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ESFA opinion on potential risk from nanotechnologies in food and feed
High fat diets may help decrease allergic airway inflammation
Dubious benefits for older people from oily fish consumption
Squid, jellyfish or algae as an alternative to fish?
Calcium content and vegetable bitterness
Folic acid may increase prostate cancer risk
Salt replacers improve heart health
Product recalls and alerts
Food safety
Legislation headlines
Other headlines (11/03/09)

ESFA opinion on potential risk from nanotechnologies in food and feed

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its findings on the use of nanotechnologies in relation to food and feed safety.  Whilst the EFSA Scientific Committee concluded that established approaches to risk assessment could be applied to engineered nano materials it also noted that due to the current lack of validated test methods, risk assessment of specific nano products could be difficult.  A case by case approach would therefore be necessary.

There may be a wide range of applications for nanotechnologies in the food and feed arena, ranging from   production technology to improvements in packaging materials.  Other applications could include improved product security and quality monitoring as well as applications within food itself including alteration of taste, texture, consistency and the ability to improve nutrient absorption.  Packaging applications, however, make up the largest share.  The small size and resultant high surface-to-mass ratio and surface reactivity can alter the physicochemical properties of materials, which may have implications for potential health and environmental risks of products using nanotechnology applications. 

The European Commission asked the EFSA to provide an opinion on the potential risks arising from such applications in food and feed products.  Following this request the EFSA Scientific Committee published a draft opinion in October 2008, and this was the subject of a public consultation until the beginning of December 2008. After closure the EFSA had received 208 submissions from around 30 parties including individuals, NGOs, industry organisations, academia and national assessment bodies.  The EFSA has now collated these submissions and published them together with a short report on the consultation. The EFSA's Scientific Committee has indicated that whilst some comments appeared to be relating to issues outside its remit, many of those received were appropriate and these were all incorporated in and contributed to enhancing the quality and clarity of the published opinion. 

The Scientific Committee's opinion addresses engineering nanomaterials (ENMs) in food and feed.  The opinion states that current risk assessment uncertainties in the applications of ENMs in food and feed are due to the limited information available to characterise, detect and measure ENMs along with assessment of their toxicology.  Little is known on the current usage and exposure from applications and products in the food and feed area.  Standard risk assessment methodologies are considered by the Committee to be applicable to ENMs although such assessments should also consider specific properties in addition to those common to the equivalent non-ENM forms.  The opinion states that the current approach to toxicity testing for conventional products and materials can be considered as a suitable starting point for risk assessment for ENMs, but it is yet to be shown if existing tests can adequately detect all aspects of the potential toxicity of ENMs and as a result, it is suggested that toxicity testing methods may require methodological alteration because the altered properties of ENMs may imply that their toxicity profiles cannot be fully inferred by extrapolation of data from conventional forms. It is indicated that since risk assessment procedures for ENMs in food and feed are under development, any individual risk assessment may be subject to a high degree of uncertainty and that until more data and experience is accumulated this situation will remain. 

In conclusion, EFSA's Scientific Committee makes a series of recommendations regarding the additional research and investigation which it considers is required.  These include developing and validating methods to detect, characterise and quantify ENMs in food and feed applications, developing and validating methods to assess toxicity of ENMs and investigating the interaction and stability of ENMs in food and feed, the gastrointestinal tract and biological tissue. 

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High fat diets may help decrease allergic airway inflammation

Obesity in humans has often been linked to decreased lung function and asthma.  Now a study using non-obese mice (C57BL/6) published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy has attempted to investigate how a high fat diet in the absence of obesity might affect allergic asthma.

Allergic asthma has increased in developed countries over the last decade. Many factors have been linked to this increase, but the team of authors based at the Universities of Edinburgh in Scotland and Newcastle (Australia) say that one of the most likely ones is the simultaneous increase in dietary fat content in these developed countries.  Previous studies which link asthma to dietary fat content have been controversial and linked to the association between high fat intake and obesity.  The paper mentions a previous study by Dutch researchers who found that children given full fat dairy products early in life were less likely to suffer from allergies later in life compared to those who had skimmed milk and that a Swedish study had found a link between high fat diets and an increased incidence of asthma.  This current study aimed to evaluate whether or how a high-fat intake per se altered immune function relevant to development of allergic asthma.

