Quality of spices commercialized in the São Paulo State: physico-chemical (incidence of mycotoxins, analysis of artificial dyes) and microscopic (identification of histological elements, investigation of extraneous materials)

• Grant number: 18/07009-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: February 01, 2019 - January 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Maria Helena Iha Matias
• Grantee: Maria Helena Iha Matias
• Host Institution: Instituto Adolfo Lutz (IAL). Coordenadoria de Controle de Doenças (CCD). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/04764-1 - Quality of spices in the northeastern region of the State of São Paulo, BP.TT

Abstract

With increased interest in using natural ingredients in food, spices are strong candidates to replace artificial additives. However, these products may be contaminated with mycotoxins and/or extraneous materials and may be fraudulent with flour, corn, dyes, among others, as they are products of high commercial value. Then, the study of these products are important. The objective of this project is to study 5 spices, commonly used in Brazilian cuisine, turmeric (Curcuma longa L. and Curcuma domestica Valenton), colorific (Urucum, Bixa orellana L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), noz-moscada (Myristica fragrans Houtt), paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) and black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) are: (1) development and/or adaptation and validation of methods for the analysis of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in spices; (2) evaluation of the quality of the spices consumed in the state of São Paulo, in relation to the incidence of ochratoxin A and aflatoxins; (3) development and/or adaptation and validation of methods for analysis of dyes in the studied spices that present color: turmeric, colorific and paprika; (4) adapt microscopic analysis method to minimize solvent use; (5) determine the level of contamination by foreign matter present in the spices (6) elaborate an illustrative technical manual or atlas with images and descriptions of the main characteristics of the contaminants found in this study; (7) to verify adulteration by identifying the histological elements and by analyzing the presence and quantification of dyes in the colored spices; (8) elaborate an illustrative technical manual or atlas with images of the histological elements of the spices that will be studied. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

IHA, MARIA HELENA; RODRIGUES, MATHEUS LEANDRO; TRUCKSESS, MARY WAT. Multitoxin immunoaffinity analysis of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in spices. JOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, v. 41, n. 5, AUG 2021. (18/07009-7)

MARIA HELENA IHA; MATHEUS LEANDRO RODRIGUES; RITA DE CÁSSIA BRIGANTI. Survey of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Spices from Brazilian Market. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, v. 64, 2022-01-10. (18/07009-7)

IHA, MARIA HELENA; RODRIGUES, MATHEUS LEANDRO; BRIGANTI, RITA DE CASSIA. urvey of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Spices from Brazilian Marke. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, v. 64, 2021. (18/07009-7)