December 2007 - OurFood-news

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31.12.2007: Infant formula made from soy protein is no substitute for cow’s milk products [1]
Soya formula for infants should only be administered on doctor’s advice
According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfA)If a mother is unable to breastfeed her baby, she can fall back on infant formula from the drug store or supermarket.  However, soybeans contain high concentrations of isoflavones genistein and daidzein. Besides isoflavones, soy formula may also contain phytate. The natural plant component can influence the intake of minerals and trace elements. Furthermore, soybeans may also contain higher amounts of the plant component, phytate. Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel, President of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), comments, "Infant formula and follow-up formula made from soy protein should only be administered on medical grounds and then only under medical supervision."

[1] BfR: Infant formula made from soy protein is no substitute for cow’s milk products. 19.11.2007
http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/10333


30.12.2007: Isolated Isoflavones not without risk [1]
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfA) stresses that soy and red clover contain isoflavones. These phytoestrogens can have a hormone-like effect. There are reports that Asian women who follow a traditional diet and regularly consume soy products scarcely suffer at all from menopausal complaints. The Bfa, however, reminds that a distinction must be made between whether bioactive compounds are ingested naturally from food or in iso-lated, fortified form via food supplements.

In Germany food supplements with isolated isoflavones have been available on the market as an alternative to the prescribed hormone replacement therapy for menopausal complaints. The products are claimed to be efficacious natural products on menopausal complaints as well as other advantageous health effects on the heart, bones and breasts without any side effects.

Adverse effects of soy/red clover-containing products do not refer to uniform sets of symptoms and point to allergic reactions and/or other causes, perhaps to the basic symptoms of the menopausal complaints of the persons concerned. The adverse effects are linked to various food supplements including ones which contain or contained other possible causal substances besides isoflavones, like nicotinic acid - a source of niacin.

The health assessment of isoflavone-containing food supplements, made by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) found that the assumed positive effects of isolated isoflavones on menopausal complaints were found to be not sufficiently substantiated. BfR calls for more studies on the toxicological risks of phytoestrogens of these products.

Toxicological studies showed that high does of isoflavones, impair the functioning of the thyroid gland and can change mammary gland tissue. It cannot be ruled out that these estrogen-like effects could promote the development of breast cancer.

At the present time, the claimed favourable effects of isolated isoflavones must be deemed to be not sufficiently scientifically substantiated.

The BfR advises against the long-term intake of these products given the unproven positive effects and the serious health consequences for meno-pausal women which cannot be ruled out. BfR concludes that the safety of products containing isolated isoflavones on a soy or red clover basis has not been sufficiently proven. In addition, BfR concludes that there are health risks with low probability from food supplements of this kind for women during and after menopause.

[1] Federal Institute for Risk Assessment: Isolated isoflavones are not without risk. 29 October 2007
http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/245/isolated_isoflavones_are_not_without_risk.pdf

28.12.2007: Constituents of printing inks in beverages from cartons [1] [2]
According to the German Federal Institute For Risk Assessment (BfR) the occurrence of a chemical in a food does not in itself constitute a risk to health. It is the harmfulness of the substance and the degree to which the consumer comes into contact with the substance that determines the scale of possible damage and the probability that it will occur. Residues of printing inks in foods may, therefore, be safe but they may equally constitute a serious risk to health.

Given the lack of data, a health assessment is frequently not possible at the present time. As the manufacturers bear responsibility for the safety of their products, they should do everything in their power to prevent the migration of substances of this kind to foods and put together the data needed for a health assessment.

The printing inks may contain the photo initiator isopropyl thioxanthone (ITX). Public agencies in Italy and Germany have detected residues of ITX in foods from cartons. Cartons for beverages like milk, cocoa or juice are often printed in different colours and have benn found to contain the ITX compound. Also olive oil has been found to be contaminated with ITX.

ITX is contained in UV-hardening printing inks. The cardboard used to make the packaging may be transported on rollers to the food filling plant and then moulded on site into the corresponding packaging. Constituents of the printing inks applied to the outer packaging material can, by means of spread (set-off), reach the inside that comes into contact with food.

Furthermore, there may be migration through the packaging material in the case of pre-moulded packaging unless effective barrier layers, e.g. aluminium foils, have been applied. BfR has examined the available toxicological data for the chemical isopropyl thioxanthone (ITX).

In line with the assessment scheme of the European Food Safety Authority and customary assessment practice at BfR and regarding substances used in the production of food commodities, the available data on the exclusion of genotoxicity are only sufficient to evaluate substances with a maximum migration level of 50 microgram/kg food. As, however, the ITX measurements in Germany revealed far higher levels, additional data would be needed for toxicological assessment. BfR does not have the necessary data on toxic effects, bioavailability or toxicokinetics of the substance.

Actions
Talks between the Plastics Committee and representatives of the printing ink industry at BfR revealed that no technology is currently available to prevent the migration of substances from printing inks to food through a set-off effect or because of penetration of the packaging material. Nor is this situation likely to change in the short term.

A larger manufacturer of beverage cartons has informed BfR that it switched to a new printing method for infant and baby food on 30 September 2005. It no longer uses any UVhardening printing inks in order to prevent migration of ITX from the package to the food. All packaging materials for milk and fat-containing products are to follow suit by 31 December 2005 and juice products by 31 January 2006.

The phenomenon of the migration of constituents from printing inks used on the outer packaging to foods as a consequence of both penetration of the packaging material and set-off to the inner packaging is a fundamental issue. Set-off cannot, in principle, be ruled out for any
packaging material processed on rollers or in stacks. Besides the data on ITX, BfR is also aware of migration findings from packaging to food for other photo initiators used in printing inks like 2-ethylhexyl-4-dimethyl aminobenzoate and 4,4’-bis(diethylamino)-benzophenone and 4,4’-bis(dimethylamino)-benzophenone. BfR is, therefore, of the opinion that there is an urgent need to lay down requirements for the use of printing inks for food commodities on the European level.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is offering a guidebook for families and households to plan for infectious disease. HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt released Pandemic Influenza Planning: A Guide for Individuals and Families January 6.

[1] Constituents of printing inks in beverages from cartons. BfR Expert Opinion No. 044/2005, 25 November 2005
http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/230/constituents_of_printing_inks_in_beverages_from_cartons.pdf

[2] Printing inks in foods: Health assessment not possible owing to lack of data
http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/7486


27.12.2007: Avian influenza in Brandenburg, near Berlin [1]
New cases of avian influenza by H5N1 virus were confirmed in various locations in Brandenburg, near Berlin. Health officials disposed a quarantine zone around the affected farms. All birds were culled. Cats and dogs should be kept indoor to avoid contact dead wild bird bearing H5N1 virus.

The European Union’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health issued the following recommendations for areas where H5N1 has been confirmed in wild birds:

•   Sick or dead cats and dogs should not be touched and the veterinary authorities should be informed, so that post-mortem examination and further testing can be performed.
•   Contacts between domestic pets, particularly cats, and wild birds should be prevented, i.e. cats should be kept indoors and dogs should be kept on a leash or otherwise restrained, and kept under control by the owner.

All pet owners are advised to stay alert to reports of H5N1 infections in either migratory waterfowl or domestic poultry in their local area and the possible need to quarantine dogs and cats accordingly.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is offering a guidebook for families and households to plan for infectious disease. HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt released Pandemic Influenza Planning: A Guide for Individuals and Families January 6. [2] Guidebook

A specific vaccine for humans that is effective against avian influenza has not yet been approved. Based upon limited data, the Centers for Disease Control have suggested that the anti-viral medication Oseltamavir (brand name-Tamiflu) may be effective in preventing or treating avian influenza.

Please see the State Department's publication "Meeting the Challenge of Bird Flu" for more background on the U.S. commitment, the science and response to bird flu. [3] Meeting the challenge

[1] Ministerium für Ländliche Entwicklung, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz (MLUV): Vogelgrippe in Brandenburg.
http://www.mluv.brandenburg.de/cms/detail.php/lbm1.c.279974.de

[2] Guidelines for families and households to plan for infectious disease
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/guide.pdf

[3] CDC: Meeting the challenge of bird flue.
http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/img/assets/5096/120105_birdflu_2.pdf

23.12.2007: Pectin[1]
E440 (i) Pectin or pectic acid
E440 (ii) Amidated pectin
The main use for pectin is as a gelling agent, thickening agent and stabilizer in food.
Pectin is present in aerial parts of plants as an important structural element, and has stabilizing
functions and controls water balance.

Pectin content of raw material
The raw material are the residues of juices, the peel off skin or trash-out of sunflower.
Pomace and sugar beet chips have around 15%, sunflower infructescence have 20% and citrus peels such as orange and grape fruit have 30% pectin. Other fruits such as mango, pumpkin, squash and vegetables such as chicory are being analysed for the production of pectin.

Pectin is used in the production of jams, confectionery articles, such as gummi bears without gelatine, baked and dairy products or in the nonfood industry, such as in cosmetics and pharmaceutics. Pectin is being highly appreciated by vegetarians, by certain ethnic groups classifying it as Halal or Kosher. It is also a response to the BSE crysis.

Pectin is a heteropolysaccharides with polygalacturonic acid as main component, partially esterified with methanol. Heteropolysaccharide are polysaccharides containing more than one type of saccharide, such as xylose, galactose or arabinose which are linked as side chains to the pectin macromolecules and the rupture of the main chain caused by rhamnose.

Classification of pectin
Pectins are divided into three groups on the basis of their different gelling properties.
In nature, around 80% of carboxyl groups of galacturonic acid are esterified with methanol. This proportion is decreased more or less during pectin extraction. The ratio of esterified to non-esterified galacturonic acid determines the behaviour of pectin in food applications. This is why pectins are classified as high- vs. low-ester pectins - or in short HM vs. LM-pectins, with more or less than half of all the galacturonic acid esterified.

High methoxyl pectin: has a degree of esterification of more than 50 % Acetylation prevents gel-formation but increases the stabilisation and emulsifying effects of pectin.

