Hazard prevention, risk assessment and practical advice/recommendations by experts for educational purpose

Dear reader, Food safety is from highest importance in our food consumption and producing system. It poses as an elemental prerequisite for the daily working procedures in every food producing or food processing operation. For this reason within the European Union, the Codex Alimentarius commission developed the well known HACCP concept. Its purpose is to establish safety measures on every step of the food value chain and to guarantees a high level of safety. This handbooks gives advice and provides examples and explanations on several topics of this system-based concept with focus on the implementation of this system within the organic food production. It contains the theoretical background of food safety in organic food production and is part of the SAFE-ORG food-project, funded by the European Union. SAFE-ORG Food is an international project within the Erasmus Plus programme. Five universities are working together in order to combine, research and collect scientific findings regarding the food safety in organic food production. The aim of the project is to improve the availability of good, understandable and helpful educational material on organic food safety. We hope to create an positive impact for the safe production of organic food in Europe and to support the stakeholders of the organic food sector within their daily work.Funded by ERASMUS+Funded by ERASMUS

Ohtude ennetamine, riskihindamine ja ekspertide õppeotstarbelised praktilised soovitused

Lp. lugeja, Toiduohutus on toidu tootmise, töötlemise ja tarbimise süsteemis kõige olulisem. See on igapäevaste tööprotse põhieeldus igas toidutootmis ja –töötlemistegevuses. Sel põhjusel töötas Codex Alimentarius ́e komisjon Euroopa Liidus välja hästi tuntud HACCP kontseptsiooni, mille eesmärgiks on toidu väärtusahela erinevates etappides kõrgel tasemel toiduohutuse meetmete rakendamine. Käesolev käsiraamat annab nõuandeid ja näiteid ning selgitusi selle süsteemipõhise kontseptsiooni erinevatel teemadel, keskendudes selle süsteemi rakendamisele mahetoidu tootmises. See sisaldab toiduohutuse teoreetilist tausta mahetoidu tootmises ja on osa SAFE-ORG toiduprojektist, mida rahastab Euroopa Liit. SAFE-ORG Food on Erasmus Plus programmi rahvusvaheline projekt.SAFE-ORG Food on Erasmus Plus programmi rahvusvaheline projekt. Viis ülikooli teevad koostööd, et kombineerida, uurida ja koguda toiduohutuse alaste teadusuuringute tulemusi mahetoidu tootmises. Projekti eesmärk on parandada kõrgetasemega, arusaadava ja abistava õppematerjali kättesaadavust tootjatele ja õppejõududele. Loodame avaldada positiivset mõju ohutu mahetoidu tootmisele Euroopas ning toetada mahetoitu tootvaid ettevõtteid nende igapäevatöös.Rahastas ERASMUS+Rahastas ERASMUS

Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses

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Identifying future study designs for mental health and social wellbeing associated with diets of a cohort living in eco-regions:findings from the INSUM Expert Workshop

Diets influence our mental health and social wellbeing (MHSW) in multiple ways. A rising community concept, Eco-Regions, has gained interest. The research project “Indicators for assessment of health effects of consumption of sustainable, organic school meals in Ecoregions” (INSUM) aims to develop future-oriented research approaches to measure the potential health effects of more sustainable and healthy diets. This first part of the project focuses on MHSW with the goal to identify suitable study designs and indicators. The methodology is based on a 2-day workshop with an interdisciplinary group of experts. This paper describes commonly applied research methods on the nexus between diet and MHSW as presented by the experts and summarises key points from the discussions. The results show that the dominating tool to investigate MSHW is questionnaires. Questionnaires vary largely depending on the research design, such as participants or distribution channels. Cohort studies addressing families and including in-depth interventional and/or experimental studies may be suitable for an Eco-Region investigation. Those MHSW studies can be conducted and combined with measurements of somatic health effects. We conclude that indicators should be seen as complementary rather than independent. Explorative research designs are required to investigate complex Eco-Regions

Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses

Demand for organic foods is partially driven by consumers' perceptions that they are more nutritious. However, scientific opinion is divided on whether there are significant nutritional differences between organic and non-organic foods, and two recent reviews have concluded that there are no differences. In the present study, we carried out meta-analyses based on 343 peer-reviewed publications that indicate statistically significant and meaningful differences in composition between organic and non-organic crops/crop-based foods. Most importantly, the concentrations of a range of antioxidants such as polyphenolics were found to be substantially higher in organic crops/crop-based foods, with those of phenolic acids, flavanones, stilbenes, flavones, flavonols and anthocyanins being an estimated 19 (95% CI 5, 33)%, 69 (95% CI 13, 125)%, 28 (95% CI 12, 44)%, 26 (95% CI 3, 48)%, 50 (95% CI 28, 72)% and 51 (95% CI 17, 86)% higher, respectively. Many of these compounds have previously been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including CVD and neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers, in dietary intervention and epidemiological studies. Additionally, the frequency of occurrence of pesticide residues was found to be four times higher in conventional crops, which also contained significantly higher concentrations of the toxic metal Cd. Significant differences were also detected for some other (e.g. minerals and vitamins) compounds. There is evidence that higher antioxidant concentrations and lower Cd concentrations are linked to specific agronomic practices (e.g. non-use of mineral N and P fertilisers, respectively) prescribed in organic farming systems. In conclusion, organic crops, on average, have higher concentrations of antioxidants, lower concentrations of Cd and a lower incidence of pesticide residues than the non-organic comparators across regions and production season

Are Organic Certified Carrots Richer in Health-Promoting Phenolics and Carotenoids than the Conventionally Grown Ones?

The aim of the present study was to determine the concentrations of polyphenols and carotenoids by means of HPLC/UV-Vis in certified organic and non-organic carrots (Daucus carota L.) of two cultivars (Flacoro and Nantejska). The analyzed carrot root samples contained, on average, 4.29 ± 0.83 mg/100g f.w. of carotenoids (mainly β-carotene) and 9.09 ± 2.97 mg/100g f.w. of polyphenols, including 4.44 ± 1.42 mg/100g f.w. of phenolic acids and 4.65 ± 1.96 mg/100g f.w. of flavonoids. Significant effects of the production system on the carotenoids (total) and β-carotene concentration were found, with higher concentrations of these compounds generally identified in conventionally cultivated roots (4.67 ± 0.88 mg/100g f.w.) vs. organically grown ones (4.08 ± 0.74 mg/100g f.w.). There was a noticeable inter-sample (inter-farm) variation in the concentration of polyphenols in carrot roots. Despite a general trend towards higher concentrations of these compounds in the organic carrots (9.33 ± 3.17 mg/100g f.w.) vs. conventional carrots (8.64 ± 2.58 mg/100g f.w.), and in those of Nantejska (9.60 ± 2.87 mg/100g f.w.) vs. Flacoro (8.46 ± 3.02 mg/100g f.w.) cultivar, no consistent, statistically significant impact of the production system and/or cultivar on the level of these bioactive compounds was identified. More efforts should be encouraged to ensure that organic crops reaching the market consistently contain the expected high levels of health-promoting bioactive compounds, which could be brought through their shelf-life and all processing steps, in order to meet consumers’ expectations and provide the expected health benefits

