{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T05:27:29Z","timestamp":1766122049510,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,17]],"date-time":"2025-12-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765929600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Regional Development Fund","award":["INNPACTO IPT-2012-0189-060000"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["INNPACTO IPT-2012-0189-060000"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100010067","name":"Gobierno de Arag\u00f3n","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["grant Grupo AESA"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["grant Grupo AESA"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100010067","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Toxoplasma gondii has long been a significant food safety concern, as standardized methods for detecting and controlling it are still lacking in the slaughterhouse and the broader meat industry. We evaluated the presence of T. gondii in raw ham and in target tissues (heart and tongue) of seropositive pigs with the aim of selecting a representative risk evaluation tissue to test raw pork destined for the elaboration of cured meat products. To increase the sensitivity of T. gondii detection, we additionally employed bioassay in mice and qPCR analysis. T. gondii was detected in 26 raw hams and in 26 samples of target tissues of the 38 seropositive pigs analyzed (68.4%). Statistical analysis demonstrated a strong agreement between the results obtained from the ham and target tissue samples (\u03ba = 0.790). Moreover, the antibody titers obtained in mice inoculated with target tissue were higher (up to 1:320) compared with those inoculated with raw ham. These findings suggest that tissues such as tongue and heart, which have less commercial value than raw hams, can serve as primary selection tissues for the detection of T. gondii. Consequently, they could serve as a valuable and effective raw material control tool in the dry-cured ham industry.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods14244350","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,17]],"date-time":"2025-12-17T15:53:46Z","timestamp":1765986826000},"page":"4350","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparative Study of Raw Ham and Other Pork Tissues for the Detection of Toxoplasma gondii"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5053-8309","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel","family":"Berdejo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Producci\u00f3n Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Arag\u00f3n\u2014IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza\u2014CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Herrero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Producci\u00f3n Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Arag\u00f3n\u2014IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza\u2014CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1417-272X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda Jes\u00fas","family":"Gracia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Patolog\u00eda Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Arag\u00f3n\u2014IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza\u2014CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1204-4356","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ignacio","family":"de Blas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Patolog\u00eda Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Arag\u00f3n\u2014IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza\u2014CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6460-1388","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Regina","family":"L\u00e1zaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Producci\u00f3n Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Arag\u00f3n\u2014IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza\u2014CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1668-4940","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Susana","family":"Bayarri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Producci\u00f3n Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Arag\u00f3n\u2014IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza\u2014CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"511","DOI":"10.47665\/tb.38.4.091","article-title":"Review on diagnosis and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in humans and animals","volume":"38","author":"Uddin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Trop. Biomed."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268800052675","article-title":"Risk factors for recent Toxoplasma infection in pregnant women in Naples","volume":"116","author":"Buffolano","year":"1996","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.321.7254.142","article-title":"Sources of toxoplasma infection in pregnant women: European multicentre case-control study. European Research Network on Congenital Toxoplasmosis","volume":"321","author":"Cook","year":"2000","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1016\/j.micpath.2018.07.041","article-title":"Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii among Manchu pregnant women in northeastern China","volume":"123","author":"Jiang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Microb. Pathog."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"405","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.aje.a008942","article-title":"Risk Factors for Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Pregnancy: Results of a Prospective Case-Control Study in Norway","volume":"144","author":"Kapperud","year":"1996","journal-title":"Am. J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"241","article-title":"Fattori di rischio per la toxoplasmosi in gravidanza in una popolazione del centro Italia [Risk factors for toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in central Italy]","volume":"19","author":"Thaller","year":"2011","journal-title":"Infez. Med."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"438","DOI":"10.2307\/3284082","article-title":"Infectivity of Low Numbers of Toxoplasma gondii Oocysts to Pigs","volume":"82","author":"Dubey","year":"1996","journal-title":"J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"EFSA BIOHAZ Panel (EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards), Koutsoumanis, K., Allende, A., Alvarez-Ord\u00f3\u00f1ez, A., Bolton, D., Bover-Cid, S., Chemaly, M., Davies, R., De Cesare, A., and Herman, L. (2018). Scientific Opinion on the public health risks associated with food-borne parasites. EFSA J., 16, e05495.","DOI":"10.2903\/j.efsa.2018.5495"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2013.10.001","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii within skeletal muscle cells: A critical interplay for food-borne parasite transmission","volume":"44","author":"Swierzy","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"996E","article-title":"Relationship between seroprevalence in the main livestock species and presence of Toxoplasma gondii in meat (GP\/EFSA\/BIOHAZ\/2013\/01) An extensive literature review. Final report","volume":"13","author":"Opsteegh","year":"2016","journal-title":"EFSA Support. Publ."