Impact of foods with health logo on ssaturated fat, sodium and sugar intake of young Dutch adults

Objective Health logos are introduced to distinguish foods with ‘healthier’ nutrient composition from regular foods. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of changed food compositions according to health logo criteria on the intake of saturated fat, sugar and sodium in a Dutch population of young adults. Design Foods in the Dutch food composition table were evaluated against nutrient criteria for logo eligibility. Three replacement scenarios were compared with the nutrient intake ‘as measured’ in the Dutch consumption survey. The foods not complying with health logo criteria were replaced either by ‘virtual’ foods exactly complying with the health logo criteria, with real 2007 market shares (scenario I) and 100 % market shares (scenario II), or by existing similar foods with a composition that already complied with the health logo criteria (scenario III). Results The percentage reduction in nutrient intake with the current 2007 market shares of ‘health logo foods’ was -2·5 % for SFA, 0 % for sodium and -1 % for sugar. With a 100 % market share these reductions would be -10 % for SFA, -4 % for sodium and -6 % for sugar. This may lead to a reduction of -40 % for SFA, -23 % for sodium and -36 % for sugar in the most optimal replacement scenario. Conclusions With ‘health logo foods’, available in 2007 and current consumption patterns, small reductions can be achieved for SFA and sugar. For additional reductions, lowering the fat/sodium content of meat (products) towards health logo criteria and drinks without sugar towards limits far below health logo criteria would be the most effective reformulation strategy

Health impact of nanotechnologies in food production

Geen RIVM rapportnummer in publicatieInventory study on the current use of nanotechnology in food products and advise on the most relevant safety evaluation issues. This report describes the results of this study. The report is set up in two parts. First you will find an aggregation of the results in the answer to 10 questions. In this part you will also find our suggestions for prioritizing the research that is needed. The second document is a scientific background document

Oestrogene effecten in vissen in regionale wateren nabij rwzi's

Het Landelijk Onderzoek oEstrogene Stoffen (LOES) heeft laten zien dat hormoonontregelende stoffen bijna overal in lage concentraties in het Nederlandse watermilieu voorkomen. Vissen in regionale wateren blijken evenwel een groter risico te lopen op nadelige effecten, zoals vervrouwelijking, dan de vissen in de wat grotere wateren. De oorzaak hiervoor lijkt te liggen in het feit dat wanneer regionale wateren onder directe invloed van lozingen met hormoonontregelende stoffen staan in kleinere wateren relatief weinig verdunning optreedt. Eén van de emissiebronnen die uitgebreid onderzocht is, is het effluent van een rioolwaterzuiverin

Activation of factor VII-activating protease in human inflammation: a sensor for cell death

textabstractIntroduction: Cell death is a central event in the pathogenesis of sepsis and is reflected by circulating nucleosomes. Circulating nucleosomes were suggested to play an important role in inflammation and were demonstrated to correlate with severity and outcome in sepsis patients. We recently showed that plasma can release nucleosomes from late apoptotic cells. Factor VII-activating protease (FSAP) was identified to be the plasma serine protease responsible for nucleosome release. The aim of this study was to investigate FSAP activation in patients suffering from various inflammatory diseases of increasing severity.Methods: We developed ELISAs to measure FSAP-C1-inhibitor and FSAP-α2-antiplasmin complexes in plasma. FSAP-inhibitor complexes were measured in the plasma of 20 adult patients undergoing transhiatal esophagectomy, 32 adult patients suffering from severe sepsis and 8 from septic shock and 38 children suffering from meningococcal sepsis.Results: We demonstrate plasma FSAP to be activated upon contact with apoptotic and necrotic cells by an assay detecting complexes between FSAP and its target serpins α2-antiplasmin and C1-inhibitor, respectively. By means of that assay we demonstrate FSAP activation in post-surgery patients, patients suffering from severe sepsis, septic shock and meningococcal sepsis. Levels of FSAP-inhibitor complexes correlate with nucleosome levels and correlate with severity and mortality in these patients.Conclusions: These results suggest FSAP activation to be a sensor for cell death in the circulation and that FSAP activation in sepsis might be involved in nucleosome release, thereby contributing to lethality

Health impact of nanotechnologies in food production

Geen RIVM rapportnummer in publicatieInventory study on the current use of nanotechnology in food products and advise on the most relevant safety evaluation issues. This report describes the results of this study. The report is set up in two parts. First you will find an aggregation of the results in the answer to 10 questions. In this part you will also find our suggestions for prioritizing the research that is needed. The second document is a scientific background document

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Increases Oxidative Stress and Decreases Chronological Life Span in Fission Yeast

Background: Oxidative stress is a probable cause of aging and associated diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) originate mainly from endogenous sources, namely the mitochondria. Methodology/Principal Findings: We analyzed the effect of aerobic metabolism on oxidative damage in Schizosaccharomyces pombe by global mapping of those genes that are required for growth on both respiratory-proficient media and hydrogen-peroxide-containing fermentable media. Out of a collection of approximately 2700 haploid yeast deletion mutants, 51 were sensitive to both conditions and 19 of these were related to mitochondrial function. Twelve deletion mutants lacked components of the electron transport chain. The growth defects of these mutants can be alleviated by the addition of antioxidants, which points to intrinsic oxidative stress as the origin of the phenotypes observed. These respiration-deficient mutants display elevated steady-state levels of ROS, probably due to enhanced electron leakage from their defective transport chains, which compromises the viability of chronologically-aged cells. Conclusion/Significance: Individual mitochondrial dysfunctions have often been described as the cause of diseases or aging, and our global characterization emphasizes the primacy of oxidative stress in the etiology of such processes.This work was supported by Dirección General de Investigación of Spain Grant BFU2006-02610, and by the Spanish program Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Grant CSD 2007-0020 to E.H

Exposure to aflatoxin and fumonisin in children at risk for growth impairment in rural Tanzania

Growth impairment is a major public health issue for children in Tanzania. The question remains as to whether dietary mycotoxins play a role in compromising children's growth. We examined children's exposures to dietary aflatoxin and fumonisin and potential impacts on growth in 114 children under 36 months of age in Haydom, Tanzania. Plasma samples collected from the children at 24 months of age (N = 60) were analyzed for aflatoxin B₁-lysine (AFB₁-lys) adducts, and urine samples collected between 24 and 36 months of age (N = 94) were analyzed for urinary fumonisin B₁ (UFB₁). Anthropometric, socioeconomic, and nutritional parameters were measured and growth parameter z-scores were calculated for each child. Seventy-two percent of the children had detectable levels of AFB₁-lys, with a mean level of 5.1 (95% CI: 3.5, 6.6) pg/mg albumin; and 80% had detectable levels of UFB₁, with a mean of 1.3 (95% CI: 0.8, 1.8) ng/ml. This cohort had a 75% stunting rate [height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) < −2] for children at 36 months. No associations were found between aflatoxin exposures and growth impairment as measured by stunting, underweight [weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ) < −2], or wasting [weight-for-height z-scores (WHZ) < −2]. However, fumonisin exposure was negatively associated with underweight (with non-detectable samples included, p = 0.0285; non-detectable samples excluded, p = 0.005) in this cohort of children. Relatively low aflatoxin exposure at 24 months was not linked with growth impairment, while fumonisin exposure at 24–36 months based on the UFB₁ biomarkers may contribute to the high growth impairment rate among children of Haydom, Tanzania; which may be associated with their breast feeding and weaning practices