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New hope for peanut allergy sufferers
GM genes are present in wild Mexican maize
Peptides from eggs might help prevent hypertension
Metabolism of berry anthocyanins to phenolic acids
Stroke risk increased by living near fast-food outlets
Dairy food, calcium and cancer risk
Acrylamide may be added to toxic substances list
Product recalls and alerts
Food safety
Legislation headlines
Other headlines (25/02/09)

New hope for peanut allergy sufferers

The results of a recent study conducted by Dr Andrew T Clark and colleagues at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, UK, has given new hope to peanut allergy sufferers.  They used oral immunotherapy (OIT) to induce an increased tolerance to peanut protein in four children with proven peanut allergy.  The results of the study have been widely discussed and most agree that this is potentially a very encouraging development, as allergies of varying severities affect a large proportion of the population.  However the authors of the study are keen to stress that these are very early days and much more research and many more long term trials need to be done.

Allergies affect a large number of people in the UK, the most prevalent allergies being to egg and milk.  These are most common in young children, who usually grow out of it.  Peanut allergy affects around 2% of young children in the UK and unlike egg and milk allergies, it rarely resolves.  Despite an increase in awareness and the introduction of allergen labelling regulations for pre-packaged foods in the EU, a significant number of young peanut allergy sufferers are accidentally exposed and have reactions each year.  The severity of the reaction varies between individuals, but some experience anaphylaxis, which can be life threatening.
 
The concept of desensitising allergy sufferers by giving them small but increasing doses of the relevant allergen is not a new one.  Although it has been used successfully with people allergic to bee and wasp stings, food related allergies have had less attention in such trials.  This kind of therapy is known as immunotherapy.  Oral immunotherapy (meaning doses are taken orally) is currently being investigated as a potential treatment for milk and egg allergy, and it is this method that was used in Andrew Clark's study.
 
Four boys aged 9-13 were the subjects of the study.  They each had confirmed peanut allergy, which was established at the beginning of the trial.  To determine the starting dose that should be given to each child, the severity of their allergy was first determined using a series of tests, including skin prick and blood tests.  Once this dose had been determined a dosage plan was drawn up for the 6 month duration of the trial.  Each subject started on 5-50mg of peanut protein (one whole peanut has around 150-200mg of protein) which they took daily.  The first dose was administered in the research facility under controlled and safe conditions then the same dose was taken at home for the following weeks.  Each time the dose was increased, the first dose at the new level was administered in the research facility with adrenaline and antihistamines on standby.  In the authors' summary it is noted that one subject had anaphylaxis during the challenge and required an adrenaline injection.
 
Gradually the doses were increased, and if any reaction was seen, the subject was kept at the current dose until no reaction was seen. By the end of the study the subjects were able to tolerate between 48 and 478 times the amount of peanut protein that they could at the start, and all the children could eat between 10 and12 peanuts, which is more than any of them would be expected to ingest accidentally.  The subjects have been advised to continue to take 800mg peanut protein daily in order to keep their tolerances up.
 
Although these results are very promising, the research team emphasizes that the treatment should not yet be tried outside clinical trials. Further trials are needed to establish how long and how frequently maintenance immunotherapy would be required to maintain peanut tolerance in these children. More research would also be needed to find out whether a similar treatment would work in adults with peanut allergy or in people with allergies to other nuts or foods. (Clark et al. Allergy 2009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.01982.x. Discussion of the significance of the work at NHS News - Behind the Headlines 20/02/09).

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GM genes are present in wild Mexican maize

During 2001-2002, Food e-News reported on controversial research carried out at the University of California-Davis and published in the journal Nature, which after numerous protests about the quality of the science, was retracted.  It dealt with the transfer of maize transgenes into wild varieties of maize growing in remote rural areas of Mexico. A subsequent article in 2005 by US and Mexican scientists claimed that no transgene sequences were found in maize from 125 fields in 18 localities in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. However, Elena Alvarez-Buylla of the National Autonomous University in Mexico City and her team say they have found transgenes in about 1% of 2000 samples, backing up Quist and Chapela's findings published in Nature. (Brief note in New Scientist, 21/02/09).

In 2001, Quist and Chapela reported the presence of the 35SCauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV) promoter and the nopaline synthase terminator (NOst) recombinant sequences in four out of six areas of maize sampled from maize landraces in the Sierra Juarez region of Oaxaca.(CaMV and NOst are widely used in genetic modification techniques). In their introduction, Alvarez-Buylla et al. say that although the paper was criticised for its methodological shortcomings, most critics did not disagree with its main findings which were that transgenes were present in their samples and they go on to present new molecular data for this region of Mexico, that confirm the presence of transgenes in 3 of the 23 localities sampled in 2001. In 2002, maize seed samples were obtained from households as part of a socio-economic study of 9 localities in Sierra Juarez, none of which contained transgenes. However, samples taken from 4 municipalities which had also been sampled in 2001 were again found to contain transgenic sequences.  In 2004, further samples were collected from two areas of the Sierra Juarez region, and the presence of the 35S CaMV promoter was detected in 11 out of 60 fields.