Low methoxyl pectin: has less than 50 % esterification. Its gelling properties does not depend on acid or sugar content. The salt of partially esterified pectins are called pectinates, if the degree of esterification is below 5% the salts are called pectates, the insoluble acid form, pectic acid.

Amidated pectin: is a modified form of pectin. Here, some of the galacturonic acid is converted with ammonia to carboxylic acid amide. These pectins are more tolerant of varying calcium concentrations that occur in use. Amid Pectins are produced by suspending dried pectin in alcohol and deesterified with ammonia. Amidated pectins behave like low-ester pectins but need less calcium and are more tolerant of excess calcium. Also, gels from amidated pectin are thermo-reversible - they can be heated and after cooling solidify again, whereas conventional pectin-gels will afterwards remain liquid.

Gelidification
Degree of Esterification influences gelling properties. Very high esterified pectins jellifie
quicker i.e. at higher temperatures than less high esterified pectins. They will
also form more elastic and brittle gel textures. Pectin stabilises mixed fruit yoghurt as well in layered products where they avoid the fruit part to get mixed with the yoghurt. In acidified milk drinks high ester pectins protect the protein at a low pH range during the pasteurization process

Instant pectins
Commercial instant pectins are made in a granulation process creating a porous structure, speeding the dispersion of the pectin in water.

Liquid pectine
It is a watery solution of pectin used as gelling agent in industry and home use.

Other raw materials for pectin production
Pectin extraction in the presence of alcohols [2]
Kirtchev and colleagues discussed the extraction process. They found that addition of low molecular alcohols in concentrations from 1% to 3% to the acid extraction resulted in an acceleration of extraction and increase in the pectin yield by 55–90%. Ethylene glycol, glycerol and diethylene glycol had a better effect than monohydric alcohols.
The authors concluded that the addition of alcohols resulted in a measurable increase in the pectin gel strength. Extraction time was found to be 25 minutes

Microwave pretreatment [3]
Kratchanova and colleagues found that the pretreatment of fruit raw material such as orange with microwave pretreatment led to destruction of the parenchymal cell and inactivation of endogenous enzymes of the peels. Increased pectin yields from 190% to 250% and improvement of the quality of pectin were found.

Pectin from chicory [4]
Robert and colleagues report that the maximum pectin yields of 4.65 and 4.62 per cent were obtained from the Melci and Nausica varieties, respectively, using an acidic treatment at 85 degrees Celsius.

The galacturonic acid content of pectins was reported to range from 43 to 53 per cent, with no significant differences observed during development or varieties.

Extraction and characterization of pectins from cocoa husks [5]
Mollea and colleagues investigated cocoa husks, a by-product of cocoa processing, as a source of pectins. Best yields were found by the authors with minced husks after 1 h of extraction at pH 2.5. methyl and acetyl ester contents were determined by the researchers.

Extraction and rheological properties of pectin from fresh peach pomace [6]
Pagán and Ibarz reported that highest yields of pectin from fresh peach pomace were obtained at 80°C at pH 1,20 a study of the extraction of pectin from fresh peach pomace. Rheologic properties of the obtained pectin were analysed by the authors.
Comparisons between different techniques for water-based extraction of pectin from orange peels [7]
Yeoh and colleagues found that the greatest total amount of pectin yield using microwave extraction of orange peel was 5.27% on a dry basis for 15 min of extraction at pH l,5. According to the authors, the greatest amount of material per unit time was obtained after 5 min, which was the same amount as that extracted using Soxhlet extraction for 3 h. Extraction for 5 minutes, pH 1,54 and solvent systems containing ethanol and EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid), doubled the amount of pectin extracted as compared with distilled water extraction.

Water-based extraction of pectin from flavedo and albedo of orange peels [8]
Liu, Shi and Langrish found that the amount of pectin extracted reduces as the pH increased, and microwave extraction showed a much higher extraction rate by a factor of 120, compared with Soxlet extraction. The authors found that pectin existed mainly in the albedo, but the flavedo still contained 27% of the amount of pectin in the total extract, and 2.2% in the dried. The combination of hand-pressure and microwave on pectin yield from flavedo was 12% better were found by the authors as resulting in highest yield.

Pectins from ambarella peels [9]
Extraction and use of pectins from ambarella peels were assessed by Koubala and colleagues. The authors found that extraction with oxalic acid/ammonium oxalate solution gave the highest pectin yield, with high molar mass and degree of methylation.

Sugar beet pulp pectin extracts [10]
Extraction of pectins from sugar beet pulp in an aqueous acid medium under different conditions of pH, temperature and time were analysed by Yapo and colleagues. They found that most of the extracted pectins were surface-active, and some of them were quite able to produce and stabilize with effectiveness oil-in-water emulsions. Yield, physico-chemical characteristics and surface properties of acid extracted pectins from sugar beet pulp were found to be influenced by the extraction conditions.

Pectin from butterecup squash fruit [11]
O’Donoghue and SomerfieldI examined the gelation properties of pectins isolated from buttercup squash (Cucurbita maxima × Cucurbita moshata), flesh tissue. The authors found that extraction with HNO3 formed only weak gels, citric acid-extracted pectin were already forming solid structure at 90°C, similar to a commercial rapid-set pectin, while a sol-gel transition began for the HCl-extracted samples at <70°C, similar to a commercial slow-set pectin. Longer extraction and removal of starch by enzyme digestion affected isolated pectin chain length and esterification.

Pectic substances of Mango [12]
Kratchanova and colleagues studied the pectin composition of peels and fruit pulp of two Guinean mango varieties. The polyuronide content of the dried fruit material varied from 14·6 to 21·3% depending on the type of raw material (variety and part of the fruit) and methods of treatment prior to drying. By hydrochloric acid extraction at 85°C and pH = 1·5, the pectic substances were extracted most fully from the dried mango peels.

The following composition were found by the authors: galacturonic acid (40–70%); arabinose (2-4%); rhamnose (1-2%); xylose (1-7%); mannose (1-3%); galactose (14-22%) and glucose (8-22%).

Effect of extraction conditions on some physicochemical characteristics of pectins from mango peels [13]
Koubala and colleagues studied the extraction and composition of pectns from mango peels. The authors found that physicochemical behaviour of pectins could be influenced by the extraction .The ammonium oxalate-extracted mango pectins presented a good recovery yield, a high average molar mass and intrinsic viscosity and a high degree of methylation, and is indicated for industrially uses. or their gelling properties.

Pectins from banana peels [14]
Emaga and colleagues studied the pectin extraction of pectin from banana peels. The authors found that lower pH values negatively affected the galacturonic acid content of pectin, but increased the pectin yield. The values of degree of methylation decreased significantly with increasing temperature and time of extraction.

Pumpkin pectin extraction with enzymes [15]
Ptichkina and colleagues presented an optimised procedure for extraction of pectin from pumpkin pulp, using an enzyme preparation from Aspergillus awamori. In contrast to pumpkin pectin extraction with Bacillus polymyxa, the pectin prepared with Aspergillus awamori forms gels with 60 wt% sucrose at pH 3, although the yield is somewhat lower (14% in comparison with 22%). Some possible medicinal and food uses are suggested.

Pectin extraction from peach pomace [16]
Faravash and Ashtiani analysed the effects of acid volume, acid-washing time and pH variation during different stages of pectic substances extraction process on the yield of pectic substances isolation from dried mixed varieties of peach pomace is investigated. Ethanol-to-extract ratio (ER) as a new parameter and extract evaporation are defined to investigate their influence on the yield of pectic substances extraction. The effect of ethanol-to-extract ratio on the degree of esterification of pectic substances was determined by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) method.

Cholesterol removal in liquid egg yolk using high methoxyl pectins [17]
Garcia and colleagues developed a process to reduce cholesterol in liquid in egg yolk in watery solution using high methoxyl pectins The most important variables influencing the process were dilution level of egg yolk, ionic strength, and pH of yolk suspension, as well as the amount of pectin gel used in the extraction. The egg yolk contends of cholesterol and protein decreased to 14.4% and 88.6%, respectively.

[1] Wikipedia: Pectin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectin

[2]Kirtchev, N.; Panchev, I.; Kratchanov, Chr.: Pectin extraction in the presence of alcohols. Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 11, Issue 4, 1989, Pages 257-263 sciencedirect

[3] Kratchanova, M.; Pavlova, E.; I. Panchev, I.: The effect of microwave heating of fresh orange peels on the fruit tissue and quality of extracted pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 56, Issue 2, 4 June 2004, Pages 181-185. Doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2004.01.009 sciencedirect

[4] Robert, C.; Emaga, T.H; . Wathelet, B.; Paquot, M.: Effect of variety and harvest date on Pectin extracted from chicory roots (Cichorium intybus L.). Food Chemistry (Elsevier) Published on-line ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.013

[5] Mollea, C. ; Chiampo, F. ; Conti, R.: Extraction and characterization of pectins from cocoa husks: A preliminary studyFood Chemistry, Volume 107, Issue 3, 1 April 2008, Pages 1353-1356. Doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.09.006 sciencedirect

[6] Pagán,J.; Ibarz, A.: Extraction and rheological properties of pectin from fresh peach pomace
Journal of Food Engineering, Volume 39, Issue 2, February 1999, Pages 193-201 sciencedirect

[7] Yeoh, S.; Shi, J.; Langrish, T.A.G.: Comparisons between different techniques for water-based extraction of pectin from orange peels
Desalination, Volume 218, Issues 1-3, 5 January 2008, Pages 229-237
sciencedirect

[8] Liu, Y.; Shi, J.; Langrish, T.A.G.: Water-based extraction of pectin from flavedo and albedo of orange peels. Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 120, Issue 3, 15 July 2006, Pages 203-209 sciencedirect

