{rfName}
Ef

Indexed in

License and use

Licencia

Citations

8

Altmetrics

Grant support

This work was supported by the SAFFI project (Safe Food for Infants in the EU and China), which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme GA 861917. Berta Torrents-Masoliver is recipient of a IRTA Sponsored Fellowship 2022. The authors acknowledge P. P. J. Mulder from Wageningen Food Safety Research for providing TA standards within the frame of the project GP/EFSA/CONTAM/2014/01.

Analysis of institutional authors

Torrents-Masoliver, BAuthorBover-Cid, SAuthorJofre, AAuthorCastellari, MAuthorRibas-Agusti, ACorresponding Author
Share
Publications
>
Article

Effect of pH and temperature on tropane alkaloids within a processing strategy to provide safe infant cereal-based food

Publicated to:Food Research International. 188 114439- - 2024-07-01 188(), DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114439

Authors: Torrents-Masoliver, Berta; Terriente-Palacios, Carlos; Bover-Cid, Sara; Jofre, Anna; Castellari, Massimo; Ribas-Agusti, Albert

Affiliations

IRTA Inst Agrifood Res & Technol, Food Safety & Funct Program, Finca Camps I Armet S-N - Author
Univ Malaga Spanish Natl Res Council IHSM UMA CSIC, Inst Mediterranean & Subtrop Hort La Mayora, Metabol Platform, Ave Louis Pasteur 49 - Author

Abstract

Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are secondary metabolites from weeds that can contaminate cereals and vegetables during harvest. Due to their toxicity, the Regulation (EC) 2023/915 sets maximum levels for atropine and scopolamine in cereal-based foods for infants containing millet, sorghum, buckwheat or their derived products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pH and temperature on the stability of TAs, as possible parameters in thermal processing to mitigate this chemical hazard in cereal-based infant food. The effect of pH (4 and 7) and temperature (80 degrees C and 100 degrees C) was assessed in buffer solutions. Also, treatment at 180 degrees C was performed in spiked and naturally incurred millet flour to assess the effect of high temperature, simulating cooking or drying, on the stability of TAs in the cereal matrix. The fate of 24 TAs was assessed by UHPLC-MS/MS. TAs showed high thermostability, although it was variable depending on the specific compound, pH, temperature and treatment time. In buffer solutions, higher degradation was found at 100 degrees C and pH 7. In spiked millet flour at 180 degrees C for 10 min, scopolamine and atropine contents decreased by 25 % and 22 %, similarly to other TAs which also showed a slow thermal degradation. Atropine, scopolamine, anisodamine, norscopolamine, scopine and scopoline were found in naturally contaminated millet flour. Interestingly, naturally incurred atropine was more thermostable than when spiked, showing a protective effect of the cereal matrix on TAs degradation. The present results highlight the need for an accurate monitorization of TAs in raw materials, as this chemical hazard may remain in infant cereal-based food even after intense thermal processing.

Keywords
AtropineBuckwheatConvolvulaceaeDaturaInfant foodMillet flourProcessed samplesProductsScopolamineThermostability

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Food Research International due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2024 there are still no calculated indicators, but in 2023, it was in position 13/173, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Food Science & Technology. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

Independientemente del impacto esperado determinado por el canal de difusión, es importante destacar el impacto real observado de la propia aportación.

Según las diferentes agencias de indexación, el número de citas acumuladas por esta publicación hasta la fecha 2025-05-23:

  • Google Scholar: 2
  • WoS: 3
  • Scopus: 3
Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-05-23:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 16 (PlumX).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12327/3005
Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (TORRENTS MASOLIVER, BERTA) and Last Author (RIBAS AGUSTI, ALBERT).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been RIBAS AGUSTI, ALBERT.