Edition 445: 1 - 8 July 2009

Caffeine may reverse and protect against Alzheimer’s disease in mice

Two back to back mouse studies by American and Japanese scientists, due to be published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease have found that caffeine may prevent and reverse memory impairment and cognitive function in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). 

Alzheimer’s disease is thought to affect up to half of Americans over the age of 85 and it has been estimated that this and other dementias lead to a tripling of health care costs for those over 65.  Arendash et al first became interested in the ability of caffeine to treat AD when they read a previous Portuguese study which noted that people already with AD had consumed less caffeine over the previous 20 years than those without the disease.  Several previous studies had also indicated caffeine might be capable of protecting memory, but these were not properly controlled clinical studies.   

The researchers took 55 transgenic mice, genetically altered to develop symptoms of AD and conducted behavioural tests at the age of 18-19 months (equivalent to about 70 years in human terms) which showed symptoms of memory impairment.  The mice were split into two groups, one receiving plain water to drink (the control) whilst the other group were given 500mg caffeine per day added to their drinking water, this being the equivalent of 5 cups of coffee or 14 cups of tea.  After two months the mice were tested again and those in the caffeine group had improved performance and fared as well as normal mice of a similar age.  The researchers discovered that those mice in the caffeine group had nearly 50% less beta-amyloid (the protein that forms sticky clumps in the brains of people with AD) in their brain compared to the control group. 

In the other study by the same team, young and old transgenic AD mice were also given caffeine. The researchers discovered that this rapidly reduced the beta-amyloid levels in both the blood and the brain interstitial fluid.  Long term caffeine treatment of old AD mice appeared to sustain reduction in blood beta-amyloid levels and also decreased soluble and deposited beta-amyloid in the brain. 

It was also observed that feeding caffeine to normal mice did not boost their memory, which suggested that caffeine was not able to improve memory performance above normal levels.  Arendash et al suggest that caffeine appears to reduce both of the enzymes required to produce beta-amyloid and that it may also inhibit inflammation which causes too much of the protein to be created.  Dr Huntingdon Potter, director of the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centre where some of the research was performed is quoted in Medical News Today as saying that these are some of the most promising Alzheimer’s mouse experiments ever done.  They show that caffeine rapidly reduced beta-amyloid protein in the blood and the brain and this reduction is linked to cognitive benefit.   Dr Potter also noted that the researchers have already shown that giving caffeine to elderly people without dementia quickly affects their blood beta-amyloid levels, as happened for the mice.  The scientists are now trying to obtain funding to see if these results could be replicated in human clinical trials.  Arandash told the BBC that these results provided evidence that caffeine could be a viable treatment for established AD and not simply as a protective strategy.  He added that this was important as caffeine is a safe drug for most people. (Science Daily).

RSSL’s Functional Ingredients Laboratory can quantify caffeine in foods and beverages.  For more information please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com

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Update on methodologies for determining dietary fibre

Exactly what constitutes dietary fibre (DF) has always been tricky to define, but generally it has been considered to comprise non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and lignin, and to be determined by either the enzymatic gravimetric method of the AOAC or the enzymatic chemical method developed by Englyst. Now an article in Food Research International has highlighted the shortcomings of the current methods and suggested that polyphenols are major constituents of dietary fibre.

Non-starch polysaccharides and lignin are resistant to digestion and absorption in the small intestine, but are partially or completely fermented in the large intestine. These properties can also be attributed to other indigestible food constituents such as resistant starch (RS), oligosaccharides, resistant protein, polyphenols and other substances. Goni et al. argue that since NSP and lignin are the only components of DF usually tested for, most DF values used for food labelling, food composition tables and literature data probably underestimate the actual content of DF in foods. It is estimated that up to 60g/day of indigestible substrates are needed to maintain a healthy bacterial cell turnover in the human gut. Applying the present method to typical Mediterranean and Scandinavian diets suggests they provide 40 – 60 g/person/day of DF.  Estimates based on DF figures quoted in the literature using standard analytical methods for DF would yield a figure of only 12 – 20 g/person/day. This appears to confirm the author’s suggestion that DF contents are often underestimated.  It is also pointed out that DF analytical methods were developed for solid foods, with many studies assigning zero DF contents for beverages, even though many could be expected to contain appreciable amounts of soluble DF associated with polyphenols. In 2004, Saura-Calixto & Goni (EJCN, 2004, 58: 1078-1082) reported a method to determine DF as the total indigestible fraction of food, including resistant starch and resistant protein. This procedure, the authors claimed, followed near-physiological analytical conditions and the DF figures obtained were found to be close to the amount of substrates reaching the human colon. Since then, evidence has been accumulating that polyphenols associated with polysaccharides and proteins in cell walls are also significant constituents of DF. The objective, therefore, of the present work was to show that polyphenols were major constituents of dietary fibre and propose a procedure for their measurement.

In the present study mixtures of fruits, vegetables and cereals consumed in the Spanish diet were  prepared according to the Spanish National Survey of Food Consumption. The following foods and drinks were also included in the analysis: almonds, dark chocolate, red wine, cider, orange and apple juices, roasted coffee and cocoa milk drink. The solid foods were analysed as eaten (raw, soaked, boiled or fried) while the beverages were concentrated by vacuum to obtained the indigestible components and to remove alcohol from the alcoholic drink samples. Solid samples were treated with a mixture of pepsin, pancreatin and alpha-amylase, centrifuged and washed.  The supernatant was treated with amyloglucosidase, followed by dialysis which gave a retentant which was analysed chemically and by gravimetry.  The residue was freeze- or vacuum dried and the insoluble dietary fibre analysed chemically and gravimetrically. Beverages (de-gassed where needed) were treated with pepsin, alpha-amylase and amyloglucosidase then dialysed, and the retentant (soluble DF) analysed chemically or (after freeze- or vacuum-drying) gravimetrically.  The main differences in the updated methodology described by Goni and colleagues are the temperature-pH conditions used and the procedure for separating insoluble DF and soluble DF by centrifugation and dialysis.

