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                August 2007

31.08.2007: Finland debates over labeling of meat products from animals fed with GM-feed. [1]

Meat from animals fed with imported GM feed does not need to be labeled as GM according EU regulations.

Two Finnish meat producers declared their intention to import GM soya beans for use as pig feed. Agriculture minister Sirkka-Liisa Anttilahat called on the food industry to label use of GM feed on meat products.

Labeling of meat from animals not raised on genetically modified feed is also being discussed in Finland in the hope, that voluntary labeling could enforce the chain of trust between the farmer, the industry and retailers. More than 90 per cent of Finnish consumer agree that meat from GM-reared animals should be labeled as such according a recent survey.

However the price of non-GM soy is growing, compared with GM soy as producers in Brazil switch to GM varieties. This will increase price of non-GM feed meat.

Finland's Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) support voluntary labeling of food products to indicate any use of GM products in the production chain, but not in Finland alone, because of the disadvantage to unlabeled imports coming from other EU states.

According to the European Food Safety Authority statement on the fate of recombinant DNA or proteins in the meat, milk or eggs of animals fed with GM feed, recombinant DNA did not survive passage through the intact gastrointestinal tract of healthy human subjects fed GM soy, nor does gene transfer from GM soy to the microflora of the the small bowel occur. [1]
Following this EFSA statement to the European Commission, there will be no change of EU regulation. Meat and eggs from GM fed animals will remain free of mandatory labeling.


[1] EFSA statement on the fate of recombinant DNA or proteins in the meat, milk or eggs of animals fed with GM feed. 20.06.2007.

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/etc/medialib/efsa/science/gmo/statements.Par.0002.
File.dat/EFSA_statement_DNA_proteins_gastroint.pdf

31.08.2007: Menu labeling in chain restaurants [1]
According to CSPI the bill requiring chain restaurants to list calories on menu boards and calories, saturated and trans fat, sodium, and carbohydrates on printed menus passed the California State Assembly’s appropriations committee.

The food of chain restaurants influences eating habits of large parts of the population. The composition is usualy the same all over the chain. It is therefore useful for parents to know what their kids are continuously eating when they go out. This might lead to more conciousness regarding the nutritional value of what they are eating.

CSPI criticises that the kind of information that is readily available on packaged foods Nutrition Facts labels are not available at restaurants. Such information are important for those who are trying to treat or prevent weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, according to CSPI. More than 20 state and local legislatures are considering menu labeling proposals, and New York City and King County (Seattle), WA, have already adopted menu labeling requirements. Menu labeling in chain restaurants should be made compulsory in Europe.

[1] CSPI Newsroom: Menu Labeling Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Health Advocates Urge Passage in Assembly. 30.08.2007.
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200708301.html

30.08.207: Scandals of tainted meat in Germany used for doner [1] [2]
Tainted meat which was labelled as feed for dogs was used in German Currywurst and doner in kebab shops. This is already the fourth scandal in Baviera. It was unveiled not by food authorities. The driver of a truck which was ordered to deliver the meat to a doner business reported the scandal to the veterinary department.
Officials blame the consumer for looking after the price of food instead of quality. With such arguments the confidence of the consumer regarding food safety weakens.

[1] Deutsche Welle: Germany to Tighten Controls on Spoiled Meat. 8.12.2005
http://www.deutsche-welle.de/dw/article/0,2144,1808099,00.html

[2] Spiegel Online: Ekel-Döner bringt CSU-Minister in Bedrängnis. 30.08.2007
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,502961-2,00.html

28.08.2007: High-fructose corn syrup may cause diabetes [1] [2]
High-fructose corn syrup is being used to sweeten soda, fruit nectars, ice tea, sport drinks, backed goods, and even fruit yoghurt. Its fabulous popularity among manufacturers is based on the fact that it is supposed to be more economical, sweeter and more easy to blend into beverages than table sugar.

According to a study presented by Chi-Tang Ho, Ph.D and colleagues of the Rutgers University, carbonated sodas containing high-fructose corn syrup presented high levels of reactive carbonyls which are blamed to increase the risk of diabetes. These carbonyls are not found in table sugar whose fructose and glucose components are "bound" and chemically stable.

The authors suggest to add tea extract to these products because the epigallocatechin gallate of tea was found to reduce reactive carbonyls, or replace the syrup with regular table sugar.