[9] Koubala, B.B.; Mbome, L.I.; Kansci, G.; Tchouanguep Mbiapo F.; Crepeau, M-J.; Thibault, J,_F.; Ralet, M.C.: Physicochemical properties of pectins from ambarella peels (Spondias cytherea) obtained using different extraction conditions. Food Chemistry, Volume 106, Issue 3, 1 February 2008, Pages 1202-1207 sciencedirect

[10] Yapo, B.M.; Robert, C.; Etienne, I.; Wathelet, B. Paquot, M.: Effect of extraction conditions on the yield, purity and surface properties of sugar beet pulp pectin extracts
Food Chemistry, Volume 100, Issue 4,2007, Pages 1356-1364 sciencedirect

[11] O’Donoghue, E.M. Somerfield, S.D.: Biochemical and rheological properties of gelling pectic isolates from buttercup squash fruit Food Hydrocolloids. Available online 27 July 2007 sciencedirect

[12] Kratchanova, M.; Bénémou, Cécé.; Kratchanov, Chr: On the pectic substances of mango fruits. Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 15, Issue 3, 1991, Pages 271-282 sciencedirect

[13] Koubala, B.B.; Kansci, G.; Mbome, L.I.; Crépeau, M.-J.; Thibault J.-F. ; RaletM.-C.:: Effect of extraction conditions on some physicochemical characteristics of pectins from “Améliorée” and “Mango” mango peels. Food Hydrocolloids, Available online 31 July 2007 sciencedirect

[14] Emaga, Thomas Happi; Ronkart, Sébastien N.; Robert, Christelle; Wathelet, Bernard; Paquot, Michel: Characterisation of pectins extracted from banana peels (Musa AAA) under different conditions using an experimental design. Food Chemistry, Available online 6 November 2007 sciencedirect

[15] Ptichkina, N.M.; Markina, O.A.; Rumyantseva, G.N. : Pectin extraction from pumpkin with the aid of microbial enzymes. Food Hydrocolloids, Volume 22, Issue 1, January 2008, Pages 192-195 sciencedirect

[16] Faravash, Ram Sanati; Ashtiani, Farzin Zokaee: The influence of acid volume, ethanol-to-extract ratio and acid-washing time on the yield of pectic substances extraction from peach pomace. Food Hydrocolloids, Volume 22, Issue 1, January 2008, Pages 196-202 sciencedirect

[17]Luis A.; Freitas, Jackson F.: Cholesterol removal in liquid egg yolk using high methoxyl pectins. Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 69, Issue 1, 1 May 2007, Pages 72-78 sciencedirect



20.12.2007: CSPI calls for more FDA funding and a modern law[1]
CSPI highlights several hot topics in food safety in their year´s report:

•   Disparities in funding. Outbreaks from FDA-regulated foods account for two-thirds of outbreaks in CSPI’s database from 1990-2005, but FDA’s food safety expenditures are only about a third of the federal food safety budget.
•   Virus-caused outbreaks. Foodborne illnesses caused by viruses have quadrupled in recent years. They accounted for just seven percent of outbreaks between 1990 and 1997, but 30 percent of outbreaks between 1998-2005. Eighty-eight percent of virus outbreaks are caused by the Norovirus, which can cause vomiting and acute diarrhea.
•    Produce-related outbreaks. CSPI identified the most common food/pathogen combinations in outbreaks linked to fruits and vegetables. Norovirus and Salmonella were the two most prevalent pathogens, with Norovirus most often affecting salad greens and fruits, and Salmonella showing up on sprouts, salad greens, melons and potatoes.
•   Unpasteurized dairy. “Raw” dairy products, even though they represent a tiny fraction of the market, were associated with 30 percent of dairy-related outbreaks, including 70 percent of milk outbreaks.
•   The CSPI urges Congress to modernize food safety laws, including consideration of legislation to establish a unified, independent food-safety agency with increased authority to recall foods and penalize violating companies. CSPI, together with the Alliance for a Stronger FDA is lobbying for increased funding for the agency.

The CSPI says that U.S. food safety laws are antiquated and were never designed to deal with modern issues such as escalating imports, bioterrorism, or tainted produce, The recent outbreaks serve as a reminder that more funding and a modern law are needed to protect the food supply.

[1] CSPI: Produce and Poultry Top Causes of “Illnesses Linked to Outbreaks”. December 20, 2007
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200712201.html

20.12.2007 Nanotechnology is not welcome in foods [1]
According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the majority of consumers view the development of nanotechnology favourably. However, many are against the use of nanoparticles in food.

The majority are against the use of nanotechnology in food: 69 percent of the respondents reject the use of nanoadditives in spices to prevent them from becoming lumpy. 84 percent do not want any foods whose appearance has been rendered more appealing for longer through the use of nanoparticles.

[1] Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): The majority of consumers view the development of nanotechnology favourably. 19.12.2007.
http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/10563

13.12.2007: Disagreement between epidemiological/ observational studies and randomised clinical trials [1]

                                                                 Observational study
In statistics the goal of an observational study is to draw inferences about the possible effect of a treatment on subjects, where the assignment of subjects into a treated group versus a control group is outside the control of the investigator. This is in contrast with controlled experiments, such as randomized controlled trials, where each subject is randomly assigned to a treated group or a control group before the start of the treatment.

A major challenge in conducting observational studies is to draw inferences that are acceptably free from influences by overt biases, as well as to assess the influence of potential hidden biases.
A bias is a prejudice in a general or specific sense, usually in the sense for having a preference to one particular point of view or ideological perspective. However, one is generally only said to be biased if one's powers of judgement are influenced by the biases one holds, to the extent that one's views could not be taken as being neutral or objective, but instead as subjective.

Observational studies serve a wide range of purposes, on a continuum from the discovery of new findings to the confirmation or refutation of previous finding. Some studies are essentially exploratory and raise interesting hypotheses. Others pursue clearly defined hypotheses in available data. In yet another type of studies, the collection of new data is planned carefully on the basis of an existing hypothesis. [2]

STROBE: In 2007, several prominent medical researchers issued the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement, in which they called for observational studies to conform to 22 criteria that would make their conclusions easier to understand and generalise. [2]  Download STROBE

                                                     Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a type of scientific experiment most commonly used in testing healthcare services. 'RCTs are considered the most reliable form of scientific evidence in healthcare because they eliminate spurious causality and bias'. RCTs are mainly used in clinical studies, but are also employed in other sectors such as judicial, educational, and social research. involve the random allocation of different interventions (or treatments) to subjects. This ensures that known and unknown confounding factors are evenly distributed between treatment groups.

Traditionally the control in randomized controlled trials refers to studying a group of treated patients not in isolation but in comparison to other groups of patients, the control groups, who by not receiving the treatment under study give investigators important clues to the effectiveness of the treatment, its side effects, and the parameters that modify these effects.

Open trial
In an open trial, the researcher knows the full details of the treatment, and so does the patient. These trials are open to challenge for bias, and they do nothing to reduce the placebo effect. However, sometimes they are unavoidable, particularly in relation to surgical techniques, where it may not be possible or ethical to hide from the patient which treatment he or she received. Usually this kind of study design is used in bioequivalence studies.

Blind trials
Single-blind trial
In a single-blind trial, the researcher knows the details of the treatment but the patient does not. Because the patient does not know which treatment is being administered (the new treatment or another treatment) there might be no placebo effect.

Double-blind trial
In a double bling trial, one researcher allocates a series of numbers to 'new treatment' or 'old treatment'. The second researcher is told the numbers, but not what they have been allocated to. Since the second researcher does not know, they cannot possibly tell the patient, directly or otherwise, and cannot give in to patient pressure to give them the new treatment. Therefore double-blind (or randomized) trials are preferred, as they tend to give the most accurate results.

Triple-blind trial
The most common meaning is that the subject, researcher and person administering the treatment are blinded to what is being given. Alternately, it may mean that the patient, researcher and statician are blinded.

Difficulties
A major difficulty in dealing with trial results comes from commercial, political and/or academic pressure. Most trials are expensive to run, and will be the result of significant previous research, which is itself not cheap. There may be a political issue at stake (compare or vested interests . In such cases there is great pressure to interpret results in a way which suits the viewer, and great care must be taken by researchers to maintain emphasis on clinical facts.

 The Tatsioni analysis on disagreements between epidemiological/ observational studies and           
                                                                  randomised clinical trials [3]
Athina Tatsioni and colleagues evaluated the citations for two highly cited observational studies for cardiovascular benefits associated with vitamin E supplementation and publications related to the protective effects of beta-carotene on cancer and estrogen on Alzheimer’s disease They looked for an explanation how these benefits continue to be defended in literature, despite contradicting evidence from large RCTs.

In this trial despite the eventual accumulation of strongly refuting evidence, even in 2005, half of the articles citing these epidemiological studies were still favourable to the vitamin E claim.

The same situation was observed for beta-carotene, said the authors. "In 2006 more than half of the articles citing the highly cited epidemiologic articles on beta-carotene for cancer prevention remained favourable for these interventions.

The authors concluded that Claims from highly cited observational studies persist and continue to be supported in the medical literature despite strong contradictory evidence from randomized trials. According to the authors differential interpretation, inappropriate entrenchment of old information, lack of dissemination of newer data, or purposeful silencing of their existence is to be blamed for this situation

                Controversity of results between observational and randomized clinical trials [4]
According to Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition research may seem to contradict itself, however, that should not be interpreted to mean one type of study trumps another, particularly when different studies ask and answer different questions. Seemingly conflicting data can exist side by side, when one understands that not all studies are asking the same questions in the same populations.

Dr. Shao says “this suggests that researchers interpret research differently, depending on their bias and expertise. For pure scientific purposes, here’s a valid hypothesis to test: conduct a trial on secondary prevention in heart patients with a lifetime of bad habits that likely contributed to their heart disease to determine if a nutrient might provide some benefit. But it’s not valid to conclude from the results of that study that the nutrient doesn’t work. We can’t expect a simple vitamin supplement to reverse heart disease. So if that doesn’t happen, we must interpret the results appropriately by placing the study in the proper context and acknowledge that the results don’t answer the question of whether supplemental amounts of vitamin E in a healthy population could have prevented heart disease had it been used consistently over time in combination with other antioxidants.”