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hill, D.E., and Dubey, J.P. (2014). Toxoplasmosis Circular 1389, U.S. Geological Survey. 1 appendix.","DOI":"10.3133\/cir1389"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2019.04.004","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst formation and density of tissue cysts in shoulders of pigs 7 and 14 days after feeding infected mice tissues","volume":"269","author":"Rani","year":"2019","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-018-2632-z","article-title":"Detection and dissemination of Toxoplasma gondii in experimentally infected calves, a single test does not tell the whole story","volume":"11","author":"Burrells","year":"2018","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tifs.2018.11.009","article-title":"Inactivation of parasite transmission stages: Efficacy of treatments on food of animal origin","volume":"83","author":"Franssen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Trends Food Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fm.2017.04.007","article-title":"Lack of viable parasites in cured \u2018Parma Ham\u2019 (PDO), following experimental Toxoplasma gondii infection of pigs","volume":"66","author":"Genchi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Food Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/S0168-1605(98)00158-5","article-title":"Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in cured meats","volume":"45","author":"Warnekulasuriya","year":"1998","journal-title":"Int. J. Food Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fm.2014.07.003","article-title":"Quantification and viability assays of Toxoplasma gondii in commercial \u201cSerrano\u201d ham samples using magnetic capture real-time qPCR and bioassay techniques","volume":"46","author":"Racero","year":"2015","journal-title":"Food Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fm.2017.02.010","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii in raw and dry-cured ham: The influence of the curing process","volume":"65","author":"Herrero","year":"2017","journal-title":"Food Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.4315\/0362-028X.JFP-11-350","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii in Commercially Available Pork Meat and Cured Ham: A Contribution to Risk Assessment for Consumers","volume":"75","author":"Bayarri","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Food Prot."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fm.2013.08.011","article-title":"Brain is the predilection site of Toxoplasma gondii in experimentally inoculated pigs as revealed by magnetic capture and real-time PCR","volume":"38","author":"Basso","year":"2014","journal-title":"Food Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"555","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2017.12.009","article-title":"Pork as a source of transmission of Toxoplasma gondii to humans: A parasite burden study in pig tissues after infection with different strains of Toxoplasma gondii as a function of time and different parasite stages","volume":"48","author":"Verhaegen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1331","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-019-06229-6","article-title":"Isolation of viable Toxoplasma gondii from organs and Brazilian commercial meat cuts of experimentally infected pigs","volume":"118","author":"Alves","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-4017(97)00135-0","article-title":"Refinement of pepsin digestion method for isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from infected tissues","volume":"74","author":"Dubey","year":"1998","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2239","DOI":"10.4315\/0362-028X-73.12.2239","article-title":"Determination of the Viability of Toxoplasma gondii in Cured Ham Using Bioassay: Influence of Technological Processing and Food Safety Implications","volume":"73","author":"Bayarri","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Food Prot."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"European Union (2010). Directive 2010\/63\/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. Off. J. Eur. Union, L276, 33\u201379. Available online: https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/dir\/2010\/63\/oj\/eng."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2016.05.010","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii: Pig seroprevalence, associated risk factors and viability in fresh pork meat","volume":"15","author":"Herrero","year":"2016","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3117","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-017-5623-7","article-title":"Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in naturally infected domestic pigs in Northern Serbia","volume":"116","author":"Kuruca","year":"2017","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e00194","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fawpar.2023.e00194","article-title":"Inactivation of Toxoplasma gondii in dry sausage and processed pork, and quantification of the pathogen in pig tissues prior to production","volume":"31","author":"Fremaux","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Waterborne Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110079","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodcont.2023.110079","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii in Spanish commercial dry-cured meat products","volume":"155","author":"Gracia","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food Control"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mar\u00edn-Garc\u00eda, P.-J., Planas, N., and Llobat, L. (2022). Toxoplasma gondii in Foods: Prevalence, Control, and Safety. Foods, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods11162542"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1593","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-019-06274-1","article-title":"Genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii Isolated from Pigs for Human Consumption","volume":"118","author":"Miura","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e008721","DOI":"10.1590\/s1984-29612021086","article-title":"High level of infection by Toxoplasma gondii in pigs slaughtered in the city of S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds, Maranh\u00e3o","volume":"30","author":"Silva","year":"2021","journal-title":"Rev. Bras. Parasitol. Vet."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"637","DOI":"10.1089\/fpd.2017.2305","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii, a Foodborne Pathogen in the Swine Production Chain from a European Perspective","volume":"14","author":"Paludi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Foodborne Pathog. Dis."}],"container-title":["Foods"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/14\/24\/4350\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T05:13:50Z","timestamp":1766121230000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/14\/24\/4350"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,17]]},"references-count":33,"journal-issue":{"issue":"24","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]}},"alternative-id":["foods14244350"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/foods14244350","relation":{},"ISSN":["2304-8158"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2304-8158"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,17]]}}}