Stability of almond allergen, amandin
Silvia M Albillos, from InBiotec in Spain and colleagues at the Illinois Institute of Food Safety and Technology and the FDA’s National Center for Food Safety and Technology in the US, have investigated the stability of the major almond allergen, amandin, during thermal food processing operations and following treatment with urea and dithiothreitol (DTT). In a paper in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
they outline not only their findings with regard to amandin, they also consider the similarities and differences between amandin and other plant allergens which are members of the cupin “superfamily” of 11-13S and 7S globular storage proteins and germins. These include allergens from peanut, soybean and other tree nuts.
Of the tree nut allergens, almond ranks third behind walnuts and cashew nuts in the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network’s (FAAN) self-reported survey of tree nut allergies. However, as the authors point out, almonds are far more widely consumed than walnuts and cashews, since they are used as ingredients in many cooked and uncooked foods. Of the 188 proteins known to be contained in almonds, amandin constitutes up to 65% of the total soluble fraction and is known to be a major allergen. Generally, legumin-like seed globulins have a high degree of thermostability, requiring temperatures above 70 o C for denaturation. They are also highly resistant to proteolysis, and have the ability to form large aggregates on heating, yet still retain, to some degree, their native secondary structure.
In the present research, the thermal stability of amandin, with and without a reducing agent, was determined by circular dichroism (CD). Results showed that even at 90 o C, the structure of hexameric amandin did not undergo marked changes. The minimal changes in the secondary structure which occurred during heating are thought to have been due, not to protein unfolding, but to protein aggregation. Such aggregation has also been seen with the peanut allergen, Ara h 1. When the reducing agent, DTT, was present irreversible denaturation occurred. The stability of amandin was also studied by the addition of urea over a range of concentrations, and the protein unfolding process was monitored by measuring far-UV CD spectra of amandin at 25 o C. The concentration of urea required to achieve a 50% unfolding was approximately 3M. Total denaturation was complete at 5M.
The acidic (40 and 42 kDa) and the basic (22 kDa) polypeptides of amandin, were isolated from amandin by the PrepCell system from Bio-Rad and then purified by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. These were polypeptides found to have reduced thermal stability with lower denaturation temperatures than amandin as a whole.
RSSL’s DNA and Protein Laboratory carries out allergen testing using immunological, DNA and distillation techniques, depending on the allergen to be detected. Detection limits are in the range 0.1 – 10 mg allergen/kg of sample for almond, Brazil nut, macadamia nut, peanut, walnut, hazelnut, cashew nut, pistachio nut, pecan nut, pine nut and chestnut. Celery, celeriac, black mustard, lupin and kiwi allergens can also be detected by DNA methods, as can crustacean allergens. The laboratory also uses a range of UKAS accredited immunological procedures for the detection of allergens including gluten, peanut, hazelnut, almonds, soya, egg, milk, lactose, sesame and histamine. Distillation and titration methods are used for the determination of sulphur dioxide and sulphites. For more information please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com.
Allergen testing
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Electrospun zein fibres could protect bioactive compounds in foods
A recent study by Lim and Kakuda from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada and published in the Journal of Food Science has shown that electrospun corn zein fibres were able to encapsulate (-) -epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and in so doing, increase EGCG stability in water.
Processing of foods, whilst clearly beneficial in many areas, may cause degradation of certain bioactive compounds especially where these are sensitive to air, oxygen and heat. Products may be fortified to make up for the loss of such bioactive compounds through processing, but this may cause reactions with other compounds within a product and consequently reduce the effectiveness of the bioactive compound overall. One method to prevent this is to protect the bioactive components. A number of techniques have been tried including spray drying microencapsulation, extrusion encapsulation, spray chilling and electrospinning.
Electrospinning uses electric fields to spin fibres with diameters ranging from ten to hundreds of nanometres. These fibres have small diameters and large surface to volume ratios, which means that they show enhanced interactions with their surroundings. No heat is used in creating these fibres and this may allow electrospun fibres to deliver bioactive compounds to foods. The authors of this study state that their aim was to exploit the hydrophobic properties of zein to stabilise EGCG. EGCG is a plant polyphenol found in tea and was chosen as a model bioactive compound for this study due to its antioxidative and antimicrobial activities and presumed health benefits.
Electrospinning at 15 and 20 kV, using a range of zein concentrations in aqueous ethanol, was used to create zein nanofibres which ranged from 150 to 600 nanometres in diameter. Creation of fibres encapsulating EGCG was performed in a similar manner but using solutions containing 20% (w/w) EGCG. The fibres created were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). For those fibres encapsulating EGCG additional tests were performed to determine if the fibres were capable of immobilising and protecting EGCG in aqueous solutions. To ascertain this, samples of EGCG-containing fibres were submerged in water and water was decanted at regular intervals. Analysis was performed using HPLC. Samples of EGCG-containing fibres were also placed in sealed jars and tested after 1, 2 and 3 days to see how the age of the fibre affected stability.
The study found that the morphology of the fibres was affected by the aqueous ethanol concentration, the zein concentration and the applied voltage. The optimal parameters for forming bead-less fibres were found to be 20% zein in 70% alcohol using 15 kV. Those fibres containing EGCG tended to be larger in diameter but had similar ribbon like morphology to their EGCG-free counterparts. Both EGCG-containing and non EGCG-containing fibres resisted attempts to form a solution after 30 minutes immersion in water although the EGCG containing fibres increased in diameter. The authors indicate that this is probably due to the increased swelling caused by the interaction of water and EGCG.
