Farida Amutova

This study investigates seven phthalate esters (PAEs) in high-fat dairy products (sour cream, cheese, butter) and their primary packaging from the Kazakhstani retail market, alongside a dietary risk assessment. Using a validated, fat-normalized QuEChERS-GC-MS method, dual-matrix analysis evaluated the transfer interface. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) dominated all categories, reaching up to 24 169.5 µg kg⁻¹ in butter, a level up to 200-fold the EU specific migration limit, among the highest reported globally. DEHP did not follow the fat-content gradient, peaking instead in sour cream (916.0 µg kg⁻¹), suggesting contamination beyond primary packaging. Packaging showed non-proportional PAE transfer, with critical burdens in multilayer carton board. Children were most vulnerable: the cumulative Hazard Index for anti-androgenic PAEs reached 0.41 for cheese consumption alone. These findings indicate a high PAE contamination burden in the Almaty market and highlight the need for PAE-specific monitoring, though as a single-city survey, findings are not nationally representative.

Free-ranging poultry ingest 4–30 g of soil per day, making soil a significant route of organochlorine pesticide (OCP) exposure in agricultural areas with legacy contamination. However, total soil concentrations overestimate actual exposure. Only the bioaccessible fraction, mobilized within the gastrointestinal tract, governs transfer to eggs and meat. Static physiologically based extraction test (PBET) models consistently underestimate this fraction for hydrophobic compounds due to re-equilibration of desorbed contaminants onto the soil matrix. This study applied and evaluated a sink-modified static in vitro gastrointestinal model incorporating Tenax resin as a sorption sink to assess OCP bioaccessibility in spiked aged soil under simulated poultry digestive conditions. The aqueous phase-only fraction (gastric plus intestinal liquid) ranged from 0.004 to 17.1%, while the aqueous phase plus sorption sink (Tenax) fraction, measured from the same intestinal phase incubation, ranged from 24.0 to 52.7%, with the largest relative changes observed for HCH isomers (from near-undetectable levels without Tenax) and 2.7- to 4.3-fold increases for DDT-related compounds, a difference confirmed as statistically significant (paired t-test) for six of the seven compounds. One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences among compounds (F(6,21) = 5.53, p = 0.0014). Tukey’s HSD showed that β-HCH (56.1 ± 10.6%) and 4,4′-DDT (55.6 ± 24.0%) had significantly higher bioaccessibility than γ-HCH (25.8 ± 0.9%), 2,4′-DDD (22.2 ± 18.0%), and 4,4′-DDE (22.0 ± 5.7%), while α-HCH (28.6 ± 3.9%) and 4,4′-DDD (33.9 ± 8.1%) occupied an intermediate position, not significantly different from either group. A substantial fraction of mobilized OCPs was associated with the Tenax sink (17–53%), confirming that aqueous phase measurements alone underestimate the bioaccessible pool. These results demonstrate the importance of including a sorption sink in poultry-informed gastrointestinal models for accurate assessment of OCP transfer from contaminated soil to food products.

В 2023 году в ходе крупномасштабной инвентаризации в рамках проекта ФАО GCP/SEC/011/GFF в Казахстане было выявлено около 1,3 тыс. тонн устаревших стойких органических загрязнителей (СОЗ). Исследования, проведенные в 2013–2024 гг. на бывших складах пестицидов в Алматинской области, выявили концентрации, значительно превышающие предельно допустимые концентрации (ПДК) более 10 раз. Ввиду своей липофильности и стойкости эти соединения представляют серьезный риск попадания в организм скота и птицы, которые могут потреблять до 30 г почвы в день. Анализируемый грунт имел pH 8,0, содержание золы 27,9% и органического вещества 3,4%, а концентрации хлорорганических пестицидов (ХОП) варьировались от 4,5 до 5,0 мкг/г. Биодоступность ХОП в моделируемых желудочно-кишечных условиях значительно увеличивалась от желудочной к кишечной фазе и заметно повышалась при включении Tenax в качестве сорбционного резервуара, увеличиваясь с 0,01-17,10 % до 24,0-52,70 %. В целом средняя биодоступность колебалась от 25% до 67%, причем наивысшие значения наблюдались для 4,4-ДДТ и β-ГХЦГ. Эти результаты подчеркивают важную роль сорбционных резервуаров в повышении физиологической значимости моделей in vitro за счет более точного моделирования процессов абсорбции, что позволяет получить более точные оценки биодоступных фракций загрязнителей для обеспечения безопасности пищевых продуктов и общественного здоровья.