Dr. Shao states, “The Randomized Clinical Trials RCTs with negative results attempted to answer the question, ‘can a supplemental nutrient treat or reverse a disease or a lifetime of unhealthy habits in patients who are also taking prescription medications?’.

The observational studies with positive results attempted to answer the question, ‘if we start with a mostly healthy population generally free of disease, can we identify various diet/nutrient and lifestyle factors that make them more or less prone to disease?’

These are very different questions, making the studies incompatible for direct comparison and demonstrating that one type of study can’t necessarily be used to refute the other. We firmly believe that RCTs should not be thought of as the only rigorous research approach. As the study authors point out, ‘when randomized and observational studies disagree, it is incorrect to assume that nonrandomized studies are always wrong.’ Rather, we should put studies into the appropriate context and evaluate the total body of evidence, which includes RCTs and observational studies, and other types of research.


[1] Wikipedia: Observational study
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observational_studies

[2] von Elm, Erik; Altman, Douglas G.; Egger, Matthias; Pocock,; Gøtzsche, Peter C.; Vandenbroucke, Jan P.: The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: Guidelines for Reporting Observational Studies. PLoS Med. 4 (10): e296. Doi:10137/journal.pmed.0040296. PMID 17941714.
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040296
&ct=1&SESSID=ab3b8afe946778451b6162da4f8e1d3d

[3]Tatsioni, Athina; Bonitsis, Nikolaos G.; Ioannidis, John P. A.: Persistence of Contradicted Claims in the Literature. JAMA. 5. December 2007;298(21):2517-2526.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/298/21/2517

[4] Council for Responsible Nutrition: New JAMA Study Raises Issue of How Nutrients Should be Researched. Press Room Washington D.C., December 4, 2007
http://www.crnusa.org/PR07_JAMAstudy071203.html


12.12.2007: Fortification of dairy products with magnesium [1]
According to Maud Cansell and colleagues about 20 per cent of the French population present a magnesium deficiency. Undersupply of this mineral has been linked to high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, muscular weakness, and diarrhoea.

The authors studied the supplementation of magnesium in foods like dairy products. Magnesium can induce in these foods chemical degradations, protein aggregation and generate an unpleasant taste. To avoid this the researchers created a blend of rapeseed oil, olive oil, olein, and/or miglyol.

 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate and sodium caseinate which traps the magnesium in the interior of a Water/Oil/Water emulsion. The unwanted reactions are avoided, and magnesium is released from the W/O/W emulsion by hydrolysis of the oil in the intestine. The emulsion is stable during pasteurisation.

[1] Bonnet, M.; Cansell, M.; Berkaoui, A.; Ropers, ; Anton, M. Leal-Calderon, F. : Release rate profiles of magnesium from multiple W/O/W emulsions. Food Hydrocolloids (Elsevier) Published on-line ahead of print 5 December 2007, doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2007.11.016


11.12.2007: Flavonoids, such as isoflavones, anthocyanidins and flavonols
Phytoestrogens are substances which are estrogen-like. They are sometimes called endocrine disrupters. Some hypothesis say that exogenous substances with estrogenic or other hormonally
active properties may adversely affect human health. [1]

Endocrine disruptors can be industrial contaminants, such as pesticides and plasticizers, and others are natural phytoestrogens found in plants such as soy and in herbal supplements.

They may cause male wild-life animals in water contaminated by detergent, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and herbicide to express female characteristics and other modifications . Human development can also be feminized by exposure to estrogenic chemicals, affect breast growth and lactation, and could have a role in uterine diseases such as fibroids and endometriosis.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals mostly exhibit estrogenic effects, but a few are anti-estrogenic or anti-androgenic, resulting in reduced fertility in breeding cattle. [2]

They are found in plants. Important phytoestrogens are ligans, isoflavones and coumetans.

Lignans: They are found in flax seed (300 mg/100g), sesame seed (290 mg/100g), brassica vegetables (0,2 - 2 mg/100 g), red wine (0,09 mg/100 g). When part of the human diet, some lignans are metabolized to form mammalian lignans known as enterediol and enterolactone by intestinal bacteria. Lignans that can be metabolised to form mammalian lignans are pinoresinol, lariciresinol, secoisolariciresinol, matairesinol, hydroxymatairesinol, syringaresinol and sesamin. [3]

Isoflavones: Isoflavones are polyphenolic compounds produced almost exclusively by the members of the Fabaceae/ Leguminosae (bean) family. Important isoflavones are genistein, daidzein, glycitein and formononetin. Soy products contain the highest amounts of isoflavone, followed by legumes, meat products and other processed foods, cereals and breads, nuts and oilseeds, vegetables, alcoholic beverages, fruits, and non alcoholic beverages. [4]

Coumetans: A known coumestan is the coumestrol. Coumestans are estrogen-like substances (phytoestrogens) made by some plants. Coumestans may have anticancer effects according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
A new coumestan, tephcalostan has been isolated from the whole plant of Tephrosia calophylla BEDD. together with two known flavonoids. [5]

Flavonoids, lignans and reduction of risk of breath cancer [6]
Bryan Fink and colleagues investigated the association of dietary flavonoid intake with reduced risk of breast cancer in a population-based sample of US women. The authors found a decrease in breast cancer risk associated with flavonoid intake, most pronounced for flavonols, flavones, flavan-3-ols, and lignans in postmenopausal women.
The authors conclude that women consuming sufficient levels of flavonoids may benefit from their potential chemopreventive effects. Flavonoids antioxidants may thus reduce mortality among postmenopausal in breast cancer patients.

Brian Fink from the University of North Carolina states, write in another publication, that his team found that the breath-cancer mortality in postmenopausal women may be reduced in association with high levels of dietary flavones and isoflavones. No reduction of risk was found in premenopausal women.

Flavonoids and flavanones reduce oral and paryngeal cancer [8]
The intake of flavonoids has been inversely related to the risk of various common neoplasms, but scanty data exist on oral and pharyngeal cancer. We have applied data on food and beverage content of six major classes of flavonoids. for flavanones, for flavonols, and for total flavonoids. No significant association emerged for isoflavones, anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, and flavones. The inverse relations with total flavonoids and flavanones was significant, whereas that with flavonols were nonsignificant. None of the associations were significant after further allowance for vitamin C, probably on account of the high collinearity between these compounds.

[1] Juberg, Daland R.: An Evaluation of Endocrine Modulators: Implications for Human Health. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Volume 45, Issue 2, February 2000, Pages 93-105. Doi:10.1006/eesa.1999.1851.

[2] McLachlan, John A.; Weatherhead, Erica Simpson; Melvenia Martin: Endocrine disrupters and female reproductive health. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Volume 20, issue1, March 2006, Pages 63-75. Doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2005.09.003

[3] Thompson LU, Boucher BA, Liu Z, Cotterchio M, Kreiger N. Phytoestrogen content of foods consumed in Canada, including isoflavones, lignans, and coumestan. Nutr Cancer 2006; [cited 2007 1 Mar];54(2):184-201.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16898863

[4] Horn-Ross, P.L.; Barnes, S.; Lee, M.; Coward, L.; Mandel, J.E.; Koo J.; John, E.M.; Smith, M.: Assessing phytoestrogen exposure in epidemiologic studies: development of a database (United States). Cancer Causes Control 2000 Apr;11(4):289-98.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/c1wx00ufqkwl/?p=e92cfdd557f64fa18e33b29ba2eb81de&pi=77

[5] Pennaka Hari Kishore, Mopuru Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, Duvvuru Gunasekar, Madugula Marthanda Murthy, Cristelle Caux and Bernard Bodo, “A New Coumestan from Tephrosia calophylla”, Chem. Pharm. Bull., Vol. 51, 194-196 (2003). doi:10.1248/cpb.51.194
http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cpb/51/2/51_194/_article/-char/en

[6] Fink, Brian N.;  Steck, Susan E.;  Wolff, Mary S.;   Britton, Julie A.;  Kabat, Geoffrey C.;  Schroeder, Jane C.; Teitelbaum, Susan L.; Neugut, Alfred I.; Gammon, Marilie D. : Dietary Flavonoid Intake and Breast Cancer Risk among Women on Long Island. Am. J. Epidemiol. March 2007 165: 514-523; doi:10.1093/aje/kwk033
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/165/5/514

[7]   Fink, B.N.;  Steck, S.E.;  Wolff, M.S.; Britton, J.A.;  Kabat, G.C.;  Gaudet, M.M.; Abrahamson, P.E.;  Bell, P.; Schroeder, J.C.;  Teitelbaum, S.L.;  Neugut, A.I.; Gammon: M.D. Dietary Flavonoid Intake and Breast Cancer Survival among Women on Long Island. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. November 2007, Volume 16, Number 11, Pages 2285-2292.
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/16/11/2285

[8] Rossi,M.; Garavello, W.; Talamini, R.; Negri, E.;  Bosetti, C.; Dal Maso, L.; Lagiou, P.; Tavani, A.; Polesel, J.; Barzan,  L.:Flavonoids and the Risk of Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer: A Case-Control Study from Italy. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., August 1, 2007; 16(8): 1621 - 1625. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-0168
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/16/8/1621

09.12.2007: Germany wants to phase out di-isobutylphthalate (BiBP) in food-contact paper and board [1]
According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) concentrations of up to 5 milligram per kilogram of the chemical di-isobutylphthalate (DiBP) have been found in food such as fat-containing, powder and fine grain foods like rice, baking mixtures or breadcrumbs packaged in cartons.

In animal experiments DiBP is reprotoxic and embryotoxic. It is used as a plasticiser in dispersion glues for paper and packaging and when they are recycled DiBP can be found in paper and board packaging. The BfR and the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) advocates a voluntary undertaking by the manufacturers and processors of paper and board to no longer use DiBP-containing glues or printing inks to reduce the DiBP content in recycled paper.

