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PubMed2025

Spatial Metabolomics Reveals the Role of Penicillic Acid in Cheese Rind Microbiome Disruption by a Spoilage Fungus.

Microbial interactions in cheese rinds influence community structure, food safety, and product quality. But the chemical mechanisms that mediate microbial interactions in cheeses and other fermented foods are generally not known. Here, we investigate how the spoilage mold Aspergillus westerdijkiae chemically inhibits beneficial cheese-rind bacteria using a combination of omics technologies. In cheese rind community and co-culture experiments, A. westerdijkiae strongly inhibited most cheese rind community members. In co-culture with Staphylococcus equorum, A. westerdijkiae strongly affected bacterial gene expression, including upregulation of a putative bceAB gene cluster that is associated with resistance to antimicrobial compounds in other bacteria. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) revealed spatially localized production of secondary metabolites, including penicillic acid and ochratoxin B at the fungal-bacterial interface. Integration of LC-MS/MS and genome annotations confirmed the presence of additional bioactive metabolites, such as notoamides and circumdatins. Fungal metabolic responses varied by bacterial partner, suggesting species-specific chemical strategies. Notably, penicillic acid levels increased 2.5-fold during interaction with Brachybacterium, and experiments with purified penicillic acid showed inhibition of a range of cheese rind bacteria. These findings show that A. westerdijkiae deploys a context-dependent arsenal of mycotoxins and other metabolites, disrupting microbial community assembly in cheese rinds.

Aspergillus westerdijkiae↗

PubMed2026

Gastrointestinal digestion governs insect protein hydrolysis and predicted bioactive peptide release: Species-dependent implications for functional food applications.

This study investigates the digestion of insect proteins and the release of predicted bioactive peptides during human gastrointestinal digestion. Using the Infogest in vitro model, mealworm, cricket, and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) proteins were digested and analyzed through discovery proteomics and bioinformatics to identify predicted bioactive peptides. Sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectra (SWATH-MS) quantified insect proteins including predicted bioactive peptide precursor proteins, the precursors of predicted bioactive peptides. Results indicated that gastrointestinal digestion strongly influences peptide release, with the gastric phase exhibiting a richer predicted bioactive peptide profile than the small intestinal phase. Many predicted bioactive peptides were rapidly hydrolysed under small intestine conditions, which may lead to reduced stability or diminished activity in vivo, potentially explaining why certain peptides show strong bioactivity in vitro but limited effects in vivo. Additionally, predicted bioactive peptide release varied by insect species, influenced by genetic factors and peptide abundance. These findings highlight the importance of species selection and consideration of proteolytic digestion patterns in optimizing insect-derived bioactive peptides for functional foods and nutraceutical applications.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Effect of anorexic drugs on food intake and the micro-structure of eating in human subjects.

Human volunteer subjects of normal weight received oral doses of (+)amphetamine (10 mg) or (+/-)fenfluramine (30 mg and 60 mg) together with a placebo control according to a within-subjects design. The effects of these treatments were monitored by measuring food intake in a test meal, subjective ratings of hunger motivation and the micro-structure of eating behaviour abstracted from videotaped recordings of the test meal. Various measures of the rate of feeding were computed from these recordings. Amphetamine and fenfluramine (60 mg) showed generally similar effects on food intake and on the subjective experience of hunger, but displayed differing actions on the fine structure of eating. Amphetamine increased latency to initiation of eating and increased the rate of food ingestion, whilst fenfluramine slowed the local rate of eating and eliminated the characteristic decline in the rate of feeding across the course of a meal. These findings display certain resemblance to the results of animal experiments involving similar pharmacological manipulations and emphasise the importance of measuring rate of feeding in animal and human studies. The results of this study suggest that the micro-analysis of feeding behaviour not only provides a tool for understanding systems involved in the modulation of food consumption but also reveals information which may be helpful for the use of drugs in the treatment of obesity.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

[Chromosomal structure or porcine lymphocytes effected by food additives].

Different concentrations of food additives were introduced in cultures of pig lymphocytes. No special chromosomal damage were induced by anticoccidians. On the contrary some antibiotics caused chromosomic anomalies. Chloramphenicol and furazolidone assayed in vitro and in vivo had also an antimitotic effect. The purpose of this work was to know the cytotoxic effect of some substances: a preliminary and cheap test could be a cytogenetic examination in vitro.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Human and macaque mastication: a quantitative study.