The authors discuss their findings at length, offering some explanations for why previous results have been inconsistent and presenting theoretical results which demonstrate the limitations of estimating the probability of transgene detection in samples taken from landraces. They also point out that the inclusion of a limited number of female gametes and aggregated transgene distributions may significantly lower detection probabilities. Future studies, they say, should provide precise estimates of local transgene frequencies from 2004, in order to monitor the persistence and frequency change of transgenes in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico where transgenes have been reported in wild landraces.  At present, the failure to detect transgenes should not be taken as evidence of  their absence, if based on the sampling and analytical methods used up to now. (Molecular Ecology, 2009. 18 (4): 750-761).

See also: Mercer & Wainwright, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 2008, 123 (1-3): 109-115; doi:10.1016/j.agee.2007.05.007 who also investigated the reasons for the absence of detectable transgenes in local maize landraces in Oaxaca from 2003-2004, and Ortiz-García et al. PNAS 2005 102:12338-12343;doi:10.1073/pnas.0503356102 who confirmed the absence of maize transgenes in samples taken in 2003-2004. Quist & Chapela's 2001 paper can be found in Nature, 2001,  414: 541-543.

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Peptides from eggs might help prevent hypertension

After last week's good news that eggs do not raise blood cholesterol levels comes a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry which investigated the digestion of eggs using an in vitro method, simulating conditions in the human gastrointestinal tract. It indicated that angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) peptides were released from cooked egg during digestion which may help prevent cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension.

Eggs are composed of 75% water, 12% protein, 12% lipids, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals.  In the last four decades egg consumption in developed countries has decreased due to concerns that it might raise blood cholesterol levels   However, the study states that there is no current evidence that directly links egg intake and the incidence of heart disease.   Eggs are a rich source of bioactive proteins and peptides. These may be released during gastrointestinal digestion or processing of food, and can be absorbed into the blood from the intestine, producing either systemic effects or those local to the gastrointestinal tract.  It has been reported that eggs contain antimicrobial peptides, anticancer peptides, antihypertensive peptides, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides and protease inhibitors.  ACE is an enzyme responsible for the regulation of blood pressure and increased activity of this enzyme may lead to higher blood pressure or hypertension. It is the key target enzyme for antihypertensive drug development.  Recent studies have found that egg proteins can be hydrolysed to release ACE inhibitory peptides which can help in reducing blood pressure in both hypertensive animals and humans. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of boiling or frying eggs on the release of ACE inhibitory peptides in a stimulated digestive model system and to characterise the peptides derived from the sample of digested egg.

The boiled egg samples were prepared by cooking, cooling them and then either leaving them whole or separating them into egg white or egg yolk.  The fried egg samples were prepared by frying whole eggs, egg white and egg yolk separately.  After all the samples had been cooled they were frozen at -20^oC.  The cooked egg samples were then digested under simulated conditions of human gut in vitro using pepsin (a stomach enzyme) and pancreatin (a mixture of enzymes found in the small intestine).   ACE inhibitory activity was determined and reported as IC₅₀, which is the concentration of the peptide that can inhibit 50% of the enzyme activity.  Several bioactive peptides derived from egg proteins were analysed using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

It was found that fried egg samples had a greatly reduced IC₅₀ value, meaning a better inhibitory effect compared to the boiled egg samples.  The researchers noted that the fried eggs were cooked at a higher temperature (170^oC) compared to the boiled eggs and this could have affected the bioactive peptide release.  Both whole egg samples had  lower IC₅₀ values compared to the separate white and yolk digests which the authors thought may have been due to an interaction between the peptides in both yolk and white, or that the mixture of the white and yolk facilitated digestion of proteins and therefore released more peptides. It was also found that the pepsin-pancreatin-digested whole egg samples had a significantly lower IC₅₀ value than the pepsin digested samples.  In egg yolk this effect was reversed, while egg white showed no differences between digests.   The authors suggest this could have been caused by inhibitory peptides from the pepsin digest being further digested by pancreatin.