The data from long-term toxicity studies are not available therefore BfR recommends a specific restriction on the migration of DiBP to foods, a so-called specific migration guidance value, of 1 milligram DiBP per kilogram food. For baby and infant formula this value should be 0.5 milligram. This was based on the Health assessment made by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on di-n-butylphthalate (DnBP) which has a similar structure and effect.

It is being proposed to classify DiBP as reprotoxic substance and to be included it in Annex I of the Dangerous Substances Directive 67/548/EEC).

[1] Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Di-isobutylphthalate in food-contact paper and board
http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/230/di_isobutyphthalate_in_food_contact_paper_and_board.pdf.

[2] Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31967L0548:EN:HTML


09.12.2007: Natural extracts from olive and grape may be used for their antioxidant effect and antimicrobial activity. [1]
Serra and colleagues responding to a growing resistance to synthetic preservatives such as BHA and butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) and oleuropein as antioxidant analysed the extracts of waste from olive oil and wine production. They found that the extracts inhibited microbes like E.coli, S.poona, B.cereus, S. cerevisiae and C.albicans more efficiently than standard antioxidants such as quercetin,

 hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein. The active compound of the extracts were phenolic compounds, such as 3400 milligram of gallic acid equivalents per litre (GAE/L), compared to 400mgGAE/L in the olive extract. Gram negative bacteria were more resistant to olive phenolics than Gram positive strains.

The authors concluded that the natural grape extract and olive extract may be used as natural preservative for foods.

[1] Serra,A.T.; Matias, A.A.; Nunes, A.V.M.; Leitao, M.C.; Brito, D.; Bronze, R.; Silva, S.; Pires, A. Crespo, M.T.; San Romao, M.V.; Duarte, C.M.: In vitro evaluation of olive- and grape-based natural extracts as potential preservatives for food.Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies (Elsevier) Published on-line ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.ifset.2007.07.011 sciencedirect


09.12.2007: Innovative extraction of anthocyanins methods
According to Corrales and colleagues the anthocyanins from low cost grape by-products may be extracted using new technologies such as heat treatment at 70°C together with 600MPa high hydrostatic pressure, 3 kV-cm pulsed electric fields and 35 Khz ultrasonics, reduces solvent and shortening extraction time. The authors compared these methods with control extractions and found up to four-fold higher antioxidant activity of the extracts. Anthocyanin monoglucosides were better extracted by pulsed electric field, whereas the acylated ones were extracted by high hydrostatic pressure. [1]

[1] Corrales, M.; Toepfl,S.; Butz, P.; Knorr, D.; Tauscher, B.: Extraction of anthocyanins from grape by-products assisted by ultrasonics, high hydrostatic pressure or pulsed electric fields: A comparison. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies. Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2008 Pages 85-91 doi:10.1016/j.ifset.2007.06.002
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/14668564

09.12.2007: Understanding cleaning of food process plants [1]
Liu and colleagues assessed the removal of food fouling deposits during the cleaning of process plants.

According to the authors deposits form by adhesion to the surface and cohesion between elements of the deposit. Cleaning can result from either or both adhesive and cohesive failure.

The authors measured the adhesive/cohesive strength of deposits in terms of the work required to remove them from the surface, using a range of coated surfaces. They found that tomato paste, bread dough and egg albumin deposits have a lower adhesive than cohesive strength, whilst others (whey protein) have a lower cohesive than adhesive strength.

The researchers present a simple model to analyse the results in terms of the work required to remove the deposit per unit surface area and volume.

[1] Liu,W.; Fryer, P.J.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, Q.; Liu, Y.: Identification of cohesive and adhesive effects in the cleaning of food fouling deposits. Inovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies. Volume 7, Issue 4, December 2006, Pages 263-269. Doi:101016/j.ifset.2006.02.006 science direct


08.12.2007: Almond supplementation benefits smokers [1]
According to Ning and colleagues smoking increases the risk of several chronic diseases associated with elevated oxidative stress status. The researchers assessed almonds as a source of antioxidant nutrients and the reduction of oxidative stress biomarkers from smokers. In a clinical trial the diet of smokers were supplemented with 84 g almonds. Oxidative stress indicators were found decreased after the almond supplementation.

The authors concluded that almond intake can enhance antioxidant defences and diminish biomarkers of oxidative stress in smokers. However, after almond supplementation, the concentration of of urinary 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an indicator of oxidative stress, remained significantly greater in smokers than in nonsmokers by 98% suggesting that the best protection against smoke related diseases is to stop smoking.


Ning Li, Xudong Jia, C.-Y. Oliver Chen, Jeffrey B. Blumberg, Yan Song, Wenzhong Zhang, Xiaopeng Zhang, Guansheng Ma, and Junshi Chen: Almond Consumption Reduces Oxidative DNA Damage and Lipid Peroxidation in Male Smokers. J. Nutr. 2007 137: 2717-2722.
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/137/12/2717


08.12.2007: Algae may combat iron deficiency and anemia in underdeveloped countries [1]
García-Casal and colleagues studied iron, vitamin C, and phytic acid composition and also iron bioavailability the marine algae Ulva sp, Sargassum sp, Porphyra sp, and Gracilariopsis sp integrated in rice meals. The researchers found 157 mg iron/100 g in Sargassum and 196 mg iron/100 g in Gracilariopsis. and ascorbic acid concentration were found to be 38 µg/g dry weight in Ulva and        362 µg/g dry weight in Sargassum. Phytates were not detected in the algae.

The authors concluded that algae are good sources of ascorbic acid and bioavailable iron, and stressed that promoting algae consumption could help to improve iron nutrition in underdeveloped countries to combat iron deficiency and anemia.

[1] García-Casal, Maria N.; Pereira,Ana C. ;Leets, Irene; Ramírez, José; Quiroga, Maria F.: Nutrient Physiology, Metabolism, and Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions High Iron Content and Bioavailability in Humans from Four Species of Marine Algae J. Nutr. 2007 137: 2691-2695.
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/137/12/2691


08.12.2007: Leukemia in children living near nuclear power plants [1]
The German Federal Agency for Radiation Protection says that there is an increased leukemia risk for children living in the proximity of 5 kilometres from a nuclear power station. The risk increases inversely to the distance to the plant. A research study leaded by Dr. Maria Blettner , analysed all leukemia cases in the proximity of 16 German nuclear power plants from 1980 to 2003. The researchers found 37 new cases while only 17 had been statistically expected. One member of the team said that the results were underrated. He says the area of concern is to increase to 50 kilometres around nuclear power plants.

The study says that the emission of radiation of the nuclear power plants is not sufficient to cause to increase the risk of cancer, also other concurrent causes could not explain the association of increased leukemia risk with inverse distance to the nuclear power plant.

Worldwide studies confirm increased risk of leukemia in children under 5 years. The study of Dr. Blettner was done at The Institute of Medical Statistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI) at the Clinical Centre of Mainz University.

The study rises high doubts on the veracity of foregoing studies which deny any increased cancer risk related to nuclear power plants.

The Federal Minister for the Environment Sigmar Gabriel asked the Radiation Protection Commission to assess the study, which is part of the German Children Cancer Register.

[1] Pressemitteilung 011 vom 08.12.2007 Krebsrisiko für Kinder in der nahen Umgebung von Kernkraftwerken: - Neue Studie im Auftrag des Bundesamtes für Strahlenschutz bringt erstmals belastbare Ergebnisse
http://www.bfs.de/de/bfs/presse/aktuell_press/Studie_Kernkraftwerke.html


08.12.2007:Folate reduces incidence of depression in man but not in women
According to Simon Gilbody and colleagues low folate has been linked to depression, but research is contradictory. In a meta-analysis the researchers found significant relationship between folate status and depression. Folate levels were also lower in depression.
The authors concluded that there is accumulating evidence that low folate status is associated with depression. [1]

Kentaro Murakami and colleagues in a study in Japan found that higher dietary intake of folate was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in Japanese men but not women. In this study no significant association with depression was observed for the intake of riboflavin, pyridoxine, cobalamin, total omega 3 PUFAs, alfa linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, or docosahexaenoic acid in man and woman.
The authors call for more research on this topic. They stress that there are hypotheses that omega-3 PUFA may have an important role in neurotransmitter synthesis, degradation, release, reuptake, and binding, resulting in a pattern of neurotransmitter activity that has been associated with depression [2]

[1] Simon Gilbody, Tracy Lightfoot, and Trevor Sheldon
J Epidemiol Community Health 2007; 61: 631-637. doi:10.1136/jech.2006.050385
http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/61/7/631

[2] Murakami, Kentaro; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Sasaki,Satoshi; Ohta, Masanori; Sato, Masao; Matsushita, Yumi; Mishima Norio: Dietary intake of folate, other B vitamins, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in relation to depressive symptoms in Japanese adults. Published on-line ahead of print 3 December 2007,Nutrition (Elsevier) doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2007.10.013
http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/article/PIIS089990070700319X/abstract


07.12.2007: Consumption Blueberries, mixed grapes and kiwi fruit during meals increase antioxidant activity [1]

Prior and colleagues 2007 found that the consumption of berries and fruits such as blueberries, mixed grape and kiwifruit, increased plasma Anti Oxidant Capacity (AOC) measured as Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity in the postprandial state. High caloric meals rich in carbohydrates, protein and fat containing no antioxidants was associated with a decline in plasma AOC. Antioxidants are cleared from blood in 2 -4 hours after intake. Consumption of antioxidants such as berries and fruits during each meal is therefore recommended in order to prevent periods of postprandial oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress has been linked to an increased risk of various diseases including cancer, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular disease.

In this study dried plums and plum juice had no antioxidant activity. Consumption of blueberries during meals increased hydrophilic AOC and the lipophilic AOC.
Mixed grape consumption with the meal was associated with a increase in hydrophilic AOC, but not lipophilic AOC. Cherries, eaten with the meal increased the lipophilic, but not the hydrophilic, AOC.

