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Chemistry and engineering make the "Vital Ingredient"
FSA reports on metals and other elements in Total Diet Study
Omega-3 fatty acids may ease psychological distress in middle aged women
Is a sulfenic acid responsible for garlic's benefits?
Possible link between salty soups and cancer
AHA confirms advice to include omega-6 PUFAs in heart-healthy diet
Obesity not linked to portion size
Role of bicarbonates in bone loss reduction
Product recalls and alerts
Food safety
Legislation headlines
Other headlines (04/02/09)

Chemistry and engineering make the "Vital Ingredient"

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) have recently prepared a substantial report entitled:' The vital ingredient: chemical science and engineering for sustainable food'.  According to the RSC's press release it considers the impact of the chemical sciences and engineering across the entire food supply chain, covering primary agriculture, food processing and manufacture, distribution and retail, consumer issues, supply-chain waste and issues surrounding education and skills for the food industry. Over 50 organisations were consulted in the preparation of this report, spanning experts from academia, industry, government departments and food industry associations.

The report suggests that the world is facing a food crisis which has arisen from climate change and the resultant competition for land use between food production and the generation of biomass to produce energy for industrial and domestic purposes. Population and economic growth are driving demand for both food and energy, with energy still mostly generated from non-renewable sources. Despite these pressures on land, wilderness areas must be maintained to ensure biodiversity is not lost.

Whilst advances in chemistry and biology and their widespread application have kept food raw materials and ingredients cheaply and readily available, the future challenge for engineering and chemical sciences is to match energy and food demand in the face of declining fossil fuel resources, without permanently damaging the environment.  This can only be achieved, suggest the RSC and IchemE, if there is scientific literacy in the food industry and amongst food policy makers and a skilled workforce supplied by forging closer links between food sector industries and the universities. There is considerable concern about the skills gap that threatens the productivity of the UK food and drink manufacturing industries. This is in part due to the image of the industry which is not one that is particularly highly regarded as a career path. Thus it can be difficult to encourage skilled scientists and engineers to take up the required food science and engineering roles.  In addition, a minimum of 56,000 workers are expected to retire from the sector over the next eight years while there will be fewer 16-29 year olds available to replace this older cohort. 

The food industry itself will have to become more entrepreneurial in harnessing and developing new scientific technologies and operating procedures that will minimize waste and resource use while improving food quality, production and sustainability. For instance, Section 9.3 features a table of typical supply chain wastes and the underpinning sciences which will be needed to address them which include organic, inorganic, analytical and physical chemistry, structural biology, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry and food science, materials and polymer chemistry, and chemical engineering. The report emphasises that employers, potential employees, schools and other interested parties must be made aware of the breadth of opportunities within the food production sector for high calibre, highly trained scientists.

Another key message from the report is that there is a danger that regulation becomes focused on hazards instead of defined risks. This, say the report's authors, is a misuse of the precautionary principle. Total elimination of risk is impossible without giving up the benefits of some risky activities. Regulation should be based on risk and substances should not be banned on the basis on intrinsic hazard alone, only on the likelihood that they will cause actual harm when used.

In relation to research and innovation, Governments should see their role as an enabler and not an inhibitor. They must recognise that the driving forces for investment in new technologies include the need to provide varied and healthy food, the sustainable use of limited natural resources and the profitable operation of the entire food supply chain.  (The vital ingredient - Full text (88 pages).  

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FSA reports on metals and other elements in Total Diet Study

The Food Standards Agency has published a report on the levels of metals and other elements found in foods surveyed for the Total Diet Study (2006).  It shows that the amounts found in most cases were either lower than or the same as in previous years. Although some metals are essential for health including copper, chromium, selenium and zinc, high exposures maybe toxic.  Other elements are reported as having no beneficial effects, with high level exposure potentially being harmful for health. 

The report states that the major sources of food contamination arise from environmental pollution caused by industrial and human wastes, manufacturing and processing. Metals and other elements can enter the food chain at any point between growth and harvesting, through to storage and processing. While food is a major contributor to human's overall exposure to these elements, other routes of exposure, including via drinking water and inhalation, can prove significant. It is also noted that some foods contain higher concentrations due to natural accumulation, eg arsenic and mercury in fish and shellfish and cadmium in cereals.

The survey investigated 24 metals and other elements in the Total Diet Study (TDS). The TDS analysed for levels of aluminium, antimony, arsenic, barium, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, copper, germanium, indium, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, selenium, strontium, thallium, tin and zinc in 20 different foods group (including bread, fish and fruit) found randomly in 24 UK towns.  The results of the survey were evaluated by the Committee of Toxicity of Chemicals in Foods, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT).

The 2006 TDS report indicates that the concentrations of metals and elements in the food groups tested were lower than or similar to those reported in 2000 with the except of aluminium, barium and manganese. For aluminium the exposure estimates were not much higher than those contained in the previous reports and similar to those for other European countries.  However, the safety guideline for aluminium in food has recently been reduced which has had the effect of moving some food groups over the new safety level.  Whilst the FSA indicates that it is to carry out additional research on aluminium levels in certain foods it does note that the safety level is such that consumption at this level everyday would not be expected to result in adverse effects.  According to the data in the report, the food group "miscellaneous cereals" is the highest contributor to dietary exposure and the aluminium concentrations here could be due to naturally present aluminium, additives containing aluminium which are allowed in some bakery products made from such cereals, or from processing and or storage. 

The highest levels of barium were found in nuts and the report indicates that people who eat large quantities of nuts maybe over the safety level.  However, it is noted that since there is little information available on harmful levels of barium, the safety level has been set low and although estimated exposures may exceed the safety level by up to a factor of four this does not necessarily cause a concern.  The report recommends that further research is carried out on barium exposure levels so that the safety limit can be set with more confidence.

Manganese is an essential element and is found in most foods, particularly green vegetables.  Again the highest concentration is found in nuts. The FDA report states that overall manganese intake has remain fairly constant since reporting began in 1983 and that most consumer's intake is within safety levels.  The exceptions are some toddlers who, due to their small body weight have an intake slightly above the guideline.  The report again indicates that the safety level has a large safety margin and, as such, this exception is not considered to be a concern.