Significant differences exist between human and Macaca fascicularis patterns of mandibular movement during mastication. Macaque patterns display less asymmetry, more uniformity, and limited lateral excursions when compared to humans for mastication of the same food. Different anatomical structures between the two species offer explanations of the different patterns that were observed. Researchers should use caution when using macaques as models for human mastication.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

A systematic review of qualitative research on HIV and food insecurity in high-income countries.

OBJECTIVES: Food insecurity leads to adverse health outcomes in people living with HIV, including obesity, poor mental health and viral non-suppression. Qualitative studies in low- and middle-income countries have described the impact of food insecurity on medication adherence. However, limited qualitative research exists on the lived experiences of food insecurity among people living with HIV in high-income countries (HICs). We aimed to synthesize qualitative literature on food insecurity among people living with HIV in HICs. DESIGN: Systematic review and textual narrative synthesis. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, and PsycINFO, extracting data from included articles on a standardized form in Covidence. We synthesized literature using a textual narrative approach. We conducted quality appraisal (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Studies Checklist) and graded certainty of findings (GRADE-CERQual). RESULTS: We reviewed 2772 articles, reduced to 940 after deduplication, with 12 articles included after full text screening. Included articles reported on studies conducted in the United States ( n  = 7), and Canada ( n  = 5). We identified three key themes, each with their own sub-themes: the role of structural inequalities in shaping and navigating food insecurity; the impacts of food insecurity on health and wellbeing; and the labour of acquiring of food. CONCLUSIONS: Our review highlights the syndemic nature of food insecurity and HIV; intersecting experiences of multiple structural hardships constellate and interact synergistically to amplify poor health outcomes. Interventions should address the multiple and reinforcing social and structural conditions that shape food insecurity among people living with HIV.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Genomic structure of class 1 and 2 integrons in non-typhoidal Salmonella isolated from food animals and related meat products in the USA.

OBJECTIVES: Integrons facilitate the capture and expression of exogenous genes, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. This study aimed to detect the presence of integrons, examine their genomic structure and location, and analyse integron-associated AMR, virulence and stress response genes in Salmonella using WGS. METHODS: WGS data from 193 Salmonella strains, representing 38 serotypes isolated from food animals and related meat products (2001-2019), were analysed using bioinformatic tools to assess integron presence and characterize their genomic architectures. RESULTS: Of 193 isolates, 116 (60.1%) harboured class 1 and/or class 2 integrons. Class 1 integrons alone were detected in 105 isolates, with some containing multiple copies. One S. Infantis isolate harboured only class 2 integrons, whereas 10 others contained both classes. No class 3-5 integrons were found. Twenty-seven class 1 integrons were chromosomal; the rest were plasmid-associated, linked to various plasmid incompatibility (Inc) types. Sixty-nine distinct AMR genes conferring resistance to 11 antimicrobial classes were found in integron cassettes or integron-associated plasmids. Genes linked to resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds and heavy metals, as well as ISs and transposons, were also identified. Significant virulence and stress response genes and proteins such as groES-groEL, LysR and EAL (glutamate, alanine and leucine) were common in integron cassettes. CONCLUSIONS: Class 1 integrons are prevalent in MDR Salmonella isolates from food animals and related meat products and are linked to diverse plasmid types. Their association with AMR, virulence and stress response genes underscores their role in AMR dissemination, and bacterial adaptation and pathogenicity.

Integrons↗

PubMed2026

Impacts of climate-driven yield changes on the affordability of healthy diets: a modelling study.

