Predicting urinary creatinine excretion and its usefulness to identify incomplete 24 h urine collections

Abstract Studies using 24 h urine collections need to incorporate ways to validate the completeness of the urine samples. Models to predict urinary creatinine excretion (UCE) have been developed for this purpose; however, information on their usefulness to identify incomplete urine collections is limited. We aimed to develop a model for predicting UCE and to assess the performance of a creatinine index using paraaminobenzoic acid (PABA) as a reference. Data were taken from the European Food Consumption Validation study comprising two nonconsecutive 24 h urine collections from 600 subjects in five European countries. Data from one collection were used to build a multiple linear regression model to predict UCE, and data from the other collection were used for performance testing of a creatinine indexbased strategy to identify incomplete collections. Multiple linear regression (n 458) of UCE showed a significant positive association for body weight (b ¼ 0·07), the interaction term sex £ weight (b ¼ 0·09, reference women) and protein intake (b ¼ 0·02). A significant negative association was found for age (b ¼ 20·09) and sex (b ¼ 23·14, reference women). An index of observed-to-predicted creatinine resulted in a sensitivity to identify incomplete collections of 0·06 (95 % CI 0·01, 0·20) and 0·11 (95 % CI 0·03, 0·22) in men and women, respectively. Specificity was 0·97 (95 % CI 0·97, 0·98) in men and 0·98 (95 % CI 0·98, 0·99) in women. The present study shows that UCE can be predicted from weight, age and sex. However, the results revealed that a creatinine index based on these predictions is not sufficiently sensitive to exclude incomplete 24 h urine collections

Associations entre l excès pondéral, l alimentation et l activité physique chez l enfant. Relations avec le statut socio-économique des ménages (étude à partir des données des enquêtes Individuelles et Nationales sur les Consommations Alimentaires (INCA))

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Nutrient profiles discriminate foods according to their contribution to nutritionally adequate diets: a validation study using linear programming and the SAIN,LIM system

International audienceBackground: The nutrient profile concept implies that it is possible to discriminate between foods according to their contribution to a healthy diet on the basis of their nutrient contents only. Objective: The objective was to test the compatibility between nutrient profiling and nutrient-based recommendations by using diet modeling with linear programming. Design: Food consumption data from the French "Individuelle et Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires" dietary survey and its associated food-composition database were used as input data. Each food was allocated to 1 of 4 classes, according to the SAIN,LIM system—a nutrient profiling system based on 2 independent scores, including a total of 8 basic plus 4 optional nutrients. The possibility to model diets fulfilling a set of 40 nutrient recommendations (healthy models) was tested by using foods from a given nutrient profile class only or from a combination of classes. The possibility to fulfill a set of nutrient constraints in contradiction with the recommendations (unhealthy models) was also tested. For each model, the feasible energy range was assessed by minimizing and maximizing total energy content. Results: With foods from the most favorable nutrient profile class, healthy diets could be modeled, but it was impossible to design unhealthy diets within a realistic range of energy intake with these foods. With foods from the least favorable class, unhealthy, but not healthy, diets could be designed. Both healthy and unhealthy diets could be designed with foods from intermediate classes. Conclusion: On the basis of a few key nutrients, it is possible to predict the ability of a given food to facilitate—or to impair—the fulfillment of a large number of nutrient recommendation

Evaluation of the exposure methodology for risk-benefit assessment of seafood consumption

This study evaluated the methodology of using existing, international data to calculate the intake of nutrients and contaminants via seafood consumption on a national level. This was done by combining French seafood consumption data with two different datasets. (1) Distributions fitted to existing, international nutrient and contaminant concentration data in fish and seafood (further on called 'existing, international probability distributions'). (2) National concentration data point estimates resulting from national monitoring programs. The results showed that a significant correlation was found between the results obtained by using different data sets and that a high percentage of the population was classified in the same category (above or below the intake reference values). As such, the general conclusion that can be drawn from the results: 'whether a part of the population does exceed the toxicological reference values for certain contaminants and whether a part of the population does not reach the recommended intake for certain nutrients' remains the same for the two approaches. Therefore, it can be concluded that the existing, international probability distributions are useful when aiming to perform a cost-effective risk benefit evaluation of seafood consumption on national or regional level. When this evaluation does indicate that more detailed results are needed because a certain health risk exists, it can be decided that it is worth to spend more time and money for the analyses of national samples in order to collect more detailed results. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserve

School meals in French secondary state schools with regard to the national recommendations

International audienceIn 2001, a circular addressing both the composition of school meals and food safety issues was introduced in France to improve the nutrient compositionof school meals and provided food-frequency guidelines to guarantee dietary balanced meals. The present study assesses the extent towhich secondary state schools are familiar with and implement this circular. In 2005, a nationally representative sample of 1440 secondarystate schools received a questionnaire on their catering service and the implementation of the circular’s recommendations, and were requestedto enclose all menus (lunches and dinners) served over 1 month. Menu analysis shows that progress is still required to achieve a meal compositionin accordance with the food-group frequency guidelines appended to the circular. Some recommendations are followed by most of the schools,such as limiting high-fat products and providing plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, cooked vegetables and starchy foods. Other guidelinesshould be implemented further, especially with regard to the nutritional quality of main courses and dairy products, which are met by lessthan a third and a half of schools, respectively. Specific efforts are necessary for evening meals to ensure that the nutritional requirements of boardersare covered. Some recommendations, such as the food purchasing manager being trained in nutrition (38% of schools) and the involvement ofdietetic expertise when designing meals (6 %), seem to be linked to better dietary balance of meals. Implementation of the circular must thereforebe promoted in schools and may require stronger regulatory nutrition standards and better cooperation between schools

Impact of a modification of food regulation on cadmium exposure

International audienceThe 2nd French Total Diet Study demonstrated that 0.6% of adults and 14.9% of children exceeded the tolerable weekly intake set by EFSA. The overexposure of several consumers (adults and children) can be partially due to the high consumption of bread and dried bread products, of bivalve mollusks and of potatoes. Except for mollusks, these foods are the main contributors identified for the general population. On this basis, the French agency for food, environmental and occupational health and safety (ANSES) assessed whether a decrease of the European maximum limits in foodstuffs could significantly reduce the level of exposure of French consumers. Applying ML set at P90 of the main contributors would neither significantly reduce exposure levels to cadmium for the general population, nor the percentage of subjects exceeding the TWI. To reduce background consumer exposure to cadmium, actions to be taken include efforts on sources that are at the origin of the soil contamination and the efficacy of consumption recommendations