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Omega-3 fatty acids may ease psychological distress in middle aged women

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that omega-3 fatty acids may help ease psychological distress (PD) and depressive symptoms in premenopausal women. According to the study, women are approximately twice as likely to suffer from depression than men. Menopausal women and early post-menopausal women are known to suffer from episodes of PD and other depressive symptoms.  Antidepressants are often used to treat those with major depressive episodes (MDE), but some patients find they are not effective and some are known to suffer from side effects. 

The study quotes the US Food and Drug Administration as saying that there seems little evidence to support the prescription of anti-depressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless other treatment has failed to provide benefit.  The increase in homeopathy and complementary alternative medication (CAM) to treat menopausal women has increased since data from the Women's Health Initiative provided a negative outcome for hormone replacement therapy. Fish oil supplements and omega-3 fatty acids are becoming popular CAMs.  It is suggested that 19.1% of women aged 45 years old and older took 1 or more capsules of fish oil compared to 6.2% of women aged below 45 years old.  The aim of the study was to compare enriched ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA) supplementations with a placebo for the treatment of PD and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women.

120 women with moderate to severe PD were recruited. They were aged between 40 and 55 years old and had a score of either 72 or less on the Psychological General Well-Being Schedule (PGWB).  Women with severe MDE were excluded, as well as those who had bipolar disorder I and II, a history of schizophrenia, risk of suicide and postmenopausal status for more than 5 years, endocrine disease, mental disorders, substance abuse, fish allergies, had eaten more than 3 servings of fish a week in the past 3 months, used antidepressants, hormone replacement therapy, St Johns Wort or fish oil supplements in the past 3 months before the selection and, finally, used anticoagulants. 

At baseline, women with PD were mildly to moderately depressed, and 24% met the major depressive episode (MDE) criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition. As part of the double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial, the women were split into two groups.  Each group either received an enriched E-EPA supplement or a placebo of sunflower oil, which was taken 3 times a day for a period of 8 weeks. The 500mg OM3 capsules contained 350mg EPA and 50mg DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and the placebo oil contained  0.2% regular fish oil so that the taste was similar.  The team, led by Michael Lucas from Laval University, Quebec, Canada, compared the changes in the PGWB score after the 8 weeks.

Results showed that after 8 weeks, in all the women with PD, a lessening of distress was observed in both groups, but there were no significant differences between the E-EPA and the placebo groups.  However, for women without major depressive episodes, the omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduced the level of PD over the course of the study, as measured by PGWB and HSCL-D-20 scores.

The limitations of this study, mentioned by the authors, included the sample size with all women being middle aged and white,  the exclusion of women with severe MDE,  the fact that many subjects who did not improve dropped out and that menopausal periods, hormonal fluctuation and hypo- and hyper-estrogenic phases were all uncontrolled factors.  They also said that as previous studies had indicated that  EPA and DHA supplements might be helpful in reducing hot flushes and be beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, additional research in this area might be useful.  Furthermore, the studies should perhaps look at different formulations and doses over longer periods of time and in less hormonally unstable women.  

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Is a sulfenic acid responsible for garlic's benefits?

Although the health beneficial properties of garlic have been recognised for centuries, for scientists the plant has been a puzzle because it has appeared to contain none of the antioxidant flavanoids typical of other healthy foods like green tea or grapes. Now a research group led by Derek A Pratt from Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, believe they may have found a fundamental chemical mechanism which could explain garlic's health benefits.

In freshly crushed garlic, allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate) is responsible for its flavour and odour. Allicin has also been credited as being the source of the health benefits due to its antioxidant properties. However, allicin is unstable and understanding the mechanism whereby allicin exerted such antioxidant properties has proved difficult. It is known that thiosulfinates undergo Cope elimination reactions to form sulfenic acid as well as thioaldehydes or thioketones. This process does not require elevated temperatures because the S-S bond in a thiosulfinate is much weaker than the S-C bond in a sulfoxide. Allicin is known to undergo Cope elimination readily at room temperature to give 2-propenesulfenic acid and thiocrolein. On this basis, Professor Pratt and his team thought it was possible that the antioxidant activity ascribed to allicin (and garlic in general) was due to the trapping of peroxyl radicals by 2-propenesulfenic acid. They theorised that if  2-propenesulfenic acid was responsible for trapping peroxy radicals in allicin-inhibited autoxidation reactions then the inhibition would be less effective under conditions which slowed the decomposition of allicin. They managed to demonstrate a similar effect when the addition of hydrogen-bond-acceptor solvents (eg. acetonitrile) markedly reduced the ability of allicin to inhibit the autoxidation of methyl linoleate (ML). According to the authors, this was because the 2-propenesulfenic acid generated from allicin breakdown is a hydrogen bond donor which binds tightly to the acetonitrile, thus leading to a decrease in the autoxidation inhibition. This also suggested that 2-propenesulfenic acid was highly likely to be the peroxyl-radical scavenger in allicin-inhibited autoxidation reactions.  (Vipraja Vaidya et al., Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2008, 48 (1): 157-160. Summary in FoodConsumer.org). More information on allicin at Allicin.com.

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Possible link between salty soups and cancer

This is Salt Awareness Week 2009, and news sources have been full of tales of hidden salt in popular restaurant meals and a warning from the World Cancer Research Fund  (WCRF) of a possible link between a high salt intake and an increased risk of stomach cancer.  Soup was a particular offender, with some well known brands containing half the recommended daily intake of salt in a single serving.  The Food Standards Agency recommends that adults consume no more than 6g of salt per day.

Whilst it is probably fairly well known that too much salt can increase blood pressure and contribute to a stroke or a heart attack, Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager for the WCRF, said that fewer people were aware that a high salt diet could increase cancer risk. Stomach cancer is the fifth most common form of the disease in Britain, with more than 8,000 people diagnosed with the disease each year.  Globally, stomach cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer, with two out of three cases occurring in men. Chapter 7.5  of the WCRF's major report into the relationship between diet and cancer stated that salt and also salt-preserved foods, were probably causes of stomach cancer.