Further LC-MS/MS analysis was carried on the whole egg pepsin-pancreatin digest to try to identify peptide sequences.  Results showed that the composition was complex, with over 50 individual peptides being identified in each sample analysed. The authors believe that the exceptional inhibitory activity of this sample suggested a possible synergy between various peptides.   The study concludes that the digestion of cooked eggs could generate a number of powerful ACE inhibitory peptides and that this may have implications for cardiovascular disease prevention.  However, further research would be needed to see if eating cooked eggs actually lowers blood pressure in humans. 

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Metabolism of berry anthocyanins to phenolic acids

Tarja Nurmi and colleagues at the Universities of Kuipio and Helsinki in Finland have examined the metabolic processes involved in the conversion of berry anthocyanins to phenolic acids in humans. Berries contain a variety of different flavonoids and phenolic acids and some research suggests there is a reduced risk of lung cancer and stroke associated with high intakes of flavonoids. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid abundant in berries and a recent clinical trial has shown a significant decrease in blood pressure amongst subjects who included 160g/day of different berries in their diet.

In order to further understand the actions of anthocyanins it is important to understand the metabolism of these flavonoids in humans.  Previous studies have reported that phenolic acids are the main metabolites of anthocyanins but the fragmentation of anthocyanins to phenolic acids has not been studied in any detail.  In Nurmi et al.'s study 6 subjects were provided with two study meals.  The first consisted of 50g of pureed berries containing bilberries and lingonberries in a ratio of 3:1 w/w along with 50g of oat cereal.  Following pureeing the berries were concentrated by water removal until anthocyanins measured at least 600mg per meal.  The second meal consisted of just 50g of pureed berries.  The subjects ate no vegetable foods or drinks for five days before each meal and continued this diet for 48hrs afterwards.  The second meal occurred two months after the first.  Blood and urine samples were taken before and after the meals and these were both analysed for anthocyanins using HPLC.  Urinary phenolic acids were also determined using HPLC. In all, 18 different phenolic acids were determined in the urine of the participants. 

The phenolic acids were identified as dietary or metabolic components, and in order to confirm this, the phenolic acids from the puree and cereals were analysed to confirm that the metabolites had not been  given to the subjects in the study meals.  Calculations were performed to determine the increase in urinary excretion of each phenolic acid due to the supplementation.  Results showed that the excretion of dietary phenolic acids was postponed by the oat cereal consumption but no effect was observed on the excretion of metabolite phenolic acids.   Methylated phenolic acids showed the highest increase in excretion during the study, and while some of these showed rapid increases in excretion after the puree and cereals meal,  others showed increased excretion more rapidly following the puree alone.  Some phenolic acids were excreted in low amounts compared to the amounts of anthocyanin consumed. For instance, even though delphinidin glycosides were the most abundant phenolic compounds in the puree, no gallic acid (a fragmentation product of delphinidin glycosides ) was detected in urine.  Similarly, only a very small amount of malvidin glycosides was possibly metabolized to syringic acid.  According to the authors' summary, homovanillic and vanillic acids were the most abundant metabolites, and they were partly produced from anthocyanins.

The authors claim that this is the first study to measure a wide variety of phenolic compounds in human urine to determine the fragmentation of dietary anthocyanins to phenolic acids.  They discovered that while the excretion of these acids increased after the meals, this did not occur to a level which would suggest that the measured phenolic acids could be considered as the main metabolites of the consumed anthocyanins.  The most abundant metabolites were methylated phenolic acids which they indicate were only partly produced from anthocyanins. Whilst a postponed peak of dietary phenolic acid excretion was seen after the puree and cereal meal compared to the puree alone, the urinary excretion of metabolites had similar profiles in both meals.  In conclusion the researchers indicate that while fragmentation of anthocyanins to phenolic acids may occur to a certain degree, a large part of anthocyanin metabolism remains unknown.  (Nurmi et al. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ASAP article, online 20/02/09).

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Stroke risk increased by living near fast-food outlets

Research presented to the American Stroke Association's international conference has suggested that people who live in neighbourhoods with many fast food restaurants are more likely to suffer from strokes. For instance, residents of one Texas county neighbourhood, which had the highest number of fast-food restaurants, had a 13% increased risk of suffering from a stroke.

Dr Lewis Morgenstern, lead author of the study, makes it clear that although there is clearly an association between stroke risk and the accessibility of fast food, his study does not prove that living near fast food outlets increases stroke risk. He said it was not clear whether being close to sources of fast food meant people consumed more of it, or if it was a lack of more healthy options, or if there was another factor associated with these neighbourhoods which was the cause of poor health.

