Journal of Food Quality and Hazards Control

1

Authors: Ahmed M. Alzohairy, PhD

I would like to draw your attention to “Marrara syndrome”, a food borne parasitic infection induced by Lingutula serrata. As we know, the name of Marrara syndrome is originated from Marrara, a popular meal in Sudan prepared form raw liver and lung of sheep or goat. High infection rate of L. serrata in human population of some areas of Sudan is attributed to the consumption of this meal. According to the current scientific database, L. serrata is more prevalent in some African and Asian countries such as Sudan, Lebanon and Iran compared with the other areas of the world. Moreover, consumption of raw or undercooked edible offal is a common habit in some parts of these regions. So, populations of these countries are at relatively high risk of infection. Molecular techniques are the best ways to study this issue. Since molecular epidemiology of L. serrata is still unknown, the reasons for such high prevalence in domestic animals and consequent food of animal origin are not clear yet. On the other hand, it is not still known if the isolated nymphs pertaining to edible offal of different hosts are exactly the same or not. So, it seems that the first step to achieve more scientific information about this question is to study more about molecular epidemiology of the nymphs isolated from edible liver or lung of animals. Therefore, since the L. serrata is a problematic hazard in some African and Asian countries, native researchers should study more about molecular analysis of this food borne parasite.

3

Authors: G. Eslami (PhD) 1, A. Zohourtabar 2* (MSc), S.R. Mehrizi 3 (DVM)

Introduction: The main agents of sarcocystosis in cattle as an intermediate host include S. cruzi, S. hominis and S. hirsuta. A sensitive and specific tool such as molecular-based techniques would be necessary to identify the species. Case report: After collection of beef sample from Yazd slaughterhouse, DNA extraction was done with salting out method. The 18SrRNA gene as a specific target gene was used for molecular detection of Sarcocystis spp, then Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphysm (RFLP) analysis identified the speciesusing Rsa and Bfa. Results showed that our designed molecular method could identify S. hirsuta in beef sample. Conclusion: Based on our knowledge, this study indicates the first report of molecular identification of S. hirsuta in Iran.

4

Authors: I. Salehi 1 (PhD), M. Ghiasi 2 (MSc), A. Rahmani 3 (PhD), M. Nouri Sepehr 4 (PhD), M. Kiamanesh 5 (BSc),

Introduction: The increasing of population and limited drinking water resources has enhanced the necessity of using bottled water. Many people are now using bottled water because they believe it is a healthful alternative beverage to soft drinks or other bottled beverages. Therefore, the bottled water industry has grown immensely during the past decades. This descriptive cross-sectional study has investigated the quality of bottled water in market and factories of Hamadan province, Iran. Materials and methods: In total, 33 bottled water samples produced in the Hamadan province of Iran, were randomly collected in 2012. The evaluated parameters were nitrate, nitrite, turbidity, Na+, K+, pH, total coliforms and fecal coliforms. The data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: All the samples meet standard regulations of national standards of Iran and the WHO guidelines. None of the samples, had coliforms or fecal coliforms. The mean values of nitrate, nitrite, turbidity, Na+, K+ and pH parameters were 8.34 mg/l, 0.024 mg/l, 0.38 NTU, 9.36 mg/l, 0.36 mg/l and 8.34, respectively. Conclusion: We found that all measured parameters of bottled water in Hamadan province were within acceptable rang of the national and international standards, and consuming this kind of drinking water would not present any risk to the consumers' health.

6

Authors: B. Hajimohammadi 1 (PhD), A. Dehghani 2 (PhD), M. Moghadam Ahmadi 1 (MSc), G. Eslami 3* (PhD),

Introduction: Hamburger is a popular type of fast foods consumed all over the world. Sarcocystis spp. is a zoonotic parasitic pathogen which endangers safety of meat and meat products. The present study describes the prevalence rate of Sarcocystis spp. in hamburgers in Yazd, Iran using PCR-RFLP. Materials and methods: Raw hamburger samples (100 traditional and 90 industrial) from central region of Iran, Yazd were randomly selected. The genomic DNA was extracted using salting out method. Detection and identification of Sarcocystis isolates was performed using PCR-RFLP. Results: The results showed that 77.9% of all tested hamburger samples were infected with Sarcocystis spp. The infection rate in the traditional hamburger (87%) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than the industrial ones (67.8%). The rate of S. cruzi, S. hirsuta and S. hominis in the traditional hamburger samples, was 39%, 61% and 54% respectively; while the rate of S. cruzi, S. hirsuta and S. hominis in the industrial hamburgers was 67.8%, 58.9% and 57.8%. S. cruzi, respectively. The rate was significantly (p<0.05) higher in industrial hamburgers than in the traditional ones. No statistical association was found between percentage of meat content and the rate of contamination in the industrial hamburger (p>0.05). Conclusion: Having zoonotic significance, considerable infestation rate of S. hominis seems to be high in hamburgers of this region of Iran. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first of its own kind carried out in hamburger samples in Iran.