As part of its on-going campaign to encourage people to cut down their salt intake, CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) has recently focussed its attention on foods eaten outside the home in restaurants, takeaways and fast food chains, all of which can contain a lot of hidden salt. It also aimed to highlight to the catering industry and to chefs and others involved, the importance of adding less salt to food and the long-term health implications of eating a high salt diet. Indeed, this year's salt awareness campaign has enlisted the support of some high profile chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc, Brian Turner and Antony Worrall Thompson.  (More details in BBC Health News (02/02/09) and Telegraph.co.uk (30/01/09)).

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AHA confirms advice to include omega-6 PUFAs in heart-healthy diet

A new Science Advisory report from the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, be regarded as beneficial when part of a heart-healthy eating plan.  It is recommended that consumers should consume least 5-10% of their calorific intake from omega-6 PUFAs, and would reap the most benefit when omega-6 PUFAs replace saturated or trans fats in their diet.

Omega-6 PUFAs are characterized by the presence of at least 2 carbon-carbon double bonds, with the first bond at the sixth carbon from the methyl terminus.  Linoleic acid (LA) is the primary dietary omega-6 PUFA.  The cholesterol-lowering effect of LA has been well established from human trials.  In a meta-analysis of  60 feeding studies including 1672 volunteers, the substitution of PUFA (largely omega-6, varying from 0.6% to 28.8% energy) for carbohydrates had more favourable effects on the ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (perhaps the best lipid predictor of coronary heart disease risk) than any other class of fatty acids.  However, there has been some recent controversy surrounding the fact that omega-6 fatty acids, via linoleic acid, which accounts for 85-95% of dietary omega-6, may actually increase inflammation and thereby increase rather than reduce cardiovascular risk.  The AHA report seeks to debunk this idea by saying that any link between omega-6 fats and inflammation comes from the fact that arachidonic acid, which can be formed from linoleic acid, is involved in the early stages of inflammation, but anti-inflammatory molecules are also formed, so it is incorrect to view the omega-6 fatty acids as pro-inflammatory.  Professor Heinz Drexel from the VIVIT Research Institute at Feldkirch, Austria suggests that "Concerns raised in the past decade that omega-6 PUFAs may be pro-inflammatory are dispelled by evidence that omega-6 PUFAs have anti-inflammatory properties at the level of vascular endothelial cells.  On balance, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."

Epidemiological data reviewed for the AHA report showed that, in randomised controlled trials, those assigned to the higher omega-6 diets had less heart disease.  A meta-analysis of several trials indicated that replacing saturated fats with PUFAs lowered the risk of heart disease events by 24%.  Reducing omega-6 intakes would be more likely to increase than to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease, the report concludes.  In summary, the AHA supports an omega-6 PUFA intake of at least 5% to 10% of energy in the context of other AHA lifestyle and dietary recommendations.

The full text of the AHA statement was published in the journal Circulation 2009; doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.108.191627.

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Obesity not linked to portion size

Scientists from Norway and the US have reported that according to their findings "the term portion size is not associated with 'an appropriate amount to eat' in the mind of the consumer". Their joint study has been published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has joined forces with the food industry to encourage a programme of work intended to encourage consumers to achieve a balanced diet. Portion size has been highlighted as an area of focus in response to a report suggesting that the sizes of some products have increased in size over the past 15-20 years. Globally, obesity levels are on the rise and there have already been initiatives aimed at reducing the amount people eat. However, information on portion size was not shown to be influential in changing the behaviour of consumers, and it was suggested that they would gain a greater benefit from an improved understanding of the macronutrient and calorific content of specific foods and diets.

The current study involved the recruitment of 33 participants of normal weight who were randomised into groups and fed lunch meals consisting of pasta, divided into portions described as 0.5, 1 and 1.5 with respect to size. The participants were then allowed to help themselves to further servings without restriction. The researchers found that despite the participants knowing information relating to the portion size of the meals this had no impact upon their perception of fullness or on how much they consumed collectively.

A questionnaire was distributed amongst the participants to assess their perception of the term 'portion size'. It was concluded that the term was regarded more as a reference to the nutritional content of the food/meal rather than a personal measure of food intake. These findings supported previous evidence suggesting confusion surrounding the term. Part of the blame for this was assigned to a lack of standardisation of its use between manufacturers, regulatory agencies and consumers. The researchers highlighted the unclear use of phrases such as 'super-size' and 'healthy portion', also noting that US federal food intake serving sizes are recommended for optimal nutrition, whereas this is interpreted by the food industry as the amount "customarily consumed per eating occasion".  (Øydis Ueland et al. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, January 2009, 109 (1): 124-127.  Summary in FoodNavigator.com).

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Role of bicarbonates in bone loss reduction

Osteoporosis is a serious condition that affects a large number of women over the age of 50.  The bone mineral density is reduced, meaning that there is an increased risk of fracture.  It is most likely to affect post-menopausal women due to decreased levels of oestrogen, but it can also affect men of advanced age, usually when there is a drop in testosterone levels. Now a new study carried out by a team headed up by Bess Dawson-Hughes of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging, has investigated the potential use of bicarbonates as a way of reducing bone loss. 

A number of risk factors are associated with bone loss in advanced age, and dietary constituents can make an important contribution.  Much research has been carried out on the effects of both calcium and vitamin D on reducing bone loss in old age. Other research has shown that diets rich in protein (as many western diets are) can increase the body's net acid load.  With age, renal function declines and the body is less able to excrete hydrogen ions, which in turn contributes to increasing metabolic acidosis.  Osteoblastic activity (bone formation) is inhibited in acidic environments, whereas osteoclastic activity (bone degradation) is increased.  Acidogenic diets have also been found to cause increased calcium excretion in the urine.

High potassium intakes, as seen with diets which are rich in fruit and vegetables are known to be alkali-producing and have been associated with higher femoral neck bone mineral density. Potassium has also been shown to reduce calcium excretion.  Based around these previous findings, the team led by Dawson-Hughes set out to try and confirm there was a link between increased bicarbonate consumption and decreased bone loss.