Dr Annick de Vries et al. used groups of non-obese mouse models of mild to moderate allergic airway inflammation (AAI).  The animals were weaned and maintained either on a control diet (11% fat as calories) or an isocaloric high saturated fat diet (58% fat as calories) which contained nearly the same amounts of mono- (MUFA) and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).  The mice consumed around 3g of food per day, giving them a daily intake of 45mg PUFAs, which according to the researchers was less than the amount reported to have anti-inflammatory effects (250mg-10g/day). From weaning, the animals were systematically sensitised with ovalbumin and challenged in the lungs. Allergic airway inflammation was assessed by measuring lung inflammation and serum antibodies. Also, inflammatory cytokines were measured in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in supernatants from in vitro stimulated lung draining lymph nodes and spleen lymphocytes.

In the mice fed the high fat diet, the authors found there was a significant reduction in the number of eosinophils in the lungs (eosinophils are cells responsible for allergic responses) and in levels of interleukin-5 (IL-5) (a key mediator in eosinophil activation).  Other indicators in these mice showed that this was a general change rather than just an antigen-specific one.  The high fat diet also significantly decreased release of IL-13 (a cytokine that is an important mediator of allergic inflammation) and of other proinflammatory cytokines. It was also discovered that the high fat diet appeared to alter the 'setting' of the spleen response regarding production of proinflammatory cytokines (signalling molecules). Overall, the study indicated that the reduction in eosinophilia appeared to be due to the high fat diet reducing the ability of eosinophils to respond to allergen challenge in the lungs. 

De Vries is quoted by the BBC as saying that if people eat a high fat diet prior to becoming obese it may mean they have fewer allergy symptoms.  However, it could also be indicative of a poorly functioning immune system and that more research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms.  She also said she and her colleagues would not advocate eating a high fat diet because of its link to obesity and an increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

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Dubious benefits for older people from oily fish consumption

With an ageing population, the idea is appealing. Encourage older people to eat more oily fish each week and the rate at which their cognitive skills decline will slow down.  Oily fish contains long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids which are thought to be neuroprotective and a number of observational and epidemiological studies have, indeed, suggested a benefit. Unfortunately results from the OPAL study funded by the UK's Food Standards Agency cast doubts on the ability of dietary fish to protect against such cognitive decline.

Dr Alan Dangour from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is the study leader for OPAL (Older People and Ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids).  OPAL recruited 867 older people, aged 70 -79 years old at baseline,  from 20 general practices in England and Wales.  They were free from diabetes and dementia, and did not take daily fish oil supplements. They also had Mini-Mental State Examination Scores of 24 or more.  Self-reported habitual fish consumption was assessed at the start of the study,  as was performance in a battery of  tests for memory, psychomotor speed and cognitive function. The primary outcome measured was the Californian Verbal Learning Test (CVLT).  Psychological health was measured using the GHQ-30 questionnaire. The reported age of leaving full time education was also noted for each participant.

According to the authors' summary, unadjusted results revealed significant positive associations between reported fish consumption and CVLT scores, with a mean increase of 0.24 words remembered for each increase in level of reported fish consumption.  However, after adjustments were for age, gender, psychological well being and educational level, these associations were markedly reduced. Commenting on the research, Dr Dangour said that although the data showed that there was a link between people who ate oily fish and better cognitive function, after adjustment for education and mood, this relationship disappeared and it was not clear that healthy older people would get any health benefit from eating fish oil. He added that a randomised, controlled study was needed to clarify the results.  (Dangour et al. Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 2009, 13 (3): 198-202. Further details of the OPAL study are given by Dr Dangour in a series of powerpoint slides, and he is co-author of a Cochrane Review examining the role of omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention of dementia.).

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Squid, jellyfish or algae as an alternative to fish?

The oceans are changing fast - too fast, according to an article by Caroline Williams, New Scientist's life sciences editor.  Williams believes that before too long familiar fish species like cod, haddock, plaice and hake will be off the menu, to be replaced by an odd assortment of exotic species including squid, jellyfish and algae. Although this may seem an extreme vision of the future, she says that marine biologists are alarmed by the imbalances which are appearing in marine ecosystems, caused by a combination of over-fishing, pollution and climate change.