BACKGROUND: Food security is central to global nutrition improvement and public health goals, and healthy diets represent a higher-level aspiration beyond merely avoiding hunger. Climate change poses an increasing threat to food systems by affecting crop yields and food prices. Although climate change-driven risks to hunger have been widely studied, the extent to which climate change undermines the affordability of healthy diets while accounting for socioeconomic responses and regional inequalities remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to quantify the effects of climate change on the future affordability of healthy diets under alternative socioeconomic and climate scenarios. METHODS: We developed an integrated modelling framework that explicitly couples multimodel crop-yield projections with an integrated assessment model (Global Change Analysis Model [GCAM]). Yield responses from six global gridded crop models driven by four climate models were integrated into GCAM, allowing endogenous socioeconomic adjustments such as land-use shifts, production reallocation, and price responses to emerge under shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). Diet affordability was then assessed using the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN's Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet framework across three socioeconomic-climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP3-6.0). FINDINGS: Under a high-emissions pathway (ie, SSP3-6.0), climate change was projected to render healthy diets unaffordable for a model-mean of 119 million people globally by 2100, even when CO2 fertilisation effects are included, with the upper end of the model ensemble reaching about 1·6 billion people. In contrast, climate-induced affordability losses were found to be negligible under both a low-emissions pathway (ie, SSP1-2.6; -0·3 million) and a medium-emission pathway (SSP2-4.5; +0·2 million). Under a high-emission pathway, model-mean projections indicated that diet costs could increase by up to 12% in the most affected regions by the end of the century. Under medium emissions, cost increases were projected to remain below 4%, whereas under low emissions, affordability changes were projected to be minimum across regions (within approximately 0·5%). Substantial regional disparities emerged, with the largest and most consistent affordability losses concentrated in low-income regions that contributed least to historical greenhouse gas emissions. Under SSP3-6.0, these disparities persisted particularly in regions of Africa and Asia despite projected three-to-five-fold increases in income over the century, with climate-induced disruptions to food systems increasing the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet through mid-century. INTERPRETATION: Climate change is likely to exacerbate global nutritional inequalities by disproportionately increasing the affordability risks of healthy diets in regions that have contributed least to historical greenhouse gas emissions. Under high-warming scenarios, socioeconomic development alone is insufficient to fully offset these risks, highlighting the structural vulnerability of low-income food systems to climate-driven price shocks. These findings suggest that in the absence of targeted interventions, climate change could continue to undermine progress towards equitable and health-oriented nutrition outcomes. FUNDING: Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China; National Natural Science Foundation of China; National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Institute for Space Studies Climate Impacts Group; Future of Life Institute; and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1979

Mangabey(Cercocebus albigena). Social organization and population density in relation to food use and availability.

Data are presented on the feeding behavior and activities of mangabeys (Cercocebus albigena) in the Ngogo study area, Kibale Forest, Uganda. Mangabeys spend 47% of activity observations feeding, 27% moving, and the remainder of the activity observations is accounted for by grooming, playing, vocalizing, copulating, etc. Feeding on fruit constitutes 58% of feeding records, arthropods 25%, young leaves and flowers 10%, cambium 5% and rare and unidentified items 2%. 29 tree species are used as sources of vegetable food and 31 tree species are used as substrate for arthropod search. Mangabeys move an average distance of 1,299 m per day, and use an average of 28,50 X 50 m quadrats per day. The activity patterns, the types and number of food species, the daily distances traveled, and the number of quadrats used per day, are not significantly different from those found in the literature for mangabeys in the Kanyawara research area, Kibale Forest, Uganda. Mangabey population density in Ngogo is approximately 1.46 times that of the Kanyawara mangabeys. The difference in density is associated with Ngogo exhibiting a greater mangabey food tree density than is found at Kanyawara. The higher mangabey density in Ngogo is associated with an average group size similar to that at Kanyawara, and an increase in the number of groups per unit area. The greater number of groups is accommodated by the mangabey having smaller home ranges, and less home range overlap than do the Kanyawara mangabeys. I suggest that these results are compatible with an interpretation based on disease control via regulation of group size, and social and spatial isolation between groups. The role of food availability in regulation of group size, or determining land tenure systems remains uncertain.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Structural properties of short-chain carboxylic acids and alcohols relate to the molecular and physiological response of Salmonella enterica in an acidic environment.

Short-chain carboxylic acids (SCCA) and short-chain alcohols (SCALC) are naturally occurring antimicrobials that contribute to the biopreservation of food fermentations. This study investigated the effect of structurally different SCCA/SCALC with two-carbon (acetic acid; phenylacetic acid; 2-phenylethanol), three-carbon (propionic acid; 3-phenylpropionic acid; 3-phenylpropanol), and three-carbon chain with an additional hydroxyl group (lactic acid; 3-phenyllactic acid; 1-phenylpropanol) on the fitness, metabolic activity and gene expression of the pathogen Salmonella enterica at pH 4.5. SCCA inhibited Salmonella at lower concentrations than SCALC with the exception of lactic acid, which was partly consumed. The presence of a phenyl group enhanced antimicrobial activity. SCCA but not SCALC increased the lag phase of S. enterica, and in general, acetate was formed when cell growth was reduced by 20% suggesting a negative impact on bacteria fitness. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering indicated distinct gene expression profiles of S. enterica in response to SCCA or SCALC. In the presence of certain SCCA/SCALC, Salmonella activated pathways related to cellular pH control, and 1,2-propanediol, propionic acid and ethanolamine metabolism that involved the formation of metabolosomes. Genes related to flagellar assembly were less expressed and mobility was lower in the presence of lactic and 3-phenyllactic acid compared to controls suggesting a compound-specific response. KEY POINTS: • Differences in response among structurally different SCCA/SCALC at acidic condition. • SCCA/SCALC stress interfered with cell growth and metabolism of acetic and propionic acid. • Lactic acid prolonged the lag phase and reduced motility of Salmonella.