The study used 4 groups of subjects, made up of 171 men and women, all of whom were aged 50 or older.  One of the groups was the control placebo group, whose key measurements were taken at the beginning and then again at the end of the three month study.  The other three groups were randomised to receive 67.5 mmol/day of   potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate or potassium chloride (along with their normal diet and exercise routines).  The amount of bicarbonate given was adequate to produce acid-neutralising effects rather than a high alkali load.  All subjects received calcium (600 mg of calcium as triphosphate) and 525 IU of vitamin D each day. The authors explained that the four treatments were selected to allow them to address the question of whether the potassium, the bicarbonate, or both were important in achieving an effect on calcium excretion and bone resorption.

The results of the study showed that the groups taking the bicarbonate supplements showed a significant reduction in the biomarkers that are associated with bone loss when compared to the control group and with the group taking potassium chloride.  Bone resorption decreased in the treated group, and net acid excretion (NAE) was reduced to 0, which indicated that the doses given were sufficient to neutralise the acid load of their diets.  Urinary calcium levels were found to show a correlation with NAE, and those subjects with the lowest NAE's also had the lowest levels of calcium in their urine.

The conclusion of the study was that diet changes can reduce acidogenicity and therefore lower calcium excretion and bone resorption.  These in turn will improve the skeletal health of older men and women, and could help to ease symptoms of osteoporosis.  Simple diet changes could prove to be a very cheap and relatively straight forward treatment, and further research should be done to further support this theory.  (Dawson-Hughes et al.  Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2009, 94 91): 96-102.  Summary in ARS magazine.)

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Product recalls and alerts

**Tesco Stores Ltd recalls Oriental Special Fried Rice
**Allergy alert over crumpets containing milk protein
**From Australia and New Zealand
**From Canada
**From the US
**European Rapid Alerts for week 5
**Links to recall web sites
**Recall web sites for halal and kosher foods

**Tesco Stores Ltd recalls Oriental Special Fried Rice
Tesco Stores Ltd has recalled one batch of its own brand of Oriental Special Fried Rice, due to an incorrect 'use by' date being given. The incorrect 'use by' date applied was 31 February 2009 and it should have been 31 January 2009. The Food Standards Agency has released a food alert.

**Allergy alert over crumpets containing milk protein
Some crumpets produced by British Bakeries and packed for a number of different retailers and brands have been found to contain traces of milk protein (casein) that is not declared on the product labels. This makes the products a possible health risk for people who are allergic to, or intolerant of, milk or milk constituents. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.

**From Australia and New Zealand

• Heinz Australia is undertaking a precautionary recall of Heinz Dijon Mustard Sauce with a hint of Orange.  A small batch of this product was incorrectly labelled and consequently does not declare the presence of egg and milk.   

**From Canada

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), NutriSystem Inc. and NutriSystem Canada, ULC are warning the public not to consume any NutriSystem brand Peanut Butter Granola Bars because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain Fresh Obsessions brand Enoki Mushrooms because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a health hazard alert listing product that maybe contaminated with Salmonella. These foods contain peanut products (butter/paste, as well as whole, crushed, powdered, etc.) that have been recalled in the U.S. and Canada by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) due to Salmonella contamination.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Charcuterie La Tour Eiffel, Inc. are warning people with allergies to milk not to consume Summersweet Lobster & Shrimp Dip.  The affected product contains milk which is not declared on the label.

**From the US

Recalls due to the Salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter supplied by Peanut Corporation of America: (see FDA Website for further updates)

