{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114342", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-31T06:57:01Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-04-23", "title": "Microplastics in seafood: Consumer preferences and valuation for mitigation technologies", "description": "Abstract

Microplastics, an emerging pollutant, have garnered widespread attention due to potential repercussions on human health and the environment. Given the critical role of seafood in food security, growing concerns about microplastics might be detrimental to meeting future global food demand. This study employs a discrete choice experiment to investigate Chilean consumers' preferences for technology aimed at mitigating microplastic levels in mussels. Using a between-subjects design with information treatments, we examined the impact of informing consumers about potential human health and environmental effects linked to microplastics pollution on their valuation for the technology. We found that the information treatments increased consumers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 willingness to pay for them. Specifically, consumers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 willingness to pay for mussels with a 90% depuration efficiency certification is around US$ 4. The provision of health impact information increased the price premium by 56%, while the provision of environmental information increased it by 21%. Furthermore, combined health and environmental information significantly increased the probability of non-purchasing behavior by 22.8% and the risk perception of microplastics for human health by 5.8%. These results emphasize the critical role of information in shaping consumer preferences and provide evidence for validating investment in research and development related to microplastic pollution mitigation measures.

In California, aflatoxin contamination of almond, fig, and pistachio has become a serious problem in recent years due to long periods of drought and probably other climatic changes. The atoxigenic biocontrol product Aspergillus flavus AF36 has been registered for use to limit aflatoxin contamination of pistachio since 2012 and for use in almond and fig since 2017. New biocontrol technologies employ multiple atoxigenic genotypes because those provide greater benefits than using a single genotype. Almond, fig, and pistachio industries would benefit from a multi-strain biocontrol technology for use in these three crops. Several A. flavus vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) associated with almond, fig, and pistachio composed exclusively of atoxigenic isolates, including the VCG to which AF36 belongs to, YV36, were previously characterized in California. Here, we report additional VCGs associated with either two or all three crops. Representative isolates of 12 atoxigenic VCGs significantly (P < 0.001) reduced (>80%) aflatoxin accumulation in almond and pistachio when challenged with highly toxigenic isolates of A. flavus and A. parasiticus under laboratory conditions. Isolates of the evaluated VCGs, including AF36, constitute valuable endemic, well-adapted, and efficient germplasm to design a multi-crop, multi-strain biocontrol strategy for use in tree crops in California. Availability of such a strategy would favor long-term atoxigenic A. flavus communities across the affected areas of California, and this would result in securing domestic and export markets for the nut crop and fig farmer industries and, most importantly, health benefits to consumers.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0301 basic medicine", "aflatoxins", "0303 health sciences", "almonds", "Food Contamination", "15. Life on land", "Ficus", "Prunus dulcis", "6. Clean water", "California", "03 medical and health sciences", "aspergillus flavus", "Aflatoxins", "13. 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Seasonal dynamics of fungi were studied in an almond orchard in California where experimental release of the atoxigenic biopesticide Aspergillus flavus AF36 to displace toxigenic Aspergillus strains has been conducted for five years. The presence of the vegetative compatibility group (VCG) YV36, to which AF36 belongs, in the blossoms, and the honey bees that attend these blossoms, was assessed. In blossoms, A. flavus frequencies ranged from 0 to 4.5%, depending on the year of study. Frequencies of honey bees carrying A. flavus ranged from 6.5 to 10%. Only one A. flavus isolate recovered from a blossom in 2016 belonged to YV36, while members of the VCG were not detected contaminating honey bees. Exposure of pollinator honey bees to AF36 was detected to be very low. The density of several Aspergillus species was found to increase during almond hull split and throughout the final stages of maturation; this also occurred in pistachio orchards during the maturation period. Additionally, we found that AF36 effectively limited almond aflatoxin contamination in laboratory assays. This study provides knowledge and understanding of the seasonal dynamics of Aspergillus fungi and will help design aflatoxin management strategies for almond. The evidence of the low levels of VCG YV36 encountered on almond blossoms and bees during pollination and AF36's effectiveness in limiting aflatoxin contamination in almond provided additional support for the registration of AF36 with USEPA to use in almond in California.", "keywords": ["honey bees", "Crop and Pasture Production", "Crops", " Agricultural", "0301 basic medicine", "aflatoxins", "570", "General Science & Technology", "Science", "Veterinary and Food Sciences", "Crops", "Food Contamination", "Flowers", "Microbiology", "630", "California", "Trees", "03 medical and health sciences", "aspergillus flavus", "Aflatoxins", "Species Specificity", "Animals", "Nuts", "california", "Pest Control", " Biological", "Pollination", "2. 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J. B., Janssen, H. G. & Nielen, M. W. F. Microplastics and nanoplastics in food, water, and beverages; part I. occurrence. TrAC - Trends Anal. Chem. 159, 116670 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2022.116670 Vitali, C., Peters, R. J. B., Janssen, H.