The study has not been published and the full methodology and data have not been presented yet.

Lona Sandon from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, said the Rutgers study is still inconclusive, but recommends that kids get zero sugary drinks a day, particularly overweight or obese children.

Dr. Barbara B. Kahn, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, says Ho's study needs to be validated by other studies. Kahn recommends to avoid most high-calorie beverages as part of a program to prevent obesity.

The consumer can avoid beverages and foods containing high-fructose corn syrup looking for GLUCOSE-FRUCTOSE SYRUP in the ingredients list at the label. Watch your fruit yoghurt as many fruit compositions used for the yoghurt are based on glucose fructose syrup made from corn or wheat.

[1] Ho, Chi-Tong: Report presented on at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, during the symposium, "Food Bioactives and Nutraceuticals: Production, Chemistry, Analysis and Health Effects: Health Effects." August 23. 2007.

[2] Healthfinder.gov: Theresa Waldron: Sugary Sodas High in Diabetes-Linked Compound But experts say more study is needed to confirm any danger. Healthfinder gov.
http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=607536

28.08.2007: The discounter Plus has to change the look of its Maltonade after copying Bionade
Bionade, is a fermented organic soft drink which uses gluconic bacteria instead of yeasts for its fermentation process.. These bacteria transform sugar in gluconic acid which is sweeter as sugar. This trick lets the the soft-drink taste sweet with little sugar, keeping calories down. These are good news in the fight against obesity. The soft-drink, developed by the German brewer Dieter Leipold, appeals to a certain lifestyle.

The supermarket chain Plus and the brewer Frankfurter Brauhaus running behind the success of Bionade tried to copy the product as near as possible launching Maltonade. A court case ended with plus agreeing to change everything which might look like of Bionade. Beck´s is also trying to enter this market.

[1] Handelsblatt: Bionade kämpft mit Erfolg gegen Plagiate
http://www.handelsblatt.com/news/default.aspx?_t=ft&_p=200038&_b=1314438

Marketing
27.08.2007: Irresponsible marketing strategies put cartoon characters on unhealthy food [1]
Cartoon heroes and villains: Parents are fed up with the way kids' favourite cartoon characters are being exploited to push foods high in fat, sugar and salt

According to Which? Food companies are using popular cartoon characters in a number of ways to promote food to children. Predominantly unhealthy foods are promoting, despite concerns over children’s diets.

Which? Found that 75% of parents think that it is irresponsible for food companies to put cartoon characters on unhealthy foods, and 74% think that they shouldn’t be allowed to use them in this way.

Which? found that cartoon favourites such as Spider-Man, Shrek and The Simpsons are overwhelmingly being used to promote foods which are ‘less healthy’, according to the Food Standards Agency’s definition.

Cartoons on healthy foods such as Winnie the Pooh on bags of Tesco clementines, and ViaCom International’s SpongeBob SquarePants on Volvic Spring Water for example - were very much in the minority.

The BBC, Co-op, Disney and Warner Brothers have all introduced responsible policies restricting these types of promotions.

But overall, most companies that use, own and license the cartoons used on foods high in fat, sugar and salt are still failing to acknowledge the need for effective action.


To classify foods into what should and should not be targeted at children through TV advertising Which? used the nutrient profiling developed by the FSA.
It categorises foods based on their nutrient content. It uses a scoring system which gives foods points according to the levels of nutrients we should eat less of (energy, saturated fats, salt and sugars), and then deducts points for levels of beneficial nutrients (protein, fibre, fruit and vegetables and nuts). Foods and drinks with a score above a certain level are classed as ‘less healthy’ and restrictions on how these foods can be advertised on TV will apply.

Which? thinks this system should be used for other promotions, such as those on the internet. This would help address some of the large gaps in the current rules.

This is not only a UK food industry marketing trick but it involves the whole European Union. The Which? Campaigns should be spread all over the continent.

Food industry tricks [2]
Underhand marketing tricks are increasingly being used to target children, and parents may not even be aware that it's happening. The Which? report 'Childcatchers - the tricks used to push unhealthy food to children' exposed how manufacturers were using competitions, viral marketing and games to promote ‘children’s’ foods high in sugar, salt and fat.
The European Commission does nothing on this account. The UK campaigns of Which? should be an example for the continent where marketing of food for kids behave as used in the wild west.