• GKI Foods Inc. of Brighton, MI is recalling its certain candy products containing peanuts.
• Kellogg Company Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Select Keebler® Soft Batch Cookies and Special K Protein™ Meal Bar Honey Almond Flavor and Expansion of the 01/16/09 Recall of Various Crackers and Cookies.
• Landies Candies expands its 1/21/09 voluntary recall to include select chocolate products containing organic peanuts
• Tropical Nut and Fruit Company of Columbus, OH, is recalling its 16 ounce packages of "GRANULATED PEANUTS"
• Kashi initiates nationwide recall of Select Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bar Flavors and Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Cookie Flavors
• Ocean Spray announces nationwide voluntary recall of 1.75 oz and 48 oz Fruit and Nut Trail Mix Products 6 oz Fruit and Nut Trail Mix and All Sizes of Chocolate Trail mix are not affected.
• Genisoy Food Company is announcing a voluntary recall of their Genisoy Organic Apple Cinnamon Soy Protein Bars
• Walgreens is recalling four types of Walgreens brand chocolate candy containing peanuts sold in stores from Jan. 1, 2007 to Jan. 29, 2009.
• Pecan Deluxe Candy Company in cooperation with the FDA is announcing a voluntary recall of certain peanut containing products
• Ice Cream Specialties has initiated a recall of a various peanut-containing ice cream novelties
• ·Bear Naked announces recall of Appalachian Trail mixes
• Nature's Path Organic Foods of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada announces an expanded recall of Optimum Energy Bars Peanut Butter flavour
• East Side Entrees of Woodbury, NY, is recalling a single code date of Peanut Butter & Jelly Meal BREAKS
• Frankfort -based Zachary Confections, Inc. announced today a voluntary recall of some lots of Market Pantry Chocolate Covered Peanuts as a precautionary measure.
• Zachary Confections, Inc., announced a voluntary nationwide recall of its Double Dipped Peanuts, Chocolate Peanuts, Bridge Mix, Caramel Nut Clusters, and Peanut Clusters
• Schwan's Global Supply Chain, Inc., in cooperation with the FDA, initiated a voluntary and precautionary recall of one ice cream product containing peanut products
• Standard Candy Company of Nashville, TN announces a voluntary recalling of two production lots of its Goo Goo Clusters and Goo Goo Peanut Butter.
• The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. of Melville, New York announced that it is taking the precautionary measure of recalling certain Ethnic Gourmet® and Gluten Free Café™ frozen foods
• SUPERVALU INC.® is voluntarily recalling additional ice cream products sold under the Cub, Flavorite, and Richfood brands
• Bass Pro Shops® is voluntarily recalling the following Uncle Buck's® Candy products as a precautionary measure
• Kroger Co. is recalling peanut butter store-baked and store-packaged cookies and select cakes sold in its family of stores
• Meijer initiated a voluntary recall of two types of its Meijer Brand dry-roasted peanuts and four types of Meijer Brand ice cream novelties sold in all of its stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky
• Rain Creek Baking Corporation announces an expanded precautionary voluntary withdrawal of Sinbad, Michael's and Rain Creek Baking Company branded dessert products produced with peanut butter
• The Galliker Dairy Co. is voluntarily recalling all three-gallon containers of Galliker-brand Rocky Road ice cream and Galliker-brand Sundae Nut Cones sold to foodservice and retail outlets in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. 
• Simbree Energy Foods of Seattle, WA is recalling Simbree ® Oat Almond Pistash, Simbree® Almond Pistachio Energy Bites and Simbree® Oat Bites with Peanuts, Almonds and Pistachios/ Bouchées d'avoine aux arachides, amandes et pistaches
• Sara Lee North American Foodservice is conducting a voluntary recall of Chef Pierre Chocolate Peanut Butter Silk Pie, a foodservice product.
• Turkey Hill Dairy of Lancaster County, PA, is voluntarily recalling six select ice cream and frozen yogurt items
• NutriSystem Inc., announced an expanded voluntary recall of its NutriSystem-branded Peanut Butter Granola Bar
• House of Flavors Ice Cream Company is voluntarily recalling all Hannaford Denali Nutty Moose Tracks ice cream sold in Hannaford Stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York and Sweetbay Stores in Florida.
• Wells' Dairy, Inc., expands its voluntary recall of its Blue Bunny Personals® Bunny Tracks® 8 fl oz. sold at retail and foodservice levels to include Lot Number 80030 "Best Used By" date 11/17/2009.
• Clif Bar & Company today expanded its voluntary and precautionary recall of CLIF® and LUNA® branded bars
• LesserEvil announces a voluntary recall of PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCO KETTLE CORN
• Kroger Co. said today it is recalling a nut topping
• Perry's Ice Cream today announced an update to their January 17, 2009 and January 22, 2009 voluntary recalls of select ice cream products
• Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall for six (6) varieties of produce snacks
• Kemps LLC Recalls Ice Cream Products
• HP Hood LLC Recalls Ice Cream Products
• Mountain Man Nut & Fruit Co. is voluntarily recalling select products containing Honey Roasted Peanuts and Granulated Peanuts.
• Best Brands Corp. today announced that it is expanding its voluntarily recall of peanut butter frozen cookie dough as a precaution
• Velvet Ice Cream has announced a voluntary recall of its Velvet Round Top Vanilla Cones
• Eillien's Candies, Inc. issues voluntary recall of Select Peanut Candy Products due to possible health risk
• Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOU), is voluntarily recalling the Caribou Fruit and Nut Blend Trail Mix as a precautionary measure.
• Austinuts Wholesale, Inc. announces voluntary recall of honey roasted peanuts and sweet & spicy snack mix
• ISS Research®, LLC announced that it is initiating a voluntary recall of the certain lots of OhYeah!® bars
• GloryBee Foods, Inc. of Eugene, Oregon is issuing a nationwide recall on bulk peanut products, bulk Aunt Patty's Cascade Trail Mixes, and bulk Aunt Patty's Mt. Hood Trail Mixes (also known as Aunt Patty's Banana Split Trail Mix)
• Thrift Products Co. is conducting a voluntary recall of all sizes of its Honey Roasted and Dry Roasted peanuts
• Stewart's Shops of Saratoga Springs, NY, is recalling this single flavor of dip ice cream from its shops
• Nut Bar Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is recalling Nut Bar Candy Shoppe Double Dip Peanuts
• Georgia Peanut Commission of Tifton, Ga. is recalling 11 oz. and 4 lb. cans of skinless and honey roasted peanut product
• Allegro Fine Foods, Inc. of Paris, TN is recalling approximately 45 cases of WOW Thai Peanut Wing Sauce & Dressing packaged in gallon jugs
• Grand Rapids Popcorn, Comstock Park, Michigan is voluntarily recalling 30 pound cases of Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) brand Medium Chopped Granulated Peanuts
• CVS/pharmacy announced today that it is voluntarily recalling four types of Gold Emblem candy containing peanuts
• Palmer Candy Company announces a nationwide voluntary recall of French Burnt Peanut and Boston Baked Bean Products
• Palmer Candy Company announces voluntary recall of blanched salted products
• Hershey Import Company announces nationwide voluntary recall on certain snacks
• Aurora Products, Inc. today announced a voluntary recall of certain Aurora Natural products
• Kerry Ingredients & Flavours is voluntarily recalling a chocolate-covered peanut ingredient used in the manufacture of  ice cream
• Nestle has recalled its Optifast Honey Bars Honey Nut 'n Oat

**European Rapid Alerts for week 5
The results of rapid alerts for week 5 (up to 30/01/2009) are now available on the Europa web site.

**Links to recall web sites
For UK product recalls visit the Food Standards Agency's  Food Alerts and Allergy Alert web sites.
For US product recalls visit the USDA's  Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) web sites.
For product recalls in Australia and New Zealand visit the FSANZ web site.
For Canada go to The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
For Ireland go to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

**Recall web sites for halal and kosher foods
Food e-News does not cover product recalls and mislabelling alerts for Kosher or Halal products. If you need information on these please go to the London Beth Din Kashrut Division where there is a facility on the home page to access the  kosher alerts system.  For US Kosher alerts please go to  Kashrut.com  and follow the link labelled 'Consumer Kashrut Alerts' for Kosher alerts. For Halal alerts go to the Muslim Consumer Group web site, which also outlines the criteria used to judge if products are halal or not.