The authors call for more studies on this matter.


[1] Prior, R.L; Gu, L.; Wu, X.; Jacob, R.A.; Sotoudeh, G.; Kader, A.A.; Cook , R.A.: Plasma Antioxidant Capacity Changes Following a Meal as a Measure of the Ability of a Food to Alter In Vivo Antioxidant Status. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Volume 26, Number 2, Pages 170-181
http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/2/170


06.12.2007: Salt reduction could save lives [1]
According to Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) the average daily salt consumption in the western world, is between 10 and 12g, in UK 9g, while the WHO/FAO recommends a maximum intake of 5 g this means 2g sodium per day. The UK Food Standards Agency, however, recommend 6 g salt per day as a realistic target. [2]

High salt intake is responsible for increasing blood pressure (Hipertension), a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) - a disease that causes almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe.

Asaria and colleagues wrote in a review that simple dietary changes could reduce salt intake by 30 per cent.

Together with key elements of WHO's tobacco control framework, 13.8 million death related to chronic disease s could be avoided. where cardiovascular disease account for 75.8 per cent, respiratory disease 15.4 per cent, and cancers 8.7 per cent.

As strategy to reduce salt consumption, the authors recommend awareness campaigns through mass-media outlets and regulation of food products by public-health officers. [3]

According to CASH, global food industry has to remove slowly the salt added to manufactured foods. The target is to reduce salt intake worldwide to less than five g/day.

Highlight are the salt reduction in bread, breakfast cereals, potato crisps, meat and meat products and biscuit crackers.

FSA found three products to have the highest amount of salt per portion: [4]
                      - Sainsbury’s standard shepherd’s pie
                                   5.9g of salt per portion - 98.3% of the recommended daily salt intake (6g)
                      - Marks and Spencer standard shepherd’s pie
                                   4.8g of salt per portion - 80% of the recommended daily salt intake
                      - Tesco standard chicken korma and rice
                                   4.6g of salt per portion - 76.7% of the recommended daily salt intake

[1] Asaria, P.; Chisholm, D.; Mathers, C.; Ezzati, M.; Beaglehole, R.; Chronic disease prevention: health effects and financial costs of strategies to reduce salt intake and control tobacco use. The Lancet Chronic Diseases Series. Published Online December 5, 2007, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61698-5

[2] Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash): Top sources of salt in the Uk diet.
http://www.hyp.ac.uk/cash/media/sources%20of%20salt/sources_salt_diet.htm

[3]Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash): Comment on The Lancet chronic diseases sereis 3
http://www.hyp.ac.uk/cash/media/press_releases/lancet_chronic_diseases_series_dec07.htm

[4] FSA: QS: Which products had the highest salt content?
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/faq/readymealqanda/

06.12.2007: Beta-carotene warning for smokers and former smokers[1]
According to CSPI smokers and former smokers alike should absolutely not take supplements containing high-potency synthetic beta-carotene.

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, a panel of the National Institutes of Health, and the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency have all separately determined that beta-carotene supplementation isn’t necessary for the general population and is especially risky for smokers and the asbestos-exposed. A major report on diet and cancer by the World Cancer Research Foundation and the American Institute for Cancer Research found that the evidence linking beta-carotene to cancer in smokers is “convincing.” [2]

CSPI says supplements with more than 5,000 IU, or 3 mg, should bear warning notices and that FDA should take enforcement action against companies that market the pills without the warnings. Nature’s Made, Nature’s Bounty, Source Naturals, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, and others market pills with 25,000 IU, or 15 mg, of beta-carotene. Most multivitamins have 5,000 or less IU of beta-carotene but a few have more and should also bear a warning for smokers, says CSPI.

Vitamins for Smokers: There are special vitamin pills available for smokers, without beta-carotene. The product  highlights a high need of antioxidants of smokers. Vitamin C , vitamin E, Selenium and bioflavonoids from citrus extracts are underlined to reduce oxidative stress. However, the best way  to protect  against  lung cancer  is to stop smoking and to have a varied nutrition rich in fruits and vegetables.

[1] CSPI: Cancer Warning Urged for Beta-Carotene Supplements. Pills Put Smokers at Even Higher Risk for Lung Cancer. 5.12.2007
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200712051.html

[2] World Cancer Research Fund International: Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention oif Cancer. A Global Perspective; Beta-carotene and lung cancer
http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/wcrf.pdf

06.12.2007: German BFR agrees with UK opinion on Hyperactivity and Additives [1]
A trial by Southampton University, commissioned by the British Food Standards Agency (FSA), examines a possible association between the intake of specific food additives (the food colourings E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129 and the preservative sodium benzoate E211) and the occurrence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. The trial found that artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population. [2]

The UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) considers the results of the trial by Southampton University as additional indications of a possible association between the intake of certain mixes of artificial colouring agents containing the preservative sodium benzoate and increased hyperactivity in children.

To the extent that there is a causal association, this could be of importance for individual children particularly for those who are in any case clearly hyperactive. However, COT stresses that the mean levels of observed hyperactivity are low compared to normal inter-individual variation and that behavioural changes did not occur in all children in one group, did not occur uniformly across all age groups and not in an even manner for the intake of all additive groups. Hence it is not possible to draw any more extensive conclusions. Nor is it possible to extrapolate the results to other additives. [3]
Opinion of the German BfR – Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
After short-term examination of the publication by McCann et al. (2007) BfR agrees with the conclusions in the COT opinion. As food additives must be included in the list of ingredients, consumers wishing to avoid any intake of the examined substances for precautionary reasons are able to refrain from consuming the corresponding foods and drinks.

[1] Hyperactivity and Additives – Is there an association? BfR Expert Opinion No. 040/2007, 13 September 2007
http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/245/hyperactivity_and_additives_is_there_an_association.pdf

[2]McCann, D., Barrett, A., Cooper, A., Crumpler, D., Dalen, L., Grimshaw, K., Kitchin, E., Lock, K., Porteous, L., Prince, E., Sonuga-Barke, E., Warner, J.O., Stevenson, J. (2007) Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3 and 8/9 year old children in the community. The Lancet, 6 September 2007, DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61306-3
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607613063/abstract

[3] COT statement 2007/04 September 2007: Statement on Research Project (T07040) investigating the effect of mixtures of certain food colours and a preservative on behaviour in children
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/committee/colpreschil.pdf

04.12.2007: The importance of interaction of bacterial surfaces and food
Interaction of bacterial surfaces and fermented dairy products [1]
Ly and colleagues 2007 studied the effects of the surface properties of lactic acid bacteria on the stability of model food emulsions such as the oil/water emulsions stabilized by milk proteins (sodium caseinate, whey proteins concentrate or whey proteins isolate) at different pH.

They found that important surface properties of bacteria strains are hydrophobicity, Lewis acid/base and charge, and the characteristics of emulsions such as pH and the concentration of cations present in media such as calcium.

The authors conclude that the knowledge and choice of bacteria depending on their surface properties could be one of the important factors to control the stability of matrices such as fermentation media or fermented products.

Interaction of bacterial surfaces and emulsions [2]
Mai Huong Ly and colleagues studied the effect of bacterial surface properties of Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis biovar diacetylactis (LLD) on the stability of model emulsions. they stress that the stability of emulsions or food matrixes, depend on physicochemical interactions, similar to the attachment processes of microorganisms, through their surface properties, to interfaces. Both sides can therefore interact.

The authors concluded that the effect of bacteria on the emulsion stability depended on the strain which shows the importance of the choice of the microorganism according to of the characteristics of the colloidal media to obtain a stable system. In addition, these results suggest that the interactions between bacteria and other food components can influence the position of bacteria in food matrixes.

Interaction of bacterial surfaces and aroma [3]
Ly and colleagues studied the retention of two ethyl esters (ethyl acetate and ethyl hexanoate) by two strains of lactic acid bacteria ( Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biov. diacetylactis) representing typical bacterial macromolecule surface properties involved in the production of cheese.

The authors concluded that bacteria, through their surface physicochemical properties, can interact directly with aroma compounds or in an indirect way, by changing the emulsion characteristics. However, these effects depend on the physicochemical properties of both aroma compounds and bacterial surfaces.

[1] Ly, M.H.; Aguedos,M.; Goudot, S.; Le, M.L.; Cayot, P.; Teixeira, J.A.; Le, T.M.; Belin, J.-M. ; Waché, Y.: Interactions between bacterial surfaces and milk proteins, impact on food emulsions stability. Food Hydrocholloid. Article in press. Available online 13 March 2007, Doi:10.1016j.foodhyd.2007.03.001 abstract



[2] Ly, Mai Huong; Naïtali-Bouchez, Murielle; Meylheuc, Thierry; Bellon-Fontaine, Marie-Noëlle; Le, Thanh Mai; Belin, Jean-Marc; Waché , Yves:Importance of bacterial surface properties to control the stability of emulsions. International Journal of Food Microbiology, Volume 112, Issue 1, 15 October 2006, Pages 26-34 doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2006.11.001 abstract

[3] M.H. Ly, M. Covarrubias-Cervantes, C. Dury-Brun, S. Bordet, A. Voilley, T.M. Le, J.-M. Belin, Y Waché: Retention of aroma compounds by lactic acid bacteria in model food media. Food Hydrocholoid. March 2008, Pages 211-217 . doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2006.11.001 abstract

04.12.2007: Fish oil reduces pro-arrhytmic effects of saturated fats [1]
According to Pepe and McLennan fish oil modifies cardiac membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition to confer increased efficiency of oxygen utilization and antiarrhythmic effects. Studying the effect on rats the researchers found that fish oil rich in EPA and DHA. at a dose as low as 3% of total fat dietary supplement effectively reversed the high oxygen requirements, reduced the coronary release of creatine kinase and reduced the pro-arrhythmic effects of a continued consumption of (9%) saturated fatty acids-rich diet in rats.