Salmonella enterica↗

PubMed2026

The agroenvironmental-clinical link of Proteus mirabilis: Genomic epidemiology, clonal relationships, and shared resistance and virulence profiles.

Proteus mirabilis is an opportunistic pathogen frequently associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs), with its pathogenicity driven by coordinated virulence traits such as adhesion, biofilm formation, and toxin production. The systemic emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within this species raises critical concerns regarding its persistence across clinical and environmental niches. This study investigated the virulence profiles, AMR determinants, and molecular epidemiology of P. mirabilis isolates recovered from retail vegetables and human community-acquired UTIs (CA-UTIs) in southern Brazil. A total of 310 isolates were analyzed (110 from vegetables and 200 from UTIs). Multidrug resistance was observed in 36.6-42.0% of vegetable isolates and 16.0% of UTI isolates, while extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production reached 32.0% in the vegetable group. Notably, the carbapenemase gene blaKPC-2 was identified in vegetable isolates, representing a critical food safety concern. High-consequence resistance genes, including blaCTX-M variants, fosA3, and qnrD, were widely distributed. Furthermore, all isolates harbored multi-element virulence profiles-particularly genes encoding fimbriae, proteases, and iron acquisition systems-and exhibited strong or very strong biofilm-forming phenotypes. Clonal analysis revealed tight genetic relatedness between vegetable and clinical isolates, including indistinguishable profiles. Whole-genome sequencing identified shared sequence types (STs), most notably the high-risk clone ST773, alongside internationally reported lineages such as ST135 and ST336. Moreover, conserved mobile genetic environments flanking blaKPC-2 were structurally characterized. These findings demonstrate that food-associated P. mirabilis serves as an active agroenvironmental reservoir for virulent and multidrug-resistant lineages, posing an unmonitored risk for zoonotic dissemination and human infection within the One Health framework.

bla KPC−2↗

PubMed2026

AI-driven snapshot hyperspectral imaging for on-line sorting systems in food industry: From real-time sensing to intelligent decision-making.

High-throughput food sorting requires rapid, non-destructive detection of external defects, foreign materials, and internal quality attributes in heterogeneous food matrices. Conventional scanning hyperspectral imaging may suffer from motion-induced spatial-spectral mismatches, whereas snapshot hyperspectral imaging (S-HSI) captures spectral images within a single integration time. However, its advantage is limited by trade-offs in resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), reconstruction uncertainty, and calibration stability, which are further amplified by variable tissue structure, surface reflection, moisture, and fat distribution in foods. This review critically examines artificial intelligence (AI)-driven S-HSI for on-line food sorting within a sensing-representation-decision-execution framework. Compact architectures are compared according to their physical constraints, food-sorting suitability, and ability to support mapping between spectral responses and physicochemical quality attributes. AI strategies are reviewed for spectral reconstruction, image restoration, spatial-spectral representation, band selection, uncertainty-aware decision-making, and edge implementation. AI can partially compensate for snapshot-specific limitations, but current evidence remains largely limited to laboratory or prototype studies. Future work should link system performance to food safety and quality outcomes by reporting throughput, decision latency, calibration drift, missed-detection risk, false-rejection cost, and closed-loop sorting success.

Hyperspectral Imaging↗

PubMed1976

The ultrastructure of Gymnosphaera albida Sassaki, a marine axopodiate protozoon.