In terms of the efficacy of the zein nanofibres in stabilising EGCG, the results showed that the amount of EGCG recovered from various fibres tended to level off with increasing extraction time, with the majority of the water-extractable EGCG being removed in about 1 hour. The fibres aged for 1, 2 and 3 days at 0% relative humidity showed almost complete EGCG recovery (98%). Fibres submerged in water immediately after spinning showed only an 82% recovery indicating that quite a lot was lost in the water. Lim and Kakuda indicate that this suggested that the interaction between the fibres and EGCG continued to evolve after spinning. They noted that when fibres were aged at 75% humidity much lower recovery rates were observed and it was suggested that this may have been because hydrophobic interactions are important in containing EGCG in the fibres.
Lim and Kakuda concluded that both relative humidity and aging time following fibre spinning were important in determining the stability of EGCG in subsequent contact with water. They noted that the best method for encapsulation of EGCG was by aging the fibres for at least one day under dry conditions.
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Oral stimulation by carbohydrate may improve athletic performance
A study by researchers from the University of Birmingham and Manchester Metropolitan, UK, has suggested that when carbohydrates are present in the mouth there is an improvement in exercise performance. This may be due to the activation of brain regions believed to be involved in motor control and reward, but it might also be due to the presence of unidentified oral receptors that respond to carbohydrates rather than sweeteners.
Previous studies have found that supplementation with carbohydrates can improve or sustain athletic performance, and the beneficial effects of high muscle glycogen levels are well known, particularly in events in which body stores of glycogen become depleted. However, the authors say that the value of exogenous carbohydrate is questionable during exercise lasting for more than one hour, and some studies have suggested that even after 1 hr of all-out cycle exercise adequate glycogen can still be found in the muscles. Others have indicated that the contribution of blood glucose to energy expenditure during intense exercise is minimal, when compared to high oxidation rates of muscle glycogen. For instance, research by Carter et al found that intravenous infusion of glucose compared to a saline placebo did not affect the time taken to complete a 1 h cycle time trial. However, if the athletes regularly rinsed their mouths with a non-sweet maltodextrin solution, which would have had no effect on circulating glucose levels, the time taken to complete the performance trial was significantly reduced. The apparent absence of a peripheral metabolic action of exogenous carbohydrate in these circumstances raises the possibility of a centrally mediated effect.
The aims of this present study by Chambers and colleagues and published in the Journal of Physiology were to see how rinsing the mouth with solutions containing glucose and maltodextrin, disguised with artificial sweetener, would affect exercise performance and to measure the brain regions activated by these substances using functional resonance imaging.
The researchers carried out 4 studies. The first study (1A) was to determine if stimulation of oral receptors with glucose improved performance in a 1h cycle time trial compared to a placebo containing saccharin. The second study (1B) was conducted to see if glucose and saccharin solutions produced differences in brain area activation. Study 2A was designed to test the effect of maltodextrin (a tasteless carbohydrate) on exercise performance whilst 2B was conducted to see if there were similarities in brain areas activated by glucose and maltodextrin.
Chambers et al found that for Study 1A seven of the eight participants completed the trial faster using the glucose solution and all with one exception had a higher average power output in the glucose trial. Since performance was found to be improved with glucose they hypothesised that Study 1B would show different brain areas would be activated by glucose and saccharin. In fact Study 1B found that there were some areas of brain activation that were common to both oral glucose and saccharin but that glucose showed additional areas of activation over saccharin.
Study 2A found similar results to those reported by Carter et al in that again seven of the eight participants completed the trial faster when they used maltodextrin than saccharin (the placebo). This result along with the findings of 1A caused the authors to hypothesise that there would be similarities in the brain areas activated by oral glucose and maltodextrin despite the differences in perceived sweetness. Study 2B found a number of common areas within the brain, activated by both oral glucose and maltodextrin.
Results of studies 1A and 2A showed that repeated exposure of the mouth to a solution containing either glucose or maltodextrin could improve performance by 2-3% and that the trend in both trials was for power to be better maintained with these two solutions particularly in the later stages. Since the solutions were artificially sweetened the enhanced performance for glucose and maltodextrin must have been achieved independently of sweetness. The authors note that the area of the brain believed to be the human primary taste cortex was stimulated by both glucose and saccharin solutions and whilst other areas were also activated by both, glucose did activate a number of areas that did not respond to the saccharin solution. These are believed to control the emotional and behavioural response to rewarding food stimuli. Chambers et al say that oral glucose and maltodextrin produced similar brain responses in both the primary and secondary taste cortexes, which shows the importance of the presumed calorific content rather than the sweetness of the carbohydrates used. Both solutions showed clusters of common active areas of the brain, understood to be important in motivation.
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EFSA opinions on the safety of aspartame
The artificial sweetener, aspartame, is a methyl ester of the dipeptide of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It has been the subject of controversy since its initial approval in the 1970s, despite its approval by numerous regulatory agencies worldwide, and its consumption by millions of people everyday. In response to a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has now published two opinions on aspartame, necessitated by claims from the European Ramazzini Foundation (ERF) that aspartame is a carcinogen.
