Cinnamon bark is widely used for its organoleptic features in the food context and growing evidence supports its beneficial effect on human health. The market offers an increasingly wide range of food products and supplements enriched with cinnamon extracts which are eliciting beneficial and health-promoting properties. Specifically, the extract of Cinnamomum spp. is rich in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer biomolecules. These include widely reported cinnamic acid and some phenolic compounds, such asproanthocyanidins A and B, and kaempferol. These molecules are sensitive to physical-chemical properties (such as pH and temperature) and biological agents that act during gastric digestion, which could impair molecules’ bioactivity. Therefore, in this study, the cinnamon’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivity after simulated digestion was evaluated by analyzing the chemical profile of the pure extract and digested one, as well as the cellular effect in vitro models, such as Caco2 and intestinal barrier. The results showed that the digestive process reduces the total content of polyphenols, especially tannins, while preserving other bioactive compounds such as cinnamic acid. At the functional level, the digested extract maintains an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect at the cellular level.

Food contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), especially ultra-short-chain (USC) compounds, poses a growing concern due to their environmental persistence and potential health risks. Despite the developing regulatory framework, analytical challenges persist in quantifying polar USC-PFAS in complex content food matrices. This study presents the development and validation of a novel high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS) method for the accurate determination of USC-PFAS (carbon chain length from one to four, C1-C4) in tomato-based products (i.e. concentrate, puree, and pulp), that, due to their high water content, are prone to USC-PFAS contamination. Leveraging a polar analytical column and a delay column, the method effectively mitigates system-related interferences, especially for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and achieves enhanced retention and sensitivity. Target compounds included Difluoroacetic acid (DFA), TFA, Perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA), Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), Perfluoromethanesulfonic acid (PFMeS), Perfluoroethanesulfonic acid (PFEtS), Perfluoropropanesulfonic acid (PFPrS), and Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS). The quantification based on isotope dilution ensures high accuracy and precision. The method demonstrated excellent linearity (R² ≥ 0.99), recoveries within 65-135 %, and low relative standard deviation (RSD) values (<10 %). PFBA was detected across all tested tomato products, with concentrations ranging from 0.056 to 0.265 µg/kg, indicating potential endogenous contamination potentially linked to processing concentration effects. This study fills a critical methodological gap, offering a robust analytical tool for USC-PFAS monitoring in complex food matrices, and supporting improved food safety regulation.

The aim of the study was to evaluate β-CN variants and their effects on milk nutritional composition and protein profile in Podolian cattle breeds reared in Gargano Promontory (Southern Italy). Individual milk samples of Podolian and Holstein Friesian (HF) cattle were analyzed for β-CN allele and genotype frequencies, chemical composition and protein fractions of milk. In both populations the most common allelic variant was A2, followed by A1, whereas alleles B and I had frequencies lower than 10% in both populations. A total of 6 genotypes in Podolian population (A1A2, A1B, A2B, A1I, A2I, A2A2), and 7 genotypes (A1A1, A1A2, A1B, A2B, A1I, A2I, A2A2) in HF were detected. Milk protein, lactose and casein percentages were affected by β-CN allele in both breeds. In particular, alleles A1 and A2 resulted in higher levels of both protein and casein in HF, whereas in Podolian allele I showed the highest, alleles A1 and A2 intermediate and B the lowest levels of the mentioned parameters. Protein fractions were influenced by β-casein alleles and the most abundant protein fractions were β- and αs1- CNs in both breeds, although with different percentage distribution. In Podolian milk, regardless of the detected allele, it was observed a similar behavior for β- and κ-CNs and opposite to that observed for αs2-CN. The study of the genetic variability of milk proteins offers the opportunity to valorise the nutritional, technological, and functional features of Podolian cattle dairy productions as a strategy to sustain the economic value of this ancient breed which is well adapted to the farming systems in marginal areas.

