was polyamide and nylon polymers in the mussels and chlorinated polypropylene in the oysters. These results show that mussel and oyster samples purchased at fish markets are contaminated with microplastics. The sources may be diverse and further studies are needed to assess the impact of the marketing stage on microplastic contamination in bivalves to better define the human risk assessment associated with microplastic exposure from bivalves consumption.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 2","pages":"10906"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/0e/b3/ijfs-12-2-10906.PMC10316275.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9805462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Quality Index Method-based evaluation of sensory quality of red mullet (<i>Mullus barbatus</i>) and its shelf-life determination.","authors":"Carlotta Lauteri,&nbsp;Gianluigi Ferri,&nbsp;Luca Pennisi","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Every day the consumer must choose a food product rather than others based on its quality; for fishery products the main quality parameter is freshness. Implementation of the Quality Index Method (QIM) in the fish industry provides information on fish quality; therefore, it is important for effective quality and process management in the production of high-quality fish products. The present study aims to validate the shelflife study of fresh red mullet (<i>Mullus barbatus</i>) stored in ice previously presented by Özyurt in 2009 through Torry scheme in cooked filet and microbiological evaluation. Next, this revised scheme was applied to determine the shelf-life. It included seven descriptors and varies from 0 to 15 points. The use of a modified QIM scheme showed a good correlation between the quality index and days of storage time, with a R² value of 0.9698. In fact, all the subjects examined reached the end of their commercial life, or the day of sensory rejection, in 9-10 days with a Quality Index of 13.83.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"10927"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/2b/51/ijfs-12-1-10927.PMC10102959.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retrospective study on the prevalence of <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> in food collected in Umbria region (central Italy).","authors":"Sara Primavilla,&nbsp;Silvana Farneti,&nbsp;Rossana Roila,&nbsp;Raffaella Branciari,&nbsp;Caterina Altissimi,&nbsp;Andrea Valiani,&nbsp;David Ranucci","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10996","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10996","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> represents one of the main foodborne pathogens in Europe and the evaluation of possible sources of contamination and its prevalence in food is of considerable interest for risk analysis approach. The results of the search for <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> in food samples taken in Umbria region (central Italy) were evaluated during the years 2015-2018. Different types of foods were considered, both ready-to-eat (meat products, dairy products, and raw vegetables) and meat preparations to be eaten after cooking. Samples were assayed by molecular screening for the species indicator gene <i>ompF</i>. Screening positives were subjected to isolation and characterization by searching for specific virulence marker genes, including the <i>ail</i> gene responsible for invasiveness and the <i>ystB</i> gene for the production of enterotoxin. The total prevalence of positive samples for <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> was 16.86% with a higher percentage of positive samples in meat preparations (19.35%), followed by ready-to-eat vegetables (11.76%). Poultry meat samples had a higher prevalence than pork and beef samples. Neither positive samples were found in meat products and dairy, nor seasonality in positivity was observed. All isolated strains of <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> were biotype 1A, with absence of the <i>ail</i> virulence gene but presence of <i>ystB</i> gene. Since the strains isolated from human patients appear to be primarily biotypes that possess the <i>ail</i> marker, future investigations would be needed regarding the real role of biotype 1A in human disease. In this context, attention should certainly be paid to ready-to-eat vegetables and to careful cooking of meat preparations.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"10996"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/a1/d4/ijfs-12-1-10996.PMC10102966.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of osmotic stress on <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> ATCC 7644: persistent cells and heat resistance.","authors":"Luca Nalbone,&nbsp;Giorgia Sorrentino,&nbsp;Filippo Giarratana,&nbsp;Aurelian Schiopu-Mariean,&nbsp;Graziella Ziino,&nbsp;Alessandro Giuffrida","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.10880","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.10880","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Persistent bacteria are a microbial subpopulation that, exposed to bactericidal treatment, is killed at a slower rate than the rest of the population they are part of. They can be triggered either following stress or stochastically without external signals. The hallmark of persistent bacteria is the biphasic killing curve, a sign that, within a microbial population, two subpopulations are inactivated at a different rate. Furthermore, when plated into a fresh medium and in the absence of stressors, persistent bacteria typically remain in the lag phase longer before resuming active replication. This study aims to evaluate <i>in vitro</i> whether the formation of persistent cells in a strain of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> can be triggered by exposure to osmotic stress and if this phenomenon can increase heat resistance in the bacterial population. In a first experiment, the lag time distribution of a <i>L. monocytogenes</i> strain grown in a 6% NaCl broth was evaluated using the software ScanLag. A stationary phase broth culture was inoculated on agar plates placed on an office scanner inside an incubator at 37°C. The plates were scanned every 20' for 4 days and the acquired images were automatically elaborated with the aid of MatLab software in order to evaluate the appearance times of every single colony. The experiment was also carried out on a control culture obtained by growing the strain in the broth without salt. In a second experiment, the same broth cultures, after proper dilutions to rebalance NaCl concentration, were subjected to a heat treatment at 51°C and the death curves obtained were parameterized using the GinaFit system. Results showed that the lag phase of 31.40% of the salt culture colonies was long enough to suppose the formation of persistent bacteria. Analyses of the thermal survival curves showed that the <i>shoulder</i> and <i>tail</i> model was the one that best represented the inactivation trend of the salt culture, unlike the control culture, whose trend was essentially linear. Results of the present study show how exposure to salt could induce the formation of persistent bacteria in a <i>L. monocytogenes</i> strain. The last raises concerns as persistent cells may not only be undetected with common analytical techniques but they even show a greater heat resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"10880"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/4f/6a/ijfs-12-1-10880.PMC10102965.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9372109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food safety culture in food companies: evaluation of the perception of food safety culture in three Tuscan food companies.","authors":"Francesca Marconi,&nbsp;Martina Sartoni,&nbsp;Roberta Nuvoloni,&nbsp;Beatrice Torracca,&nbsp;Matteo Gagliardi,&nbsp;Giulia Zappalà,&nbsp;Alessandra Guidi,&nbsp;Francesca Pedonese","doi":"10.4081/ijfs.2023.11012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2023.11012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2021/382 (European Commission, 2021), amending the Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 (European Commission, 2004), introduced the obligation for companies to establish and maintain a food safety culture (FSC). The methodology to evaluate, implement, and enhance the level of FSC is up to the individual companies. This study aimed to investigate the perception of FSC among the employees of 3 Tuscan medium-sized enterprises in the food sector, producing cured meat (A), dairy products (B), and frozen fish products (C). The survey was conducted through the development and administration of a questionnaire based on a 5 points Likert scale, referring to different aspects of FSC, organized in 6 sections with 5-6 statements each and subjected to a percentage of employees between 76 and 85%, classified also by the length of service (≤3 and >3 years). For all the companies, the minimum median and mode value for scores obtained by the different sections was 4, and the minimum median and mode value for the single statement was 3 (A, B; except for a bimodal value 2-4) and 4 (C). The section <i>awareness and perception of risk</i> showed the highest mean scores in all companies. As for the length of service, senior employees gave lower scores than junior ones in all sections in B and 3 sections in C. Overall, the results of the questionnaires showed a good perception of FSC, even though it was possible to identify some partial weaknesses.</p>","PeriodicalId":14508,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Food Safety","volume":"12 1","pages":"11012"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/df/bf/ijfs-12-1-11012.PMC10102961.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9317411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}