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Food safety

**Unlicensed Texas plant run by the Peanut Corp. of America
**Voluntary ban on colours link to hyperactivity
**Trading standards officers find out of date food in hospital canteen
**New method developed for rapid detection of salmonella
**Meat unfit for human consumption could be on sale
**EFSA reviews Vitamin A levels in animal feedstuffs
**FDA considers criminal proceedings over Peanut contamination
**Washington toxic spot for algal blooms
**Animal diseases updates and food poisoning outbreaks
**The Food Safety Network

**Unlicensed Texas plant run by the Peanut Corp. of America
After obtaining Texas health records, Associated Press has reported that a peanut processing plant in Texas run by the Peanut Corp. of America, linked to the recent Salmonella outbreak, has not been inspected since it opened in March 2005 and is unlicensed by government health officials.  The Inspectors have found no signs of Salmonella at the Texas plant, although a report by an inspector of the Department of State Health Services found unsanitary conditions, such as unclean sections of a peanut roasting line. The FDA relies on state inspectors for food safety and questions are being raised about how the plant could have run unlicensed for four years.  According to the Associated Press article, Texas requires food manufacturers to be licensed every two years and routinely inspected. (Associated Press).

**FDA considers criminal proceedings over peanut contamination
The US FDA has reported it has discovered widespread contamination at a peanut processing plant run by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) following an outbreak of salmonella poisoning that has affected over 500 and may have killed up to 8. The plant in Blakely, Georgia has been shut down and over 400 products containing PCA peanut butter have been recalled. The FDA indicated that the plant was not compliant with the Current Good Manufacturing Practices required and said it was opening a criminal investigation in conjunction with the Justice Department. PCA announced a voluntary recall of its peanut butter on 13 January, said it was cooperating with the inquiry and has apologised "to peanut consumers everywhere". FDA Officials indicated that national brands of peanut butter are not affected, but warned the public to be cautious with peanut products produced by smaller companies. (BBC and ReutersHealth.com).

**Voluntary ban on colours link to hyperactivity
Last year, a study by a Southampton University and funded by the Food Standards Agency identified 6 food colours that may be linked to hyperactivity in young children.  The colours are sunset yellow FCF (E110),  quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122, allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102) and ponceau 4R (E124).  Some food manufacturers including Asian Asset Group (Worldfoods products), Green Bay (Green Bay products), Heinz (Heinz, Weight Watchers from Heinz, HP, Lea & Perrins), Vimto Soft Drinks (Vimto drinks, Panda drinks, Sunkist drinks) have produced product lines free from these colours.  Retailers including Asda, Iceland, Marks & Spencer and Tesco have also produced their own range of product free from the colours.  Restaurants complying with the voluntary ban include McDonald's.  The voluntary ban was agreed by Ministers at the end of last year.  Any food manufacturer or retailer wishing to notify the Agency their brands or products are free of these colours, should contact the Agency with their details.

**Trading standards officers find out of date food in hospital canteen
Gwent Healthcare NHS trust has been fined nearly £15,000 for possessing food which was a year out of date. Trading standards officers found 11 out of date food products during a routine inspection at the canteen at Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital.  The products included turkey, gammon and fish with the oldest being 12 months past its use by date.  The trust has stated that new procedures have now been put in place and all catering staff have been retrained. (BBC) 

**New method developed for rapid detection of Salmonella
Researchers at Iowa State University have developed a process called Fluorescent In-Situ for testing for the presence of Salmonella, which could give investigators a result in about 2 hours. The new method involves removing samples from the skin of produce using adhesive tape. The sample is then put on a slide and soaked in a mixture containing a genetic marker, which binds to the Salmonella.  When this is viewed under an ultraviolet light it gives off a fluorescent glow.  Brehm-Stecher, one of the researchers, is quoted as saying that this method is rapid, easy and cheap.  Current methods of detection can take from 1-7 days.  He also states that this will be a good tool in an outbreak investigation and routine surveillance especially since all you need is tape, a heat block, a small centrifuge and a fluorescence microscope.  The findings are published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. (Summary in Science Daily)

**Meat unfit for human consumption could be on sale
Police have warned that meat unfit for human consumption could be on sale, after the 'butchered' remains of four pregnant sheep were found by a member of the public in County Durham.  The blood, intestines and bodies of the unborn lambs were discovered on land near Staindrop close to Barnard Castle.  It is thought the carcasses will be sold illegally.  However the animals had recently been given worming medication and anyone who consumes the meat could become ill. Durham Police have been quoted as saying here is no doubt those responsible may be trying to sell meat cheaply and they are advising anyone offered the meat not to touch it and contact them as soon as possible. (BBC)

**EFSA reviews Vitamin A levels in animal feedstuffs
Vitamin A is required the healthy growth and development of both animals and humans. It is typically consumed as the preformed vitamin but can be derived from dietary carotenoids for humans and most animals. Vitamin A can accumulate in the body and is toxic at high doses. It is currently allowed as an additive in feedstuffs for a number of animal species. EFSA, in the form of the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) reviewed a series of reports concerning the risks to consumers of high levels of Vitamin A in animal products. Following review, the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for Vitamin A (3 000 µg RE from preformed vitamin A/day) was considered to be still appropriate. While the existing data did not justify the setting of a lower UL for specific subgroups (i.e. the elderly  ), the review concluded that a Guidance Level (GL) of 1500 µg RE/day would be suitable for those at greater risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture. FEEDAP did however recommend that the maximum Vitamin A content of animal feed be revised as a measure to protect consumers. (EFSA)

**Washington toxic spot for algal blooms
A part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which separates Washington state from Canada's British Columbia, is a potential "hot spot" for toxic harmful algal blooms affecting the Washington and British Columbia coasts. Marine scientists have found that under certain conditions, toxic algal cells from an offshore "initiation site" break off and are transported to nearshore areas, where they may trigger harmful algal blooms that ultimately force the closure of Washington state shellfish beds along beaches. David Garrison, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Biological Oceanography Program is quoted as saying that knowing more about these algal blooms is critical for protecting human and ecosystem health.  Further details of the research at Eurekalert.org. (30/01/09)

**Animal diseases updates and food poisoning outbreaks
Regular global updates on food poisoning outbreaks and animal diseases, such as avian influenza, foot and mouth, Ebola, SARS, and Anthrax can be found on the International Society for Infectious Diseases 'ProMED-mail' web site. 

