Food safety is an important requirement for protecting human health worldwide. In particular, medical students’ education on food safety is essential for them as future physicians, and university education is the first step in acquiring this knowledge. We performed an online survey with 1277 respondents among medical students to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) related to food safety regarding microbiological contamination. Our findings showed that more than half of the respondents presented a low level of food safety knowledge, with a score between 11–60 points, and only 6% managed to score between 81 and 100 points, which was considered a high level of knowledge. On the contrary, we found that most participants had a high level of good practice: 58% scored more than 25 points, 39% had an average level of good practice (scoring between 21 and 25 points), and 3% of respondents had a low level of good practice (scoring below 21 points). We also noticed a statistically significant difference between total scores of preclinical and clinical years of study among medical students (p = 0.005) regarding food safety knowledge. The frequency of cooking was positively correlated with the level of food safety knowledge, but not with food safety practices. Our study shows that better knowledge on food safety is needed among medical students. Improving knowledge and awareness of food safety in relation to microbiological contamination is a good way to protect themselves and to promote the correct food safety knowledge and measures among their patients.

Chronic liver disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cirrhosis of the liver is the most advanced form of chronic liver disease and the 12th leading cause of death worldwide. The incidence of liver cirrhosis is increasing significantly each year due to the increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome associated with fatty liver disease. Liver biopsy has been traditionally considered the “gold standard” method for the evaluation of tissue lesions (e.g., liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease), and it is still accepted as such. However, it is an invasive and costly method with potential risks for patients. Thus, we decided to evaluate the importance of non-invasive tests (NIT) and the combinations of NIT used for the diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis in metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease—MASLD—and how the primary care physician is involved in these stages. In this context, primary care physicians will be the first in contact with these patients, who could initiate early, well-targeted treatment to prevent disease progression and complications, which could reduce the number of costly consultations and specialist investigations.

Food safety is a major priority and aims to protect the population from various diseases that can be caused by the food they consume. Food hazards can occur at any stagse of the food chain, from production, supply, processing, distribution to consumption, and can be attributed to biological, chemical, or physical agents. The most common cause of illness resulting from contaminated food is microbiological contamination due to the presence of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Furthermore, chemical hazards include natural plant toxins, industrial and environmental pollutants that can unintentionally contaminate food, agricultural residues, contaminants from thermal treatment or food processing, and the presence of regulated food ingredients, used for some particular technological purposes, in quantities exceeding maximum permitted limits. Physical hazards are represented by materials that can accidentally contaminate food (glass, metal, plastic objects). To guaranty food safety and protect consumer health, food hazards must be properly managed and controlled. Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) systems and good manufacturing practices (GMP) are important components of these strategies. Hygiene measures for preventing food contamination, aimed to protect consumer health, are addressed to the hygiene and sanitation conditions of food establishments, to food products and personnel. Effective prevention requires an integrated approach that combines the responsibility of food business operators, through the implementation of food safety management systems, with public health measures, consumer education, and a rigorous legislative framework.

Plant-based beverages (PBBs) can be fortified to contribute to vitamin D intake. The nutritional composition of vitamin D-fortified PBBs (FPBBs) and consumer use of PBBs are examined through a three-phase technique that included a 2010–2025 national registry retrospective study (vitamin D FPBBs = 167), an on-shelf market survey (vitamin D FPBBs = 111), and a consumer survey on 225 subjects. Coconut-based PBBs had the highest vitamin D mean (0.84 μg/100 mL) in the registry database, although in the market survey oat-based PBBs had the highest vitamin D average (0.91 μg/100 mL). The compositional heterogeneity of FPBB matrices was confirmed by non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis tests across five broader botanical categories (soy, nuts, coconut, grains, blended), for carbohydrate content (χ² = 52.43, df = 4, p < 0.001), protein content (χ² = 55.85, df = 4, p < 0.001), lipid content (χ² = 26.94, df = 4, p < 0.001), and calorie content (χ² = 34.31, df = 4, p < 0.001). In contrast, vitamin D content did not differ significantly across these categories (χ² = 8.21, df = 4, p = 0.084). Dietary preferences were the main drivers of daily use (48.3% of consumers), while the subgroup driven by general health benefits or vitamin D fortification tended to consume these products mainly weekly (33.3%) or occasionally (42.8%). The mean serving size reported by respondents was 157.14 mL. Since vitamin D status was not biochemically assessed, this study does not evaluate whether current consumption addresses population-level vitamin D status. These findings highlight the need for front-of-pack labelling on nutritional density and fortification.