A rising global population and increasing prosperity in developing countries means demand for fish is rising, yet more than 75% of the world's fish stocks are either fully exploited, over-exploited or recovering from past depletion. Over-fishing creates big gaps in marine ecosystems which are quickly exploited by opportunistic species. In Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, such opportunists are shrimp and crab.  Another consequence is that fishermen have adapted their practices and now take larger numbers of smaller, plankton-eating fish like sardine and anchovy. Not only does this affect the survival of larger predatory fish which depend on them it also impacts on birds and marine mammals. Removal of small fish also allows encroachment of other opportunists - jellyfish. This is already happening off the coast of Namibia in southern Africa, which once supported large populations of  anchovies and sardines but has now been invaded by two species of jellyfish. In the late 1970s the total for sardine and anchovy fisheries in this region was 17 million tonnes/year. Now it is just 1 million. The author points out that since jellyfish eat fish eggs and larvae as well as compete with young fish for food, the shift to a jelly-fish dominated ecosystem might be irreversible. Blooms of jellyfish have also appeared in the over-fished waters of the Black Sea, Alaska, the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico.  In the Sea of Japan the problem has reached epic proportions with autumn blooms of the giant jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai, which can reach 2 metres in diameter.

Squid, too, are increasingly thriving in fish-depleted oceans, particularly assisted by the removal of tuna, marlin and swordfish which consume squid. Squid grow quickly and live for less than a year and their numbers can rise rapidly in the right conditions. In Thailand, for instance, the Indo-Pacific squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) has moved in to fill the gaps in the ecosystem, forcing Thai fisherman to make do with baskets of squid rather than fish. One good feature about squid is that they are quite nutritious and some of the larger species can yield a reasonable sized steak.  Jellyfish are low in fat and protein but high in copper, iron and selenium. They have been eaten in China for more than 1000 years dried and salted.  In Japan they may be used in sushi. However, according to Kevin Raskoff of Monterey Peninsula College in California, for those with a western palate, the taste and texture of jellyfish may take some getting used to!

Although marine phytoplankton are sources or omega-3 fatty acids and trace minerals, the practicalities of converting fishing trawlers to scoop up dense plankton blooms are likely to make this a non-starter, quite apart from the risk that the catch could be contaminated with a handful of toxic species.

Boris Worm, an assistant professor of marine conservation biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, was one of a team of ecologists who produced a report in 2006 on the state of the world's fisheries (Science, 2006, 314: 787-790). In this they suggested that if things continue as they are at present, in 50 years time very little will be left worth taking from the oceans. However, Worm dismisses suggestions that the global fishing fleet should be converted to seek out alternatives to fish.  He believes that fisheries can recover and will do so enough to allow him to celebrate his 80^th birthday in 2048  with a fish supper. (New Scientist, 07/03/09).

The Food and Agriculture Organisation has also recently reported on the state of the world's fish stocks.  A summary of the key sections of the report have been published online by GreenFacts. There is also a wealth of information on marine ecosystems at the Census of Marine Life (COML).

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Calcium content and vegetable bitterness

Michael Tordoff and Mari Sandall from the Monell Chemical Senses Center, US, say that most people consume fewer vegetables and less calcium than nutritionists would like, and in an article in the journal Appetite, they ask whether there could be a connection.

Animal studies have suggested that calcium is detected by specific calcium taste receptors. Human subjects describe the taste of solutions of calcium salts as falling outside the sweet-salty-sour-bitter taste tetrahedron, describing them variously as having minor metallic, umami, astringent, spicy and sweet components, with a moderate sour component and a predominant bitter component.  Bitterness is also a characteristic of vegetables, and for some, this may be attributable to the thiourea moiety in glucosinolates. This is of interest because some people can be categorised as being nontasters, tasters and supertasters of the bitter compounds phenylthiocarbamaide (PTC) and/or 6-n-proplylthiouricil (PROP), which also have the thiourea moiety. What is more, individuals with different haplotypes of the gene encoding for the PTC receptor (TAS2R38) differ in their bitterness ratings of vegetables which contain glucosinolates but not in those that do not contain these compounds. 

Ratings of the bitterness of 24 raw vegetables had already been obtained for an earlier study at Monell by 35 individuals who varied considerably in age, ethnicity and haplotype at TAS2R38. Information on the calcium content of most of the vegetables was obtained from the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Nutrient Database.  A simple plot of bitterness intensity rating vs. calcium content (mg/100g) of the vegetables, showed an obvious relationship between the two. For a whole range of other nutrients in the vegetables the correlation with bitterness was not generally statistically significant.

The authors explain that it is impossible to directly test humans who are especially insensitive or sensitive to calcium. However, both rats and mice also avoid high concentrations of calcium, and would be assumed to choose low calcium vegetables in preference to high calcium vegetables. It is argued that animals with a predisposition to  consume calcium would choose high-calcium vegetables in preference to low calcium vegetables. To test this idea, the authors conducted two experiments. In the first, mice of the C57BL/6J strain (which had low-calcium preferences) were compared with PWK/Ph mice, which have a genetic predisposition to consume calcium. In the other experiment Sprague Dawley rats which had been deprived of calcium for 3 weeks were compared with nutritionally replete rats.