European Organic Food Consumers: Motives, Actions and Implications

The aim of the study was to analyze the motives and to characterize the profile of European organic food consumer using available literature data. According to the research published so far, organic food consumers are, e.g., better educated and more physically active compared to those who declare no interest in organic foods. They also exhibit nutritional patterns more closely adhering to current dietary guidelines, and show lower probability of overweight and obesity. Most of them do not smoke. Among the reasons to buy organic food, most of the consumers mention health in the first place, followed by the environmental aspects, animal welfare and taste.W pracy dokonano analizy motywów oraz charakterystyki profilu europejskiego konsumenta żywności ekologicznej, wykorzystując dostępne dane literaturowe. Zgodnie z wynikami dotychczas opublikowanych badań konsumenci żywności ekologicznej są m.in. lepiej wykształceni oraz bardziej aktywni fizycznie w porównaniu z tymi, którzy deklarują brak zainteresowania żywnością ekologiczną. Charakteryzują się ponadto sposobem żywienia bardziej zbliżonym do obowiązujących zaleceń, wykazują istotnie mniejsze prawdopodobieństwo nadwagi i otyłości, a także rzadziej sięgają po wyroby tytoniowe. Wśród motywów zakupu żywności ekologicznej dominują kolejno względy zdrowotne, troska o środowisko naturalne, dobrostan zwierząt oraz poszukiwanie pożądanych walorów smakowych

Biologically Active Compounds in Selected Organic and Conventionally Produced Dried Fruits

A growing demand for organic foods is driven by consumers′ perception that they are more nutritious. However, while there is a number of scientific studies showing some superior qualities of organically grown fruit and vegetables, including, i.e., higher content of phenolics, some vitamins and antioxidant activity, scientific research looking into the quality of processed organic products is very limited. At the same time the consumption of processed, convenient foods, with a long shelf-life, is rapidly increasing all over the world. Among the processed fruit-based products, dried fruits are recognized by consumers as one of the best snacks, highly nutritious and containing a large amount of fibre. In the presented experiment, four types of organic and conventionally produced dried fruits were examined: Apricots, apple rings, cranberries, and prunes. The concentrations of polyphenols (in all products) and carotenoids (in apricots) were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The study confirms that dry fruits can be undoubtedly considered as a rich source of polyphenols, however, a large variation in the concentrations of these compounds among different brands of products was also pointed: 219.03 ± 3.90–296.96 ± 2.86 mg 100 g−1 in dried apricots, 95.24 ± 15.12–627.71 ± 48.64 mg 100 g−1 in dried apple rings, 14.64 ± 0.43–203.09 ± 7.96 mg 100 g−1 in dried cranberries, and 134.65 ± 12.27–422.44 ± 9.00 mg 100 g−1 in prunes. Carotenoids concentrations in dried apricots ranged from 2.72 ± 0.31 to 17.49 ± 0.17 µg g−1. Among the tested dried fruits, only in the case of apricots organic products were characterized by the higher contents of phenolics and carotenoids compared to the conventional brands. In the case of other products there was either no consistent significant production system effect, or the concentrations of the analyzed phenolic compounds were higher in conventional products

Cross-Sectional Study of Plant Sterols Intake as a Basis for Designing Appropriate Plant Sterol-Enriched Food in Indonesia

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in many low-income and middle-income countries, including Indonesia, with elevated blood cholesterol level being one of significant risk factors for this condition. The problem should be addressed by combining healthy lifestyle and diet, where functional foods having a cholesterol-lowering activity could play a significant role. A group of compounds that had been proven to show cholesterol-lowering ability are plant sterols. To develop more suitable functional foods that could substantially contribute to hypercholesterolemia prevention in Indonesian population, up-to-date data about plant sterols dietary intake are required, and were not available until this research was done. This study aimed to estimate daily plant sterols intake and to determine the consumption pattern of foods containing plant sterols in rural and urban area of Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. The research was conducted with a cross-sectional design, with 200 respondents. The study revealed that the level of plant sterols intake in Bogor reached on average 229.76 mg/day and was not significantly different between urban and rural area. Cereals, vegetables, and fruit products were the main food sources of plant sterols in both areas. In addition, a list of several surveyed food items possible to be enriched with plant sterols was developed within the study. These results provide baseline data to develop functional foods fortified with plant sterols suitable for the Indonesian needs and taste. However, further studies are needed to confirm efficacy and safety of introducing such phytosterol-enriched products into a habitual diet, especially considering possible long-term side effects of plant sterol treatment