Data for Morgenstern's research was obtained from the residents of Nueces County, Texas from January 2001 - June 2003 as part of the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project.  During this time, residents suffered from 1,247 ischemic strokes. Socioeconomic and demographic information was used to categorise neighbourhoods, of which those in the 25^th percentile had less than 12 fast-food restaurants, while those in the 75^th percentile had more than 33. Data analysis showed that stroke risk increased by 1% for each fast-food restaurant in a neighbourhood.

Dr Morgenstern is director of the University of Michigan's Stroke Prevention Program and he and his team have published numerous scientific papers investigating the factors which can influence stroke risk. Stroke causes the third highest number of deaths in the United States, after heart disease and cancer. On the basis of his research, Morgenstern considers that public health experts should consider fast-food dense neighbourhoods as prime areas for stroke prevention programmes. In addition, the American Stroke Association points out that the number of Americans eating meals away from the home is at an all-time high and endorses the use of calorie labelling in all restaurants which use standardised recipes to help customers make healthier food choices.  (From American Heart Association press release , 19/02/09).

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Dairy food, calcium and cancer risk

Dairy food and calcium in relation to total cancer risk, and risk at individual cancer sites has been investigated using data from 293,907 men and 198,903 women who took part in the US NIH-AARP** health study. Study participants were aged 50 - 71 years old and the study ran from 1995 to 2003.

In 1995 or 1996 when study participants were enrolled, they completed a food frequency questionnaire in which they detailed their intakes of a number of food groups and how often they consumed them, also giving details of food supplement use. Their records were subsequently linked with state cancer registries up to 2003, which revealed 36,965 cases of cancer in men and 16,605 cases in women. Tabulated data shows selected characteristics for study participants in relation to intakes of dairy foods and calcium for quintile 1 and quintile 5 for both men and women. Further tables show relative risks (RR) and confidence intervals (CI) for categories of dairy food and calcium intakes, for men and women, for all cancers, and cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, stomach, colorectum, liver, pancreas, lung, prostate, bladder, kidney, thyroid and brain, as well as breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers in women, and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, leukemia and myelomas in men and women.

Results showed that in both men and women dairy food and calcium intakes were inversely associated with cancers of the digestive system, the decreased risk being particularly marked in colorectal cancers. Calcium intake was not related to total cancer in men, but was non-linearly associated with total cancer in women, in whom the risk decreased for intakes up to 1300 mg/day, but above which there was no further risk reduction. For women, those in the top calcium intake quintile (1,881 mg/day) had a 23% lower risk of developing colorectal than those in the lowest quintile of calcium intake (494 mg/day). In men, the highest calcium consumers (through foods and supplements, 1,530 mg/day) had a 16% lower risk of developing cancers of the digestive system than those who consumed the least calcium (526 mg/day). Supplemental calcium intake was also inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk.

Limitations of the study included the fact that associations between intakes of dairy foods and calcium were not linked to tumour sub-types or tumour aggressiveness. Also, although confounding factors were generally taken into account, for some site-specific cancers residual confounders may have existed.  Low-incidence cancers, particularly in women, meant that the authors had limited statistical power to examine the associations and some may have been due to chance. Finally, diet was assessed only at the start of the study and may not have reflected long term intake accurately. (From Park et al  Arch Intern Med, 2009; 169 (4): 391-401. Summary in ScienceDaily.com )

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Acrylamide may be added to toxic substances list

Health Canada has recommended that the carcinogen acrylamide be added to the country's toxic substances list. The move has been prompted by concerns that Canadians are ingesting too much acrylamide which has been detected in French fries, potato chips and various other carbohydrate-rich foods cooked at high temperatures. The levels of acrylamide detected in fried potato products have been reported to be significantly higher than quantities detected in other products such as breakfast cereals, pastries, toast and coffee. This decision has been made as part of a review by the federal government of nearly two hundred potentially harmful substances used commercially, for which a thorough risk assessment had not been carried out.

Acrylamide is used commercially to make polymers. It is not found naturally in raw foods and is an undesirable by-product of the reaction between sugars and other substances found in potatoes and grains when exposed to high cooking temperatures. There has been no announcement of specific measures being implemented to regulate exposure to acrylamide, although provisions in the Food and Drugs Act could be used to control levels of acrylamide, inadvertently produced, in foods for  human consumption.

The decision to review the toxic listing was based on the "carcinogenic potential" of acrylamide in addition to a lack of adequate data to implement exposure limits for causing reproductive and developmental damage during foetal and early life development. Acrylamide has been linked to nervous system disorders, with a tentative link identified with cancer. A recent publication in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by a group of Polish researchers has identified a link between acrylamide consumption and an increased risk of heart disease. In this study, participants who ingested 157 micrograms of acrylamide daily for four weeks were monitored, with blood tests carried out to determine oxidised LDL levels, inflammatory markers and also antioxidant levels, all of which suggested an increased risk of heart disease.