In 2005, scientists at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Centre of the ERF published a paper claiming that they had demonstrated that aspartame induced lymphomas and leukemias in rats. This was followed in 2006 by a further paper which was claimed to show the multipotential carcinogenic effects of aspartame administered in the feed to Sprague-Dawley rats. In May 2006, the EFSA’s Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (AFC) concluded that there was no reason to revise the previously established ADI (acceptable daily intake) for aspartame of 40 mg/kg of bodyweight. The AFC found a number of factors associated with the ERF study that made the results difficult to interpret. Notably, there was a high background incidence of chronic inflammatory disease in the lung and other organs in all the animal groups, including the controls which did not receive aspartame, as reported by the European Ramazzini Foundation. This was considered to be a major confounding factor.
Opinions on the 2nd ERF carcinogenicity study on aspartame (2007) were adopted by the ANS in January and March 2009 and have now been published on the EFSA web site. The ANS panel made the point that in life-long animal studies lasting up to the death of the animal there will always be increased incidence of various sorts of tumour, so it is particularly important to know exactly the nature of the non-neoplastic, hyperplastic and preneoplastic lesions which occurred in the animals. The aggregation of all malignant tumour incidences, or aggregation of the total number of malignant tumours for statistical purposes, as performed by the ERF authors, is not considered by the ANS to be a scientifically sound approach. The ANS also noted, as it had in its previous assessment, that the incidence of lymphomas and leukemias, in both male and female animals was high in the strain of rat used. Myeloid leukemias and histiocytic sarcomas were included in the total incidence of lymphomas and leukemias for statistical purposes, but as the ANS pointed out, these types of tumours are of different cellular origin and should be treated as separate malignancies. Also, it is well established that some lymphoreticular tumours in rats occur as a result of chronic respiratory disease and chronic inflammatory changes in the lungs. Data supplied in February 2009 by ERF showed that the majority of animals with haemolymphoreticular tumours did also have inflammatory changes in the lungs.
In terms of the mammary carcinomas, the ANS said that although the incidence of mammary gland carcinomas in the high-dose group was above the upper value for historical controls, the increase was slight, as indicated by a ratio of 1.11:1.0.
The ANS panel also expressed the view that the statistically significant increased incidence of male rats with malignant tumours could not be considered to be an indication of the carcinogenic potential of aspartame administered prenatally. The Panel noted that the percentage of tumour-bearing males in the high dose group (40%) in the present study was comparable with the control value (39.3%) from the first ERF life-long study with post-natal exposure to aspartame. This, say the panel, may indicate high variability in spontaneous tumour development in the Sprague-Dawley rats from the ERF breeding colony.
Once again the Panel reiterated its opinion, that on the basis of all the evidence currently available, including the latest published ERF study on aspartame, there is no indication of any genotoxic or carcinogenic potential of aspartame and that there is no reason to revise the previously established ADI for aspartame of 40 mg/kg bw/day.
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Glycidol fatty acid esters in refined vegetable fats
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has highlighted analytical results from the CVUA (Chemischen und Veterinäruntersuchungsämter) in Stuttgart which suggest that glycidol fatty acid esters are present in refined vegetable fats derived from palm oil. Glycidol is an organic compound containing epoxide and alcohol functional groups. It is a clear, slightly viscous liquid that has a variety of industrial uses. Based on studies with laboratory animals, glycidol is classified as a probable human carcinogen.
In its press release, BfR states that because refined edible fats are used in products like margarine and infant formulae, it is taking the findings of the CVUA very seriously and has presented its initial evaluation as to whether the ester-bound glycidol could constitute a threat to health. This evaluation is based on the worst case scenario in which glycidol would be fully released from the fatty acid esters during digestion and consequently be available to the organism. As the exact levels of glycidol fatty acid esters in refined vegetable fats could not reliably be determined until now, BfR has adopted the hypothetical assumption that one kilogram of edible fat contains one milligram of glycidol.
Based on this calculation, BfR has concluded that infants who are fed exclusively industrially prepared infant milk formula would take in harmful levels of glycidol. As there is no alternative to infant milk formula with refined fats for infants who are not exclusively breastfed, BfR maintains that the manufacturers of infant formulae should do everything they can to reduce the levels of glycidol fatty acid esters as far as possible. In order to obtain robust exposure data for reliable risk assessment, the Institute is of the opinion that there is an urgent need for the development and validation of a suitable detection method for glycidol fatty acid esters. Likewise, there is a need for research on the conversion of glycidol fatty acid esters into glycidol in the human body. Further details on the CVUA study (in German).
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Salt reduction may be more difficult in low-fat products
Cheese has been identified as one of the main food vectors contributing to salt intake. However, Stephen Daniells, writing in FoodNavigator.com, highlights research in France which has shown that it may prove to be more difficult to reduce the salt content of low-fat cheeses than the full fat product.
A high salt intake has been associated with an increased risk of suffering from hypertension, stroke and heart disease, yet salt intake exceeds generally exceeds recommended levels in many industrialised countries. Consequently there is considerable interest in developing low-salt foods. However, salt is an important food ingredient and its reduction can adversely affect the flavour and texture of a food, and ultimately its consumer acceptance. Anne Saint-Eve has led a team from the National Institute of Agronomical Research (INRA) in France which has been trying to gain a better understanding of the effects which salt, fat and dry matter content have on the sensory and physicochemical characteristics of cheese. The authors say that previous studies have been inconsistent in their findings on the effect of salt on cheese quality. Some have observed that increasing the salt content increased the firmness and decreased the springiness of several cheese products. Other studies showed salt had no effect on texture but did affect perceptions of sourness or bitterness in the cheese, and the release of flavour compounds.