-G., Nielen, M. W. F. & Ruggeri, F. S. Microplastics and nanoplastics in food, water, and beverages, part II. Methods. Trends Anal. Chem. 157, 116819 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2022.116819 This repository contains all the data extracted for and discussed in the review.The purpose of this dataset is to make the underlying data more accessible and reusable by the scientific community.", "keywords": ["Microplastics/analysis", "Food", "Microplastics", "Microplastics/standards", "nanoplastic", "Food Contamination", "microplastic", "Microplastics/isolation & purification", "Microplastics/isolation & purification", "nanoplastics"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Vitali, Clementina", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15871712"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.15871712", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.15871712", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.15871712"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-05-10T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10568/96134", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T07:05:22Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-06-20", "title": "Fungal communities associated with almond throughout crop development: Implications for aflatoxin biocontrol management in California", "description": "Interactions between pathogenic and nonpathogenic fungal species in the tree canopy are complex and can determine if disease will manifest in the plant and in other organisms such as honey bees. Seasonal dynamics of fungi were studied in an almond orchard in California where experimental release of the atoxigenic biopesticide Aspergillus flavus AF36 to displace toxigenic Aspergillus strains has been conducted for five years. The presence of the vegetative compatibility group (VCG) YV36, to which AF36 belongs, in the blossoms, and the honey bees that attend these blossoms, was assessed. In blossoms, A. flavus frequencies ranged from 0 to 4.5%, depending on the year of study. Frequencies of honey bees carrying A. flavus ranged from 6.5 to 10%. Only one A. flavus isolate recovered from a blossom in 2016 belonged to YV36, while members of the VCG were not detected contaminating honey bees. Exposure of pollinator honey bees to AF36 was detected to be very low. The density of several Aspergillus species was found to increase during almond hull split and throughout the final stages of maturation; this also occurred in pistachio orchards during the maturation period. Additionally, we found that AF36 effectively limited almond aflatoxin contamination in laboratory assays. This study provides knowledge and understanding of the seasonal dynamics of Aspergillus fungi and will help design aflatoxin management strategies for almond. The evidence of the low levels of VCG YV36 encountered on almond blossoms and bees during pollination and AF36's effectiveness in limiting aflatoxin contamination in almond provided additional support for the registration of AF36 with USEPA to use in almond in California.", "keywords": ["honey bees", "Crop and Pasture Production", "Crops", " Agricultural", "0301 basic medicine", "aflatoxins", "570", "General Science & Technology", "Science", "Veterinary and Food Sciences", "Crops", "Food Contamination", "Flowers", "Microbiology", "630", "California", "Trees", "03 medical and health sciences", "aspergillus flavus", "Aflatoxins", "Species Specificity", "Animals", "Nuts", "california", "Pest Control", " Biological", "Pollination", "2. 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In California, aflatoxin contamination of almond, fig, and pistachio has become a serious problem in recent years due to long periods of drought and probably other climatic changes. The atoxigenic biocontrol product Aspergillus flavus AF36 has been registered for use to limit aflatoxin contamination of pistachio since 2012 and for use in almond and fig since 2017. New biocontrol technologies employ multiple atoxigenic genotypes because those provide greater benefits than using a single genotype. Almond, fig, and pistachio industries would benefit from a multi-strain biocontrol technology for use in these three crops. Several A. flavus vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) associated with almond, fig, and pistachio composed exclusively of atoxigenic isolates, including the VCG to which AF36 belongs to, YV36, were previously characterized in California. Here, we report additional VCGs associated with either two or all three crops. Representative isolates of 12 atoxigenic VCGs significantly (P < 0.001) reduced (>80%) aflatoxin accumulation in almond and pistachio when challenged with highly toxigenic isolates of A. flavus and A. parasiticus under laboratory conditions. Isolates of the evaluated VCGs, including AF36, constitute valuable endemic, well-adapted, and efficient germplasm to design a multi-crop, multi-strain biocontrol strategy for use in tree crops in California. Availability of such a strategy would favor long-term atoxigenic A. flavus communities across the affected areas of California, and this would result in securing domestic and export markets for the nut crop and fig farmer industries and, most importantly, health benefits to consumers.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0301 basic medicine", "aflatoxins", "0303 health sciences", "almonds", "Food Contamination", "15. Life on land", "Ficus", "Prunus dulcis", "6. Clean water", "California", "03 medical and health sciences", "aspergillus flavus", "Aflatoxins", "13. Climate action", "Pistacia", "pistachios", "Microbial Interactions", "figs", "california", "Aspergillus flavus"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS-08-18-1333-RE"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10568/100306"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Plant%20Disease", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10568/100306", "name": "item", "description": "10568/100306", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10568/100306"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-05-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "38763635", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-31T07:07:02Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-04-22", "title": "Microplastics in seafood: Consumer preferences and valuation for mitigation technologies", "description": "Abstract

Microplastics, an emerging pollutant, have garnered widespread attention due to potential repercussions on human health and the environment. Given the critical role of seafood in food security, growing concerns about microplastics might be detrimental to meeting future global food demand. This study employs a discrete choice experiment to investigate Chilean consumers' preferences for technology aimed at mitigating microplastic levels in mussels. Using a between-subjects design with information treatments, we examined the impact of informing consumers about potential human health and environmental effects linked to microplastics pollution on their valuation for the technology. We found that the information treatments increased consumers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 willingness to pay for them. Specifically, consumers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 willingness to pay for mussels with a 90% depuration efficiency certification is around US$ 4. The provision of health impact information increased the price premium by 56%, while the provision of environmental information increased it by 21%. Furthermore, combined health and environmental information significantly increased the probability of non-purchasing behavior by 22.8% and the risk perception of microplastics for human health by 5.8%. These results emphasize the critical role of information in shaping consumer preferences and provide evidence for validating investment in research and development related to microplastic pollution mitigation measures.