[1] Which? campaigns: Food industry tricks,Cartoon heroes and villains
http://www.which.co.uk/reports_and_campaigns/food_and_drink/campaigns/kids_food/food_
industry_tricks/camps_cartoonvillains_559_118376.jsp

[2] Which? campaigns: Food industry tricks, Childcatchers
http://www.which.co.uk/reports_and_campaigns/food_and_drink/campaigns/kids_food/food
_industry_tricks/industry_marketing_tricks_campaigns_559_111547.jsp

Avian flue
26.08.2007: New outbreak of avian flue in Bavaria, Germany
The H5N1 virus has been confirmed at a poultry farm at Wachenroth, Erlangen-Höchstadt in Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany. According to Ursula Huber from the German agricultural ministry 160.000  animals were culled, and the farm was sealed off. About 400 geese had died on the 24.of August 2007. Farmers are ordered to keep poultry indoors.

The health officials advice the public not to eat food products containing raw eggs, as already 190 death were caused worldwide by the virus H5N1 since 2003. With this new outbreak in Germany heavy financial losses come over the poultry business.

Marketing
23.08.2007: Shoppers Being 'Hoodwinked' on Salt Labelling [1]
According to a report from LACORS less than half of the foods tested had achieved the specific salt reduction targets for 2010, and unclear labelling risks misleading customers.

LACORS says that the serving sizes of some products are being tailored to produce lower salt content per serving on the label. Some foods have been labelled with the salt content for a serving size so small when clearly most people would eat far more than this.

According to Cllr Geoffrey Theobald OBE, Chairman of LACORS some manufacturers misled consumer deliberately quoting unreasonably small portion sizes on their packaging to mask the true salt content of their products. The ‘salt per serving’ unit should be a realistic quantity and not one that provides a false sense of security to people buying the product.

Comparing the bad marketing practices using deceiving salt labelling in UK with the situation on the continent, it is disappointing that Traffic Light and salt labelling are not used there at all. This is a big compliment to regulators in UK which tackled this problem whereas their colleagues ducked their heads in front of the lobby of food corporations.

[1] LACORS: Shoppers Being 'Hoodwinked' on Salt Labelling - New Report Warns
http://www.lacors.gov.uk/lacors/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?N=0&Ne=0+2000+3000+4000+5000+
6000+7000+8000+9000+10000+11000&id=17350

Western Diet
18.08.2007: Increased risk of colorectal cancer recurrence associated with the high calorie, low fibre dietary pattern [1]
Jeffrey Meyerhardt and colleagues from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, studied the association of dietary pattern and risk of cancer recurrence in stage III colon cancer patients. They found that a diet characterized by higher intakes of red and processed meats, sweets and desserts, French fries, and refined grains increases the risk of cancer recurrence and decreases survival.
The authors say that eighty per cent of colorectal cancers may be preventable by dietary changes.

The researchers compared dietary pattern characterized by high intakes of fruits and vegetables, poultry, and fish with the Western pattern, characterized by high intakes of meat, fat, refined grains, and dessert.

The researchers found that a diet with a higher correspondence to the Western dietary pattern after cancer diagnosis were at a significant increase in the risk of cancer recurrence or death. The top 20 per cent of people with the greatest Western-style diet were 3.3 times more likely to have cancer recurrence or death that those with least Western-style diet.

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (1993–2000) [2]
A study by E. Kesse and colleagues concerning the data of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (1993–2000), linked people with a  "Western" diet pattern to a significantly increased risk of the cancer.

The study made a comparision between four dietary patterns:
“Healthy”: (Vegetables, fruit, yogurt, sea products, and olive oil). This diet was found to have the lowest recurrence risk of all other diets.
“Western”: (Potatoes, pizzas and pies, sandwiches, sweets, cakes, cheese, cereal products, processed meat, eggs, and butter). An increased risk of adenoma with high scores of higher risk of colorectal tumors was observed.
“Drinker”: (Sandwiches, snacks, processed meat, and alcoholic beverages) High risk was found.
“Meat eaters": (Meat, poultry, and margarine). It was positively associated with colorectal cancer risk.