In the insoluble DF (IDF)  fraction of the various solid foods analysed, polyphenolic components (condensed and hydrolysable tannins) accounted for anything from 1.4% to  50.7% (average 9.7%) of IDF. Beverages like red wine and coffee were also shown to contain substantial amounts of polyphenolic components bound to DF. This may be important in terms of health benefits, as the polyphenols would not be bioavailable in the human upper intestine but would be susceptible to degradation and fermentation by the microflora in the colon. The polyphenols associated with the soluble dietary fibre (SDF) included soluble flavonoids and phenolic acids. In wine, for instance, DF is associated with flavan-3-ols and benzoic acids, while in beer there are flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids linked to arabinoxylans. In terms of the Spanish diet, polyphenols were associated with both the SDF and IDF, with the highest polyphenol levels being associated with the IDF of fruits.

In the discussion section of the article, Goni et al. say that their updated method also provided data on resistant proteins, particularly from plant foods. Previous work has suggested that these are mainly proline-rich glycoproteins derived from plant cell walls which were associated with IDF. Tabulated data showed that resistant proteins in the plant foods analysed comprised about 4-5% of IDF.  Other non-digestible food constituents include carotenoids, waxes, phytates, cutins, saponins, suberin and melanoidins (derived from the Maillard reaction). Melanoidins are present in widely consumed dietary items such as bread, cocoa, coffee and many others. Since these substances exhibit significant biological properties, one of the next challenges will be to isolate and determine melanoidins in DF residues.  (Goni et al.  Food Research International, 2009, 42 (7): 840-846. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2009.03.010).

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Refinement of threshold of toxicological concern for chemicals in food

A recent report published in Food and Chemical Toxicology has sought to recommend refinements to the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) methodology for putting low level exposure to unexpected chemicals in the context of potential risk.  The paper looks at two key areas.  One of these deals with the inclusion of genotoxicity data to refine TTC limits and the second addresses the duration of exposure. 

As analytical techniques improve it is now possible to detect very low levels of chemicals in products including foods, and whilst such detections may not indicate potential toxicity, a method of determining risk needs to be performed.  The threshold of toxicological concern provides a methodology for considering low level exposures and their subsequent risk.  The methodology helps provide exposure limits for chemicals where full toxicity data is unavailable. The approach is based on evaluation of the known toxicity of structurally similar chemicals. 

Felter et al indicate that their first objective is to emphasise the need to consider low levels detection of chemicals in food in the context of safety, using TTC as a tool to allow the prioritisation of response. They say it is important that the TTC approach they describe is used in addition to strict adherence to GMP and HACCP.  They indicate that it does not replace these practices by any means and also that it should not be applied where adequate toxicity data is available. The paper provides a definition and rationale for TTCs along with a brief history of the development of the approach.  It also briefly describes how the TTC methodology has been applied in areas other than food including pharmaceuticals and personal and household care products.  Felter et al propose a framework for establishing TTCs for unintended chemicals found in food.  This is intended to address the safety of dietary exposures to low levels of chemicals where little toxicology data is available.  They indicate that their work builds on previous studies based on well established TTC concepts.  The authors discuss types of chemicals including proteins, heavy metals and those with chemical groups with the potential to be high potency carcinogens for which TTC should not be applied.  The paper goes on to describe two areas in which the basic TTC methodology could be extended.  The first area is a refinement of previous work to allow for the inclusion of Ames data on chemicals with structural alerts for genotoxicity.  The researchers describe a method of integrating Ames data into the tiered approach of TTC to ensure inclusion into the appropriate TTC based exposure tier.  They note that Ames data are often the only data publicly available or which can easily be generated, for newly identified chemical contaminants and state that it is important to be able to integrate this information appropriately. 

The second area of enhancement described is for exposure.  Existing TTC exposure limits assume exposure over a lifetime.  Felter et al note that human exposure to such unintended chemicals in food is often for a limited period only and as such, higher limits of exposure may be able to be established when exposure time is limited.  They briefly describe a number of approaches which could be used to determine safe limits for short term exposure including a proposal which is based on the use of lifetime cumulative dose (LCD). 

In conclusion the authors indicate that the TTC methodology extended as they describe could be used to provide a rapid risk prioritisation for chemicals found at low levels in food. They propose that existing exposure limits of 0.15µg/day (currently applied to chemicals with structural alerts for genotoxicity or where ongoing exposure may potentially exist) be raised to 1.5µg/day for chemicals with negative Ames data or where exposure is expected to be limited to less than a year.

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Novel replacements for saturated and trans fats

Finding alternatives to saturated and trans fats containing the traditional triacylglyerol (TAG) structure is a challenge for the food industry, which is being given impetus by health experts and some regulatory authorities because of the health hazards associated with both these fats. Dr. Michael A. Rogers, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan examines the possibility of replacing colloidal fat networks with molecular gels.

As Rogers explains, numerous foods gain their desirable textural properties (eg. snap, mouthfeel, hardness) from the colloidal fat crystal network comprised primarily of trans- and saturated fats.  But such fats appear to have an adverse effect on lipoprotein profiles and raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Reversing some of these negative health implications might be achieved by substituting them with mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Indeed the American Heart Association recommends that saturated fat intake be limited to 7% of total daily calories and trans fat intake to 1%. The problem is that the TAG structure of these fats is largely responsible for the desirable texture of  ice cream, butter, cheese, lard and it is difficult to improve the health aspects of a product without sacrificing some of its characteristic properties. The aim, therefore, of Rogers’ review in Food Research International was to examine strategies for replacing colloidal fat networks with edible organogels made up of unsaturated oils. Organogels are gels in which the liquid phase comprises an oil.  Low molecular weight organogelators (LMOGs) form continuous gel networks in which small molecules assemble themselves into liquid crystals, micelles or self-assembled fibrillar networks. Gelator molecules self-assemble in stochastic (random) nucleation events with specific interactions which promote one dimensional growth. However, a lack of food grade compounds, the high cost of most gelator molecules and the inability to modify the supramolecular structure of these soft materials is hampering their use in the food industry.