This research has suggested that further studies need to be undertaken in the long-term to fully assess the effects of acrylamide consumption.  It supports the decision of Health Canada to move acrylamide to its toxic substances list, a move supported by environmentalists who have campaigned for the reduction in potentially dangerous chemicals in consumer goods. A spokesman for Environmental Defence, a Toronto-based advocacy group has urged the Canadian authorities to move quickly to introduce control measures to reduce the consumption of acrylamide.

Another study reported in FoodNavigator.com (25/02/09), published in the journal Food Chemistry, has shown that the amino acid L-cysteine may reduce the concentration of acrylamide in food by more than 99 per cent.

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Product recalls and alerts

**Iceland recalls cocktail sausage rolls
**TRS Wholesale Co Ltd withdraws a batch of Golden Sultana Raisins
**From Australia and New Zealand
**From Canada
**From the US
**European Rapid Alerts for week 8
**Links to recall web sites
**Recall web sites for halal and kosher foods

**Iceland recalls cocktail sausage rolls
Iceland has recalled some of its cocktail sausage rolls because some packs may contain Cheese & Onion Rolls instead of Cocktail Sausage Rolls. This means the product could be a possible health risk for people with an allergy or intolerance to celery, gluten (wheat), milk, mustard and/or sulphites. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.

**TRS Wholesale Co Ltd withdraws a batch of Golden Sultana Raisins
TRS Wholesale Co Ltd withdraws a batch of Golden Sultana Raisins because they contain sulphur dioxide, used as a preservative for the sultanas, which is not declared on the label. This makes the product a potential health risk for people who are sensitive to sulphites. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.

**From Australia and New Zealand

• Clouet Pty Ltd is conducting a voluntary recall of Ayam Thai Massaman Curry, Cooking Sauce because the product contains shrimp paste which is not clearly identified on the label.
• James St Butchers has initiated a consumer recall on sliced pressed brisket sold in four stores in Yeppoon, as a precautionary health measure. The recall is in response to testing which indicates the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

**From Canada

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning people with allergies to egg, milk, peanut, seafood, sesame, soy, and tree nuts not to consume various Orion and Lotte brand biscuits. These products contain allergens which are not declared on the label.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain products containing ham salad manufactured by Plaisirs Gastronomiques Inc. because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning people with allergies to egg, milk and peanut protein not to consume certain Korean Crackers. These crackers contain egg, milk and peanut ingredients that are not declared on the label.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain products containing chicken or chunky ham salad manufactured by Plaisirs Gastronomiques Inc. because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain Maple Leaf Hot Dogs Original and Shopsy's Deli- Fresh All Beef Frankfurters because they may be contaminated with listeria species.

See the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website for latest recalls due to the Salmonella incident linked to peanut butter in the US

**From the US

• Union Seafoods LLC is issuing a precautionary recall of the 5-ounce variety of Genova solid light tuna in olive oil. Due to a production error, the product is mislabelled and contains albacore tuna in soybean oil with vegetable broth that contains soy. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to soybean run the risk of serious allergic reaction if they consume these products.
• Arrowhead Mills, Inc. announced that it is taking the precautionary measure of recalling Arrowhead Mills® Organic Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour (2 lbs.) with a lot code of 06OCT09 because of the possibility of the presence of an undeclared dairy allergen in a limited number of bags within this lot.
• Wei-Chuan USA, Inc., a Bell Gardens, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 89,531 pounds of granulated chicken bouillon products that were ineligible for import to the U.S.

See the FDA Website for recalls linked to the Salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter supplied by Peanut Corporation of America

**European Rapid Alerts for week 8
The results of rapid alerts for week 8 (up to 20/2/2009) 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

**4-methylbenzophenone from ink migrates into food
**Pork contaminated with illegal feed additive makes 70 people ill in China
**Risk-ranking system for food safety developed by researchers
**High levels of mercury found in fish in West Bengal
**New Zealand finds Melamine in imported milk powder ingredient
**US food companies pledge to avoid GM beet sugar
**1 in 4 Americans suffer from food poisoning annually
**Report states farm workers maybe a possible source of food borne illnesses
**666 people sickened by the US peanut product Salmonella outbreak
**Casserole blamed for prison inmate illness outbreak
**Dozens hit by food poisoning in NE China
**Food poisoning grips 500 South African children
**Vibrio spp found in Norwegian mussels
**Animal diseases updates and food poisoning outbreaks
**The Food Safety Network