In a choice between high-calcium containing collard greens and low-calcium containing cabbage, mice and rats with a specific appetite for calcium ate relatively more of the collards than did the normal mice and the nutritionally replete rats. The authors say that these findings indicate that rodents can detect the calcium in vegetables and adjust their behaviour accordingly. They also claim that coupled with the discovery of a strong association between the calcium content and bitterness of the 24 vegetables, their results raise the possibility that humans can also detect calcium in vegetables and that calcium, thus, contributes to their bitterness and consequently their acceptability. (Tordoff and Sandell, Appetite, 2009, 52 (2): 498-504; doi:10.1016/j.appet.2009.01.002).

RSSL's Analytical Chemistry Laboratory is equipped with AAS and ICP-MS to analyse for a wide range of concentrations of metals in foods, drinks and dietary supplements. TheProduct and Ingredient Innovation Division, has considerable experience in taste modification and can help clients develop products using techniques which mask sour or bitter flavours. For more information please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com

Related RSSL services: New Product Development

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Folic acid may increase prostate cancer risk

A study recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute adds to evidence that taken in high doses, folic does not protect against cancer, and may even promote development of the disease in some cases.

In June 2007, a major study found that high doses of folic acid in supplement form failed to protect against colon cancer. This was referred to as the Aspirin/Folate Polyp Prevention Study (1994 - 2006)  in which more than 1000 men and women were randomly assigned to take either I mg of folic acid/day or a placebo.  Study participants also took low dose aspirin, regular dose aspirin or a placebo. They were followed up for an average of 10.8 years. Now another analysis of the same study's data, by Dr Jane Figueiredo at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, has suggested that the aspirin alone had no effect on prostate cancer risk. However, among the 643 men who were randomly assigned to placebo or supplementation with folic acid, the estimated probability of being diagnosed with prostate cancer over a 10-year period was 9.7% in the folic acid group but only 3.3% in the placebo group. Furthermore, baseline dietary folate intake and plasma folate in non-multivitamin users were associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer, although these associations did not attain statistical significance in adjusted analyses. Figueiredo and her colleagues say in their summary that these findings highlight the potential complex role of folate in prostate cancer and the possible different effects of folic acid-containing supplements vs natural sources of folate. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, online (10/03/09); summary in WebMD.com).

RSSL's Functional Ingredients Laboratory provides vitamin analysis in a wide range of matrices including drinks, fortified foods, pre-mixes and multi-vitamin tablets. Storage stability studies can be used to ensure that the required levels of vitamins are still available at the end of shelf life. For more information please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com

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Salt replacers improve heart health

The use of salt replacers in the diet as a means of reducing sodium intake may improve blood pressure and artery health, according to a new study from China.  Many scientists believe that high salt intake is a leading cause of both short and long-term increases in blood pressure (hypertension), a major risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).  The 12-month double-blind, randomized, controlled trial conducted by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, focused on 600 high-risk individuals living in six rural areas in northern China with an average age of 57.4 years and an average blood pressure of 150.1/91 mm Hg (millimetre of mercury, a unit of pressure).

Results of the study indicated that the people who replaced 100% sodium chloride with a salt substitute containing 65% sodium chloride, 25% potassium chloride and 10% magnesium sulphate experienced improvements in systolic blood pressure.  Data on central aortic blood pressure, aortic pressure augmentation (AUG), augmentation index (AIx), the differences of the peak of first and baseline waves and pulse wave reflection time (RT) were collected at randomization and at study completion, in 187 participants who had been assessed by Sphygmocor pulse wave analysis system.  After 12 months of intervention, the researchers noted significant improvements in both peripheral and central systolic blood pressure of 7.4 and 6.9 mm Hg, respectively.  It was also observed that participants who consumed the salt substitute had reduced arterial stiffness. 

Corroborating evidence from scientists at Harvard Medical School suggested that higher sodium and lower potassium intakes may increase the risk of heart disease by 24%. The trials of hypertension prevention looked at the effects of sodium reduction and other interventions on the risk of CVD, finding that increasing levels of sodium in the urine were associated with an increased risk of CVD, and that increasing the potassium consumption at the population level might reduce the incidence of this disease.