Gymnosphaera albida has been found on the sponge Sycon ciliatum in the Menai Straits, North Wales, during the months of May to December. It commonly adopts a sedentary mode of life when cultured, settling with its body in contact with the substratum and its axopodia radiating upwards and outwards all round. At times it floats freely. When sessile it can displace itself, but not by rolling. It is a voracious carnivore. The largest seen had a body size of 510 mum X 320 mum. The body of Gymnosphaera is divided into three zones: a central medulla, a cortex and a superficial reticulated pseudopodial layer. The medulla is finely vacuolated and contains an axoplast at its centre. The cortical cytoplasm contains many nuclei, Golgi bodies, polysomes, mitochondria, osmiophilic globules, lipoid spherules and vacuoles of various kinds, but no zooxanthellae. The superficial reticulated pseuopodial layer contains osmiophilic globules and occasional mitochondria. Axonemes radiate from the axoplast to the axopodia, along which osmiophilic globules are generally in motion. In between the cortex and the reticulated pseudopodial layer there is a narrow, extracytoplasmic capsular wall (Sassaki's line), consisting of a microfibrillar coagulum. The wall is a labile structure, perforating locally to allow the passage of food vacuoles or faeces and vanishing completely in certain conditions. It is evaginated to form a sleeve around the base of each axopodium. The cortex is completely penetrated by a system of clefts, the lumen of which opens here and there into the space containing the capsular wall. The clefts are distinct from the endoplasmic reticulum, cisternae of which are commonly found near the surface of the cytoplasmic tracts. Some of the cortical vacuoles contain organic refractive crystals. The crystals have the shape of crossed rodlets, each rodlet having a thermostable component ensheathing a thermolabile component. Their properties are described. The nuclei are enveloped in a thin layer of cytoplasm, connected by narrow bridges to the adjacent cytoplasmic strands. They generally contain several peripherally arranged nucleoli, each bearing a number of nucleolar organizers. Near the centre of the nucleoplasm there is usually a "central chromatin body". The vacuoles of the medulla are of two kinds, one equipped with a fibrous coat. In the vicinity of an axoneme the coat commonly connects with the microtubules and their cross-bridges. The axoplast has a central "hyalosphere" exhibiting a fibrogranular matrix. No tripartite organelle is present therein. The axoplast shell consists of the proximal ends of the axonemes, each enveloped by a fibrous sheath, the fibres coursing around adjacent axonemes, binding them together. The shell thickness is a constant fraction (1/2.5) of the axoplast diameter. The axonemes consist of bundles of parallel microtubules arranged in transverse section in a pattern of alternating rows of hexagons, the microtubules being joined together by 12.3 nm long cross-bridges...

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Inhibitory mechanism of anthocyanin B-ring substituents on advanced glycation end-product formation through bovine serum albumin binding: Insights from multispectral, molecular docking and proteomics approaches.

This study demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of anthocyanins on AGEs formation is highly dependent on the substitution pattern of the B-ring. Among the four anthocyanins, delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (D3G) exhibited the most potent antiglycation activity across BSA-fructose, MGO, and GO models with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 30.77, 200.29 and 269.97 μM. This superior performance was attributed to the presence of three hydroxyl groups on the B-ring, which facilitates a high-affinity, spontaneous binding interaction with BSA primarily through hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonding. Spectroscopic and computational analyses revealed that D3G effectively stabilizes the protein scaffold, specifically recovering α-helix content and shielding critical subdomains (IB, IIA, and IIIA). Proteomics data are consistent with a protective binding mechanism, suggesting that D3G reduces the accessibility of key lysine and arginine residues to glycation-induced modifications. These findings provide a structural basis for developing D3G-rich extracts as targeted, structure-based functional ingredients to mitigate glycation-associated food quality degradation and related health issues.

Anthocyanins↗

PubMed2026

Microbial decaprenoxanthin: From understanding an extremophile-derived C50 carotenoid to its bioprocessing for large-scale applications.

Decaprenoxanthin (DPXT) is an unusual bacterial C50 carotenoid that has historically received limited attention despite its well-defined structure. For decades, carotenoid research and industrial development have been dominated by C40 carotenoids, leaving longer-chain carotenoids largely overlooked. Recent discoveries, particularly from microorganisms inhabiting Antarctic and other extreme environments, have repositioned DPXT as an adaptive pigment shaped by intense environmental pressures. Its extended polyene chain and membrane-associated behavior suggest roles in membrane stabilization and protection against ultraviolet radiation and oxidative stress, features that may hold relevance for food and biotechnological applications. This review integrates historical and recent knowledge on DPXT, covering its structural characteristics, biosynthetic pathways, ecological function, and emerging technological relevance. Special attention is given to microbial sources, particularly Actinomycetota from extreme environments, and to recent advances in microbial genomics, metabolic engineering, and sustainable bioprocess development that enable the production and exploration of C50 carotenoids beyond their native extremophilic context. The analysis highlights DPXT as a representative example of stress-resilient carotenoids, with physicochemical and membrane-interacting properties that may offer advantages for future food and biotechnological systems. Although significant challenges remain in cultivation strategies, yield optimization, and downstream recovery, advances in microbial cell factories and green extraction technologies open new opportunities for valorizing C50 carotenoids. This review bridges extremophile microbiology, carotenoid biochemistry, and sustainable food innovation, positioning DPXT as an emerging molecule that may expand the functional and structural landscape of carotenoids relevant to food science.

