Climate change is primarily manifested by elevated temperature and carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels and is projected to provide suitable cultivation grounds for pests and pathogens in the otherwise unsuitable regions. The impacts of climate change have been predicted in many parts of the world, which could threaten global food safety and food security. The aim of the present work was therefore to examine the interacting effects of water activity (a_w) (0.92, 0.95, 0.98 a_w), CO₂ (400, 800, 1200 ppm) and temperature (30, 35 °C and 30, 33 °C for Fusarium verticillioides and F. graminearum, respectively) on fungal growth and mycotoxin production of acclimatised isolates of F. verticillioides and F. graminearum isolated from maize. To determine fungal growth, the colony diameters were measured on days 1, 3, 5, and 7. The mycotoxins produced were quantified using a quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (QTOF-MS) combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system. For F. verticillioides, the optimum conditions for growth of fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), and fumonisin B₂ (FB₂) were 30 °C + 0.98 a_w + 400 ppm CO₂. These conditions were also optimum for F. graminearum growth, and zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) production. Since 30 °C and 400 ppm CO₂ were the baseline treatments, it was hence concluded that the elevated temperature and CO₂ levels tested did not seem to significantly impact fungal growth and mycotoxin production of acclimatised Fusarium isolates. To the best of our knowledge thus far, the present work described for the first time the effects of simulated climate change conditions on fungal growth and mycotoxin production of acclimatised isolates of F. verticillioides and F. graminearum.

The function of packaging is crucial in the maintenance of fresh meat product quality. This study aimed to assess the efficiency of six films added with coatings 2379L/220 and 2379L/221 (containing sage extracts) to inhibit Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, which showed that two of the six films had a significant effect. Additionally, the effects of the films on refrigerated skinless chicken breast meat were evaluated based on microbiological content, colour, weight loss, texture and pH. Four of the six films were examined could extend the storability of refrigerated chicken breast fillets for up to seven days. All six treated films improved the pH, colour stability, weight loss, and texture of the chicken fillets. Therefore, these findings suggested that the coatings containing sage extracts having different viscosities (2379L/220 and 2379L/221) were effective as antimicrobial adhesives in food packaging films and can be commercially applied in prolonging the storage of chicken breast meat without affecting their quality.

Food contamination leading to the spoilage and growth of undesirable bacteria, which can occur at any stage along the food chain, is a significant problem in the food industry. In the present work, biopolymer polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polybutylene succinate/tapioca starch (PBS/TPS) films incorporating Biomaster-silver (BM) and SANAFOR^® (SAN) were prepared and tested as food packaging to improve the lifespan of fresh chicken breast fillets when kept in a chiller for seven days. The incorporation of BM and SAN into both films demonstrated antimicrobial activity and could prolong the storability of chicken breast fillets until day 7. However, PBS + SAN 2%, PBS/TPS + SAN 1%, and PBS/TPS + SAN 2% films showed the lowest microbial log growth. In quality assessment, incorporation of BM and SAN into both film types enhanced the quality of the chicken breast fillets. However, PBS + SAN 1% film showed the most notable enhancement of chicken breast fillet quality, as it minimized color variation, slowed pH increment, decreased weight loss, and decelerated the hardening process of the chicken breast fillets. Therefore, we suggest that the PBS + SAN and PBS/TPS + SAN films produced in this work have potential use as antimicrobial packaging in the future.

Children in school settings are at risk of contracting food poisoning due to inadequate food safety practices and safe eating behaviors. This research aimed to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire on the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices (KAP²) toward food poisoning and its prevention among secondary school students. The questionnaire was developed by considering the Health Belief Model (HBM). A pilot study using a cross-sectional survey was conducted in Tangkak, Johor, among 30 selected students using a convenience sampling method. A pre-test was conducted on 15 secondary school students aged 13–17 years old prior to the pilot study, and they were excluded from the pilot study. The constructed knowledge was assessed using the difficulty and discrimination indices. Meanwhile, the reliability of the attitude, practice, and perception components in the questionnaire were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Regarding knowledge (34 items), the difficulty index showed that most items (n = 28) were easy, while one was difficult, and the remaining five were within an acceptable range. In addition, the discrimination index of the knowledge component (34 items) showed that twenty-two, three, and one had good, acceptable, and excellent ranges, respectively. Only eight items had a low discrimination power. All items of the attitude and practice components (10 items for each) showed a corrected item-total correlation value of >0.30. Only four out of twenty-one items of the perception component showed an unacceptable range of <0.30. However, following a discussion with the experts, all items were retained. With the incorporation of the HBM, the 75-item adapted food poisoning KAP² questionnaire is valid and reliable. It can be utilized to measure and generate food poisoning KAP² among secondary school students in Malaysia.

Terminalia catappa L. is a large, spreading type of tree which usually grows in tropical environment, especially at coastal area with sandy stones. The current study evaluated anti-Bacillus potential of the ethanolic ketapang (Terminalia catappa L.) leaf extract (EKLE) as antibacterial and sporicidal agent against vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus spp. The antibacterial activity of EKLE against Bacillus spp. (B. cereus ATCC33019, B. pumilus ATCC14884, B. subtilis ATCC6633 and B. megaterium ATCC14581) vegetative cells were determined by performing well diffusion assay (WDA), minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) and time-kill curve analyses. The sporicidal activity was tested at different concentrations of EKLE. Then, the extract's stability in terms of antibacterial and sporicidal activities upon exposure to different temperatures and pHs were carried out. Results demonstrated inhibition zones of EKLE against Bacillus spp. was in the range of 9.25 ± 0.75 mm - 11.67 ± 0.47 mm. All vegetative cells of Bacillus spp. were inhibited with MIC values at 0.63-1.25 mg/mL and can be completely killed with MBC values of 0.63 - >5.00 mg/mL. Time-kill analysis showed all the Bacillus spp. tested can be completely killed at concentrations of 2.50-5.00 mg/mL from 1 to 4 h. EKLE concentration of 1% (w/v) completely killed all Bacillus spp. spores at different exposure time. The antibacterial and sporicidal activities of EKLE were not affected by exposure to different temperatures (4, 30, 50, 80 and 121 °C) and pHs (3, 7 and 10), revealing the stability of the extract against different conditions. In conclusion, Terminalia catappa L. leaf exhibits antibacterial and sporicidal activities against Bacillus spp., therefore, the extract can be developed as anti-Bacillus agent, paving the way for its utilization in food industry as a natural food preservative.

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