Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment最新文献

{"title":"Effect of household cooking on aflatoxin B₁ migration in black beans: insights from bio-accessibility and intestinal transport.","authors":"Simone Santos Soares, Caroline de Almeida Senna, Salvador da Silva Madruga Junior, Maristela Barnes Rodrigues Cerqueira, Eliana Badiale Furlong, Larine Kupski","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2717744","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2717744","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Household cooking is widely considered an effective strategy to reduce mycotoxin contamination in legumes; however, its impact on gastro-intestinal fate and actual dietary exposure remains unclear. This study evaluated the impact of domestic cooking on aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) levels in black beans (a cultivar of the common bean, <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.), integrating bio-accessibility and intestinal transport to assess potential exposure. Naturally contaminated beans were subjected to soaking and pressure cooking under conditions defined by a 2² Central Composite Rotational Design. Cooking reduced AFB₁ levels by 80-93% with optimal conditions for 50 g beans soaked for 8 h and then cooked with 841 mL water. Estimated daily exposure ranged from 0.186 to 0.541 ng kg^-1 body weight day^-1, based on consumption of cooked grain. Bio-accessibility was low when calculated relative to raw beans (6.9-35.1%) but exceeded 100% relative to cooked samples, indicating the release of matrix-associated or previously non-extractable toxin during digestion. However, only 30.4% of the bio-accessible fraction permeated the membrane, indicating limited potential for absorption. These findings demonstrate that reductions observed after processing may not reflect actual exposure, highlighting the importance of integrating gastrointestinal fate into mycotoxin risk assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantification of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol in paper-based food contact materials using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.","authors":"Sarah E Prebihalo, Jordan Escavage, Luke K Ackerman, Iris Yourick, Katherine S Carlos","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2716169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2716169","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Food contact paper (FCP) coated with grease-proofing and water-resistant polymers were a potential source of dietary exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While there were a variety of polymer types, historically, fluorotelomer-based acrylate polymers have been a common subset; first, with long-chain PFAS (≥ C8), phased out in 2011, and later, short-chain (≤C7) PFAS. Following FDA findings that 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) has the potential for bioaccumulation in rodent models, manufacturers made voluntary commitments to phase out the use of 6:2 FTOH, concluding in 2023. To monitor this phase out, FDA developed screening methods using Direct Analysis in Real Time-Isotope Dilution-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (ID-DART-HRMS) and Fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹⁹F NMR). To further monitor the phase out, a quantitative gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed using hydrolysis of FCP. The method was then single-laboratory validated for a variety of FCP types. The method detection limits (MDL) were reported as 99 ng/g, 118 ng/g, 176 ng/g for tissue paper, moulded fibre, and paperboard, respectively. Twelve (12) market samples were analysed using the GC-MS method and nine (9) were found to contain 6:2 FTOH above the MDL, ranging from 0.3 µg/g to ∼1700 µg/g.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Targeted and non-targeted analysis of chemical contaminants in recycled plastics for food packaging.","authors":"Xu-Liang Cao, Jean-Francois Fiset, John Field, Melissa Sparling, Wen-Hsuan Fu, Svetlana Popovic","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2720470","DOIUrl":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2720470","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In order to address concerns with the use of recycled plastics for food packaging, Health Canada, in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), recently investigated various chemical contaminants in food-grade recycled plastic materials including beverage bottles, reusable water bottles, and plastic resin pellets. Methods were developed to extract samples with acetonitrile and for non-targeted analysis of volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals, and also for targeted analysis of bisphenols, phthalates, and volatile organic chemicals. Bisphenol A (BPA) was detected in all recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles with concentrations ranging from 4.26 ng/g to as high as 283 ng/g. BPA levels in virgin PET beverage bottle samples are very low, either not detected or at levels close to detection limits. Flavouring chemicals (e.g. D-limonene, γ-terpinene, benzaldehyde) were also detected in the recycled PET beverage