The Safety of Ethnic Foods in Campania Region: A Preliminary Study

Ethnic food is produced by an ethnic group-using their familiarity with local ingredients of plants and/or animal origin-and it is consumed in a country other than the country of origin. In Italy, the ethnic food market has expanded over the last three decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Foods 2023-03, Vol.12 (6), p.1244
Main Authors: Biondi, Loredana, Fulgione, Andrea, De Lella, Assunta, Cutarelli, Anna, Nappa, Morena, Garofalo, Francesca, Cavallo, Stefania, Nava, Donatella
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allergens
Bacillus cereus
Bacteria
Coagulase
Coliforms
Consumer behavior
Consumers
Descriptive labeling
E coli
Escherichia coli
Ethnic food
Ethnic foods
Failure analysis
Familiarity
Food allergies
food labeling
Food safety
Food science
Hygiene
Immigration
Inspection
International regulations
Labeling
Labels
Life sciences
Listeria monocytogenes
Minority & ethnic groups
Mitochondrial DNA
Pathogens
Proteins
Safety and security measures
Salmonella
Staphylococcus
Traditional foods
Yeasts
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Summary:Ethnic food is produced by an ethnic group-using their familiarity with local ingredients of plants and/or animal origin-and it is consumed in a country other than the country of origin. In Italy, the ethnic food market has expanded over the last three decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correct labeling, the microbiological communities and the allergens present in 50 ethnic foods. The visual inspection of labels and microbiological and allergen analyses have been carried out for evaluating their food safety. The visual inspection of labels revealed the absence of labeling in Italian and/or a failure to specify the place of origin. Microbiological analyses showed the absence of pathogens (i.e., spp., and 0157:H7) in all matrices, but the presence of process hygiene indicator bacteria (total bacterial count, Coagulase-positive Staphylococci, , coliforms, yeasts and molds) was found in 37 samples. With regard to allergens, 12 samples were non-compliant for the presence of at least one allergen, while only two products were of species different from those declared on the label. This research highlights the need to increase the control of ethnic foods and also to improve the labeling system by standardizing international regulations.
ISSN:2304-8158
2304-8158
DOI:10.3390/foods12061244