Salt is of course a vital nutrient and is necessary for the body to function, but campaigners for salt reduction consider the average daily consumption in the West (between 10 and 12 g) as far too high.  There is pressure on food manufacturers to reduce salt content and the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends an intake of 6 g of salt per day for the general population. (Hu et al. Hypertension Research, online 27/02/09; doi:10.1038/hr.2009.7).

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Product recalls and alerts

**Castle Chocolates withdraws some chocolate
**From Australia and New Zealand
**From Canada
**From the US
**European Rapid Alerts for week 10
**Melamine in Chinese coated peanut snack
**FSANZ updates food recall protocols
**Links to recall web sites
**Recall web sites for halal and kosher foods

**Castle Chocolates withdraws some chocolate
Castle Chocolates has withdrawn some of its 50g milk chocolate bars, because the product contains soya lecithin as an ingredient, which is not mentioned on the product label. This makes the product a possible health risk for people allergic to soya. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.

**From Australia and New Zealand

• Woolworths Limited has initiated a voluntary consumer level recall on certain Woolworths labelled Minced Lamb, Veal, Pork, Heart Smart Beef, Regular Beef or Premium Beef sold only from its supermarket meat department in Plainland Supermarket, Plainland Queensland. The reason for the recall is as a precaution. It is possible metal pieces may have contaminated the minced products.

**From Canada

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain lean ground veal because the product may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
• The Toronto Police Service would like to make the public aware of a quantity of stolen, repackaged and distributed boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency was notified, and it has advised that the chicken could be harmful if ingested.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Portuguese Cheese Co. are warning the public not to consume certain St. John's Brand Fresh Cheese because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning people with allergies to peanut proteins not to consume Japanese Style Sesame Mochi, product of Taiwan, sold in 210 g packages bearing UPC 4 712905 016043. The affected product contains peanuts which are not declared on the label.

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

• The US Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese (two specific lots) or any Queso Cotija Molido Mexican style grated cheese manufactured and distributed by Peregrina Cheese Corp. of New York City. These products could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
• Chloe Foods Corporation of Brooklyn, NY is recalling its Chloe Farms brand Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes because they contain undeclared sulfites.  Consumers who have sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of serious of life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.

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 10
The results of rapid alerts for week 10 (up to 6/3/09) are now available on the Europa web site.

**Melamine in Chinese coated peanut snack
The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA), as part of its focus on carrying out inspections on food originating from China for possible melamine presence, has detected excessive amounts of the chemical substance in an oriental mix comprising coated peanuts with corn snacks. The mix is packaged in 225g bags and has a best before date at 14 July 2009 and batch number 1/9034/8. The product was was supplied to the retail chain Ahold by a Dutch company Menken Orlando B.V.  As a precautionary measure, CAFIA has ordered the withdrawal of all imported batches of this product and recall measures are being carried out in cooperation with Ahold.  (More details at  Flexnews.com (10/03/09)).

**FSANZ updates food recall protocols
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has launched an updated Food Industry Recall Protocol: a Guide to Writing a Food Recall Plan and Conducting a Food Recall.  It is full of useful tips about how to conduct a recall or withdrawal including an updated attachment detailing what information should be included in press advertisements. The FSANZ website has a downloadable press advertisement template to help affected businesses.  FSANZ also offers a 24 hour a day seven days a week recall emergency contact to help food businesses with after hours recalls.  Full details on the FSANZ web site.

**Links to recall web sites
For more information on UK product recalls visit the Food Standards Agency (FSA) web site. For US product recalls visit the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) web sites. For information on product recalls in Australia and New Zealand visit the FSANZ web site, for Canada go to The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and for Ireland 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 subscribe (free of charge) to a 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.

Related RSSL services: Emergency Response Service

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Food safety

**5% of kebab shop salads and sauces contain food poisoning bacteria
**Major US Bottle manufacturers remove BPA
**Nebraska Salmonella poisoning linked to Alfalfa Sprouts
**FDA wants rapid test for Salmonella
**FDA issues peanut safety guidelines for foodmakers
**HPA leads Fat Duck investigation
**FDA sues Tortilla manufacturer
**EFSA publishes statement on 4-methylbenzophenone
**CFIA advisor questions effectiveness of new rules
**Mutton suspected in food poisoning at South African school
**Animal diseases updates and food poisoning outbreaks
**The Food Safety Network