bottles. Toluene was detected in all recycled reusable water bottles at levels as high as 26,077 ng/g in addition to a few unidentified characteristic peaks. Several peaks were identified as chemicals associated with dyes (e.g. solvent orange 60, solvent red 179, disperse red 9, solvent yellow 33) used in coloured water bottles. Among the 12 pellet samples analysed, the two PET pellet samples showed comparatively low levels of detectable chemical constituents, while the other 10 pellet samples exhibited higher concentrations and a greater diversity of detected compounds. Plasticisers, such as di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) and several phthalates (e.g. di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), isomers of di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DiNP) and di-iso-decyl phthalate (DiDP), were identified in the four polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) pellet samples in addition to numerous tentatively identified and unidentified peaks. Styrene was also detected in all polystyrene (PS) pellet samples (virgin and recycled) as expected in addition to numerous tentatively identified and unidentified peaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of patulin-producing <i>Penicillium</i> isolates from decayed apples, their patulin production profiles, and the feasibility of high-purity patulin preparation.","authors":"Murat Dağ, Pınar Bozbeyoğlu, Abdulkadir Gül, Ömer Karpuz, Cemalettin Baltacı","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2717760","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2717760","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study presents a combined evaluation of patulin contamination by integrating fungal identification, assessment of toxin production, and the feasibility of obtaining high-purity patulin from biological sources. Fungal isolates recovered from naturally decayed apples collected from different agricultural environments in Türkiye were identified using MALDI-TOF MS and morphological characteristics, and were assigned to <i>Penicillium expansum</i> at a probable species level. The patulin production potential of the isolates was evaluated by inoculating them onto red, yellow, and green apple matrices under controlled laboratory conditions over an extended incubation period. Quantitative analysis using HPLC-UV, supported by LC-MS/MS confirmation, revealed substantial variability in patulin levels (7.58-49.80 mg/kg) depending on both isolate and apple matrix. Higher patulin levels were generally observed in yellow apple tissues, whereas lower levels were detected in red apples, suggesting a possible influence of matrix-related compositional factors. In addition, patulin was isolated and enriched using column chromatography with TLC-guided fractionation, yielding a high-purity compound (98.8%) with low moisture content (0.21%). Structural identity was confirmed by LC-MS/MS analysis. Overall, the findings indicate that patulin production is influenced by strain-level variability and matrix-related factors. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the feasibility of producing high-purity patulin suitable for in-house analytical applications. However, the produced material should not be considered a certified reference material, and further validation would be required for broader analytical use.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dissipation, processing factors, and dietary exposure of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam in sweet potato stems.","authors":"Dong Ju Kim, Eun Been Oh, Jee Hyo Moon, Jeong Won Choi, Hyun Ho Noh, Kee Sung Kyung","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2717749","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2717749","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Residues of two applied parent insecticides, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, in sweet potato stems (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i> L.) were investigated during field dissipation, household processing, and dietary exposure assessment. Residues were determined using a QuEChERS-LC-MS/MS method validated in raw and processed matrices. The LOQ was 0.01 mg/kg, matrix-matched calibration showed R² > 0.999, and recoveries ranged from 77.8 to 104.1%. Field dissipation followed first-order kinetics, with DT50 values of 2.5 days for imidacloprid and 1.8 days for thiamethoxam. Boiling gave the lowest processing factors (0.24 and 0.32), mainly through transfer into boiling water. Microwaving increased fresh-weight concentrations because of moisture loss, although dry-weight reduction factors remained below 1. Age-specific, commodity-specific, chronic dietary exposure estimates for sweet potato stems were low for all sample types and age groups, with %ADI values of 0-0.244% for imidacloprid and 0-0.143% for thiamethoxam. These results provide processing-factor and residue redistribution data that can support chronic dietary exposure assessment for processed sweet potato stems.