Rogers explores possible alternatives to TAG fats under the headings L_α liquid-crystalline lamella phase (monoglyceride gels); inverse bilayers forming rod-shaped tubules (sorbitan monostearate gels and lecithin gels); crystal platelets (long chain fatty acids and alcohols, food grade waxes and wax esters, and sorbitan tristearate and lecithin); self-assembled fibrillar networks (hydroxylated fatty acids, phytosterols and oryzanols, peptides, trehalose diesters and ceramides). Once the organogels have been formed, further research will be required to show how the properties of the gels can be modified by altering their cooling profiles or adding co-gelators which can modify structures, eg from platelet crystals to needle-like crystals, or from a fribrillar structure to a spherical structure. In conclusion the author suggests that three of the systems discussed are particularly promising.  These are monoglyceride gels, phytosterol-oryzanol systems and ceramide-based organogelators derived from milk and eggs. (Food Research International, 2009, 42 (7): 747-753. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2009.02.024).

RSSL's Lipids Laboratory can determine the fatty acid profile of all dietary fats and oils including trans fats. For more information please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail  enquiries@rssl.com

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EFSA offers no guidance on probiotic health claims

NutraIngredients.com (02/07/09) reports that the European Food Safety Authority is unlikely to consider providing guidance for probiotic health claims, despite pressure from industry and the scientific community. So far the EFSA has issued eight opinions on probiotic products, and all of them have been negative.  It is being argued that the current lack of regulatory definitions and standards for probiotics means that the term is being misused commercially and scientifically.

In June 2009, there was a meeting between industry stakeholders and EFSA representatives which was intended to clarify many issues over the content of dossiers which must be submitted to the EFSA in support of  claims made under article 13.5 and 14 of Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims.   In a list of frequently asked questions, published ahead of this meeting,  question 3 suggested that the claimed effect needs to be specific enough to be testable and measurable by generally accepted methods. So, for example, the term “gut health” is too general and it is unclear what measure can be used.  In contrast,  “transit time” is specific and can be measured.  Question 2 points out that for microorganisms (eg. bacteria and yeasts), as well as species identification, there should be sufficient characterisation (genetic typing) at strain level by internationally accepted methods and the strains should be named according to the International Code of Nomenclature.

In the rejected dossiers for probiotic products, one of the main concerns expressed by the EFSA’s NDA Panel was that the strains were not sufficiently characterised, and in some cases the scientific literature referred to different strains to those present in the food for which the claim was being made.  It was also noted that dossiers should also contain evidence of a cause and effect relationship between consumption of the food or food ingredient and the claimed effect.  Yet in many cases, the NDA experts were not convinced that cause and effect was being demonstrated.  See, for example, the opinion issued in October 2008 for Lactoral, in which the NDA Panel considered that the constituents of the probiotic food supplement for which the health claim was made, LACTORAL, had not been sufficiently characterised, intestinal colonisation could be achieved by any resident gut bacterium including pathogens, that in vitro data showing adhesion to cell lines was not sufficient to predict colonisation in vivo in the human gut, and that no cause and effect had been shown between the consumption of Lactoral and the claimed effect. .

During the June question and answer session, it was mentioned that in April 2009  Health Canada had issued guidance notes on the use of  probiotics in food and on health claims associated with these products. It was stated that the document would be used by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to administer and assess compliance of food products containing probiotic microorganisms with the Food and Drugs Act and the provisions of the Food and Drug Regulations. In the guidance, definitions are given for a health claim, a function claim and therapeutic claim, as well as notes on ensuring the safety of the probiotic strains used. This included making sure that the strains used were not reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance. Food manufacturers interested in using novel technology (e.g. microencapsulation) to help deliver viable microorganisms into a food are advised to contact the Food Directorate prior to commercialization or marketing to discuss whether the use of the technology for food application would meet the definition of novel food.  If food additives are used in the manufacture of the encapsulation material (such as enzymes), they must comply with Division 16 of the Food and Drug Regulations.

Health Canada’s guidance notes on probiotics also provide a link to a more detailed document entitled “Guidance Document for Preparing a Submission for Food Health Claims”  covering health claims in general.

See also an article by Edward R Farnworth from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the Journal of Nutrition (2008, 138 (6): 1250S – 1254S) which  discusses the difficulty of providing experimental evidence to support label health claims for probiotics.

RSSL's Product and Ingredient Innovation Division, has considerable experience in re-formulating products to provide more healthy options including low salt, low sugar versions and using pre- and probiotics.  Using RSSL can help speed up your development cycle considerably.  For more information please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com

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Anti-cancer effects of phytosterols

Phytosterols are plant sterols that are similar in structure to cholesterol and exist in several forms in plants including sitosterol, which is the most abundant phytosterol. Rich sources of phytosterols include grain legumes, cereal grains, vegetable oils and nuts. It has been discerned from previous studies that phytosterols may be useful in prevention of both cardiovascular disease and cancer due to the possibility that phytosterols may inhibit the production of carcinogens, cancer-cell growth, invasion and metastasis, and promote apoptosis of cancerous cells. The purpose of the paper by Woyengo et al. (2009) was to review and analyse the results of recent studies on the relationship between phytosterol consumption and cancer risk and the possible mechanisms involved.

Cancer is a group of diseases caused by the uncontrolled growth of cells that spread from the original manifestation sites to other parts of the body. They occur when the genes controlling cell growth and apoptosis (controlled cell death) are damaged, resulting in altered production and/or activity of the proteins they encode.