This study investigates the occurrence of seven phthalate esters (PAEs) in high-fat dairy products (sour cream, cheese, and butter) and their primary packaging materials from the Kazakhstani retail market, alongside a comprehensive dietary risk assessment. Using a validated, fat-normalized QuEChERS-GC-MS methodology, a dual-matrix analysis was conducted to evaluate the transfer interface. The results demonstrate that PAE concentrations generally escalated in tandem with the matrix fat content. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) emerged as the dominant congener across all categories, reaching extreme concentrations of up to 24 169.5 µg kg−1 in butter. In contrast, DEHP did not follow the fat-content gradient, with the highest median concentration recorded in sour cream (916.0 µg kg−1), suggesting contamination sources beyond primary packaging. Furthermore, packaging analysis revealed non-proportional PAE transfer, with critical burdens detected in multilayer carton board. The dietary risk assessment indicated that children are the most vulnerable demographic. The cumulative Hazard Index for anti-androgenic PAEs reached 0.41 for children consuming cheese, consuming a substantial fraction of the tolerable daily intake from a single dietary source alone. These findings expose a severe contamination profile and highlight the urgent need for the implementation of harmonized, PAE-specific monitoring protocols and regulatory interventions in the Central Asian region.

Centuries of cohabitation between the two species of large camelids (dromedary and Bactrian) in Kazakhstan with a long practice of crossbreeding make it necessary to establish a national camel milk breed standard. To obtain data on purebred herds, the present study aimed to (i) describe the morphometric differences between the two species of large camelids based on some body and udder measurements, (ii) describe the composition of the milk (fat, proteins, minerals) of each species and determine the most discriminating parameters, (iii) verify the possible links between milk productivity and body measurements. The analyses, carried out on two “purebred” farms (respectively, 21 Aruana dromedary and 15 Bactrian camel of different parities but all sampled at the 5th month of lactation), made it possible to observe significant difference in the concentration of certain milk components (fat, respectively, 3.59 ± 1.22 vs. 5.27 ± 0.87%, protein: 3.18 ± 0.28 vs. 3.97 ± 0.29%, magnesium: 1357.07 ± 246.2 vs. 929.40 ± 166.8 µg/mL, manganese: 0.10 ± 0.05 vs. 0.03 ± 0.01 µg/mL). The combination of parameters (protein, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn) made it possible to distinguish 97.6% of the animals. It was also possible to establish the lack of correlations between body measurements and milk production, except the link with heart girth (r = 0.529; p = 0.014) in dromedary only. By automatic classification, 3 different morphological types in dromedary camels and two in Bactrian camels, as well as two profiles of dromedary milk and 3 of Bactrian milk were identified. The present study provided preliminary results which should be validated on a larger number of farms with purebred animals in order to establish a national standard of camel milk, a necessary step for developing the market.

Бұл зерттеу Түркістан облысынан алынған, боталағаннан кейін 150 ± 15 күн өткен жеті екі өркешті түйенің (Camelus bactrianus) және он төрт бір өркешті түйенің (Camelus dromedarius) цистерна (Ц), альвеола (А) және қалдық (Қ) сүтінің көлемі мен құрамын салыстырмалы зерттеуге бағытталған. Зерттеудің басты мақсаты екі түйе түріндегі сүт фракцияларының арақатынасын, физика-химиялық құрамын, дәрумендік және минералдық ерекшеліктерін анықтау.. Түйелерге дене салмағының 1 кг-ына 10 мкг мөлшерінде Атозибан (CAS 90779-69-4) препараты, кейін әр жануарға 4 мл окситоцин (РҚ-ЛС-5№022381) препараты енгізіліп, дәстүрлі әдіс бойынша үйретілген сауыншыларымен қолмен сауылды. Әр жануардан цистерналық, альвеолярлық және қалдық сүт үлгілері жиналып, ақуыз, құрғақ зат, майсыз құрғақ зат, май, тығыздық, рН, соматикалық жасушалар саны, С дәрумені, сондай-ақ А, D, Е дәрумендері мен макро-, микроэлементтердің мөлшері анықталды. Дромедар түйелерінде жалпы сауылған сүттің 2,77%-ын цистерналық, 91,18%-ын альвеолярлық және 6,05%-ын қалдық сүт құраса, бактриан түйелерінде бұл көрсеткіштер сәйкесінше 6,84%, 87,87% және 5,93% болды. Май мөлшері цистерналық сүттен қалдық сүтке қарай тұрақты түрде жоғарылап, дромедарларда 1,94-тен 5,96%-ға дейін, ал бактриандарда 2,48-тен 6,25%-ға дейін өзгерді. Ақуыз мөлшері және рН барлық фракциялар арасында салыстырмалы тұрақтылықты көрсетті. Альвеолярлық сүтте макро- және микроэлементтердің басым көпшілігінің концентрациясы төменірек анықталды, ал майда еритін дәрумендер негізінен альвеолярлық және қалдық сүтте кездесті. Аталмыш зерттеу алғаш рет Қазақстан жағдайында екі өркешті түйелердің сүт фракцияларының құрамына кешенді сипаттама беріп, дромедар және бактриан түйелеріндегі сүттің фракциялану ерекшеліктерін салыстыра қарады. Алынған нәтижелер түйе сауу технологиясын жетілдіруге, сүт сапасын бағалауға және өндірістік сауу жүйелерін оңтайландыруға ғылыми негіз бола алады. Нәтижелерді сауын машинамен сауылатын түйелерде растау ұсынылады.

