Almost all the glues currently used in electronics and other consumer products are petroleum-derived, permanent and often toxic.
A group of Purdue University scientists have taken inspiration from the kitchen and the ocean to create strong glues. The team’s work is published in the Oct. 8 edition of Advanced Sustainable Systems.
Almost all the glues used in electronics and other consumer products are petroleum-derived, permanent and often toxic, said Gudrun Schmidt, an associate professor of practice in Purdue’s College of Science. The Purdue team chose compounds in foods, like nuts, fruits and plants, all of which might have similar chemistry to the adhesives seen in shellfish that stick to rocks.
“Adhesives are used in almost every consumer product that we touch each day,” said Schmidt, who helped lead the research team. “We would love to leave this planet a better place for the future generations. It turns out creating new adhesives is one way that we will get there.”
The team included Jonathan Wilker, a Purdue professor of chemistry and materials engineering, who studies mussels and oysters to create adhesives based on how those shellfish stick to rocks.
The Purdue University team chose compounds in foods, like plants, nuts and fruits, all of which might have similar chemistry to the adhesives seen in shellfish that stick to rocks. “We have created high-performance, tunable adhesives that are nontoxic and degradable,” Schmidt said. “We found that some combinations of zein protein and tannic acid could be reacted together in order to generate high-performance adhesives that could be alternatives to carcinogenic formaldehyde used in the glues that hold lots of furniture and other household items together. It would be a big health benefit if we could switch over to bio-based or even food-based adhesives.”
Schmidt said other potential applications for the adhesives include cardboard packaging, cosmetics and construction materials like plywood.
The researchers have worked on patenting their technologies with the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. Ongoing efforts include potential development of a startup company based upon these new adhesives. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org and reference track code 2017”WILK”67873.
Animal-meat expected to grow at 0.9%.
In the next decade our eating habits will undergo profound change. The development of plant-based foods, gene editing, and food personalization will disrupt the whole food value chain. In its first Q-Series report, UBS analyzes the fast-growing plant-based meat (“PBM”) industry and forecast its impact on the $1.2 trillion animal meat market and value chain.
To frame the implications and size the market opportunity, UBS uses its Evidence Lab survey of 3,000+ consumers and 50 restaurant franchisees, reviews of 20+ million social media interactions, and interviews with 20+ protein scientists/supply chain experts. From that, it forecasts the global PBM market to reach about $50 billion by 2025, or 2.5% penetration of total meat consumption volume (about 4% on a USD value basis), from sub-1% today.
UBS Evidence Lab survey data show consumer PBM use is low in developed markets, but rising fast, with consumer burger trialling at just 8% in the US and mid-20% in the UK and Germany. Survey data show 73% of interested buyers rank "taste curiosity" as their top reason to try PBM, whereas loyalists cite health perceptions and environmental concerns. To convert non-PBM users, respondents suggest food producers improve taste and affordability to drive adoption. In the restaurant franchisee survey, we learn PBM is attracting incremental traffic, boosting sales and yielding a high 20% QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) repeat purchase.
UBS introduced an interactive model to forecast global plant-based meat demand. Based on primary data sources and collaboration with UBS analysts across four geographical regions, its base case models global PBM volume consumption to grow at a +31% CAGR through 2025 vs. an animal-meat CAGR of 0.9%. The speed at which consumers trial and repeat or exit the PBM category carries implications for food producers, chemical and ag processors, restaurants, and grocers. We view Food & Restaurants as having the best exposure, while upstream industries are mixed. In food, PBM brings a growing profit pool to pure-plays and food producers. In restaurants, PBM is boosting traffic and sales comparisons.
For access to the full report, visit UBS.
FDA does not have enough traceback information to identify the specific source of contamination or request a targeted recall from specific growers.
In its latest update on the continuing investigation of E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine, FDA reiterated that epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback evidence indicates that romaine lettuce from the Salinas, Calif., growing region is a likely source of this outbreak. However, the update stated that FDA does not currently have enough traceback information to identify the specific source of the contamination that would allow us to request a targeted recall from specific growers.
Because of this, FDA is continuing to recommend that consumers not eat romaine lettuce harvested from Salinas or any products identified in the November 21 USDA recall announcement; restaurants and retailers not serve or sell romaine harvested from Salinas or that for which the source is not known; suppliers, distributors and others in the supply chain not ship or sell romaine harvested in Salinas or from an unknown source. The Salinas region is defined as including the California counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey.
FDA also requested that industry voluntarily withdraw romaine grown in Salinas from the market and withhold distribution of Salinas romaine for the remainder of the growing season in Salinas. “Without more specific traceback information, this was the most efficient way to ensure that contaminated romaine was off the market,” the update said.
According to CDC, there have been 102 cases reported in 23 states. The latest date that one of these patients reports becoming ill was on November 18, 2019. Due to
At this time, romaine lettuce that was harvested outside of the Salinas region has not been implicated, nor has hydroponically and greenhouse-grown romaine, which is voluntarily labeled as “indoor grown,” from any region. There is no recommendation for consumers to avoid using romaine harvested from these other sources.
The FDA and state partners are continuing to conduct a traceback investigation to determine whether a common supplier or source of contamination can be identified. This investigation involves collecting and analyzing potentially hundreds of distribution records to trace the romaine that may have been available at points of exposure reported by ill people to their source.