It was found that β-sitosterol increased the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidise in vivo, indicating that phytosterols can protect cells from damage by reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, phytosterols have been proved to promote apoptosis which is an important mechanism in the inhibition of carcinogenesis. The mechanisms by which β-sitosterol promotes apoptosis includes increased activity of caspase-3 (an enzyme involved in cell apoptosis) as well as pro-apoptotic enzymes (ERK and p38) and reduced activity of anti-apoptotic enzymes (Pl3 and AKT), all resulting in apoptosis of the cancerous cell. The alteration in caspase-3 activity after β-sitosterol administration was suggested to be due to the alteration of structure and function of cancer cell membranes as a result of the incorporation of the phytosterol into the cell membrane and consequently disruption of signal transduction and cellular phosphorylation cascades. 

High intake and elevated blood concentrations of cholesterol are associated with cancer which may be due to the consequential increased survival and reduced apoptosis of cells as the increased levels of cholesterol accumulate in the cell membranes.  The increased apoptosis observed with reduced cholesterol levels was suggested to be attributable to the increased activity of caspase-3 and reduced Akt and ERK activity due to the absence of cholesterol in the lipid rafts of the cell membrane.

To conclude, phytosterols do appear to inhibit the development of various cancers by inhibiting growth and promoting apoptosis of cancer cells by the activation of caspase enzymes which results from the incorporation of phytosterols into the cell membrane.  This in turn leads to an increase in activity of enzymes involved in extra- and intracellular signal-transduction pathways that activate the caspase enzymes. Phytosterols could also inhibit cancer development by lowering blood cholesterol, since high blood cholesterol, and thus high cholesterol levels in the lipid rafts of cell membranes, are associated with reduced apoptosis of cancer cells. This combined evidence supports the anti-carcinogenic action of phytosterols and highlights the importance of their dietary inclusion in the prevention and treatment of cancer.  (Woyengo et al. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009) 63: 813–820; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.29; 03/06/09).  

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New PCR method for the specific detection of wheat glutenin

Jaba Debnath and others researchers from the Central Food Technological Research Institute in India, have developed a PCR test that can be used to detect the presence of the gene responsible for the production of the protein glutenin in wheat.  The paper has recently been published in Food Research International.

Coeliac Disease (CD) is an inflammatory disorder of the small intestine.  It is caused by an intolerance of gluten, in which the consumption of gluten evokes an inappropriate immune response.  Gluten is comprised of two proteins, gliadin and glutenin and is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats.  To alleviate the symptoms of CD and prevent further complications such as intestinal lymphoma, sufferers must eliminate foods containing wheat, rye, barley and oats from their diets.  Wheat allergy, although not as common as gluten intolerance, can be severe and result in anaphylaxis. As awareness of CD has increased, the range of foods free from gluten has widened.  Labelling regulations have been introduced that ensure that both gluten and wheat are identified as ingredients on packaging, aiding sufferers of both intolerance and allergy to avoid foods that may make them ill.

The current method used to detect gluten in foods is an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) technique which detects the gliadin component of gluten.  This method shows cross-reactivity with barley and rye gluten, and is therefore not suitable to distinguish gluten that originates from wheat.  Protein denaturation that can occur during the manufacturing and processing of foods can lead to uncertainties and insufficient specificity in this testing. Debnath and his team recognised the potential issue with current testing methods, and set out to develop a DNA based testing method which could distinguish wheat-derived gluten from gluten originating from other cereals.  DNA is more thermo-stable than protein and therefore a DNA based method was likely to prove more useful when testing highly processed foods. 

The technique involved the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is a method used to amplify specific DNA sequences enough times so that it can be visualised using gel electrophoresis. The first challenge for the team was to identify the DNA sequence that they needed to amplify.  To do so they compared the DNA sequences for the low molecular weight subunit of the glutenin protein in wheat, barley and rye.  They identified the sequence divergence between the three and designed a PCR test that would be specific for the wheat glutenin sequence.  Because the identified sequence was so short (135bp) it also made it an ideal target to look for in food that has been processed and much of the DNA degraded.  They established the specificity of the test by running wheat, barley and rye samples through the test and finding that no DNA was amplified from the rye and barley samples.  They also determined the limit of detection by serially diluting the wheat DNA and found that the test could still amplify DNA down to a starting level of 21.5pg. 

The authors concluded that this method could prove to be a valuable tool for two reasons. First it could complement the existing methods used to detect gluten, which may not be successful with highly processed foods, and second it would be useful to those needing to test specifically for wheat.  They indicate that food manufacturers and regulatory agencies should take advantage of these new techniques to ensure safe and accurate labelling of their products. (Debnath et al. Food Research International, 2009, 42 (7): 782-787. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2009.02.028).

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Product recalls and alerts

**Morrison's recalls products that possibly contain blue plastic
**From Canada
**From the US
**European Rapid Alerts for week 27
**Links to recall web sites
**Recall web sites for halal and kosher foods

**Morrison's recalls products that possibly contain blue plastic
Morrison's has recalled some of its own-label salad tubs, in-store produced pizzas and a bakery product because the products possibly contain pieces of hard, blue plastic. The Food Standards Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.

**From Canada

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain beef products because these products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.  This recall of beef products in Canada is related to the expanded recall of beef products in the USA by JBS Swift Beef Company, Greeley, Colorado.