The therapeutic use of Cannabis oil extracts is constantly increasing. However, in Italy, they are allowed to be prepared with only a few methods and matrices. With this work, we aimed to assess how the different processes might affect the chemical composition of two different matrices (olive oils and medium chain triglycerides oils - MCT), accounting as variables for both the presence of Cannabis dried apices of the female flower and the adding of tocopherol acetate as an antioxidant. The macerated oils were prepared with four of the methods allowed according to the Italian legislation (Romano-Hazekamp, Cannazza-Citti, SIFAP and Calvi) and analyzed for normal and oxidized tocopherols, oxidized and conjugated fatty acids and volatile carbonyl compounds (VCCs), all using liquid chromatography coupled to UV or PDA detectors. According to our results, neither normal nor oxidized tocopherols are affected by the addition of antioxidants or Cannabis, while the oxidation state (according to the levels of oxidized and conjugated fatty acids) is often altered in either case. The VCCs concentrations, on the other hand, are never notably altered. These results suggest a worthless use of antioxidants in Cannabis macerated oils preparations, while the dried apices of female flowers might have a protective role in maintaining the oil oxidation state.

Main text: This Supplementary Comparison, EURAMET.QM-S15 "PAHs in Protein Matrix", was organized by the Federal Institute of Metrology METAS. The target analytes were four PAHs: benz[a]anthracene (BaA); benzo[a]pyrene (BaP); benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF); and chrysene (Chr), for which maximum limits are set in the European and Swiss food legislation. The measurands were the mass fractions (µg/kg) of these PAHs in a protein-rich matrix. Six National Metrology Institutions (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) participated in EURAMET.QM-S15. The study required solvent extraction, separation of the target analytes from interfering matrix components (clean-up), analytical/chromatographic separation and selective detection of the target analytes. Solvent extraction (ASE, PLE, HUPsSE, QuEChERS) followed by SPE cleanup was applied by the participants in the sample pretreatment and GC-IDMS/MS, GC-HR-IDMS and LC-FLD were applied for separation and detection. The results for the determination of the four PAHs in EURAMET.QM-S15 ranged from 0.5 µg/kg to 5.3 µg/kg for BaA, 0.6 µg/kg to 13.3 µg/kg for BaP, 0.6 µg/kg to 7.0 µg/kg for BbF and 0.5 µg/kg to 5.0 µg/kg for Chr. Due to poor extraction efficiencies, as a result of unfavorable choice of solvent and insufficient demonstration of metrological traceability of the calibrant, only the results of two participants were included in the evaluation of the Supplementary Comparison Reference Value (SCRV). The SCRV was assigned using the weighted mean of these two participants which agreed well with gravimetrically prepared mass fractions and evidence from an ancillary study performed with external expert laboratories. Four participant results were excluded from the SCRV for the technical reasons mentioned above. The SCRV (X ± u(X)) was 3.291 µg/kg ± 0.079 µg/kg for BaA, 4.28 µg/kg ± 0.10 µg/kg for BaP, 4.77 µg/kg ± 0.12 µg/kg for BbF and 2.967 µg/kg ± 0.070 µg/kg for Chr. The two institutes that were included in the assignment of consensus SCRV agreed within their standard uncertainties. Successful participation in EURAMET.QM-S15 demonstrates the following measurement capabilities in determining the mass fractions of organic compounds, with a molecular mass between 150 g/mol and 500 g/mol, having a low polarity (pKow < -2), in a mass fraction range from 0.1 µg/kg to 100 µg/kg in a high protein food matrix. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

The European Union has identified fluorite (CaF ₂ ) as a critical raw material (CRM) due to its economic importance, negligible recycling, and high import dependency. This study investigates a functionalized graphene oxide (fGO) membrane for purifying wastewater containing dissolved fluorides below the solubility limit of CaF ₂ and the subsequent CRM recovery. While the fundamental interaction is known in batch systems, closed‐loop recovery processes using this kind of membrane remain unexplored. Utilizing fGO synthesized via a scalable, green approach, we transition beyond conventional adsorption to a dynamic membrane‐stripping cycle. Comprehensive material characterization is provided. The fGO membranes were tested in a real‐case scenario using cleanroom facility wastewater. Fluorine concentration was successfully reduced from 21 down to 1.4 mg L ⁻¹ , meeting the EU/USA discharge and drinking water standards. High‐purity CaF ₂ powder was recovered. This work establishes a viable, non‐conventional membrane‐based approach for waste valorization, advancing circular economy principles in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries by transforming a hazardous waste into a strategic resource.