Carotenoids↗

PubMed2026

Upcycling Vegetable Waste Into Functional Food Ingredients via Synergistic Microbial Engineering and Artificial Intelligence.

The escalating generation of global vegetable waste represents a critical loss of bioactive resources, necessitating a paradigm shift from passive disposal to active nutrient upcycling. However, the industrial conversion of this heterogeneous biomass into standardized functional food ingredients is currently impeded by significant techno-economic barriers, primarily structural recalcitrance, compositional inconsistency, and the presence of toxic fermentation inhibitors. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the synergistic application of microbial engineering and artificial intelligence (AI) to resolve these bioprocessing bottlenecks within a food-to-food closed-loop framework (as shown in the graphical abstract). We evaluate recent advances in engineering food-grade microbial chassis (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli) to enhance lignocellulose degradation and stress tolerance. Concurrently, we examine the integration of AI across the entire value chain, covering deep learning-based rational enzyme design, genome-scale metabolic modeling, and intelligent process control for precision fermentation. Current evidence demonstrates that the hardware-software coupling of engineered strains and AI algorithms significantly enhances conversion efficiency and process robustness. Key findings highlight that AI-driven Design-Build-Test-Learn cycles facilitate the de novo creation of enzymes with superior kinetics and strains with adaptive stress response capabilities against toxins. Moreover, dynamic digital twin models effectively mitigate the impact of substrate variability, ensuring the batch-to-batch consistency required for food applications. We conclude that this data-driven synergistic paradigm is pivotal for establishing a resilient circular bioeconomy, enabling the reliable bioconversion of waste into high-value single-cell proteins, natural flavor additives, and sustainable packaging materials.

Artificial Intelligence↗

PubMed2026

Applications of metal-organic frameworks in smart packaging for food freshness indication: a comprehensive review.

Smart packaging is extensively studied for its multifunctional capabilities in antimicrobial activity, preservation, and atmosphere modification. Recently emerged metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) freshness-indicating packaging becomes a key research direction in smart packaging owing to its distinctive functions and physicochemical properties. As multifunctional materials, the unique porous structure and tunable properties of MOFs provide a distinctive approach for developing food packaging applications dedicated to food freshness indication. Existing MOFs-based smart packaging still faces potential safety risks and technical challenges in practical applications, and there remains a lack of integrated discussion that combines synthesis strategies, packaging design, optimization, and safety assessment. This review elaborates on the application of MOFs in freshness-indicating smart packaging, focusing on diverse MOFs synthesis strategies, the formats of smart packaging, types of indicator signals, and qualitative/quantitative analytical methods. It also delves into the methodology concepts of MOFs-based smart packaging and evaluates MOFs safety in food packaging by addressing potential risks. Studies show that MOFs-based smart packaging achieves qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of food freshness through multiple signal modalities such as visible color change, fluorescence, and photothermal effects. This review emphasizes that safe MOFs design is critically important and should comply with the overall migration limit of <10 mg/dm2 specified in Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, lanthanide element limit of <0.05 mg/kg, and FDA threshold of 1.5 μg/person/day. Comprehensive safety assessment and intelligent sensing platforms will constitute pivotal directions for advancing MOFs-based smart packaging toward practical application.

Food Packaging↗

PubMed1979

The natural history of violence.

In the past, human violence was associated with food shortage, but recently it has increased even in relatively well-fed societies. The reason appears from studies of monkeys under relaxed, spacious conditions and under crowding stress. Uncrowded monkeys have unaggressive leaders, rarely quarrel, and protect females and young. Crowded monkeys (even well-fed) have brutal bosses, often quarrel, and wound and kill each other, including females and young. Crowding has similar behaviour effects on other mammals, with physiological disturbances including greater susceptibility to infections. All this appears to be a regular response to overpopulation, reducing the population before it has depleted its natural resources. Human beings, like monkeys and other mammals, need ample space, and become more violent when crowded. Human history is marked by population cycles: population outgrows resources, the resulting violence, stress and disease mortality cuts down the population, leading to a relief period of social and cultural progress, till renewed population growth produces the next crisis. The modern population crisis is world-wide, and explains the increase of violence even in well-fed societies. The solution to the problem of violence is to substitute voluntary birth control for involuntary death control, and bring about relaxed conditions for a reduced world population.

Aggression↗