**From the US

• Traditions Meal Solutions is recalling approximately 104,500 packets of 25 gram non-fat dry milk packets because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
• A limited number of Publix GreenWise Vanilla and Chocolate Whey Protein Powders is being recalled by the manufacturer as they may contain undeclared milk ingredients.
• The C. F. Sauer Company, of Richmond, VA is taking the precautionary measure of voluntarily recalling brown gravy, brown gravy with mushrooms, brown gravy with onions, turkey gravy, pork gravy, country sausage gravy, country style gravy, Alfredo sauce mix, Cajun gumbo mix, and Hollandaise sauce mix produced under the Sauer’s, Gold Medal, and Piggly Wiggly labels because they contain instant non-fat dry milk manufactured by the Plainview Milk Products Cooperative.
• Malt-O-Meal Company is voluntarily recalling “Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal” and “Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal” packets sold in “Variety” cartons, with carton date codes between June 30, 2009 and October 28, 2010 because it contains instant non-fat dry milk manufactured by the Plainview Milk Products Cooperative. Plainview has recently commenced a recall of instant non-fat dry milk and other ingredients that have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.
• CPI Foods, Inc of Dallas, TX is recalling approximately 15,000 (net wt. 20g) packets of non fat dry milk because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella
• NOW Foods has issued a voluntary recall for NOW Foods products containing whey protein concentrate due to potential Salmonella contamination.  This is an extension of the voluntary recall being conducted by the company’s supplier Plainview Milk Products Cooperative
• Precision Foods Inc., of St. Louis, Missouri, is recalling certain Madagascar Vanilla cocoa as a precaution given that the potential exists that the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.  The company is conducting this voluntary recall because of a notification Precision Foods received from two of its suppliers, AMFOTEK and Plainview Milk Products Co-op, regarding Plainview’s Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk recall.
• Meijer has initiated a voluntary recall of one type of its Meijer Brand Instant Non-fat Dry Milk because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella

**FDA warns about Hardcore Energize Bullet or New Whey Liquid Products

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to buy or use Hardcore Energize Bullet or New Whey liquid products sold in test tube-like vials due to suspected product tampering. The products are being recalled.

**European Rapid Alerts for week 27
The results of rapid alerts for week 27 (up to 03/7/2009) are now available on the Europa web site.

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

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

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

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Food safety

**FSA suggests recession may lead to more food poisoning outbreaks
**Codex Alimentarius Commission adopts new guidelines
**French Ministries reject EFSA report on MON810 GM maize
**Salmonella on the increase in British Columbia
**New Street Station closed following Police food poisoning
**Iranian pistachios exports to EU may be about to increase
**FSA Committee to consider honeybee venom application
**Campylobacter may be increased by stress in chickens
**Pizza restaurant fined for Salmonella outbreak
**Obama administration takes action on food safety
**Animal diseases updates and food poisoning outbreaks
**The Food Safety Network

**FSA suggests recession may lead to more food poisoning outbreaks
Dame Deirdre Hutton, the chairman of the Food Standards Agency, has warned that Britain faces the risk of an outbreak of serious food poisoning due to the recession. She indicated that as companies and consumers cut corners to save money, widespread illnesses may occur. She added that since 2005, although some bacteria such as Listeria were on the increase, food poisoning cases had fallen in general by 20% but that the recession and the increasing complexity of the food chain could create the potential for major problems. Dame Deirdre was quoted as saying that she would urge food companies to focus on safety at board level as much as they focus on finding cheap sources of supply. In reply, Julian Hunt, director at the Food and Drink Federation which represents food manufacturers, was quoted as saying that while this was a legitimate concern for the food regulator to have, no food company would be so stupid as to put profit before safety since the damage to reputation and trust would be too great to contemplate.  (Daily Telegraph)

** Codex Alimentarius Commission adopts new food safety guidelines
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint body of the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO), has adopted more than 30 new guidelines designed to protect consumer’s health. The Commission has approved measures to reduce acrylamide, a chemical produced during frying, roasting and baking of carbohydrate-rich foods, adopted criteria for Salmonella and E.sakazakii in powdered follow-up formula and set microbiological testing parameters aimed at helping producers control and prevent Listeria monocytogenes contamination in ready-to-eat foods. The Commission will also look to establish maximum levels for melamine in food following recent contaminations in China. (Reuters)

**French Ministries reject EFSA report on MON810 GM maize
French ecology and agriculture ministries have rejected a report by EFSA which indicated that Monsanto's MON810 strain of genetically-modified corn was safe. The ministries indicated that EFSA had failed to look at requests to change its method of evaluating the risk. Their statement noted that 12 EU states wrote to the EFSA to ask that their assessment was extended to cover impact on wildlife and other points, less than two months ago.  France, Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg have all suspended growing of MON810 due to potential environmental hazards. The EFSA GMO panel said the product was safe both for health and the environment and that the gene added to make the maize pest-resistant did not raise any safety concern. (AFP)

**Salmonella on the increase in British Columbia
The Centre for Disease Control in British Columbia, Canada has warned that there has been an increase in Salmonella cases in the province. A spokesperson said that there have been more than 56 cases from the same strain in the last 2 months and that while no common source has been identified, the most important factors appear to be raw eggs and chicken. The Centre indicates that correct food handling practices are the best way to avoid infection and is reminding people to make sure eggs and chicken are cooked properly. (Canadian Press)

**New Street Station closed following police food poisoning
Part of New Street Station, Birmingham, was closed and attended by ambulance staff wearing chemical protection suits after nine police officers fell ill with food poisoning. All nine were suffering from diarrhoea and three were taken to hospital after dispersing a protest march in the city. (BBC)

**Iranian pistachios exports to EU may be about to increase
Three international standards on the safety of Iranian pistachios have been approved by representatives of 180 countries at FAO HQ in Rome for the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program. These standards are now expected to allow for increased exports to EU countries. The EU has hindered Iran’s attempts to export more pistachios to its members for years due to possible aflatoxin contamination. Pistachios are the top non-oil export of Iran. (Press TV)

**FSA Committee to consider honeybee venom application
The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP), an independent committee appointed by the Food Standards Agency, is due to assess the application by a New Zealand company for approval to market venom from the honeybee as a novel food ingredient. Venom is extracted using a milking apparatus procedure and dried before being added to honey. The company states that the venom may help alleviate the symptoms of arthritis and has been on sale in New Zealand since 1996. The FSA has called for comments on the application to be passed to the ACNFP Secretariat by Thursday 23 July 2009. (Food Standards Agency).

