Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2006. / "May 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-87). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.P.P.A.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-59).

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 24, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 184-193). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. / Dr. Jennifer E. Michaels, Committee Chair ; Dr. Bonnie Heck Ferri, Committee Member ; Dr. George J. Vachtsevanos, Committee Member ; Dr. Magnus Egerstedt, Committee Member ; Dr. Farrokh, Ayazi, Committee Member ; Dr. Sheldon M. Jeter, Committee Member. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-127). Also available in print.

Milk is an important nutritious component of our diet consumed by most humans on a daily basis. Microbiological spoilage affects its safe use and consumption, its organoleptic properties and is a major part of its quality control process. European Union legislation and the Hazard Analysis and the Critical Control Point (HACCP) system in the dairy industry are therefore in place to maintain both the safety and the quality of milk production in the dairy industry. A main limitation of currently used methods of milk spoilage detection in the dairy industry is the time-consuming and sometimes laborious turnover of results. Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and high throughput (HT) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy metabolic fingerprinting techniques were investigated for their speed and accuracy in the enumeration of viable bacteria in fresh pasteurized cows' milk. Data analysis was performed using principal component-discriminant function analysis (PC-DFA) and partial least squares (PLS) multivariate statistical techniques. Accurate viable microbial loads were rapidly obtained after minimal sample preparation, especially when FTIR was combined with PLS, making it a promising technique for routine use by the dairy industry. FTIR and Raman spectroscopies in combination with multivariate techniques were also explored as rapid detection and enumeration techniques of S. aureus, a common milk pathogen, and Lactococcus lactis subsp cremoris, a common lactic acid bacterium (LAB) and potential antagonist of S. aureus, in ultra-heat treatment milk. In addition, the potential growth interaction between the two organisms was investigated. FTIR spectroscopy in combination with PLS and kernel PLS (KPLS) appeared to have the greatest potential with good discrimination and enumeration attributes for the two bacterial species even when in co-culture without previous separation. Furthermore, it was shown that the metabolic effect of L. cremoris predominates when in co-culture with S. aureus in milk but with minimal converse growth interaction between the two microorganisms and therefore potential implications in the manufacture of dairy products using LAB. The widespread and high consumption of milk make it a target for potential financial gain through adulteration with cheaper products reducing quality, breaking labeling and patent laws and potentially leading to dire health consequences. The time consuming and laborious nature of currently used analytical techniques in milk authentication enabled the study of FTIR spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF-MS) as rapid analytical techniques in quantification of milk adulteration, using binary and tertiary fresh whole cows', goats' and sheep's milk mixture samples. Chemometric data analysis was performed using PLS and KPLS multivariate analyses. Overall, results indicated that both techniques have excellent enumeration and detection attributes for use in milk adulteration with good prospects for potential use in the dairy industry.

L’analyse des extraits naturels est de nos jours réalisée à l’aide de nombreuses techniques d’analyse plus ou moins complexes. Parmi ces techniques, l’HPTLC est bien connue en tant qu’outil d’identification phytochimique. Le but de cette thèse a été d’étudier l’apport de cette technique dans l’analyse des extraits naturels en dehors de son aspect « identification ». Ce travail a conduit à différentes études permettant de mettre en évidence des applications peu connues de l’HPTLC comme par exemple son utilisation comme technique semi-preparative. De plus, sa capacité à avoir une phase stationnaire résistante à différente matrices a été testée. Il a ainsi pu être démontré que cette caractéristique lui donnait l’avantage de procéder à des préparations d’échantillon plus minimaliste que les autres techniques de chromatographie. L’aspect quantitatif a été évalué et comparé à l’HPLC et a ainsi pu démontrer que des résultats équivalents sont obtenus, néanmoins, le manque de résolution et de précision ne permet pas à l’HPTLC d’attendre les exigences parfois demandées. Enfin, l’analyse d’un grand nombre d’échantillon a permis de montrer un des avantages de l’HPTLC dans le retraitement de données, que ce soit par regroupement visuel des profils obtenus ou par retraitement statistique / The analysis of natural extracts is nowadays performed with numerous techniques more or less complex. Among these techniques, the HPTLC is well known as a tool for phytochemical identification. The aim of this thesis was to study the contribution of this technique in the analysis of natural extracts outside its "identification" appearance. This work led to various studies to highlight little known applications of HPTLC such as its use as a semi-preparative technique. In addition, its ability to have a robust stationary phase to different matrices was tested. It has been demonstrated that this characteristic gave the advantage of proceeding more minimalist sample preparation than other chromatographic techniques. The quantitative aspect was evaluated and compared with HPLC and was able to demonstrate that similar results are obtained, however, the lack of resolution and accuracy do not allow the HPTLC has to wait sometimes requested requirements. Finally, the analysis of a large number of samples has allowed to show an advantage of the HPTLC in the data reprocessing, whether by visual grouping or obtained by statistical retreatment profiles