To investigate this matter further, five flavoured model cheese were prepared by the INRA team. These varied in dry matter, fat and salt content. The cheese were flavoured to 0.1% (w/w) with a blue cheese flavour containing three aroma compounds (diacetyl, ethyl hexanoate and heptan-2-one) mixed with propylene glycol. These molecules differed in terms of their physicochemical properties and their final concentrations in the product (from 6 – 130 mg/kg of product). After a three hour coagulation stage, the model cheeses were transferred to a cold room at 4oC for storage for 24 hours before testing for pH and texture. Each of the model cheeses was assessed sensorily and by physicochemical analysis after one day of storage. The analysis of aroma compounds in the headspace above the model cheeses was carried out by GC with flame ionisation detection. A panel of 10 trained subjects was used to study texture, taste and olfactory preceptions of the model cheeses. “Odour” was defined as orthonasal olfactory perception and “aroma” to refer to retronasal olfactory perception when eating.
The authors discuss their results at some length, comparing them with those from similar studies. In agreement with other work, a decrease in cohesiveness of the cheese was seen when the salt content was increased, probably due to a decrease in protein-protein interactions and an increase in protein-water interactions. With regard to the effect of salt on aroma release and perception, high-salt cheeses were perceived as being more intense in overall odour than the low-salt model cheeses, but only in the case of the 20% fat cheeses. An increase of 1% salt (from 0.5 to 1.5%) increased the headspace concentration of 2-heptanone and ethyl hexanoate from 6 to 10%. Diacetyl, a flavour compound associated with a buttery note, was released less as the concentration of salt was increased. This decrease in diacetyl release was attributed to an increase in the availability of caseins to bind the diacetyl. However, for 40% fat cheeses, a change in salt content had no influence on the release of the three flavour molecules. Fat content turned out to be the most significant parameter which influenced the sensory and physicochemical properties of the cheese. Predictably, low-fat cheeses were found to be springier, more crumbly and fragmentable and less sticky than the high fat samples. High fat cheeses were much smoother due to the plasticising action of the fat and its ability to break up the protein matrix. High dry matter cheese were also firmer and more crumbly than low dry matter cheeses.
In their conclusions, the authors say that salty perception of the cheeses was not influenced by the texture characteristics of the model cheese, but the salt content did play an important role in both the sensory perception of the texture of the cheese and the texture as determined instrumentally. Salt reduction also had an impact on aroma release in the low-fat model cheeses. Olfactory perception modified texture perception only in the case of model cheeses with low-fat and low-dry matter contents. In general, variations in salt content and sensory interactions seemed to have a greater impact on the low fat cheeses than the high-fat ones. (Saint-Eve, et al. Food Chemistry, 2009, 116 (1): 167-175).
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Fish oil may protect against diseases like Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder first described by James Parkinson in 1817 as ‘paralysis agitans’ (shaking palsy). Dr Nicholas Bazan and colleagues from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center recently presented new research findings to the American Society for Nutrition at the annual meeting for Experimental Biology 2009. These findings demonstrate that omega-3 fatty acids in the diet may help prevent the misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation, which is a characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.
Dr Bazan and colleagues developed a cell model with an Ataxin-1 gene mutation, caused by an abnormally high number of base repeats (cytosine, adenine and guanine), which induces the production of misfolded proteins. Consequently, these proteins acquire toxic gains-of-function and become averse to degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) which serves to dispose of aberrant proteins. One resultant disorder of this Ataxin-1 mutation is Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA) characterised by lack of muscle coordination, speech impairment, deformity of the spine, irregularity of movement along with other developing symptoms.
The research led by Dr Bazan, who is the Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence found that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid, protects the cells from the Ataxin-1 mutation defect. DHA is obtained from the diet is derived mainly from marine alage and fish oils. It is known to be the most abundant omega-3 fatty acid found in the membrane phospholipids of neurons. Functionally, free DHA produces neuroprotection D1 (NDP1) which limits oxidative-stress induced cell death. NDP1 is an effective anti-inflammatory signalling molecule with neuroprotective value in several neurodegenerative diseases. DHA is required to maintain membrane integrity and subsequently NDP1 protects cells from apoptosis.
Therapeutically, this research by Dr Bazan and colleagues provides proof of principle that NDP1 can be utilised to target neurodegenerative diseases. Dr Bazan is quoted as saying that the results of his study should provide the basis of new therapeutic approaches to manipulate retinal pigment epithelial cells to be used as a source of NDP1 to treat patients with disorders characterised by this mutation like Parkinson’s, Retinis Pigmentosa and some forms of Alzheimer’s Disease.
RSSL's Lipids Laboratory has expertise in all aspects of fat analysis and fatty acid profiling, including the determination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. For more information please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com.
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Obesity has serious implications for environment
Maintaining a healthy body weight is good news for the environment, according to a study which appears in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Worldwide, over 1 billion adults are overweight and around 300 million are obese. The increasing global prevalence of overweight and obesity has serious implications for the environment, as well as for health. Food production is a major contributor to global warming, and accounts for an estimated 20% of global greenhouse emissions. Transport is also responsible for emissions as it takes less energy to transport slim people.