** Campylobacter may be increased by stress in chickens
It has been estimated that there are around 400,000 cases of Campylobacter food poisoning in the UK annually and as Campylobacter can be found in chicken muscle, improperly cooked chicken can be an important vehicle for infection. Previous research has shown that levels of Campylobacter in the gut of food animals increases after transport and the results of a study from the University of Bristol has shown that this may be due to the release of the stress hormone noradrenalin. The study indicates that the hormone appears to make Campylobacter grow more quickly and become more mobile and invasive. Lead researcher Professor Tom Humphrey is quoted as saying that the UK poultry industry is working hard to control Campylobacter and it is essential that this effort is supported by UK scientists and that research is relevant to commercial production. (Bristol University)

**Pizza restaurant fined for Salmonella outbreak
A pizza restaurant in the Bluewater shopping centre has been fined £21,000 plus £16,000 costs by Medway Magistrates following a Salmonella outbreak that caused illness to seven customers, five of whom had to be treated in hospital. Environmental health officers from Dartford Council found traces of Salmonella in a carbonara dish and Spanish eggs were found to be the source of infection. Magistrates heard that Villa Pizza had failed to take steps to ensure proper sourcing of eggs and had not cooked the dish at the correct temperature. The restaurant admitted selling unsafe food. (This Is Local London).

**Obama administration takes action on food safety
The US administration of President Barack recently ordered tougher steps be take to curb Salmonella and E.coli contamination in US food processing plants and created a new deputy food commissioner post to coordinate safety in the wake of a major Salmonella outbreak.  The administration, concerned by delays in identifying the source of the Salmonella contamination that sickened more than 700 people in 46 states earlier this year, also moved to create a better tracing system for identifying the origin of foodborne illnesses. The actions were based on recommendations from a Food Safety Working Group created by President Barack Obama in March after a Salmonella outbreak in peanut products forced the largest food recall in U.S. history. (Flex-News.com 07/07/09)

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

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

Contamination Identification

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Legislation headlines

**New US regulations on egg safety and Salmonella reduction
**FDA takes enforcement action against cheese manufacturer
**Residues of veterinary medicinal products
**PGI for Aceto Balsamico di Modena
**24^th update to the FEMA GRAS list
**Codex adopts key provisions for food supplements
**EFSA opinions on claims for Bimuno TM
**L-selenomethionine as a source of selenium in supplements
**FSA update on products free of colours associated with hyperactivity
**FSA consults on allergen labelling regulations for Scotland
**European Commission to report on 2008 seizures of counterfeit goods
**EU Court Okays Dutch, Italy to Sell 'Bavaria' Beer
**Call for better food labelling to identify imported pork

**New US regulations on egg safety and Salmonella reduction
The US Food and Drug Administration has announced a regulation expected to prevent each year 79,000 cases of foodborne illness and 30 deaths caused by consumption of eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis. (07/07/09).

**FDA takes enforcement action against cheese manufacturer
The US Department of Justice, on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has filed a complaint seeking injunctive relief against Peregrina Cheese, Inc., (Peregrina Cheese), Brooklyn, N.Y. and two of its officers: Javier Peregrina and Isabel Peregrina. The company prepares and processes a variety of cheeses, sour cream, flan and gelatin products and distributes them to speciality grocery stores in North-eastern Pennsylvania and in the New York City area. The government's complaint, filed today in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that the company has an extensive history of operating under insanitary conditions and producing cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is a foodborne pathogen that can cause serious illness and death.

**Residues of veterinary medicinal products
Commission Regulation (EC) No 581/2009 of 3 July 2009 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 laying down a Community procedure for the establishment of maximum residue limits of veterinary medicinal products in foodstuffs of animal origin, as regards gamithromycin.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 582/2009 of 3 July 2009 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 laying down a Community procedure for the establishment of maximum residue limits of veterinary medicinal products in foodstuffs of animal origin, as regards diclofenac.

**PGI for Aceto Balsamico di Modena
Commission Regulation (EC) No 583/2009 of 3 July 2009 entered a protected geographical indication (PGI)  in the register of speciality products for Aceto Balsamico di Modena.

**24^th update to the FEMA GRAS list
In 1958 an amendment to the US Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act exempted from food additive status those substances “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) under conditions of intended use. In order for the use of a substance to qualify for GRAS status, the safety of the substance must have been be evaluated by experts qualified by training and experience and adequately shown through scientific procedures to be “generally recognized as safe.” For almost five decades, the Expert Panel of the Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) has maintained an independent program to evaluate the safety of substances for use as flavour ingredients. During that time, more than 2,600 flavour ingredients have achieved GRAS status, approximately 200 candidates were withdrawn from GRAS consideration due to a lack of available data or safety concerns, and 11 substances had their previous GRAS status revoked (or “DeGRASed”) due to specific safety concerns or an absence of requested safety data.  Now the latest issue of Food Technology contains the 24^th update to that same FEMA list of flavourings which are generally recognised as safe (GRAS).

**Codex adopts key provisions for food supplements
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)  has adopted provisions for five key issues for the food supplement industry in line with provisions supported by IADSA. The Codex decision-making body, which recently met in Rome, adopted the Recommendations on the Scientific Substantiation of Health Claims, the Nutritional Risk Analysis Principles, the Provisions on Gum Arabic, the definition and table of conditions of dietary fibre, and the use of eight food colours in food supplements, all in line with recommendations from the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations’ (IADSA). These Codex provisions now become official Codex Standards and Guidelines.  The adopted Recommendations on the Scientific Substantiation of Health Claims now take into account the totality of the available relevant scientific data and weighing of the evidence for substantiating a health claim, rather than placing primary importance on human intervention trials. (Quoted direct from Flex-News.com 03/07/09). The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly established in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), develops international food standards that protect the health of consumers and ensure fair trade practices in the food trade. The Commission has 180 member states and one member organization, the European Community. The Commission has adopted hundreds of standards, guidelines and codes of practice and set thousands of maximum limits for food additives, contaminants and pesticide and veterinary drug residues in foods.