No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Justin Kastner / Food production is changing in response to an expanding global population. The ability to distribute and process ingredients amongst many individuals and countries has brought economic benefits while also creating new problems. By increasing the complexity of the supply chain, the food industry has birthed new dynamics, thus creating new opportunities for contamination, fraud, and other threats. One threat dynamic is the varying levels of food safety and quality control at different nodes along a supply chain. Contaminations pinpoint weaknesses of a supply chain, and such weaknesses could be exploited for harm. One way foods are intentionally contaminated is through food fraud. Food fraud involves substitution, mislabeling, dilution, and other means of criminal deception. Routine testing by an independent science-based group led to the discovery of one the largest scales of substitution and mislabeling in history—the 2013 adulteration of beef products with horsemeat. Commonly referred to as the horsemeat scandal of 2013, this important event in the history of the global food system affected several regions, hundreds of products, and thousands of retailers and consumers. To date, this scandal was one of the largest incidents of food fraud. Mostly based in the European Union, the horsemeat scandal prompted the European Commission to take regulatory action. The European Union’s policy response included the creation of a five-point plan that addresses the different facets associated with the scandal. The five-point plan sought to strengthen food fraud prevention; testing programs; horse passports; official control, implementation, penalties; and origin labelling. The five-point plan is intended to decrease the fraud opportunity for the adulteration of beef with horsemeat. According to the crime triangle, a concept frequently cited in the field of criminology, fraud opportunity has three main elements: the victims, the fraudsters, and the guardian and hurdle gaps. When any of these elements change, the opportunity for a fraudster to commit a crime also changes. The research question of this thesis explores the policy responses of the European Commission. The Commission’s five-point plan targets the three elements of fraud opportunity; therefore, future fraud opportunity for the adulteration of beef products with horsemeat will theoretically decrease.

Thesis (MSc (Chemistry and Polymer Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / A method for the detection of adulteration of South African Sauvignon blanc wines, by enrichment with foreign sources of 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazenes, is described. The levels of three 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazenes (3-isobutyl-, 3- isopropyl- and 3-sec-butyl-2-methoxypyrazine) in South African Sauvignon blanc wines were measured with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sample preparation involved clean-up and pre-concentration by distillation followed by solvent extraction of the distillate with dichloromethane. Extracts were acidified and concentrated by evaporation and finally reconstituted to a fixed volume to affect quantitative pre-concentration of the samples. Sample extracts were separated with reversed phase liquid chromatography utilizing a phenyl-hexyl separation column. Residues were measured with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry utilizing a tandem quadrupole mass spectrometric detector operated in multiple reaction monitoring mode for optimal trace level quantitation. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization was utilized as electrospray ionization was found to suffer from quenching effects attributed to the sample matrix. Qualitative information was obtained from the relevant molecular ions as well as two secondary ion transitions (and one ion ratio) in each case. Recoveries obtained by the extraction procedure were better than 90% with coefficient of variance of better than 10% at concentrations from 1 to 100 ng/L. The limit of detection of the method was 0.03 ng/L and the limit of quantification 0.10 ng/L for the three analytes measured. The described LC-MS method is more sensitive for the determination of 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines in wine than GC methods reported for the same purpose. From the experimental data, a set of parameters were established to discriminate adulterated South African Sauvignon blanc wines. It was demonstrated that the 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine concentration, despite showing considerable variance, was confined to a relatively narrow range spanning approximately two orders of magnitude (0.20 to 22 ng/L). A clear indication of possible maximum values for this compound in South African Sauvignon blanc wines was obtained from the analysis of a large number of samples (577), spanning most relevant wine producing regions and representing vintages 2003 to 2006. It was also demonstrated that South African Sauvignon blanc wines contain the major 3- alkyl-2-methoxypyrazenes in reasonably distinct relative amounts and that the said ratios of abundance may be used to elucidate authenticity. The expected effect of adulteration with green pepper extracts or some synthetic preparations on the 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine concentration as well as the relative abundances were also determined by characterizing the corresponding profiles in green peppers and some synthetic flavor preparations. Two adulterated samples in the dataset were identified by both outlined criteria. A limited number of wines of other cultivars were also analyzed. The results represent the most complete and accurate data on the 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazine content of South African Sauvignon blanc wines to date. A publication covering the work presented in this thesis is currently in preparation.