The study, conducted by Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts, compared a population of 1 billion lean people, with weight distributions equivalent to a country such as Vietnam, with 1 billion people from richer countries, such as the USA, where about 40% of the population is classified as obese. The food energy required to maintain basal metabolic rate in these two hypothetical adult populations was estimated using the Schofield equation for males and females. The impact on greenhouse gas emissions of increases in the population distribution of body mass index (BMI) was estimated. Compared with a normal population distribution of BMI, a population with 40% obese requires 19% more food energy for its total energy expenditure. In nearly every country in the world, average body mass is rising. Between 1994 and 2004, the average male BMI in England increased from 26 to 27.3, with the average female BMI rising from 25.8 to 26.9. A ‘normal’ BMI ranges from 18.5 to 25.
Greenhouse gas emissions from food production and car travel due to increases in adiposity (level of body fat) in a population of 1 billion are estimated to be between 0.4 and 1 Giga tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. The study also factored in greater car use by the overweight, stating that the heavier human bodies become, the harder it is to move about in them and the more dependent people become on cars. It is predicted that an overweight population would have higher transportation fuel energy use because of the additional fuel energy needed to transport heavy people. The proportionate increase in fuel energy use (and thus greenhouse gas emissions) due to a person’s weight per kilometre is estimated as car weight plus half the mass of the person, divided by car weight.
It would appear from this study that keeping fit and staying slim can be of benefit not only to health, but also to the environment, particularly in terms of lower greenhouse gas emissions. Losing weight can be green in many ways. Lori Bongiorno of Yahoo Green, an environmental journalist, suggests the following: eat fruits and lean protein, walk and bicycle more, avoid high fructose corn syrup, and replace soft drinks with tap (not bottled) water for a slimmer body and smaller carbon footprint. (Edwards and Roberts, Int. J. Epidemiol., online 19/04/09; summary in USNews.com).
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Product recalls and alerts
**Withdrawal of Simply Aqua and Simply Fruity drinks
**Some Espuna Chorizo withdrawn from sale
**Sainsbury’s recall some frozen pizzas
**Tesco withdraws Storck Nimm 2 Candy
**From Ireland
**From Australia and New Zealand
**From Canada
**From the US
**European Rapid Alerts for week 16
**Links to recall web sites
**Recall web sites for halal and kosher foods
**Withdrawal of Simply Aqua and Simply Fruity drinks
A G Barr's have withdrawn Simply Fruity and Simply Aqua water drinks because of reports of a problem with the bottle cap causing a choking hazard. The Food Standards Agency has now issued a Food Alert for Information.
** Some Espuna Chorizo withdrawn from sale
Certain batches of chorizo made by Espuna have been withdrawn from sale, because of possible contamination with Salmonella. The product was sold in a number of shops and butchers, all of which have withdrawn the affected packs from sale and have displayed notices to consumers. Local authorities have been informed and are working with shops to make sure affected packs are removed. The Food Standards Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.
**Sainsbury’s recall some frozen pizzas
Sainsbury's has recalled some of its Frozen Thin & Crispy Vegetable Stonebake Pizza (312g), because small pieces of metal were found within the base of the product. The Food Standards Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.
** Tesco withdraws Storck Nimm 2 Candy
Tesco has withdrawn all Storck Nimm 2 Polish Candy, as the product contains sweetened condensed milk and whey powder that are not mentioned in English on the product label. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert advising people with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk products not to eat this product.
**From Australia and New Zealand
- Glutenfree Bakery wishes to advise customers that they are conducting a voluntary consumer level recall of Lamingtons due to an important food safety issue. The product contains eggs which are not declared on the label and may pose a health risk to consumers with an allergy to eggs.
- Sunbeam is conducting a voluntary recall of pistachio nuts. Sunbeam has been informed by its Australian supplier of pistachio nuts that the pistachio nuts may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.
**From Canada
- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Dollarama are warning people with allergies to peanut proteins not to consume certain Bergen brand Apple Cinnamon Cookies. The affected product may contain peanuts which are not declared on the label.
**Pistachios and Salmonella contamination
See the CFIA Website for recalls linked to Salmonella associated with pistachios supplied by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc.
**From the US
- Union International Food Co. is further expanding the recall of Lian How brand and Uncle Chen brand retail and institutional products to include various size packages of all sauces, oils, and oil blends; in addition to all types of dry spice products in 15-pound and smaller containers (boxes, plastic bags & wide mouth jars) and 30-pound boxes and smaller packages of crushed chilli because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. See also . Food and Drug Administration web site.
- Pistachios and Salmonella contamination. See the FDA Website for recalls linked to Salmonella associated with pistachios supplied by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc.
**European Rapid Alerts for week 16
The results of rapid alerts for week 16 (up to 17/4/2009) are now available on the Europa web site. Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)