**4-methylbenzophenone from ink migrates into food
A Belgian manufacturer of chocolate crunch muesli alerted the Belgian Food Safety Agency (FAVV-AFSCA) after a German customer discovered that 4-methylbenzophenone, a chemical substance that can be found in ink, had migrated from the outside cardboard box to the food product inside. According to the Belgian food producer, the packaging was manufactured in the Netherlands and has been widely distributed in the European Union. The German company informed the European Commission of its findings on 3 February 2009. The 4-methylbenzophenone levels found by the German customer in the food product amounted to 798 μg/kg (ppb). It is understood that 4-methylbenzophenone levels in the food vary depending on the quality of inner packaging layers.  The Belgian firm told FAVV-AFSCA that it has quarantined all remaining consignments of cardboard box-packaged chocolate crunch muesli. FAVV-AFSCA's consequent investigation found out that seven other Belgian food producers used the Dutch-made cardboard boxes. The authority is currently testing the products of these manufacturers. Quoted direct from Flex-News.com (20/02/09).

**Pork contaminated with illegal feed additive makes 70 people ill in China
State media have reported that at least 70 people have become ill in China after eating pork products contaminated with clenbuterol, an illegal animal feed additive. Three people are still in hospital.  Clenbuterol is used to prevent animals from gaining fat and is banned as a food additive since it can be fatal for humans.  The drug has been used illegally by athletes to gain muscle.  According to the report the contaminated pork came from farms in the Hunan province and was sold at markets in Guangzhou. The BBC's Chris Hogg in Shanghai is quoted as saying that it seems a lack of proper safety enforcement has again allowed contaminated pork into China's food chain. Officials in the southern province report that three people have been detained on suspicion of involvement in raising and selling the contaminated pigs.  (BBC)

**Risk-ranking system for food safety developed by researchers
According to an article published in the Journal of Food Science , the Institute of Food Technologists have developed a risk-ranking framework prototype to enable comparison of microbiological and chemical hazards in food, through a cooperative agreement with the FDA.   Researchers developed a system which can analyse amount of microbes and chemicals in food and rank different food in terms of their safety.  The system is in a prototype stage and is designed to provide risk report summaries that can take into account consumption of foods according to different population groups. It covers primary production, processing and distribution, storage, retail and home and allows the user to assess the likelihood that a hazard will be introduced at each stage.  The researchers hope that their system will look at control points on different foods and aid policy makers and risk managers in evaluating the risks.  The article states that the system has been tested to show that the calculations are correct using food pairs, including arsenic and smoked salmon, Salmonella and raw oysters and Listeria and milk.  (Foodnavigator-USA)

**High levels of mercury found in fish in West Bengal
Research carried out by two Indian non-governmental organisations has found that fish in the Indian State of West Bengal contain high levels of mercury. The research found that popular varieties of fish contained mercury concentrations in excess of the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act standards of 0.5 parts per million. Of 264 fish samples tested, 129 showed methyl mercury levels which exceed the PFA stipulations.  The article by the BBC includes a quote from a neurologist based in Calcutta who said that high levels of methyl mercury are neurotoxic and affect the brain's development and stunt psychological development. Methyl mercury can cause serious mental disorders which develop gradually over a period of time, leading to a drop in IQ levels and an eventual threat to an individual's mental stability. It can also cause swelling of the lungs and ultimately lead to death. (BBC)

**New Zealand finds melamine in imported milk powder ingredient
NZ Minister for Food Safety has said that an ingredient imported into New Zealand and used in milk powder has been found to contain melamine. According to a government website the melamine had been significantly diluted and there was no threat to public health.   Wilkinson is quoted as saying that as a result of the investigation, she is certain there are no safety concerns for consumers.  All the necessary precautions were taken and the authority implemented the risk management strategy put in place last year to address melamine concerns quickly and effectively. (Bloomberg)

**US food companies pledge to avoid GM beet sugar
A non-genetically modified Beet Sugar Registry has been set up by food safety, environmental and corporate watchdog organisations, which list companies who have stated that they do not use or sell genetically modified beet sugar.  Over 70 US companies have signed up. The Institute for Responsible Technology is one of the sponsors of the registry and it states that there is a need to avoid finding out a product is harmful after it has been approved and distributed.  According to the article, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) has said that one of the reasons for creating the registry is to give consumers a choice about whether they eat foods containing GM sugar in the absence of mandatory labelling for GM foods. The president of High Mowing Organic Seeds, Tom Stearns, another sponsor of the registry, is concerned that GM sugar beets would cross-pollinate with other crops such as chard and table beets, meaning that this could affect other foods and food ingredients. (Food Quality News)

