Detaild Report on the Second European Inter-Laboratory Comparison Study on the Determination of Acrylamide in Food. Acrylamide in Crispbread Samples.

Abstract not availableJRC.D-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel

Which strategy to develop for the authentication of organic food products?

With the aim to implement the European action plan for organic food and farming, IRMM has started a feasible study on the authentication of organic food products. A farm comparison approach has been selected and a weighty number of analytical methods are currently tested for their fit-of-purpose. Some preliminary results will be presented and their consequences for future actions discussed

Impact of Engineered Nanomaterials on Health: Considerations for Benefit-Risk Assessment

Nanotechnology encompasses the design, characterisation, production and application of materials and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanoscale (nanometres). Nanomaterials may differ from other materials because of their relatively large specific surface area, such that surface properties become particularly important. There has been rapid growth in investment in nanotechnology by both the public and private sectors worldwide. In the EU, nanotechnology is expected to become an important strategic contributor to achieving economic gain and societal and individual benefits. At the same time there is continuing scientific uncertainty and controversy about the safety of nanomaterials. It is important to ensure that timely policy development takes this into consideration. Uncertainty about safety may lead to polarised public debate and to business unwillingness to invest further. A clear regulatory framework to address potential health and environmental impacts, within the wider context of evaluating and communicating the benefit-risk balance, must be a core part of Europe's integrated efforts for nanotechnology innovation. While a number of studies have been carried out on the effect of environmental nanoparticles, e.g. from combustion processes, on human health, there is yet no generally acceptable paradigm for safety assessment of nanomaterials in consumer and other products. Therefore, a working group was established to consider issues for the possible impact of nanomaterials on human health focussing specifically on engineered nanomaterials. This represents the first joint initiative between EASAC and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The working group was given the remit to describe the state of the art of benefits and potential risks, current methods for safety assessment, and to evaluate their relevance, identify knowledge gaps in studying the safety of current nanomaterials, and recommend on priorities for nanomaterial research and the regulatory framework. This report focuses on key principles and issues, cross-referencing other sources for detailed information, rather than attempting a comprehensive account of the science. The focus is on human health although environmental effects are also discussed when directly relevant to healt

Regulatory landscape of dietary supplements and herbal medicines from a global perspective

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Assessment of dietary exposure to some persistent organic pollutants in the Republic of Karakalpakstan of Uzbekistan.

A 1999 study heightened long-standing concerns over persistent organic pollutant contamination in the Aral Sea area, detecting elevated levels in breast milk and cord blood of women in Karakalpakstan (western Uzbekistan). These findings prompted a collaborative research study aimed at linking such human findings with evidence of food chain contamination in the area. An international team carried out analyses of organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) on samples of 12 foods commonly produced and consumed in Karakalpakstan. Analysis consistently detected long-lasting organochlorine pesticides and their metabolites in all foods of animal origin and in some vegetables such as onions and carrots--two low-cost components of many traditional dishes. Levels of PCBs were relatively low in all samples except fish. Analyses revealed high levels of PCDDs and PCDFs (together often termed "dioxins") in sheep fat, dairy cream, eggs, and edible cottonseed oil, among other foodstuffs. These findings indicate that food traditionally grown, sold, and consumed in Karakalpakstan is a major route of human exposure to several persistent toxic contaminants, including the most toxic of dioxins, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD). Intake estimations demonstrate that consumption of even small amounts of locally grown food may expose consumers to dioxin levels that considerably exceed the monthly tolerable dioxin intake levels set by the World Health Organization. Data presented in this study allow a first assessment of the risk associated with the consumption of certain food products in Karakalpakstan and highlight a critical public health situation

Emerging technologies and their impact on regulatory science

There is an evolution and increasing need for the utilization of emerging cellular, molecular and in silico technologies and novel approaches for safety assessment of food, drugs, and personal care products. Convergence of these emerging technologies is also enabling rapid advances and approaches that may impact regulatory decisions and approvals. Although the development of emerging technologies may allow rapid advances in regulatory decision making, there is concern that these new technologies have not been thoroughly evaluated to determine if they are ready for regulatory application, singularly or in combinations. The magnitude of these combined technical advances may outpace the ability to assess fit for purpose and to allow routine application of these new methods for regulatory purposes. There is a need to develop strategies to evaluate the new technologies to determine which ones are ready for regulatory use. The opportunity to apply these potentially faster, more accurate, and cost-effective approaches remains an important goal to facilitate their incorporation into regulatory use. However, without a clear strategy to evaluate emerging technologies rapidly and appropriately, the value of these efforts may go unrecognized or may take longer. It is important for the regulatory science field to keep up with the research in these technically advanced areas and to understand the science behind these new approaches. The regulatory field must understand the critical quality attributes of these novel approaches and learn from each other's experience so that workforces can be trained to prepare for emerging global regulatory challenges. Moreover, it is essential that the regulatory community must work with the technology developers to harness collective capabilities towards developing a strategy for evaluation of these new and novel assessment tools

A Review on Analytical Methods to Determine the Geographical and Botanical Origin of Honey.

This review is concerned with analytical methods to prove the authenticity of honey. A special emphasis is put on suitable methods for the detection of the geographical and botanic origin of honey. Whereas the determination of some single parameters such as 5HMF, moisture, enzyme activity, nitrogen, mono- and disaccharides and residues from medicinal treatment or pesticides in honey does not lead to any information about the botanical and geographical origin there are some suitable methods based on analysis of specific components or on multi-component analysis. Mostly, such methods give indications on the botanical origin investigating flavonoids patterns, distributions of pollen, aroma compounds and special marker compounds. There are some other profiles of components which could probably be used for the detection of the geographical origin. In particular, the combination of methods could be a promising approach to prove authenticity, especially, when modern statistical data evaluation techniques will be applied.JRC.(EI)-Environment Institut

Task Force Meeting on the Analysis of Vegetable Fats in Chocolate

This meeting of scientists from 8 Member State of the European Union (EU) and from Switzerland took place in the European Commissions' Joint Research Centre in Ispra, located at the Lago Monate in Italy. The Directive 73/241/EEC relating to cocoa and chocolate products has in particular foreseen, for some Member States, the possibility of adding vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in chocolate products. The permitted quantity of these fats is mostly 5% of the weight of the finished product. A number of European countries authorises the use of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in the manufacture of chocolate. In practice, fats similar in chemical and physical properties or with specific functional properties to cocoa butter are added. The Commission of the EU now feels there is a need to harmonise the legislation, which means that a decision needs to be made whether the level of vegetable fats can be regulated at the European level of should be left to the Member States' legislation. At present, there is a lack of a suitable analytical method for quantification of the addition of other vegetable fats than cocoa butter to chocolate.JRC.(EI)-Environment Institut

Perspective Food Safety Control and Dietary Habits

Abstract is not availableJRC.I-Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (Ispra

Book Review on "Food Authentication" Edited by P.R.Ashurst & M.J.Denis (1996).

Abstract not availableJRC.(EI)-Environment Institut