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence, functional classification, and distribution of food additives in packaged foods marketed in Türkiye: a label-based assessment.","authors":"Zeynep Ece Kulaksiz Gunaydi, Gokce Cakmak Kafadar","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2718526","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2718526","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Food additives are widely used in packaged foods, yet concerns regarding cumulative exposure and potential health effects continue to grow. This study evaluated through label analysis the prevalence, functional classes, and distribution of food additives in 2,149 packaged food products marketed in Türkiye. A total of 5,826 additive use instances were identified, corresponding to a mean of 2.78 additives per product. Carbonated beverages showed the highest additive load, whereas jams, chocolates, and spreadable products exhibited the lowest. Thickeners/stabilisers and acidity regulators were the most common functional classes, followed by preservatives and antioxidants. Sodium nitrite predominated in meat products, while citric acid was the most frequently reported additive in beverages. Preservatives were most prevalent in meat products, whereas sweeteners and colourants were concentrated in carbonated beverages. These findings provide comprehensive evidence on food additive use in packaged foods in Türkiye and may support regulatory policies, food reformulation strategies, and consumer awareness initiatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occurrence of tropane alkaloids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids and mycotoxins in rooibos: a comprehensive safety assessment.","authors":"Alessandro Volkov, Ondřej Brabenec, Zbyněk Džuman, Jana Hajšlová","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2711941","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2711941","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rooibos is a naturally caffeine-free herbal tea, widely consumed in Europe and perceived as a safe drink. However, contamination by natural toxins can pose a potential food safety concern for regular consumers. This study investigated the presence of 32 pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), 16 tropane alkaloids (TAs), and 56 mycotoxins in 203 rooibos samples purchased from 18 European countries, using UHPLC-MS/MS. PAs were detected in 98% of the samples and were dominated by Senecio-type alkaloids, particularly senecionine N-oxide, senecionine, and retrorsine N-oxide. The mean and median total PA concentrations were 47 and 33 μg/kg, respectively, and all 2024 samples were below the EU maximum level of 400 μg/kg. TAs were rarely detected, with atropine present in only two samples and at low concentrations. Mycotoxin analysis revealed widespread contamination by <i>Alternaria</i> toxins, especially tenuazonic acid, detected in all samples, followed by alternariol monomethyl ether, alternariol, and tentoxin. Transfer experiments showed significant migration of PAs and <i>Alternaria</i> toxins into infusions. Preliminary exposure estimates have suggested a limited risk at mean contamination levels, although highly contaminated samples may contribute significantly to cumulative exposure to PAs. A comparison of results obtained between 2020 and 2026 suggested lower median PA contamination after implementation of the EU limit, despite sporadic exceedances.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of <i>in vitro</i> digestion and dialysability procedure for bioavailability evaluation of toxic elements in green leafy vegetables: a realistic health risk assessment by Monte Carlo simulation.","authors":"Maha Abdallah Alnuwaiser, Hala Hazam Al-Otaibi, Refaat A Eid, Shaban Ragab Ibrahim Sukkar, Nibal T Al-Dalgamony, A Al Solami, Ishraga Galal Eldin Abdalla Awad","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2713134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2713134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Green leafy vegetables (GLVs), which are vital and widely consumed worldwide, require monitoring for contaminants, including toxic elements (TEs). This study measured total concentrations (TC) and bioavailable concentrations (BC) of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) in 15 GLV types in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Then, a health risk assessment (HRA) was conducted for TEs based on their BC and TC using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The BC of TEs in GLV samples was estimated using an <i>in vitro</i> gastrointestinal digestion model combined with a dialysis step. The procedure simulated gastric and intestinal phases to reflect human digestion conditions. The TC of TEs was determined after acid digestion using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and <i>in vitro</i> dialysability was used to estimate the BC of TEs. The Maximum Permissible Limits (PLs) (mg/kg) based on FAO/WHO standards are 0.15 for As, 0.30 for Pb, 0.20 for Cd, 2.30 for Cr, and 67.9 for Ni. The results indicated that levels of As, Cd, and Pb frequently exceeded these WHO/FAO limits. Across all GLV types, the bioavailability (BAV) percentages for As, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni were 6.8-10.5, 10.2-17.7, 16.2-22.1, 14.7-19.7, and 14.5-22.3, respectively. The average BAV percentages of TEs in all GLVs were 9.0, 14.4, 16.6, 18.2, and 18.5 for As, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Ni, respectively. The hazard index (HI) based on TC was 2.25 (unacceptable risk), whereas the HI based on BC was 0.26 (acceptable risk). Total cancer risk (TCR) was significantly different between TC and BC, with values of 3.8E-03 and 7.1E-04, respectively. Even at BC levels, carcinogenic risks for Cd, Cr, and TCR were significant and unacceptable for some GLVs. Therefore, monitoring, environmental assessment, and control of pollution sources are essential to ensure the safety of GLVs consumed in Riyadh.