The studies on omega-3 fatty acids started with Dr. Jörn Dyerberg Hans Olaf Bang and Aase Brondum Nielsen studying the blood lipids of the Inuit Eskimos of the north-west coast of Greenland in 1970. Despite their high fat diet the Inuits had a low rate of 5,3 per cent from cardiovascular disease, compared with 40 per cent found in USA. The researcher s found low blood lipids levels and high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the Inuit blood serum. [2] [3]

EPA and DHA ratio of 3:2 is indicated, but not essential because the fatty acids can be interconverted by the body.

Overfishing the oceans will limit the resources of omega fatty acids from fish. Algae culture and genetic engineering of plants may overcome the shortage of EPA and DHA.

Improvements in blood lipid levels, a reduced tendency of thrombosis, blood pressure and heart rate improvements, and improved vascular function. Survivors of myocardial infarction fatty fish (300 g/week, or 0.35g n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids daily) reduced overall mortality by 29% and mortality from coronary heart disease by a third. A reduced intake of saturated fat with a proportional increased intake of polyunsaturated fat and a high fibre diet were ineffective [4]

Summary of current dietary recommendations concerning lipids [5]
Alice H Lichtenstein in a research paper summarizes the actual dietary recommendations as follows:
Different types of dietary protein or individual amino acids have little effect on lipoprotein patterns.
Saturated fatty acids increase LDL and HDL cholesterol, whereas trans fatty acids increase LDL but not HDL cholesterol. Unsaturated fatty acids decrease LDL and HDL cholesterol, polyunsaturated more so than monounsaturated.

Dietary carbohydrate tends to increase plasma triglyceride when it displaces fat, accompanied by a decrease in HDL cholesterol concentrations.
Short-term data favour substituting protein and fat for carbohydrate, whereas long-term data have failed to show a benefit for weight loss. During an active weight loss period low-carbohydrate diets more favourably affect triglyceride and HDL and less favourably affect LDL cholesterol concentrations. The author calls for more research on macronutrients.

[1] Pepe, Salvatore; McLennan, Peter. L.: (n-3) Long Chain PUFA Dose-Dependently Increase Oxygen Utilization Efficiency and Inhibit Arrhythmias after Saturated Fat Feeding in Rats J. Nutr., November 1, 2007; 137(11): 2377 - 2383.
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/137/11/2377

[2]Bang HO, Dyerberg J, Nielsen AB. Plasma lipid and lipoprote in pattern in Greenlandic west-coast Eskimos. Lancet 1971;i:1143-6.

[3] Dyerberg, J; Bang, H. O.; Hjorne, N.: Fatty acid composition of the plasma lipids in Greenland Eskimos. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, Sep 1975; 28: 958 - 966.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/9/958?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT
=&fulltext=Inuits&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

[4]Prichard, B. N. C. ; Smith, C. C .T. ; Ling, K. L. E.; Betteridge, D. J.: Editorials Fish oils and cardiovascular disease
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/310/6983/819

[5 ] Lichtenstein, Alice, H.: Thematic review series: Patient-Oriented Research. Dietary fat, carbohydrate, and protein: effects on plasma lipoprotein patterns. Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 47, 1661-1667, August 2006 doi:10.1194/jlr.R600019-JLR200
http://www.jlr.org/cgi/content/abstract/47/8/1661


02.12.2007: Antioxidant effect of grape seed extract
Effect on Ground beef and pork patties: Rojas and Brewer compared the antioxidant effect of grape seed extract (0.01% and 0.02%), oleoresin rosemary (0.02%) and water-soluble oregano extract (0.02%]. 2% of salt were added in all samples. Oxidative and colour stability of cooked beef and pork patties stored at 4 °C for 8 days.
The authors found that grape seed extract resulted in the best antioxidant activity and appeared to reduce visual green discolouration in beef patties.
The researchers concluded that grape seed extract at 0.02% has the potential to reduce oxidative rancidity and improve shelf life of refrigerated cooked beef and pork patties. [1]

Effect on ground chicken thigh meat: Brannan studied the effect of grape seed extract (0.1%) ± NaCl (1%) in ground chicken thigh meat during refrigerated storage at different relative humidity.
He concluded that grape seed extract is an effective antioxidant in ground chicken thigh meat that does not affect moisture content or pH during storage, inhibits TBARS formation, helps to mitigate the prooxidative effects of NaCl, and may alter the effect of NaCl on protein solubility in salted chicken patties. [2]

[1] Rojas, M. C.; Brewer, M.S.: Effect of Natural Antioxidants on Oxidative Stability of Cooked, Refrigerated Beef and Pork. Journal of Food Science. Volume 72 Issue 4 Page S282-S288, May 2007
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00335.x

[2] Brannan., R. G.: Effect of Grape Seed Extract on Physicochemical Properties of Ground, Salted, Chicken Thigh Meat during Refrigerated Storage at Different Relative Humidity Levels. Journal of Food Science. Published article online: 28 Nov 2007 doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00588.x
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00588.x


02.12.2007: Choice, the new International front-of-pack labelling [1]The Choices International Foundation had its start in July 2007. Founder companies are Campina, Friesland Foods and Unilever which is also chair of the International Scientific Committee board.

The Foundation introduced a simple front-of-pack stamp on food products that have passed an evaluation against a set of qualifying criteria based on international dietary guidelines based on the Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. [2]

The initiative is called the Choices programme and has two key objectives:
- To help consumers quickly identify healthier products at the moment of purchase.
- To encourage food industries to improve the composition of their products, thus increasing the availability of healthier foods and beverages and meeting consumer demand.
The new stamp wants to counteract the proliferation of health logos and labels that only further confuse consumers.

Front-of-pack labelling in Europe
In UK:  The Traffic Lights logo launched by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) with red, amber and green colours assessing each food component.
At the Continent: EU front-of-pack labelling copied the logo from the FSA action, but did not use the colour assessing of the components.

Nutrition labelling reduces artificial additives
Front-of-pack labelling is a welcome marketing tool which is an incentive to reformulate food to make them healthier, reducing artificial chemicals such as preservatives, antioxidants, colours, emulsifiers, following the trend to a “clean label”.


                The WHO/FAO recommendations on nutrient intake [3]

Dietary factor	Goal (% of total energy,  unless otherwise stated)
Total fat	15--30%
Saturated fatty acids	<10%
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)	6--10%
n-6 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)	5--8%
n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)	1--2%
Trans fatty acids	<1%
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)	By difference
Total carbohydrate	55--75%
Free sugars	<10%
Protein	10--15%
Cholesterol	<300 mg per day
Sodium chloride (sodium)	<5 g per day (<2 g per day)
Fruits and vegetables	400 g per day
Total dietary fibre	From foods
Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP)	From foods

                            Additional Joint WHO/FAO Consultation recommendations
Total fat
Total fat energy of at least 20%.

Free sugars
It is recognized that higher intakes of free sugars threaten the nutrient quality of diets.

Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP)
Whole grain cereals, fruits and vegetables to provide recommended intake of >20 g per day of NSP (>25 g per day of total dietary fibre.

Fruits and vegetables
The benefit of fruits and vegetables cannot be ascribed to a single or mix of nutrients and bioactive substances. WHO/FDA recommend therefore high intake of fruit and vegetables.

Body mass index (BMI)
BMI for an adult 21--23 kg/m2. For individuals, the recommendation is to maintain a BMI in the range 18.5--24.9 kg/m2 and to avoid a weight gain greater than 5 kg during adult life.

Physical activity
A total of one hour per day of moderate-intensity activity, such as walking on most days of the week is recommended.

Total energy intake
Reduction of high-fat, high-sugars and high-starch foods reduces total energy intake. Vegetables and fruits reduce the total energy intake and improve the micronutrient intake.

Disease-specific recommendations
Overweight
Measures aimed at reducing overweight and obesity, and cardiovascular disease are likely to also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and its complications.
- Prevention/treatment of overweight and obesity, particularly in high risk groups.
- Maintaining an optimum BMI of 21--23 kg/m2 and avoid weight gain (>5 kg) in adult life.
- Walking) for one hour or more per day on most days per week.
- Saturated fat intake should not exceed 10% of total energy and for high-risk groups, fat intake should be <7% of total energy.
- Regular consumption of wholegrain cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, accounting for a minimum daily intake of 20 g non-starch polysaccharides (NSP).

CVD
Overweight, central obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, diabetes and low cardio-respiratory fitness are among the biological factors contributing principally to increased risk. Unhealthy dietary practices include the high consumption of saturated fats, salt and refined carbohydrates, as well as low consumption of fruits and vegetables, and these tend to cluster together.

To reduced risk of CVD consumption of fruits (including berries) and vegetables, fish and fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), foods high in linoleic acid and potassium, as well as physical activity and low to moderate alcohol intake.

NSP (dietary fibre)
Dietary fibre is a heterogeneous mixture of polysaccharides and lignin hat cannot be degraded by the endogenous enzymes of vertebrate animals. Water-soluble fibres include pectins, gums, mucilages and some hemicelluloses. Insoluble fibres include cellulose and other hemicelluloses. Most fibres reduce plasma total and LDL cholesterol. A high fibre diet as well as a diet high in wholegrain cereals lowers the risk of coronary heart disease

Sodium and potassium
Sodium rises blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and both forms of stroke (ischaemic and haemorrhagic).

Several large cohort studies have found an inverse association between potassium intake and risk of stroke. No supplementation is necessary to avoid CVD. The recommended levels of fruit and vegetable consumption assure an adequate intake of potassium.


Cancer
The WHO/FAO stresses that research to date has uncovered few definite relationships between diet and cancer risk. Dietary factors for which there is convincing evidence for an increase in risk are overweight and obesity, and a high consumption of alcoholic beverages, aflatoxins, and some forms of salting and fermenting fish. There is also convincing evidence to indicate that physical activity decreases the risk of colon cancer. Factors which probably increase risk include high dietary intake of preserved meats, salt-preserved foods and salt, and very hot (thermally) drinks and food. Probable protective factors are consumption of fruits and vegetables, and physical activity (for breast cancer). After tobacco, overweight and obesity appear to be the most important known avoidable causes of cancer.