**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.
RSSL's Emergency Response Service (ERS) helps customers deal with a wide range of product emergencies and offers advice on crisis management. It operates 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. To request an ERS presentation or find out more please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com
Emergency Response Service
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Food safety
**MLVA may prove advantageous for typing S. Typhimurium
**Food poisoning costs Toronto £500 million a year
**UK food safety agency in fraud crackdown
**NASA investigate salmonella vaccine
**Food poisoning linked to fresh tuna steaks sold at Tesco store
**Canada - Release of the Lessons Learned Reports on the 2008 Listeriosis Outbreak
**Clostridium difficile in ready-to-eat salads, Scotland
**Allergy advice helps businesses
**Listeria in smoked salmon
**EFSA risk assessment on undesirable substances in animal feed
**Marine biotoxins in shellfish – Saxitoxin group
**Animal diseases updates and food poisoning outbreaks
**The Food Safety Network
**MLVA may prove advantageous for typing S. Typhimurium
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium is responsible for many food-borne pathogen outbreaks of illness worldwide and tracing specific animal host species is important in understanding transmission routes. Phage typing and PFGE have both been used for tracing but results are difficult to standardise and some phagetypes such as DT104 that have different sources cannot be subdivided by these means. Multilocus variable number of tandem repeats analysis (MLVA), a PCR-based method using amplification and fragment analysis of five repeated loci, has recently become a widely used and highly discriminatory molecular method for typing S. Typhimurium. It has the advantages of being quick, cheap, easy to perform, independent of equipment and yields unambiguous typing data. The authors of an article published in ‘Eurosurveillance’ have developed a set of reference strains for normalisation of fragment sizes. Molecular typing seems to be the way forward and MVLA is a step in that direction but it cannot fully replace older typing methods at present. (Eurosurveillance)
**Food poisoning costs Toronto £500 million a year
According to Toronto’s medical officer of health, nearly 500,000 people from the city contract a food-borne illness each year. While most of these are not serious, they cost the city’s economy up to $500 million each year. Dr. David McKeown is due to present a report to the city’s board of health shortly and is quoted as saying that this is the first time that total costs associated with food-borne illnesses have been estimated in the city. This task is made more difficult as it has been estimated that only 1 in 200 cases are reported. The estimates include costs associated with health care and loss of productivity due to absence from work. The report notes that there are over 435,000 cases of food borne illness each year and while this might seem high, McKeown thinks that if you consider this means the average city dweller gets sick once every six years, it doesn’t seem that surprising. (Canoe)
**UK food safety agency in fraud crackdown
The Food Standards Agency has launched a new advisory resource to support local authorities in their work to tackle food fraud. The Food Fraud Advisory Unit (FFAU) is a group of 15 officials with skills and experience in carrying out food fraud investigations. The FFAU members have agreed, with the support of their employers, to provide advice, on request, to any UK local authority involved in investigating food fraud. This could include any illegal activity relating to food or feed. (Food Standards Agency)
**NASA investigate salmonella vaccine
According to a scientist from the US NASA space station program, two groups are working to develop compounds for a Salmonella vaccine. The following experiment carried out aboard the International Space Station may soon lead to a vaccine against food poisoning by Salmonella bacteria. The shuttle Discovery crew brought back some bacteria which US researchers are now analysing. So far they have found that Salmonella can become more virulent in weightlessness. Further studies proved its virulence could be controlled. NASA carried out these experiments as they were concerned the astronauts might be more susceptible to food poisoning in space because of their weakened immune systems. Dr Cheryl Nickerson, who heads one of the research teams states that because the environment inside the intestines is similar to weightlessness, she hopes her research will lead to a vaccine and other treatments for food poisoning. (ABC Science)
**Food poisoning linked to fresh tuna steaks sold at Tesco store
Three cases of scombrotoxin food poisoning (histamine) caused by toxins produced in fresh fish such as tuna and mackerel, which have not been stored at the correct temperature have been linked to a Tesco store in Inverness. The symptoms can appear within a few minutes and include flushing, sweating, headache, rash, diarrhoea and nausea and can last for 12 hours. Environmental health officers investigating the cases said they had found a link to fresh tuna steaks bought from the Tesco Extra Store at Inverness Retail Park on Wednesday. The products have now been withdrawn from sale. (Press and Journal)
**Lessons learned reports on the 2008 Listeriosis outbreak in Canada
Following a thorough review of the steps taken during last year’s listeriosis outbreak, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have each released their Lessons Learned Report. The aim of this review was to identify gaps and provide solutions to improve the response to outbreaks. The reports detail what worked well and what did not work. An independent investigator, appointed by the Prime Minister will report in July the reasons behind the outbreak and how to reduce the chance of it happening again. (CFIA)
**Clostridium difficile in ready-to-eat salads, Scotland
A study published in the Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases has found that out of 40 ready-to-eat salads from 7 Glasgow supermarkets, 3 (7.5%) tested positive by PCR for Clostridium difficile. A team of scientists tested 50g samples from each of 40 packaged ready-to-eat salads purchased from May 1 through June 30, 2008, for the presence of C. difficile spores. Two isolates were PCR ribotype 017 (toxin A–, B+), and 1 was PCR ribotype 001. Isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole but variably resistant to other antimicrobial drugs. They state that the presence of C. difficile in ready-to-eat salads could result from environmental contamination or transmission by food handlers. Further work is needed to investigate foods as a source of this pathogen and also to assess the role of soil and animals as its reservoirs.
**Allergy advice helps businesses
An evaluation of the Food Standards Agency's allergy guidance has found that a majority of businesses and local authority food law enforcement officers find it helpful in their work. Of those surveyed (about 400 manufacturers, retailers and training bodies), all manufacturers and 96% of enforcement officers, who were aware of the FSA's 2006 best practice allergy guidance, found it useful. 53% of food manufacturers and 81% of large businesses are aware of the full guidance and/or the leaflet. 100% of manufacturers and 96% of enforcement officers, who are aware of the guidance, rate the full guidance as useful. 90% of enforcement officers are using the guidance. (FSA).
**Listeria in smoked salmon
Smoked salmon contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes has been implicated in foodborne listeriosis. The objectives of this study were to model the growth characteristics and examine the growth relationship of L. monocytogenes and native microflora in smoked salmon. (Journal of Food Science, 2009, 74 (3): M125-M130).