**5% of kebab shop salads and sauces contain poisoning bacteria
A study by the UK Health Protection Agency's Food, Water and Environmental Microbiology Service has found that after testing 1213 salads and 1208 sauces from kebab takeaways, 5% contained E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella and were unfit for human consumption.  The samples were taken during 1^st June and 31^st July 2007. Dr Jim McLauchlin, the Director of the Agency, is quoted as saying that some samples contained Salmonella, or high levels of S. aureus or pathogenic Bacillus spp. which is considered 'unacceptable' and renders food unfit for human consumption. Ready-to-eat foods which contain 'unsatisfactory' levels of bacteria suggest that hygiene practices may not be to an adequate standard. The article in the Telegraph states that meat from kebab shops has previously been found to be free from bacteria but outbreaks of infection had suggested that other foods on offer could have been contaminated. (Telegraph)

**Major US Bottle manufacturers remove BPA
Following requests last year from local officials in Connecticut, Delaware and New Jersey, the six major manufacturers of baby bottles in the US (Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow) have agreed to voluntarily remove Bisphenol-A (BPA) from their bottles. Many studies have previously linked BPA to a number of health and development problems in foetuses, newborns and infants as well as other issues in adults. The US Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority have said that BPA is safe at the levels found in products such as baby bottles. (AFP)

**Nebraska Salmonella poisoning linked to Alfalfa Sprouts
According to an article reported by Newsinferno, alfalfa sprouts are alleged to be the cause of the Nebraska Salmonella outbreak that has now made 24 people ill.  The Sunsprouts brand sprouts have now been recalled.  They were distributed by CW Sprouts of Omaha and sold at grocery stores and restaurants.  The article states that U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating what, if anything, contributed to the contamination at the plant. However, investigators are looking to see if the sprouts were contaminated prior to being at the plant, saying that the plant is one of the cleanest facilities they have seen.(News Inferno)

**FDA wants rapid test for Salmonella
According to an article by the Associated Press the FDA is searching for a rapid test for Salmonella.  Currently identification of most common food bugs can take as long as nine days.   It took the FDA a while to respond to the last two outbreaks and the article states that FDA officials are now urgently seeking anything that would make their response more efficient.   The reason is that it can take a while to identify Salmonella in that samples taken do not have enough of the bacteria to analyse.  Dr David Acheson, assistant commissioner for food safety is quoted as saying the FDA was looking for something that could cut analysis time to five days. The Pentagon, the Homeland Security and Agriculture departments, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been asked by the FDA for their expertise.   The article states that  Acheson first wants to see whether any private companies or academic research centres are working on a rapid test of which two or three could be evaluated more closely. Finally he would compare the techniques and devices with standard laboratory tests.  Ideally the device would be portable so that inspectors could take it along with them.

** FDA issues peanut safety guidelines for foodmakers
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued safety guidelines for companies that use peanut products.  According to this guidance, while normally heat-sensitive, Salmonella bacteria can become heat-resistant in high-fat environments such as peanut butter. The document provides advice directly relevant to a food poisoning outbreak that has renewed calls for a re-examination of food safety protocols in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that 683 people in 46 states have now been sickened in the outbreak linked to foods that used peanut ingredients made by the now-bankrupt Peanut Corp of America.  The outbreak continues to affect hundreds of the company's customers and has forced the recall of 3,235 products. (From Flex-News.com)

**HPA leads Fat Duck investigation
The Health Protection Agency's Thames Valley Health Protection Unit (HPU) is working with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Environmental Health Department in investigating the outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting linked to celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck Restaurant in Bray, Berkshire. The number of people affected has now reached 400 and the HPA indicates that this has risen since media coverage of the outbreak began. The HPA said they aim to establish the source by examination of foodstuffs, the individuals affected and their symptoms as well as risk assessments of all food storage, preparation and cooking processes. They state that the restaurant is co-operating fully with the investigation. Mr Blumenthal has said that the outbreak is an awful setback and that the entire menu had been tested and all results had proved negative. (HPA, BBC)

**FDA sues Tortilla manufacturer
US Food and Drug Administration officials have sued Del Rey Tortilleria Inc over allegations of production of flour tortillas under unsanitary conditions. Del Rey tortillas have been linked to illness in schoolchildren. The company immediately agreed to stop making the products until the FDA had approved it safety program. Children in Wisconsin and Massachusetts have suffered gastrointestinal illness and this has been linked to the company's tortillas. The FDA said that ingredients had been stored next to chemicals and that plumbing and other fixtures were not installed correctly but that the company was cooperating. (AFP). More details on the FDA web site.