The safety and shelf life of wheat bread depend not only on recipe formulation and fermentation but also on post-baking handling, particularly the packaging stage. This study focused on evaluating the effect of the temperature of the bread crumb at the moment of packaging (30, 40, and 45 °C) on acrylamide content and microbiological spoilage during storage. Wheat bread samples prepared with 5, 10, and 15% Lactiplantibacillus plantarum sourdough were compared to control bread without sourdough. The results revealed that packaging at elevated temperatures (40–45 °C) led to higher residual acrylamide levels and accelerated mold growth due to condensation and increased humidity inside polyethylene bags. In contrast, packaging at 30 °C significantly reduced acrylamide formation, limited microbial proliferation, and extended the shelf life of bread up to 7 days while maintaining acceptable sensory qualities. The combined effect of sourdough concentration and packaging temperature demonstrated that the optimal conditions for ensuring safety and extending shelf life are the use of 5–10% sourdough and packaging at 30 °C. These findings underline the critical role of sourdough content and packaging temperature in controlling chemical contaminants and microbiological spoilage in bread production.

The problem of Albendazole and Ivermectin medicine residues in milk is a current question in food safety. With no data being available, the present study aimed to assess the risk of antiparasitic residues in camel milk after injection at curative dose. For the experiment, 10 camels were allocated to two groups, treated with Albendazole and Ivermectin, respectively; milk samples were taken every day for the first 4 days, then approximately every 2 weeks for 6 months. In addition, blood samples were taken for the Albendazole group. The samples were analysed by HPLC. On average, for Albendazole, the maximum concentration appeared on day 2 (52 ± 65.2 µg/mL) and day 48 (50 ± 63.1 µg/mL). After 210 days, the residues remained at around 11 µg/mL (MRL = 0.1 µg/mL). The kinetic assessment in the blood samples showed a slight shift in relation to that of milk during the first days of the experiment, but there was no significant difference between them. For Ivermectin, only one peak appeared on day 101 (0,96 ± 1,19 µg/mL), and after 172 days, the mean concentration was still 0.12 µg/mL (MRL = 0.01 µg/mL). The persistence of the residues for a long time after injection leads us to consider that specific guidelines should be proposed for ensuring the safety of camel milk.

The main aim of this research was to study soils from five villages located near former warehouses of banned and obsolete pesticides to determine their contents of DDT and its metabolite. Superficial soils were sampled from five villages (Kyzylkairat, Beskainar, Belbulak, Amankeldy and Yenbekshi) in the Talgar region (Almaty oblast) and their contents of organochlorine pesticides were investigated. Physical and chemicals parameters of soils were determined including dry matter, water content, ash, organic matter and pH. Monitoring of soil samples were performed by gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS). Beskainar and Kyzylkairat agricultural soils exceeded MRLs for DDTs according to regulations in Kazakhstan, Russia and EU by more than 200 times. The concentrations of DDT found in the other studied soils showed medium levels respecting normative regulations. Nevertheless, concentrations tended to increase in comparison to previously published data of these places. Key words: soil, organochlorine pesticides, monitoring, DUST, DDT, contamination