Read the full update at FDA.gov.
FDA publishes long-delayed rule detailing the use of laboratory oversight for food testing.
An unpublished provision of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was addressed in early November with FDA’s publication of the proposed rule, Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods, which details the use of laboratory oversight for food testing.
“The proposed rule takes important strides to ensure that laboratories demonstrate their competency in testing food,” said Food Laboratory Alliance Director Robin Stombler. “Demonstrating appropriate validation methods, passing proficiency testing, and complying with the international standard ISO 17025:2017 are essential elements with which all food testing laboratories should adapt.”
Laboratories would be required to conduct proficiency testing at least once per year which LGC PT Operations for North America Director Heather Jordan said “will help improve the functioning of the laboratory and ensure the delivery of accurate results.”
Electronic or written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted through March 3, 2020. For more information, see the rule’s instructions, which follow the Summary, in the Federal Register.
SGS report compares pesticide monitoring in EU and U.S.
A new report from SGS compares pesticide monitoring in the United States and European Union. The analysis is based on the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), and the US’s FDA Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report and Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) Annual Report on Foodborne Illness Source Attribution Estimates.
European Union. The RASFF reports that there 2018 there were 3,699 notifications, which resulted in 1,118 alerts in the EU in 2018. There were 979 notifications for pathogenic micro-organisms, 655 notifications for mycotoxins and 276 notifications for pesticide residues.
Other major notifications in order were composition (224), allergens (207), poor & insufficient controls (179), foreign bodies (168) and food additives & flavorings (142).
A few of these notifications came from governments of non-member countries, for example an alert from Chile of 112.63 ppb oxytetracycline in frozen Atlantic salmon fillets exported to Germany, which notified Denmark where the receipt of the consignment was located.
For pathogenic micro-organisms, Salmonella is still the most frequently reported pathogen, with poultry meat and poultry meat products being the top notification because of the food safety criteria for the absence of Salmonella Typhimurium and Enteritidis in fresh poultry meat. Sesame seeds are another product reported with major Salmonella issues. Listeria monocytogenes is the second most notified pathogenic source, which is primarily found on food of animal origin but a major outbreak involving frozen corn indicates that there are other sources that must be considered. In Europe norovirus was number three, with most of this from French oysters but some six notifications were for various berries. Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) is fourth with most of these notifications occurring in non-treated meat products and cheeses.
Mycotoxin compliance is primarily an issue of non-member countries. The major issue is Aflatoxin occurring in nuts, nut products, seeds and dried figs. Ochratoxin A is the next mycotoxin, with issues occurring in raisins and dried figs.
For pesticides, this is primarily an issue of non-member countries. Fruit and vegetables are still the primary concern for failed pesticide residue compliance, followed by cocoa and cocoa preparations, coffee and tea.
United States. The IFSAC report of 2017 analyzes the data of outbreaks from 1998 to 2017 to assess which categories of food were most responsible for four specific pathogens:
The US government estimates, annually, 9 million people become ill, 56,000 are hospitalized and 1,300 people die from foodborne diseases. For Salmonella, 75.3% of the illnesses can be attributed to seeded vegetables such as tomatoes, chicken, fruits, pork, eggs, other produce and beef. For E. coli 72.15% of the illnesses are from vegetable row crops such as leafy vegetables and beef. For Listeria monocytogenes 77.7% is from dairy products and fruits. For Campylobacter, when excluding unpasteurized milk, 78.9% of the illnesses are attributed to chicken, seafood, turkey and other meat and poultry.
The US FDA 2017 pesticide monitoring program report views pesticides as those products domestically produced and those products imported. There are six major categories grains, dairy/eggs, fish/shellfish (only imported), fruits, vegetables and others. Samples are recorded as with no residues, with residues, no violations and in violation.
Domestic results in violation are:
The ‘Other’ group is largely comprised of cashew nuts, seeds, condiments/dressings, olive oil, refined oil, honey, beverages, spices, multi-ingredient products, tea and dietary supplements.
Imported items that may require special attention per the 2016 and 2017 annual report are onions, leeks, scallions, shallots, papaya, peas, hot peppers, prickly pears, rice (excluding powder and snacks), spinach and snap (string) beans. Imported items that may require special attention criteria, in 2017 meant commodities with at least 20 samples analyzed or with a minimum of 4 violations and a violation rate of 10% or higher.
There was a special sampling of 119 samples of corn, soybean, milk and eggs for glyphosate for which 70.6% of the samples were without residues, no residue was found in milk and eggs. Also, no sample was found in violation.
Comparison of the Top Ten pesticide residues found in the EU versus US.
Chlorpyrifos, which was the top residue found in the EU testing and seventh residue found for the US, is in the process of being banned in the State of Hawaii, awaits the governor’s signature to be banned in New York state, will no longer be sold in California as of February 6, 2020, and growers there will no longer be permitted to possess or use this product after December 31, 2020. Additionally, the Natural Resources Defense Council has ongoing ligation against the current administration for refusal to ban this residue use on food crops. A similar situation is taking place in the EU as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessment that identifies human health effects and the approval period for chlorpyrifos expires January 2020.
Salmonella tops both the EU and US pathogenic organism list. In the US, about 4.3% of import refusals from January 2014 to September 2019 are related to Salmonella as fully or part of the refusal.