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simultaneous determination of 589 pesticide residues in 28 categories of traditional Chinese medicines via modified QuEChERS extraction and LC-MS/MS analysis.","authors":"Yifan Wang, Dunming Xu, Dajie Chen, Sanmei Zeng, Lirong Pan, Wenxuan Yuan, Wenjie Zheng, Chao Ji, Kewei Feng, Yi Zhang, Yuan Wu, Tianli Yue, Yahong Yuan","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2711384","DOIUrl":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2711384","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are globally utilised, with approximately 80% of the world's population relying on herbal medicines for healthcare. The rapid growth of the TCM industry has raised significant concerns regarding pesticide residues, which pose risks to product quality and public health. Current monitoring is insufficient, and divergent international regulations challenge safety assurance and trade. This study aimed to develop and validate a multi-residue method for detecting 589 pesticides in multi-matrix TCMs using QuEChERS sample preparation coupled with LC-MS/MS. Twenty-eight TCMs, categorised into five groups (radix/rhizome, fructus, flos, folium/cortex, herba), were analysed. Samples were extracted with acidified acetonitrile and cleaned up with a composite sorbent (PSA/C₁₈/GCB/MgSO₄/SiO₂). Analysis employed a C₁₈ column and dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (DMRM). The method demonstrated excellent linearity (<i>R²</i> > 0.999) from 1-50 ng/g. The method detection limits (MDLs) and quantification limits (MQLs) were 0.003-0.004 mg/kg and 0.01 mg/kg, respectively. Average recoveries ranged from 60% to 121% with RSDs ≤ 20.0%. Application to 120 commercial batches revealed 98 pesticides, with farmland-grown root/rhizome TCMs showing the highest levels (e.g. diphenylamine at 317 μg/kg). The validated method establishes a robust high-throughput platform for global regulatory monitoring. By addressing the extreme chemical diversity of food-medicine plants, this study provides a standardised solution for ensuring the safety and international trade compliance of TCMs in the global functional food market.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rapid determination of potential mycotoxin-producing fungi contamination in post-harvest blueberries based on near infra-red spectroscopy and enhanced prototypical network.","authors":"Leqing Zhu, Weijie Xia, Lin Xie, Xiangyang Wang, Shuang Gu","doi":"10.1080/19440049.2026.2711948","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2711948","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Blueberries are susceptible to fungal infection that may lead to mycotoxin contamination. Accurate identification of mycotoxin-producing fungi in blueberries is critical, as processed products derived from mould-contaminated fruits pose significant health risks due to the persistence of mycotoxins. However, classifying fungal diseases in blueberries remains challenging because infections beneath the dark-coloured epidermis are often visually undetectable. Near-infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy presents a promising alternative, as it exhibits distinct absorption characteristics for different fungal pathogens and enables non-contact measurement. This study investigates the use of NIR spectra to classify diseases caused by three mycotoxin-producing fungi: <i>Alternaria alternata</i>, <i>Fusarium fujikuroi</i>, and <i>Penicillium expansum</i>. Blueberry samples were individually inoculated with one of these pathogens or maintained as non-inoculated controls. NIR spectra collected from fruits across two independent harvests were analysed 1-6 days post-inoculation. To address the classification challenge with limited data, this study proposes an enhanced prototypical network to classify blueberry fungal infections, training on the first harvest and validating on the second harvest. A customised convolutional neural network with spatial attention improves feature extraction, while data normalisation and MetaMix augmentation enhance model performance. Through stratified cross-validation, the five-class classifier with 18-shot prototypes achieved an average accuracy of 97.9%, sensitivity of 97.9%, specificity of 99.5%, precision of 98.1% and F1-score of 97.9%. These findings highlight the potential of NIR spectroscopy combined with prototype-based learning for early detection of mycotoxin risks in blueberries.</p>","PeriodicalId":520628,"journal":{"name":"Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148665594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}