Western diet and high fructose diet blamed as “toxic environment” [3]
Robert Lustig from the University of California blames the "toxic environment" of Western diets to cause hormonal imbalances that encourage overeating by its increased energy density, high-fat content, high glycemic index, increased fructose composition, decreased fiber, and decreased dairy content.
Lustig blames in particular, too much fructose and not enough fiber as the cornerstones of the obesity and diabetes epidemic.

[1] Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt; Donna Niedzwiecki; Donna Hollis; Leonard B. Saltz; Frank B. Hu; Robert J. Mayer; Heidi Nelson; Renaud Whittom; Alexander Hantel; James Thomas; Charles S. Fuchs: Association of Dietary Patterns With Cancer Recurrence and Survival in Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer JAMA. 2007;298:754-764.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/298/7/754

[2] E Kesse, F Clavel-Chapelon, and MC Boutron-Ruault : Dietary Patterns and Risk of Colorectal Tumors: A Cohort of French Women of the National Education System (E3N). Am. J. Epidemiol. 2006 164: 1085-1093; doi:10.1093/aje/kwj324
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/164/11/1085

[3] University of San Francisco: Childhood obesity caused by "toxic environment" of Western diets, study says. News:11 August 2006
http://pub.ucsf.edu/newsservices/releases/200608105/

Ingredients
18.08.2007: Nanotechnology and preservatives
Nanotechnology in paticles of 30 nm is used to encapsulate preservatives like sorbic and benzoic acids. The the micelles are soluble in both water and oil and can applied on surfaces like sausage casings, and citrus fruits, or on equipment used by food manufacturers and other industries, or cheese rinds where natamycin, an antibiotic, could be replaced, preventing surface mould growth,

Sorbic and benzoic acid been limited to the more acidic end of the pH scale, since performance decreases above pH4 and above pH6 they are almost totally ineffectual. With the new technology the preservatives may be used not only in sour foods, but also in mild tasting products.

The sodium or potassium salt forms of sorbic and benzoic acid are being used, because the free-acids have low-solubility, however these salts taste bitter. With nanoiparticles the tasteless acid form may be used.

The use of chemical preservatives are being continuously reduced following an improvement of hygienic conditions of the production, cleaning and disinfection of equipment and modern packaging technology. Sanitation and HACCP systems enabled food production with reduced chemical ingredients.

15.08.2007: German Food Industry Hides Unwanted Facts [1]
German food labelling will not adopt the English traffic light colours to label nutritional facts.
Food industry says that some foods types are unhealthy at all and there is no food to choose from which could be better. Red colour would stigmatise this group of foods.

However, why shouldn´t be there red colour on it? Wouldn´t it be right for the consumer to see red on carbohydrates buying Mars or red on fat when he buys bacon, and why not put red colour on carbohydrates on fruit nectars and soft drinks for children?

The colours are basic informations which, at a glance, may lead the consumer to recognize his wrong choice.  German food industry chooses a confusing labelling to avoid loss of sales of products which foster obesity, diabetes an coronary diseases.

The confusion of the German labeling is chaotic:
Germans label the content of the whole volume of the package.
Nobody will eat 250 ml of Mayonnaise or a dressing as one serving so he does not know the difference between both. Percentage and the right colour as in UK would had been an honest information.

Informations on the front of the packaging should be concise to be understood in fractions of seconds. The Colours Red, Yellow and Green from UK labelling are consumer friendly. The German solution followed the marketing strategy of food producers hiding unwanted facts.


[1] Nestlé und die Nährwertkennzeichnung
http://ernaehrungsstudio.nestle.de/start/ernaehrungwissen/Naehrwertkennzeichnung/?sid=
3ef53575-15be-4fbe-bb57-07a194ebed84

[2] OurFood-news: 12.07.2007: Markleting strategies
http://www.ourfood-news.com/ArchivesJuly2007.html

Body-building
15.08.2007: Fat-free fluid milk promotes a greater positive protein balance than does soy protein [1]
Hartman and colleagues 2007 found that consumption of fat-free fluid milk after resistance exercise promotes better results on training-induced lean mass accretion.

The researchers compared drinks immediately and again 1 h after exercise:
Fat-free milk with a drink of fat-free soy protein that was isoenergetic, isonitrogenous, and macronutrient ratio matched to Milk and a third drink of maltodextrin that was isoenergetic with Milk and Soy.