**The Food Safety Network
The International Food Safety Network (iFSN) at Kansas State University provides research, commentary, policy evaluation and public information on food safety issues.  An international repository of food safety-related information, FSN offers consumer, student and industry outreach services, information research, on-line resources, collaborative projects, evaluation and analysis, and a capacity to address current and emerging food safety concerns.

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Legislation headlines

**EU angered by Italian inaction on allergy labelling
**EU nutrient profiling delays to continue
**USA: FDA finds vitamin B6 form not legal in supplements
**EFSA opinion on sources of methionine
**UK Supermarkets Face Crackdown on Meat Labelling
**NFU reports on high levels of mycotoxins in wheat
**EU pesticides legislation
**EU General product safety directive 2004 - 2008
**FDA joins criminal investigation on Salmonella in peanut products
**Traffic light labelling open to "misinterpretation"
**Flavour firm to investigate understanding of natural wording
**PGIs and PDOs
**FSANZ statement on Salmonella contamination of peanut butter
**FSANZ update on food from China
**EFSA latest flavouring group evaluation
**EFSA recent reports and opinions

**EU angered by Italian inaction on allergy labelling
A number of news agencies report that the European Commission has accused the Italian government of dragging its feet over the implementation of EU rules requiring food manufacturers to label products with potentially allergenic ingredients. Brussels has now sent Italy a final warning, giving its government two months to explain how it will resolve the problem or face a probable case at the European Court of Justice. A Commission official told Just-food.com (30/01/09) that Italy had not communicated anything in terms of its implementation measures for the 2007 directive. Officials in Rome had not even responded to letters of complaint from the Commission. More inaction would mean the case is likely to be referred to the European Court of Justice. (Also covered in FoodNavigator.com )

**EU nutrient profiling delays to continue
Nutrient profiling, the system that will govern which foods and supplements can make health claims and which can't, may not be adopted by the summer, according to consultancy, European Advisory Services (EAS). The Brussels-based food law specialist noted that "more meetings and discussions" are necessary before the complex sub-regulation can be finalised, and it therefore may struggle to enter the legislature before European Parliament elections in June this year. (NutraIngredients.com 02/02/09).

**USA: FDA finds vitamin B6 form not legal in supplements
The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) has ruled that the vitamin B6 compound, pyridoxamine dihydrochloride, cannot be used in dietary supplements. The decision, in response to a petition from a North Carolina-based firm called Biostratum, provoked the Washington DC-based Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) to issue a statement warning that a precedent could be established that could see the status of other ingredients challenged. More details at NutraIngredients.com (30/01/09)

**EFSA opinion on sources of methionine
The European Food Safety Authority's Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food  studied the safety of calcium L-methionate, magnesium L-methionate and zinc mono-L-methionine sulphate added for nutritional purposes to food supplements. The panel concluded that the proposed use levels of calcium L-methionate and magnesium L-methionate as sources for calcium and magnesium at the proposed levels of use could be of safety concern.  However, the use of zinc mono-L-methionine sulphate at the proposed level of use as a source of zinc was not of safety concern.

**UK Supermarkets Face Crackdown on Meat Labelling
According to a short item in Flex-News.com (30/01/09) British government ministers have told supermarkets to stop selling processed food containing cheaper foreign meat with labels suggesting it was British. Environment Minister Hilary Benn said in an interview with The Independent newspaper that retailers were undermining the government's drive to persuade shoppers to buy British and putting at risk the government's policy on food security and animal welfare. Benn said Britain was lobbying for new European laws that would outlaw a labelling loophole which allowed grocery chains to mark products as being "produced in the UK" if the last significant change to it took place in Britain, even if the main ingredient came from abroad.

**NFU reports on high levels of mycotoxins in wheat
Higher than usual levels of  deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxins in wheat have prompted millers to demand that from 1 February 2009 all human consumption deliveries be accompanied by test results. According to the National Association of British & Irish Millers the higher levels caused by last year's difficult harvest mean growers' safety risk self-assessments, using the HGCA (Home Grown Cereals Authority) method, cannot ensure that grain intakes are below the EU's 1250ppb legal limit set in July 2006. (From Farmers Weekly online).

**EU pesticides legislation
After more than six months of discussions, debate and concerted lobbying the revision of the EU pesticide approvals legislation is drawing to a close. Mike Abram, with help from industry experts, assesses the potential impacts on each in Farmers Weekly (29/01/09).  The European Commission has produced a set of  frequently asked questions on pesticides (Plant Protection Products).

**EU General product safety directive 2004 - 2008
On 14 January the European Commission adopted a Communication to the European Parliament and the Council, reporting on the first years (2004-2008) of implementation of the General Product Safety Directive. This is the basic legislation governing the safety of non-food consumer products in the EU. The Directive in essence sets out the Member States' powers and duty to control the market and take appropriate measures should unsafe products be found, and also sets out the corresponding duties of the economic operators. The General Product Safety Directive has proven to be a powerful tool for ensuring a high level of consumer protection and I am pleased to confirm once again that we are on the right track in making use of this Directive, which is one of the most important instruments in the consumer safety armoury, Commissioner Meglena Kuneva said.

**FDA joins criminal investigation on Salmonella in peanut products
The US Food and Drug Administration is joining with the Justice Department in a criminal investigation of Peanut Corp of America, whose plant has caused an outbreak of Salmonella poisoning that has sickened more than 500 people and may have killed eight.   The FDA's Dr. Stephen Sundlof said the agency would help investigate criminal allegations in the outbreak, traced to a single Blakely, Georgia, peanut plant that has been closed.  Checks by state and federal health officials have found widespread contamination at the plant and evidence that plant management knowingly shipped salmonella-tainted products.  (Reuters Health, 30/01/09))

**Traffic light labelling open to "misinterpretation"
Only about 18% of European consumers check processed foods for nutrition, with colour-coded schemes open to some misinterpretation, according to a new study.  More details at Just-Food.com (02/02/09).