**EFSA opinions on claims for Bimuno TM
BimunoTM and reduction of the bad bacteria that can cause travellers’ diarrhoea - Scientific substantiation of a health claim related to BimunoTM and reduction of the bad bacteria that can cause travellers’ diarrhoea pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
BimunoTM and support of the immune system - Scientific substantiation of a health claim related to BimunoTM and support of the immune system pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC).
BimunoTM and help to maintain a healthy gastro-intestinal function - Scientific substantiation of a health claim related to BimunoTM and help to maintain a healthy gastro-intestinal function pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.

**L-selenomethionine as a source of selenium in supplements
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) the Scientific Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) has provided a scientific opinion on the safety of L-selenomethionine as a source of selenium in food supplements and on the bioavailability of selenium from this source. The safety of selenium itself, in terms of the amounts that may be consumed, is outside the remit of this Panel.  On the basis of the data provided by the petitioners and information in the literature on the bioavailability, metabolism and toxicity of L-selenomethionine, from dietary sources and in the form of dietary supplements, the Panel concluded that the use of L-selenomethionine as a source of selenium for nutritional purposes in food supplements would not be of safety concern in adults at use levels up to 250 μg/day (corresponding to up to 100 μg selenium/day).  At this use level the combined intake from diet and supplement use will be below the SCF’s UL, even for individuals also having a high dietary intake of selenium (i.e. greater than 100 μg selenium/day from the diet). There was concern that children’s intake might exceed safe levels and it was noted that new data provided by the recent SELECT study indicated the need for an integrated reconsideration of the UL for selenium from all sources.

**FSA update on products free of colours associated with hyperactivity
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has updated its list of product ranges that do not contain the six food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children. A further two retailers and five manufacturers producing product lines free of the colours have been added to the list. The list includes both companies whose product ranges have never contained the six colours and product ranges that have been reformulated to remove the colours. The colours, identified by a Southampton University study financed by the Food Standards Agency, are: sunset yellow FCF (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124).  The two retailers added to the list are: Holland & Barrett Ltd and Whole Foods Market.  The five manufacturers added to the list are: Calypso Soft Drinks, Jenny’s Home Baking, Beyond The Bean Ltd, Burton’s Foods and Muntons.

**FSA consults on allergen labelling regulations for Scotland
The Food Standards Agency has announced a consultation on the draft Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) on the Food Labelling (Declaration of Allergens) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and revised Guidance on Allergen and Miscellaneous Labelling Provisions.  This is necessary because in 2008 there was a package of changes to allergen labelling legislation that meant that the temporary exemption from the allergen labelling provisions for a number of ingredients derived from the listed allergenic foods, including wine fining agents produced from egg and milk, expired with effect from 31 May 2009. This was enacted in Scotland by the Food Labelling (Declaration of Allergens) Regulations 2008 and similar legislation is in place in the rest of the UK. There has been a subsequent legal change by the Commission that further extends the temporary exemptions from the labelling provisions for egg and milk-based fining agents used in wine from 31 May 2009 until December 2010. This means that under current UK legislation we have the anomalous situation where enforcement officers have the powers to take action against products where the use of these wine fining agents has not been labelled but, under the Commission Regulation (EC) No 415/2009, producers are now not required to declare these ingredients on the label.  Comments should be sent to Russell Napier, Food Standards, Diet & Nutrition, Food Standards Agency Scotland. Tel: 01224 285155; Fax: 01224 285168 by 3 August 2009.  The equivalent consultation for England can also be found on the FSA’s web site.

**European Commission to report on 2008 seizures of counterfeit goods
On Thursday (09/07/09) the European Commission will present its yearly report on the customs seizures of counterfeit goods made at the EU's external border. The statistics contain information about seizures made under customs procedures including data on goods description and quantities, breakdown of customs seizures by Member States, provenance of the goods, means of transport and the type of intellectual property that have been infringed. The 2008 statistics show an increase in seizure actions made by Customs as well as in the amount of goods seized. The figures will be disclosed at a Technical Briefing at 11:00 in the Berlaymont Press Room by Mr John Taylor (acting head of Unit "Protection of the EU and its citizens"- DG TAXUD). More information on the Commission’s taxation web site.

**EU Court Okays Dutch, Italy to Sell 'Bavaria' Beer
Europe's highest court, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has upheld the right of Dutch and Italian brewers to sell their 'Bavaria' beer in Italy, rejecting a bid to stop them by a company making a rival beer with the equivalent name in German. More details of this case, which appear to go against the principles embodied in the legislation to give protected name status to regional or speciality products,   are given at Flex-News.com (02/07/09).

**Call for better food labelling to identify imported pork
More than half of the pig meat eaten in the UK now comes from abroad, according to figures released in Parliament. Almost 60% of pig products are sourced from overseas, a rise of 22% in the last 12 years.  The statistics were revealed in response to a Parliamentary question tabled by Liberal Democrat Shadow Defra Secretary Tim Farron.  He claimed that allowing the supermarkets to impose their own voluntary code of labelling has allowed imported meat to legally use the Union flag to imply it is British. (Quoted direct from The Journal 06/07/09).

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Other headlines

**Study examines dietary influences of liver disease
**Antioxidant activity of minimally processed vegetables
**Beer bellies not caused by beer drinking!
**Overweight consumers being paid to get slim
**Roadmap for agro-food industry in Europe
**Coeliac disease four times more common than in 1950s
**Sweeter fruit may follow melon genome completion
**Sulphoraphane and colon cancer
**Walnuts can cut cholesterol

**Study examines dietary influences of liver disease
A study investigating the association of dietary nutrient composition with the subsequent development of cirrhosis or liver cancer showed that diets high in protein and cholesterol were associated with a higher risk of hospitalisation or death due to cirrhosis or liver cancer, whilst diets high in carbohydrates were associated with a lower risk.  The study published in the July 2009 issue of Hepatology by George N. Ioannou and colleagues from the University of Washington, US, utilised data collected using a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire from over 9000 participants who were a representative sample of the US population.  The authors suggest that the association between cholesterol intake and liver disease is potentially the most important finding of this study.  Subgroup analyses also showed that the significant associations of protein, carbohydrate and cholesterol intake with liver cirrhosis or cancer were limited to overweight or obese persons, with no such association being observed in normal-weight persons. They say that their study raises the possibility that dietary factors may be important, modifiable, and hitherto unrecognised determinants of liver disease progression.  (Summary in NutritionHorizon.com ).