**1 in 4 Americans suffer from food poisoning annually
An article by the Associated Press has stated that 1 in 4 Americans suffer from food poisoning yearly.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only a minority of these are linked to high profile outbreaks.  The article states that there are more than 250 food related type illnesses and that the most common are Norwalk-like viruses.  These account for about two thirds of food poisoning cases.  The next most common are from Camplyobacter (14% of food poisonings) and Salmonella (roughly 10%).  CDC officials have said that the number of confirmed food poisonings has held steady in the last number of years. It may seem worse because testing is more advanced and allows investigators to look at related cases and identify outbreaks. According to the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that 25% of Americans are affected by food poisoning each year.  (AFP)

**Farm workers maybe a possible source of food borne illnesses
A report published in the Journal of Environmental Health by a Temple University public health professor, Jennifer Ibrahim, indicates while it is vital for food processing plants to be clean and sanitary, officials need to look at other possible sources of illness, including farm workers. Farm workers tend to be a transitory group, often inexperienced in food safety and unaware that what they are doing may be harmful. The report includes a list of practices which could help prevent food borne diseases being spread by farm workers.  These include vaccinating all workers at hire, enforcement of the  Occupational Health and Safety Act, provision of understandable information on sanitation and education of workers on disease prevention and treatment.  (Science Daily)

** 666 people sickened by the US peanut product Salmonella outbreak
US Health officials have said that the Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut products has sickened 666 people, with one death linked to the incident.  The CDC is quoted as saying that 19 clusters of infections in five states have been reported in schools and other institutions, such as long-term care facilities and hospitals. King Nut brand peanut butter was present in all facilities.  According to the FDA 2100 products in 17 categories have been recalled by over 200 companies. (Reuters).

**Casserole blamed for prison inmate illness outbreak
An inadequately prepared casserole appears to have been responsible for a food-poisoning outbreak at a prison in Wisconsin, US. Tests showed that the casserole had been contaminated with the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium perfringens, which can accumulate when food, usually meat, is improperly handled.  Small numbers of the organism may be present after food is cooked, and if leftovers are not cooled and stored properly, the bacteria can multiply to food-poisoning levels. The bacteria typically cause abdominal cramps and diarrhoea within 6 to 24 hours of ingestion. In Wisconsin, a casserole made from leftover ground beef and macaroni was found to harbour C. perfringens bacteria. The leftovers may not have been cooled properly for storage or reheated adequately, health officials report in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

**Dozens hit by food poisoning in NE China
At least 40 people recently became ill from food poisoning in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin just as it staged the Winter University Games.  A 60-year-old man was in serious condition and dozens of others were suffering from nausea and vomiting after eating in the food court of a shopping center in the city's downtown area. (Google News).

**FAQs on uranium in mineral water
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) had assessed the possible health risks associated in particular with uranium levels in mineral water that is claimed to be suitable for the preparation of infant formula. For these waters BfR had suggested a maximum uranium level which has since been taken over into the Ordinance on Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Table Water. As BfR has also received several enquiries about uranium in drinking and mineral waters it has compiled a list of frequently asked questions covering why uranium is present in water, whether it is a health risk, and the safety of using mineral water containing 10 mg/litre or less of uranium in the preparation on infant formulae

**Vibrio spp found in Norwegian mussels
Anette Bauer Ellingsen of the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science has discovered three strains of Vibrio (V. cholerae, V. parahemolyticus and V. vulnificus) in Norwegian mussels. The Vibrio were also found in Norwegian inshore seawater.  Vibrios are capable of producing toxins which cause diarhoea and wound infections. It is claimed that these bacteria were previously unknown in Norway. (Google News, 24/02/09).

**Food poisoning grips 500 South African children
According to the KwaZulu-Natal health department, South Africa, health inspectors have been sent to KwaNongoma to test food that cause the hospitalisation of  more than 500 children with food poisoning.  The boarders at Mlokothwa High School became ill after eating mince meat for supper on Thursday. They were taken to the Benedictine Hospital to be treated for vomiting and diarrhoea. (The Times 21/02/09).

**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

**US seafood processor taken to court by FDA
**EFSA documents published this week
**PDO and PGI applications
**Meat imports from Brazil into EU
**Fishery imports from the Cameroon
**Meat imports from Botswana

**US seafood processor taken to court by FDA
At the request of the US Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on 17 February 2009, entered an order of permanent injunction against seafood processor Captain's Select Seafood Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., and its co-owners Carolyn M. Young and William J. Young. The defendants are charged with repeatedly violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the FDA's Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations for seafood processors.