**EFSA publishes statement on 4-methylbenzophenone
Following a request for advice from the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a statement on the risks from migration of 4-methylbenzophenone from packaging into breakfast cereals  The EFSA indicated that only at regular exposure to the highest levels of  4-methylbenzophenone reported so far could children possibly be at risk but that due to limited information, further analysis would be needed to fully assess the substance's safety. Due to this lack of data, the EFSA statement indicated that it was not able to fully assess consumer exposure or the toxicological effects. The similarity of 4-methylbenzophenone to benzophenone and hydroxybenzophenone enabled the EFSA to perform a preliminary risk assessment and they concluded that short term consumption should not pose a risk to most people. They felt however that there was not enough evidence to be able to apply the previously established group TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) for benzophenone and hydroxybenzophenone to 4-methylbenzophenone. (EFSA)

**CFIA advisor questions effectiveness of new rules
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is negotiating with the food industry regarding legislation aimed at elimination of Listeria. The CFIA has indicated that it intends to include testing of non food contact surfaces such as ceilings and walls but according to Rick Holley, a member of the CFIA's advisory panel, the focus should be on food contact surfaces to avoid deflecting resources. Holley was quoted as saying that he would advise the CFIA to scrap greater testing of non food contact surfaces and focus on the areas of greatest risk - food contact surfaces. Holley also questioned Canada's financial commitment to elimination of Listeria, indicated that the two-tier federal and provincial monitoring schemes complicate testing and said that not enough attention was paid to contamination arising from problems with animal feed. (Food Production Daily).

**Mutton suspected in food poisoning at South African school
More than 80 children from an Eastern Cape private school in South Africa were recently admitted to hospital with food poisoning. Provincial health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said 81 of the 82 sick pupils from the Idutywa School of Excellence had been discharged from hospital by the next day. The children were treated for stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea. It was reported that the children had been served with mutton, and this was suspected to be the cause of the food poisoning. (The Post).

**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.

Related RSSL services: Foreign Body Identification

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Legislation headlines

**Draft Food Labelling (Nutrition Declarations) Regulations (NI) 2009
**EU marketing standards for olive oil
**Dounreay restrictions to stay in place
**Lactalis fined over use of "feta" name
**EU allows imports of GM oilseed rape from Canada
**FSA March 2009 update on food contaminants

**The Draft Food Labelling (Nutrition Declarations) Regulations (NI) 2009
The Food Standards Agency is consulting interested parties on the draft Regulations intended to implement the relevant provisions of Commission Directive 2008/100/EC of 28 October 2008, which amended Council Directive 90/496/EEC on the nutrition labelling for foodstuffs as regards recommended daily allowances, energy conversion factors and definitions.  The deadline for the submission of comments is 29 May 2009.

**EU marketing standards for olive oil
Commission Regulation (EC) No 182/2009 of 6 March 2009 amends Regulation (EC) No 1019/2002 on marketing standards for olive oil. The new regulation makes it compulsory to label the origin of virgin and extra virgin olive oil. Oils originating from just one country will carry the name of the Member State, or of the third country or of the Community. Blends will either be labelled as either "blend of Community olive oils", "blend on non-Community olive oils", blend of Community and non-Community olive oils", or equivalent information. Certain terms such as  fruity, green, mature, mild and well balanced, which have recently been defined by the International Olive council, may also be used on the labels of virgin and extra virgin olive oils, provided they comply with the definitions. More at Flex-News.com.

**Dounreay restrictions to stay in place
Restrictions on seafood coming from an area near the Dounreay nuclear site will remain in place, following a Food Standards Agency review. The Agency examined the existing restrictions on seafood from near Dounreay in light of new data and current work to remove radioactive particles from the seabed. It concluded that the restricted area should remain in place while the work on the seabed is going on and be reviewed once it is complete. The review also concluded that with the restrictions in place, the risk to food safety remains extremely small

**Lactalis fined over use of "feta" name
A court in Paris, France, has ordered a subsidiary of Lactalis to pay damages for wrongfully marketing its products as feta. La Société des Caves de Roquefort (SCR) is the leading producer of "French feta", which is marketed under the Salakis brand. In October 2002, the European Commission assigned feta Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)  status, meaning it could only be produced by Greek manufacturers. Other producers, who marketed their products as feta before 1987, were given five years to modify their designation.  Feta importer LR Gastronomie argued that in 2005, when it distributed Grec Hellas' Feta Dionis brand in France, SCR was not included in this provision. The court upheld Gastronomie's complaint, concluding that SCR had given the feta name to two Salakis brand products marketed after 1987. The court ordered SCR to pay EUR100,000 (US$125,634) in damages. (Quoted direct from Just-Food.com 09/03/09). See also European Commission press release, June 2002).