**Antioxidant activity of minimally processed vegetables
A study comparing the antioxidant activity of vegetables subjected to minimal processing (in modified atmospheres MAP), dehydrated and ready-to-eat vegetables with fresh vegetables has shown that MAP vegetables have a good or very good antioxidant capacity with no significant loss of activity during storage.  Measurements were repeated during eight days of storage in a domestic refrigerator and after various cooking methods.   Microwaving, sautéing and baking retained antioxidant activity, whilst steaming, boiling and frying were more aggressive and tended to reduce antioxidant activity.  The dehydrated condiments (tablets) showed higher antioxidant activity than the “ready-to-eat” vegetable soups but the soups still show activity after being submitted to heat treatment to increase their shelf-life.  Hence, enrichment of stews and casseroles, with dehydrated vegetable tablets, and the consumption of soup or vegetable purees represent an increased antioxidant intake in the diet. (Summary in citeulike.org, (14/06/09); full text in Murcia et al. Food and Chemical Toxicology, doi:10.1016/j.fct.2009.05.039).

**Beer bellies not caused by beer drinking!
According to an article in the Daily Mail (04/07/09), beer lovers across Britain will be raising a glass to the latest research on drinking. This is because a group of German scientists have discovered that the so-called 'beer belly' is not necessarily caused by consuming alcohol, and is more likely to be dictated by genetic factors which control weight gain.  Amongst a cohort of  7,876 men and 12,749 women, who were followed for 8.5 years, it was found that beer consumption was not linked to hip-to-waist ratios, although heavy beer drinkers did, nevertheless, gain a lot of weight. ( Full text in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in press).

**Overweight consumers being paid to get slim
Volunteers will be given a £1 voucher to buy healthy food for every pound in weight they lose. This is the basis of a scheme being introduced by Basildon District Council in Essex.  People who complete the project will be given a book of vouchers at the end of three months which will be redeemable against fruits and vegetables in ASDA stores. More at BBC News (023/07/09).

**Roadmap for agro-food industry in Europe
The EU’s food industry is not excluded from today’s economic downturn. To give this important industry sector fresh impetus, European Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen and Commissioners Mariann Fischer Boel and Meglena Kuneva, have discussed with stakeholders the follow up to the recommendations of the High level Group, which were issued on 17 th March 2009. A stakeholder meeting held this week plans to implement coordinated actions, such as:

• improvement of the transparency of the fixing of prices and contractual arrangements along the food supply chain;
• establishing a market surveillance mechanism of counterfeiting;
• a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) to assess the position of the European agro-food industry in the global market.
• simplification of the administrative procedures, particularly for SMEs, for participation in research funding programmes;
• setting up a social dialogue in the agro-food industry;
• developing educational programmes which raise awareness of the importance of the agro-food industry;
• setting up a European Forum to discuss the improvement of commercial relations among the players of the food chain, with the aim to adopt an EU wide code of conduct;
• launching a study on the effects of retailers' own brands on the competitiveness of the agro-food industry, in particular on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs);
• promotion of the instruments available for SMEs, e.g. Enterprise Europe Network.

More details in the European Commission’s press release IP/09/1089 (06/07/09).

**Coeliac disease four times more common than in 1950s
A Mayo Clinic study published this month suggests that coeliac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is more than four times more common today than it was in the 1950s.  Symptoms of the disease, which now affect one in a hundred people, can include diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort, weight loss, anaemia, unexplained infertility, loss of teeth and premature severe osteoporosis.  With such a variable range of symptoms, coeliac disease can easily be mistaken for other common diseases.  The problem with this is that according to the study, if undiagnosed, the disease can have a significant impact on life expectancy.  (Science Daily, 02/07/09)

**Sweeter fruit may follow melon genome completion
A new study published in the Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Sciences (2009, 134: 67-76) claims that scientists from Texas have completed the mapping of the melon genome, a task begun by scientists in France and Spain.  The specific genes which control sugar content, vitamin C content, male sterility and other traits have now been mapped, and it is hoped that sweeter, more nutritious fruit can be developed.  Other useful genes which have been identified include those for disease resistance and drought tolerance. (Food Navigator.com, 01/07/09).

**Sulphoraphane and colon cancer
Consumption of cruciferous vegetables (eg. broccoli, Brussels sprouts and other brassicas) has been linked to a lower incidence of cancer. Sulphoraphane is an antioxidant found primarily in brassicas and its effect on colon cancer has been investigated by Rudolf et al. at the University of Prague using the SW620 cell line, which are human colon carcinoma cells.  It has been found to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) of these cancer cells by activating a variety of DNA-damage response pathways such as caspase-2-JNK and p53-dependent signalling.  (Rudolf et al., Food & Chemical Toxicology, articles in press; doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2009.06.034). Background information on sulforaphane can be accessed at Phytochemicals.info.

**Walnuts can cut cholesterol
A number of studies have linked the consumption of walnuts to a lowering of cholesterol levels. In particular, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are decreased. High levels of LDL cholesterol are a marker for poor cardiovascular health. Walnuts in particular have a unique profile since they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which may improve blood lipids and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. Researchers Deirdre Banel and Frank Hu from Harvard University conducted a meta-analysis of 13 studies where walnuts provided between 10 and 24 percent of total calories and found that ‘diets supplemented with walnuts resulted in a significantly greater decrease in total cholesterol and in LDL-cholesterol concentrations compared to control diets.  However, the authors stressed the need for larger and longer-term trials to better understand the effect that nut consumption has on cardiovascular health and on weight loss. (Summary in NutraIngredients.com 08/07/09; full text in Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2009,  90: 56-63, doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27457).

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