[1] Choice International
http://www.choicesinternational.org/i

[2] Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, 2003.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/AC911E/AC911E00.HTM

[3] WHO/FAO: Population nutrient intake goals for preventing diet-related chronic diseases
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/005/ac911e/ac911e02.pdf

01.12.2007: Bamboo shoots, fruit, vegetables and honey are rich in xylooligosaccharides which have beneficial effect on gut health [1]
Chung and colleagues evaluated the effects of xylooligosaccharides (XOSs) on the intestinal microbiota, gastrointestinal (GI) function, and nutritional parameters of elderly people.
In the study 4 grams of XOS for three weeks significantly increased the population of bifidobacteria and the faecal moisture content, and decreased the faecal pH value due to increased production of short chain fatty acids such as butyrate and proprionate, which is beneficial to gastrointestinal health.

The authors concluded that XOS supplementation was effective in promoting the intestinal health, being more effective than other prebiotics like inulin and fructooligosaccharides

[1] Chung, Yun-Chin; Hsu, Cheng-Kuang; Ko, Chih-Yuan; Chan Yin-Ching: Dietary intake of xylooligosaccharides improves the intestinal microbiota, fecal moisture, and pH value in the elderly Nutrition Research (Elsevier) Volume 27, Pages 756-761. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2007.09.09.014
Nutrition Research

01.12.2007: Natural Stevia a strong sweetener is also source of antioxidants [1]
Stevia is derived from the plant stevia rebaudiana, which grows in South America. It is told to have 300 times the sweetness of sugar. The ingredient is not approved for use in food yet in Europe, but EFSA is carrying out a safety assessment of stevia. Petition to approve stevia to uses in food by the FDA is being expected.

Srijani Ghanta and colleagues 2007, found the extract from stevia leaves to be rich in antioxidant polyphenols such as quercitrin, apigenin, and kaempferol. and could protect DNA from oxidative damadge, Its efficacy is better than that of quercetin.

The authors conclude that Stevia rebaudiana may be useful as a potential source of natural antioxidants.

[1] Ghanta, Srijani; Banerjee, Anindita; Poddar, Avijit; Chattopadhyay, Sharmila: Oxidative DNA Damage Preventive Activity and Antioxidant Potential of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni, a Natural Sweetener. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Published online ahead of print, ASAP Article,Received June 26, 2007, doi: 10.1021/jf071892q
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/asap/abs/jf071892q.html


30.11.2007: EU fish quota causes 40%-60% of fish being dumped [1]
European Union quotas strictly limit the amount of fish that vessels can bring back to port. Quota exceeding catch is being dumped. most of it dead. Fisher boats in the North Sea, catching a species or size of fish which is above their quota and have to throw it back, however, less than 1 per cent survives.
The EU estimates that between 40% and 60% of fish caught by trawlers in this area is dumped back into the sea. According to Green Peace 186 million fish caught in UK waters in 2006, 117 million of them were thrown away dead as waste.

According to Enever, Revill and Grant 2007, discards in the English Channel, Western Approaches, Celtic and Irish Seas are about 63% by number and 35% by weight of all fish caught. [2]

World Wildlife Fund's Helen McLachla calls for selective gear to avoid unwanted catch. Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) looks after such selective gears, analysing results of the Rhode Island design as a cod-conservation tool allowing to fish for haddock and not harming cod. [3]

[1] BBC: Fish dumping will ruin industry. 20.11.2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7102241.stm

[2] R Enever, A Revill and A Grant (2007), "Discarding around the UK - New information and analyses: 1) English Channel, Western Approaches, Celtic & Irish Sea (ICES subarea VII)", Fisheries Research, Volume 86, Issues 2-3, September 2007 p. 143-152 sciencedirect.com/science

[3] Cefas sees discards hope in USA gear design
http://www.cefas.co.uk/news-and-events/news-releases/news-releases-2007/cefas-sees-discards-hope-in-usa-gear-design.aspx

27.11.2007: The technical guidance for the front-of-pack nutritional signpost labelling [1]
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published Issue 2 of its guidance to underpin the traffic light colours. The guidance includes criteria for breakfast cereals and sugars red (high) criteria,to better identify foods that are healthier options due to high levels of fruit. Download the guidance

The four core elements of the logo:
- Separate information on fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt.
- Red, amber or green colour coding to provide at a glance information on the level (i.e. whether high, medium or low) of individual nutrients in the product.
- Provision of additional information on the levels of nutrients present in a portion of the product.
Use of the nutritional criteria as set out in this document to determine the colour banding.

Additional informations:
- Information on Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) and calories can be provided.
- The signpost should clearly indicate if information on the levels of nutrients present in a portion is as sold or as consumed.
- Any other messages about nutrients should be separate from the signpost bearing information about fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt.

The Colours
FSA example

Table 1 – Food (per 100g whether or not they are sold by volume)

	Green (Low)	Amber (Medium)	Red (High)
Fat	≤ 3.0 g/100g	> 3.0 to ≤ 20.0 g/100g	> 20.0 g/100g | > 21.0g / portion
Saturates	≤ 1.5 g/100g	> 1.5 to ≤ 5.0 g/100g	> 5.0 g/100g    | > 6.0g / portion
Sugar	≤ 5.0 g/100g	> 5.0 to ≤ 12.5g/100g	> 12.5g/100g   | > 15.0g / portion
Salt	≤ 0.30 g/100g	> 0.30 to ≤ 1.50g/100g	> 1.50 g/100g  | > 2.40g / portion

Per Portion
In addition to the per 100g criteria, there are ‘per portion’ criteria for food. The per portion criteria ensure that any food which contributes more than 30% (40% for salt) of an adult’s recommended daily maximum intake for a particular nutrient is labelled red (high).

Labelling on drinks
Table 2 – Drinks (per 100ml)

	Green (Low)	Amber (Medium)	Red (High)
Fat	≤ 1.5 g/100ml	> 1.5 to ≤ 10.0 g/100ml	> 10.0g/100ml
Saturates	≤ 0.75 g/100ml	> 0.75 to ≤ 2.5 g/100ml	> 2.5g/100ml
Sugar	≤ 2.5 g/100ml	>2.5 to ≤ 6.3 g/100ml	> 6.3g/100ml
Salt	≤ 0.30 g/100ml	> 0.30 to ≤ 1.50g/100ml	> 1.50g/100ml

The colour code for each nutrient is determined based on per 100g or per
100ml of the product. If any nutrient meet the red (high) per portion criteria it must be
labelled red (high), regardless of its per 100g profile.

Breakfast cereals and added sugar
The colour code and the nutritional information per portion for breakfast cereals should be
based on dry weight of cereal and distinguish between products high in added sugars and those high in sugars due to high fruit content. The sugars colour code should be based on added sugars and that additional presence of sugars from fruit and / or milk not included in the colour code should be labelled on the pack.

The Colour Code for Sugars of foods of table 1
The colour code for sugars is determined in terms of both the total and added sugar components as follows:
Green if total sugars are less than or equal to 5g/100g.
Amber if total sugars exceed 5g/100g and added sugars are less than 12.5g/100g.
Red if added sugars are more than 12.5g/100g.

Sugar colour code for drinks of table 2.
The colour code for sugars is determined in terms of both the total and added sugar:
Green if total sugars are less than or equal to 2.5g/100ml.
Amber if total sugars exceed 2.5g/100ml and added sugars are less than 6.3g/100ml.
Red if added sugars are more than 6.3/100ml.

Additional text for sugars
Additional text is also required on pack, which is discrete from the signpost, to highlight to the consumer when a product is colour coded amber and also contains sugars from fruit and or milk which are not included in the colour code. It is recommended that “contains naturally occurring sugars” “This product has no added sugars but contains naturally occurring sugars.” “The colour code reflects the amount of added sugars present. This product also contains naturally occurring sugars from the fruit.”

Added sugars is defined as any mono- or disaccharide or any other food used for its
sweetening properties, such as sucrose, fructose, glucose, glucose syrups, fructose-glucose syrups, corn syrups, invert sugar, honey, maple syrup, malt extract, dextrose, fruit juices, deionised fruit juices, lactose, maltose, high maltose syrups, Agave syrup, dextrin and maltodextrin.

The sugars contained in dried fruit or milk powder are not included as added sugars. The sugars in milk powder are not included as added sugars.

Per serving information
Information given in the signpost on the levels of nutrients present in a portion of a product should not be misleading and be based on realistic portion sizes. Where possible, generally accepted portion sizes should be used.

Additional Informations
If information on calories is provided, the Agency recommends this is done in a neutral colour. If companies choose to colour
code calories then the Agency recommends ‘green’ reflects the criteria for ‘low energy’ set out in European Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims;
http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2007/l_012/l_01220070118en00030018.pdf

The green/amber (low/medium) boundaries are determined by the European
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on Nutrition and Health Claims, which came into effect
on 1 July 2007.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2007/l_012/l_01220070118en00030018.pdf

The amber/red (medium/high) boundaries are based on existing advice from COMA
and SACN for fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt using 25% of recommended intake
levels per 100g and 30% (40% for salt) per portion5.
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodlabelling/signposting/signposttimeline/rationalesugars/

The Ocean Trader Label Front of Pack Traffic Light Signpost Labelling says that per serving informations should not be misleading and be based on realistic portion sizes. Some companies label unrealistic serving sizes in order to achieve low nutritional values, such as the fish from Ocean Trader with a weight of 400 g the nutritional informations were calculated on portions of 150g. What happens with the rest of the package after consuming two portions? My advice to Ocean Trade is to label realistic portions of 200 g and to use the FSA colour code for their front-of-pack nutritional signpost labelling.

[1] FSA: Front-of-Pack Traffic Light Signpost Labelling - Technical Guidance Issue 2 November 2007
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/frontofpackguidance2.pdf