**Flavour firm to investigate understanding of natural wording
As the industry prepares for new wording to describe natural flavours, research is underway to investigate what consumers will understand by the new terms. The new flavour regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 )  forms part of the Food Improvement Agent Package of legislation, which was adopted towards the end of 2008 and entered into force with publication in the Official Journal of the EU at the end of December. The changes are applicable in two years. Amongst the most significant changes, the new regulation will do away with the distinction between 'nature identical' and 'synthetic' flavourings, meaning that all non-natural flavourings will simply be called 'flavouring substances'.  Although the definitions of each term are laid out in the Regulation, Damien Bellusci, commercial director of Create Flavours, said it is not clear exactly what consumers will understand by them, which is why his company has commissioned research to find out.  The significance of some of the new rules on flavourings are further discussed at FoodNavigator.com (27/01/09).

**PGIs and PDOs
Commission Regulation (EC) No 98/2009 of 2 February 2009 entering certain names in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Aceite de La Alcarria (PDO), Radicchio di Verona (PGI), Zafferano di Sardegna (PDO), Huîtres Marennes Oléron (PGI)). Also, Commission Regulation (EC) No 104/2009 of 3 February 2009 approving non-minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Gorgonzola (PDO)).

**FSANZ statement on Salmonella contamination of peanut butter
The United States is reporting a large outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium food-borne illness linked with the consumption of peanut butter. FSANZ became aware of this issue on 12 January 2009 and has carried out an investigation in case these products have been imported into Australia. It appears that this outbreak is associated with peanut butter and peanut paste manufactured by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) in the United States.  FSANZ requested information from the International Food Safety Authorities Network, the US  Food and Drug Administration, Australian Customs Service, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, the Food and Beverage Importers Association, the Australian Food and Grocery Council and Australian importers as to whether affected products could be imported into Australia.  The FDA confirmed that a brand of frozen cookie dough manufactured in the US, linked to the outbreak and subject to a US recall, had been exported to Australia. The New South Wales Food Authority has been in contact with the importers who have recovered and destroyed all of the imported product. To date there have been no recent reports of infections of this particular strain of Salmonella  in Australia. FSANZ will continue to monitor the ongoing investigation.

**FSANZ update on food from China
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has an updating section on its web site dealing with Melamine in foods from China, Food products withdrawn, Product testing, Consumer advice and Maximum melamine levels in food.

**EFSA latest flavouring group evaluation
Flavouring Group Evaluation 218: alpha,beta-Unsaturated aldehydes and precursors from subgroup 4.2 of FGE.19: Furfural derivatives - Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC)

**EFSA recent reports and opinions
Updates to the web site of the European Food Safety Authority show that they have published documents on the following topics:
Zoonoses country reports 2007
Marine biotoxins in shellfish - Yessotoxin group
Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides
Consequences for the consumer of the use of vitamin A in animal nutrition

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Other headlines (04/02/09)

**Too much TV linked unhealthy diet in the future
**"Healthy" obesity may be explained by protein identified in mice
**Plums poised to give blueberries run for the money
**Food Futures: Rethinking UK Strategy
**ASA verdict on Kellogg's "wholesome cookie" advert

**Too much TV linked unhealthy diet in the future
Dr Daheia Barr-Anderson worked with a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota to investigate the relationship between television and diet in American school children. The study followed almost 2000 high- and middle-school children and found that TV viewing times predicted poorer dietary intake patterns five years later. (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2009, 6:7 doi:10.1186/1479-5868-6-7 (open access);  summary in ScienceDaily.com)

**"Healthy" obesity may be explained by protein identified in mice
Dr. Philipp Scherer, director of the Touchstone Center for Diabetes Research at UT Southwestern Medical Center found that mice whose fat cells were allowed to grow larger than fat cells in normal mice developed "healthy" obesity when fed a high-fat diet.  The fat but otherwise healthy mice lacked a protein called collagen VI, which normally surrounds fat cells and limits how large they can grow.  The mice lacking collagen VI fared much better metabolically than their counterparts that retained this particular collagen. The mice without collagen VI did not develop inflammation or insulin resistance. The findings appear online and in a future edition of Molecular and Cellular Biology.  (From UT Southwestern Medical Center press release).

**Plums poised to give blueberries run for the money
Dr. Luis Cisneros and Dr. David Byrne from Texas AgriLife Research scientists have discovered that plums contain antioxidants and phytonutrients at levels which rival those of the blueberry, a fruit often referred to as a "superfood". The scientsts judged more than 100 varieties of plums, peaches and nectarines and found them to match or exceed the much-touted blueberries in antioxidants and phytonutrients associated with disease prevention.  The duo acknowledge that blueberries remain a good nutritional choice. But Byrne said their findings are plum good news, especially in tight economic times, because one relatively inexpensive plum contains about the same amount of antioxidants as a handful of more expensive blueberries. More details in Eurekalert.org (28/01/09).

**Food Futures: Rethinking UK Strategy
This is the title of a Chatham House Report which suggest that UK food supplies can no longer be taken for granted by consumers and the government. Over the next few decades, the global food system will come under renewed pressure from the combined effects of seven fundamental factors: population growth, the nutrition transition, energy, land, water, labour and climate change. The combined effects will create constraints on food supply and if action is not taken, there is a real potential for demand growth to outstrip increases in global food production. Effects on developing countries would be devastating. Developed countries will be affected too. Expectations of abundant and ever cheaper food could come under strain. The UK can no longer afford to take its food supply for granted.  This is the final report of a Chatham House project on UK Food Supply in the 21st Century: the New Dynamic.

**ASA verdict on Kellogg's "wholesome cookie" advert
There have been three complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over the wording of a press advert and poster for Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Soft Oaties biscuits. This described the biscuits as "wholesome cookie goodness", but the complainants said the adverts misleadingly implied the biscuits were healthy when in fact they were high in sugar, fat and saturated fat. The ASA agreed that the adverts were misleading and advised Kellogg's not to use them again in their current form.  Full adjudication on the ASA web site.

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This Newsletter was posted on: 04 February 2009

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