**EFSA documents published this week
Safety and efficacy of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol as a feed additive for poultry and pigs;
General approach to fish welfare and to the concept of sentience in fish;
Iron (II) taurate, magnesium taurate and magnesium acetyl taurate as sources of iron or magnesium added for nutritional purposes in food supplements;
Saponins in Madhuca Longifolia as undesirable substances in animal feed;
Choline-stabilised orthosilicic acid added for nutritional purposes to food supplements;
Safety and efficacy of Biosprint (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a feed additive for sows;
Flavouring Group Evaluation 18, Revision 1 (FGE. 18 Rev1)[1] : Aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic saturated and unsaturated tertiary alcohols, aromatic tertiary alcohols and their esters from chemical groups 6 and 8;
Flavouring Group Evaluation 66 (FGE.66)[1]:Consideration of furfuryl alcohol and related flavouring substances evaluated by JECFA (55th meeting) structurally related to Furfuryl and furan derivatives with and without additional side chain substituents and heteroatoms evaluated by EFSA in FGE.13 (2005).

**PDO and PGI applications
An application has been made for a protected designation of origin (PDO) 'Hajdúsági Torma', which is a type of horseradish. Also for a protected geographical indication (PGI) for 'Schwäbische Maultaschen' or 'Schwäbische Suppenmaultaschen' which comprise stuffed pasta pouches filled with minced meat or vegetables.

**Meat imports from Brazil into EU
Commission Decision 2009/148/EC of 19 February 2009 amends Decision 2008/883/EC as regards Brazil concerning the date for which imports into the Community of certain fresh bovine meat are authorised.

**Fishery imports from the Cameroon
Commission Regulation (EC) No 146/2009 of 20 February 2009 amends Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2076/2005 as regards imports of fishery products from Cameroon.

**Meat imports from Botswana
Commission Decision 2009/151/EC of 20 February 2009 amending Annex II to Council Decision 79/542/EEC as regards the entry for Botswana in the list of third countries or parts thereof from which imports into the Community of certain fresh meat are authorised.

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Other headlines (25/02/09)

**ASA outlaws Flora advert
**Peanut allergy doubles amongst Australian children
**B vitamins may prevent female blindness
**Mushroom extract shows promise for meat preservative
**France ready to warn against drinking wine

**ASA outlaws Flora advert
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has described as misleading, an advertisement for Unilever's Flora Buttery. A TV advert for Flora Buttery, which featured the television chef Gary Rhodes, claimed that people preferred the taste of Flora Buttery to Lurpack Lighter Spreadable. But the ASA considered that a survey of 200 people was too small to support such a bold preference claim, adding that they were shown no evidence to demonstrate that the results were statistically significant. The full adjudication can be accessed from the ASA web site.

**Peanut allergy doubles amongst Australian children
A new study by Dr Raymond Mullins from the John James Medical Centre and colleagues from the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne have found that the incidence of peanut allergy amongst Australian toddlers has doubled in the past nine years. The increase has come despite efforts by parents to avoid giving peanuts to very young children, and appears to support other recent research which has suggested that promoting peanut avoidance is actually counterproductive. More details at ABC Online.

**B vitamins may prevent female blindness
A combination of folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12 may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in women by 34%. AMD is a major cause of blindness in older people.  This is the finding of a study by William Christen and colleagues from the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who published details of their research in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Feb 2009; 169: 335 - 341). In addition, the combined B vitamin supplements were associated with a 41% reduced risk of visually significant AMD, according to findings of a randomised, double-blind clinical trial involving 5,442 women age 40 and older. From NutraIngredients.com.

**Mushroom extract shows promise for meat preservative
An extract from the edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes may prolong the shelf-life of tuna meat, while also stabilising the colour of the meat, suggests new research from Japan. Full details of the research have been published in the Journal of Food Science, online 11/02/09. Summary of the research in FoodNavaigator.com.

**France ready to warn against drinking wine
The French government is ready to warn its citizen to stop drinking wine as evidence suggests that drinking alcohol boosts risk of a number of cancers. The Ministry of Health's guidelines based on the findings of the National Cancer Institute (INCA) are quoted as saying " the consumption of alcohol, and especially wine is discouraged."    A single glass of wine per day is said to increase the odds of getting cancer by up to 168 percent, the ministry's guidelines are cited as saying.   Governmental bodies worldwide keep saying that one drink or two per day helps reduce heart risk although there has been no denying of the possibility that drinking alcohol may increase risk of certain cancers.  The INCA has analyzed hundreds of international studies and found the relation between types of cancer with food, drink and lifestyle.   Alcohol is not the only risk one can encourage in his daily life.  The French experts also found red meat, charcuterie, and salt are dangerous. (Quoted direct from FoodConsumer.org).

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This Newsletter was posted on: 25 February 2009

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