**EFSA risk assessment on undesirable substances in animal feed
EFSA’s Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) has just completed the final opinion in a series of 30 risks assessments undertaken over the last 5 years looking at undesirable substances in animal feed. These opinions were delivered following requests of the European Commission to review the possible risks for animal and human health due to the presence of these substances in animal feed. Nitrite as an undesirable substance in animal feed (47 pages).
**Marine biotoxins in shellfish – Saxitoxin group
The European Food Safety Authority’s panel on contaminants in the food chain (CONTAM) has published a scientific opinion on the presence of saxitoxins in bivalve molluscs, including oysters, mussels, scallops and clams. Saxitoxin-groups toxins (STX) are a group of closely related tetrahydropurines produced by dinoflagellates belonging to the genus Alexandrium. STX group toxins cause paralytic shellfish poisoning for which the symptoms range from a slight tingling sensation or numbness around the lips to fatal respiratory paralysis.
**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.
RSSL's scientists are able to assist food businesses to manage food safety issues more effectively. The laboratories have considerable experience in the detection and identification of foreign bodies, heavy metals, allergens, toxins and chemical residues. For more information on any of these services and RSSL's Emergency Response Service, please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com
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Legislation headlines
**Orange II in food colouring safflower
**EC proposes action to combat nitrofuran-tainted shellfish from India
**Most green products make some false claims
**Danone abandons EU probiotic gut health claim submissions
**Applications for protection of speciality food products
**Merck claim on DHA rejected by EFSA’s NDA panel
**Amendments to protected designations of origin (PDO)
**Applications for protection of speciality food products
**PGI for processed meats and cheese
**Amendment to PDO for Jamón de Teruel
**PGI for Andruty kaliskie
**Organic products regulations UK
** Regulations on products of animal origin
**Purity criteria for food additives
**Kellogg’s (USA) backs down over children’s attentiveness claims
**Orange II in food colouring safflower
A short letter from Dr Stephen Johnson, head of food additives at the Food Standards Agency, has sent a warning letter to trade associations and companies which may be importing food colouring safflower into the UK. It reports that significant levels of the illegal colour, Orange II, (CAS No. 633-96-5) have been found in the safflower. Tel: 020 7276 8508.
**EC proposes action to combat nitrofuran-tainted shellfish from India
The European Commission has confirmed it is considering imposing emergency measures on shellfish imports from India following repeated cases of contamination of shrimp and other aquaculture products with residues of the banned antibiotic nitrofuran. Notifications on nitrofurans often appear in the EU’s rapid alert system for food and feed. (FlexNews.com 16/04/09)
**Most green products make some false claims
TerraChoice Environmental Marketing suggests that as little as 2% of the self-proclaimed “green” products on store shelves make completely legitimate claims on their labels. The remainder commit what are described as “greenwashing” sins, in that they mislead consumers as to the environmental benefits of the products or the practices of the company. More details at FlexNews.com via Reuters, (16/04/2009).
**Danone abandons EU probiotic gut health claim submissions
French dairy company, Danone, has withdrawn the EU health claim applications for its market leading probiotic yoghurt products Activia and Actimel. The three withdrawn Article 13.5 claims related to the digestive health and immunity benefits of the products. Danone submitted the claims under the 2006 EU nutrition and health claim regulation. They are due to be assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before the end of January 2010. This regulation aims to formulate a centralised health claims list under the nutrition and health claims regulation that is due for completion in January, 2010. (From NutraIngredients.com )
**Merck claim on DHA rejected by EFSA’s NDA panel
DHA does not benefit visual development or cognitive development in infants and unborn babies, according to two opinions relating to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) today. EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) rejected dossiers containing more than 40 studies including a number of “gold standard” trials, submitted by the German company Merck Selbstmedikation. In its dossiers, the German firm recommended mothers consume 200mg of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in the form of food supplements per day during and after pregnancy to confer the eye health and brain health benefits in the foetus and infant. (Comment in NutraIngredients.com).
**Amendments to protected designations of origin (PDO)The have been amendments published for the protected designation of origin (PDO) for ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ and “Bitto”.
**Applications for protection of speciality food products
Applications have been made for protected designations of origin (PDO) or protected geographical indications (PGI) for ‘Truskawka Kaszubska’ or ‘Kaszëbskô Malëna’ (PGI) which are speciality strawberries from Poland; ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ which are fresh chestnuts from the local ecotype of plants of the species Castanea sativa Mill., var sativa. (PGI); ‘Insalata di Lusia’ is exclusively reserved to the Cappuccia and Gentile varieties of Lactuca Sativa (Lettuce) (PGI) .
** PGI for processed meats and cheese
Commission Regulation (EC) No 323/2009 of 20 April 2009 entering certain names in the register of protected designations of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indications (PGI) for Wielkopolski ser smażony (PGI, processed meats) and , Budapesti téliszalámi (PGI)) cheese.
** Amendment to PDO for Jamón de Teruel
Commission Regulation (EC) No 324/2009 of 20 April 2009 approving a non-minor amendment to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Jamón de Teruel (PDO))
**PGI for Andruty kaliskie
Commission Regulation (EC) No 326/2009 of 21 April 2009 entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Andruty kaliskie (PGI)).