**EU allows imports of GM oilseed rape from Canada
The European Commission has authorized a genetically modified (GM) type of oilseed rape, allowing the resumption of imports from Canada. The approved oilseed rape, called T45, is allowed for food and animal feed and import and processing in the European Union (EU). No authorization was given for planting in the EU.  T45 oilseed rape received a positive safety assessment from the European Food Safety Authority and underwent the full authorization procedure set out in the EU legislation. The authorization is valid for 10 years. The issue was returned to the European Commission for a decision after EU member states failed to reach agreement on either approval or disapproval. (Reuters.com 10/03/09).

**FSA March 2009 update on food contaminants
The update from the Food Standards Agency provides information on key activities regarding food contaminants, including food contact materials, nitrates, process contaminants and mycotoxins. The bulletin also provides information ahead of the 3rd session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF), due to be held from 23-27 March 2009.  Full text of the FSA Contaminants Bulletin.

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Other headlines (11/03/09)

**The 'clean plate club' may turn children into overeaters
**More money needed for bee research
**US Congress to cut down junk food in schools
**ASA rules in favour of Bird's Eye
**Chocolate used to treat acne - really?
**Vitamin C may prevent gout
**EFSA calls for data on animal cloning

**The 'clean plate club' may turn children into overeaters
Pre-school children whose parents forced them to clean their plates or eat cold unpalatable vegetables, ate larger portions of sweetened cereal when at school. Brian Wansink, the author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More then We Think" believes this was because preschool snack time was one place where they could regain control of what they ate. Wansink was speaking at the Carolinas Healthcare System Obesity 2009 Conference. More details of the speech are given at Eurekalert.org (05/03/09).

**More money needed for bee research
Letters to The Times online highlight the urgent need for funding to find out why bee populations are falling so rapidly.  One points out that £1 million could fund essential research into honey bee health, and that this sum is just 0.1% of the value of bees to the economy. Another describes an application made to the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF, the precursor of DEFRA) in the 1990s which, amongst other things, proposed to breed bees for resistance to the varroa mite, which would have sufficiently strong mandibles to crush the mite, or, since the mite has a lengthy development period, bees whose workers completed their own development in a shorter period, so avoiding parasitisation.

**US Congress to cut down junk food in schools
Buoyed by a President and Secretary of Agriculture who have voiced their support for healthier school foods, health groups say this is the year Congress should take action. Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) has introduced a bill that would get junk foods out of schools once and for all. The bill is likely to be addressed when Congress reauthorizes the Child Nutrition Act, which expires this year. More details at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)).

**ASA rules in favour of Bird's Eye
 A radio advertisement for Birds Eye Chicken Dippers claimed that they contained less saturated fat than one sausage.  A listener complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the advert was misleading because it did not say what type of sausage the comparison was based on, and that he believed that sausages had less fat than Chicken Dippers. The ASA did not uphold the complaint believing that Birds Eye had made a fair comparison between the sausage in the advert and the Chicken Dippers. The full text of the adjudication can be accessed on the ASA web site.

**Chocolate used to treat acne - really?
It has long been seen as the enemy of clear skin, but according to a summary in the Daily Mail, eating chocolate could prove more effective than beauty products at banishing spots. Acne Care chocolate bars, which are about to be launched in the UK, are said to deliver antioxidants and micro-nutrients that help clear the skin.  They are among a range of unusual or novel functional foods and nutraceuticals being highlighted at a London show later this month and which promise to transform a shopper's grocery basket into a medicine cabinet. US Acne Care manufacturer, Frutels, recommends consumers take between two and five chocolate doses per day to see results in two weeks or less.

**Vitamin C may prevent gout
The results of a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2009;169(5):502-507) suggest that men who get plenty of vitamin C may boost their resilience to gout, a painful disease of the joints. In the 20-year study of nearly 47,000 men, daily supplements of the vitamin found in sprouts, peppers and oranges appeared to cut gout risk. The US researchers believe vitamin C has a dual action, easing inflammation and lowering uric acid levels in the body, which are raised in people with gout. More details at BBC Health News (11/03/09).

**EFSA calls for data on animal cloning
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a call for data on the implications of animal cloning. This follows a request from the European Commission to provide further scientific advice on this issue, building on the recommendations included in EFSA's 2008 opinion on the implications of animal cloning on food safety, animal health and welfare and the environment.

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This Newsletter was posted on: 11 March 2009

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