**Organic products regulations UK
The Organic Products Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/842) have been published online. They come into force on 27 April 2009. These Regulations revoke and replace the Organic Products (Imports from Third Countries) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2821) and the Organic Products Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1604). They extend to the United Kingdom and provide for the administration and enforcement of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products (OJ No L 189, 20.7.07, p 1), Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 (OJ No L 250, 18.9.08, p 1), and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008 laying down detailed rules for implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 as regards the arrangements for imports of organic products from third countries (OJ No L 334, 12.12.08, p 25), each as amended from time to time.
** Regulations on products of animal origin
The Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009 No. 875) have been published and come into force on 1st May 2009. These Regulations further amend the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (England) Regulations 2006 to take account of the changes in personal imports permitted from third countries brought about by Commission Regulation (EC) No 206/2009 on the introduction into the Community of personal consignments of products of animal origin.
**Purity criteria for food additives
The Purity Criteria for Colours, Sweeteners and Miscellaneous Food Additives (England) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009 No 891). These regulations come into force on 25 May 2009. 1. These Regulations provide for the implementation of three new Commission Directives:
(a) Commission Directive 2008/128/EC laying down specific purity criteria concerning
colours for use in foodstuffs (OJ No. L6, 10.1.2009, p.20);
(b) Commission Directive 2008/60/EC laying down specific purity criteria concerning
sweeteners for use in foodstuffs (OJ No. L158, 18.6.2008, p.17); and
(c) Commission Directive 2008/84/EC laying down specific purity criteria on food additives other than colours and sweeteners (OJ No. L253, 20.9.2008, p.1).
These Regulations further amend in relation to England the Colours in Food Regulations 1995(S.I.1995/3124 as amended), the Sweeteners in Food Regulations 1995 (S.I.1995/3123 as amended) and the Miscellaneous Food Additives Regulations 1995 (S.I.1995/3187 as amended).
**Kellogg’s (USA) backs down over children’s attentiveness claims
Kellogg’s has agreed to withdraw claims that consumption of Frosted Mini-Wheats improved children’s attentiveness by 20%. The US Federal Trade Commission revealed that it has reached an agreement with Kellogg to settle charges that it made misleading advertising claims for its Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal. The FTC found that the study on which Kellogg based its claims showed that only half of children benefited from eating Frosted Mini-Wheats. Only 11% of children in the study saw concentration improve 20%. More details at Just-food.com (20/04/09).
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Other headlines (22/04/09)
**Chewing gum can control cravings for snacks
**Vegetable juices can help control metabolic syndrome
**Review identifies dietary factors associated with heart disease risk
**Drinkers consume more calories than they realise!
**Walnuts may protect against breast cancer
**Chewing gum can control cravings for snacks
A study by the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre and Louisiana State University in conjunction with Wrigley has suggested that chewing sugar-free gum could be an easy, practical way to help people reduce their cravings for sweet snacks and to control their appetite. Indications include the fact that chewing gum can help to suppress the hunger often experienced between lunch and mid-afternoon and consequently can reduce consumption of snacks by up to 60 calories. Not only can calorie intake be reduced, but the research also suggests that chewing gum helps to maintain energy levels and reduce drowsiness which may be experienced in early to mid-afternoon. (Eurekalert.org 19/04/09).
**Vegetable juices could help control metabolic syndrome
A study at the Bayer College of Medicine and Healthcare indicates that vegetable juice could play a vital role in helping people with metabolic syndrome (characterised by a combination of risk factors including high blood pressure and sugar, abnormal blood lipids and excess body fat) to lose weight. In the study, participants consuming a minimum of one cup of low sodium vegetable juice a day in conjunction with a special diet designed to control calorie intake were shown, over 12 weeks, to lose on average, three pounds more than those on the same diet who did not drink the juice. Whilst increasing vegetable consumption and intake of both vitamin C and potassium, drinking such juices also decreases the carbohydrate content of a diet and so can be an easy, practical way to help manage body weight and reduce some long-term health risks. (Eurekalert.org 19/04/09).
**Review identifies dietary factors associated with heart disease risk
A major systematic evaluation of previously published data has examined the relationship between dietary factors and heart disease. The investigation, the first of its kind, confirmed that a healthy diet pattern including a Mediterranean diet, an intake of nuts, vegetables and monounsaturated fatty acids was strongly associated with a lower risk of heart disease. The study, according to a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine also found that an intake of trans-fatty acids, foods with a high glycaemic index and a western dietary pattern to be harmful in terms of coronary health. However, other associations, including the relationship of individual dietary components and nutrients showed evidence too modest to be conclusive.
**Drinkers consume more calories than they realise!
British government research suggests that alcohol drinkers are consuming more calories then they realise. The average wine drinker consumes more than 2,000 calories a month from alcohol alone, a beer-drinker (consuming five pints a week) adds 44,200 calories to their intake over a year. The ‘Know Your Limits’ survey revealed that 42% of women had no idea that a glass of wine contained the same number of calories as a bag of crisps and 40% of men were unaware that a pint of lager contained as many calories as a sausage roll. The report published by the Press association also revealed that 37% of drinkers who consumed more than two pints of beer or glasses of wine led them to eat unhealthy snacks, takeaways or morning-after fry-ups. (BBC Health News 17/04/09).
**Walnuts may protect against breast cancer
Eating 15 walnuts/day may provide women with essential omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols that can help reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to the results of an animal study presented to the American Association for Cancer Research's 100th annual meeting in Denver. Principal investigator Dr. Elaine Hardman of Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia, suggested that a few walnuts would be a far healthier choice than cookies, chips or sodas. Further details at ReutersHealth (21/04/09).